Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Just like to read first of all to start with in Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3.
And the tenth verse.
And have put on the Newman, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Well, I'd just like to speak of that theme that we sang in our hymn with Christ. Our theme begins the Lord of truth and love. Because you know, it's often been said that the Bible is really the history of two men. Always say there are many men whose names are recorded in the Scripture, but the Bible says the first man, Adam, was made a living soul.
The last Adam, a quickening spirit, and the first man, is of the earth. Earth.
The second man is the Lord from heaven. So there was the first Adam, and he was the one that brought in all the ruin. And then there's the last Adam, because there will not be any other, the one who fulfills all the counsels and purposes of God. And so I say again, God speaks of these as two men, the first man and the second man. Whenever we think of the first man, we can't help but think of all the ruin that this world is in brought.
Because of what man is. And we're all born into this world with that same fallen nature that is productive of all the trouble that's here. Because the first man brought in ruin, and Adam begat a son in his own image and in his own likeness. But isn't it blessed to know, as I say now, that God has a second man, the last Adam, and that everyone in this room is either under the headship of the first one who was?
Adam are under the headship of the second one, who is the Lord from heaven.
And when we are brought to know Him as our Savior, God sees us in this entirely new position.
Were brought into and part of new creation, were no longer part of the creation that is under judgment, but we belong to new creation. We're part of it already. And so isn't it blessed that we can be occupied with that One who is the head of new creation? And God's purpose, as we're told in Ephesians 1 and 10, is the honor and glory of that blessed One. It says that in the dispensation of the fullness of times.
He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him. When God made this world, we're told that He didn't create it in vain, He created it to be inhabited. His delights were with the sons of men. And isn't it a wonderful thing that when man spoiled it all, that God then brought in His purpose?
Have often thought like this that if I gave my children some.
Very valuable and they spoiled it. I wouldn't be inclined to turn around and give them something better when they had spoiled what I had given to them. But that's what God has done. When man spoiled this world, brought in sin and ruined and his continuing to spoil it by his selfishness and sin and all this, why, what does God do? Well, he says you've spoiled this world, but I have something better to offer to you, something better than what you spoiled.
And that is brought in through this one who is the 2nd man, the last Adam. It's wonderful when we consider the grace of God. And this afternoon I just like to look at a few scriptures that bring before us that blessed one. Because as I remarked, the the Bible is really the history of these two men. And it's refreshing to turn from all the ruin, to turn to the one who is the center of all God's thoughts.
And then to know above all things that we have been brought into association with Him into the very nearest possible place, because the nearest relationship on earth is the relationship of a man and his wife. And God has brought us as believers into this wonderful relationship, that we are now members of His body. What a place He has brought us into. What a place of association I say, and to share with Him.
Coming Glory.
Where they know if we get hold of this, it helps us to understand the Scripture. Perhaps some have heard me tell this little illustration, but perhaps it helps to bring out what I'm talking about. There was a man who was very busy in his study and he was, he was occupied with the things that he was doing. This little girl came into the room and ** *** was disturbing him, talking to him and found it hard to concentrate.
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So.
He opened the drawer of his desk and he pulled out an old map that he had there and took the scissors and cut up the map into a number of pieces and then handed it to the child and said, here now dear, put the map together. And so he applied himself to his work again. She was quiet, but not for very long. It wasn't very long until she jumped up and she said, Daddy.
It's all done well. He was amazed because he didn't think she knew very much about geography.
And she didn't know much about geography either, but she had discovered something on the other side of the map. There was a huge hand on the back of the map. She didn't try to put it together geographically. She started from the other side. And as she got that hand together and everything connected with it on the other side, it would have been possible to turn it over. Every place would have been geographically correct, because she had seen that hand.
And you know, many people say, oh, the Bible is a puzzle. It says in Isaiah, it's delivered to a man that's learned. And he said and say, with these words, read this, I pray thee. And he says, I can't. It's sealed. It's delivered to a man who's unlearned, saying, read this. And he says, I'm not learned. And isn't it true that the Bible cannot be understood by the natural man because he has no heart for Christ?
He has no heart for the one who is the theme of this blessed book about those who have been brought to know the Savior. Surely we can say He's everything to us. Christ is all and in all. And so with that in mind, I'd like to ask you when you read the Scripture to try to remember that God is setting this blessed person before us. He's seeking to honor Him. He's seeking to take up our hearts with Him.
Because his heart is taken up.
With his beloved Son, he's found his delight in him and he wants us to find our delight in him. When we think well of a person, we like our friends to think well of that person too. We speak for them because we love them. And so isn't it nice that God has such delight in his beloved Son that he said, I want you to find your eternal delight in him too. He means so much to me that I want you just to share this wonderful portion because.
He will be, He is, and He will be the delight of his Father's heart for all eternity.
Now I'd like to turn to Acts chapter 4.
And here we find a well known verse, Acts chapter 4.
Perhaps we could read 3 verses here from the 10th verse.
Be it known unto you all, and to all the men of Israel.
That by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Whom ye crucify, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was setteth not of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Well, this is the grand starting point. Surely Here was Paul preaching to a company of people who really had no heart for Christ.
This was as he says, Christ was the stone which was set at not of you builders. He had come into this world. He had done all those marvelous works of grace. He had gone to the cross of Calvary and died. He had finished that work that God had given him to do, that work of redemption.
For our eternal salvation. He had done all that, but he was rejected. The world wouldn't have him. The Jews had said we will not have this man to reign over us. They despised and they rejected him. But here Peter says there is absolutely no other way of salvation except through the Lord Jesus Christ. And if there should be anyone here this afternoon who doesn't yet know the Lord as your Savior.
Hasn't yet received him. Remember, God has no other way. It's not something that we can say Well, as long as a person is sincere in their beliefs, he will be all right. As long as he follows his religion diligently, he'll be all right. God only has one way. Doesn't it seem strange to you that people reason that way about the things of God, and they don't reason that way and natural things?
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That is, you can get on one of these through ways, and you can be absolutely sure you're going in the right direction and that you're on the right freeway, but all the sincerity in the world is never going to change it from the wrong Rd. into the right Rd. You can be ever so sincere, but it'll still be the wrong Rd.
And that's what God is telling us. Isn't it strange that people will reason this way in spiritual things?
And yet they don't reason that way. And natural things. It only shows to me what God says. The carnal mind is enmity against God. And again, the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not. A person could never reason so foolishly unless he was blinded of Satan. Then other people will say, well, all that you need to be is sincere. As long as you're sincere in what you believe. Now you don't believe that in anything else.
You can drink a glass of poison, and you can be absolutely sincere that there's no poison there, but you'll die from it just the same. If it's poison, if it's strong enough to kill you, it'll kill you no matter how sincere you are. And dear friends, if there's anyone here that's unsaved, remember, sincerity is not enough to say that as long as you think you're in the right way, that that's all that's necessary.
It isn't that way.
God distinctly tells us in his word, Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. There is only two men in God's account, and the first one brought in the ruin, and the second one brought salvation. And Simeon, in the 2nd chapter of Luke, when he took that babe in his arms, he said, Lord, now let.
Thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. God only has one salvation for all people. And as Simeon took that babe in his arms, he said, I see now salvation is a person. Salvation is not a feeling, it's not an experience, it's a person. And if you have Christ, you have salvation. If.
Don't have Christ, you don't have salvation. Your experience doesn't mean a straw if you don't have Christ. Your sincerity doesn't mean anything if you don't have Christ. Have you received him? As many as received him to them, gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. And So what a blessed thing it is to see that God has a Savior.
And only one savior, and he's an all sufficient savior before the face.
Of all people, and I beseech you, if there's anyone here this afternoon, if you haven't received him, what better day than right today, the last day of 1978. What better day to be saved than right now so that you truly start the new year in the right way with the knowledge of Christ as your Savior. And so I say with Christ our theme begins. There's only one, and that's the Lord Jesus. What a grand thing it is to be able to.
Say Christ is my Savior, I've put my trust in Him. Don't depend on your feelings. That has nothing to do with it. It's the person that saves. It's what he has done that has satisfied God's holy claims. So there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. So it doesn't matter where it is.
Whether it's out in China or whether it's in India, God owns.
One Savior, and that is his own beloved Son. People say, well, what about the heathen? But you know, God is going to gather in his elect from every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And I'll just make this little comment and that is this, that God has his own way of gathering his elect. Our brother Eric Smith once said.
And that he believed that the infant mortality rate when he went to Bolivia was probably over 60%. In other words, that have a family of 10 there would probably only be 4 would actually live. Well, isn't that a remarkable thing? That would mean that of all the children born in Bolivia, there would be more go to heaven than would grow up because every baby that dies goes to be with the Lord. Doesn't know God know how to gather.
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For his elect, the scripture says, shall not the judge of all the earth do right? It's not for us to quibble with God. He only has one Savior. And that baby doesn't get there just because it was born and didn't grow up. It it goes there because Christ died. The Lord Jesus came to save that which is lost. The scripture says it's not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. So don't. Don't.
Don't reason with God, dear friends, just accept what he says. Shall not the judge of all the earth do? Right? But I, I press this fact. God says there's only salvation through one person, and that's through the Lord Jesus. And we're not living in a heathen land, we're in a Christian land. We're living in a land where the gospel is known. And I hope each one here can say Christ is my salvation.
Now let's turn to.
Philippians, Chapter 2.
In verse 5.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus.
Every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God that which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Well, I read this portion because I believe it brings before us Christ as our example. We often get very disappointed when we make somebody else our example. We think someone else is a model Christian. We get our eyes upon that person and they let us down. They disappoint us over and over again. The psalmist said I have seen an end of all perfection and if you live long enough you're going to be disappointed in every human you know, because there's no perfection in.
In the natural, in the first man, and we all have that fallen nature within us. And alas, although we're told to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin, sometimes it shows itself. Too often it shows itself. So there's only one who we can make a model. Now of course, the Scripture does say, whose faith follow. And it's good to imitate the faith of others. My father used to so often say, remember.
It says whose faith follow, not whose.
Failures follow. Isn't it natural to us to say, oh, he's a fine Christian and he does it, and so we follow his failures. But whose faith follow? If you're going to follow anybody else, follow their faith. But if you're going to have an example, let it be Christ. There's only one who's a perfect example for us. As Peter says, he's left us an example that we should follow in his steps. There's the one who's the perfect example.
And what an example he was. It says for him it was number robbery to be equal with God.
For Adam, the first Adam, it was robbery. He had no right to try and be as God. That was the temptation. You know ye shall be as gods. And that was the temptation to Adam. And by that temptation he fell. But here was one in this world, and it was no robbery for him to be equal with God. He is God, He is God the Son, and so.
It wasn't a robbery, but just think of that one. The only person.
Had a right to a reputation. I have no right to a reputation. If I look far enough back in my ancestry, I know I'm a, a son of fallen Adam. So I haven't got any right to any reputation as a natural man. But here was one who did have a right. And yet he came into this world and he made himself of no reputation. He came here. Whose reputation was he seeking? Not his own, he said. I came not to do mine.
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Will, but the will of him that sent me, we hear people say, well, you ruined my reputation. What kind of reputation did we have? The important thing is did we ruin the reputation of our Savior because we bear his name? That's actually what baptism is. It's having the name of Christ placed upon us and in this world.
As James says, that worthy name by which ye are called, we bear that precious name. And what ought to occupy us is, how is our life a testimony to the one whose name we bear? Doesn't matter, as Paul said, what people think about us, it's what they think about our Savior, Paul said to the Corinthians who had said some kind of unkind things about him.
He said, Now I pray God that ye do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. Oh, I believe that man had caught something of the spirit of his master. He said, as it were, you can think what you like about us. The thing is, we want you to go on for the Lord. Do what's right before him. Think what you like about us.
How isn't it very lovely to see that spirit?
Displayed by a servant of Christ, the Apostle Paul. Well, here's the perfect example. He came down into this world.
One time they said to him, say we not well Lord a Samaritan and hast a devil.
Did you notice the way the Lord answered? He didn't say anything about the personal insult. They said, say we not well Lord, a Samaritan, and that you know, they despised the Samaritans. The Lord didn't even reply to that, but he said, and has the devil, He replied to that because he had come in the spirit of his father. He had come and that was an insult to the one whose name he sought to honor.
His name he.
He had come to exalt in this world because he said, I seek not mine own honor, but the honor of him that sent me. And so that precious Savior was the blessed example for us. We reply to personal insults too often, but the Lord didn't. He wouldn't have his Father insulted, but he ever sought his glory He made himself.
Of no reputation and so.
The next one is He took upon him the form of a servant in all the precious Savior up there in his glorious place as God.
Why, angels served him? But just think, he came down into this world and he washed the disciples feet. He became a servant to the needs of man. He said My father worketh hitherto and I work. He said I came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.
And to give my life a ransom for many. Just think of that lowly grace. Do we like everybody to serve us and do things for us? Not so Our precious Savior. It's often been said he never did 1 miracle for his own comfort. That that is one of the one of the amazing things to me because you know, we do all kinds of things for our own comfort. But here was a person that never did one thing for his own comfort. He had all power.
He wasn't when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane and they came to take him. He could have asked his Father for 12 legions of angels, but he had come to fulfill the scriptures. It wasn't the nails that held him to the cross, it was love. It was love that held him there. He had all power and yet he came to do his Father's will. He took the form of a servant, and then he took the lowest form of a servant because.
Angels are servants, but he was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. He took another step downward, was made in the likeness of man. And then, well, you say, I can be. If I have to be a man, I can be a great man. I can be someone great in this world. But what about this Blessed One? It says, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself.
As we've often said, He was the only person that could choose where he would be born, and he was born in a Manger. He was brought up in Nazareth. He went about and when it says in the 53rd of Isaiah, he hath no form near commonness, and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty. The correct translation is there is no lordliness.
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That is, the Lord didn't walk through this world displaying His personal greatness.
He walked here as the little hymn says, the lowly Jesus I am make and lolly in heart. Just think of it. We say, well, I'd like to be somebody important. Here was one who had a right to everything, who resigned it all to be the example for us. And then it says he became obedient. He was obedient in everything to his Father's will.
And not only obedient, but obedient.
Unto death, perhaps we've said sometimes. Well, I tried to. I tried to please the Lord as long as I could, but the pressure just got too great. I I just couldn't, I couldn't stand up to it any longer when the Lord Jesus would rather die than disobey. If the pressure got great, and it did in the Garden of Gethsemane, he sweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground, and yet he went onward. He'd set his.
To go to Jerusalem when the pressure is on you, do you give up the path of obedience? When it's on me, do I resign the path of obedience and say I can't take it anymore? Ah, how blessed to see this one who although He knew the full cost of obedience, and it cost him more than it'll ever cost us. Brethren, we'll never have to suffer for our sins. He not only suffered for one person's sins, but think of the vast number.
The redeemed whose sins he bore wondrous grace. He was obedient unto death. And then there is such a thing as an honorable death. He was given a disgraceful death. The most disgraceful death that it was possible for the Romans to give to a human was to crucify him. Just think. Here's the example. Oh, you know, you and I are natural. Snare is pride.
We saw we we like to exalt ourselves. But he's.
The example, and this one is set before us. God's answer, as we find, is now to exalt Him to the highest place in our wondrous grace. We're going to share His throne. We're going to be with him. Are we going to walk through this world proudly when our blessed Lord and Master took the lowest place? We're going to share His throne, I say. And oh, what a privilege to have suffered with Him than to reign with Him. And now just one.
More little comment, he says here.
In the this 12TH verse.
Were for my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. I'm sure we all realize that this does not say work for your own salvation. It says work out your own salvation. We are saved through the Lord Jesus as we have that verse. Neither is there salvation in any other. There is no other.
Who is our Savior? Only the Lord Jesus. What does this mean? Then work out your own salvation. Well, let's put it in a very practical way. There was a problem in this Philippine assembly. There's often problems among us as Christians too. And there were people doing things through strife and vain glory. There was a little quarrel that had broken out, which created a sad situation.
In this assembly at Philippi and Paul loved these Saints. They were very.
Dear to him, and he could speak so much good about them. But he saw this thing working to spoil this little assembly. And how could it be worked out? Well, by following the example of Christ. And isn't it true, brethren, that many of our problems could be worked out if we would only follow this example? If there was enough humility about us? I'm persuaded that so many of the problems that come up could be.
Worked out with fear and trembling, that is, afraid that we ourselves might do the wrong thing. Not afraid somebody else might do the wrong thing, but afraid we might do the wrong thing. And so this is very beautiful to me, an example set before us, and this example so perfect that this problem that existed in the assembly at Philippi could be cleared up just by following the example of the Lord Jesus.
And then he says it's God that worketh in you, because not only has God-given us the example, but he has actually given us the ability to follow this example because Christ himself is our life. Just turn for a moment to Colossians chapter 3 and we'll see this now. Colossians chapter 3.
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And verse 3.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
Now so here we're told that Christ himself is our life, and I believe this is connected with what we have read, because when he says it's God that worketh in you, it's because we have within us an entirely new life. It's true that the old man is still there, and we're told to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God that is.
Fallen nature is still liable to act within us, but isn't it very blessed that God has supplied to us this new life? And every believer can say Christ is my life, Christ is my life. Paul could say to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. So let none of us say, well, I just couldn't do.
That because if God wants us to do something, he always supplies the power that's necessary. I've often said to my wife, when we undertake something, I said, let's not ask ourselves if we can do it. Let's ask does the Lord want us to do it? Because if the Lord wants us to do it, then all the power is there because it's God that worketh in you. Of course, if we do things in our own strength, we break down if we're trying to.
Do something that God didn't intend us to do. Then we may see the breakdown of that thing. But isn't it lovely, this thought that if Christ is our life, God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure?
And call attention to that word too, to will, because when it says both to will, it's lovely to me. God will never ask us as Christians to do anything that the new man does not desire to do. Because that new man is the life of Christ. Did he want to please his Father? Yes. And God has given us that very life, the life of Christ. And so he asks us and.
That's why James calls it the law of liberty. It's liberty to do what you want to do. And God has given us a life that wants to please him. And his word is like the instruction about how we can. If you want to give a gift to somebody, it's pretty nice to know something that they like and something that they're going to be pleased with when they get it. God has given to the believer a new life, and then he's given us his word to show us what.
Pleases him and every time we read his word, the new life responds and says, oh, that's what I want to do because the new life wants to please him. It's God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. So we have the life, the desire, we have the power, we have the example, and above all, we have salvation in Christ.
Now let's turn to Philippians 3 and we'll see something in connection with Christ.
As our object.
Philippians chapter 3 and verse 13.
Rather than I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling, or the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus. I believe in this chapter Paul is setting Christ before us as the object for our Christian.
Life in the 2nd chapter, he's the example because he's the one who has run the race perfectly. But when a person runs in a race, there's usually a prize that's offered. The scripture says, know ye not that many run in a race, but one receiveth the prize. So there's always the thought of a prize. And So what was the prize in Paul's life? Well, he had a prize.
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Before him, what was it? Well, it was to be up there with Christ that that was what was Paul's desire? He, he was just pressing on through life, just longing for the time that he was going to be with the one who was the object. For God has not only given us an example, but he's given us an object for our affections. Every heart must have an object. And if it's not Christ, it's going to be something else. If I could take enough.
With other things, it's evident that I've lost sight of the object and the object for my heart. And for your heart is Christ, a person, the Lord Jesus, not just to get a good report, although God does give a good report if there's a walk of faith, but it's a person, and that's what Paul said. Wherefore we labor that, whether present or absent. I think I've done pretty well.
Sometimes you hear people say when you come to the end of the year, look.
Back and take stock of yourself. Oh, that's, that's dangerous business. Looking back. What for? If there's anything that we've done that's displeasing to the Lord, let's judge it. But if we look back and it's going to lead to one thing or other, you're either going to get proud because you think you've done pretty well in 1978, or you're going to get discouraged because you think you made a mess of 1978. So there's not much use looking.
Back because it's going to lead to one thing or the other, either pride or discouragement. But we're told to look on. And that's what Paul did.
It's been compared to breaking a path through a field of snow.
Country where I live, there's a lot of snow. We often have to do this and you have to break a path. Well, you know, if the snow is deep, it's very difficult to break a straight, a straight path that is.
Walking. You find that as you lift up your feet, first thing you know, you find out that you're making a very crooked path through the snow.
Well, here's a person, he's walking along and he realizes that he is breaking a very crooked path. And then he thinks, now the best thing for me to do is to get my eye on something over on the other side perhaps is a tree. And I can get my eye on that tree on the other side of the field and keep my eye on that. And then.
I'll do better. Well, this is what Paul is telling us here. So, you know, some of us perhaps didn't have our eye on Christ and we broke a very crooked path. A very crooked path. Now what does God tell us? Well, he says get an object before you. And this was what Paul did. He was pressing on in the Christian race with the object before him. He had Christ as the object before his soul.
And now let's suppose that after making this very crooked path, you realize you should have an object. And then after you've gone along for 5 minutes, you decide I'm going to look back and see how I'm getting along. And so you look back and there's that crooked part that you broke, and you feel ashamed of that, all right, But oh, you think I've done pretty well for the last 5 minutes. I've really made a nice straight path.
And then you begin to realize that you got your eyes off the object. You got your eyes off the object, and so you put your eye back on the object. But when you get to the other side of the field, you look back and what do you find? Well, that little part where you were looking back, you made another break in the past. It got crooked there because you were patting yourself on the back for doing so. Well, that's always the way. If we get our eye off the Lord, that's why.
Paul says this one thing I do and so if it's 1978, you're thinking about why if there's been some failure on it to the Lord, but don't get occupied with that, get occupied with Christ in glory, the object before the soul. And Paul said there's a prize at the end and that is a person and that's Christ. And so I want to say that to myself and to.
Each one here let's have our eyes upon the object.
There's that blessed one and he's there. He's gone on high. He broke a perfectly straight path through this world. Never heard. And he's the example for us. He's the object for our hearts. And Paul desired that this would be the one thing in his life. May God make it the one thing in your life and mine to have our eyes upon the object who is the delight of God's heart. And the reason I call attention to the other reading is.
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It's not the high calling, but the calling on high that is. It's the time when the path ends when we're called on high.
When at the end of the path the Lord calls us on high, someone wrote a little poem about Enoch. The Bible says that Enoch walked with God and enjoyed the little poem. When something like this, he walked with God.
Not much of what he walked with God, not much of what he said or.
Did or said is told not where or what he wrought is even mentioned. He walked with God brief words of fadeless gold and after years long years of such blessed walking. One day God said come, come from this world a weary sin stained sadness come to the fuller fellowship of home. And that is another verse.
How many souls were suckered on his journey, helped by his words or prayers? We may not know. Still as we read words of endearing grandeur. He walked with God while yet he walked below. Well, I think that's that's certainly a wonderful thing that Enoch we're not told whether he helped anybody in his life. The word of God is silent about it. Just we're told he walked with God. He prophesied, he told of coming judgment, but.
How many people he helped, we don't know. The records with God. He had an object before him and in an evil day he walked with God. I might just add, perhaps others have noticed this point too. It was after he begat his first child that he began to walk with God. And then it says after he had begat his first child, Methuselah, then it says he walked with God for 300 years. And you know, sometimes this is so.
When the responsibilities of home life come upon us, we realize how unable we are to cope with them. They're just too much for us and how much more we need this to walk with God. I say this for the help of those who are young parents here. Well, he had Christ as his object. Now the 4th chapter of Philippians and the 13th verse.
Well, I'll read the 12TH verse here too to get the context. I know about how to be a based, and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things. I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. Well, Paul had many ups and downs in his life, sometimes forgotten by his brethren and.
In prison and many trials, and he had to learn, as we all learn to accept our circumstances from the Lord. I think that's the hardest thing, those little words. This thing is from me to be in prison with his back bleeding, to be forgotten by his brethren, For only the assembly at Philippi thought of his needs.
To know that the Corinthians had said unkind things, all these things.
Things must have been very trying. And you say, how could he bear them? Well, he gives us a very simple yet profound little message here, doesn't he? I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. He didn't claim strength of character. He didn't say I'm above the average for meeting difficulties. And I I've trained myself to accept things. No such thing.
No, he could say I can.
Do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. And brethren, it's the only way you and I can never, never meet these things in our own strength. I'm sure we've all noticed how great men have broken down in what seemed to be their strongest point. But here we find one who had learned the secret of strength. I can do all things through Christ.
Which strengtheneth me, so we could say here in this lovely verse.
That Christ is our strength.
Now perhaps we could turn to a well known verse in Matthew chapter 18.
And the 20th verse.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
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Well, I think this is very blessed too. We've been Speaking of more practical things as regards our everyday life, but it's a very blessed thing.
To know that it's a person to whom we're gathered. It's not a group of people.
It's not even a set of beliefs, although the truth is very precious. I trust to us, and we're told that the assembly is to be the pillar in support of the truth. We're responsible as God's assembly to maintain the whole truth of God. But that'll never keep us. Truth will never keep us. It must be a person.
And that person is the Lord Jesus. And if we lose sight of that, we're going to get discouraged. We're going to perhaps turn the other way because we've lost sight of a person. And that person is the gathering center, the Lord Jesus. As it's often been remarked, it doesn't say we're two or three gather, but are gathered because I believe that there's an energy of the Spirit of God in this world not only gathering out.
For Christ, thank God for that, because everyone who has received the Lord Jesus as his Savior is part of that glorious bride. There is one body, but there's also such a thing as being gathered together, I believe, by the Spirit, as it says here in my name, that is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it isn't just that we.
Form some kind of.
Of a society ourselves or a gathering center ourselves. It's the energy of the Spirit of God gathering to a person. And if it is truly of himself, it will be according to his word. But I just wish to impress at this point the importance of being gathered just to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because you know.
The world will accept any name that man give.
It's amazing how man will have organizations and people ask you well what church do you go to? Well it's very easy to mention the name of some man made group or even if you say brethren the world seemingly will accept anything but just simply to say gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It takes courage.
It just seems as.
One brother used to say it just seems like there's a lump comes in your throat. He said when you go to say the name of the Lord Jesus reverently and don't you find it so had just something seems to make it difficult for you. You could say any other name or any other organization or you say there's sound in the faith and they preach a good gospel. Yes, it doesn't seem to take courage.
To mention the name of any organization and the work that they do.
But just quietly to say we're gathered only in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It takes courage, but you know, it must be a joy to the Lord's heart. It must be a joy to his heart because God has given him a name which is above every name. Every knee is going to bow to that blessed name. And just as we have Christ for our salvation, for our example, and for our object and for our strength.
Surely do we want anything less or anything more than that blessed and worthy name of the Lord Jesus Christ? May we ever be satisfied to have that name as the one to whom we are gathered. And may we think too, when we come to the meeting, that we come to meet him, to meet him. I say, like Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go when you get discouraged with the.
Just ask yourself this question, to whom shall we go? Not where shall I go, but to whom shall we go? I guess we all get discouraged sometimes, but what are we going to do? How often when people have chosen another course? It isn't. It isn't to whom, but it's where. Where? And so they seek something else. Oh, May God ever make the person precious to us have sometimes.
Remarked about that expression there where Peter said, To whom shall we go?
The Lord said in reply to it.
When Peter said, To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, The Lord said, Have not I chosen you? 12 and one of you is a devil? I often wondered. I meditated on that for quite a while. Why did the Lord answer Peter like that? You know, in another occasion when he said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Lord said, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona?
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Why did he answer him that way? Well, if you read the chapter, it's the 6th chapter of John, it tells us that just at that point many of his disciples had gone back and walked no more with him. And the Lord had said to the disciples, Will ye also go away? And that was the occasion where Peter replied, to whom shall we go? And the thought that I have in it, and it speaks to us, I'm sure as though the Lord said, well Peter.
If you're here because I'm here.
Don't get your eyes on the crowd. You're going to be disappointed because Judas was there. And you know, if you get your eyes in the crowd, I'll tell you this, you're going to be disappointed. Not just past disappointments, there's going to be some future disappointments too. But not the Lord. He isn't a disappointment. He's the one who's altogether lovely. And so how important that we see no man anymore.
Say Jesus only have him as the one who is not only ourselves, but our gathering.
Sander.
Well, let's turn to 1St Thessalonians 4.
And the 16th verse.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise 1St. And we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Here we have the blessed hope of the Lord's return.
And just before we dwell on this for a few moments, I'd just like to mention a couple of other things that the Lord Jesus is to us. And that is in Hebrews chapter 4. It says that we have a great high priest, Jesus, the Son of God, and that he's touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Then we're also told in first John chapter 2 if any man sin we have.
An advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. Did you ever have a problem And you wanted very much to see somebody that you felt you could confide in? And somebody else says, well, I'll try to help you. And you said no, I want to speak to that person. They said, well, maybe I could help. You say no, there's just one person I want to speak to. And so there's just one person. And isn't it lovely? We have a great high priest. Who is it?
A person we don't have to go to some human they may and not understand this. Every human heart craves understanding and love and we have that in a person. We have it in Christ, this blessed Savior whom we know as our Lord and Savior. He invites us and he says come boldly. Isn't that a lovely word? Boldly. When I read that word, it always makes me think of the way a child comes into his own home. He has.
Problem. You can just see the door fly open. It comes in with such confidence. There's no question there's somebody there that cares, somebody that he can talk to, somebody that wants to share his burden. Well, isn't it blessed? We have a high priest. He's touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He was through this world before us. And then when we failed, the same person is our advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous. He'll never.
Excuse our failures. Friends sometimes do. Friends sometimes say, well, I don't blame you. Our high, our advocate will never say that. But he will tell us that he paid for the sin at the cross. He will tell us that it cost him a great deal, but he loved us enough to pay for that sin and put it away with his own precious blood. And now he wants to restore us to himself.
How blessed to have such an advocate and this is the one who is not going to send someone else.
Because when the moment comes for him to return, he's not going to send someone else. He saved us himself. He intends to be everything to us, and he's not going to send someone else to get us. He's coming himself. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and it doesn't say. And so shall we ever be in heaven, but so shall we ever be with the Lord.
This person whom we've learned to know in our little way down.
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Here is the one with whom we're going to spend eternity. He's coming Himself to receive us. Oh, what a blessed hope. What a resource we have in Him. Well, as we read the Scripture, brethren, may we learn more of these blessed things. May we see them for ourselves so that He will mean more to us in our life. He wants to be everything. As it says, Christ is all and in all.
And when we get to that?
Glorious scene above. I like that verse in the 22nd of Revelation where it says and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in there for him when we get there.
Why, He's going to so fill our hearts, so occupy us that we won't want any other name if somebody had a name written across their forehead.
You couldn't mess it. It's in the most prominent place possible, across their forehead. And isn't it lovely that although we've fallen short of our blessed object here, we don't know our Savior as we should. We haven't responded to His claims like we should. When we get there, His name shall be in their forehead. Well, May God by His Spirit make the Lord Jesus more precious to us, so it will affect our lives and so that instead of.
Doing what? The whole course of this world is to set self forward. That's the whole course of this world is to set self forward, because that's the whole character of the first man. But the second man, the last Adam, the Lord from heaven, can we say he's everything to us? Well, May God grant it. Maybe so, in a practical way, in our lives day by day as we wait that moment when the Lord himself shall come.