Address—G. Hayhoe
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General Meetings, Des Moines, May 1983, Addressed by Gordon Hayhoe.
And we sang together and we sing together #275 #275.
Our God is light, and though we go across the trackless wild, our Jesus footsteps ever shall the path for every child 275.
Our God is life.
00:05:10
I'd like to turn to Second Timothy, Second Timothy chapter one.
The seventh verse.
For God has not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power and of love.
And of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
Nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.
According to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with an holy calling.
Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.
Which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
Well, what I have in my heart this afternoon, especially that seventh verse, you notice there are four things that are mentioned there. God has not given us the spirit of fear. That's the first one. What God has not given us, it could be translated the spirit of cowardice. God hasn't given us that kind of a spirit for this day and age in which we live. He didn't give it in the days of the apostle when they had to suffer persecution.
We face a different set of circumstances in 1983, but we don't need to be afraid.
God has not given us the spirit of fear, but he has given us three things.
Power and love and a sound mind or the margin says rise discretion. And that's the new translation rather. And I believe that those things are so important for us, and I speak especially to those who are young, although I believe we all need it. That we need to bear in mind this gracious provision that God has given to us, these three important things that I'm sure all of us feel greatly the need of.
The world seeks after these kind of things, but they don't know the source. But you and I, who know the Lord is our Savior, we know the source of these things. At the end of World War Two, they decided that they were going to try and enjoy the four freedoms, and one of them was freedom from fear. But has it been brought about? I would say that those who are intelligent and have any idea of what's going on are more fearful now than they were at the end of World War 2.
Because man doesn't know how to have fear removed. But it's a very blessed thing that you and I can know and enjoy these things. We can be delivered from that, and then we can have power. That's what men often strive after is power. They try to get it in themselves. They try to build up something in their own personality or hopes or something that will give them the power in situations and circumstances. But they don't know the real source of power.
And that is in the Lord and in love. There's a lot of talk about love.
But you know, man being a selfish being, he doesn't know how to love the Lord with all his heart and his neighbor as himself.
He doesn't have that, but you have. If you're a child of God, you possess that.
And then last of all, a sound mind or the new translation?
Wise discretion. Oh, how much that is needed. Well, as I say, I'd like to talk about those four things. First, what we have been delivered from from fear and then what we possess that we might be in the enjoyment of it. I hope each one, and I think especially of those who are young, they feel, especially on my heart, that in facing a world like we face in 1983 and that we need these four things.
We need to be delivered from facing the future with fear. We need to be delivered so that we could walk in liberty, and then we need power. We need love, and we need wise discretion with all hard questions and problems of life. Well, in thinking of fear, I'd like to speak of it first of all, in regard to salvation, you turn over to Romans Chapter 5.
Romans chapter 5.
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Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And the tenth verse, the ninth verse, much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled.
We shall be saved by his life. Well, here we see, perhaps we could say deliverance from fear in regard to the matter of salvation.
God has told us very plainly in His word that sin must be punished.
God has told us what it is in his sight. The Lord Jesus, when he was here, said, Fear not them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear. Fear him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yeah, I say unto you, fear him, And there may be some here sitting in this very room. And if you're not saved, I say, you better fear God.
Judgment is a solemn thing. It's a reality. You may think you can escape, but there's no escape except through the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone must answer to God, and if you have to meet God in your sins, it's a dreadfully solemn thing. It's a reality. And it's not from trying to forget that there's a hell, Not from trying to deny it, not from trying to find your own way to make yourself right before God.
But God, I say, has provided a way. And these verses that we read speak about rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. Or it says in Ephesians chapter 3, it says we have access with boldness by the faith of him. Oh, what a grand thing it is to be able to look into the future and know that no matter what comes, whether it should be the Lord who would come today or whether death should summon us away.
And that everything has been provided for by that blessed and glorious work.
That the Lord Jesus accomplished. And I say again if there's anyone here.
There is no use my talking to you about deliverance from fear if you don't know the Lord is your savior. I hope you will fear. I hope you'll be awakened and realize what's ahead of you if you don't know Christ as your savior. But He's ready. He's willing. He's able to save you, and he's able to do it today. That work that he accomplished on the cross of Calvary has answered once and for all to God for every need of the Sinner, and so that when you accept him as your savior.
You can look up into the face of a sin hating God, and you have peace. You can say I didn't make my peace. He made peace by the blood of his cross. It isn't a feeling, friends. It's a person. He is our peace. Perhaps you're looking inside and saying, well, how do I feel? It isn't your feelings that count. The question is, was the debt paid for you? Have you accepted God's testimony concerning his Son?
That's the only way his perfect love can cast out your fear.
And so isn't it Blessed God has not given us the spirit of fear. Now those of us who know the Lord is our Savior can just look forward to the future. The thought of the Lords coming doesn't scare us. It's a joy to us. We're going to see the face of the Savior who died for us.
We're going to look into his face and see the marks in his hands and feet inside. When the Lord showed to the disciples his hands and his side, they were glad. And then too, if death should overtake us, what a blessed assurance that we can say we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. And so I just say at the beginning, if you would be delivered from fear.
It's only through Christ that this can take place. And then you can have boldness. You can rejoice at the thought of being in the presence of God. Sometimes when you attend a funeral and you hear people say, oh, I'm sure that it's all right. That was such a good person. And you knew that person during their lifetime and you couldn't speak a word about the Lord Jesus to them. They they didn't want to hear about it at all. How could they be happy?
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They be the most miserable person if they got into heaven. They don't have a nature suited to the place at all.
So they're not only unready to meet God as a judge, but they couldn't feel comfortable even if they did get there. But for those of us who know the Lord, our great joy is to think of looking into the face, the altogether lovely face of the Savior who died for us upon the cross of Calvary. But then there are other kinds of fear. Let's turn over to Philippians Chapter 4.
Philippians chapter 4.
And it says in the second verse, I besiccio odious and beseech Sintiki, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also true yoke fellow help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord. Always and again I say, rejoice, Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful, for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication. With Thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true.
Whatsoever things are honest, Whatsoever things are just. Whatsoever things are pure. Whatsoever things are lovely. Whatsoever things are of good report. If there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Well, I've read this passage because it seems to me that it speaks about the importance of being careful for nothing but making all our requests known unto God. How often we fear because of some situation that has come up unexpectedly in our lives, and in this case, and perhaps it's something that might be sometimes common to us. And that is, there was apparently a little bit of discord in the assembly at Philippi.
Paul had to speak about those who were doing things through strife and Vainglory.
Even here had to mention the names of two who were apparently not at very happy agreement with one another.
And, you know, that might be something that is upsetting someone here. You say, oh, it's so difficult. People say things and they're so hurtful. I've known young people and older ones too, have left the meeting because somebody said something that was kind of unkind and hurtful. And you know, I guess many of us speak unadvisedly with our lips at times. And, you know, it's not always easy to take these kind of things, but they can really get hold of us. They can get hold of us to the point.
And not only those who are older, but those who are younger too. They can get hold of us to the point where you'll hear young people say, I'm going to stop coming to the meeting. Those people, they say things and they they hurt me. And so here was a condition in Philippi, in that assembly, where they were very, very many things that were commendable. They were striving together for the faith of the gospel. And there was much that rejoiced the heart of the apostle, but there was.
Little roots of bitterness coming up.
And So what does the apostle tell these believers to do?
What is the wise thing to do when these kind of things happen? Well, I think this is lovely. First of all, he says in the fourth verse, rejoice in the Lord all the way. And if there's anybody who is in that situation and you're pretty hurt because of something that's been said or done by, I want to tell you, the Lord will never disappoint you. You may not always be able to rejoice in everything that's said and done by other people and other, and perhaps by me.
But you can always rejoice in the Lord. He never changes. He's your best friend.
He understands you perfectly, and if others misjudge he doesn't. He always makes a right appraisal and everything. When Mary broke that box of alabaster ointment at the feet of the Savior, the disciples found fault. But Mary had just done it to please the Lord, and I believe she had peace in her heart and she just left it all with the Lord. And the Lord spoke up for her and said, let her alone, She hath brought a good work on me. And so you can see that the Lord understands in every situation.
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One time, Jonathan put himself out to help the people of God in a mighty.
Victory over the Philistines. And then his father was very jealous of him. And his father tried to, shall I say, steal the shell and get all the credit for the victory himself. But you know, I often say God always has the record down properly. He never makes any mistake on his record. And so is there somebody here? And you're upset. Shall I say you're fearing because of things that have been said? Listen to this rejoice in the Lord all the way. Then what's the next?
Let your moderation be known unto all men could be translated that you're yielding us be known unto all men give way, just give way, and leave it fly well, because the Lord is at hand. The thought here in the Lord being at hand is not so much the thought of the Lorde coming, but rather the Lord is near. And the Lord sees that the Lord knows all about it. He's right there. And if somebody was standing there and saw the whole situation, you'd say, well, they understand because they were right there, and they heard it. And so the Lord is at hand. There's not a comfort to our hearts.
And then he says, and don't get under it. Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, Tell us to the Lord. I think this is very precious, that this is brought in in such a situation of this as this, because it seems to me that what was the care upon the hearts of these Saints, was not so much other kinds of care.
Like we might have sickness and so on, but rather little things that are said and done. Sometimes they hurt more than sickness.
To have little things happen. And so here we find the Apostle telling them, rejoice in the Lord be willing to yield, And then he says, may tell the Lord all about it. Let your requests be made known unto God. And when will be the result, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding? Not peace with God, that we have through the finished work of Christ, but the peace of God. And that is the very peace in which God.
Himself dwells. Do you think anything disturbs the peace of God's throne? Do you think anything that happened in the United States yesterday?
Disturbed the peace of God's throne. Oh, you say? No, He knew all about it beforehand.
He does. And so he says, you need a Garrison on your heart. I need a Garrison too, because the devil's got lots of fiery darts. And if you don't have your heart garrisoned with this piece, why they get in? And so he said in the peace of God, which passes all understanding, you can understand the person being peaceful when everything is going well, but to be peaceful when everything's going wrong, to be peaceful when things are said that are hurtful, That's the peace of God.
All how things were said about the Lord Jesus, what things were said about him.
And Jan he took it all and in love went to Calvary and died for you and me.
And then instead of thinking about those things that only depress, he tells us good things that we can think about and sometimes said, when you try to stop and think how much time you think, worrying that you spend rather worrying about things that happen. I mean, it's quite amazing. I have to confess this myself. If I really made a a kind of a record of my time, I find I spend a lot of time worrying and fussing about things that are said and done and so on.
He says. Now just take all those things that ordinarily would worry you and leave them with the Lord.
Leave them with the Lord. And then he said, His peace will Garrison your heart, but you've got to be thinking.
And he says, I'll give you good things to think about. And what are those good things? True, honest, just pure, lovely good report. Could there be any virtue? And if there be any praise, that is, we see all these things in perfection, in the Lord Jesus, but we see them in measure, in the children of God. And what he is really saying, if that person has said something, perhaps you can think of some nice things about them. Kind of remarkable that he that he says here.
If there be any virtue, you say, I don't see anything good in them. Well, he says, if there's something good there, think about that. Oh, you know, the word of God meets every situation. And so is there someone here that has fears because of all kinds of things that have been said and done? But I want to say is God hasn't given us the spirit of fear. He's given us a resource committed to the Lord. Commit it to him, and you'll be surprised the peace that will flood your heart.
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The Lord is able and another kind. Let's turn to 2nd at First Peter chapter 5.
I Peter Chapter 5.
And the.
6th verse.
Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your tears upon him, for He cares for you. Be sober. Be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walk at the boat, seeking whom he may devour whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Here we find another thing, perhaps in this chapter. It has to do with a more general cares.
Perhaps we could call it the different trials that come upon us.
Maybe some physical situation? Maybe your job? Maybe something about schooling.
Maybe a lot of different things that have to do with our everyday life, Perhaps not something somebody has said, but there are great many things and they are often very, very upsetting. And it's very hard for us to receive these things from the hand of the Lord. We need grace from Him to do this. And I sometimes said that we like to hang this verse on our walls, casting all your care upon him, for He careth for you.
And many times, perhaps we've had the experience. You say I've I brought it to the Lord and I told them all about it, but I don't know why. I seem to carry the care away with me. I wanted to leave it there, but I didn't. I carried it away with me, and I just can't seem to get rid of that care. Well, you know, I sometimes drawn attention to the fact that the 6th and 7th verse are actually all one sentence.
And if you read them together, I think we get the real way that we can cast our cares upon the Lord.
It says here, Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. And if I can speak of my own experience, that when there's something turns up, something very difficult and hard to accept, and then it says here, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God. And sometimes I've tried to leave it with the Lord, and I find that the big problem is that I haven't really taken it from the Lord, I haven't really taken it from Him. I have really had the idea that the only way I could possibly have peace was for the problem to be removed.
But that may not be God's mind at all. And so I have sometimes had to say to myself, pardon me for relating a personal experience, but I sometimes have to say to myself like this, supposing the Lord came to me right now and said, Gordon, you don't like the way I've ordered things in your life. I'll change them around and make them just the way you'd like them to be. It's not my will for you, but I know that you think that's the best way, the way you would like it to be.
And I will change them and make them just the way you'd like them to be. It's not my will. Would I look up and say, oh Lord, please do, because that's the only answer I know to this problem or what I say, Lord, just help me to take it. Help me to submit. Help me to look up and say, Lord, I bow to thy will. Think of the precious Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane. Not my will, but thine be done. And you know I've always found this, and you try it, you'll find the same.
Once you've said, Lord, I'm willing to accept it as I will, then you can cast the care upon him. But you can't do it until you do. You can't do it as long as you're saying to the Lord, there's only one solution. And that's the way that I have planned it should be. And so this is the way. God hasn't given us the spirit of fear. He has given us a resource. And you know, it's very beautiful to visit some dear Saints. And they're in deep trials, trials that I don't think I know much about.
And to hear them say, it's only the will of the Lord that I want, Have they cast their care upon the Lord? Yes. You see, a piece, a piece that is blessed is wonderful. And you can have that peace. I can have that peace as long as there's submission in our hearts. So when you think of this seventh verse, think of the verse before. Ask the Lord for grace to accept everything that happened. Maybe the most adverse thing happened yesterday or today. But ask the Lord to help you to just look up and say.
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Not my will, but thine be done, and then you'll be able to cast it upon him. But if we don't, then it says your adversary, the devil, is a roaring lion, and I believe that Satan is a roaring lion in discouragement more.
I used to think that Satan was a roaring lion in persecution, but I see in the scripture that the instance where he's called a roaring lion is in discouragement.
And I've seen persecution Christians who are in persecution, and they're happy. They have a wonderful joy. They have a peace. That's a testimony to the world. But I discourage Christian. Or did you ever feel discouraged? Well, I guess we all have. And Satan was pretty busy, wasn't he? He was bringing all kinds of questions in your mind about friends and about the meeting and about everything else. I asked. The devil's right there, and we don't cast our care.
Upon the Lord so it says, He walks about, seeking whom he may devour.
But God's given us a shield of faith, a shield of faith that quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And so God has not given us the spirit of fear. We know we're saved. We know heaven is our home. If people have said things that are hurtful and done things that are hurtful, he enables us by His grace to leave that all with him. And think about the good things, even notice the nice things, and people that say those kind of things to notice nice things about them, you know, that takes the grace of God. But it's peace, brethren. It's peace. God has not given us the spirit of fear. Don't be afraid.
Because the Lord knows all about it. And has there been some trial?
Come across your pathway. It seems unbearable. And you are saying, perhaps, why did it come upon me? Oh, may the Lord give you, And may he give me grace to just say, Lord, it's thy will I desire. And if this is Thy will, then help me to glorify thee in this situation. Well, he hasn't given us the spirit of fear, but he has given us the spirit of power. Oh, isn't that beautiful? That's what the world is seeking after today.
Is power, they say, to be able to meet certain situations, to have the power for it.
To be able to meet the problems of today by the world feels how unable they are to do it. But Speaking of power has turned over to Philippians again, Chapter 4.
Philippians chapter 4.
Verse 12 I know both how to be abased 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 then in the chapter that we read this morning.
Notice the first chapter of Colossians and the 11Th verse.
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power.
Unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.
And then?
You turn over to the passage in where we were reading this morning.
In Ephesians chapter 4.
Ephesians chapter 4.
And verse 7.
Unto everyone of us is given grace according to the measure.
Of the gift of Christ. Notice how these verses speak about power.
First of all, we see there in Philippians chapter 4, Paul said. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound.
How could he do this? By nature, he was an overbearing, insolent man.
He was a man who just felt very, very upset if anybody tried to put him down.
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Because he or himself was the overbearing kind. But God gave him grace to do this. He gave him power.
And he said, I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound.
And what was the secret of it? I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.
We can't do any of these things that we're talking about in our own strength. We need that throne of grace. We need to go to the Lord. Every time you and I think that we can meet a situation in our own strength, we go down to defeat. We need the strength that the Lord gives. And oh, how wonderful is that power. There's no limit to it. Satan has power. In fact, he has power above ours. There are two powers superior to man, the power of God and the power of Satan. And if you and I.
Try to meet things in our own strength. We can't, and the enemy is strong.
And he knows our weak points, and he comes in. But God has given us that power.
And the Apostle Paul could say I can do all things through Christ.
Which strengtheneth me. Maybe there's someone here, and you're faced with some situation, and you say, well, it's all right for a brother so and so. They seem to have more strength of character than I have. But for me it isn't a question of that at all. Does the Lord have power? Here was a man whose nature was the very opposite, a man who was naturally an overbearing man, who found it awfully hard to accept pressures that were put upon him. But.
The grace of God enabled him to overcome even that natural trait, and no matter what our natural traits may be.
We have received a new life. We have the very life of Christ. You have the same life that I have, and I have the same life as you if you've received the Lord as Savior. And so we have that power. And so Paul could say I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, and oh, how blessed it is to get that strength. All that's come to the throne of grace and ask for it. Are you facing a situation? And you say, I just will every time I face it, but there's one who's there.
And he says, call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee.
And thou shalt glorify me all that gives him all the glory, and he wants to do it.
And then in the passage that we looked at in Colossians there it says strengthened with all might but for according to his glorious power and to all patience and long-suffering. A few moments ago we were talking about taking things and getting peace. But you know, we need a lot of power just to bear, just to bear things, just to take them. It's it's easy to say, well, I accomplished something.
And we sort of feel encouraged and thankful, but just to stand, so to speak, and bear and do it in the strength that the Lord gives, strengthened with all night. You say I just can't take that situation any longer. The Lord says, sure you can. If you turn to me, I'll give you the strength to take it. Is there some pressure that you're under? And you say, I'm just at the breaking point? I don't think I can take that. The Lord says, Oh yes, look up to me.
Strengthened with almight according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, you say, I'll put up with it long enough. How long is long enough? We'll just wait upon the Lord. But he'll give you the strength that you need for that situation. And then in the one that we looked at in Ephesians as our brother drew our attention to this this morning. Why it has to do with anything that the Lord.
Wants us to do, and I think it's a very beautiful verse. This seventh verse onto everyone of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. God will give you grace for what he wants you to do. When the Levites were appointed a service to do, then the Lord helped them. We read in the time of David Howe. David thought of a different idea to handle the caring of the Ark. Was rather a long journey to bring it up from down.
Where it was in the House of Obed Edom. And to bring us up to Jerusalem. And so that was a little too much of a problem to have it carried up in the usual way on the shoulders of the priest. So he had another idea. He would put it on a new cart. He followed the ideas of the Philistines. We do that too sometimes. You say, Well, I I gotta, I've got to get some other idea this. To try and do it the way the Lord says is a little too difficult. I think there's an easier way of doing this.
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He didn't look into the word. He didn't count upon the Lord. But God had appointed away that those that the ark was to be carried, it was to be carried on the shoulders of the priests. And you know when when David did learn his lesson, and finally he did follow the word of God.
Why? It tells us the Lord helped the Levite, the Lord helped the Levites that carried the Ark. Oh, to me that's very beautiful. And now I sometimes said, when situations arise of something that we feel that the Lord would have us to do, I say to my wife.
It's not a question of whether we can do it, It's a question of whether the Lord wants us to do it. If the Lord wants us to do it, then we can do it in his strength. Supposing I face something and I say, well, I think I can handle that, That sort of builds up quite a bit of ego, and I can do that. That's what the world does. I can handle that situation. And oh, how often we break down when we try to do it that way. And if we even did accomplish it, we're patting ourselves on the back. I showed them, I did it.
And you know, that's the world. That's the way the world operates. But the Lord says, I may set something before you and you'll say, well, that just seems impossible.
Well, God will never ask you to do anything that he won't give you the grace to do and the strength to do.
The question is not can I do it, but does the Lord want me to do it? Oh, brethren and young people, that's very blessed. Some of you might be a little hesitant to take up some service for the Lord. You say, brother, so and so might be able to do it, but I don't think I can. But that's not the question. The question is, did the Lord want you to do it? Did he call you to do it? As we mentioned this morning, he doesn't call us all to the same things. He doesn't intend that we should all do the same things.
Just as in the physical body, there are members in the physical body. My hand is not intended to do what my feet do. My ear is not intended to do what my eyes do. But God has fitted each member to do what he intended it to do at all. I just want to encourage you that in this connection with power, we find, first of all, we find that we can do anything with the strength that He gives.
He wants us to do it. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. And in Paul's case, there it was a question of sometimes being pushed down. Oh, you say I can't take it, I just can't take it. Somebody said to me, I just can't take it when somebody criticizes me. But we can't naturally. But we can if we take it from the Lord. If we look up and say, Lord, help me to accept this, the Lord can help you heal supply strength. And then too, is there some situation where you even been injuring for a long time? You say, I can't take it any longer. He says I'll help you. I'll give you the strength needed.
Is there some service he's given you to do? And just say not me, let somebody else do it. Poor Moses. He missed out, you know, and the Lord wanted him to do something. Why? He said, I I'm a man of a slow tongue. He said I can't do that. Well, Lord said I'll have somebody to do it. But, you know, it was a loss to Moses when that happened because, you know, the next thing we find that Aaron kind of did take the lead when Moses went up to the mound and he led the people into idolatry.
And another time, Moses joined with Miriam in opposition. You know, if the Lord wants you to do something, you'd better do it. If somebody else does it, it'll be a loss to you. Oh, may the Lord give us grace, not to count upon ourselves, but to count upon his strength. Oh, how sweet and blessed it is to know that He has given us the spirit of power, all that we need for all that He wants us to do.
Whether it's forbearance in situations, whether it's a task that he wants us to do, whether it's temporal situations when we have lost our job and all those kinds of things, He gives power to meet those situations. And you know, there's no greater testimony to the to the world for them to see that we as Christians have this power not in ourselves, but in him.
And now the next one is love, and that's in. Let's turn to 1St Epistle of John.
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First Epistle of John.
Verse seven Well, I would let us love one another, for love is of God.
And everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God, He that loveth not knoweth not God.
For God is love, and this was manifested the love of God toward us.
Because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.
Here in his love not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. And then in the 19th verse we love Him because he first loved us. Here we find this lovely secret of love. Perhaps you could also turn over to John 15. Now just read a few verses there in connection with this subject. John 15 and verse 9.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you.
Continue ye in my love and the 12Th verse.
This is my commandment that she loved one another as I have loved you.
Well, how important this is. God hasn't given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love. And here we find it's not Speaking of natural love, although that comes from God too. And I say to everyone that's in the marriage relationship, even the natural love comes from God.
And when we turn to him, he can help us even in those natural things of life.
And that's important. But what I was going to speak about particularly is the way divine love acts here.
We see here that God, it says love is of God. Everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. Now God's love is a holy love. God's love is not a love that overlooks sin. God's love has taken up the question of sin. It has been settled. And so divine love doesn't act indifferent to sin. And sometimes we have to be faithful. But what I particularly have before me.
Was The Walking in the enjoyment of that love that's in the heart of God in a day of apostasy? In the book of Jude, it says there, it says, keep yourselves in the love of God. That means just keeping the sunshine of his love. And we can ask ourselves, are we enjoying that portion?
This day, walking in the sunshine of his love, think of that love that the Father has toward his son and the Lord, Jesus said.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. What a blessed thing.
If we lose the enjoyment of that, we've lost so much in our lives.
It is so easy to get occupied with problems, conditions in the assembly, conditions in the home, conditions in the Church of God.
But it's very blessed to be occupied with that love that's in the heart of God.
And as I was mentioning the other night, there was a remark of Mr. Darby that was a great help to me, and I hope still is. And his comment was this. Christianity is known by what it brings and not by what it finds. You know, natural love always must see something in the object to love, but divine love acts because of what it is in itself. Did God see anything in me to love? Absolutely nothing. I was his enemy. But why did he love me? Because he is loved. Because he is loved.
And what about those sins? All that great load of guilt his blessed son bore for me?
Because he wanted to show his love and the cost of removing that obstacle was not too great. That he wouldn't in love to me, send his son. He gave his son to be the propitiation for our sins, All you say. I find it so hard to love that person. They've done so many things and I just find it so hard to love them. Well, that verse. Perhaps most of us are aware of the 19th verse. In the new translation, the word him is omitted. It's just we love because he first loved us.
Now of course we love the Lord. We certainly love him because he first loved us. But the thought in the verse is that now that we have learned that divine love in the heart of God, we have no right to ever say, I can't love that brother. I can't love that person. I've been too mean. They've done so many things. I just can't Because God didn't love me. Because I was likable. He loved me because of what he is in himself. And all the obstacles that man ever put in the way of God's love only made it rise that much higher when man put the highest obstacle in the way of his love at the cross of Calvary.
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Love was greater than all, and where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
And all brethren, God hasn't given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love. And for us to act in our assemblies as if we all had to be nice before we could love one another, that's not divine love at all. That's the way the world acts. They love people who are likable and nice. But God has given us an entirely new principle. And the Lord Jesus said my father loved me and I have loved you. And now he says I'm just going to fill your heart to overflowing. You won't be able to contain this love, and it's going to flow out to others.
It's going to flow out. And if you and I are enjoying that love we love because he first loved us, how can our love flow out? Oh, just let that love stream into your heart and mind until it just fills it so it overflows, and then it overflows and reaches out to others and all what a blessing that would be.
What a what a healing of so many difficulties there would be if there was the exercise only to say. But that's difficult. But God has given us the spirit of love.
The spirit of love. If you notice there's an interesting.
Plot in this 13th verse.
It says here hereby know we that we dwell in Him because and he and us because He have given us of His Spirit. You notice it doesn't say He's given us His spirit, but He has given us of His Spirit, because the thought is not so much the person of the Spirit of God, but the Spirit that we shall. You say, well, let's man showed a very unkind spirit, showed a very unforgiving spirit, but God says He's given us of His Spirit, In other words, the capacity to be Christ like in every situation.
He's given us of his spirit, and so God has given us this.
Let's never say I don't have the power because he's given it to us now. Let's never say I can't love because he said he's given us love and he's given us the very capacity we love because he first loved us and now the last one. If you turn to Romans chapter 12.
Romans chapter 12. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable, or could be translated intelligent service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
And one other verse in First Peter.
First Peter, Chapter 2.
The second verse.
As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that she may grow thereby, if you have a new translation, you'll see that it says as newborn babes desire the mantle milk of the word. I must say I was puzzled when somebody read it that way and I said I don't understand the mantle milk of the word. Whatever could that mean? And if you notice, there's a little footnote that explains that it's a rational, intelligent understanding.
And, you know, this is very lovely. You know, God didn't make man to be guided, just as animals are guided by instincts. They do things without knowing why they do them. But isn't it very blessed when God brings us into his family? He said. In the very simplest way, I've given you something that you can receive communication from me and know what I want you to do and do it out of love. Just like a parent telling a little child in a very simple way, something that.
He wants the parent, the child to do. The child understands and out of love does that, but it understands the command that has received and it responds to the command. Now God gave you and IA nature that wanted to please him and he gave us His word as instruction for us and he says, you read my word. You may be only a babe, but I've got plenty of things in the word of God that even obeyed in Christ can understand. And I want to say to even the youngest here, if you really want to please the Lord.
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There's plenty of instruction and the word of God that you can understand now. It's true we grow in grace, but we need also to be willing, as it says there, to present our bodies a living sacrifice and then God will give us an intelligent service. I really enjoy that because we don't serve as those who just follow certain instincts. But God has brought us into association with himself as his children.
He's given us the very life of Christ. He's given us his word. He put the desire in our hearts sometimes might illustrate it like this. You love somebody very much, you want to do something for them and you say I don't know what would please them and then you get a letter from that person and this person says.
You know, something I'd really like. And they named the thing that they want. Oh, you see, I got the answer now. I wanted to please them. Now I know how. And you get the very thing they asked for and you know they're going to be pleased with it. Dear young people and those of us who are older, God hasn't called us to do things. As our brother said this morning in a ritualistic way, just forms that we go through. He he calls us into his family. He removes fear. He gives us strength. He puts love into our hearts. And now he says.
I want you just to do what's pleasing to me, and I have given you all the instructions. If you're a babe, well there's mantle milk, there's that which is suited to the babe. And then as we grow in the things of God, there are wonderful things that we learn as we grow on in the things of God. But it's an intelligent service and the Christian can go on and he's given us a life, it says, and this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God.
Jesus Christ, whom thou ascent, and the thought in eternal life is that God has given us a life.
That we can talk to God as our Father, we can commune with him, we can receive instructions for him from Him rather. And so that we walk first of all we have the strength, then we have the power. Rather we have first of all I should say it says He has given us the strength, and then he has given us the responsive love. And now he has given us instruction in His word. And so I want to encourage every dear young person read the word of God. You say I want to please the Lord.
People have a lot of different opinions about how to please the Lord, but you've got the letter from the Lord himself.
And he says, you just read the word. It's milk for you. You say, I don't understand. Read the things you can't understand, and you'll grow, and you'll have an appetite for more. And if you're willing to just present yourself to the Lord, like the Levites were given to Aaron, and then Aaron told him what he wanted them to do, and you know the Lord will do that for you. If you're just willing to present yourself to the Lord, why then he'll give you an intelligent service to perform for him?
You know, it's a it's a joy to do it. And somebody says, why are you doing that? Well, I I have a verse in scripture and that's why I'm doing it. I believe it's pleasing to my Lord and he did everything for me. Well, let's remember that verse. Let each one of us committed to our own memories, so to speak. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and wise discretion. All we need, wise discretion, we need to follow him intelligently. We need discretion in all difficulties and situations today.
Young people are placed in situations that are exceedingly trying, and we need discretion about how to act. Many a young person has just followed his own wisdom and has got into a lot of trouble. Oh dear young people, follow the word of God. Shun that which is evil and displeasing to the Lord. Think of what the Lord has done for you and find the joy and the blessedness and the peace.
As it says in.
The third chapter I believe it is of.
Proverbs. It says her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
I wonder if we could just sing the first verse of 318.
Just the first verse of 318.
All of God's.
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Holy day.
I hate me.
Gracious God and our Father, we thank thee for the truth of this precious verse.
Spoken in a day of apostasy and weakness and ruin, but thy resource for us even.