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Father, we all thyself.
Go straight to our name.
And sleep.
Lord.
Hymn Tim, 327.
Where is.
There any problems in the world?
Or anything else?
I could do with a lot of money.
And for?
I think.
Few scriptures. I'm not suggesting a proportion for the reading.
The 34th chapter of Isaiah.
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Isaiah 34 and verse 16.
Out of the book of the Lord.
And read.
Then Nehemiah.
Chapter 8.
And we'll say.
So they read in the book.
In the law of God distinctly and gave the sense.
And caused them to understand.
For reading.
And the 5th chapter of John's Gospel.
Verse 39.
Search the scriptures.
For in them ye think, ye have eternal life.
And they are they which testify.
Of me.
First Timothy.
Chapter 4.
Verse 13.
Till I come.
You have attendance to readings.
To exhortation.
Through doctrine.
And back to Luke's gospel.
Luke 24.
Verse 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you.
That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me.
Then opened he their understanding that they might.
Understand the scriptures.
I have a suggestion as to the readings.
The 8th chapter of John's Gospel.
Would that be acceptable?
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It should be red then.
John's Gospel, chapter 8.
Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives, and early in the morning he came again into the temple.
And all the people came unto him, and he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery.
When they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. Now Moses and the law commanded us that such should be stoned. But what sayest thou?
This, they said, tempting him.
That they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and with his finger rolled on the ground, as though he heard them knock.
So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them.
He that is without sin among you will let him cast. Let him first cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
They which heard it being convicted by their own conscience without one.
By one beginning at the oldest even unto the last.
And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw.
Nun But the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are these done accusers, that no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord.
And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee, Go, and sin no more.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world.
He that followed me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou embarrassed record of thyself, Thy record is not true.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true, for I know whence I came, and whither I go. But ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh. I judge no man, and yet if I judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me.
It is also written in your law.
That the testimony of two men is true.
I am come.
I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me bear the witness of me. Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, ye neither, nor me, nor my Father. If he had known me, he should have known my Father also. These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple, and no man laid hands on him, for his hour was not yet come.
Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me.
And shall die in your sins.
Whither I go, ye cannot come.
Then said the Jews, will he kill himself, because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
And he said unto them, Here from beneath, I am from above.
Here of this world.
I am not of this world.
I said therefore unto you.
That ye shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that I am, he shall die in your sins.
Then said they unto him, Who art thou?
And Jesus said unto them, even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
I have many things to say and to judge of you, but he dissent me as true.
And I speak to the world, those things which I have heard of him.
They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto them.
When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of myself. But as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things, and he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things that please Him.
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As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Then said Jesus unto those Jews which believed on him.
If you continue in my word.
Then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
They answered him, We be Abraham's seed and were never in ******* to any man.
How serious? Then he shall be made free.
Jesus answered them fairly, fairly. I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Now the sermon abide as not in the house forever, but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, he shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham Seed, but you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you.
I speak that which I have seen with my father, and you do that which you have seen with your father.
They answered and said unto him, Abraham as our father.
Jesus said unto them, If you're Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
But now you seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham, you do the deeds of your father.
Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication, we have one Father, even God.
Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God.
Neither came I of myself.
But he that sent me.
Why do you not understand my speech even because you cannot hear my word? We are your father, the devil.
And the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there was no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it.
And because I tell you the truth, he believed not, He believed me not. Which of you convinced me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do you not believe me?
Of God here at God's Word.
He therefore hear them not, because you are not of God.
Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, said, Say we not well, that thou art the Samaritan, and hast the devil?
Jesus answered, I have not a devil, but I honor my Father and you do this honor me.
And I seek not my own glory. There is one that seeketh.
And judges, verily, verily I send you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou has the devil, Abraham is dead in the prophets, and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead, and the prophet's dead? Whom makest thou thyself?
Jesus answered, If I honor myself by honor is nothing.
It is my Father that honored me, of whom you say that he is your God.
Yet you have not known him. But I know him.
And if I should say I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you, but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.
Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet 50 years old. And hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus sent unto them, Verily, verily I send to you. Before Abraham was I am.
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Then took they up stones to cast at him.
But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
This is a very long chapter.
It wasn't my thought that we have to go through each verse carefully, but.
Bring out the very needed truth in the chapter and bring out what is going to be profitable and needed for us. Otherwise we might get bogged down in.
Too much detail.
It's interesting in John's gospel.
The Lord deals with outcasts and John four. It was the Samaritan. When they came back after shopping, buying bread, they wondered that he spoke with the woman. Two reasons for that. She was a Samaritan and when he asked her a drink for a drink of water.
She was surprised and said, How is it that thou being a Jew, asked us drink of Maine, which am a woman of Samaria, for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. She was also a woman of ill repute, and they knew that she had that kind of reputation. And he unfolded the most wonderful truths to that woman.
Again in John Chapter 9.
In fact, these two, these two that I'm just mentioning, the Samaritan woman, he revealed himself.
Add to her as the Christ, she said, I know that the Christ cometh. When he has come, He will tell us all things, I that speak unto thee, and he. And then in the 9th chapter you have this man that was born blind. And because he was born blind, the Jews had the thought that that there was some evil in connection with that birth. And they say to him later when he completely baffles them with his questions.
That was altogether born in sins. And dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
So here's another outcast rejected by the religious Society of the day.
And Jesus finds him and says, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
He that speaks to thee is he.
And then he fell down and worshipped him.
And here in this chapter.
Is a woman taken in adultery These hypocrites that brought her to the Lord, they caught her in the very act. They're quoting scripture to Him.
Moses in the Law said that she should be stoned, but what sayest thou? The law didn't just say that. The law said that both the man and the woman should be stoned.
Where was the man?
He wasn't being charged. They didn't care about the woman or the man or the act. They cared about trying to stump the Lord that they might have to accuse him.
But these three that I've cited from John's gospel were all outcasts, weren't they? And he shows grace to them. And that's what we read in the first chapter. The law was given by Moses. He didn't apply the law, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
What a savior, what a person to know.
The various scriptures that were read about reading from the word of God.
Really are a nice chain to think about and it made me think of the Lord Jesus in the fourth of Luke when he went into the synagogue in his own hometown.
And stood up for to read, and they gave him the scriptures, and he read up to a certain point and stopped. And then it says they marveled at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. He had not come to judge.
He had come to say and oh, how wonderful is the grace of God has been pointed out.
To pick up objects that the world despises of humanity and reveal Christ to them. So we all fit in here in the love of God to reveal himself to us.
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And I think it fits with one of the scriptures that were read this morning.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
To look into these scriptures we have read. Oh how wonderful it is and the charming subject of Grace So.
When the Lord was writing here, he didn't write on the stone.
The the the the Lord our God is written on different kinds of material. The first one that we think about is the law. It was written on tables of stone, completely inflexible.
It could be broken, but it couldn't be bent.
Then.
When the king in Daniel was going to be convicted of his sin, the Lord, the hand wrote on the plaster, something that man had made.
And their judgment came upon that Kingdom.
But here he Stoops down rights on the ground. That's the.
Material from which you and I come. I know the grace of our Savior to come down.
To pick us up out of the dust.
Out of the dunghill is the song of Hannah says and.
Make us to inherit the throne of glory. What grace has done, what marvelous grace. So we're going to find grace here.
Just to follow up brother, plan on your thoughts in the next Chapter 9.
Verse six When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made play of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. What does that speak of? The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He spat on the ground, made clay the spittle. That speaks of Christ in incarnation, doesn't it? And he puts that on the blind man's eyes. The last thing you would think of doing to to give sight. And then he tells him to go to the.
What does he say? Go to the pool of Siloam, which is interpreted scent and he went his way. Therefore, Washington came seeing. So it's to see the Son of God become a man in infinite grace to reach us and to bring us into blessing. This is what we have unfolded here over and over again.
And that's the whole subject of John's Gospel, isn't it? The flesh was, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And not only soul. Not only did He become flesh and walk amongst men, but he says prophetically of the Lord Jesus, Thou hast brought me into the dust of death. And so he became a man. He became a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself.
And became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And with this before his soul in John's Gospel, chapter 8 here, he could stoop down and write on the ground. He didn't come to condemn her because the Son of God hadn't come to condemn, but he had come to save. But I was thinking too, in connection with what her brother Chuck said earlier, not only did the Lord Jesus himself seek those who were, shall we say, the down and out, but it was those who had a felt need that sought the Lord when he was here.
I was thinking of how in Luke chapter 15, it says then drew near all the Republicans and Pharisees for Republicans and sinners for to hear him. It was those who had a felt need that gathered themselves around the Lord Jesus. And I might say if there's someone here and you don't know the Lord Jesus, would that you would feel your need this morning during these meetings and that you would seek him. But can I just say this to brethren, I trust that each one of us who know Christ as our Savior.
Have come to these meetings gathered around the person of Christ by the Spirit of God.
With a felt need, because if we have gathered around the person of Christ this morning.
With a felt need, then that need is going to be met. The Lord Jesus said they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. Brethren, we need, we have needs, every one of us here who belong to the Lord. We have needs. May we be conscious of those needs and may we seek to have open ears, tender hearts, tender consciences, receptive hearts, because just as he blessed this woman and just as he blessed so many all through John's Gospel here.
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And in His pathway through this world, so He delights to still bless those who come with that, with that need. Well, maybe this would be so. There isn't one of us here this morning who belonged to the Lord who don't have some great need. May we feel that need. And if we do, and we prayerfully with exercise, seek Thee to listen to what He has to say to us, He can meet every one of those very needs from His Word in the power of the Spirit during these meetings before us.
There is one other place where God is writing that I think we should call attention to. We have spoken of the the tables of stone, the law and the word of God which.
Abides forever.
The law can be broken, but the law has been kept by one man, and he has fulfilled the law and in blessing brought grace to us.
So the next place was Darius. What men have built?
God did write on that for judgment. What man has made is going to come down and be judged.
But here poor.
Poor sinners down in the dust, God has come down to write grace for us, to bring us into blessing, into sonship with the Lord Jesus, sonship of God, and fellowship of the Lord Jesus. But I'd like to turn to 2nd Corinthians 3 to see where God is writing now. I think it fits the subject of the meetings here.
This is going on, and so we ought to pay attention to the Word of God.
2nd Corinthians 3 and verse 3.
For as much as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart, this is where the Spirit of God is writing today. And what a blessed thing it is to write Christ on us and bring us into that position of being.
Those who make Christ known today, after the world has cast him out.
We ought to be epistles known read of all men, and when they see us, see Christ.
How about that?
Scripture in Isaiah 49.
Verse 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child?
That she should not have compassion on the son of her womb they may forget.
Yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.
I suppose there's a difference between writing and engraving, but.
Engraving would be as much or more so and durable than anything we know about, isn't it? You go out to the cemetery and what do you see?
Yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.
Well.
It was his hands that.
Thomas was invited to Behold and to Theo, was it not?
Is that part of the engraving?
The crucifixion, the death of Christ nailed to the accursed tree.
For our sakes, are we not all 500 pence debtors?
God has been gracious.
A verse in the New Testament says the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
And God had chosen Israel.
And they had rejected, they had not kept the law.
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They rejected the work of Christ. It's prophetically given here.
Then the Lord goes beyond Israel in this 49th Psalm and uses the Savior for the blessing of the Gentiles. But he still has in view the Jew, and when this dispensation closes up, He will bring them into blessing. So in the portion you read Bill verse 16.
The Prophet says, Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. Then he says, die.
Walls are continually before me. He hadn't forgotten Jerusalem of these earthly people.
So he's going to bring them into blessing for the millennial Kingdom, so we can look forward to that.
That portion you referred to Brother Clem, the 11 of.
Romans.
Verse 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes.
But as touching the election, they are beloved for the Father's sakes, for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
So God hasn't changed his mind as to bringing Israel into blessing, but think of all the wondrous grace of God. Small thing for him to go out and gather the Israelites in your 49th of Isaiah. I will also give thee for the Gentiles while we come in and all this grace and it just match this grace. We fit more in the picture of the Samaritan and the blind man.
And.
In the case of degradation, to think that God would send his son and the Son would come to get out of the.
Class of people who were the very lowest. You find them in Ephesians.
When you were dead in trespasses and sins he came to.
Get us, and the grace of God is manifested, the exceeding riches of His grace. It might do well to read a little bit in the second of Ephesians to see how we fit in the place of being a people suitable to display the exceeding riches of His grace. The expressions are better than I can make them, so I'd just like to read in Ephesians 2.
Where we fit in this case where grace comes in.
Ephesians 2.
Verse 5. Even when we were dead in sins, he has quickened us together with Christ. By grace are ye saved, and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ. What for but in the ages to come?
He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness.
Toward us through Christ Jesus, for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourself.
Well, it doesn't tell us what the Lord wrote on the ground when he stooped down and.
Wrote on the ground, kind of ignoring the accusers of the woman. Have you got a thought what he might have written there, Chuck? Anybody else? Well, I the thought I had was that he is the very one Jehovah God himself that wrote with his finger on the two tables of stone, and they were using the law.
To condemn the woman. And if he was writing the law down, your thought was different. But just let me carry this out a moment. If he was applying the law to them, just writing it without saying anything.
It says he that is without sin among you. Do you measure up to this? Do you measure up to this? You're you're using it to condemn this woman. Do you measure up?
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast the stone, convicted in their conscience from the oldest to the youngest.
They left and then he gets up and they're all gone. Just he and the woman are left alone in that whole company. He was the only one qualified to throw the stones at her. He was the only one who was without sin. He could have condemned her and been righteous in doing it.
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But instead he showed her grace. Hath no man condemned thee? No manlord, neither do I condemn thee. And that brings out, and I want to read the verse in Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 19. To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.
Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. There's always in the forgiveness that he gives, the non condemnation that he imparts. There's always the power with that to sin, to live a life above sin isn't there. Grace does not wink its sin. On the contrary, grace is the power for holiness in our life. Neither do I condemn. But here we see the man full of grace and truth.
Exposing all that is there, He's the light comes right out next, the next verses He is the light. And they could not stand in the presence of that light which shone with such brightness that it exposed the wickedness, the treachery and the hypocrisy of their evil hearts.
Our success brought out very clearly. We'll start with the John Chapter 7.
At verse 37.
In the last days, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood in Christ, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. These officers, chief priests and Pharisees, self-righteous, they heard that message.
They had read the Old Testament Scriptures, some of them, and now we have the next day, they have this night to think about this. The next day they hear the Lord. They present this situation to the Lord, and he stooped down and he writes on the ground.
And verse nine of chapter 8, they which heard it being convicted by their own conscience. Well, 1 by 1.
Beginning at the eldest, even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
To return, please to Jeremiah chapter 17.
Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 9.
The board is categorizing their hearts here.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart. I try the reign.
Now we're thirteen. Oh Lord, the hope of Israel.
All that forsake thee shall be ashamed. Were these men ashamed? Yes, they went out, beginning at the elders.
And they that depart from me shall be written in the earth.
Because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.
These men.
Have had the night to think about what the Lord had said as he stood there and cried. Of the abundance of grace of his heart He cries.
In John 737.
Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man third, let him come unto me and drink. These men had never done that. Now the Lord stooped down, and I take it that their names are written in the earth. Perhaps it was their names.
That he was writing there and they had forsaken the hope of Israel. They've been ashamed and they've forsaken the thousand of living waters.
Some have despised this little portion here, They said this is not according to Holy Scripture. This portion of this woman is.
And this verse back in Jeremiah confirmed it to my heart that yes, indeed, this is part of Holy Scripture.
God is showing out His grace and His love.
If God, if the Lord Jesus would have condemned her, he would have had to condemn the whole lot. Their marriage laws were so loose in that day that they were committing adultery many times and there was no way he had not come to condemn. He had come to say.
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And yet it's so beautiful to see the perfection in the.
Though grace is never shown at the expense of holiness.
In God's way of dealing with things, if there's going to be grace shown, sin must receive its full penalty from the hand of God.
And so instead of condemning a lot of them, he Stoops down.
And rights in the ground. And only one remains to listen to those words. Neither do I condemn thee. Oh, if we could only get to that point easier. We always have that built in mechanism to defend ourselves.
To justify ourselves and instead of admitting that they were.
That they had sinned. They went out from the hope of Israel. Oh, isn't it a tremendous thing to be able to come to the point of admitting like that poor woman had to admit that she was guilty, to be brought low into the presence of a holy God just simply to confess?
We've sinned. There's where Gray skin touches.
But as long as I'm justifying myself in any measure, there's no place in the presence of Jesus. For that. They all went out.
I think it's so good, brethren, in this portion to get the.
Setting here, the first verse is just to go back. I don't want to delay Chuck, but just to go back a few the end of verse 7, the end of Chapter 7.
Every man went into his own house.
In verse one of chapter 8, Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives.
Isn't this tremendous? Here is the Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God? Is there a place for Him in this religious system? All the rest had their own houses to go to where they could identify with Jesus, the eternal God, the Creator, the sustainer of the ends of the earth.
Where does he go to the Mount of Olives? I think this is tremendous to see in the book of John two, that the Lord Jesus right from the very start has no place in human religion. Even though this was a religion, Judaism was given of God at the beginning. Still in John's gospel from the very first chapter.
He came unto his own and his own received him night. There's going to have to be not only does he pick up the outcast, but we're going to find that the Lord Jesus is really on the outside of this system. He came in, but to lead out each one individually. And I think it's so beautiful to see that the way the Lord deals with individuals in this gospel.
We just want to say here today, it's easy to kind of get lost in the crowd, like in a conference like we have today, but the matter of the Lord Jesus is a very individual matter right where you're sitting.
You must have to do with him individually. Doesn't work if you're here amongst God's people in an outward way that has no value in itself.
But it is dealing with the Lord Jesus coming to grips with who He is individually that is so important. This woman evidently was forced into it. Thank God for these circumstances that forced her into it. Maybe there's somebody here that really didn't want to come to the conference.
But you're here. There's somebody here, the Lord Jesus Christ.
You must deal with them and deal with them individually.
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Brother, you mentioned that first he came unto his owner, His own received him not. But I believe in this chapter that you just brought before us about the Mount of Olives would set before us what was perhaps in His heart of the future. And if we go to the 14th of Zechariah, we find these lovely words and in anticipation of where the path is going to end of our Lord and our brothers referring about Israel being saved. And so here it is in Zechariah 14 and verse #4.
And his speech shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem and the East.
And the amount of olives shall leave in the midst.
They're up toward the east and toward the West. And there shall be a very great valley, and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north and half toward the South. And then we come down to verse #8 And this is where the living waters, her brother was referring to the living waters. God has living waters. He's going to bless this world with true Israel in that day. And this is what Paul was anticipating in that 11Th chapter. Romans and soul Israel shall be saved.
Here it is, beloved, it says there in verse #8 And it shall be in that day.
That living waters should go forth shall go out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea. In summer and in winter shall it be, and here it is. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth. And that day there shall be 1 Lord and his name. 10 What a day of glory. And I love to thank the Lord. When he went to the Mount of Olives he could have said, how often.
I have gathered thee to Jerusalem or Jerusalem.
As our hand gathers her chicks, and you would not, but there's a day coming when they will. Is that right?
In Acts One at the end, it was from the Mount of Olives that he ascended.
And they said, the same Jesus, whom you've seen going into heaven shall so come in like manner. Now you've read the verse.
In Zechariah, where he comes in, his feet stand on the Mount of Olives. So he ascended from that place. He's coming back to that place. That's not the rapture. That's his appearing when he comes back to set up the Kingdom. But I wanted to make a comment on what Bob said. Well, he read the last verse of Chapter 7. Every man went unto his own house.
In Luke chapter 9A1 man came to the Lord and said, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And he said, Foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Do you realize what you just said, young man? You will follow me. You won't have a home down here. You won't have a place down here. You'll be rejected. That's my path. And that's what he was telling him. He was the rejected one, as you pointed out. We, we, we mentioned these other three that were rejected outcast. Well, he is the prime outcast, isn't he? They cast him out. He, he, there's there's no place for him in man's religious system.
No place for Christ, and it was culminated by his rejection because after his trial they took him outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem, that holy city that had deteriorated to a point where it had religion without Christ. Because it is possible to have religion without Christ. There's much religion today, but it leaves Christ out. In fact, I remember one time a man came to some gospel tent meetings we were holding.
And after the meetings, he wanted to stay behind and talk, and he actually said these words.
He said I'll talk religion all night, but let's leave Christ out of it if that's religion without Christ.
And so they took him outside the walls of Jerusalem and had him nailed to a Roman cross.
But brethren, that's the way of blessing, as we've been saying. Well, how is it that he's going to come when Zion is addressed and he's going to draw Israel around himself and stand on that very spot from which he he ascended back to glory? Oh, it's because the work of redemption has been accomplished.
And I just want to make it very, very clear. Our brother Bob Tony touched on it. But for the sake of those who are younger, let's make it very clear that all blessing, whether it was this woman in the eighth of John where we have read, or whether it's you and me sitting in these chairs this morning, all blessing is based on the work of the Lord Jesus at Calvary's cross. He's bore our sins in his own body on the tree. He's borne our iniquities. And that's the way we've been brought into blessing.
00:55:11
Whether it was the Old Testament, whether it's the New Testament, whether it's us in the dispensation of the grace of God, whether it's Israel finally drawn around himself and brought into full blessing in a coming day. We sometimes sing a hymn concerning the cross. That look with rapt, adoring eye.
Onward and back to thee. And I believe that's why when man sinned in the garden, God immediately said that the woman seed would bruise the head of the serpent. Had he not said that, he never could have clothed Adam and Eve. He never could have blessed in the Old Testament. But he was looking on to the time when his Son would go to Calvary's cross and offer himself without spot to God. And now, brethren, we look back.
And so there was number compromise when the Lord Jesus came into this world. It's true, it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and a faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. But brethren, there was no lowering of the standard. We'd all come short of the glory of God. The law showed just how far we had come short. But all the Lord Jesus, the one who fulfilled and magnified the law, he went into, into death. And now as a result, God can come out in the, in the in the fullest blessing.
So let's keep this in mind. And brethren, if you just permit me to say to there's something we ought not to Passover here.
In the second verse it says, And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him and noticed this, and he sat down and taught them. To me, brethren, this is the most precious statement. And as you trace the path of the Lord Jesus here in this world, I believe if you compare the accounts in the different gospels, you'll find that when He taught the people, that is, the Jewish people, he always sat down.
Now it was pointed out in the chapter before where it says Jesus stood on that last date, that great day of the feast, and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. But that was really an appeal to those who had already manifested that they had rejected Him. But when He taught the people, He always sat down. We find it as a boy of 12 years of age, taken up to the temple by his parents. It says when they found Him, they returned and found Him.
After missing them on their return journey, it says they found him seated in the midst of the doctors.
Listening to them and asking questions and I've been impressed by what it says there.
It says, and they were all amazed at his understanding and answers. Here was the Son of God at 12 years of age sitting there in the midst of those that should have been able to answer the questions he asked. In fact, he said to Nicodemus later on, Art thou a teacher in Israel and knoweth these things? But here was the one, the only one, who could answer the very questions that he, as a boy of 12 years of age, raised. Then we find him when he gives what we sometimes call the Sermon on the Mount.
He it says when he got up on the mountain, he sat down and taught the people. When he entered into Simon's boat because of the press on the seashore, He sat down and taught the people. And here we find that he sits down and I want to pass on just a simple little thought as to why the Lord Jesus sat down to teach the people to my own soul. It brethren, it's just as if here he is the one who had come to draw this guilty people around himself.
To bless them, he could weep over them and say, How OFT would I have gathered you?
And you would not. Here was his desire to draw them around himself, and as he made known the heart.
And the mind of God and spoke the very words that his Father gave him to speak. He takes his place right amongst them. Think of it, here was the Son of God, the one who inhabited the eternity is a man taking his place sitting down. It's like Ezekiel said. I sat where they sat and he sat right down amongst them as he sought to make these things known to them and to bless them and draw them around himself. It's true, they rejected Him at the end of it all.
But as many as received him to them gave he the power to become the sons of God.
And brethren, as he seeks to bring these precious truths before us in these meetings, oh, isn't it wonderful that he presents himself and presents the truth in a way that we can understand and grasp and take in as applied by the Spirit of God? He wants us to draw us, just as he wanted to draw these people, his own around himself, his earthly people, so he wants to draw us closer to himself during these meetings, and he wants to draw out our affections that we would be more attracted to the person of whom we're speaking.
01:00:30
What about verse 20, Jim of our chapter? Do you think the Lord was seated there?
Well, you give us a thought whether you can. Well, I don't see anything about it. And to say he always sat down, I think it's too far.
Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah.
Yes, I'm sorry to go beyond, but mostly I think we find if we compare the accounts that he did sit down to teach the people and draw them around himself. But I'm sorry for using such a strong word.
Another point I'd like to make about writing because we've had some nice words about it.
Some brother back here talked about Jeremiah 17 where he wrote in the Earth, and in Luke 10 we have the contrast to that.
In the 20th verse notwithstanding in this rejoice not that your.
That the spirits are subject unto you. That's the power that was given to him. But rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Now, based on that, I'd like to read a nice poem that gives the contrast, and I think it fits the age in which we are living when men make so much of the Hall of Fame.
Here's a poem that I've had for several years, and I'll just like to read it. God's Hall of Fame. Your name may not appear down here in this world's Hall of Fame. In fact, you may be so unknown that no one knows your name. The Oscars here may pass you by and neon lights are blue. But if you love and serve the Lord, then I have news for you.
Earth Hall of Fame is only good as long as time shall be, but keep in mind God's Hall of Fame is for eternity. You have your name inscribed up. There is greater yes by far than all the halls of fame down here and every man made star. This crowd on earth will soon forget the heroes over the past. They care like mad until you fall, and that's how long you last.
But God, he never does forget, and in his Hall of Fame.
By just believing in his son inscribed, you'll find your name.
I tell you, friend, I wouldn't trade my name, however small, that's written there beyond the stars in that celestial hall for every famous name on earth or glory that they share. I'd rather be an unknown here and have my name up there.
Then the 4th of Philippians, Clement also, verse 3, middle of verse 3, Clement also and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life, rejoice in the Lord all way and again. I say rejoice, my name is up there too, Brother Clement. I was thinking of the 7th of Acts just briefly.
Where Stephen says.
Jesus standing on the right hand of God 7 and 55 Why was he still standing?
Waiting for the Jews to accept the grace of God.
What do you think?
One of the reasons that has been given, and I think that's the main thought, isn't it?
But I think I like the thought too, that he stood to welcome the first martyr into his presence. That's so nice, you know. But I think what you said, Clem, is the main thought to stand up to see this is your last chance. Jerusalem. The Spirit of God has spoken through my servant Stephen. Are you going to repent or not? And they didn't. They stoned him.
01:05:10
I'd like to say a word too on this verse 6.
Or five and six when they asked the Lord Jesus.
This question, and it's interesting of times it happened during his life down here, He doesn't answer their questions, he answers their conscience and I think that's a real lesson in this.
To for us in seeking to speak to souls, so often we want to answer satisfactorily the questions, and sometimes they're just curious questions that make no difference to them how we answer. But the Lord Jesus did not answer their question. He answered their conscience. What was his answer? He didn't answer right away. He stooped down and wrote and when he they continued to ask he.
Says he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her immediately.
The answer he gave not an answer to their question, but he.
Gave an answer to their conscience and I think that is really helpful. To seek to be a help to souls, they need what addresses their conscience.
Turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4. There's an interesting verse there that basically says this as well, the apostle Paul.
Speaking about the ministry he had received in verse two, Second Corinthians 4/2.
He says we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully.
But by manifestation of the truth.
Commending ourselves to every man's conscience.
In the sight of God, you've got such an important point to deal with, somebody has said.
That if the Word of God is going to get into the soul of a person, it must pass through the conscience. And so the conscience needs to be addressed. And the Lord Jesus, when He said this word to them, he that is without sin amongst you, let him first cast a stone at her, immediately turned the spotlight right on them, and they start going out one after another. So there's all, they're all gone except the poor woman.
I think of I think of two stories that might be helpful to illustrate what you've been saying.
An evangelist preached the gospel very faithfully and the people he went and he greeted the people as they were leaving. And there was a young man that came and he said to him, he said everything you said tonight was foolishness.
And the evangelists looked at him and he said, you know, you're just, you're right. That's what the word of God says.
And he turned to First Corinthians, where it says the preaching of the cross is to them that perish.
Foolishness close this Bible and walked out left the man stunned there.
The other illustration of what you were saying a man was preaching on Revelation 6.
And a young, young.
Arrogant, insolent young man came to him and said, what kind of horses were those that came out? The horses that came out when the seals were opened? And the brother looked at him and he said, can you sing?
Can I sing?
Yes, he said. If you Can't Sing the song of the Redeemed in chapter 5, you'll never be able to understand Chapter 6.
That's answering a man according to his his folly answering him according to scripture.
He addressed the conscience, didn't he?
He invested the conscience brings me into the light.
And I want to run.
But he himself is a greater attraction.
That withdraw me into the light to be with Him there. And if I have to be in the light to be with him, that's what a true heart would say. I'll be in the light to be with him.
01:10:09
That verse 12 is this bill.
That's verse 12.
That's right. And sometimes he has to call us in the corner where we can't run.
In order to bless us.
But really, repentance is part of that path going through and.
I had a question I don't know what how much time is left, but this when he says I neither do I condemn thee is this is this in a sense of his government.
That first second is five, where he was Speaking of not imputing to them their trespasses.
Is that part of his overall manifestation of himself and his patience and waiting to?
Bless Israel.
He came in grace, didn't he?
Came to manifest grace. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
And in grace, he didn't condemn.
That's the first coming, and we need to know what the Lord did at His first coming before He learned what He'll do at His second coming.
He'll judge all judgments committed to the son, but he certainly didn't come that way. He came to save.
That's John 317.
For God sent not a son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. And so that was the prime work of the Lord Jesus, wasn't it, that the world might be saved. But it struck me that in all of our discussion of John 8 here, and particularly at the end of this verse 11, Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn me, and we stop there.
But he went on and said and sinned no more. And so we spoke earlier of our personal relationship to the Lord Jesus, and that's a word for us, isn't it? Sin no more to put the mind. The verse which we well know in Second Timothy. I'll read it.
Chapter 2 But the foundation of God stand as you are having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his.
And let everyone that name of the name of Christ depart from iniquity. In this portion in John 8, what we have is a group of religious people who are ready to judge another.
But our responsibility as believers in the Lord Jesus is not to be judgmental. That's the work of God. That's his strange work. But our falling is to depart from iniquity. Go and sin no more. Honor Him. Be a light shining in this world.
Would you not say, though, that this is governmental forgiveness? That if you did not accept that sacrifice after it was made?
This is reciprocal. This, this now this would be rescinded. I should say this was governmental forgiveness, not eternal forgiveness.
Oh yes, it's not eternal.
As Bob said to for it to be eternal, it required the Lord go to the cross of course.
I think it's interesting though, that see that when the Lord Jesus forgives, when we come to him in the simplicity of the way that she was there in his presence, that he not only gives the word of no condemnation, but he gives the power to walk as in holiness of life. And so often I've heard people say the reason I don't accept Christ as saviors. I don't think I'm going to be able to.
Live the life of a Christian that a Christian ought to walk in. And I sometimes have said to a person like that, you know, you want to know something. I never have been able to do it myself, but God gave me the power to walk in holiness of life when he gave me the forgiveness of my sins, when that poor prodigal son came from that far country back to his father's house.
It was not only the best strobe that was brought out to clothe him, but there was shoes for his feet, the ability to walk in the light of God's presence according to the holiness of his character. He gives that to us and doesn't mean that we don't make mistakes. It doesn't mean that we don't have our failings yet, but that's what God gives us. And if we walk in the enjoyment of it, there's.
01:15:26
Power to walk as a believer ought to walk. And I think it's beautiful His word to her. Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.
There is later we read according as is. Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. So, as Bob said, he doesn't set something before us and expect us to live the Christian life at our own charges. No man goeth to warfare at his own charge, but he has given us all things, everything that we need to live the Christian life for God's glory while we're here in this world.
An aspect of his glory that's linked with Israel.
And is I thought of it as being especially connected with this portion. I remember what we were taught.
About.
Where it says Joseph is a fruitful bow reaching over the wall.
That that's reaching back over the wall to save Israel.
As Romans 11, after everything he is going to reach back over and get that nation that has so rejected. In Chapter 7 they tried to kill him and every time he turned around they tried to kill him.
And there.
In Acts Chapter 7, he was standing. He would have received the whole nation. He was standing for the whole nation, and they wouldn't come. They killed Stephen and sent him, but he was ready. He would have received the nation better.
And so, as it were, it terminated that offer, that national offer, if we can see it that way.
But in a day yet to come, he's going to reach back over the wall in his grace and pick them up and have them for his own glory and his own honor. But it's it's part of his, the revelation of himself in this national situation or this governmental situation here as he's.
Seen with us, I mean seen in our chapter here.
Is the is the final judgment on Jerusalem. Jerusalem had rejected the testimony of the Holy Spirit through Stephen and it was all over for them after that. I don't think you read a blessing the gospel being preached to the to Jerusalem after that, do you?
And the next time the Lord is seen, and.
Who get it in Hebrews? He's not standing anymore, he's seated. Is that right? I think it is.
The when?
The Jews sent that message up to heaven. It was carried by Stephen. Lord, they they still won't have this man to reign over us.
So that the work of rejecting Christ was final, because it had come now in the testimony of the Spirit of God in grace. So the Lord has seated since then.
Unfortunately, our time is up, brethren.
#10 was given out.
Grace says the great of God.
01:20:00
That my daughter's proud.
Of your name.
139.
And verse one.
Oh Lord, thou hast searched me.
And known me.
Verse 6.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high.
I cannot attain unto it.
Verse 23.
Search me, O God.
And know my heart.
Try me and know my thoughts.
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
John 8.
And verse 12.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying.
I am the light of the world.
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness.
But she'll have the light of life to thank him.