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Crazy. Well.
Uh, five more crabs.
All right.
Above, the hardening fell.
For 33 and verse 7.
And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, a far off from the camp.
And called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out under the Tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. And then in verse 11. And the Lord's spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp, But his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tabernacle.
And then?
In verse 13 Now therefore I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I might, that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people.
And he said, My present shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
And then a little later on in verse 18, and he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.
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She would just ask the Lord's blessing.
Our loving God and our Father, we thank you for our Savior, the Lord Jesus, and this, uh, little hymn that we've been able to sing about.
Thy love and grace and how Thou it's lead Thy people. And the story of Esko's grapes would tell the end of that path. Well, we think of the blessing, the abundance that Thou does have for Thy people, and how Thou has provided a clean place for Thy people to be found together in Thy presence. Blessed Savior, to read Thy precious and Thy holy word. And so as we take up Thy word, we pray that we might take it up as a holy word.
Every word of God is pure.
And that we might deal with it with reference.
But godly fear and that we might receive profit from it.
That we might have a sense of thy presence.
And to our God, our Father, that we might see some vision of the glory that lies before us.
To be in thy very presence, blessed Savior, very shortly, to be taken out of this scene that rejected the Lord Jesus.
And as heavenly citizens, to sit in thy presence, and a desire to be fed. And so we just cast ourselves upon the an independence would ask you for a blessing that the flesh might be restrained, and that thou by thy Holy Spirit might take.
By word, that it might produce fruit for thyself or God our Father, and affection in our hearts, that it might be returned to thee, blessed Savior, for that great, that mighty work that thou hast accomplished to the glory of thy God and Father.
And for our blessings, so we ask it. We commend this meeting to the our God and ask you for a portion. And the precious and the worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Think to read the whole chapter.
You have to read through uh, from one through 15.
John's Gospel, chapter 6.
After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias, and a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles, which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples, and the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he set unto Philip. When shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
And this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do.
Philip answered him, 200 penny worth of bread are not sufficient for them, that everyone may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here which hath 5 barley loaves and two small fishes. But what are they among so many?
And Jesus said, make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place, so the men sat down in number about 5000. And Jesus took.
The loaves and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down.
And likewise of the fishes, as much as they would when they were filled. He said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remained, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled 12 baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten than those men when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth, that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore.
Perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain, himself alone.
The Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven as the Son of God.
And he went back to heaven after his mission as the Son of Man.
And it's just wonderful to think of that expression in the book of Daniel where it speaks of him as the Ancient of Days. I love that because you see an old brother has been through many a valley and over many a high hill and experience. You find your heart gravitating toward him to draw from his experiences. And so to think of the Lord Jesus as the Ancient of Days.
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Coming into this world as an infant.
Y to seek our eternal blessing, to become a man, that he might draw near to us.
To manifest the wonderful grace of God and meet us in every need like this multitude here.
And so we have him, writer, bringing those two titles together, not only God's Son, but in manhood he had his full part and the union.
And the union of both joined and won, formed the fountain of love in his heart. And.
So does he that we would have before us.
As that One who can meet us in our many needs. As his dear people.
Sometimes you speak to male believers and associate themselves with organizations where there's evidently a lot of signs, signs and miracles and healings, and they have a quite large following because of it. And evidently there are a lot who are following the Lord at this time because it says they saw the miracles, which he did. But if you're only following the Lord because of signs and miracles and wonders, you won't follow the Lord long.
Uh, these folks were following the Lord after they saw this wonderful miracle about the multiplication of the bread.
Not because they had faith in the Lord, but because they hoped to be fed by the Lord, you know, and they thought, well, what better king could we have one who would, uh, minister every temporal need? But the Lord wanted to reach their hearts. And if we don't lay hold of the Lord by faith, we'll not be following very long, will we?
There are two things that were cautioned. How you hear just.
Ask shall more be given than to him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he seemeth to have. And so if we receive the word of God simply because it's been proven to us by, as you say, signs in this case, or by reasonings, then we haven't really received it in the right way.
And that is, I believe, the great danger in many of the books that supposedly support scriptural views of creation, that the faith is not resting on the word of God, but it's really resting upon reasonings. And so it will be undermined by the very ground in which it's on which it was received on the ground of reasoning.
And another Scripture take, says, take heed what you hear, Pretend that hast shall be more, be more, be given unto him that hath not.
S shall be taken away even that what she had. And so if Umm Ruth was warned glean not in another man's field. And if we start to glean and a field other than Boaz's, there were many fields in Israel, we're going to really take lose what we have.
It's not just a question of getting food, but it's getting food where Boaz, the mighty man of wealth was in his field where he was Lord and he could order the maidens and he could order the young servants and so on. That there was order in that field. And, and that is why the assembly we get in Timothy is the pillar in support of the truth that that's where we should receive it. And so we need to listen to what we listen to. Well, here they were following the Lord because of signs.
It's interesting to notice that John the writer.
Accepts the captivity of Rome over Israel. They had authority over the Jews. And so it's when he writes here after these things the Lord had.
Done all these miracles.
Touched hundreds of hearts with his goodness, but he says they went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
When Rome took over, they tried to.
To put Roman names on, like the lake known as Galilee, they called it Tiberius.
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And we see throughout the Gospels that John submitted to that captivity, and so he uses Roman time when he writes in the book of John. And it's interesting to trace those evidences of captivity. So consequently, the Lord Jesus could not be charged as being a revolutionary and working against the Roman government. He didn't do that.
Now it's really a secret, is it not? For our preservation, dear brethren, to accept the captivity, and not to fight against it, lest we should lose our lives or be apprehended?
We're not here to be forceful and to show who we are, but to walk humbly with our God. And it's in that light that the testimony goes out and we cannot be charged with being revolutionaries and starting a new organization or something. Is that the thought, Brother Ruth? They charge the Lord what's happening? They charge the Lord with forbidding to give tribute to seasonal That wasn't true. Lord says rented to season. And uh, also that he's a king whoso speaketh.
Maketh himself the king, speaketh against Caesar. But that wasn't true either, you know.
These are really exonerated them against that charge, He said what I've written, I've written. That's the great secret in a day of ruin and when we've come under the government of God is it grace will always cause us to submit to the government of God. You see that difference between Saul, He said I've sinned sounds like a confession of sin. He said now honor me before the people he saw cried with tears when he realized what he had lost.
The blessing, but he sought. He sought repentance, but he didn't find it. Why? Because he wanted the blessing rather than to submit to the government of God. And you see in David, a man after God's own heart, that when the proposition was given to him to choose between 3 punishments, he trusted the loving heart of God more than he trusted his own. And this desire to escape, perhaps something has come into our life.
And many things may happen because of our sin and governmentally, and you say, well, isn't he forgiven? Yes, but grace would cause us to submit. Sometimes in the mercy, mercy of God, he lifts it, lifts his government. Somebody smokes before they're saved and they get saved and they completely lose the desire to smoke. But a Christian better not try that because they just get chained in that again. And so this is the principle I believe you're bringing out here is that.
John, he submitted to what the Romans had allowed. You see this in countries of the world. They renamed their cities that were formerly named by conquerors and so on. And it's a question of national pride, but it's very helpful to see these things.
Very lovely to see how that God makes known to us through the Word.
Why this group followed the Lord? Why?
It wasn't because they saw Him, it was because they were thinking, As it says in our chapter here, a great verse two, a great multitude followed Him because they saw His miracles saved by looking at miracles.
You get saved by looking at the person who has committed those Americans, the Lord Jesus himself. This is how we get saved.
I got saved. I didn't know anything about these miracles.
I just knew the Lord Jesus Christ and I needed a savior.
That's all. How precious that is to see, isn't it? So it's interesting how that they saw his miracles, which he did on them, that were dissessed.
Perhaps a little illustration helps in connection with this. Driving down here, we saw about 25 police officers and they stopped people and there were there was evidence that that's what what they were.
And when they stopped somebody in the traffic, they ask them for proof of a driver's license and proof of insurance. That's their right to do that. They have furnished proof, evident proof that they bear the authority of the law. And so the Lord did that. He did miracles to show a sign as to where he came from and what was in his heart. His heart was not to condemn the people, but to bring deliverance from the consequences of their sins. But man has no right to demand of God proof.
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Any more than any of those people would be wise to demand further proof that they were officers of the law.
God has a right to demand reality from us, but we have absolutely no right to. Man has no right to turn to God and demand proofs from Him.
And it's really a really an insolent ground. You often hear people say, well, if you could just prove to me there was a God, God has no man has no right to demand any proof of God from God at all. He's provided abundant proof as to who he is. And by the miracles that the Lord did, we see his power and creation that wouldn't show what was in God's heart towards me. But these miracles that the Lord did were evident proof of what the heart of God was towards poor ruined man.
And they need correction on this, but I believe this is the only miracle that is recorded in all four gospels.
So it really is a momentous thing.
And to think that the one that is there was the one that fed Israel in the wilderness for 40 years. The manna raining down 6 days of the week.
And he fed them with the bread of heaven.
And it's like the same one longs to have a rehearsal of those years in the wilderness that he would now be in the wild, in another wilderness in Israel with a view to feed them. You know, if we want to get someone's air and they're hungry, it's a good idea to feed them first, isn't it?
I I'm afraid this order is reversed, that if you sit here and take the meeting and the preaching and what goes on, we'll feed you afterward.
But I believe the order is divine, that the Lord is going to feed this great multitude.
And his heart is full of compassion for them, not willing that any should perish.
And so as the chapter goes on, he is leading, is he not into that which is spiritual? And that's how we're LED, is that first that is natural, and then that which is spiritual, the beautiful order, is it not?
Perhaps.
Perhaps it can take a little application from this here too. And that was speaking about the multitude. But can we learn something from it here the the multitude wanted, Oh, I should say the multitude came because of the miracles. And what did the Lord do with his own? We find in the third verse of our chapter there it says Jesus went up into a mountain and there he sat with his disciples. What did we learn more about our blessed Lord?
Is it with everyone else around us as if it were the multitude? You know, as we look around us, we see many of us love to be at conferences like this because it is very encouraging that multitude to have support, to have like minded brethren. But what about the time that we really do need? It is in that quietness between our blessed Savior in a place apart from influences of this world? I believe that's what the desert seems really Speaking of.
In the desert, you know there's a difference between a desert and a wilderness.
In the wilderness there may be wild things there, but away from people in the desert there's no sustenance, There's nothing but here. The Lord took them to a mountain apart from everyone else. And what did He have? Some do Just there He sat with His disciples. What lesson is there for us? How often, kitten, we find ourselves sitting at our blessed Savior's feet are by ourselves apart.
A part I'd like to look at perhaps a couple of instances, but to see how we can sit at the Lord's side, I'd like to turn to perhaps a passage in Luke chapter 10.
In the 10th chapter of Luke, we find someone sitting at his feet.
The 39th verse of Luke, chapter 10.
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Luke chapter 10 verse 39 and she had a sister called Mary, but we know you know who this person is by now, Martha, which also.
Sat at Jesus.
Feet and heard his word. You know when we sit beside let's savior. One of the things we can learn is to learn of his word. Can we? We're going to be sitting close by him and learn his word.
I'd like to turn over the John's Gospel Chapter 11.
With another instance where we see someone sitting at Jesus feet.
But by his feet. John 11, verse 32.
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet.
Saying unto him, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not done.
So we see here, not exactly sitting, but she was by our Lord's feet. She fell down by His feet, close to him. In this case, not just to learn His word. She came to him as a mourner. Isn't that interesting?
We can be there to learn, but we can be there too when we sorrow, when we have problems and difficulties. We see in the case of Mary, she came by his feet as a mourner like to turn to just one more place.
The next chapter over John, chapter 12.
Find someone by his feet again in the third verse.
John chapter 12 verse 3 then took Mary Apost.
A pound of ointment of spikenard very costly and anointed the feet of Jesus and wipe his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.
What do we find? Marry you at the Lord's speech this time.
Oh she, she came as a worshiper. We need to be a part, brethren, do we not just our Lord, apart from the influences of this world by His feet as a learner of His word. We can comment some more on earth.
And then we can come up as a worshiper.
You know three times that the Passover is mentioned in John's gospel. The first you have is the second chapter. Verse 13 at the beginning of the Lord's ministry says the Jews Passover was at hand.
The second you have in our chapter verse four in the Passover a feast of the Jews was nigh, and the third was in the 11Th is in the 11Th chapter, verse 55, and the Jews Passover was now at hand.
Uh, those Passover came once a year. It brings before us the three years of the Lord's ministry, uh, internal proof as to it confirming to what the Lord had said these three years. I come seeking fruit of this fig tree and find none. You know, it brings before it the internal proof as to the time of the Lord's ministry, approximately three, 3 1/2 years on earth.
What is doing there? Or three times? It doesn't just say the Passover. Is that the Jews Passover?
Whose Passover should really be into the Jews. You know, we as men have our systems going. We have religions, we have things that we can call ours. Is it the Jews Passover? How come it says not? Let's turn to that. We find that in and you said chapter 2 of, uh, of our chapter.
13 verse The first instance we find of the three Passover is mentioned here and the Jews. This I'm sorry, this is John chapter 2, verse 13.
And the Jews Passover was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. I'd like to read a little further because it tells us the conditions of all that Passover and found in the temple. Those are so oxen and sheep and dove and the changes of money setting. So what do we see The Passover is such a solemn feast for the Jewish nation is so they can remember when the Lord he said when I see the blood I will Passover you.
And then they tell the children and the children's children and they have to remember that every year and year after year as we go through scriptures, we find that it's not being remembered very often. So here it's called the Jews Passover because they've forgotten the true meaning of it. It became a ceremony. They're just doing it. The game, brother, and security lessons in there for us too. You know, we do not have to pass over today, not the way it should have been celebrated, but we do have to remembrance of the Lord.
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So we find that.
It is our feast. It is our member remembrance. Let's look at the second passage in our chapter here, chapter uh, six, verse 4 here again, he said, and the Jew in the Passover, a feast of the Jews was 9 feast of the Jews. Let's look at Chapter 11.
The six verse 55.
And the Jews Passover was nigh at end. You know, when the Lord speaks once a twice, in this case, three times. Maybe he's trying to tell us something about his true Passover. Let's turn to Luke chapter 22, a well known portion that we often read on those day morning through chapter 22. Notice how the chapter begins here.
That's now the Feast of now the Feast of Unleavened Bread. June eyed, which is called.
The Passover, Well, we go back to Leviticus chapter 23. We find the distinctions of the seven feasts of Jehovah. We know the Passover is there in the 14th day, on the 10th day. We know the rules from the Word of God. On the 10th day they have to choose that lamb, a lamb without blemish and without spot, and they have to keep it until the 10th day, until the 14th day, and he sets between the evening of the 14th day. They're displaying this lamb.
That's the Passover, and they had to take that blood and put it on the doorposts and then that night there to be inside.
Dare to heat up that lamp and then eat not of it raw nor sodden at all with water, but rose with fire. So we know that what they have to do is to remember the, uh, uh, the, uh, rather they have to look forward to the cross when our blessed Savior is the one who would endure all the sufferings for your sake and my sake. And then in the 23rd chapter, Leviticus, we'll find out, uh, the Feast of the unleavened bread to follow.
And that you have that for seven days when we get here in the in the time of our blessed Lord, the Jews seems to have forgotten that here we find them clearly stated that the Feast of Unleavened bread with 9, which is called the Passover.
Two separate things, isn't it? And we find here toward the end of this, our Lord, He had the last Passover with His disciples. We find we often read that. We have to read that here while we're at it, verse 17.
Perhaps I should start reading in verse 15. And he said unto them with desire, I have desire to eat this Passover with you, before I suffer, before I say unto you, I will not anymore eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. And he took the cup and gave thanks. And he said, Take this and divide it among yourselves, before I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come.
Well, that's the Passover that they celebrated. Now, have you noticed here there's no lamb that's a slain that night? At least I don't know of it in this passage. It was provided it was set off, but don't know. We don't read up the slain lamb.
But this is the last Passover. Now we would look at verse 19. We can look at it as perhaps there's a pause in between here. Oh, blessed Savior instituted a new feast to us, a new feast. What is that feast? And he took bread and gave thanks, and Bridget and gave unto them, saying, this is my body which is given for you.
This do in remembrance of me likewise also the cup after supper saying this cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you. Oh, what happened to the Passover? It's a thing of the past in a sense is set aside now. It will come back again and we're reading scriptures. We'll know that in the future day they will celebrate that Passover again in a little bit different way. Here the Lord instituted something new for you and I.
We get to remember him. Is there a difference between the two? Yes, the Passover there to do that once a year here Institute of this we find the disciples later on doing it on the first day of the week.
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What a different, what a blessedness they have. They look forward to the cross. Now we can look back to the cross. To do what? To remember the price that our Savior gave. So those 3 Passover, the Passover of the Jews.
Here for Law Institute is something that we should value, value deep in our hearts. Back then you would say to his disciple with desire, I have desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. And today I would say they still have the same desire to be with you.
They have the lovely expression and Jesus lifted up his eyes.
Wall wall assembly Many years ago there was a dear old brother that came to meeting early and when we came into the meeting room we would see him sitting in the close to the front and his eyes were.
Shot and his head was bowed. We had every reason to believe that he was given over to prayer in view of that coming meeting. And then I would watch him and after a while he lift up his eyes and he would look around the meeting room.
And if I could describe that look, it was a look of patient love.
Here we were needy and he was the was the shepherd of the sheep, I have to say, and the impact of him lifting up his eyes. It's with me to this day. And I'd encourage others that are have a shepherd's heart to have somewhat of that character and consciousness of the need of the flock. And so the Lord turns to Philip.
You know he seeks our fellowship as he did Philip.
He said how are we going to feed this multitude? And he asked him, knowing what he himself was going to do.
That happened to us.
There's some responsibility come to us and we say.
Well, I don't know if this would be the multitude or not.
And right at that time we can say, well, the Lord, he knows what he's going to do. And so Philip really has a lovely spirit, does he not? He doesn't say well that we can't feed him multitude like this, but he's in the spirit of a learner as we should ever be learners as to meet the needs of God's people and at the same time want to know the mind of the one who is the.
Great Shepard.
And so in a spirit like like that prevails and our hearts open up, do they not? And as Ben mentioned about sitting at Jesus feet and and listening to his word, oh there it is, there's the wisdom.
And so he isn't going to dispatch anybody to go see what they can find, find a bakery or something. But he does ask questions to us to exercise our hearts, does he not?
Knowing what he himself is going to do.
And the reason you ask, Phillip?
Is because Phillip was from Barseta and if you compare the gospels, you find that this miracle took place in Bethsaida. So if anybody would know where the bakery was, Phillip Wood, That's why the Lord asked Phillip. You know, it's instructive what you say, Ron, about, uh, whom Lord lifting up his eyes in Genesis 24, before Rebecca ever lifted up her eyes, it says that Isaac lifted up his eyes. We think, brethren, that we're looking for the Lord's coming.
Consider how much more the Lord is looking for that return if the Lord direct your hearts to the patience of Christ.
It's beautiful to see these exchanges in the Scripture. I've referred to that one in connection with David and his punishment for numbering the people. To think of Abraham communing with God over Sodom is that we don't have a hard master. And this conversation between the Lord and Philip, knowing what he was going to do and the exchange that takes place between the soul and the Lord over a matter that he might bring us into his mind as to something.
I just want to say this about this expression, the feast of the Jews, because the question was asked me recently, uh, can you take the Lord's Supper anywhere else and at the Lord's table? And negatives in divine things are dangerous. And so we should just put it positively that we have the Lord's Table in First Corinthians chapter 10 and the Lord's Supper in First Corinthians Chapter 11. And it is the intention of the Lord that the Lord's Supper be eaten at the Lord's table.
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Perhaps a little illustration may help. Sometimes we're invited to an anniversary wedding, anniversary celebration of a couple that's been married a long time. And so refreshments are laid out, a cake is decorated and there's refreshments laid out. And so for some reason, or rather you don't want to eat with the rest. And so you say you're going to take your cake and eat it with your friends in the garage, or you're going to go off and eat it at home or somewhere else. And you say, well, is this?
Really celebrating this anniversary? Well, there's a remembrance of the occasion, but it's really spoiled by where it's taken.
And so we see that the Lord's Supper was intended to be beaten at the Lord's table. Is there a remembrance of the Lord when bread and wine are taken?
Uh, one can hardly deny that, but to call it the Lord's Supper? And here we've gotten into a sad situation where the Lord was rejected of the Jews and it's really have to be referred to not as a feast of the Lord, but a feast to the Jews.
Oh, we have another disciple here, Andrew. I think we've enjoyed what the Spirit of God.
Rings before us when, uh, and Andrew, he's a bringer. He's a bringer.
And.
Someone has said he didn't attain to the first rank. I don't like that, but Peter, James and John seem to be the three that were called in on things that the others weren't.
But to have a spirit of Andrew is, you know, is a quiet observation of looking around and sizing things up.
And so we see the wonderful faith in him, he said. There's a lad here that that has a lunch.
And we would have stand there listening to talk like that. We would have wondered, well.
This this isn't gonna work for sure.
But I enjoyed, it's the nicest thought I've ever heard in my life in connection with this lunch. 5 loaves, 2 fishes. And this comes from our brother Glen Buchanan, he said. The loaves. The Lord began to speak to the two on the road to Emmaus concerning Moses.
Satisfied books if I can just make the point.
And the two fishes were the Psalms and the prophets.
And that covers a wide area, doesn't it, in the Old Testament?
The Books of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.
And so the Lord drew out of those, did he not, to restore hearts?
Cold hearts, Indifferent hearts.
We delight to go into the Old Testament now that the New Testament has been revealed and drawn on the Old Testament in a way that the Old Testament Saints couldn't draw because they were not acquainted with the one who they spoke of.
So what a momentous moment this was for this crowd. Now to sit down.
And to see this wonderful conversion.
5 barley loaves and two small fishes.
A multitude of 5000 people.
Another place, women and children.
Interesting, but you mentioned that about Andrew. I was just thinking of the first chapter of John's Gospel. I love you.
At verse 41 of the two which heard him speak.
And followed in was Andrew.
And what did he do? It says Andrew.
Umm, Peter's brother, he first finds his own brother. Simon Says unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted to Christ, and he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon, son of Jonas. Jonas. But I just thought of Andrew.
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He says he, he goes and he finds someone else. He, uh, Andrew was a seeker, wasn't he, As you mentioned, I think before, I see that often times you see in a work of the Lord that there is an individual like an Andrew who is the real key to the blessing. You think of how Barnabas went to see the, uh, the converted Gentile believers in the early days and he was encouraged by what he saw and what does he do?
He goes and gets Paul and brings him, and then the blessing really multiplied. There's so much written about Paul. And of course Paul was an elect and a chosen vessel in a special way that Barnabas wasn't. But if you look at how that blessing spread, it really started with with Barnabas. And that's a good thing, isn't it? To recognize what the Lord has given to others. And Andrew has this spirit. He brings his brother. He recognizes what this lad had and he.
Presents that before the Lord, and I've seen in my own life that there were brothers that most wouldn't even know their names today, but they were key to the blessing of dozens and dozens by working behind the scenes quietly and observing in a selfless manner, uh, what would be helpful for who would be helpful for a situation and, uh, making that happen and being content to stand aside and see the blessing spread.
We really see faith at work too, on discernment because.
200 penny worth, I understand was a considerable sum. I think in Roman wages a penny was a man's was a day's wages. So it was a considerable sum of money. And yet he recognized, uh, Andrew recognized in this something that the Lord could really use. He asked the Lord a question. He didn't come in self-confidence, but looking to the Lord. And you see this, that they appreciate that there is a very great danger and the people of God have gotten into and each one of us have gotten into trouble by seeking great things for ourselves.
And we see that with the Lord when he saw how they cast the money into the treasury. There was that widow and she had her two mites, you know, and uh, she cast it in the Lord appreciated it. But I just struck me in the very next chapter, they walk in and this disciples point out to the Lord the great and costly stones as much as to say to the Lord, you know, this wasn't bought with two mites, but what blessing is flown from her act that perhaps many Saints have dug deeper, given more.
And been encouraged to give the little bit that they had to the Lord by the work that that Lord by that what that woman did unconscious that the eye of God was upon her. And so this boy, he just had a desire obviously to follow the Lord. And he made provision for himself for no one else. And that provision for himself was used in blessing for many. And I think that's really what our brother soul was bringing before us.
In connection with his comments is that UMM Mary was just a Jesus feat for herself.
And uh, yet what blessing has flowed to us because of that?
I see Phillip too, uh, Andrew Zhu have the faith that we may not seem to have. We mentioned faith. I was thinking of the verse. I think it's Zechariah, he said. Uh, perhaps can turn to that in Zechariah.
Thankful, that's probably short verse Zachariah chapter 4, verse 10 we often quoted for Who has despised the day of small things? Who have despised the day of small things? You know, how often have we gone to that trap? When we look at something and say that's not enough here the resource that's needed is among some They need the food.
Where's where the food?
Right there with that land but did they see it You know would we have seen it Probably not No, I should take the word probably out. We wouldn't see it neither do we see problems and difficulties amongst ourselves. Yes, Often do we see that we have solutions? No, because we don't see it at the Lord is in the midst that he can take care of all the problems. Here's the solution is five loaves and two fishes. Now it's not just the loaves if you notice.
In in John is more specific.
In the in Luke it just set the five loaves and John here if we look at it carefully, it says 5 barley loaf. And why is that important to know that it's barley? Well, barley if we know barley that's is not a very good food in a sense his poor man's food. In fact, if I understand it correctly back back then barley really is used for animal feed, the poor, the so poor.
00:50:28
So they would buy barley because that's all they can afford. So first of all, he has something that is very lonely. Now there is something interesting about barley too. Now I don't know anything about farming, so if there are any good farmers here, I stand corrected. But I understand barley is planted in the fall. It fits dormant right through the winter as if it's dead, it has to die. It just sits there doing nothing. But then comes spring. What is the first crop that come up? I understand it's a body, the first fruit of resurrection, isn't it? When they have that feast, we mentioned the seven feasts there, that the Passover, the the fees of the 11 bread is nice. If you go back to Leviticus chapter 23.
You'll find that on the moral after they have the feast of the first fruit. Well, what would they have? That would be early spring that would, I believe is Bali. It's not lonely thing that man despise turned out to be the one that was used to feed all these people. Do we see the Lord in honest? If we truly do, then we should see the power. We should not despise the day of the small things, but to fully have our confidence.
That's all, Lord, but take care of things. In fact, if we were to look at the, the Church of Philadelphia in the third chapter of, of, uh, Revelation, there we find one of the things Lord said to them was, but thou have but a little strength. Uh, but they were honored in something he said, For thou has kept my word and has not denied my name, but the strange brethren that we think we have today.
It might seem that the only two or three in each location, but we have to word of God when it we have the Lord in the midst by by.
Bowing to His word and not denying His name, but the power that we can exhibit today.
Why did why did Naomi and Limaleck leave Bethlehem because there was a famine of What brought them back and when were they brought back? They were brought back at the time of barley harvest because they heard was there was.
Bread. In Bethlehem there was meat and salt.
Resurrection. Let me keep thinking of that. Resurrection is a very important part in Scriptures. You know, we often talk about the death of our blessed Savior, and rightly so. We'll have to remember the two ghosts hand in hand. There's the death and then there's resurrection. He's the first fruit of resurrection on the 10th day. On the 14th day is Passover. Picture of death on the 17th day of the month, early in the morning.
But glorious day in a sense is the resurrection day. And that's when Naomi and Ruth, when they walk back and realize that they have gone through death, in a sense they left. It says they left because of famine. But then when she realized and see the death and resurrection, what did, what did Naomi say? She went out. She went out, watch went out. She came back. Now she realized she didn't come back forward.
In, uh, Luke 12, there's a verse.
Can I connect with uh?
This chapter in John Luke 12 and verse 42. And the Lord said, who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household to give them their portion of meat in due season. And so the Lord said this to prove Philip because you know, the disciples were in training and there was coming a time when the Lord wasn't going to be here and there was going to be a great multitude before them. The Lord was going to be back in the glory.
So he's proving them now while he's here, he says. Where's your, where are you going to turn, Philip?
Are you going to turn on the great multitude comes?
And they need to be faxed. And so the lesson for him is that he's got to turn to the Lord.
And the Lord delights to use those small, weak things.
For the blessing of his people. And so when he came to Moses, he said to Moses, What is that in my hand? He said to rod, will you come to the end of the chapter? And Moses takes up not the rod, but the rod of God. That insignificant rod was going to be used for blessing. And when Elisha came to that, uh, widow woman who cried to him and her knees, he says, what hast thou in thy house?
00:55:16
Says nothing but a pot of oil.
On he takes that, and he uses it for blessing, and she and her house lived on it for many days.
And so he delights to use the little resources of his own.
For a great blessing, but they are a little resources. And so Andrew says, what is this among so many Just doesn't see how it's gonna work, but he brings it to the Lord anyways. And so we can bring our little resources to the Lord.
And he blesses them. Well, you know, a loaf is something you can make, you can bake it, but you can't make a fish. And so you find if you bring your little resources to the Lord and lay them at his feet, you'll find He comes in and he adds that which is from himself. And you see the blessing is far wider than that little resource you brought. It expands far more than anything you could have expected because the Lord sent it. Lord is in it, and I just.
The other morning at our house, we had a little reading and the subject of the wheat and Walla Walla came up and this, this, uh, portion came back to my heart, although we didn't speak on it. And the question was put to the children. You know, if you went to Walla Walla a month ago, those fields were just beautiful green with wheat.
Could you go out in that field and, and, uh, get some food?
No, no, you couldn't. But it's a promise of coming blessing. Well, now those fields about this time of year are starting to turn color and soon they'll be fully ripe and ready to harvest. Well, can you go out then and and get something to eat? No, you can't. Well, you could ride the combines and when all the chaff has been taken off those kernels and blown back into the fields and reach in there and get a handful of wheat kernels and.
Now do you have something you can?
You can eat well, you know, you can chew on those kernels a little bit, but it's pretty tough eating. It's still not ready. It's still not ready. So you take it to the grand elevator and it goes to the mills and it's ground into flour. And now you come in and do you have something now that's ready that that can satisfy that you can eat, that you can take in? No, not really. And it's even hard to really get a hold of, put your hand in that flower barrel and try and get some and it just kind of even like the grains, it just runs through your fingers. It's not.
Ready yet and so you add the right ingredients to mix that dough up and you know kids like to come in and pinch a little dough and it's getting there isn't it but it's still not ready to put on the table it's still not ready to feed the people of God and you know we could go into the ingredients the one that comes to mind is salt. You know, after that loaf is baked you say now now here's something I can get a hold of you couldn't pick up those grains really and carry them around you couldn't pick up that flower and carry it around and and meet.
The needs of the hungry. But now you've got a loaf, now you've got something you can get a hold of, and you can you can meet the needs.
But if there wasn't salt in that loaf, you might take a bite and say it doesn't taste too good.
Doesn't taste too good. And you know, we need salt in ourselves. The Lord said we need to practice what we preach. And so to come with a loaf that's been prepared. But if it hasn't been walked in our own selves, then it doesn't taste too good. It doesn't, doesn't have that good wholesome, uh, flavor that we like to see. And so there comes a time and I guess that my heart is perhaps the young brothers here, some of us not so young anymore.
You know, the time comes where there's a great company and the Lord says once he's going to buy bread that these may be fast.
And we need a loan and it might not be much, but it needs, it can't be flour and it can't be the grain. It has to go through that process. It has to have matured in our own souls. And it has to be in a form and a shape that the Saints of God can get a hold of for blessing in their hearts to feed the Saints of God. You know, in the, uh, Darby translation, it describes this lad as a little boy. And I know you're, you're raising a lot of little boys and I'm raising a few little boys and I was one once.
And little boys are not known for planning ahead. I don't want to be speculative here, but I would be surprised. It's possible, but I would be surprised if this little boy set out on this day's, uh, little days event and said, you know, I could get hungry later. I think I better pack myself some something to eat or maybe even something for me to eat. And some of my friends. It's not common to little boys to think that far ahead. 2 minutes, 3 minutes, maybe not. Not the whole day.
01:00:17
I suspect that there was someone behind the scenes here that had thought about this little boy and what he would need later on. Maybe it was a big sister or maybe it was his dad. It was most likely his mother.
And there had been, I would suspect it's a picture of the moral things that you're pointing to, Steven, that took place in this little boy's home that prepared this little boy to be used.
Providentially for the blessing of so many later on.
And that's just such a huge thing. I know for several years now I've grabbed when I've gone off for a week of vacation with the family, I've grabbed the Christopher Knapp's book, The Kings of Judah and Israel. And, uh, I've started that book, read it once and started to reread it about six times and only get a little ways. But it always impresses me how huge and profound an effect the mother has upon the boy. And these kings with the Spirit of God takes us in the scriptures and.
Kings and Samuel chronicles through these these life after life after life with all this mixture of influence of a good father and a good mother or a wicked father and a godly mother and these and you see the results and it's it's the history and the spirit of God is profoundly helpful for us and you see pictures there and some of those kings that had mothers that did this kind of thing for them that put the.
Reminded them or put the, the loaves and the fishes in the sack to be used later for the blessing of others. So, you know, there's been comments here about the day of small things and a day of weakness. And, and, uh, we make it so much weaker when we get careless in the little things. And we can strengthen the things which remain by seeking to be more faithful in, in what we may call the ABC's of Christianity. My brother that, that kind of took me under his wing when I was a young Christian, used to speak about RPM.
He was a truck driver and he says you can't let your RPMS get low. And he would always explain to me that that's reading and prayer, meditation and these basic things in the household or in our personal life are really the stuff of which a testimony is made in which the Lord uses to.
Encourage others in this day that perhaps is near the very end, before the Lord will call us all home.
There's another aspect that I'd like to just mention in Matthew chapter 17, umm, in connection with some of what you've been speaking out of, brother Bruce, it says in umm, verse, uh, one in Matthew 17, after six days, Jesus taketh Peter and James and John his brother and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart and was transfigured before them, and his face did shine as the sun and his raiment.
Was white as the light, and so he brings them into that place.
And there was a lesson to be learned. There was something that could be viewed of the glory of the Lord Jesus, that moral glory that was just displayed. And then he says a little bit later on, you don't tell anybody about this. And then we find in second Peter, he says in verse chapter one and verse 16, we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.
For we receive from God the Father. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And so there is that which the Lord Jesus Himself does among his people.
That there might be food for his people and that there might be courage to go on in the path of faith. And so we find that there was a a time of discouragement and the Lord had been crucified and yes, he'd risen from the dead.
Now he was drawn high in the glory, and there was opposition to the truth of God.
And what was it that gave these dear ones, Peter, James, and John, the courage to go on? Was to see something, to have remembered something, the glory of the Lord that they'd seen on the mountaintop. And they didn't find out of their own energy that they brought themselves there. It was a work of the Spirit of God using the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus himself brought them there. And so sometimes we find ourselves in a situation that we'd rather not be in.
01:05:16
But the Lord brings us there and then as a result his people are fed later and that there is something of the glory that we can see. And so here we have this multitude here and in verse three it says there he sat with his disciples.
Did they remember later what they had heard? Did they remember later what they had seen? What a wonderful thing it is for us to sit in the presence of the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, and to have the Word open in these meetings. But let us remember.
A little later on, and let us look back and see and take courage and desire to see a glimpse of the glory of the Lord Jesus, that we might be refreshed and that we might have courage to go on in a day of opposition and small things.
Interesting when Umm Isaac was referred to looking for Rebecca but she made that long trip across the desert but when she saw him she got down off the camel and bailed herself.
And we're Speaking of a day of small things. And you know, the Falls Church after the church is raptured is going to say I'm a queen. I am no widow. And she boasts herself. But the proper aspect of the assembly is it's waiting for the Lord has a view of that coming. Glory is to veil itself in the presence of the one that's coming. You referred to Luke chapter 2, Brother Steve and I just like to turn to Luke 24 to a similar passage because we often speak about faithfulness.
And what the consequences practically of this is Luke 20 or Matthew 24 and verse 44?
Therefore be also ready, for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom if Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat and due season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing fairly say unto you that he shall make him ruler over all his good.
But, and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, he shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunken.
Well, there's two possibilities if there's faithfulness in going on and seeking to feed the people of God.
That's what faithfulness is, but if and what spurs us on to that is to see. But if we're trying to become something great, you gotta whip the people into shape.
And the, and if we're looking for the Kingdom here on this earth, man is going to go out and set to rid the world of evil. And, uh, it just may be it's just an unintelligent thing. We're going to try to, to become something great as the Church of God or as a nation or as anything. We're just going to take on an entirely wrong aspect. But faithfulness would seek to feed the people of God in view of the Lord's coming and just to go on for him and the time.
Terrain will come afterwards.
We go to bed.
01:10:39
Nsnoise.
God and loving Father, we thank thee for the encouragement of this portion that we've had before us. Each of us every day encounters needy souls and we often don't feel that we have much to offer. But we thank you for the encouragement, Lord Jesus, of knowing that we should take our eyes off of ourselves and our limitations and put them on the and Z thy grace efficiency to meet every need. Help us to be willing to offer what we have to encourage and to umm cause others to see the Lord Jesus we.
Ask you for the remainder of the meeting today for help, for blessing. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.