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General Meetings, Toledo, November 1981. Second reading meeting.
M166.
John's Gospel chapter 15, verse 7.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, he shall ask what you will, and shall be done unto you.
Aaron is my father. Glorified that you bear much fruit socially. Be my disciples.
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As a father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, that your joy might be full.
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater loveth no man than this, that a man lay down his light for his friend. Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. But I've called you friends. For all things that I've heard of my father I have made known unto you.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit, that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
These things that command you, that you love one another.
If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own.
But because you're not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord.
If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you, if they have kept my saying.
They would keep yours also.
But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that has sent me.
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they have not had sinned, but now they have no cloak for their sin.
He that hateth me hateth my Father also, If I had not done among them the works with none other man did, they had not had sinned.
But now have they both seen and hated both me and my father?
For this coming to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, they hated me without a cause. And when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth my Father, he shall testify of me, and he also shall bear witness, because he have been with me from the beginning.
The Bible is the history, then, of two men, isn't it?
It's the man Adam, the man of responsibility and consequently failure, and the the 2nd man, the Lord from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ and everybody in the room, everybody in the States, everybody in the world is either in one or the other or either in Adam. And we're still in our sins and on the way to a dark eternity which we heard about last night, hell forever and ever.
Where we're in Christ.
Before God, full acceptance, partakers of a divine nature, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And that's the portion of every child of God in Christ before God the Father. But our verse 7 says if he abide in me, every believer is in Christ positionally. But this is a conditional thing, isn't it? If you abide in me, it's a it's talking about communion, it's talking about to self judgment that needs to be exercised in the life. And it goes on.
And my words abide in you. You shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. It's connected with a prayer life. And so there needs to be a walk in communion. There needs to be intelligence with the word of God. And then we shall ask, and not amiss, but we shall ask, because it's according to the word of God as we walk in His presence.
It's been said that prayer.
Is the realization.
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Of all that God has provided for us, besides many other things.
An illustration of this is what we get in Genesis.
When Abraham.
Has said to God.
What will you give me?
Saying that the steward of my house is mine heir.
He had no child, and yet he had been made the depository of all the promises himself, but he had no error.
So God let him out into the open, and where he could see the full heavens.
And he says Abraham, can you number them the stars?
Now there we have a picture of God's answer to one who is praying. He gives him the full, we might say, realization at that moment, or shall I say, the realization of the fullness of what God had for Abraham, because God had for Abraham that which would include both the earthly and heavenly blessings.
And then in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed. So let's remember that in connection with this verse.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Now it's true that there are those things we might ask that are not the will of God because of our ignorance.
But he's going to supply something else just as good for us, shouldn't be sure. And the point here is that if we do abide in him.
We'll be more in his mind, so that we'll ask those things which are according to his mind, so that we might realize more and more of the full provision that he's made for those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus. Because really, brethren, we're not going to get any more.
Than what we have. We have everything in Christ that we'll ever get.
Another thing in connection with prayer.
When we pray, it often indicates our state of soul.
If our prayers are connected simply with earth and the responsibilities we have.
And the everyday life down here? We haven't gotten very far in the realization of what God has for us.
But if our prayers reach out?
And take in those things which are really our portion that we would desire to enter in more and more into what he has for us in heavenly things. It'll indicate what our thoughts are in our state of soul day by day. Because really brethren, we're a heavenly people and although this chapter we're considering has to do with the with the fruit bearing down here.
Still that fruit as a result of our being occupied with heavenly things. Now how can we be occupied with heavenly things? Just have that one pure object before our soul, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then we'll be occupied with heavenly things, because he fills all things. And in that vast eternity ahead of us, we're going to find out there will be just one theme.
And that will be the Lord Jesus and his finished work.
I like to suggest that, brethren, in connection with this verse, something that had just occurred to me, that is very precious.
The Lord Jesus, that precious Savior, beloved bread, and tells us in this word and this verse that we have just read it, that He gives us promise if we abide in Him and as a word it gives us a check, a blank check, and he puts his name on and say no, you put the price, the amount that you wanted, not necessarily of a temporal blessing, but fruit bearing blessing our life so that we might flow in blessing to others when we do that. Again I say not necessarily temporal blessing.
But blessing in our life, in our soul, so to me by being able to be our blessing to other.
What an amazing contrast there is between verse 6 and verse 7.
Verse six starts with if a man.
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And verse 7 says if ye.
And then verse six goes on to the person. A man that does not have that reality does not have that light, and it is.
He is cast forth as a branch, and is withered. And men gathered them men again, and cast them into the fire, and they are burning. But what a sweet contrast there is with deception. It just lifts our hearts right up. If he abide in me, and my words abide in you, he shall ask what he will, and it shall be done unto you.
What a blessed contrast between being.
A man and he.
We turn to the Epistle of John. We see something more in connection with prayer. First Epistle of John and the third chapter.
And the 20th verse.
Or if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God, and whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
It's a very blessed thing for us to realize that God answers prayer according to the perfect wisdom and love of his own heart, and he knows just what is best for us. But confidence in prayer is the result of obedience and communion, and that is what is brought before us in our chapter. And the two conditions are set before us here in First John chapter 3 have sometimes said, supposing I have two boys.
And one seeks. My company wants to please me.
The other one is willful and disobedient. They both come to make a request. I'm glad they come. I'm glad that they feel their need of their father, even the one who's willful and disobedient. But he's not going to have very much confidence when he makes his request because he isn't close enough to me yet as I think of him and think of his needs, perhaps even though he didn't have that confidence.
Why I grant it Because I see the answer would be for his good. We have them gathered together in the 12Th chapter of Acts and praying. And apparently there wasn't a great deal of confidence in that meeting because it was surprised when Peter stood before the gate. But God answered that prayer because it was according to his will. He was greater than their hearts. He knew all things. He knew that Peter would be a blessing to remain with the people of God.
And so he answered, and I say this to encourage everyone here in prayer, that even the law there may not be, and often is not that confidence in God, that he is greater than our hearts. And he comes in according to His own wisdom and love. And that's why in Romans 8 we have a similar thought brought before us in connection with prayer. We know not what we should pray for as we ought.
How about the spirit makes intercession for the Saints? It says with groanings which cannot be uttered, enters into all that we're passing through. And then the next verse says he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit? Because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God. How blessed that is? Would we really want an answer, brethren, that was not according to his will?
Would we really say that because we have asked it, we would desire to have it even though it was contrary? Surely not. We are very thankful for one who intercedes, so that the answer would be according to God's will and not according to ours. We find that with Saul of Tarsus he thought that if that thorn in the flesh was removed, he could serve the Lord better. But God was greater than his heart, and he knew that that was a necessary thing in the life of Paul.
To keep Him humble. And so let us count always on the wisdom and love of God, but then on the other side, and that's what we have in our chapter. And confidence in prayer is the result of these two things mentioned here, that we are abiding in Him, that's communion, and that we ask according to His word. We should never ask for anything that's not according to His word, because we're really asking God to go contrary to that which He has revealed as His mind and His word.
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And we should be well acquainted with His word in connection with our requests. But I say again, confidence is the result of these two things. And many, many of us often feel that we're not close enough to the Lord to have that confidence. But we can always have this confidence that He's greater than our hearts and knows all things. We can also have the confidence of Romans 8 and 28 that says. But we do know that all things work together for good.
To them that love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose, so how precious it is to know because the many dearer Saints of God are confused because they are sort of building up on the amount of their faith.
Instead of being exercised as to what is the will of God, faith is the gift of God, brethren. And I was greatly helped by a remark that was made by Mr. Darby, he said.
Faith prayer is based on the privilege of having common interests with God.
Is that a marvelous thing, that God should bring our souls so into communion with himself?
That we ask for those things which our fathers knows is good, are good for us.
Perhaps to illustrate so we understand, supposing you're going to give a gift to someone and one day that person says, you know what I would really like? Mentions the very thing that you have been planning to give to them. Isn't there a mutual joy in this that you had planned to give it? Now they come and make the request and say, oh, that's what I really want. Well, President, isn't it a marvelous thing that God should bring our souls into communion with himself?
So that we ask for those things that are pleasing in His sight. But I just wish to add that even though we feel often that we're not as close as we should, He doesn't tell us. Tough not to ask. He encourages us to pour out our hearts before Him. And sometimes, even if the answer is no, why He still would have us come before Him. Hold out that hearest prayer to thee shall all flesh come.
Of course, we should get away from the figure that's used in this chapter of The Vine and the Branches. We need to remind ourselves of that again.
Now it's true that when you look at a vine with the branches.
The branches are attached to the vine.
But something can happen to the branch so that it's not drawing nourishment from the vine.
We spoke of that yesterday. I believe that a branch or branches can become diseased or something is troubling it a fungus growth. Or maybe insects are troubling that branch in such a way that the branch is hindered in drawing nourishment from the vine. There's a it's a marvelous process that goes on in a vine.
How that nourishment ever gets up from the soil way into the branches.
And into the grapes that are formed. It's a marvelous thing of God's creation.
But things can hinder those branches from getting the proper nourishment.
And even though we are the Lords, and we are attached to Him, vitally we're Speaking of that which is vital now if we're attached vitally to Him, Yet there can be hindrances in our lives to drawing from the Lord that which we need. And really in in the matter of communion, that is what it is, communion with the Lord drawing upon Him being in touch and in contact with Him.
And getting from him what we need, and I believe that's what we have in the matter of abiding in Him and His word abiding in US.
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There must not be hindrances. Those hindrances that come in must be judged and cleansed away. We want to be clean branches. We want to be in such a condition that we can draw nourishment from the Lord whatever we need in the way of wisdom and guidance and understanding, because.
We go back to verse 5, which says without me you can do nothing. We didn't dwell too much upon that and yet what we were saying.
Always pointed to that that without the Lord Jesus we can do nothing. We need to learn that and learn it well.
And I don't suppose we learn it completely while we're here in this scene. And the older we get, the more we realize, realize how much, how little we have learned and how much there is still to learn of this thing of being in living contact with the Lord Jesus Christ and sweet fellowship and communion with him. And these things come in and they they trouble us. I think of a verse in First Peter.
First Peter.
Chapter 2.
Verse 11.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims.
Abstained from fleshly lusts. Now watch this which war against the soul.
These things rob us.
Fleshly lusts, if allowed war against the soul, drag us down, keep us from drawing from the Lord Jesus Christ what we need, and he knows what we need. And there's a wonderful supply in the Lord Jesus Christ. But we hinder ourselves sometimes. It's been said we are our own worst enemies. We stand in our own way of getting the things, enjoying the things that the Lord wants us to have and enjoy.
And we need grace from the Lord. We can ask the Lord for grace to help us in that time of need too.
That we might be able to judge these things improperly, bring them before him, and confess them.
That we might be finished with them, and draw upon him for grace and strength to help us to be overcomers.
Rather interesting that when the.
Vine begins to blossom out in the spring that.
Even as the leaves are starting to form on the vine, you will see the tiny.
Bunches of grapes start to form at the same time.
Immediately, they began.
To form now this verse that we're considering.
Here and as my Father glorified, that she bear much fruit.
That's God's intention, is it not? And those little bunches begin to form.
On the vine, but as our brother has said, there are various things that hinder.
The complete formation of those grapes. And then we have that verse in the Song of Solomon. Take us the little foxes.
And so we have on the vines a tendrila, very delicate little thing that holds the vine up from the ground. And the foxes will come and break those delicate attachments. And so that the fruit falls to the ground and may not mature, it may rot, it may be spoiled in many ways, our brother suggested. So we have the the purpose of God is that there might be much fruit.
And that's in view of the Father being glorified.
Because it's the one who planted the vineyard. After all, who wants the fruit?
Now if you turn again to 1St to 2nd Thessalonians the first chapter, we get a thought on it.
2nd Thessalonians, the first chapter.
We have in this chapter.
Persecutions.
2nd Thessalonians chapter one.
And we have the apostle writing to the Saints because.
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Really special reason because they've been deceived by some as to.
The day of God and the day of the Lord. And so he's writing to help them.
And to comfort their hearts. But the point I want to make here is that.
In the 11Th verse.
It says, wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling.
And fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye and him according to the grace of our Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that's what we have in our verse. The ultimate object of it is that God himself might be glorified.
I think for a moment.
Of this.
We who are poor worms of the dust we've been brought in through the marvelous grace of God and that God speaks of as being glorified in this way through his people. It's a marvelous thing and it should be a real exercise with us as Christians as to to realize really why we're here.
Why we're placed here in this world and why we've been given such.
High and lofty privileges as we have so that this fruit bearing is just a natural thing for the new nature. And so I believe the exercise for us here is that we not allow anything to hinder.
The fruit bearing It's the Father's desire that there might be much fruit and there will be much fruit unless there's a hindrance to it.
Now if we abide in him, we have the word here. Continue.
I'm glad it's inserted, although it means really the same thing, but it gives us a little more of the same thought if we continue, that is, if we are constant in our souls.
If we go on day by day constantly, there's a lot of difference, you know, between one who makes a visit and one who continues or abides.
You'll recall the great woman in the 4th chapter, Second Kings as the prophet passed by.
She was. He was invited into the house. She observed the fact that he was going by.
But then it says later, as often as he passed by, he turned in thither.
Then we find that she made a room for him. I believe that's what we have here. The Spirit of God is exercising us.
Let it not be simply an occasional visit with the Lord, but that we we make it clear to Him that we want.
To have his presence and then to make provision that it be a constant thing with us.
Because that's the way there will be much fruit. It isn't that we give out 1000 tracks a month or anything like that. That may be all right in this place, but that's not necessarily fruit bearing because it might be given out in a bad state of soul. No, it's that which comes from the heart that's really fruit bearing. It's that which is produced by the Spirit of God in one who is going on in communion, abiding, continuing in Him.
I have been in South America two times.
And I've been among the people of Bolivia.
Pharaoh and some of them, they are very, very poor in temporal things.
They hardly have the necessity of life Speaking of the temporal thing, but that doesn't prevent them to be very close to the Savior abiding in Him, in communion with Him below the people of God. And you can see in their life, or that they can bear witness of what I say, the fruit that they have in their life, in spite of the fact that they are very, very poor. Temporal. Isn't that a lesson for us beloved people of God? Sometime? Wealth, temporal wealth tends us to make us very, very poor.
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Spiritually, and that I speak for myself, but I true, that is, I have seen some of those dear people in South America. You can see in their face filled with the joy of the Lord, and they have practical very little of the temporal thing, even the necessary food very limited, and yet they are filled with the joy of the Lord. What a lesson that is for us beloved people of God.
I wonder, dear ones, if I might.
Speak a word to our conscience.
That is, we were speaking about prayer, and in Acts we learned that they continued steadfastly in the apostles, doctrine and fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers. And we as a group of believers we maintain and we profess to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst of two or three gathered to his name.
And I haven't visited in all the assemblies. But periodically I have visited in different assemblies.
If I show up at, shall we say, a breaking of bread, I see the representation of the assembly pretty much there. If I go on a reading meeting, I see most of the Saints there.
If I go on a prayer meeting.
Well, who do you find there?
Is this characteristic of your assembly too? There may be reasons, there may be.
Physical reasons. There may be the fact of working conditions.
But are there other factors involved too? We say that we believe that the Lord is in the midst.
We say we believe that in collective prayer and to meet as an assembly and to call out to God for the blessing upon his people and the needs that are around. Do we what? Why then are we so lax and so few in the collective prayer meeting? Brother and I, I say this we are our conscience and should be exercised. Are we those Sunday going to meet in Christians? Or are we those that really believe that the Lord is in the midst and that we have a prayer hearing and a prayer answering God?
My brother Lundeen just read in Second Thessalonians one and verses 11 and 12 what we were referring to yesterday in connection with Paul in praying for the assemblies when they were going on well, a very remarkable assembly at Thessalonica and here he is praying for them while they are going on well.
This is indeed a lesson for us. Surely we need prayers when we are not going on well and.
Adversity and troubles and afflictions and assemblies. In a poor state we feel the need of crying to God about these things. But when we're going on, well, we still need that prayer. And then he referred to, and let's look at it in the song of silence.
The second chapter.
The 15th verse, but let's read verses 14 and 15 and.
Song of Solomon 2 because it brings in communion.
This sweet and happy communion that we have.
With God, with the Father, with his Son, Jesus Christ based upon redemption and all that he has given to us. I believe this we have in verse 14.
Song of Solomon 214 Oh my God, that art in the clefts of the rock.
And in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance.
Let me hear thy voice.
For sweet is thy voice.
And thy countenance is calmly, And then the verse he was quoting, take us the foxes.
The little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.
Well, it seems to me the picture here is very beautiful in this.
That here is this one who is in the cleft of the rock or its plural.
Nor singular Oh my dove that are in the cliffs of the rock. It's it's us who are really sheltered in his precious side. That side that was opened up for us. And there we have found refuge in Christ. That's where we are. But then it says in the secret places of the stairs.
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I've just wondered this, that perhaps it brings us communion, the picture of the stairway way of going up and down and that's what we have in communion with the Lord who is there on high at the Father's right hand. And we rise up to him in prayer and he, we might say, dissents to us in His word. So we have the words before us and and the verses we're considering in John 15.
These secrets of communion, prayer and the reading of the Word come before us here.
And then what has been referred to, as we might say, the prayer meeting? He says to us, Let me see thy countenance. Are we present at the prayer meeting, or even do we come into the chamber, the secret closet, and in communion with him? And he wants to see our countenance, He wants our presence there, and then he wants to hear our voice.
He wants us to hear. He wants to hear our voice lift it up in prayer to him. And I believe in worship too.
For he says, Sweet is thy voice, not a question of how well you can sing here it's the father hearing the child, or if in worship.
It's him hearing us speak well of his beloved son, and thy countenance is comely, he wants us there. And then comes the warning. Take us to the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.
Here it brings before us that necessity of which we have been speaking to keeping short accounts with him. Fox is a very clever animal, and the little foxes are play things like puppies, and to imagine them in a vineyard where our brother was picturing the grapes coming out in the spring.
Very tender. We need to keep these short accounts continually with with God and keeping that state of communion.
And be found going on well and still in prayer.
In connection with prayer, perhaps we might just refer to First Chronicles Chapter 4.
I have been thinking of.
A practical suggestion sometimes we.
We may wonder as to what we should pray for. Of course we know that there are things in the in a practical way that we encounter in our circumstances which we feel the need of prayer. But it seems to me that in the prayer in John 15 is more in connection with.
With fruit bearing, and being for the Lord that which is pleasing to him.
Rather than prayer for particular things as to our circumstances. And I thought The Prayer of Jabez Jabez in First Chronicles 4/9 of verse 10.
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, O, that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast.
This is something that the youngest believer can pray.
That he that he might be enlarged in the things of God, enlarged in his appreciation of the love of the Father and of the Son, and of the enjoyment of the things into which he's been brought.
And even though we may not always know how our prayer should be, it seems to me this would be an exercise in connection with our chapter, that our coast, as it were, would be enlarged, that thy hand would might be with me, And then he says, and that thou wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. Well, we've been hearing about the things that hinder the fruit bearing.
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And these are two things that we can always pray about. That is, that we would be enlarged, that we would enter more and more into what we have in Christ and what God has brought to us in him, and then that we might be kept from evil. That would hinder our enlargement, that would hinder our appreciation, and dull our apprehension in regard to.
Spiritual things. And so I would suggest to to young believers that this might be an exercise in prayer. When you you think of prayer and you pray about practical things in your lives, and that's good. But it would be good if we had an exercise, as this man Javis, to pray for enlargement, and not just intellectual enlargement, but an enlargement in our souls and in our.
Appreciation and a value.
Of the Lord himself, and all that we have in him, and then to be kept from the evil.
And we read here that God granted him that which he requested. Well, this is something we can we can be sure that God will always answer. He wants to hear this sort of prayer from his people.
I was thinking in the in the 13th chapter we have the Lord Jesus.
Taking a place on high and washing our feet, that we might have fellowship with Him where he is as the man in the glory, to remove all the defilements of the way that we might have part with him as the glorified man in heaven. And in the 14th chapter the Holy Spirit is given that we might be brought into the enjoyment of our portion in Him.
And at the end of the chapter 14 the Lord Jesus says peace.
I leave with you my peace I give unto you.
And then we have fruit bearing in the 15th chapter. And what is fruit bearing as we've been having it before us?
It's the reproduction of the life of Christ in our lives. It's Christ being formed in US.
And being reproduced in US, I was thinking how that in Romans 7.
It says that we might be married to another, even to him that is raised from the dead.
That we might bring forth fruit for God.
If you have the thought, young people, that you have to do something, that you have to put forth an effort to bring forth fruit, as Brother Lundin was saying, it's a natural process. It's something which is produced in the life as we're occupied with an object outside of ourselves, and that object is Christ. There's only one object that delights the heart of the Father, and that's his beloved Son.
Think of how.
When he was down here, he always spoke the truth.
He was the living embodiment of the truth of God. When they asked him who art thou, he said altogether that which I say to thee.
He was the truth. He spoke the truth. And yet he was the most accessible of all men.
In Luke 22, after the institution of the supper, the Lord's Supper.
Right after that we read the disciples had a discussion amongst themselves. Which of them would be the greatest?
And I've often asked myself, because Luke gives a moral order, is it possible that we can have the remembrance of the Blessed Lord before us and that and yet still be seeking great things for ourselves? Yes, it is. Our hearts are so treacherous and I think we would lose if we didn't bring this before us, and that is.
We talk about fruit bearing. It's Christ being produced in our life, Paul said to the Corinthians. I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, meekness which does not take offense, and gentleness, which does not give offense.
One of the saddest things, and it really makes my soul tremble as I realize how much knowledge we have, how much truth we have. And yet sometimes you'll go into an assembly and they're divided.
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There's self seeking.
There's hardness.
Unyielding. There's the lack of those moral qualities.
Which are produced in the soul when he's occupied with Christ.
The Lord Jesus was the most accessible of all men, though he could speak the firmest.
And yet they always came to him. That was an attractiveness to his person.
Is that true of you? Is that true of Maine? When someone's in need and I speak to my own conscience?
Do they feel free to come to us, or are we hard, austere, unyielding, unbending? This is not Christ, and God wants to form Christ in each one of us.
He's looking for fruit, and that's Christ in you and me. Well, Jerusalem means that dwelling in peace, and as the end of 14 ends where the Lord leaves peace, and then he gives peace.
Is are our assemblies dwelling in peace?
Brother Smith used to present to us so often how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
And all when you find factions, divisions, stripes.
Paul says, and I end with this in Philippians 2, just before the example of the one that humbled himself even to the death of the cross.
The one who always went down, down, down. That's the life of Christ.
Being nothing, are we content to be nothing if there be any comfort of love, if any?
Consolation in Christ, if any, comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit.
If any bowels and mercies fulfill you my joy, that you be like minded, having the same love of 1 accord of one mind, let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, each esteeming other better than themselves. This is Christ, and this is what he'll produce in us, that we might then enter into our true portion above, not seeking great things for ourselves.
But seeking him and his interests, you know, the greatest hindrance to blessing in the assembly is I want to be something and all. If we're just content to be nothing, just channels only and then Christ's life will be seen again in you and me. And what refreshment and blessing there will be in our midst. I think it's quite significant that the Lord should choose John.
To be given this kind of ministry, John was the one that leaned on the Lord's bosom.
Well, I believe that's symbolic of John abiding in Christ close to him. Near him. He could get those things that the Lord wanted him to have. The Lord could give it to him because he was close to him.
And we find that John is the one to whom revelations concerning the future.
Are given, is given. He is given these revelations.
The Lord appeared to him and gave him these visions that we have recorded in the Book of Revelation.
He chose one.
The one that had been close to him, leaning upon his bosom.
Well, Daniel really is in a similar case.
He was spoken of as the beloved of God.
He was one that was close to the Lord in his day.
And to him God gave revelations concerning the future.
Mary Magdalene was one that wanted to stay close to the Lord. Even though the Lord might be dead, she still wanted to be close to him. She was looking for him.
After two and was willing to just take him away, even though it was only his body. She wanted him.
She was close to him.
She was the one.
That got the first word concerning God being our Father.
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Heavenly sakes were shown to her in a very simple way.
If we want to get in, as it were, on these blessed secrets of God.
What's the clue? What's the key? Staying close to him? close to him?
And when I'm saying this.
It speaks to my own heart.
Because it's just like the Lord talking to me.
He watched me close to himself.
Cleaving to him with purpose of heart.
This is what Paul and Barnabas went around doing.
Telling these disciples, these new disciples, to cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart.
We're not going to get very far unless we cleave to him I needed. I'm sure every one of us here feels that more or less how we need this in a day like this to stay close to him, it's the only place of safety.
Oh, how wonderful it would be to step right into the presence of the Lord.
From leaning on his bosom, as it were, here cleaving closely to him all the time.
Not being satisfied with anything.
But to be close to him and step right into his presence.
And to see him face to face, just think of it. We're going to see his face.
That lovely mind, the mind of Calvary, who died for us. We're going to see him.
I believe that the Lord was concerned about this.
As the Spirit of God was giving John these words to write down.
Concerned about being close to him, the Lord wants us, close to him He loves us. He loved the church and gave himself for it, Paul says. The law, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. All these are the things that speak to our hearts and thinking upon them, keep us close to himself.
All we certainly need to pray, as has been mentioned, that we might bear fruit, and it only comes this way in being in close touch and communion with him all the time, because without him we can do nothing. This is what God spoke to me about first.
In Africa.
And in exercising my heart about this, without me you can do nothing. Or he burned it into my soul.
And I haven't learned it all yet.
There are still many things to learn about this. Without me, you can do nothing.
Well, when we got to that point where we saw that we were nothing without the Lord, Jesus could do nothing without him.
Standard was the Lord began to open up the Word to show us the truth concerning the Church.
The truth of gathering. The Lord Jesus Christ is the center of gathering, and maybe there's some here just after this morning.
That do not really know why they are where they are. You are breaking bread, but do you know why you are at the Lord's table? Do you know why you are there in the assembly? Do you know why you're part of the assembly in responsible position? Do you know it?
The Lord can show it to you.
He showed it to me.
And he's still showing me things. We don't get through with this learning and he can short to you too.
Are you wondering why you are where you are? Well, go to the Lord about it. Just go to him about it and he'll open it up to you. He'll have to understand it and be in the good of it.
Chapter 6.
I want to encourage the heart of those that perhaps.
Have.
Much of A temporal good You need not to be dismayed, beloved people of God.
You can bear fruit just the same, you know. I think this verse will bear what I say here, Chapter 6 and verse.
17 of the first Timothy is what it says here, charged them that are rich in this world, that they've been not high minded, no trust in uncertain riches. Well now this is what really we need to take hold of it. That wealth and temporal blessing shall not take hold of our hearts so that they become the principal thing of Malay in our life.
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I remember that one esque in New York City many years ago to a banker and he said, well, the roots of all evil is money. He said. I beg you to differently say, this man has the love of money that is the root of all evil. So you need not to be dismayed. If the Lord has given your wealth and temporal things, you can bear fruit just the same, because they say here but a trust in the living God, which giveth us all things ritually to enjoy, but they should not have not the.
The preeminence.
The dominant part of our life shall not be that, but the precious Savior, the Lord Jesus, to be occupied with him.
All whatever riches we have in him. I was thinking of that in Revelation chapter 2.
A verse that has been in my heart this morning is by as we were thinking of this thing. Revelation chapter 2 and verse 9 is what it says of the church that was persecuted castaway from society. They live for the rest of the life of most of them in catacombs. Here's what it says here in verse nine. I know thy weight and tribulation and poverty that is temporal poverty and suffering that they had. But in other words it says the next phase.
But thou art rich. Oh, what a wonderful thing is to be rich in the things of Christ.
The preciousness of the Savior to have Him in all His beauty and glory to be occupied with them. And even if we have wealth, we can be we can bear fruit for the glory of God.
I think the important thing that's been already emphasized is this first part of the eighth verse.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit. We know that God was perfectly glorified in his beloved Son in every step of his pathway. He was a fragrance to the heart of God his Father. And now what is he seeking to produce in US, brethren?
He is seeking to produce in us that which is like Christ, and he is glorified when he receives Christ in US.
That's what it's brought before us in 2nd Corinthians 4, where it says we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our bodies. Now I think it's important that we should connect this also with prayer, because very often in our prayers we're thinking of something we can get that perhaps would make life more easy or more happy for ourselves.
But isn't it important that in all our prayers that we should think of God's purpose, and that is that Christ might be glorified in us? So with the Apostle Paul he was left with that thorn in the flesh. Did God not answer his prayer? Well, he did answer his prayer because God was more glorified by him, continuing with that and being kept humbled by it than if it had been removed.
So God was glorified, and the life of Jesus was seen in the apostle. And I say this to the encouragement of some who are here. We may speak of it in connection with the enjoyment of spiritual things, and this is a great privilege. But supposing there's one who has some trial, and you say, I've prayed, and prayed and prayed about it, well, you know God may be glorified in your sweet submission to that trial and that difficulty more than if he should remove it.
And that is his great purpose. If you read carefully in Romans chapter 8 you can see this is brought out.
But we do know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called according to His purpose. And then the next verse tells us what His purpose is. Whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren. What is God seeking to produce in US, brethren? He is seeking to produce Christ likeness in US, and in that he is glorified. He finds such infinite delight in his beloved Son.
That whenever he sees anything in us that is like his beloved Son and that glorifies him. And so I say this to encourage each one. There may be young people here. You've had a disappointment and a frustration in life, but you know God can be glorified in the way that you take that thing far more than if it's removed. Your friends will look on and say, why. I can see how that person certainly has something I don't have. I couldn't take a situation like that without being upset. But that person shows the meekness and gentleness and loveliness of Christ.
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In that trial and so God is glorified. We might say, why didn't he remove it? But the purpose of God is that he might be glorified in US, and so leaving it there. So the life of Jesus is seen is more for his glory. That's why the verse closes with not so shall he be saved. It's talking about those who were already saved, but so shall he be my disciples.
Every disciple is not necessarily a believer because Judas was a disciple, but he was not a believer. And every believer is not necessarily a disciple. There are many who trusted in Christ who didn't follow him, but he wants us to not only be believers but also to be followers. And so how blessed for us if we realize this, that what God is seeking that he might be glorified in US.
And I think we may be very surprised, when we get home to glory, to find out those in whom the Lord was most glorified.
We may find some invalid, some person, maybe some young person who has had a lot of frustration and yet has shown the loveliness of Christ in their character will have perhaps a greater reward than someone who seemingly was out in front and doing a great deal. I have often said the more our service puts us in the public eye, the more danger there is of doing it for self but to carry on.
Faithfully for the Lord.
Unknown, unseen, perhaps by others, is often a greater testimony to Christ than to be out doing something very active. Well, I think this ought to encourage us to go on in the pathway of faith until that day when all is made manifest and what is really going to count in that day is doing His will, what abides, what is going to abide that which is for His glory.
And so let's remember this brethren in our request. And if we do, we won't be so.
Upset if we don't have the answer, yes, but what God is giving is the answer.
That would glorify him and that is what we desire, is it not? That's what he desires.
And so this gives us that peace that our brother was talking about.
How could the Lord walk in perfect peace? Didn't he have plenty of difficulties and trials in his blessed pathway?
Yes, but no matter what came he said Even so, father, for so it seemed good in my sight. And just one more thing. In the 27th Psalm he talks about these things, and he said, In the time of trouble shall he hide me in his pavilion, And then he goes on to say, and now shall thine head be lifted up above mine Enemies round about me. Therefore will ioffer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy.
When will our friends and when will others know the reality?
Of what we have in Christ when we're everything is coming our way. No, they'll say anybody could be happy if everything comes their way. When will our head be lifted up, so to speak? When will others say, oh, that person really has a something in Christ? It'll when they see us in trial, when they see us in in trial and the likeness of Christ seen in US. That's what will glorify God our Father.
Well, May God grant that in our request we will have this secret thought before us always, and that is the glory of God and that it be manifested in our life. And that's why it goes on in what follows, to show that this can only be so as we're in the enjoyment of His love. If there's that confidence in His love, then we'll know that what He allows is for His glory and to produce that in US.
And this love is the thought of a certain character here that is its love, just like the peace that was mentioned a little while ago in the previous chapter.
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Is the kind of peace that the Lord Jesus had in his pathway down here.
Surrounded by all the trials. And so he speaks of this same law.
That he had, as my father has loved me when back in eternity. Oh yes, of course, but what about in his pathway? Down here is a man. That's what we have here, I believe. He wants the disciples, His people to know. He wants us to know this morning that there is a certain love and joy down here in the midst of trial and testimony.
For his name.
That can only be known down here in this world. In that way, now there's perfect love in heaven. That'll be the very element that pervades everything in heaven. Peace too. But there is a certain character known down here in trial, and he speaks of the Father. Here the Father is loved as my Father has loved me.
That we have. Let's put it this way.
Let's each one say as our father has loved us.
Because it's the same love that he wants us to realize that wherewith he was loved by the Father as a man down here, walking independence and obedience, passing through the trials of his life. Now he says, this is your path and I'm going to leave you. It won't be long before I'll be gone and I'm leaving certain things with you. That's what's meant by the expression, these things. You get the three chapters.
Especially the 16th, where you have persecutions. These things, that's what he's Speaking of, is peace is love. That kind of love that he enjoyed from the Father. That kind of peace he enjoyed from the Father. These are the things he's leaving with his people, and in order for us to enter into them, we we must take the same path. And that's dependence and obedience.
So that one is walking, Independence and obedience is actually abiding in Him, and unless, brethren, we allow our wills to go to work.
Unless we allow sin in that way, we will be abiding in Him because that's the path that He's placed us in. And if we allow our wills to go to work, we break that communion and we cannot enjoy the Father's love in that way in our circumstances. I don't say it isn't there, but I say we can't enjoy it because of our own state of soul.
The reverse in the 17th chapter that I'd like to.
Part on in the 10th 1St.
All mine are thines, thine are mines, and I am glorified in them. To what extent does that apply?
I am glorified in them.
Well, there's always a measure in which God is glorified in every believer, but he is seeking to bring it about in fuller measure, and of course in that coming day of glory as it was read to us in Second Thessalonians chapter one.
Before, say, when he shall come to be glorified in His Saints and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day. So God is glorified in everyone who is brought to know the Lord as Savior. It's a marvelous triumph of His grace that would take anyone from the sin of darkness and the judgment to come and put him among the number of the redeemed.
Even in the proclamation of the Gospel in Second Corinthians chapter 2, it says.
We are under God a sweet Savior of Christ, and them that are saved and in them that perished, so that God is honored when the announcement of His love is made, even if sinners reject it. But how much more when a Sinner accepts it? But of course what he is seeking to produce in US is more and more that which is for his glory. And the first man is totally set aside, and anything that we allow in our lives that is of the first man is not for the glory of God.
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But that which we seek to display in our lives of the Christ likeness, that is for his glory, because he was so infinitely glorified in his Son, that when he sees that likeness in us, it glorifies him. So the Lord Jesus always walked in the sense of his Father's love as we have here. If you keep my commandment, she shall abide in my love. The Lord at the prayer at the grave of Lazarus, could look up to his Father and say.
I knew that thou hearest me always, but for the sake of those that stood by I said it. And that is, there was always absolute and perfect communion with the Lord Jesus between him and his Father. That is the perfect pattern for us, and he desires that it should be sold in US, and he's seeking to produce that in US. In connection with the what was said about the mice here, I've really enjoyed the thoughts in these few verses here. Maybe it's anticipating.
But in the ninth verse we have my love and the 10th verse my commandments.
In the 11Th verse, my joy. And in the 15th verse he calls us friends so he could say my friends. That's in the.
That's in the 14 first rather, my friends, then in the end of the 15th verse, my father.
In the 16th verse he speaks of them. My choice, and then my name has wonderful the identification into which we are brought in association with Christ. And God would have us to be in the enjoyment of this, because that will be what heaven is to be a whole, to have a whole family of redeemed ones around that throne, who will be just like the one who's the center of it. Of course, he occupies a place alone in Deity.
But as to moral and physical likeness, we'll be there, whole family like him, while he's seeking to produce that now brethren in US morally than in glory, perfectly morally and perfectly physically. But when we think of this little word my, it really touches our hearts, does it not? Brother Graham is the question. Might.
It might help just to mention as to the 17th of John.
In connection with the subject of.
Being glorified.
I believe the Lord's Jesus seen there as.
The one who is on high interceding for his people. It's like a little preview of the place he now takes on high. And so he speaks in the language of the epistles of John, where the assembly down here, the people of God, I'll say, represents him. And so I'm glorified in them, that is.
The Lord Jesus no longer here.
His people.
Like in 2nd Thessalonians 1, they're passing through.
Tribulations and trials, we don't all pass through the same thing.
But there are various things in which we are called upon to be a witness for him in discipleship down here. And so whatever it happens to be. And those Thessalonians Saints were in the enjoyment of first love, I believe they were in communion. And so the apostle speaks of them in that way that the Lord would be glorified.
Are you in there?
It's because they're passing through the very things that the Lord Jesus passed through Indiana, his trials down here as he goes through this world.
And they're seeing now in his people.
And so I believe that's the thought in that.
17th of John.
Glorified.
That is this people are are in that same position where God gets glory through.
Through them.
And I believe that's where the Saints of God are today in this world. He's placed us here.
We belong to heaven. He's placed us here that God himself might receive glory through his people.
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As we pass on in discipleship down here.
Do not have the answer to in first Peter chapter one.
And verse 6.
First Peter one verse 6. Wherein ye greatly rejoice.
Though now for a season if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be found, might though it be tried, as fire might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen ye love, in whom, though now ye see him not yet believing.
He rejoiced with joy, unspeakable and full of glory.
It might be helpful, brother Graham.
It was a remark to remark that the Lord could not say, would not say, that He was glorified in the Pharisees.
And neither in the Sadducees.
He was glorified in those who were following Him in His rejection.
I believe that was read in Peter is is wonderful and it takes us on to the very end.
But I believe the thought too in John is the present as well, that he is glorified in his people down here as we walk in in discipleship, obedience, and dependence with that one object before our souls. Is it not true?
God delights in that which morally resembles himself, is a statement. I believe in Mr. Darby's and I was thinking that, well, we have some young people here, perhaps maybe even very young. How can you bring forth fruit to God and glorify him? And I reminded, I think many of you may remember the story how that there was this little boy deaf and dumb.
And they rode on a on a blackboard before him who created the world.
And he wrote back In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The second question is why did Christ come into the world? Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, the little boy wrote.
Then they wrote.
And they said, why did God make you like you are?