Kirkland Conference: 1994
Table of Contents
This Thing is from Me
Address—Chuck Hendricks
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Turn with me tonight, please. The first Kings 11 verse one. But King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonite, Zeta, Mites, Cydonians and Guttites of the nations, concerning which the Lord said, Under the children of Israel, You shall not go into them, neither shall they come in unto you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods Solomon clave unto.
In love he had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his lives turned away his heart. For it came to pass when Solomon was old that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtaroth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
Then did Solomon build a high place for Chivas, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Anna. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice.
And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, For as much as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant in my statutes which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the Kingdom from thee, and we'll give it to thy servant.
Notwithstanding in thy days, I will not do it for David thy father's sake.
But I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. I'll be it. I will not rend away all the Kingdom, but will give one tribe to thy son, for David, my servant Satan, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.
This is sad reading.
Solomon had such a wonderfully life beginning.
Didn't ask for power, riches, fame. He asked for wisdom that he might be able to lead his great people wisely. And the Lord granted him all these other things.
But here he's older.
And his wives, we read, turned away his heart when he was older.
And Deuteronomy 17 The king was not to multiply horses to himself speaks of power. He was not to multiply wives to himself, speaks of pleasure. He was not to multiply riches.
There are four natural goals for the man. For the natural man, power, riches, pleasure and fame. He had them all.
He had them all, and yet he tells us in his book of Ecclesiastes, it was all vanity and emptiness, pursuit of the wind. He had found that these things don't satisfy, though man pursues them. He has nothing else. The Christian has Christ. Christ displaces all these other things for us.
Well, Solomon's heart was turned away, and the people too, their hearts were turned away as well.
And the division we're going to look at that took place the history of Israel, which has never been healed, but it will be in a coming day.
The 10 tribes of the two will be reunited and there'll be one again, one nation under God.
In that coming day of glory down here in this world. But it hasn't been healed yet.
And having gone through a terrible division.
I am persuaded that it's probably the worst sentiment anyone could commit to be the leader in that kind of thing. To divide the Saints of God. Terrible. Divide families, divide assemblies, divide friendships. Very heartbrending. And I know those to whom I'm speaking tonight feel this scheme like we all have been made to feel it.
But the source of the division that took place in Israel was traced to the divine center, Jerusalem.
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And to the king that reigned there and to the people that were there, their hearts did not follow the Lord. Solomon allowed these other things to come in and turn away his heart. And it says the Lord was angry with song. The Lord was angry with song. I believe the Lord has been, and put it this way, angry with us because of our low state.
Our common ways, our worldly ways, our ways of self seeking.
Pursuing pleasure. We're living in a world that is pleasure, math pleasure pursuing, and we're guilty of filing along this line when we have something intimately better.
Went out to characterize us is prayer and fasting during the absence of our rejected Lord, Not feasting, not indulging in things here, but holding ourselves for Him and only for him. We haven't done that. I speak to my own self. We haven't done that and the Lord has been displeased with our state.
And so he has allowed these things to come in.
Says in verse 14, I didn't read it yet. The Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon. Hey dad, the Edomite, he was of the King's seed in Edom.
The enemy is allowed to attack, to be stirred up by.
The enemy and the Lord allowed it, and again in verse 23 God stirred him up. Another adversary reason, the son of Elijah, which fled from his Lord, had an easier king of Sova, and he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band which David Stew, when David slew them Soba.
And they went to Damascus and dwelt therein and reigned. He was an adversary to Israel all the days of Saudi, because beside the mischief that Adat did, and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria. When troubles come, as they do in our lives, sometimes they come because. Not always, but sometimes they come because.
The Lord is displeased with our state. He's trying to.
Get our attention, trying to teach us lessons that we cannot seem to learn any other way, and when he deals severely with us.
Now we read of another character that's going to be very prominent. He's going to head up the 10 tribes that would be taken from Solomon Solomon's son Rita Bullen, and given to him, given to Jeroboam, and two tribes would remain at Jerusalem.
Divine Center.
This was because of the sin of Solomon.
Verse 26 And Jeroboam, the son of Bebath, and epithet of Zarida Solomon servant, whose mother's name was Zerua, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the 'cause that he lifted up his hand against the king, Solomon built below and repaired the breaches of the city of David, his father.
And the Mandira bone was a mighty man of valor, and Solomon, seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the House of Joseph. And he came to pass. At that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, let the prophet Ahijah the shadow knight, found him in the way, and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they too were alone in the field.
And the Hydra caught the new garment that was on him and wrecked it in 12 pieces.
And he said to Jeroboam, Take the 10 pieces. For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give 10 tribes to thee. The same message is now told the Jeroboam that was told to Solomon by the Lord.
But he shall have one tribe, for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.
Because that they have forsaken me tells Jeroboam why he's doing this. He says because they have forsaken me and have worshipped Asterisk. Notice they the plural now. Not just Solomon, but they those in Jerusalem, the people.
They have worshipped Asher at the goddess of the Zaidonians, Chius the God of the Moabites, and Milkham the God of the children of ammonia, and have not walked in my ways to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
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That's the reason he tells Derek on very clearly what the reason was. He was displeased with those there at Jerusalem for what they had done and how they had been carried away departing from the Lord. He's told this. He knows why these 10 tribes are being given to him, because God was displeased with those in Jerusalem.
Howbeit, verse 34 I will not take the whole Kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him Prince all the days of his life for David, my servants say.
Whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the Kingdom out of his sons hand, and will give it unto thee even 10 tribes.
And under his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant, may have a light only before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. Notice that doesn't change, though. There was failure at Jerusalem, very serious, grievous failure, and the Lord was displeased and angry with Solomon because of it. He still speaks of Jerusalem. That I may have a light all way before me in Jerusalem.
The city which I have chosen, This is God's choice, not man's.
To put my name there. And so he was going to maintain a testimony there at the divine center, but rather the 10 kingdoms from Solomon's unreadable because of the sin of Solomon and the people that were there at the divine center. So this division we're going to look at is traced back to failure on the part of those who occupied the most privileged place.
On the face of the earth, and that's the place that we occupy.
The most privileged and the most responsible. Verse 37 And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign, according to all that thy soul desireth, and shall be king over Israel from them. From the time that the 10 tribes were read and given to Jeroboam, those 10 tribes are called Israel or Ephraim, who was that which was the head tribe of the 10, and the others Judah, Judah and Benjamin.
But the the the term Israel applies after the division to the 10 tribes.
Thou shalt be king over Israel, over the 10 tribes, and it shall be if thou will hearken unto all that I command thee. Notice the condition here. If Jeroboam had walked in obedience to the Lord, and hearkened to his work, and not done what Solomon had done, the Lord promises blessing to him.
If thou look, hearken unto all that I command thee, and will walk in my ways and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments as David my servant did, that I will be with thee and build thee ashore house as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee. Notice the promises that he gives to Jeroboam.
Unfortunately for him, he didn't have faith to appropriate these promises for himself.
He was not a man of faith. In fact, we have the formula repeated over and over and over again in the history of the kings. Jeroboam, the son of Kneadback, which made Israel to sin. Jeroboam the son of me, that which made Israel to sin. We're going to read about that serious sin that he committed. But he was offered the 10 tribes and the promise of blessing. I will make the assured house.
I will build the assure houses I built for David. We'll give Israel unto thee. I will be with thee.
He says to Jeremy, and then he says in verse 39, I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not forever. Every division in the church is an affliction upon everyone, especially those that are in the right place.
The right place, not the right state. And so he afflicts us in his faithfulness. In his faithfulness I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not forever. It won't go on forever. There will be an end to it. Is governmental dealings come to an end. Did Solomon profit by the warning that was given to him by the prophet that we looked at?
Earlier in the chapter.
Unfortunately, he did not. He seeks to kill Jericho. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. He was told that 10 tribes were going to be taken from his son and given to Jeroboam, and now he seeks to stop that. And yet he had the word of the Lord as to it. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam, and Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt unto Shishak, king of Egypt.
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Egypt until the death of Solomon, the solemn thing when we hear from God why he is dealing with us in his governmental ways, in punishment and chastening and discipline that we seek to.
Reject guilt and to oppose it and to thwart it. Can I do that? I think that's the whole problem behind these reunion movements in Christendom is the reason Saints are divided is because God has been displeased with their state and then they try to undo that and come together again as though.
Their state doesn't really matter.
Those that have been reunited are not in a more spiritual state than those that the Lord divided. We have not learned well the history, the lesson of history. As it has been said, one thing we learned from history is that we don't learn from history. Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeremiah. Jeremy rose and fled. Verse 41 and the rest of the acts of Solomon and all that he did in his wisdom, are they not written?
Book of the Acts of Solomon and the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was 40 years. So Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, his father, and read of all his son reign in his stead. Isn't that sad that the very last thing that's recorded to Solomon's history here?
Is that he sought to thwart the government the governmental hand of God chapter 12 and Rehoboth went to Shechem for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king and it came to pass via bones the son of Solomon there. He's the one that's going to retain the two tribes and lose 10 to to Jericho.
It came to pass when Terrible the son of Nevada, yet in Egypt heard it heard that Solomon was dead, for he was fled from the presence of King Solomon. And Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt, that they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel. Canes spake unto Reabolt, saying, Thy father made our yoke, Read us Now, therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father and his heavy yoke which he put upon us later, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days.
Then come again to me. And the people departed, And King Riga Bone consulted with the old man that stood before Solomon his father, while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If that will be a servant unto this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever.
But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him.
The old member of a different generation, not his contemporaries. Now he consults with his contemporaries, those that were grown up with him.
The greatest danger that you have young people is to.
Despise the Gray hairs of the older ones and to just.
Consult with those of your own age group.
Great danger, that's what Rita Moan did.
The old man had given him good counsel, but he forsook him.
And he said unto them, verse nine, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people? Now he's talking to the young men who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter. And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thou shalt thou speak under this people that speak unto these same. Notice how it says that we're grown up with him. Repeats that.
That's important. And they say, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people, saying, Thy father need our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us. Thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's annoyance. And now, whereas my father delayed you with a heavy burnt joke, I will add to your yoke. My father hath chastised you with whips, and I will chastise you with scorpions.
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So Jared Bowlman, all the people came to Reubol the third day, as the king had appointed, saying come to me again the third day.
And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him, and spake to them after the council of the young men, saying, My father made you yokevi, and I will add to your guilt. My father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Wherefore the king hearken not to the people for them, because was from the Lord. It says in one passage in chronicles the cause was of the Lord. That's that shouldn't be, it should be from the Lord. If you look at it in Mr. Darby's translation, it's always from the Lord.
Division is not of God, it's of Satan.
But it might be from God, and it was so here because of his government with them. The cause is from the Lord. That's correct translation.
Verse 15 Wherefore the king hearken not unto the people, for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by a hydrolysis. When all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we and David?
What a terrible thing to say.
What portion have we and David David had done nothing to cause this. His son had Solomon, but you can trace back there was friction. You can trace back when problems come in, the immediate cause of the problem isn't the real cause. The the one that you would see in in in near proximity to the to the problem caused.
Is it goes back? It goes back. If you read the book of Judges, you'll find out that there was friction between Judah and Ephraim, the tribes. There was friction, there were problems. I'm not going to trace that out. You could trace it out yourself, but usually you'll find that when something like we've just gone through happens, it goes way back.
There are problems back there.
Watching lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you root of bitterness. It might. It may lay dormant for years. You're not even aware of it. It never has been judged someone has done something to you, or spoken unkindly to you, or whatever it might be. I know there was a time in my life when every night.
I said, Lord, keep me from bitterness, keep me from bitterness.
Sometimes your brethren can say the unkindness.
The most cuddly and they don't need any money.
Thankfully, most of them don't need it. Sometimes they may. Whatever it might be, watch. Don't allow bitterness to lie there. Something will come up in a future time when that bitterness will arise. A root of bitterness will spring up, and then many will be defined by. We must judge these things.
Root and branch. If we don't, we are vulnerable.
To what happened here, What has happened amongst us?
Well.
Says verse 16. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened unto them, the people answered, What had a portion of me and David. Neither have we inheritance of the son of Jesse to your tents of Israel. Now see to thy own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tennis. They were all together wrong in doing this, even though they had been spoken to so harshly. You might say we'll be a bone was wrong, and we talked to them, yes.
Not just real Solomon, his father. There is the that's the source of the problem.
But As for the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Judah, we have all reigned over them.
King Riabon Santa Dora, who was over the tribute in all Israel, Stony with stones, that he died. Therefore King Ribon made speed to get him up to his chariot completed Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the House of David unto this day. As I said before, this division hasn't been healed yet. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent him, called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel.
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Now they prophecy behind you.
Is coming past there was none that followed the House of David but the house tribe of Judah only. And when ring of home was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the House of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin and 100 and fours 4000 chosen men which were warriors to fight against the House of Israel to bring the Kingdom again to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.
Now that was contrary to the word that the Lord had given to Solomon. He told told Solomon, I'm going to take 10 tribes from they give it to Jeroboam. And now Rehoboth tries to get them back by force, but listen. But the word of God came unto Shamaya the man of God saying, Speak under Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the House of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people saying, thus saith the Lord.
Ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren, the children of Israel.
Return every man to his house.
For this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord and returned to depart according to the word of the Lord. That's a real plus for readable. He hearkened to the word of the Lord. He stopped what he was doing. He didn't try any more to bring back the 10 tribes. He bowed under the governmental hand of God.
You got to.
Submitted to it.
Realize that this thing has happened because we've sinned.
Have you done that? Have you done that?
Connection with what has just happened amongst us and we got before the Lord and said Lord, it's my fault, it's my fault. Well, Rita Ball listened to the prophet.
And that's a very nice thing to read.
Verse 25 that Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim, that dwelt therein, and went out from thence and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart.
Now he starts to reason. He's not a man of faith. The Lord said, I will be with thee. I will build thee a sure house. I will give Israel unto thee. That he had believed God, He wouldn't have gone to this reasoning process and to all the things that he did now and later. He is typical of what man has done in Christendom in implementing his thoughts and his ways and his procedures and his order.
In God's house.
Very serious thing to do when God has given strict instructions, explicit instructions, ordering his house, even as He did in building the Tavern animal. Everything had to be followed to the letter, and so it is in God's house. But man, just like terrible, he says in his heart. Now shall the Kingdom return to the House of David, if his people go up to sacrifice in the House of the Lord at Jerusalem.
Then shall the heart of this people turn again, until their Lord.
Even unto read a bone king of Judah, and they shall kill me.
The very thing that man's reasoning results in is that if I do it my way, I'll escape this, but if I do it God's way, they'll kill me. Just the opposite is true. Just the opposite is true.
And go again to Rehoboth, king of Judah, Whereupon the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, That goes way back to the to what Aaron did. He made a cap of gold, and the people danced around him a golden calf, except Jeroboam. In imitating he makes 2 caps. He puts one in Dan, the northern part of the land, the other in Bethel, the House of God, southern part of the land.
So that all the 10 tribes would have a place that they could go to worship and not go to Jerusalem.
He made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem, Behold thy gods in Israel which brought thee up, and surround him a golden calf. Except Jeroboam in imitating he makes 2 cats. He puts one in Dan, the northern part of the land, the other in Bethel, the House of God, southern part of the land, so that all the 10 tribes would have a place that they could go to worship.
And not go to Jerusalem.
He made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold thy gods in Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
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He convinced the sin doubling of what Aaron did that brought such judgment upon the people of Israel when the law was given initially and he said the one in Bethel, the House of God, and the other put he and Dan, God will judge. He surely will, he surely will.
God will judge.
And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. That's the 2nd way up in the northern part of the land. And he made a House of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. Levi he changes the order that God had laid down, the strict order that he laid down to be observed.
In his house. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the 15th day of the month. The feast of Tabernacles was on the 7th month. And he changes the month like unto the feast that is in Judah. And he offered upon the altar. He offered upon the altar. Only. The priest was to do that. He was not a priest.
So did he in Bethel, sacrificing out of the calves that he had made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the 15th day of the 8th month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart, and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel. And he offered upon the altar and Saints.
That's the stage that's been set now for this next chapter 13.
And behold, there came a man of God, and out of Judah by the word of the Lord. Notice that expression. He comes by the word of the Lord. He's guided by the word of the Lord. His directions are by the word of the Lord. Our directions are by the word of the Lord. We have the word of the Lord here in this blessed book. We're not not to allow once we have the word of the Lord for what we do, or not to allow any after voices to turn us aside.
We'll see what happened to this man of God, of Judah.
There came a man of God out of Judah. The reason he had to come from the divine center is because there wasn't anyone. Well, there was someone there at the false two centers, Dan and Bethel, but he was disqualified to be a faithful prophet because he was living in complicity with the evil. He was in association with him, not separate from it.
The man of God out of Judah was separate from it. He was there at the divine center. With all the failure that had happened there, it was still God's center.
So he comes out of Judah, by the word of the Lord, unto Bethel, the House of God.
And Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. He had no business doing that. He was sitting and doing that. And he cried. The man of God cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O alter altar. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a child shall be born unto the House of David Josiah by name, and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. We'll read later where that was literally.
Still the king Josiah named by name here many years before he ever was born.
And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken. Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand.
From the altar saying lay hold on him.
At his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again.
Immediate judgment executed against this wicked king Jeroboam.
The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. Again notice the expression by the word of the Lord. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of God for me.
Face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the King's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. Mercy is extended and shown to this wicked king Jeroboam, who had set up these idolatrous altars at Dam and at Bethel, disobeyed the word of God, disobeyed the word of the Lord, and he had he had learned that.
Judgment had come upon the 12 tribes, upon Solomon because they had not walked in obedience. And now he does the same thing. He's given 10 tribes on the condition and that he would be blessed on the condition of obedience, and he fails right away. No Fear of God before his eyes whatsoever.
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And the king answered and said unto the man of God, and treat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again.
And the man of God who sought the Lord, and the King's hand was restored, and again became as it was before. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. The man of God faithfully responds to this. He said unto the king, If thou will give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee. Neither will I be bread nor drink water in this place.
For soul was he charged me by the word of the Lord, saying he'd no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that The Alchemist.
So he went another way and returned. Not by the way that he came to Bethel. The reason he didn't go back the same way was that those that saw him go down didn't see him return. They didn't say, well, he spent some time there and he had fellowship there. He ate and drank there. No, he was to go down, deliver his message, pronounce judgment against the altar that Jeroboam had set up, and then return another way so that it wouldn't look to any that he had had any fellowship.
In that place he was to deliver faithfully the message against that place and then go back another way and he discharged it faithfully. And these overtures from Jeroboam, who was the king, who was the world leader of the 10 tribes now.
He rejects. He has the word of the Lord to tell him, and he refuses. He said you could give me half your Kingdom. I wouldn't eat or drink or have anything to do with that place.
So he went another way and returned, not by the way that he came to Bethel, but now he's going to be subjected to a more subtle trial. Now they're dwelt an old prophet in Bethel.
Why didn't God use him to pronounce judgment against the altar? Because he was in fellowship with it. He couldn't speak against it.
That's where he lived. That's where.
And his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel, the words which he had spoken unto the king. Then they told also to their father, And their father said unto them, What way would he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. And he said unto his son, Saddle me the ***. So they settled in the *** and he rode there on, and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak beautiful.
Type of Lee Cross.
Wonderful place to be sitting meditating. And he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that came from Judah? And he said, I am. And he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee. Neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place, for it was said to be by the word of the Lord.
Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou canest.
He said unto him, I'm a prophet also. Is thou art?
I'm a brother, I'm a sister. We're going to spend eternity together in heaven.
Let's have fellowship.
In this place I have another prophet just like you.
This is a different kind of trial. It's not the world offering us something that we can reject, but a fellow believer. And he was a believer. Both of these men were. We'll see when we look at the chapter of Josiah that they were both Lords.
But.
Your profit of battles in the wrong place.
He said unto him, I am a prophet also, as thou art, and an Angel spake unto me.
By the word of the Lord, the apostle Paul says to the Galatians, Though an Angel from heaven, preach any other gospel, and that which I have preached unto you, let it be accursed.
An Angel from heaven, one of the fastest growing religions in this country, started with an Angel called Moroni appearing to a prophet, a false prophet.
Though an Angel from heaven preach any of the gospel, let him be accursed, so he says.
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An Angel spake unto thee by the word of the Lord. He even uses deceitfully that formula, the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. The enemy is a liar, he's a deceiver. And if the man of God would hearken to this, and he did, sad to say so he went back with him to eat bread in his house and drank water.
He had been so faithful in refusing the overtures of the world and the person of Jeroboam, but now the religious element comes in and he is seduced to compromise the testimony. And what did he do in doing that? He rendered null and void his testimony against the evil that he had pronounced upon that place.
Because he went back and kept fellowship there. He went back with him, and he rented his house and drank water. And now God uses the old prophet of Bethel that had lied to him, and said an Angel had spoken unto him by the word of the Lord to bring him back. He uses him now to pronounce judgment on the man of God out of Judah.
Verse 20 It came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back, and he cried unto the man of God that came from Judas, saying, Thus saith the Lord, For as much as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and has not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, but came us back, and hath eaten bread and drunk water, in the place of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water.
Thy carcass shall not come. Unto this step occurred thy fathers. It came to pass after he had eaten bread, after he had drunk, but he saddled for him. He asked to whip for the Prophet whom he had brought back.
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and sued him, and his carcass was cast in the way and when he asked to buy it, and the lion also stood by the carcass.
He lost his life, he lost his testimony because he compromised and didn't follow the word of the Lord. Ever. Allow an after voice to cause us to deviate from the word of the Lord once we've done it, and that's what he did.
And behold, men passed by, and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass, and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back but from the way hurt thereof, he said, It is the man of God who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord.
Therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him. And he spake to his son, saying, Saddle me the ***. And they saddled him. And he went, and found his carcass cast in the way, and the *** and the lion standing by the carcass. The lion did not eaten the carcass, nor torn the *** completely contrary to nature, that that line did only one thing, to kill the man of God and Judah.
Didn't didn't need his car, just didn't tear the ***. The *** is still standing there unharmed and the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God and laid upon the *** and brought it back.
Lion doesn't touch the old prophet with hell either. And the old prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him, and he laid his carcass in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, alas my brother, the old prophet of Bethel was a true child of God.
God, the man of God, allowed this one who was in a false position, religious position to cause him to compromise and to.
Nullifying his testimony against the The altar that Jeroboam had set up came to pass after he had married him, and he stayed to his sons, saying what? I am dead? Then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the men of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones. He recognized him as a true brother, that he was true also.
But judgment he had to pronounce it, and in pronouncing judgment on the man of God, who had pronounced judgment upon what he was an association with.
He was condemning himself to.
For the same which is he cried by the word of the Lord, against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass. Now does Jeroboam profit from all this? No, not addicted. After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people.
00:45:18
Priests of the High places, whosoever would be consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
And this thing became sin under the House of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
So Jeroboam didn't profit by any of this. He stretches out his hand to lay hold upon the man of God out of Judah. His hand shrivels up and kept drawing again.
Grace is extended to him, it's he's healed and still he hasn't prompted by all that's come about. Now we'll turn to 2nd to Kings 23 to complete the story. Second Kings 23 we have Josiah in his zeal for the Lord.
Dealing with the evil that existed there. Verse 15. Moreover, the altar that was at death battle and the high place, which Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, and may both that altar in the high place, he break down and burn the high place and stamped it small to powder and burn the Grove. And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchre.
Sepulchers that were there in the mount it sent. It took the bones out of the sepulchers.
And burn them upon the altar, and polluted it according to the word of the Lord, which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. Then he said, What is that that I see? And the man of the city, men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou has done against the altar of death out. And he said, Let him alone, that no man move his Lords. So they let his bones alone with the bones.
Of the prophet that came out of Samaria. So these two, the men of God of Judah and the old prophet of Bethel, they didn't partake of the judgment that came upon these ungodly prophets will never partake, even though if we fail in testimony and compromise the truth as God has given it to us to remain separate from that which is.
Set up according to man's will, independent of the Lord's will.
We will lose something that of God lost his life.
But he didn't lose his soul, and we'll never lose our souls because they are secure if we're his. But our life of testimony can be lost if we fail to walk in obedience to the word of the Lord. The word of the Lord would have kept him as it did when Jeremiah pronounced, offered him all that reward. And he come back and he'd eaten and drunk with him, and he refused it. But it was.
The IT was the subtlety, the the argument that.
Came from a fellow prophet that he listened to. He lied to him.
An Angel spake to me. He said that wasn't true.
Even use the word of the Lord and in seducing the man of God of Judah and in doing so he pronounces judgment against himself, position that he was in and then he's the very one used of God. Once the man of God compromises, goes back and eats and drinks with him. He's the one used to God to pronounce the judgment upon the man of God. The wonder he says alas.
My brother, and then he says everything that he has said that will happen to this altar will come to pass.
He recognized it as the word of God. He recognized that he was an association with evil and he should have separated from it himself. Well, these are solemn lessons. They have their application for us in this present day. The things that were written before time were written for our learning, that we through comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. So these Old Testament passages.
Principles of truth that are important to guide us in our pathway here. Just remember everyone, young people especially, you're never wiser than Scripture.
Never.
On Discipline
Address—H. Brinkman
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
I know that God has said in the Assembly of God especially have the responsibility of looking after the spiritual well-being of the Saints, the oversight in the local assembly.
But really we all, every one of us, have a responsibility to our fellow believers. There are things that can be handled and as we look at the scriptures that deal with the subject, we will find.
And many more times do we find that things are handled between individuals or in a small circle rather than in the assembly. And I believe, and I'm sure there will be better here, that will wholeheartedly agree with me. And that is that if we would have been more faithful.
In individually seeking to be a help to one another.
Perhaps the Assembly would have never had to be involved in some matters. Perhaps people could have been.
Preserved and it could have been avoided that the assembly would have to become actively involved in a disciplinary matter. So we are a brother's keeper and there's nobody that does not need in one time or another, the help of this brother or even correction or review.
You know, in First Tennessee.
We have an elder should not be reviewed.
You know, that shows that even the oldest ones at times might need to be reviewed. But there's a way to do it, and you better take heed to what the scriptures tell us.
How we should conduct ourselves to those who are older and to the older sisters and so on. Brothers healing with sisters and only has to be carefulness and proper conduct that's necessary.
April had murdered his brother.
But he says, am I my brothers keeper?
Yes, he was, and he had to give an account to God as to his conduct. But now let's turn to the New Testament. Turn to Matthew first. Matthew 18, verse 15. Mohawk, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.
He shall hear thee.
Thou shalt gain thy brother if he will not hear thee. Then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established, and if he shall not, shall neglect to hear them. Tell us unto the church. But if he neglects to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heated man.
And the Republicans rarely, I say unto you.
Whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be found in heaven, and whatsoever he shall lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them, for my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name.
Am I in the midst of this? Now let's turn to relations.
Chapter 6, verse one.
Brethren in the main, be overtaken in a fall. He which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
One another's burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But that every man proved his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall dare his own burden we find in Matthew.
And the matter starts with a personal trespass.
And it ends up to become an essentially matter.
But it's very clear on that passage that what is desirable, that the matter is settled in the smallest possible circle. I think that's a principle that we do well. Keep in mind that many things can be settled that way, and it's good that they can be settled that way, and we should struggle that they be settled that way.
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Now there are things that cannot be settled without the assembly becoming involved. We will see that later.
But from what we learned from M3 teams, and it should be very clear to all of us that it is desirable if there's a problem between two people, that those two people settle that problem and then it doesn't go any further. It doesn't always succeed that way. The matter might have to take larger circles, but it is desirable that it be handled with a small circle.
So what we do often do, and what we are guilty of, that we spread the things.
Worldwide and over the whole continent. That should never be spread. That should be handled in a small local circle.
And the enemy and the heyday undermines confidence in the Saints, disrupts the fellowship. But what lessons do we learn is the 6th chapter of Galatians?
He is somebody who is overtaken in a full.
Let me also say this before we go into that there are degrees, if I may say, of wrongs or things that are of a less or more serious natures.
And we have to discern what scripture applies in each case. We will find that there's such a thing as a public review, and there is such a thing as not fellowshipping with somebody. And then more scriptures deal with individual discipline that the individual is responsible to exercise.
Then the assembly as a whole and.
Here now one is overtaken in a fall. This is not such a serious case as what we have in First Corinthian 5.
You have a case of immorality, like in First Corinthians 5. You know two brothers or three brothers cannot settle that matter. You know they have no authority to bind and to loosen the ascension. Yes, they have no right to remit or not to remit sin. Those are scriptures that deal with an authority vested in the assembly. But there are things.
When somebody is overtaken by a fault.
That, brethren, can deal with that matter without evolving the assembly. But what is necessary? It's necessary that it be done.
By spiritual men, and that it be done in meekness.
Considering thyself that thou also be tempted.
You know what is really a spiritual man? How does a man prove his spirituality when matters are wrong in the life of another?
I believe he's realizing this man needs help. Perhaps I need that same help in a week from now. I'm made of the same stuff as that person. I'm really not superior to him. I'm not beyond falling into those things.
And you know, this is what makes discipline so difficult, that it has to be administered by those who themselves are far from perfect, who have had their own failures in their own life, and perhaps a heading for some failures.
If the Lord doesn't keep them. And beloved, this is, I believe, what we have to remember when matters confront us.
That we need to approach it.
And considering that I might need that same help before too long that I'm trying to give to my brother today, you know those who are wrong and are not.
Restored in their soul to the Lord, you know, might well turn around and say, look, who are you to come here? You have made all kinds of mistakes. Well then the vote can say, yes, I have. But the Lord in his grace has restored me. And we're here to restoring you. We're trying to help you. I'm not better than you are. But if you go on the way, you lose. You're going to head for serious trouble, brother for sister, you know.
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And I believe this is where we so many times fail, becoming a superior attitude. And I think we are above these things as if they could never affect us. Well, this is so important to take it to heart. But all says here, certainly it is better for someone who is not in that state of soul for not becoming involved because.
Tonight only worsening condition that you harm.
Now they might be faithful words that need to be spoken.
You know, I believe that sometimes.
We are outright Sissy. I'm going to use that expression because you want to be handled with kids gloves. But the scripture says faithful are the wounds of a friend.
You know, I hope that if I need to be corrected by my brethren, that I realize that there is love.
To avoid further difficulties.
Now let's also turn.
You know, I should probably say yes.
Bearing one another's burden you can always helping people in their difficulties.
Blessed out of peacemakers. A wonderful verse that is to really try to make peace instead of bringing it further elimination.
They are one anothers so fulfill the law of crime. We have our own burdens to bear. Fall to deals with that in this passage. You know, we have to bear some things by ourselves, but in other things, how wonderful that is the health of our president.
Lord has given us oppression. Brother is born for the day of adversity. A wonderful but now turn to Timothy. I already referred to verse one of chapter 5.
Rebuked, not an elder, but he treat him as a father.
And the younger men as brethren, the elder women as fathers.
The younger sisters with all purity honor videos indeed.
But if any Riddle have children or nephews, a dimmer first to show piety at home and to equip their parents for death is good and acceptable before God. So what we find here there is really nobody in the assembly that is.
Above review.
So.
Might have to be done.
Better be careful how we do it, and that we do it in a way that would amend itself not only to the Saints but also to the Lord, because the Lord would certainly.
Take notice of how we conduct ourselves in these matters, and the Lord will deal with us if we do not.
Here, but we also find that we have responsibilities in connection with our loved ones. We find them in this passage and Father Psalm.
Admonition This is in verse 8. But if any man provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. You know, we find in Thessalonians, we will turn that before too long that this was a problem. You know, of course we have some brethren here, right here because he's finding employment, looking for employment and that is not what is.
Dealt with here. It's a situation where a person would be able to provide.
Yet He does not. And what a solemn scripture that is. He has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever, solemn and Phoenicians. But we also find in verse 20 then that sin rebuked before all.
That others also make fear. Now here we have again a form of discipline which is not necessarily an assembly.
00:15:03
Is something like. I'm not saying that assembly cannot act on that scripture as an assembly and administer on public review, but I believe that it has especially responsibility put before those in the assembly that might.
Have to write on the spot, review the situation. Let me give you an example. Supposedly there's reading meeting. It is simply going on and a younger person would oppose an older brother and an unbecoming way.
You know, the Lord might raise up to one or the other to write down the spot, rebuild that individual publicly about his conduct towards an older brother. I'm using that only as an example, but I believe that this form of discipline.
Has to be considered and the same has to be served when that is the appropriate form of discipline, you know.
In the mind of many Christians.
They have this idea that excommunication is discipline. Well, actually I believe it's correct to say that it's the end of discipline.
It's the end of discipline and really proves that no discipline has been successful and therefore that person has to be excommunicated and.
This is the proper way of looking and extra communication and really, and the Saints all should be humbled in the presence of God that it has not succeeded to win. The assembly has not succeeded to win in person, so that excommunication, excommunication might not be necessary. So there we have another form of discipline that.
Might be exercised by an individual.
But it might also be the basis on a sense reaction, you know?
I know of a case where.
Sisters trying to take over the administration of the assembly in a disciplinary matter, you know, and the Assembly felt that these sisters had to be publicly rebuked for leaving their place.
Which was not given to them of God.
Trying to interfere in a century oversight. And this is the possibility and I'm sure it's other possibilities, but just to give a few now turn please. Just alone again.
First Thessalonians first.
1St Thessalonians 5.
Verse 14.
Now the extortion brethren warn them that are unruly comes at the table minded for the week. Be patient towards all men, but in keeping with our subject tonight, especially this statement warned them that are unruly. So I believe that the old brethren in the assembly.
Might well have to act on that scripture. Somebody is acting in an unruly way.
In the assembly and they don't drive away, excommunicate somebody, but they might have to give them a warning. You're unruly, you're not submitting to God's order, it is sent. You're unruly. It might sometimes be a change.
Also in Second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse six. Now we commend you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he withdraw yourself from every brother that often disorderly and not answer the tradition.
Which he received of us for yourselves know how he ought to follow us. For we behave not ourselves disorderly among you. Neither did we eat any man's bread or not, but brought with labor, and prevail night and day.
That we might not be chargeable to any of you, not because we have no power, but to make ourselves an example, and sample unto you to follow us. Or even when we were with you, this recommended you. That if any man would not work, neither should he need for being here. That there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all.
00:20:05
But our Mystic bodies then there are such recommend and explored by a Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work and eat their own bread. But he, brethren, be not very and well doing. But if any man obey not our word, but this epistle note that man and have no company with him, and he may be ashamed.
Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always. By all means the Lord can make you all. Here we see again a form of discipline that the individual has to exercise, and again I believe that might become the basis for disciplinary action by the assembly. But I believe the predominant thought is.
Individual brother is responsible to judge the situation for himself, that this brother is walking in a disorderly way, he isn't working, he's not providing for his own. And the apostle Paul reminds them how he himself and those who labored with him were providing for himself and in Titus he says.
In the third chapter, let's read it.
In August, these things correctly verse 14 of chapter 3, and then I was also learned to maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful. You see, those who labored with Paul were admonished here by Paul.
That they should provide things honestly and they should labor so that Danny and perhaps even the needs of others might be met while at the same time they were serving the Lord. You know, I believe there's too much the idea.
Sometimes pick up on that together, things that when somebody wants to serve the Lord, it wasn't degrading for him to do any other secretary.
Work, or manual labor if possible, labored more than anything. And yet at the same time, he worked with his own hands to provide for his own need and the needs of others. He had the right, he had the power to receive support, but.
Labored.
For his own hands and so he could speak in this way to the Saints more effectively. He said look how we carry on realistic and sample for you. You can carry on the same way. No much of the Lords work can be carried on and his carried on in the part time way. Isn't it? You know how many grand the labor locally more hard.
More strenuously than those who just travel from assembly to assembly.
Couple days and there for a couple days, yet the local brother have to struggle week after week with local problems. I'm convinced that the Lord looks at this much more as laboring than just traveling around. That kind of service. A lot of better is very, very needed and it is not.
Comfortable thing to be an oversight in a sense that there are goals perhaps that be careful that they don't act like a diatrophy, but I believe many would much rather see others.
Take over this responsibility if there would be others.
Because it's not a pleasant time of service to be responsible for the spiritual well-being of the Saints and to have to give an account to God in that coming day. OK, please stand. Responsibility has been discharged. But you and I, every one of us, beloved, have the responsibility to act on divine principles.
In our interrelationship with one another, you know it's not love.
When we embrace a brother that is carrying on in an unscriptural way, disorderly way.
You know I remember, dear brother.
Talking to us in his dream on restoration, and he related the incident that there was a brother that had to be good out for some evil, and there were some of the Saints you were in trouble for the fellow and three, that he shook hands with him and so on, and there were those who acted faithfully.
00:25:04
According to scriptural principles and when that man was restored, he asked permission to say something in a meeting, the present meeting permission and he thanked those of the Saints who had acted faithfully towards citizens and acted undermine principle so that he hopefully would be left to be restored.
Well, sometimes we mix up.
Natural love and affection with My love. You know divine love seeks the good of the object and when that means that soul needs to be restored, needs to be brought to repentance, there is a proper conduct towards such a person. You know our hearts would always love to embrace anyone of God's people.
But can you do that in the family without children?
You know, do we not have to end time, use the rod? We don't like to do that. I don't think fathers really enjoy tending to take the stick and use it under children. But that is what Scripture says is our responsibility of time. And we have to be learned in that case, too, whether we're not just have to talk to the child or whether we have to use this thing. We don't always exercise.
In the family in the same way in every case. Well, the Lord can give us wisdom.
We live in a society.
Where the idea is in many people's mind that the world owes them a living.
And people use social structure.
Well, as Christians, we also have that kind of an attitude. We have to have a responsibility or a sense of responsibility that we have the responsibility to provide, to provide things honestly and do all that you can. And really in our day and age, most of us work 8 hours a day.
Do you think what our fathers and grandfathers have to do, they didn't have to do our day job.
You know, they worked on sun up till sundown. The farmer still hasn't to get into the summer, you know. So we really in many cases have it very easy to provide and take care and to work. And then when we work, we do it with all of mine and do it as unto the Lord. Not just that, we have a responsibility to provide for our family.
But just like the boys and girls when they go to school.
I believe they can do that for the Lord.
You know they can as children realize that adul and trying to do the best I can in school, not to excel above others, not to show up. But if the Lord has given me the ability to produce ace in school. I better try to come home with ace, you know, and if I only have the ability to come home with seeds.
And I come home with seeds. I'm a good student, you know?
I told that to my kids, you know, somewhere extremely students and some couldn't perform like that, but those who came home with what they were able to perform, they were good students. That's all God expects of us. And we begin in our early years.
To develop good habits which will benefit us when we are older. Because if you don't and children try to do the best you can once you get a job someplace, we won't do that either. We try to get away with the lease and let the principle of the labor union, you know, get as much money for as little work as possible.
You know that I wasn't time when employers that the abuse that employees and didn't fairly compensate them and the salaries finally forgot if we have it in the scriptures.
You know what things like a pendulum thing back and forth, you know it's going the other way again. You know people have nothing very fair wages.
In past decades and now.
Things work the other way again, you know, brought his way leveling things out but how wonderful good work habits by a Christian health is Christian testimony. That's a good thing. Boys get a hold of them good work habits.
00:30:12
Help your patient testimony in the world.
Well, now let's turn to something that your head is almost serious than what we had in Thessalonians, and that is in Romans. Romans chapter 16. Now I beseech verse 17. Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned.
And avoid them, for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ.
But their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches, deceived the hearts of the simple.
He had another form of discipline and another problem that can arise among God's people, and that is that people like Paul predicted in Acts chapter 20 would arise drawing disciples after them and causing.
Risks divisions among.
God's people.
How we to act towards them? How am I? How I used to act towards them? God expects us to be able to discern who is such a character.
Who comes in amongst the people of God and causes rest and drawing disciples after them? And we should avoid them, We should have nothing to do with them.
It might take a while before the assembly comes to the point to realize that they have to deal with that person and set them outside.
But individually, again, you and I, if you're walking in fellowship and communion with the Lord can deserve who is such a character and then we act on this scripture. We might be unpopular when some people who at that point have not seen the need for such a discipline.
But this is the directions that the word of God gives us.
I believe in our problems that we have had in recent years. We haven't deserved these.
Men early enough and we have given them the opportunity to scatter the sheep. I'm not saying that to be hard on my brethren. I take my place with you in that we should have had more discernment and their character is manifesting itself more and more clearly now.
Wolves in sheepskins.
That's the best description, not sparing the flock.
Paul says. Have you seen that? Not bearing the blood and putting everything before everybody, even the babes in price who are not to be faced with such things.
It should be handled by those with responsibility in the assembly. A turn to Titus now. Titus 3 verse 10. A man that is inherited after the 1St and 2nd admonition. Reject.
Knowing that he and his such is subverted, and Sinneth being condemned of himself.
You know, I might not have read all of what I wanted to read in Romans. Maybe you turn back to that before commenting. Yeah, I did read it, but didn't comment on that, I believe.
By their by good works and their speeches deceived the hearts of the simple. For some people might talk very sweet.
But underneath.
The wolves of the sheepskin. We must not go by what people say only. We have to go by what they do. The unscriptural, unprincipled way of dealing with Madison from people. But here, now, we have inherited.
After the 1St and 2nd admiration rejected knowing that he that is such is Suburban and Sinneth being condemned.
00:35:00
Of himself, you know, I believe we sometimes you don't use the proper terminology in connection with problems that arise amongst God people. We see, for instance of division among brethren.
He sent the monster because the Division I believe is an internal thing.
Such as we had incorrect, you know, in Corinth there were divisions, there were parties, but they had not broken out into opening splits.
You know, but a second is.
That which breaks out in an open split, and we should really more accurately refer to those ribs that have occurred once the gathering.
Here we have a.
You know a man who demise and separates the people of God. You know what three many times speak of a heretic as a person that brings wrong doctrine and that might welcome soul that he brings strong doctrine like Paul says in X20 speaking perverse things, but I believe it's Brendan had pointed out in the past.
That.
The person might divide the Saints of God with the truth itself, and it's the spirit of the man that characterizes him as a heretic more than what he speaks.
And you know, we must be careful not to stress and press things amongst God's people, although He might be right in this, but our brethren do not see it.
And we had to give them time that they see it themselves. The Lord shows these things to them. You know, rather have gone on in happy fellowship, having had different thoughts on certain subjects like baptism, but they have gone on in keys to harmony, realizing that these differences would not be permitted of the enemy to.
Divide the Saints of God.
It wasn't a fundamental issue that we couldn't tolerate. Now we might have strong convictions on such matters, but we do not allow these things to divide the Saints of God. I understand that.
Ch Brown and Brother McMillan had different thoughts on that. Harmoniously traveling together, ministering amongst the Saints of God.
They have given us examples of what is servant of the Lord in contrast that is going on pleasing to the Lord, in contrast to what we find here. Well, the Lord can help us that we do not become guilty of the tool in the hands of the enemy to divide these people. There's nothing dearer to the heart of God.
Than his people, the Church of God.
And he looks.
Very seriously.
And such men who divide the people of God, we ought to try to help one another. We ought to try to prevent one another of getting off the deep end. You know, the path of faith and the danger on the right and the left. You know, you might say, to be part on the side of righteousness.
Working part of the side of grace.
Picture is very clear about the eternity grace with regard to Lisbon justice you need the grace of God for an excuse for sin. But then on the other hand, you know stressing righteousness to the point of dividing the Saints of God. I enjoyed so much the.
The the attitudes in Matthew 5. When you look at them carefully, you see that there are some the first ones, people of righteousness.
And the others speak of grace, and you cannot, whether it's a family or is a group of people or the century of God, you cannot survive in harmony without both principles existing and being upheld amongst those people. The Lord can help us with that. But now let's turn again to men through 18.
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And also to 1St 25.
You know Matthew 18 has been attacked.
Very much in recent years and what we have to really see is this, that the main point of man to 18 is and then the administration.
Is no longer God's administration among his people, is no longer among the Jews, and it's now among those gathered for the name of the Lord Jesus. That's the main point I believe, and it does not give us details how the essentially deals with all that establishes is that the assembly has the highest authority.
The only time to pass you know where the 16 shots of the Lord Jesus speaks of the church that he was going to form and now he speaks of the authority here is West in the past it was requested in Israel.
But now his authority is rested among those that are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. That's the main point to get a hold of. And there is no higher authority than that which is vessel in the local assembly.
No. No other assembly has authority to come into the assembly in Kirkland and take over the administration.
God has vested authority in Kirkland. They have to act for him now. If for some reason they would not deal with evil in their midst, would not deal with evil doctrine, with immorality, others can labor with them.
Those especially who have killed my tongue and seek to exercise the conscience of the brethren in Kirkland or another assembly, might put before them their responsibility of dealing with their evil, but they cannot come into Kirkland and take over the administration.
God is vested then in Kirkland, and in Kirkland refuses to deal with evil evidence after has been clearly brought before them. All that can be done is to say we can no longer recognize that essentially as an Assembly of God, They're not a true expression of the Assembly of God.
Never, ever, I believe, can others from the outside come and take over the administration in the local assembly. God has rested authority in the local assembly to deal with such things.
If that would have been clearly seen, if we could have been spared some of the heartache.
Well, Matthew 18 is a wonderful passage. The Lord Jesus is in the midst, and he being here is to the assembly the authority to act on his behalf. That's the truth of this passage. It's a very solid thing, but it's an irresponsibility.
Cannot neglect.
You know, it's much nicer to try to encourage people. I very much enjoy going to places where it is a new work, like in Brazil or in Egypt. They're so hungry to listen for the truth, they can't hear enough. It's much more pleasant than to deal with problems among the states in the local safety. It is, but it's a responsibility. We cannot church it. We have to face.
Thank the Lord for those who take on that responsibility.
And we better beloved support them and remember.
They're never going to be a perfect one in that place, never be perfect one, and they're not perfect themselves. And I sometimes sit oblate. There are better husbands and better fathers than myself, but I've never seen a perfect father. I've never seen a perfect husband. The Lord is the Lord is our God, is our Father. He's perfect as our father. Neither have I ever seen a perfect brother in responsibility.
The only servant that ever heard served perfectly was the Lord Himself. Let's remember that. Let's not undermine those who see in their feebleness to carry on responsibility. But I'll turn to 1St grade here.
There's one adjacent occasion among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's right, and he are puffed up, and have not rather warned that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you.
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For I verily is absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already as dual. I'm her present concerning Him and has done this deep in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He are gathered together in my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver stunts and one untestation for the destruction of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Your glory is not good, knowing not that a little leaven leavens the whole lamb.
The end of the chapter says put out some among yourself that we did person.
Well, here we have the most serious form, which is really the end of discipline.
He it was commonly reported the Saints were not rebuked that they had not dealt with the matter because I believe they had not been instructions well to deal with that matter. They were reviewed that they were not humbled about this sin occurring among them, and that they had not looked to the Lord that He would remove that mask.
Because he had done that with an analysis of fire.
So.
Now we have the instructions given was given to them, and we have it today that the assembly with the Lord in the midst has divine authority to excommunicate one who commits such a sin. And the name of the Lord Jesus needed to be clear. Many times people say the object is the restoration of the person. That's one of the objects, one of the reasons.
But I believe the first reason is that the assembly give a demonstration that such evil is not tolerated, and that the name of the Lord must be cleared by that person being dealt with. Now when did this person was unrepentant? At the time when this was coming before Paul, And then Paul by behind inspiration gives them instructions how to deal with that one.
But even if that man would have been repentant.
I believe they would have still had to deal with that man publicly. Maybe he didn't have to be out very long because perhaps they such a thing as a person having committed some things and being already restored in his soul to the Lord. Yet it was commonly reported was known in the world. The name of the Lord needed to be clear.
And so in the second fiscal?
He commenced. They had done that. But let me say, excommunication is more than removing somebody from the Lords Table. You know, we do not find in the Word of God this statement that we remove somebody from the Lords Table.
Put out some among yourself that we could person. And if there is such a thing as somebody walking disorderly, and we don't fellowship with him, should we fellowship with one that has been put under a more severe punishment and has been excommunicated?
Undermining the authority of the Lord in acting towards those that have come under discipline by the assembly. As if you can't just embrace them and eat with them and fellowship with them. We're undermining it and they're doing harm to the person.
That needs to be disciplined well.
These things are not pleasant.
And I don't think anybody that really feels things with the Lord would enjoy to carry out disciplinary measures.
I believe it is especially hard to persist to act on divine principle because why is that? Because sisters, ladies are gentle loving creatures. You know, it's very hard for a woman to act on the non principles when it comes to discipline. You know I've sometimes said and I don't really mean.
If the Lord has not made women the way he did.
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They couldn't put up with a husband or with children, but because he has made them to be loving, kind creatures while they can be in that position, but it also means that they are unfit to have a part.
In administration, in the Assembly and you know in First Timothy 3, when we have the overseer, we find that the woman is not mentioned.
Because you cannot be involved in that. But when it comes to the Deacon, the woman is mentioned. Why? Because of her being such a kind and feeling considerate person, she can be a tremendous aide to her husband in recognizing the needs among God's people. Because the Deacon was to take care of the material and treat the needs of the Saints and in those days.
It wasn't the brothers meeting that decided this. They gave that responsibility to serve individuals.
And they discharged that responsibility. And if they had a godly sister as a wife, tremendous help. She can teach, but she cannot be a help herself in matters that pertain to administration, disciplinary matters in the assembly because women see things with their heart.
With their affections rather than with their mind. Not that they are not some exceptions.
But all the Lord can help us, beloved, to carry on for Him.
And we have to remember that in our life is Saints together, living with one another. We have to glorify the Lord Jesus, we have to bring honor to Him, and we have to maintain in our relationship with one another divine principles, sound divine principle. The Lord can help us stop by having taken up this subject.
Claimed, and I have exhausted this subject, but I had sought to give us, as it were, an overview. And let me just mention too, what we need among our people is Levi and the sons of four. What I mean by that is.
Why was Levi chosen to have the place in connection with the sanctuary? Because they took their own gravity. They were on the Lord side. The sons of Korah took a stand against their own father. When that call went forth, depart from the sense of wickedness, they departed. That's why they didn't perish with their father.
And they were chosen.
To be doorkeepers in the temple. Love it when it comes to our own flesh and blood, our real principle that we hold as tested. And I believe the Lord can give us help, that we act for Him even when it comes to dear and dear to us. How often do people go spray?
In the Christian pathway.
Because of somebody in the family, they're following him, you know, they're supporting somebody wrong in their family and they're going straight or a friend.
Needs to be faithfully dealt with and people signed with him against the assembly. Well, the Lord can help us and all we can do is bring the principles of scriptures before the things and hopefully we will look at these things, every one of us, and then perhaps we are better fit to be a help to one another. It's true. It's always one of the.
Object is the restoration of our brother, and love will not rest until an individual is really brought back to the Lord. And sometimes it has to be to take, or that we have to take a faithful, firm stand and that the Lord will honor them in the long run.
Well, may the Lord keep us each and everyone, because we do not.
Walk close with the Lord Jesus. We ourselves, my tongue under the discipline of the Lord and of the assembly. For how much wonderful, wonderful it is when you go on harmoniously and when you benefit from one another. When we receive the help that others trying to give us. The Lord has put us together not to go on like Robinson, truthful Christians, you know, all by ourselves.
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Some isolated islands? No. He has put us together in one body and we need each other. We need the help of each other, not only the health of the Lord Jesus. Sometimes He will use our brethren to bring the health that we need.