Open—E. Wilson, E. Covell, D. Gorgas
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On her brethren, if we might turn for a little while to uh.
Book of Genesis we've had much before.
This morning and in the last two hymns that we've sung together about pilgrimage.
I think it's interesting too that Spirit of God has had on my heart for.
Quite a few weeks now the life of Jacob a bit and I'd like to look at his life for a few incidences in it.
So if we could just quickly turn to the 28th chapter of Genesis.
The things which were written before time, we learned were written for our learning.
And we look at the life of this individual, Jacob, and we say his life was just like ours. We're so much like him.
But I want to uh.
Read from verse 1020, eighth of Genesis.
And verse 10.
And Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Heron, and he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set. And he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed. And behold a ladder set on the earth, from the top of it reached to heaven, and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father.
And the God of Isaac, the land whereon thou liest to thee, will I give it unto thy seed.
And I see shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the West, and to the east, to the north and to the South, and the And in thy speech shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land, for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not, and he was afraid.
And said, How dreadful is this place? This is none other but the House of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of that city was called Love at the 1St. And Jacob vowed to vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house, and peace, then shall the Lord be my God.
And this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house, and of all of thou shall give me, I will surely give attempt unto thee.
I wonder, too, if we might take the liberty to go over to.
Another chapter here.
Uh, chapter 35.
And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there, and altar unto God that appeared unto thee, when thou fled us from the face of Esau thy brother. And Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments. Let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress.
And I was with me in the way which I went.
Well, I suppose you maybe have guessed on a little bit of what I have in my heart to speak about this afternoon.
We've had this morning.
Much about our standing before God and our state and so on.
So I find this interesting, this story of Jacob.
He goes from Beersheba and he went toward Heron. Beersheba was the well of the oath.
Was at this very place that God, that Abraham called upon God that tells us and it tells us there that he called upon God, the everlasting God. Now the Hebrew there is the word hello lamb, which means God, the everlasting God who presides over everlasting things. And you know you and I have enjoyed a little bit of that this morning, the fact that we were chosen in him before the foundation of this world, uh, from Genesis 22 Through to Genesis 25, we see the ways of God with.
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Israel and the ways of God with ourselves.
How timely these things are. How we need to, uh, appreciate and love these things.
But he lights upon a certain place, and he carries there all night because the sun was set. This is a moral picture.
It doesn't rise. His sun doesn't rise again until 20 years later.
After he comes back out of the land of Peda and Iran.
You know, this period of 20 years in his life was not necessary, was not needed.
Any more than the travelings of the children of Israel in the wilderness were not necessary, but God allowed it to show Jacob what was in his own heart. And God does that with us. He allows us to go through these things to show us what's in our own hearts. But blessed be His name, He does it too, to show us what's in His.
You know, it's interesting that for 20 years he had his wages changed 10 times.
And you know, he was deceived by his uncle Laban.
Who cannot fail to see in these things a picture of our own life, you know?
How often we've proved the truth is adverse. That uh says that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.
But here he is. He, he's, he's there and he tarries because the sun was set. He took of the stones of that place sometimes the assembly, and always liked that. We like, we think of the assembly as a place of stones.
Difficulties. Problems.
Whatever it may be.
Sometimes their circumstances and we like to rest in them. That's what he does here. He lies down on the stones.
Set him up for his pillows, placed his proposed, you know.
We've often we've sung in those two hands how this is not our rest.
Heavens are home.
And he lay down in that place to sleep. What does Ephesians tell us?
Time to wake out of sleep, Roman says. Ephesians 5 tells us that awake thou that sleepest, and arise from among the dead in Christ shall shine upon thee. But here he is, He's asleep on top of the stones, isn't he?
Behold the ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven, and the all the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Picture of Christ John chapter one tells us that the Son of man he could speak to Nathaniel how you see the Son of man ascending and descending upon the Son of man this this ladder reaching.
And behold, the Lord stood above it.
He's above it all, isn't he? He's above our circumstances. He controls everything. He's head over all things to the church, which is his body. There he is standing.
He stood above it all, said I am the Lord God. I want you to notice this phrase right here. I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father.
Naturally speaking after the flesh, Abraham was Jacob's grandfather.
But in the things of God, the relationships that we know, Abraham, he could tell us, is the father of the faithful. Now we have to say here that Jacob was not acting in faith.
And yet, uh, God would remind him.
He would remind him very clearly that there is a pathway for faith.
God of Isaac, the land were on their lives to thee will I give it and to thy seed and a wonderful to think that the promises of God have nothing to do. They have nothing to do with us in in in you know and us somehow thinking within ourselves that you know we can keep them. They're unconditional. They're unconditional promises.
Going to give them.
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the West, the east, to the north, and to the South, And then thy seed in thee, and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with thee.
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What comfort this is. He is with us, He's with us.
He was with Him here, and will keep the in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land, for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to. The Isn't that what He has done for us? Not going to leave us or forsake us? He loves us, brethren.
He desires our good.
How often we fail in realizing this.
Jacob wakes out of his sleep and he says surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not.
Uh, sometimes, you know, we're gathered to the Lord's name and it's many years before. Sometimes we wake up in our soul. So the realization of whose presence it is, we're in.
Remember, brother in Christ.
Speaking at a conference and I remember him telling us situation where a man had been at the Lord's table for 50 years and he when he asked him the question, he said when did you realize? He said that Jesus was the Son of God? He said not until last Tuesday. Think of it, breaking bread all those years and not realizing in his soul this glorious and precious truth. Yes, we can go to sleep spiritually.
Like Jacob did here.
Surely the Lord is in this place and he was afraid. Are you and I afraid?
Are we afraid?
Yes, he's too irreverence of all them that are about him. It tells us in the Psalms.
But is that fear born out of love?
To him, that's the thing, isn't it? That's the key, you know, in reading recently the life of Joe.
He was a man of fear, wasn't he? You see it in the first chapter, my children, her adventure of cursed God in their hearts. And so we sacrificed this for them as well. He was not made perfect in love, but it's interesting how God works with him. He was a righteous man. That's what it tells us in the first chapter.
But he hadn't really acquainted himself with him to be at peace, and we need to do that too.
He was afraid.
What's his response? Sometimes we say this too. Those of us that are younger, we say the same thing. Those of us that are older, how dreadful is this place?
Well, we need to see brethren as the place of safety. It's a place of blessing. It's a place that's to be coveted.
It's a place.
Absolute blessing, not because of what it is, but because of who is there.
Who is there?
None other than the House of God. This is the gate of heaven.
1St 18 is interesting.
Spiritual energy, you know, comes in now and we find them getting up early. Very often this happens when a person is energized by the Spirit of God. Things happen. And you know, what's good about it is this, that sometimes we think that we have to arrange things. We think that, you know, that it's up to us to decide where we should visit or what we should do or what we shouldn't do or where we should go or where we should not go. Why don't we leave that decision up to the Spirit of God?
Why don't we get into His presence and say, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do for today? Because we learn in Luke Chapter 9.
That were to take up the cross daily. The thought there in the original Greek is moment by moment. Really, it's the thought that we get into his presence and say for that day, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do today? What is the cross that thou would have for me to bear for this day? And when we get into his presence and we seek his face, he's going to tell us what the cross is for that day.
And if we couple that up with other verses like we have in Matthew.
Where it says be careful for nothing.
I was thinking of that one too, where it says, you know, and Speaking of our bodily needs, you know, consider the lilies of the field, not that they grow, but how they grow and all of these things. It's precious. Rather than to realize that what we need to do is we need to place our lives more in His hands.
We try to arrange things for ourselves and and we just get frustrated and disappointed.
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He took the stone that he had put for his pillows. He set it up for a pillar. You notice here that the stone is singular. Now. It was stones previous to this. Now it's stone. No wonderful. When you and I get past the point of looking at our circumstances, the stones, and we realized, you know, that the stone.
Is where we're really at.
It's Christ. It's Christ, isn't it?
God blessed one, you know he, he loves us so much.
And he could say in First Timothy, he could say, There till I come.
Know how thou Artest to behave thyself.
In the church.
In the House of God, which is the pillar and base of the truth, here we have it, here in Taif, I believe. What does he do? He takes.
And he pours oil upon the top of it.
Oil and scripture, as we know, is picture of the Spirit of God. Picture the Spirit of God. What a wonderful thing this is, Spirit of God, Abel, to reveal to us that one who is the truth, that one who is the rock of our salvation.
And he called the name of that place Bethel, the House of God.
The House of God.
But the name of that city was called Laos at first. Or, uh, an almond tree.
Not interesting that you know, when you and I got saved, we saw the beginnings of life and the beginnings of these things as we go on in the things of God.
Who not only realize about God and that order, but I trust we're being led on, as we'll see in chapter 35 of L Bethel, God of the House of God, that one who is there.
And it's interesting now to pick up as we look at his life, to see how far these little threads of faith had led him along.
Jacob vows about saying if God will be with me, told him he would.
That's just like us if God will be with me, God told him he would be with them. Hey, that's this is just shows us now the Spirit of God by the word of God is just kind of opening up before us just how much advance he had made in these things that he had revealed to him and he noticed what he says.
If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go.
Oh, we're so selfish as Christians, aren't we? We're so selfish. We think, you know, that because I did a good deed last week or I did something, you know, to help another Christian or whatever, that God should, you know, somehow come in and do something for me because I've done that. That's how we think. We think that way. I know I think that way.
Will give me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat in raiment to put on.
Oh, we've got to get beyond this. We've got to see that the body is more than meat and drink, but it's more than rain and we've got to get beyond this.
It says in Matthew that he knows that we have needed these things. I think he's going to deny them to us. Romans 8 tells us that he had delivered up his own son for it. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my Father's house in peace. Then shall the Lord be my God, not something.
He's our God, anyway.
Even if we slip off that pathway, he's still, he's still with us, he still loves us, but he would seek to have that sweet communion to draw us to himself. This is interesting, succeedingly interesting, because I see my own heart mirrored in all of this. That's why it's so interesting. I'm sure you see your heart mirrored in it too. This is the way we think.
And this stone, which I have set up four pillars, see the whole, the whole emphasis is on himself. We think that, you know, because we don't go out to meeting the assembly is going to fall apart. We think that, you know that because of arrangements that we're making that if this or it's that way, oh, may he bring us to the realization in our souls that he can do without anyone of us.
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He can do without any one of us, but He loves to have our company with Him, that He might feed us with himself. The stone which I have set up for a pillar shall be God's house. And of all that thou shalt give me, look at this, I will surely give a 10 unto thee.
This is interesting, isn't it?
You know, actually there are groups today who believe in giving 10% to the Lord.
What is, what is Psalm 50 say? Lord says, if I was hungry, I wouldn't tell you. The cattle on 1000 hills are mine. I know all the beasts of the field, they're all mine. What can you and I give to this one who has given everything for us? Absolutely nothing except one thing, and that's our hearts.
And he wants our hearts that he might fill it with himself. You know, you young people go, the devil will take your heart and he'll break it and he'll never give it back to you.
That the Lord Jesus can fill that heart of yours to overflowing. He can do it and He will do it. But oh, may we give our hearts to Him 10%.
We owe him our very light. We owe him our very life. Everything that we have has been given to us. I don't own my car, I don't own my house, I don't own my property. It all belongs to him. He just simply made me a steward of what he has entrusted to me. That's the way I look at these things. That's the way we need to look at these things. What we have is not our own, It belongs to him.
I've said enough on this. Let's just quickly now go over to the 35th chapter.
From this period in Chapter 28 until this period in Chapter 35, approximately 20 to 25 years have rolled by.
Do you know what happened in this period of time? I wanna say to you, dear young people this afternoon, do you know what happened to Jacob in this 20 years from this period of time that we've just read about until what we're going to read here in Chapter 35? I want you to get this. I want you to get this. And if you don't remember anything else that said this afternoon, I want you to remember this.
So whatever an individual souls he reaps, it's a universal, a universal principle that applies to the saved and to the unsaved alike.
This speaks deeply to my own heart, and I trust that it will speak to yours as well.
20 years, he had his wages changed 10 times. You can barely count it on two hands because you got you know, you got 10 fingers and you know, you know you got 10 fingers.
Had him changed 10 times, he was deceived concerning his wives twice. He had to bear the brunt of what was torn in the field. You can just take those chapters that are in between here and you can just write right over them. The government of God.
That's why the you know, you read about peeled poles in the water troughs and all of these things. You know, you look at them and you say it's just so mysterious. You know why it's mysterious? Because when we lack the light of his countenance, everything is mysterious.
But when we lean upon him, we get the answer for the pathway. That's what I want. Is that what you want? Do you want to be guided in this pathway? Do you want the sunshine of this countenance? Do you wanna be able to get up in the morning and look in the mirror and say life is worth living? Because I have one, I can live 4.
Chapter 35.
God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there, and make there and alter unto God that appeared unto thee when thou fled us from the face of Esau, thy brother, you know, back there in Bethel, that's exactly where he should have stayed, but he didn't have the faith to stay there. He thought that he was taking the advice of others. He goes off now to pay Danoram, and he to a sorrow, he, you know, he has to reap all these things.
Well, it's interesting.
Jacob said to his household and to all that were with him. Put away the strange gods that are among you. Be clean and change your garments. What a lesson this is. What a voice this is for us in our day.
We have idols in our lives, you know.
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We ask little things that are coming in, the little foxes that are coming in.
They're ruining things.
You know what it is in your life. I know what it is in mine. Some little thing. Let's get rid of it. Let's put it away.
Be clean.
Follow after holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. We need that personal, that personal holiness. You know we need that.
That personal sanctification.
And then it says and change your garments. The garment is what is seen, you know, outwardly.
People look at us. When they look at us, do they see? Do they see a real believer?
Do they see a real Christian? So they see one who desires to please the Lord, Who our brethren see that in US.
And let us go, arise, and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me.
In the way which I went.
I can hardly read these verses without we think sometimes.
In spite of his unfaithfulness.
In spite of the fact that all of these things happened to him and sometimes these things happen to us, he's still with us. He still loves us.
That fills us with grief and with shame as we think of the wasted years, don't we? But he still loves us.
Her brother read to us that verse and Joel last night how he can and he will restore to us the years that the locust is eaten. So on he will do it.
Put it away. Change your garments.
And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears. And Jacob hid them under the oak, which is by Shechem. The only way we can get rid of these things is by turning our face toward the cross, and looking at that cross, and say, Lord Jesus, I will give this up for thee.
You young people, you may be carrying on with things in your lives that you know are a dishonor to the Lord. The only way you're going to be able to get rid of them is to look at the cross.
You see that one who died there for your sin?
And of one who died there to bring in the blessing, to bring into the fullness of what you have.
As they journeyed, the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. What protection? What protection there is. You know when we look to the Lord, there will be that protection.
He'll keep us, you know, The enemy, the enemy, the devil of your soul and mind would kill every one of us in this room this afternoon if he had his way.
But he loves us, the Lord loves us, and he he protects us. That's what we learned from Hebrews chapter one. Those angels sent his ministering spirits and so on.
Umm.
Verse six So Jacob came to love, which is in the land of Canaan, that is Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And he built there an altar and called the place El Bethel, because their God appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother. See, he's made some progress in his soul, and that's the desire of each one in the room this afternoon, for for all that we might make progress.
In our souls, it's not Bethel now, it's El Bethel, God of the House of God, the assembly, you know, and coming out to the meetings, that's not what's going to keep us. It's our hearts being occupied with the one who is the center. That's what's going to keep us. And nothing else will. And I'll tell you this, that as the days continue to darken around us, as things continue to get worse and deteriorate, and when things even in the assembly seem to, you know, be not what they should be.
It's only occupation with the Lord Jesus that's going to keep our poor hearts. Are we seeing Him?
El Bethel, God of the House of God, that one who has the right to order his house.
That one that has the, has, has the, the authority to, to, uh, do as he wishes. Do we see that brother? Are we seeing him? I trust that it's so.
Because there God appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother. He knows how God goes back to that instance. He could have stayed there. He could have enjoyed this communion. He could have had the blessing of God had he stayed there. But I'm thankful that in faithfulness our God has given us the life of Jacob.
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Because God did it in this way to really show us, give us a true reflection and a true mirror of what our own hearts are really like. We get away. We get away.
Maybe there's some here in the room this afternoon and you've gotten away. You're not at the Lord's Table anymore. Maybe you've left.
Maybe it was because you had your eyes on people.
The idea is, is that we have to get our eyes off of people and we have to look at Christ. He'll never disappoint us, it says in Galatians, Speaking of Peter and James and Cephas, it says, who seem to be pillars who seem to be.
That there's only one who's worthy of our attention. There's only one who's worthy.
To be our object and it's our Savior, the Lord Jesus, though, may he fill our gaze, brethren, as we look into his face, may we become more like him so that we're able to say this God of the House of God, El Bethel.
One more thought and I'll stop.
But Deborah, Rebecca's nurse died and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak and the name of it was called a lawn becuse.
He knows how many times that the oak is mentioned here, right?
Whatever will be called the face tomorrow, whatever it may be.
It's a precious realization of the cross of Jesus is that which helps us to meet the problems that we're facing the pathway tomorrow, whatever it is, whatever it is the death of a loved one.
Disappointment or whatever it is, You notice how the oak is brought before us. It's a picture of the cross.
You know, wonderful with Israel's experience when that tree was cut down and thrown into the bitter waters of Mira. It's that those waters were made sweet, and the cross sweetens every bitter cup. Oh, may our poor hearts realize how much we owe to him, to his precious death.
That he longs to fill us with himself.
Perhaps your heart is breaking this afternoon over something.
Take it to him.
Take it to him.
Maybe it's some sin in your life. Confess it to them. Confess it to them.
And forsake it and follow him.
I'd like to open my remarks this afternoon and reading a well known verse in Romans chapter 10 and verse 9.
Romans 10 and verse 9.
That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And shall believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.
I like to make mention this afternoon of the heart in particular.
No, just to turn back to Jeremiah 17.
There we find the history of each one of us here this afternoon.
We were born in sin, as we read in Psalm 51, Jeremiah 17.
And verse 9, the heart is deceitful above all things.
And desperately wicked who cannot.
1St 10 I the Lord, search the heart.
I try the reins even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.
Oh, how wonderful this afternoon.
Though our hearts were deceitful and desperately wicked.
We read here. I, the Lord, search the heart.
And soul in Romans 10 and nine, perhaps as many as this afternoon who've been brought to know the Lord Jesus Christ through this wonderful verse. The one who stands here this afternoon can claim that too, that wonderful verse. Not a thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
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And shall believe in thine heart.
Whole friend, this afternoon there may be many here, young people who believe all the facts about the Lord Jesus. They believe that he died on the cross to put away sin. Put all I ask you this afternoon in the beginning of these comments, have you believed in your heart?
You shall believe in thine heart that God has had raised him from the dead, and thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. To return back in the ROM book of Romans to the fifth chapter.
Romans 5 and verse five. And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which has given us unto us. Oh, how wonderful that love one makes up. Christ as our Savior has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
All we know full well this afternoon those who belong to Christ.
That there's no love in our natural hearts for our brethren. There's no love for Christ in our natural hearts this afternoon, but all the Holy Ghost, the love of Christ has been shed abroad. The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Connection with that love. To return to 1St John chapter 4.
One John. Chapter 4.
I'll read from the 16th verse.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in Him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. There is No Fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear.
Because fear has torment.
He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us.
How often we've heard that 19 first mentioned. How sweet it is, how precious. We love him because he first loved us well. That love of God has been shed abroad in your heart. You're on this afternoon by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us and so we love him because.
He loved us well in that same book here.
If we return back the page.
To the uh, first John chapter 2 and verse 15.
One John chapter 2 and love and verse 15 love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Oh my God, exercise our hearts each one this afternoon. How easy it is for any one of us be taken off of the things of this world and one way or another and perhaps not intentionally to be involved in it.
But older ones this afternoon, there's a danger there's a danger and it's all the spirit Father bring me for us this verse love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. Well, I think of the apostle Paul Speaking of Demas and uh, he's mentioned more than once steamers. But all we think of that verse that tells us deemless hath forsaken thee. Having love is present world.
Demons have forsaken me, having loved this present world and all.
This time here, this afternoon, we were a little older. There's the same danger for me as there is for anyone here this afternoon. Sometimes we speak of the teenagers, the young people. I'm sure that your young people this afternoon are confronted with things that I was never confronted with. But all the old nature within my heart is the same. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Can we turn back to Second Chronicles?
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Chapter 26.
The Second Chronicles, chapter 26 and verse one.
Then all the people of Judah.
Who was 16 years old and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. He built Eloth and restored it to Judah. After that, the king slept with his father's 16 years old with Uzziah when he began to reign. And he reigned 50 and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name, His mother's name also was, uh, Jekyll Iowa of Jerusalem. And he did that which is right in the sight of the Lord.
According to all that his father Amaziah did, and he sought God in the days of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. It's not my intentions to read this whole chapter, but here, how commendable. This is that fourth verse that tells us that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Well, I'm sure it's a desire of each believer here this afternoon.
In your heart to do that, but you're right in the sight of the Lord how good that is.
To be exercised, that's your, your pathway, your walk, your decisions from day-to-day. Your manner of life might be that which would be pleasing in his sight to do that which is right in the sight of the Lord. And then it tells us in the fifth version, he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding and the visions of God. And as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.
Always wonderful.
Tell the Lord takes care of his in all his mercies.
And there's care along the way, but all may we be found walking in dependence upon him. And how true this was of Uzziah and this portion of his life that tells us that as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. Oh, may we not trust our own hearts in any way or at any time in the pathway here below. We're sure to fail. We're sure to error. And so here we find that brought before us as long as he sought the Lord.
God made him to prosper well, he went on, and he was very industrious. He did great things as I did, and this look on a little farther in the chapter here.
Uh, verse 15 And he made in Jerusalem engines invented by cunning man to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks to shoot arrows in great stones with all, and his name spread far abroad, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.
His name was spread abroad sometimes are those who really love the Lord Jesus and perhaps have gone on well and things of this life, and perhaps their name has gone spread abroad. What a danger, what a danger. His name was spread afar far abroad, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong. Yes, he had accomplished great peace because I with all we read on the 16th verse.
But when he was strong.
His heart was lifted up to his destruction, for a transgressed against the Lord as God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
Just hold your place there and return to one verse and Acts chapter 20.
Acts Chapter 20.
This is connection with the Apostle Paul.
And he speaks to those at Ephesus.
I'll read from verse, uh, seventeen Act 2017, and from and from Alita's. He sent 2 emphasis and called the elders of the church, and when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you at all seasons. Who's this verse? Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations.
Which befell only by the lying weight of the Jews. And how I kept back. Nothing was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly from house to house. Well, I was thinking the Manor here of the apostle Paul serving the Lord. With all humility of mine, who may not speak to our hearts, each one of us this afternoon, how easy for our minds to become affected and uh, to have high thoughts. But here the apostle, he was serving the Lord.
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With all humility of mine, oh, we just look back at our chapter then in Second Chronicles 26.
And verse 16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went to the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him four score priests of the Lord, who were a valiant man. And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appartineth not unto thee Uzziah, who burned incense unto the Lord, but to the priest. The sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense, go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed, neither shall be for thine honor from the Lord God.
Then Uzziah was wroth and had a censure in his hand to burn incense, and while he was wroth.
With the priests the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priest in the House of the Lord, from beside the incense altered.
Solemn is it not here?
Uh, Azariah, the priest, uh, withstood Josiah. He warned him. He told him that it pertained not to him to do what he was doing. And he told him, and that's eighteenth verse.
Go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed. Neither shall be for thine honor in the Lord. Go on. Oh, was that not enough? Who was spoken to his heart, old friends, it wasn't. He was set. His heart was lifted up and pride all. How dangerous for anyone of us here this afternoon.
Universe, we just hold your place again and turn to Proverbs. I believe it's the 16th chapter.
Proverbs first chapter 16 and verse 9.
A man's heart devises his way.
But the Lord directed the steps. Who may remember that this afternoon? A man's heart devises his way. How many of us in our pathway, perhaps we'd have thoughts in our hearts to do certain things. We made decisions and we really didn't go to the Lord about it. A man's heart devises his way. But the Lord and directed his steps. Oh, how kind the mercies of God, you and I.
The Lord directed the steps. The Lord checks us up sometimes.
How needful and how blessed it is when He checks us up from a wayward path. Well, use higher than we read here in the 19th verse. Which law? He had a century in his hand of an incense, and while he was wroth with the priest, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priest in the House of the Lord. From beside him he sent altar.
Here's the grace of God this afternoon, and there's the government of God, and here are God acts in government on this man in his.
His proud position, his heart lifted up implied. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests looked upon him, and behold, he was leprosy in his forehead, and they thrust him out from fence. He himself hasted also to earth, because the Lord had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper from the day of his death, and dwelt into several house, being a leper where he was cut off from the House of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the King's house, judging the people of the land.
Now the rest of the acts of Yousai have first and last did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amos, write. So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his father's in the field of burial, which belonged to the kings, for they said he is a leper. And Jonathan Jotham, his son, reigned in his death. What a sad ending, a man who was so used, a man who was so, so capable in all ways, and yet when he was strong.
His heart was lifted up in pride. He returned in the New Testament to Second Timothy.
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Second Timothy, chapter 2.
We said that to us when he was strong his heart was lifted up and cried. Well, I thought she thought before me this first second Timothy chapter 2 and verse one Paul is speaking to Timothy could say thou therefore my son be strong in the grace is in Christ Jesus. That's where our strength should be brother this afternoon.
If we turn back to the book populations.
Not for a moment.
That was the 5th chapter of Galatians, the first verse. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty, where with Christ has made us free.
Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty we're with. Christ has made us free. Well, the Lord has set us free, and may we indeed stand.
Fast in that race.
The verse I was sticking up to as.
Absolutely.
Thanks Romans five, first part of the chapter.
I'm wrong, I'm sorry, but the Greece were in the standard version. I was thinking of the grace we understand.
And then in that verse we mentioned in Second Timothy, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Well, we read in Peter, he's a God of all grace, and we find who tells us that he give us more grace. How much grace do we need rather than this afternoon?
And we'd be strong then in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And we look at Acts 13.
Another one.
In the Old Testament in the Spirit of God and bring this name before us here in the book of Acts.
Acts Chapter 13.
In action with the Children of Israel.
I'll read from verse 20.
And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of 450 years, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a king. And God gave unto them Saul the son of says man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of 40 years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king, To whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse a man.
After my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.
Well, today, earlier we're we're Speaking of the will of God, you and I and of us are walking in that path, obedience according to His will, a path of submission. And here the Spirit of God would bring before us. David had one whom the Lord chose.
Samuel, the sons of Jesse passed before Samuel.
And uh, the answer was, the Lord hath not chosen any of these. But then David was brought forth, and so David here has a Scripture brings before us. I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.
And then a little further on in the same chapter.
Verse 34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another Psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thy unholy 1 to seek corruption for David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God.
Fell on sleep.
And would lead to his father's and saw corruption. But he whom God raised again saw no corruption. While David indeed was a picture to us of Christ. What he did is the corruption. He whom God raised against saw no corruption. Oh, how wonderful. And he spoke of David, one that would fulfill all my will. And then the latter comment concerning David.
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Who having served his own generation by the will of God.
Fell on sleep and was laid unto his Father's. Oh, how blessed this afternoon you see those who have continued on in the path for many years.
And have fell asleep just.
Two weeks or three weeks ago.
My dear brother from Perth, we and it was known all our lives.
The Lord called him home.
One who has served the Lord.
Served his own generation.
Departing the will of God, he fell on stage. How nice to see those who finish their course, as the apostle Paul could say in Second Timothy again.
Second Timothy, chapter 4.
Second Timothy, chapter 4.
Verse 6.
Paul Speaking of himself here. For I am now ready to be offered. The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight or the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith.
One more verse.
Proverbs.
Proverbs, chapter 4.
I'd like to leave this first with us this afternoon.
Proverbs, chapter 4, verse 23.
I would speak this verse especially to those who are younger here this afternoon, and indeed each one of us needed to progress. 423 Keep thy heart with all diligence.
We're out a bit are the issues of life.
Hebrews, Chapter 11.
Just a few verses.
Beginning with 13 Hebrews 11 and verse 13. These all died in faith.
Not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and we're persuaded of them and embrace them.
And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better that is in heavenly.
Country is in italics. Now they desire a better country, that is in heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.
One of the things that occurs annually in the town that I live in on the 4th of July.
Is a parade and I like parades.
My father-in-law liked the parades too. He was very fond of parades. He could didn't want to miss one.
But as we were standing in front of the old meeting room or sitting there in front of the old meeting room in Chatham.
Mrs. Hadley, let us all sit there and watch the parade.
I thought of a little poem that I learned as a child, and if I misquote it, please understand I'm haven't seen it in writing for many years. Breeze there a man with soul so dead that never to his himself has said, This is my own, my native land.
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You know, there's something stirring about seeing bands and flags and and fire trucks and and all those things marching down the street, hearing patriotic music.
But then as I was thinking of that little poem, I thought of these verses.
We don't belong here, beloved brethren.
I remember what it was like when our little family went over to Switzerland in 1967 and lived there for a couple of years, a little more than two years.
We participated in.
Celebrations went to some of their their, uh, national.
Umm, festivities. But we didn't really belong. We didn't really belong.
And I remember one time the.
Uh, Ambassador from the United States to the United Nations, Mr. Tubby.
Uh, who?
By the way, comes from Saranac Lake. He uh.
Was present at a a big 4th of July celebration. All of a sudden my heart started to beat. That's what, that's what I belong to.
That's what I belong to.
And we went there and we felt so at home with our flag and the American customs and things. But beloved, I say again, these verses put a check on that type of patriotism.
And, uh, Ed Wilson and I, who are totally different nations, we share a common goal, don't we? Common destination.
We seek a heavenly, a better country.
Better than Canada, better than the United States, better than the Dominican Republic.
We seek a heavenly.
And God is not ashamed to be called our God. And you know what? He's prepared a city for us.
I like the expression in verse 13. I just wanna call attention briefly through a couple of things here.
All these that went before.
Adam.
Abel, Enoch, Noah.
Abraham, they all, and Sarah all of them died in faith.
Not having received the promises that God had made to.
They were still ahead.
But what did they do? They saw them afar on.
And beloved, that is our privilege today because the Spirit of God is stirring our souls with promises that are far off.
They're not here.
And we've seen them, and I hope it's true as it was of them, and I hope it's true of us that we're persuaded of, we're persuaded of them.
If you have doubts about our heavenly calling, I know.
I don't. I often wondered what happens when a person gets to the very end. The Lord gave us the wonderful privilege of standing at my father's bed the day before the Lord took it.
And over and over again, he assured us of the reality of the things that we believe.
Over and over again, he told us.
And stress to us.
Our happy portion as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
These things are real, he said. They're real.
In fact, I remember saying to us, it was kind of amusing. You know, he held on to the Lord's coming right up to the I'm almost beyond his death. He said, you know, you may not get to bury me. He said you might be on the way to the cemetery and the Lord will come and the whole thing will be over.
We'll all be taken home. We're persuaded of them, aren't we? Aren't they real?
Gordon, have you lost any of the reality of them as you get closer to the time? The Lord brings us to the end of our journey. Now I'm sure that not one bit, not one bit.
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And uh.
I, I remember visiting our brother Dodge just a few months ago, just, uh, back in, I think it was January.
He was lying in his bed, but there was no question about the reality of those things. To his soul, they were real. To him they were real.
Well, they were persuaded of them. And then there's another expression that comes after. That is what Charlie was telling us about earlier. Charlie little he was saying, they embraced them. They embraced them. They were dear to them.
You know, it's one thing to have it up here and be persuaded of it in your head. It's another thing to be to embrace something.
That's my desire to see my brethren and especially our young people and for myself first, that we might embrace these things. Everybody knows they're dear to us. There's no question about it. In our souls. They're real, they're dear, we embrace them.
And then they confessed.
I think that's both in words and actions. Verse 14 leads me to say that they're not just actions because it says they who say such things.
It's one thing to let your actions speak, that's important, but I think we need to give verbal.
Uh, confession to these things.
Confessed what? That they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth?
You know, these people had an opportunity, they could have gone back.
They could have gone back if they had been mindful of that country. And you know, there's a danger that we get mindful of the country from which we've been called out.
I don't think there's anything wrong with going to the 4th of July parade, but there's a little danger that our hearts might get called back to what we've been.
Set free from and I felt that tugging at me a little bit. I'm willing to confess that, you know, I stood up when the flight came by and, and, uh, I could feel a little trembling in my whole being when they started, I started hearing those songs like it's a grand old flag and those that sort of thing. But you see, if we're mindful of that, God would have us mindful of where we're going, not where we came from.
And then there's an opportunity to return.
Every once in a while there's an exodus of people from New York who go back to their native country.
And uh.
People go back.
But.
We're seeking a heavenly.
Now they desire a better that is in heavenly.
You know, Dave Hunt wrote a book a few months ago, maybe a couple of years ago, called Whatever Happened to Heaven.
And our brother was seeking to call Christians, especially back to the heavenly calling, he says. We've lost sight of heaven as our goal.
Is that true of you? Is it true of me? May the Lord stir our hearts toward the heavenly.
Country and uh.
Not get taken up with down here. This isn't our home. This isn't our country.
We're heavenly citizens.