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General Meetings Wheaton, August 1974. Third reading meeting.
Yeah, I don't know.
I gotta try that. I'll have another communication and we'll be able to get this interview.
John Gospel chapter 12, verse 23.
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is coming, at the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I send to you, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die it abideth alone, but if it died, it bring us forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hated his life.
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In this world shall keep it under life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall also my servants be. If any man serve me him will my Father honor. Now is my sole troubled. And what shall I say, Father?
Father, save me from this hour.
But for this cause came I unto this hour, Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
The people therefore that stood by and heard it said, that it thunders, others said, an Angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him. We have heard out of the law that Christ divided forever.
And how saith thou, the son of man must be lifted up. Who is this son of man?
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you.
Walk while he have the light, let darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness knoweth moth, whither he goeth, while ye have light, Believe in the light.
That he may be the children of light. These things make these us and departed, and He hide himself from this.
I suppose this expression in the.
21St verse, the Greek said. Sir, we would see Jesus.
Well, is that the real desire of our hearts? I believe there should be a real challenge to us today.
As to whether we really desire to see Jesus.
Or is there something we'd like to see accomplished down here? First, some little pet scheme that we like to carry out? But do you earnestly and honestly desire to see Jesus?
That was that his eye that we find in Hebrews 2, Paul says. But we see Jesus.
Was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death frowned with glory and honor. Paul had a vision of that blessed one above.
John said in the first epistle, third, third chapter, for we shall see him.
That's a glorious cheer is a glorious hope. And now we shall see him. But first of all, is that the desire of our hearts to see him at any moment? The Greek said we would see Jesus.
All says we do see him, John says we going to see him.
And in the case of the Queen of Sheba.
And she left her throne and went across the desert sands just to hear the wisdom of Solomon. I believe that's the spirit of what we have here, is it not? And we noticed, too, that in Luke's gospel the Lord has to say to those that had so much of the word of God, the oracles of God, and they wouldn't listen.
He said. We have piped unto you, and you've not danced, We've mourned to you, and you've not wept. And then he speaks of wisdoms, children. Then we see that woman a Sinner.
Breaking in, as it were, to a strange person's house just to see Jesus and she was welcome there because Jesus was there. We notice also that this has a particular Gentile aspect, doesn't it, that God granted to the Gentiles after Israel had rejected the Savior, that He caused the Gentiles to be ready to hear the word?
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And we have examples like the the centurion in the 7th of Luke and others who who were desirous for the blessing that Jesus had. So as you say, brother gladding, it's only the Spirit of God can produce this in our hearts. But the point is are we willing when the Spirit of God comes?
To respond to acts.
I suppose this is a case of anticipation here. We get quite a bit of that in John's Gospel.
Things by way of anticipation. For instance, in the 10th chapter there shall be 1 flock, 1 shepherd.
Well, there wasn't at that time, really. But it's looking ahead. And so I suppose this is the same thing with these Greeks coming. It's looking ahead to the time that they'll be part of that one flock.
Really. The desire to see Jesus?
Connects the Greeks with Jesus down here, which is not a legitimate connection.
The Greeks coming necessitate the answer of the Lord Jesus Christ Now is the Son of man glorified. Before the Greeks could have any connection with Jesus, it was going to have to be as the glorified son of man. And so this is the heart really of the whole issue regarding the Greek seeing Jesus. Jesus brings our blessed Lord before us as he was a man down here and they cannot have him after that order.
They must have him after the order of the Son of Man glorified. And so he has to pass through the death as we get in our next verse connecting the Gentiles with that blessed man going on high. Isn't that it?
We were breaking out of their hail how that we get the Lord as the Son of God.
The Son of man, God glorified in the resurrection of letters. And then the ones who were shouting hosanna, is to the son of David, isn't it? And here how was it you said specially about the Son of man, contrasting or connecting that with the lawyers, that her before us has son of God.
Son of David.
Well, I felt that in the 23rd verse he broadened out, shall I say, to express the beautiful picture of the Son of Man, whose delight it was to bring the Greek into the blessing that was appointed for them before the foundations of the earth were laid. But it did require his death, and his resurrection and glorification, in order that this wonderful wider sphere might be developed.
That's all.
Nathaniel was aware of the two glories.
But now?
He was the Son of God and the King of Israel, but he speaks of another glory to him that he didn't know about and that was the greater glory he speaks of that the heavens would open and.
The angels of God would send and descend upon the Son of Man. Now that's connected, as you say, with his death, but do we not see it at the same time, the wideness of that glory opening now the heart of God?
Not all the fullness of what God would like to express himself to his creature, and that's in the glory of the Son of Man. He's the one that manifests.
All that God is as we have in Hebrews, One God is the source of the blessing.
And the Spirit of God is the power that makes it good to us, but Christ is the one who manifests it. And as the Son of Man he brings it down to us, does he not?
Notice the two disciples brought together here, Andrew and Phillip.
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How we again in the first chapter John finds the names of these two disciples. Andrew is even mentioned before Peter.
We are told nothing about Andrew as to his gift.
We're getting quite sure that he doesn't have a gift like his brother Peter surely had because he had a powerful, wonderful gift when you think of 3000, saved under one sermon that he preached. But he did his quiet work of bringing another to the Savior. He brought his own brother, Simon Jesus.
And I'm sure as Andrews sat and listened to his brother when he spoke on the day of Pentecost, he must have been delighted to think how he had been used to bring one who would be so used of God in preaching the gospel later on. So Andrew Pierce again in his simple line of service. And you know that the Lord told Philip in the first of John to follow me.
And he starts out as a soul winner too. And he goes and finds Nathaniel and his word to Nathaniel was come and see. Well Nathaniel came and and owns Jesus as the son of God and the King of Israel. And then as you say brother Lundy.
Nathaniel learned the greater glory, and that was his glorious son of man.
I just thought might be nice to mention these two old men and if God hasn't given one, an outstanding gift, ability to hold.
Hold the attentions of hundreds of people, the quiet service of bringing another to the feet of Jesus.
Is just as acceptable and I'm sure we'll receive just as great a reward.
As the one who has have a special gift that can move hundreds of people with his message.
Not only did Philip and Andrew go and bring others, but it seems to me there might even be a little lesson here where these Greeks came and they said then the same came therefore to Phillip. On this occasion Phillip wasn't going out and finding someone whom he might bring to the Lord here, where strangers who came and perhaps looked at all the 12 and said to themselves, which one will I go to?
In order that I might get an introduction to the Lord Jesus. Why they chose Philip, I don't know, but it seems to me there's something about the picture that could well speak to our hearts. If someone wanted to know more about the Lord Jesus, would they? Would they come to any one of us and say, I want to meet the Lord Tina? Philip didn't go out on this occasion to find someone to bring them to Jesus. Here was a seeking soul, and that seeking soul for more than one, I believe.
So to come to Phillips.
Him, Sir, we would see Jesus. Oh, I think it's just a little exercise, But our testimony might be such at school, in the neighborhood, in the assembly. And if anyone wants to be brought near to the Lord Jesus, would they come to you? Would they come to me?
Well, do you take this statement in the work where we started reading? The hours come at the at the Son of Man should be glorified as though all the material was there together for the setting up of the Kingdom.
Then of course the Kingdom, glory of Christ the Son of Man, would be displayed. But then the Lord brings in something that must proceed.
The glory of the Kingdom and that is going into debt. For without his debt there could be no gathering together either for.
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Kingdom blessing are for heavenly blessing. It must be all the result of His death.
I don't see anyone.
Objecting, but that had been my thought, that all the material was there for that setting up of the Kingdom.
But the Lord brings his death in first.
Well now there wouldn't be any blessed basis for the Kingdom unless it was his death either, that the.
In either case, it must be on the basis of his death that the Jews will be blessed in the coming days, because it will be as the 11Th chapter of Romans tells us, They'll have to come in on the ground of mercy entirely. There's no other basis.
You you can't. You can't get any blessing other than through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Speaking of resurrection, I believe it's a part of the gospel message, isn't it?
I am. I hear what we could say and calling attention to this verse.
Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die in abideth alone the only man.
That ever lived in this world, that had a full clear title to go to glory on the ground of his life, and his perfection of man and the Lord could have risen right from Jerusalem at that time and gone back to heaven.
And received a marvelous wealth of all heaven, all heaven.
Received him with praise and delight. But think, brother.
There'd be a man alone there.
He dared me in that glory, but as he says here, it abideth alone.
And all the love of his heart that desired to have others.
Associated with him in that glory.
That lies ahead.
And in order to have one Sinner in that glory.
He must go into that solemn death.
That lay before him when he went to the cross. I suppose that truth is brought out in Luke 951. Is it not says when the time was come for him to be received now? Well, that had no claim upon that blessed one. The time has come for him to go back to the Father.
And if he hadn't gone back, as our brother said, he would have gone alone. And instead of that he set his face to go to Jerusalem. There he was going to suffer and die for the poor Sinner. I suppose the thief on the cross believed in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and his to take his Kingdom, didn't he? He was by his side when the Lord was dying. But he said, Lord, Remember Me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.
So we must have believed in his death and his resurrection and the take in his Kingdom too. But in actual fact he He postponed his blessing for centuries when he said that because the Lord has not taken his Kingdom yet, But the Lords are not going to keep you waiting so long today shalt thou be with me in paradise? But surely that thief believes in the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and that he's going to thank his Kingdom someday, didn't he?
More things of Matthew. We have a picture of the Lord telling his disciples to get into a boat and he went up into a mountain alone.
Well, I believe that's a picture of our high priest on high now interceding for us, but at a certain hour, that is at the 4th watch of the night, which is really the Gentile watch, we see him coming back.
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To his own well.
I just want to mention that part of it, because it's a lovely picture to follow through, but just that part of it that he was coming back to his own. He has to go up there alone for the moment, but he's coming back for his own now in connection with his death. It's quite remarkable that when Paul gives us the gospel in its entirety in 15th chapter of First Corinthians.
He mentions and was buried.
And was buried well, we find that the Lord Jesus died and he could say before his death.
The things concerning me have an end.
Paul could say we don't know Christ after the flesh.
An entirely new order.
Now that he's risen, he's a glorified man. And when he went on high.
Glorified We learned from Romans 8 that we also are glorified, and so the whole work has been finished that has brought us into the full blessing.
As associated with Christ as a man on high. That's our portion.
And the next part all about the line of things that you have been Speaking of.
The this new order of things that.
Has been brought in so that you read. He that loveth his life shall lose it. He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it on the life eternal.
That is the fact that Christ is going into death.
That his his death would have the result of much truth for the president marks out a pathway of rejection for those who would follow him.
Now that verse, that statement must have been very important.
In the Lord's mind because you find it six times in the Word.
You find it twice in Matthew, once in March.
Twice in Luke and once in John. I believe that's correct six times.
About one losing his life.
Now I think we should be clear on the meaning of 1 losing his life. Some have thought that it meant martyrdom.
But that isn't the thought I feel. You see, we have what we call life.
We speak our political life of social life the way what the world considers life is. And I suppose that hundreds of people ride around in this city. Would they came in here, they would say, what do you people live for there? You just sit around with your Bibles open. What have you to live for after all?
Well, it's that thought of the life that the Christian lives.
That pleasing to the Lord and what the world calls life, what they would say is having a good time entering into the pleasures of sin and having going along with the political, social affairs.
And climbing up the world's importance, they say, well, that's life.
Well, that which the world calls life is what the believer.
Loses. He loses that light that the world esteems and values. But in losing that life, it isn't a question here, I'm sure we understand, of getting saved. That isn't the subject. He's talking to his disciples here about what it will mean.
To follow a rejected Christ, he's talking to believers. I take it that way. And.
The thought is of losing.
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A life that the world thinks is so important.
You know instead of Esau that he was a profane man.
And I believe what we mean by a profane man in the 12Th of Hebrews was that he was a man that was trying to hold on to both worlds. Not that he saw that I'm Speaking of Esau as a saved man, but it's just to bring out that principle. And there are many, doubtless even among God's children, that would try to hold on to both worlds.
To go on in a measure and the Lord's things.
To be at the breaking of bread and then maybe during the week out with social friends.
And affairs that where Christ is not mentioned and has no place at all.
How? What a danger there is. How important it is then, beloved, to take a definite stand that we belong to a rejected Christ.
And if we're going to gain what he calls life here, we lose what the world calls life. And he mentioned, especially in this world.
You mentioned brother of Lundy and the Lord Jesus was buried. I'm glad you mentioned that because it said devout men carried Steven to his burial. So many dear Christians today believe in cremation. Well, that's absolutely condemned in the word of God. The second chapter of Amos, we find that there are other scriptures. Cremation is absolutely condemned by God, but we find the Blessed Lord was buried.
And Stephen was buried. And if I die, I hope I'll be buried and not burned in.
Chapter 2 Says, Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of mob, and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into life.
Also got other references and Jeremiah and 2nd Kings too I believe. I believe the reason for that is because the bones are a figure of resurrection brother.
You see?
Pardon. You would not think there's condemning cremation here. That I didn't say that, but I mean that a figure of burning the bones was contrary to the mind of God, because the bones, remember Josephs bones were carried up into Egypt. That's a picture of resurrection, isn't it? So I think that's the thought there now in connection with the subject that.
Of.
Following Christ. There's a verse in Luke that says in connection with following.
If.
If any man, follow me, it's the end of the ninth chapter of Luke. Perhaps we should read it better than trying to quote it.
In the 61St verse.
Another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at my home, at my house.
Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.
Now here we have someone who would put something first first, other than following Jesus.
The the issues of the Kingdom of God are urgent.
It's necessary to act immediately. Why did the Lord say?
To the man who would go and bury his father, let the dead bury their dead.
Well, because they take 40 days to bury someone there. They did in those days, and he would forget all about following Christ by that time.
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No, it's a question of now. Behold, now is accepted time, Now is the day of salvation.
Now, in the case of Elijah, Elijah throws his mantle on him. It's the same as a call. What's Elisha going to do? Is he going to return to his former life? He's been plowing, hadn't he? That was necessary up to that point.
No.
At the rebuke of Elijah.
He says, Elijah says to Elijah.
Go back again because he was going to return to kiss his father and mother.
Now, Father and Mother in Scripture, our first principles, we have to leave them. We have to leave them entirely.
And so those first principles must go.
He turns back, not to kiss his father and mother, but to slay the oxen wherewith he had been plowing, and to take the instruments of the auction, and yet make a fire so he could boil the flesh and serve the people of God. There we have him taking up a new ministry, but in obedience at the rebuke of Elijah, and he follows. Now that's a picture, I believe, of the Christian following Christ.
He burns his bridges, as it were. The picture we have is buried. The whole thing is in the place of death. Now I know, brethren, that I for one, have not learned this lesson, as I should, But I believe it's the truth of God that the believer is to see that old order in the place of death. We get the same principle in Romans 8. There's a new principle of life in Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Has set me free from the law of sin and death, this entirely new order of things.
For the believer, it belongs to resurrection life.
That follows and chapter, do we not the 9th chapter? Two of them said me first.
In connection with the Let the dead bird the dead, I heard this explanation. I don't know you agreed to it, but I thought it was good.
My brother was riding on the hearse with the undertaker and there was a dead man behind who died in his sins, apparently. So, the believer said to the undertaker, let the dead bury their dead, the man said. That's not in the Bible what you're talking about.
Oh yes it is, he said. Well, what does it mean? He said. Well, unless you know the Lord Jesus Christ is your savior, you're dead yourself in trespasses and sins. You're never going to bury a dead man behind you. So the dead is burying the dead.
There was one more point in connection with that verse.
I think we should call attention to He that hateth his life in this world shall give it unto life eternal. You see, life eternal or eternal life is mentioned in two ways through Scripture. John speaks of eternal life as a present position.
Hath eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, and then eternal life is spoken of.
And its future aspect, but it's the same life, but it's in its full display without anything to hinder as we have here the enjoyment of our Lord and what pertains to Him.
But I was thinking in this verse he that hated his life.
That is when drawing a comparison between the what the world calls life and what the Christian possesses.
As the one who is following the Lord, the contrast is so immense that is something that becomes hateful or I wouldn't go back to at all life.
The world is going on.
Seeking well the one who puts such interpretation as it were upon.
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The character of life that this world is seeking.
Why? He says he shall keep it until life eternal, just as though you go on living for Christ.
Following the Lord, counting things lost as Paul did for him.
I believe, as far as the enjoyment of what we possess is concerned, that it will just be going right into the same lifetime pleasures and happiness.
And delight and rapture that has filled our souls in this scene.
Well, is that contained in the passage?
I'm sure we have known some saintly believers.
That their life was so consistent, they lived so near the Lord.
That one remark was made on a sister of such devotion and and spirituality. They felt there wouldn't be much change when she went to glory, but she just go on living and.
Character light down here, but of course, as we all know, Beloved, that is so far superior that we in a way.
And scarcely compared.
In any way.
With what will be the fullness of joy in our Father's presence? Because the flesh will be gone forever, and will be will leave this world of all its delusions behind. In that way we enter into a fullness that can never be reached down here. But still I believe that the nearer we go on with Christ in our pathway.
The more we will be in that state where it'll be just changing worlds.
Go into the fullness up there.
In the Old Testament.
We have the case of the 2 1/2 tribes.
That decided that they wanted to stay on the other side of Jordan.
They didn't want to go into the land of Cain.
I don't suppose it was that they despised the land of Canaan, but they said we have cattle.
And they said that several times. We have cattle.
Well, they had their possessions.
And they felt that they needed a place where they could run their cattle, and they saw it was a good.
Place over on the other side of the Jordan River. There was lots of pasture there and they decided that that's where they wanted to settle down.
On the outside of the land of Canaan.
God's land, the place where he had chosen to place his name.
But they they were. They wanted to be there.
Well, really in that case, I suppose you could say that that area in which they said, well, that's the type of the world.
They like to be close to Canaan, all right, but they like to stay out in the world. And they had possessions that made them feel that it was better for them to be out there world bordering well, They lost something. They lost something by that. Yes, they that was their life over there. But after all, they lost it, didn't they? Because they weren't in the land of Canaan and they weren't in the place where the Lord was.
And so it seems that this next verse, verse 26, fits right in with that. If any man serve me, let him follow me.
They should have followed the Lord into the land of Canaan. I suppose the ark went before them all the way into the land of Canaan. But they they left the ark there. They didn't follow the ark through. They didn't follow to the place where the Lord would place his name. But he said, let him follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant be.
Well, if they had been real servants of the Lord, they would have followed on and they would have been where the Lord was. Well, we missed something when we don't follow on if we're not real disciples, real servants of the Lord.
First, you just commented on in our chapter. If any man serve me, let him follow me. Doesn't say go to a Bible school. It doesn't say go to a theological school and get trained as a good speaker.
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But that can be.
Instruction for one and all of God's children.
Do we want to serve our blessed Lord? What are the credentials? What is the way?
Let him follow me.
Well, the more we follow the Lord in communion, the more He will guide in connection with His service, whatever little service that may be.
And where I am, I love to think of that in connection with following him. Where I am, there shall also my servant be well. In the 14th chapter he says, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
He says I'm going to have you with me up there in the glory forever. I've made every provision for it and I promise it to you. But in the meantime, while we're still here, if any man serve me, let him follow me and it becomes so very, very pointed.
Where I am, there shall also my servant be well. When we read that, surely we can't help but think of what you just brought before us, Matthew 18 and 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I. Well, if I read that person, then I read this verse. How can I fail to see the wonderful provision that he has made, and a wonderful invitation that I think we see in this verse?
If any man serve me, let him follow me. And where? I ask, well, in enjoying this path and enjoying this place, Although in the eyes of the world, as it has been pointed out, and it surely is true, they look upon it as a lost life, they really do, even as we had at the beginning of the chapter. To what purpose was this waste, that which was devoted to the Lord Jesus in the eyes of the world with a weight, but it surely wasn't through the Lord.
And the one who devoted this to him will thank God forever for the privilege. So when we read a verse like verse 25 and then 26, we see that the life that the world called the lost life a wasted effort.
And even the Scripture recognizes that in the eyes of those who know not the Lord, it is that very thing. But who could suggest for one moment that anyone who has ever served the Lord according to the word of God would look back and say, oh, I missed a lot, but I've got something worthwhile ahead. No, that is the point, is it? That has been brought before us. The world may look on and say, oh, what you've lost.
The wasted years, the wasted talents that could have been used as such advantage for the betterment of this poor world. You've wasted them, You've lost them. So Lord looks down and says no, indeed you haven't. As far as the world is concerned, yes. As far as the Lord is concerned, no.
And I really believe that the child of God can say that we're really getting the best of both worlds. Am I wrong in putting it that way? Oh brethren, it has been my joy to stand by the bedside of those who have walked with God, brothers and sisters whose voice we may not hear in the meeting, but they walk with God, and you stand by their bedside.
And you just take a look at them and you know very well that they're not looking back on a lost and wasted life. They're looking back on that for which they thank God. And they're looking ahead with eagerness and gladness to being in the presence of the Lord at home.
So I just would like to stress the fact that it does not for one moment mean that we're going to have to put up with a great deal of sacrifice here in the way of being deprived of joy and happiness.
In order to have joy in the world to come. That's the attitude of a monk or of a nun. But the believer who takes that which has been entrusted to him as a steward in time, his health is whatever, and says this belongs to the Lord.
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And he lays it at the feet of the Lord Jesus. The world calls it a waste, but he knows at the end of the journey draws near that he's had the happiness of the Lord in his his journey and as our brother remarked, just simply a change of residence. That's all I was thinking of, brother Crossley, when you spoke to it. I knew him pretty well, and I just seemed to me when that dear brother used to come to our home.
Just to look at that dear man.
Seemed to me as though he he belonged to heaven, and with his visiting in our living room.
That's the the meaning of the end of that verse. Him will my father honor is that looking forward then?
That's very precious, isn't it? But the world thinks after is to get some honor and recognition in this present life. Well, we may get no recognition by the world.
And in fact, the one who is most, perhaps most consistently, serving the Lord may be little known.
Here below.
But if any man it says there, if any man serve me him will my father honor the question of which honor do we desire, The honor that cometh from man, or the honor that cometh from God, only as you get earlier in the gospel?
I I've been thinking of what our brother Anderson said about the 2 1/2 tribes.
We remember how lot set the for example for the 2 1/2 tribes, but the 2 1/2 tribes did not profit by that lesson.
Law, as your memory had cattle.
But our brother said this matter of the 2 1/2 tribes they.
They made that their their whole motive for choosing wrongly.
Their business came first. Cattle, cattle, Cattle, I often say. You hear so much in the 32nd of numbers that that it rattles the cattle, Cattle, cattle well.
The same 2 1/2 tribes were the first.
To fail of the 12:00 I'm going to read from First Chronicles chapter 5.
Verses 25 and 26.
And they transgressed against the God of their fathers. That's the 2 1/2 tribes, verse 18.
Ruben and Gad and Manasseh after it.
And they went a ******* after the gods of the people of the land.
They are in whom God destroyed before them.
And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Paul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilghat. I'll neither king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites and the Gadites.
And a half drive of Manasseh. My thoughts are lingering on that verse.
25.
That we have before us, He that loveth his life, shall lose it.
And he that hated his life in this world, this evil world, shall keep it unto life eternal. May I drop the line for any that might profit by.
A word.
I believe that this is the only time that in John's ministry.
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That he looks upon.
Eternal life as at the end or in the future?
As John's ministry gives us.
He have everlasting life. He have eternal life. That's the character of John's ministry. Now, Pauls ministry has the other point of view in nearly all of it, and that is when you enter into the fullness of it in the glory. But there is one I allow maybe, and the exception to that. That's the end of Romans 6.
I might read not only this last verse to bring out my point, but I might read the verse before it.
Romans 6, verse 22.
And now being made free from sin and become servants to God.
Ye have your fruit unto holiness, Now notice and the end.
Eternal life, everlasting life. Now that's natural, or that's in keeping with Paul's ministry in general. But the 1St 23 that we use in the gospel I think is well used for the wages of sin is death.
But the gift of God?
Is eternal life now? Notice in the other translation.
In Jesus Christ our Lord.
I allow that the apostle here is giving us the truth.
That being in Christ Jesus now.
We have a eternal life now.
Same as John's teaching brother.
Barry, you have any criticism on that statement?
No, I think that's.
I think that's correct, Brother Brown. Very nice. Very remarkable to see those two aspects of eternal life brought together by the Apostle Paul.
This may not be profitable for all, but if any can profit by it.
In the Old Testament as to eternal life, you get 2 verses that sound like it.
The last person 133rd Psalm verse 3.
Speaks of life forever more, but those songs of degrees are just coming up to the climax when the all the tribes will be joined together.
Our good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. That will be the uniting of the tribes into the one stick of the word Engel.
Now the other verse that sounds like our eternal life is in.
Daniel chapter 12 and verse two I believe in which it speaks about some will be raised to life everlasting and then it speaks about those to judgment.
But it is not New Testament like First Corinthians 15 resurrection at all. It has to do with the bringing out of the.
Well, especially the 10 tribes that have been scattered amongst what might be called the dust of the Gentiles. And in that sense they're merely drawn out and raised, as it were, to everlasting life and again.
Its blessings on the earth in the 1000 years of the Kingdom. Now, both those verses in the Old Testament, when you come to Matthew, Mark and Luke, you still have that aspect of everlasting life or even eternal life.
Because both of those words are based on only one Greek word. I don't know Greek, but I know that much.
01:00:03
Now I just want to say another thought no be true.
The first time that we get eternal life in the Christian sense, in the Christian revelation, the special Christian revelation, the truth for this age.
In view the finished work of Christ, in view of His glorification and the Holy Spirit come down.
Giving us to know God as our Father.
We grab a Father by the Spirit so that the the first time in the Christian revelation that you get eternal life in the sense of the way it is used for this age, the first time is John 315. Course verse 14 must be connected with it. I'll quote it and I'll be through.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.
Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believes on him should not perish, but have eternal life. Now John's ministry in the Gospel and in his first epistle ever gives us eternal life in the Christian sense, and not like the first three Gospels. My brother Barry, you were going to speak.
I thought Brother Bundeen had something to he answered my question before I asked him Oh yeah, and that's the that's the next verse that he answered. I believe brother the now it's my soul troubled. Is that not the case of the verse that he refers to?
The 14th verse of John 3, where the Lord anticipated being made sin for us. Is that the thought?
When you get to the 14th chapter, the Lord says, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. But in the verse we have reached in our chapter he says, now is my.
My soul trouble.
How precious that is to think that our blessed Lord.
Would go through all the sorrows of Calvary. There the judgment of our sins.
That he can say to his own Let not your heart be troubled.
But oh how his blessed heart was troubled, and with the shadow of the cross lying across his lessened pathway at this time we can understand.
Why the Lord speaks as he does in this way, but I love to call attention to this in this 27th verse.
And what shall I say, Father? Save me from this hour?
But for this cause came I unto this hour. Then he says, Father, glorify thy name, and it's just as though God the Father could no longer remain in silence, so that there came a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again, and perhaps in a very feeble sense.
We can learn from our blessed Lord.
And we learn deep lessons from his pathway. Or we may be passing through sorrows and trials and heartaches and.
Like our Blessed Lord has saved me from this hour. Or how we'd like to escape many of the trials that cross our pathways.
But when the Lord says glorify thy name to submit so that instead of being.
Disturbed, distressed, and carrying the burden so heavily weighing upon us to just leave it in the hands of God our Father. And He says, Father, glorify thy name, and if whatever we pass through is to glorify His name.
01:05:18
There are many of the trials that we can submit to because God will have his glory.
And connection with our trial that we're called upon to pass through.
We find the Lord was troubled on three occasions, do we not in the 11Th chapter, the 12Th chapter? In the 13th chapter, although he says in the 14th, let not your heart be troubled. If we find in the 11Th chapter, he was troubled because says in verse 33 he groaned in the spirit of his troubles, the grave of Lazarus.
Chapter he traveled against verse 27. Now is my soul trouble and what might say?
The 13th chapter, verse 21, when Jesus had thus said he was troubled in spirit.
And testified things early. Verily, I sent you, the one of you shall betray me.
Probably cause undoubtedly the sorrow of those he was drizzling in that time.
After Mary were in deep trouble, and the Lord was troubled, the grave of Lazarus, and he was trouble at the thought of Calvary, undoubtedly what was before him. And he was trouble because of the Christ rejecter and 13 chats.
How often we see in the world the same attitude that we find among the Jews that day, they said it thundered.
The voice of God that would awaken the soul as often, just just like Thunder as far as.
Awakening.
The the voice of God to his soul.
But the Lord says in reply to the voice from heaven.
I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.
Now am I correct in saying that He had glorified his Son in the resurrection of letters? He would glorify His Son again.
In his own resurrection after he had gone into death as the judgment of our sins That way. You take it, Brother Lundy. That's right. I think we we have this all connected with the with the resurrection of Lazarus.
The whole subject.
Whenever weary of being the wonderful comparison of our brother, Gladding pointed out between the precious promises of the Lord to us and the, shall I say, the cost of those promises to himself. How did we see three times preceding the wonderful words? Let not your heart be troubled, We see that which the Lord Jesus passed through.
If I were in debt or trouble of some kind and a very well-intentioned friend patted me on the shoulder and said don't let it bother you, I would know that his intentions were good, but I don't think it would lift the burden very much. But if someone came along and paid the debt at tremendous cost to himself and then laid his hand on my shoulder and said don't let it bother you, it would mean a great deal to me. And it seems to me I know it has been remarked but.
I never get over the wonder of it that it seems that every precious promise that we enjoy in the scripture seems to have as an amazing contrast that which it cost the Lord either that we might even read and enjoy those promises.
We read that I'll need to turn to or to locate them. But my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. I look for some to take pity, and there were none. Like the Father payeth his children. So the Lord faith them that fear him. I look for comforters, and I found none. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.
01:10:10
Raptured failed me, who have fled for refuge till I hold upon the whole set before us. No man cared for my soul, casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. They planted a crown of thorns and put it on his head, who crowned thee with loving kindness and tender mercy. They pierced my hands and my feet, put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.
They parted my reigns among them, and passed lots upon my bester.
Bring forth the best roles and put it on him, away with him. Crucify him. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. I assure your brethren, that's just a start. You go on from there. The scripture is just full of it. And here's one that our brother Gladden pointed out, and I believe it's so beautiful that every comforting promise of the word of God and we hang them on our walls. If we're not thoughtful about it, it's just a sort of a a motto.
But if over against the model we saw the cost, it would mean so much to us. It seems to be stand up to me in that wonderful statement. We know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor.
That he through his poverty might be rich, and every rich comfort and blessing you and I see in the word of God. I believe if we meditate upon it, we find the cost to him that we might be so rich.
You think, Brother Hale, that what you were saying about the one who could layers and on your shoulder and say I'll pay all your debts could be also found?
In the first Epistle of Second Corinthians are not turning to it where it sells the Father of mercies and the gods of all comfort. When we get the name Father speaks of nearness of relationship, but when we get have a name God, it often expresses the thought.
Of his power.
His greatness.
In the immensity of his love.
Well, just like he was saying, suppose.
Man's house was my house burns to the ground, no insurance on it is gone. And someone comes and says, oh brother, I'm so sorry for you. I feel so deeply for you that you've lost your home. But suppose another brother comes and says.
Brother, I feel for you in your loss, but you know I'm going to build you another house on that lot.
Far better than the one that you have lost and I'm going to put.
Far nicer furniture into your home than was ever in your home before. So when we lay aside a loved one, our hearts are broken at the thought that we will not see them again in this world. It's just as though the Spirit of God says, oh, I have something infinitely better.
Before that loved one. And in that way God the Father mercies He comes because He knows how we can, how faltering we are. But then when he comforts us, He comforts us where the assurance of his His great power that is so immense and so great and so wonderful.
That it just fills our hearts with praise.
Would prefigure the resurrection of Israel in a coming day, and we find these things brought together in these few chapters. In the 11Th chapter he gathers together that is prophetically, even from the lips of the high priest, the children of God, which were scattered abroad.
01:15:19
Then we have the truth that.
Is taught in the Old Testament the resurrection of the nation.
Of Israel. I believe Lazarus gives us a picture of that. But here we have something else, don't we? We have that which has to do with entirely new order of things and really heavenly, although it's the enjoyment of it now down here in the possession of it by faith, but it belongs to entirely new order as the result of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
Not that the other didn't depend on it too, but I believe there's a special sense here or not, in which the church is brought in, not directly, but anticipating it. Their brother Anderson was bringing out a moment ago, anticipating, looking on to the time of the blessings of the church.
Then we've got now with the judgment of this world. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out.
Is this the first time the Lord speaks of Satan as the Prince of this world?
That is, Satan had been the enemy of God and had brought Harrogate into this world. But when he succeeded as he did.
In leading the whole world against the blessed Lord to put him on the shameful cross of Calgary, Satan's true character is brought out that he's the Prince of this world. He's the organizer.
So that while pilot was gentile.
And representing the Roman Empire. Yet he condemns the Lord. The Jews shouted away with him, crucifying the leader of the religion there.
In the High Priest is one that insists that he must be crucified. So now the judgment of this world.
Is pronounced in its leader, that is Satan, proven to be the leader of the whole world system. For the world looked at in this way is a system that have been developed in man's efforts to make himself satisfied and happy without God. And then this leads on to and I if I be lifted up.
I believe the better reading is out of this world will draw all men unto me.
You notice that how it's stated there. I if I be lifted up out of this world, that is, it's a Christ neither in heaven nor is it a Christ on earth. He's been lifted up out of this world, but that one who has been rejected below.
And looked at now as the.
Beef.
As the one before he brings in the coming glory of heaven and earth, He has the center.
The gathering Center for all God's people.
I remember rather close preaching the most powerful gospel sermon on this verse.
And he used it as all that I've ever lived here in this world, all these.
Centuries would be drawn to the Lord at the Great White Throne.
Rather close with sitting at a meeting and someone else asked Brother Potter if that was correct. Well, it's rather embarrassing for Brother Potter. And he made this gracious remark. He says never tie the hands of an evangelist. He says he has liberties that that we mustn't interfere with, and the illustration of all being drawn which to Christ in judgment at the Great White Throne is true.
01:20:09
But then he went on to say that the real meaning of this passage.
Is all being drawn now to Christ and uplifted.
Rejected.
Savior.
In connection with our worship.
Is the thought in that draw all unto me?
Is does that include you and Gentile? Is that the thought that it's the Jew and Gentile, not just Jews now, but Gentiles are going to be drawn into?
I'm glad you brought that in, Brother Anderson, because I think that's the thought. It's no longer a Jewish center as it had been there at Jerusalem, but now that Israel has rejected their Messiah and king, he becomes a drawing center.
Both of you and Gentile and we can see that there is.
There thought to touch the hearts of everyone who has trusted him as savior. That what draws us or should draw us together.
Is the deep love that He has manifested in what He has endured when lifted up on the cross as our Savior, marvelous the way the the Lord answers the question Who is the Son of Man?
Doesn't it In the next verse they say.
Who is this son of man? The end of the 34th verse.
And the Lord answers that, as he always answers, graciously, leaving a word for the conscience. But graciously he says.
Yet a little while is the light with you. In other words, if you have the heart to believe it, I'm the son of man. But he doesn't say he's the son of man. He just says.
Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light.
Lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not, whither he goeth. It's a remarkable thing that the Lord takes that title of Son of Man. When he's rejected, no one gives it to him, but He takes it himself. In fact, He's the one who speaks of it. But here the question, who this Son of Man is? And he just leaves this word for the conscience.
Yes, a little while, as the light with you. And this would be a word for the conscience of any year this afternoon who have not yet received the Savior. Yet a little while is the light with you. We don't know how long.
Thank you very much.
Another representative of experience.
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