Open—J. Kaiser, T. Kaiser
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We've had a lot to digest in the past few days.
So I'm going to be.
Very simple, a trust.
And sharing with you something the Lord has laid on my heart over the past few weeks.
And, uh, normally simple, I hope. And not too long either.
The message.
Consists of one of the simplest words.
In the English language.
No.
No, no.
No, no, no.
You know, I raised a few children.
And I was seemed to like for a while when our children were small, I was all the time saying no.
And interestingly, it's one of the first words they learn too. They learn to say no.
But that was the beginning of a relationship.
And you look back, you who are parents, look back how often when you were raising your children, the first communication, almost the first communication you had with them.
And a very frequent communication was no.
And as the child learned to recognize the meaning of that word and to respond to it.
The relationship grew.
Now the word no is a negative word, and we have a society which is predisposed against what they consider negative.
So I'd like to look at a few scriptures together.
And.
See how the negative frequently precedes.
The positive.
Turn to Isaiah, chapter one.
I mean, as parents we love to say yes to our children.
But our children, it seems they've inherited a disposition from us.
That requires us to say no.
And often the no is preceded by yes. We'd rather say yes. We have to say no first sometimes. Isaiah chapter one. This is a first step in our relationship with the Lord too.
I'm not saying it's always the first step, but it is frequently the first step considering this word. No Isaiah chapter one.
And verse.
16.
Wash you, make you clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes.
Cease to do evil, learn to do well.
In other words, you say no to what you've been doing wrong, and then you can learn to do right. That's what God is saying to His people.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do well.
And we've been reminded in the meetings how?
We learn these things, these wonderful truths we've been discussing gradually, and there are things that hinder, and very often the things that hinder are things that we see need to say no to. It's not merely a lack of intellect. You know, Communion is not based on intelligence. It's based on a common heart.
00:05:24
And community with God, community with one another, brother.
Is not based on a common intelligence. There are some brethren here who have a grasp of truth far beyond any I ever hope to have down here. I'll catch up with them later.
Uh, but our fellowship and what hinders our fellowship, I should say, is sin. What hinders our fellowship with the Lord, what hinders our fellowship with our brethren and what as children hinders our fellowship with our parents is sin, self will. And so we have this little message here. Cease to do evil, learn to do well. And you know, the, the, the sad thing is, as I go on in life, I find more and more things I need to see doing.
As the light of God comes into my life, I find more and more things in my life that I need to lay aside and.
But if I don't, as has been brought before us, if we don't lay these things aside, we stunt our growth.
And so it says here's cease to do evil that comes first. Learn to do well. We put away the the thing we know we don't know all the evil that we do. I think of the words of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. We as are as older folk, we can look back and realize all our lives we've been learning the depravity.
Of our own hearts.
We find more and more things that we need to reject.
But that's because we grow in grace too, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And the light shows these things to us. Cease to do evil. Learn to do well. Turn to Chapter 7. You'll see a similar thought.
Isaiah Chapter 7, verse 15. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to what? Refuse the evil and choose the good. Notice again that refusing the evil comes before the knowledge of choosing the good.
Turn to Daniel, Chapter 9.
And I could.
There there are many more passages we could look at. I'm just going to look at a few.
Just to impress this truth on our hearts, Daniel Chapter 9.
For you young people.
This in particularly a burden from my own heart. We think we can dabble with sin.
We think we can flirt with the world and it doesn't hurt us and it's wrong it does.
Everything we do counts for eternity.
You can't go back. You may be able to retrace your steps, but you can't undo them.
Daniel, Chapter 9.
Verse 13, as it is written in the law of Moses. All this evil has come upon us, yet may we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth. It was a continual grief to God through the Old Testament times. His people did not know Him or His ways. Why? Because they were idolatrous.
And so it says here we might turn for my from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. What hinders.
What hinders my understanding? God's mind? It's sin in my life.
Really.
It's not a matter of intellect.
It's nice to have an intellect where you can see no facts and accumulate knowledge, but but what really counts is having God's truth, God's mind for the very step before us. And if we're not been walking intermittent up to that point, we're not going to have the light for that step.
Turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth. Turn to Romans chapter 12.
00:10:03
This line of thought came before me a few weeks ago. I had the privilege of being down at the Lake Junaluku conference and we looked at at umm, Romans 12. We had the readings around Romans 12 and uh, that started the train of thought because I noticed something interesting in Romans 12 and I had been familiar with this passage for years.
Romans chapter 12, verse one.
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 intelligent service.
So Paul is saying here, Present your bodies a sacrifice, yield your bodies to God.
You know, we have a wonderful example of that in Daniel's Three Friends. Let's turn back to Daniel for a minute.
Daniel.
Chapter 3 I believe it is.
Yes.
Daniel Chapter 3 we have the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Notice what Nebuchadnezzar says about them. Daniel chapter 3, verse 28.
Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hast sent his Angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the King's word, and yielded their bodies.
There's an example of what we have in Romans chapter 12, verse one. These three young men yielded their bodies.
That they might not notice this negative might not serve nor worship any God except their own God. The yielding was negative. It was something they chose not to do. And if you look in Romans chapter 12 and verse 2 where Paul amplifies what is involved in yielding, notice the first thing he says, Romans chapter 12 and verse two, and be not conformed.
To this world not it's negative.
Spiritual we use the word virtue, spiritual energy, virtue yielding Christian practice is often.
Exemplified in the negative. It's expressed in the negative first of all, things we don't do for the Lord. Then it says be not conformed to this world. Well, then what? Then what? But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. You can't be both.
If we're going to be conformed to this world, we will not be transformed. We won't have time to renew our minds.
By the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
It starts with the negative again.
Turn to chapter 13. It was read earlier this afternoon, chapter 13, verse 12.
The night is Romans 13, verse 12. The knight is far spent. The day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Maybe in your life there's some little secret work of darkness that you've been indulging in. Cast it off. That comes first. You want to be closed with the armor of light. If you really want to be clothed with the armor of light, cast off the work of darkness.
Now we're rewriting. We were reminded in whether reading meetings that virtue, the energy needed to do this, does not come of ourselves. If you're sitting there and saying, well, I'm gonna make a resolution to do it, forget it. Resolutions are not enough.
Tell the Lord you want to do it.
Ask him for the strength.
Claim what he's already given you.
Cast off the works of Darkness and put on the Armor of Light.
00:15:01
Turn to 2nd Corinthians.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 6.
Notice what it says here in UMM.
Verse 11.
O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not restricted in us, but you are restricted in your own bowels. Now I'm going to ask you, does anyone here that would deny that the apostle Paul?
And the other apostles were victorious, happy Christians.
Wouldn't you like to have a life and a testimony like theirs?
So Paul wrote to the wrote to the Corinthians, and some of them felt that they were cramping. What Paul was saying was cramping their style. They felt pressured. Really. They felt convicted.
They felt convicted about some things, and they were resisting that conviction, Paul says. You're not restricted in US, you're restricted in your own affections, your own vowels.
So he says now for recompense, and the same I speak unto my children, be also enlarged.
Well, the world speaks about having being broad minded and having a big heart and so on. When we get to spiritual things, what's involved in having a large heart? Well, it says verse 13, B also enlarged. And how is the heart enlarged? Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, a large heart.
Means a restricted path, a restricted view of things.
Because God and this world are at enmity, there's a conflict. We can't.
Live for the world and live for God. And so it says here, be not against negative again unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness?
Notice what it says in verse 17. Wherefore come out from among them be a separate, saith the Lord.
Here it is again. Negative. Touch not, touch not.
Touch not doesn't say do not. It says touch not.
It doesn't say keep knot or hoard knot. It says touch knot, the unclean thing and I will receive you. Why is it we don't enjoy the Lord's company so often? We're Christians. Well, you don't enjoy being Christians because we allow sin in our lives. We give it a little corner and it offends, it grieves the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus is hindered.
There our fellowship with Christ has hindered. Touch, not the unclean thing. And I will receive you. It's not a matter of us receiving Him.
And I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Now there is a great family relationship.
But it can be hindered by not what we don't do.
Umm Ephesians chapter 5.
Ephesians chapter 5 is involved with associations. Just want to focus on verse 14.
Wherefore thou that sleepest? Wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepest, and arise from among the dead in Christ.
Shall give thee light, see thee walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. There's the negative side again, but the picture here to me is very striking.
We wonder why we don't enjoy fellowship with the Lord as we know we should.
When we're hanging around with dead people.
We choose the Society of the dead. That's what it's talking about here.
If you want to enjoy the light of the Lord, get out of the morgue.
Awake thou that sleepest and arise from among the dead. Naturally speaking, if you went to sleep and you woke up and found yourself in a morgue, you know what you do.
You get out.
You'd want the light.
00:20:00
Let's turn to.
Titus, chapter 2.
By the way, I'd recommend looking these scriptures up in Darby's translation as well, or to get the fullness of them. Sometimes. Some of the sometimes we get hindered by our understanding of Old English. Not that I'm putting down the King James at all, that I'm just saying that it helps sometimes to look at another translation. Umm Titus chapter 2, verse 14.
Well, let's start with verse 11. Titus 211 The grace of God that brings salvation.
Has appeared to all men teaching us that.
Denying.
Ungodly, another translation says It teaches us to say no.
To ungodly lusts to worldly lusts that we should live soberly righteously godly in this present world and so on teaches us to say no that's what it means to deny to say no it teaches us well see we're not under law here this is grace.
Grace, though, is holy. Grace brought Jesus to us. Grace brings us to God.
Grace is always holy.
And the grace of God that brings salvation to all men. It teaches us.
To say no, it teaches us to say no. Are our hearts taught by grace?
Hebrews, chapter 12.
Hebrews chapter 12 and verse one. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Let us lay aside every way. It's a negative thing again. It's getting rid of something. Subtracting is negative. Lay aside every weight.
And the sin which does so easily beside us, the sin of unbelief.
The doubts lay them aside.
Because you know, every now we're, we're not talking about when we're talking about running the race here, we're not talking about a Sprint. We're talking about a marathon. We've talked about a marathon before.
A marathon is a long race where the goal, generally speaking, is not, or often is not visible from the starting line.
So when we're talking about some someone running a marathon, they start out in faith. They don't see the goal. They see it in their mind. They see it in their heart. Their heart is set on it.
But they run in faith that there is an end to that race.
Well, we know there is.
Let us lay aside every weight in the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, we have something else to replace the things that would hinder, that's the Lord Jesus himself. One more verse, I'm done. Uh, first John, this verse again was referred to in the meetings. First John chapter 3 and verse.
20.
For if our heart condemn us.
God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things, beloved. If our heart condemneth not, then have we confidence toward God. I was thinking about this verse. Why doesn't it say conscience? Well, you know, sometimes there's things we haven't done.
We know in our hearts they're wrong.
We haven't done them.
But our hearts condemn us.
If our heart condemns not so, there may be things.
In our hearts, we need to get out. We need to do some heart cleaning.
The Lord knows.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do well.
00:25:10
Feel like the Lords.
Believe Lord, put this on my heart.
I'd like to read in First Corinthians 12.
1St Corinthians 12 and verse 12.
Whereas the body is one.
And have many members.
And all the members of that one body being money.
Our one body, so also is Christ.
For by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body?
Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free.
And have been all made to drink into one spirit, for the body is not one member, but many.
Down to.
Verse 26.
And whether one member suffer.
All the members suffer with it.
Or if one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
No, ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
And God has set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles.
And gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
But covet, covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet shall I unto you a more excellent way.
Been sitting here in these meetings.
Thinking about the body of Christ.
Many of whose members I see sitting here.
We've all been given a function.
All of us.
Means you.
From the front row right to the back.
We've been hearing ministry by given through faithful brethren.
Most of them sitting on the front row.
Perhaps they've been given the gift of teaching.
But we all have a function. We all have a gift.
This means you. This means me.
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it.
Or if one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Brethren.
I mean that, not just as a word.
We are one in Christ.
I need you.
And you need me, because Christ has made us all one.
I can't sit back.
And expect.
The body which I am part of.
To function.
The way it should.
And neither can you.
If we refuse to take orders from our head.
We refuse to obey and fulfill our functions.
00:30:01
I'd like this to be an exhortation.
There are B brethren and sisters.
Who have gifts of teaching.
Or rather that have been using that gift to teach us here in these meetings.
There are women that should be using that gift to teach the younger sisters.
And I know that some of you have been.
I know.
Sisters who've expressed a lack of that teaching in their lives. And I want to exhort the sisters, the older women.
To teach the younger.
I'd like to express myself.
That I've felt and seen. Also a lack of the personal shepherding and teaching.
To help me to help.
The younger brothers, or those who are new in the faith, or those who.
Have been in the past for a long time.
We all need encouragement.
In one place, Paul speaks to a group of believers and says you're going on well, and so I'm praying for you that you would continue to go on well.
Quite often we wait until wow they really left the path. Well, hopefully brings them back.
Pastors.
That feed the flock, not just in teaching, but to pull someone aside, share something that you've enjoyed.
Ask someone how they're doing, really.
Call someone that the Lord has brought to your mind. May be write a letter.
When I was 17, something happened in my life.
And my brother wrote me a letter.
I was 17 and nobody's ever done that to me before. And I was like, wow, I mean, that's sort of nice, but.
I I never thanked him. I never.
Acknowledged it.
But there are things that he expressed in there that he saw in me.
The Lord was doing.
That have helped me.
To recognize that the Lord works in my life.
This says in Philippians 16 that he who has begun a good work and you will complete it.
No, it's not just for older people to encourage people.
We are all members. We all have gifts, specific ones, and some of us have a gift of reaching out and having the right words, or to evangelize, or to help in some physical way. But the Lord can use every one of us as He will. And just because perhaps we're not good at something does not, or perhaps we don't have experience in something does not mean if the Lord puts on my heart to do something.
We're on your heart to do something so I can say, well, you haven't taught me how to do that yet, so I can't do that.
For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
It's not me that ever wants to please God, it's always Him in me that will and will do.
Like 2.
Talk to the young men and young ladies.
When I was about 17, it was a different incident. I was struck.
That I was not living for the Lord. He was not being acknowledged this Lord of my life.
And whether others, I'm sure there were people that cared and and saw it. Nobody that I can remember.
I talked and taking me aside or.
I'm I don't wanna.
00:35:03
There are carrying rather than out there.
Who do?
Council people and there have been many people that I'm very thankful for in my life, but there is a lack of people reaching out.
Finding out how people are doing.
To counsel them privately. It's wonderful to hear the word taught in a meeting like this.
There has been in my memory that I can think of right now one brother.
This specifically.
Reached out to me and.
Took me out to eat.
Every once in a while.
Talk to me about the Lord's things.
Cared about me.
I find it very, very difficult.
To reach out to people.
And I can't do it naturally.
But Christ, Jesus Christ is my life.
And if if you and I let him?
He is not hindered.
Young men.
There are people around you that are hurting just like you. They have the same struggles.
And then have the same Lord that you do.
That need an encouraging word.
You see something in their lives, but the Lord is showing you and put on your heart. Speak them about. Do it.
Sometimes they won't accept it.
The Lord was crucified.
He wished he hadn't come.
I got that letter and I probably threw it away.
But I remember what it said.
I thank the Lord that brother cared.
He saw there was the work of the Lord in my life, and to deny it, to deny.
Christ for your dad in your life is hid with Christ in God.
Christ, who is our life, shall appear.
I've been warned many times and don't wanna go into it too much.
The young ladies.
Thank God.
That there were young ladies in my life as I was a teenager and growing older.
They were.
Walking with the Lord who cared?
That it was obvious.
Didn't care just about attracting attention.
We all need attention and love and care. We do.
But the way you act, the way what you're enjoying in the Lord.
How you dress, how you talk.
Makes a huge difference.
To the brothers in Christ that are around you.
I thank the Lord that.
There have been young ladies in my life that weren't encouragement to me that way.
We all have.
The flesh. We all have pride.
And it comes in in ways that sneak up and whack you behind the head. It's not pretty.
That does not mean.
The Christ is not our life.
We all have gifts.
If we've accepted Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, He is the power in our lives, and nothing can change that.
We need to get out of the way and let him reach out.
1St.
Work in our lives if I'm not enjoying the word, if I'm not walking with the Lord.
00:40:01
And I can say by experience, years of experience.
So I, I know I and I'm looking forward to, with the Lord's help, many more years of experience if He doesn't come first.
That as much as you might wanna help the person next to you.
If you're not enjoying the Lord, then you will not be a help to them. If you are not finding treasures in His Word and just rejoicing in being forgiven and having a new life and having that, there is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus, even if your heart condemns you.
If I'm enjoying the Lord.
Let your light so shine before men. In that light is Christ.
That they may see your good works. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
They may see your good works and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.
We are one body.
You have a function.
And God loves you and puts you there, and he will give.
The strength.
As soon as we stop trying in our own non existent strength, his strength is made perfect in weakness.