Lassen Pines Family Camp: 1999
Table of Contents
Talks on Ruth #1: Bethlehem to Moab and Back
Talks on Ruth #2: At the Table and In the Field of Boaz
Talks on Ruth #3: At the Feet of Boaz
The Things That Are #1: The Lord Among The Candlesticks
The Things That Are #2: The Letter to the Ephesians
The Things That Are #3: Letters to Smyrna & Sardis
The Things That Are #4: Letters to Philadelphia & Laodicea
The Church #1: The Temple
The Church #2: The House
The Church #3: The Body
Special Singing 1
What Matters Is Not Where You're From But Where Are You Going?
Talk—Josh Ruga
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.
#48.
First of all, I want to say that I get one thing straight. The young people, maybe they don't realize that some older ones have good hearing. And I, I want to just relate one thing that happened here. I think it was the 2nd day that I was here and I was going past a group of young people and you know, just nonchalantly walking this way and they were coming this way.
And as we passed by, maybe I was 5 or 10 feet past this group of young people, I heard one of them ask another one who's gimpy back there and, and said, oh, he's, he's just the softball pitcher for the ball games, you know? So by way of introduction, my name is Josh Ruger and I'm from Dorothy, NJ.
And of course, it really doesn't matter where we're from, you know? What matters is where we're going, you know? Where will you spend eternity? You've heard that.
That term before eternity, that word before eternity. And we've been here at so many gospel meetings this week and what's been before us, those two things, Calvary and eternity, and how important these things are because you have to deal with them. You have to do something about them.
And you know, I think the terms Calvary and eternity in God's Word are mentioned very, very few times really maybe once or twice or something like that. I'm not sure. But you know, the the idea for Calvary arose in eternity in the heart of God.
In the heart of God and what you do with.
Calvary will determine where you will spend eternity. And so that's why this morning we want to bring before you so important. You know, it would be a shame to leave Lassen 99, leave this place today and somebody here still be lost in their sins that that would be tragic. It would be terrible, you'd say, how could it possibly be?
That they've enjoyed everything that they've tasted of all the good things we've had from the word of God this week, and yet they're lost in their sins. You say, well this person, what hope is there for them?
Well, remember, God speaks once, yeah twice. Yet man perceiveth not the heart of God.
You know, you guys, you're all like, like sports and especially basketball. I woke up many, most of the mornings and watch the boys play basketball. You know, years ago, I think before the Michael Jordan era, there was a man who had fantastic potential for basketball. His name was Hank Gathers. Maybe some of you here remember hearing about Hank Gathers and he was a man about 6 feet, 10 inches.
Had a big, strong body and he had every skill that could be desired to play a fantastic game of basketball. And he was so good that right out of college they took him into the professional ranks and they said this is a superstar And he played a couple professional games. And after a couple professional games, the way he handled himself in the court and the way he was able with his big strong body.
To fend off other players who are trying to guard him. A sports writer.
Made this comment about Hank Gathers. He said Hank Gathers is an incredible life force. Now you know, that's really putting him way up on a pedestal, isn't it? And so Hanks response when he read that and heard that remark about himself, they said, What do you think about it, Hank? He said. That is a true statement, he said.
I am a pure thoroughbred. I am the strongest man alive. That's what he said.
That he was really acknowledging this incredible life force that was spoken about him while, you know, Hank Gathers was 23 years old, 23 years old. The next morning he dropped dead. He dropped dead. Strongest man alive, pure thoroughbred drop dead. You know, you don't know what is in store for you, but we know, do know this, that there's in store.
Who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, eternal courts of glory forevermore. Because the Lord Jesus is here and he wants to save your precious soul. You know, years ago, an atheist, he took it upon himself to write on a wall that God is nowhere. God is nowhere.
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NOWHER E.
And you know, that was really propagating what he thought God is nowhere or what he he thought. He thought a little girl came along and changed that to God is now here, here, OK, and NOWHERE. So we believe God is now here and he's here because he's interested in you as a person, as an individual, and he wants to save your precious soul.
And you've got to do that before this time is over, because procrastination can send you to a lost eternity.
No, back in 1961, I had in in my Class A boy by the name of Johnny Broyles. Johnny Broyles was a fine guy and a redhead and and just the kind of kid that you could just love, you know? But Johnny had one defect in his person. He had a lift. Everything he said would be a lift. I thought it was kind of cute myself and it caught the attention of most of the other.
Students, well, the school administration personnel didn't think that it was so cute. So I guess through correspondence, they contacted Johnnies mother and tried to tell her, you know, we should do something about this problem of Johnnys speech impediment. And since he was in my class back in those days, they gave you more freedoms than they do now. And the principal came to me and says.
Why don't you take Johnny home one day after school and meet his mother or his parents and and see what the cause of this lisp is. And fine, I'll be glad to do that. I don't mind doing something like that. So I told Johnny, I said, Johnny, come on, I'm going to take you home tomorrow after school and make sure your mom's going to be there and just have to talk to your mom a little bit. He says, what about? And I said, you know about the lift.
That you have and OK, I'll make sure my mom is going to be there. So the next day Johnny and I went to his house and knocked on the door and sure enough, his mom was there and she opened the door and I introduced myself that. Hi Missus Broyles. I'm a Mr. Ruger from Johnny's school. And. And she says, oh, oh.
I know they think my son doesn't speak right.
He speaks funny. So I said, well, that's alright, Mr. Broiler, let's just let's just talk about this, you know, and see what we can do and everything. And when we were all finished talking and having a little conversation together, she said thank you, Thank you. Mr. Wooga says, I appreciate what you did for me. And I said by that time I was caught up in it too. And I said.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
But but anyway, the reason I tell is because, you know, Johnny Broyles had something from his environment he's brought up that way, picked it up and he really couldn't, I guess he couldn't do anything about it. But with some help, speech therapy and so on, he was able to overcome the situation quite a bit. Maybe not get a job in communications or public relations or something like that, but I'm sure I will do very well for.
But you see, we are most times a product of our environment. And the Word of God says, you know, evil communications, corrupt good manners. If you hang around with the wrong group of people at here or at home or school or work or whatever, you're going to become just like them. Just like Johnny Broyles picked up the way his mother talked. That's what you're going to pick up too. OK? So you have to be careful about these things because God.
Is everywhere, He's everywhere and he wants you to be a vessel for his honor and glory. You know, man's heart hasn't changed a bit. It hasn't changed a bit down through the ages. And 90 years ago or so you read about the you heard about the Titanic sinking and the man who built that Titanic ship. What did he say? He said before it sailed, he said not even God.
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Think this ship the other day, yesterday, we're talking at the dinner table and I made a remark to somebody say, you know, they're building another replica of the Titanic, exactly the same length, the same characteristics, everything's going to be the same. And I happen to have that article here just to show you how man's heart hasn't changed a bit in the past 90 years, it says coming in 2002.
Full size Titanic replica.
A Swiss US partnership said it will build a 500 million full size replica of the Titanic and have it ready for the 90th anniversary of the ships sinking. It cannot sink, assured Walter Navratil, president of the development company White Star Line Limited. Navratil said the oil fuel steamer will make a Southampton, England, New York round trip.
April 2002 now, in case you're interested in going on that voyage.
Tickets will cost $10,000 to $100,000. After the voyage, the ship will serve as a pleasure cruiser. But, says Mr. Navratil, don't worry, it will have modern equipment to detect icebergs.
So 90 years since the first one sank, and here we go again. Has man learned anything? He said it cannot sing. So we'll see what happens in 2002 if we're here. Well, very interested. But you know, I think some of you here probably have the same problem that I do at work and meeting people in the street and so on.
We just are a little bit passive, a little bit withdrawn about speaking out.
For the Lord. But you know there's other things you can do to compensate for that. And just real simple ones are by the way you deport yourself, by the way you speak, by the way you look.
By your actions, all these things show whether or not you are a Christian, whether or not you belong to the Lord Jesus. So there's ways that you can get others.
To look at you and say, hey, he is different, he is different. Another way is wherever you work or wherever you go to school, do you take the time? Do you give thanks for your meal before you eat it in front of a lunch room full of students or wherever you work? These things people notice.
And it can lead to conversations and say, hey, you are just why are you the way you are?
Well, you know, I'm just like you years ago when I was going to college, I was, you know, very hesitant and very shy and so on. And I didn't, I didn't know how to get a conversation going about the Lord to other people. So I might before I went to school, I took these great big stickers and put them on the dashboard of my 1948 Pontiac, you know, stickers about you must be born again. Christ Jesus came into the world to.
Sinners. And I had them plastered all over the dashboard because I knew that I'd be giving kids ride in the in the car and so on. And sure enough, it worked. And I'd go back and forth on different holidays and have maybe five students with me coming back to Philadelphia from Ohio. But the one student I always took was Bill Johnson. And Bill four years faithfully going back and forth 3-4 times a year with me. And he would read the stickers, you know, we would talk about them.
Sometimes it was just he and I in the car for 1213 hours and you know, we had a lot of nice, but Bill never came to the point where he gave his heart to the Lord Jesus, where he said, yeah, you know, I'm a lost and I want to be saved. He never came to that point, but he did say this. He said, well, I want to, I want to do good in my studies. I want to graduate at the top of the class after four years. I want that 4.0 GPA. And you know, he did just that. He just did just that. And at the end.
When he was topping the class and had the perfect average straight A's for four years, he went to celebrate in the nearest town about four miles away. They drove his car there. He had a car in a senior year and then when he finished celebrating, couldn't even remember where he had parked his car so started walking down the highway back to the college and he was so inebriated he could only follow the yellow line in the middle of the road. And of course he was killed by.
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By an automobile. And there went the four years that he had before him. Now I'm afraid that Bill Johnson died and is in a lost eternity. But we don't know. God knows. Well, I have. Sometimes we hear about tragic things that happen in schools and so on. We're all familiar with this Columbine incident, and that can happen anytime, anywhere, in any school in the United States.
Of the world. But you know, sometimes God uses situations that are intended for pleasure or something like that, and he can use it for himself. I'll give you an example. At our school, the principal came on the intercom system one day and he says, hey, guess what? Tomorrow we're going to have a special assembly and it's going to be called living life to the fullest. I said, boy, this is great. This is just what we need.
You know, thinking why it's going to be some kind of gospel thing or something like that. Living life to the fullest.
He says, OK, now tomorrow he came on and he said, he said the day of the assembly, he said there's only 800 seats in the auditorium is 15-16 hundred kids in the school. So we can divide the school in half and the 11Th graders and half, a 10th going the first section and 11Th graders and 12Th going the next section. And so the auditorium was full of kids, 800 kids. And to live life to the fullest, they invited some former Philadelphia Eagle football players there.
Strapping men and since they were no longer playing football because of injuries and gimpiness and so on and so forth they they made their living by going around to different schools and they would try to through song and dance try to instill within the students the idea of staying in school don't drop out OK that was pretty good a pretty good idea and so by staying in school not dropping out getting a diploma getting.
Education, they could live life to the fullest. And during the course of this assembly, they were singing songs which I wasn't familiar with. Maybe they weren't very bad, they weren't vulgar or anything like that, but you know, just entertainment and trying to get the thought across to the kids to stay in school, don't drop out.
And after this one leading.
Actor. He had sung quite a few songs and everything. He asked for a volunteer and I know Brian has heard this before.
But he asked for a volunteer, says would anyone in the audience, any of the students in the audience, like to come up here and sing a song for the group? And of course, if you and I were there, we'd shield down and try to get as low as we could. But a couple of the students, they started pointing toward this one, one young lady, you know, and and she didn't know they were pointing to her, but yeah, they were pointing to this one young lady. And so the, the, the, the.
The entertainer, he went to her and he said, young lady, would you like to sing a song for us? And she sheepishly, sheepishly looked up and and wondered why he singled her out. And then she saw a couple of her friends pointing to her, well, she was a singer in her church choir and apparently was a good singer, too. And believe it or not, she knew gospel songs.
And so he persuaded her. The entertainer persuaded her to get up to the microphone.
And she said to her, what are you going to sing? And she said, I don't know yet.
He says, well, you just stand there and when something comes to you sing. So she stood there a little while, you know, and she was, you could tell that she was sort of afraid and everything. But then all of a sudden she started singing the words of this hymn. And I always keep it with me because I thought it was so unusual.
The words of the film, the hymn go like this says Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home when Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He. His eye is on the Sparrow, and I know he watches me. His eye is on the Sparrow as the name of that hymn. And here, you know, here, here she is, this young lady, maybe 1617 years old, singing this hymn to a group of 800 kids and teachers, administrators.
So on, so remember that little girl, she changed. God is nowhere to God is now here. And I felt exactly like that, that God had taken a situation that was meant for entertainment and enjoyment and so on. And now he had changed it to something that was reaching the hearts and conscience of all those in the audience. Well, you know, it didn't end there. And.
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I thought, wow, what's going to happen now? Everything was very quiet and so on. And after that first.
First verse of that hymn, another student who happened to be the president of the Jewish, it was in my classroom. And he said, wait, I can't let you continue singing that song alone. And he jumped up, went up in the podium there and started singing with her. And of course, the second verse goes like this.
Let not your heart be troubled. His tender word I hear, and resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears. Though by the path He leadeth but one step I may see His eye is on the Sparrow, and I know He, He watches me. So here were two people singing in front of 800 fellow classmates.
And.
You know, I'm supposed to be the the rough stuff gym teacher and so on. Well, I teach Jim and Sally and Joe and Jim and John's. But anyway.
And here I am, you know, I have my handkerchief here and my kids aren't looking. I'm dabbing my eyes because this to me was so touching. I said wow, how God has turned this around to make it something to bring glory and honor to the the Lord Jesus.
And so that they didn't stop there, they continued singing the third verse. And you know, when you think of something political comes up and they always speak of the silent majority. Well, the silent majority of those who you really don't ever hear from, but they know what should be, but yet they don't vote and so on and so forth. And the political people are always hoping they will come forth and vote, you know, and and make.
Mind known well, during this third verse of this hymn we heard, or I heard distinctly the silent majority because there were more Christians in that group of kids than I had ever imagined. And myself, I I couldn't remember the words of the hymn, but the silent majority during the third verse of that hymn, you could hear them humming the tune.
Along with those up on the stage there. And the third verse goes like this whenever I am tempted.
Whenever clouds arise, when song gives place to sign, when hope within me dies, I draw the closer to him from care He sets me free. His eye is on the Sparrow, and I know he cares for me.
And so during that third verse, you could hear a reverberation throughout the auditorium of the hearts of the silent majority. And so I, I thought it was very touching. But here, this young lady, this young man, they had a purpose in life. And you know, the purpose of life is to have a life of purpose. And you can't have a life of purpose without.
That which fills the heart and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. So unless you have that, you are wasting your time, you're wasting your life.
But those who have a life of purpose will be like a ship on the water. You know, the ship rises above the water, floats on the water, and that ship is safe and sound as long as the water doesn't get into the ship. And so you and I as Christians, as born again believers, you know, we go through this world and we are in the world and we're, we're fine. We're happy in the Lord and everything, as long as the world doesn't get into us. We have to stay above it all.
And Wally, I have a couple more things, but Wally did say that he would appreciate if we would express our Thanksgiving the last 10 minutes or so for everything that we've had here this week. You know, the good weather, the camp staff.
The reason for being here, the efforts of so many involved here and journey and mercies for bringing everyone here and some on their way home now.
We have so much to give thanks for, so if we could just get on our knees now and thank the Lord Jesus for all He's done for us.
Seven 'One Things'
Talk—Ralph Klassen
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.
Let's begin our meeting by singing.
42 in the back part of the book.
I'm going to read verse 3.
In thy presence we are happy.
In thy presence were secure, in thy presence all afflictions we can easily endure.
In thy presence we can conquer, we can suffer, we can die wandering from the we are people. Let thy love Lord, keep us night. Well, this morning I have it on my heart to speak about one thing.
It shouldn't be too hard to remember one thing, right?
Wrong.
It might take a little effort.
Because there are seven one things that I want to talk about this morning.
And you know seven, most of you realize, you know that seven of #7 is divine perfection.
It has to do with God. Everything it seems like that He does is in sevens. And so this is very important for us to realize this. There's seven notes to the scale. You can play every song there is.
With seven notes.
There are seven colors in the rainbow God.
Created the.
Earth prepared Earth for men in seven days. So everything that we have.
About God is in seven, so we're going to look at 7 one things.
The first one we're going to look at is going to be found in Mark's gospel.
Chapter 10 and verse 17 we read.
And when he, that is the Lord Jesus, was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I might inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There's none good but one. That's God. Thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud not honor thy Father.
Mother And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these things I have observed from my youth.
Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him, and said unto him.
One thing.
Thou lackest go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. And come, take up the cross and follow me.
And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.
Here's the young man.
That had great possessions, but he felt the need of something. He wanted eternal life, and he was thinking of how he could obtain it. He wanted. He came to the Lord and called him good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
He what he didn't realize was that he was in the presence.
Of the Creator of the universe, the Great, I am the one who was everything.
But he called him good. He was looking to him as just being another man.
And so the Lord asked him, Why call? Why do you call me good? There's nothing good but God.
What he didn't recognize was the fact that he was standing in the presence of God.
And he, the Lord tells him, well, if you want to do it the way the man.
According to God's standard, you're gonna have to keep the law, he said. Well, I've done all that.
Yes, he kept the law. He was a good man. There's a lot of people that feel like they're not too bad. They've done the best they could and but their conscience tells them that they're not quite right.
Well, the Lord Jesus gives him the answer, and he says to him says you lack one thing.
Go sell all that you have and give to the poor, and then you're going to have treasure in heaven.
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And then come follow me.
I'm like, as I look out over this group tonight, I'm just eating this morning. I wonder if there's any of you that have one thing lacking.
Last night we.
Learn that Christ is everything. If you have Christ, you have everything. If you do not have Christ, you have not, You have nothing.
This man lies in the grave today. Probably been there for nearly 2000 years.
Did he die with one thing lacking?
No, the mentality of a lot of people is today is that they want the best of this world.
And then they want to go to heaven when they die.
Beloved young people.
Don't do that.
You if the Lord Jesus doesn't mean anything to you.
And you know, you've been brought up in Christian homes, most of you, and you've heard the word of God from your earliest days. You know how to get saved. And it's easy to make a profession that yes, I'm saved. But then.
Your life maybe does not show that that is really true.
This man.
The Lord Jesus told him.
You have one thing lacking, and if you have that, if you take care of that one thing that's lacking, then you're going to have treasure in heaven and come and follow me.
Know it's caused something to follow the Lord Jesus.
Salvation is free.
But it costs something to follow him.
The next one thing that I'd like to look at is found in John Chapter 9.
25.
This story that we're going to refer to and I'm going to read the chapter, it's going to take too long, but it was a a man that was begging and.
When Jesus passed by, he saw the man that was blind from his.
Birth and his disciples asked him and said, well what's the problem? Did this man sin or did his parents sin that he was born blind? Young man has to have a reason for everything.
But the.
They were in the presence of one who lay back in eternity. Prepared this occasion.
The Lord Jesus came along at the very specific time, this man probably 1825 years old.
Was had never seen the light of day.
And.
So the disciples asked him, well, why?
Why is he blind? There has to be a reason. But the Lord Jesus says it's for the the glory of God that this man was born blind.
And so we see that the Lord Jesus gave him his sight, and then these religious people.
Didn't like that they they were opposed to the Lord and they couldn't believe that this man was born blind. So he had to tell them three or four times and his parents had to tell him and they kept on pestering this poor man. So now we're going to read in verse 25. It says he answered and said.
Whether he be a Sinner or no, I know not one thing. I know that where whereas I was blind.
Now I will see. Now I see.
Imagine the rejoicing of this young man that had never seen the light of day and now he was seeing what he think about much else.
These men tried to tell him that the Lord Jesus was a Sinner.
Well, that wasn't important to him. One thing I know that whereas I was blind, now I see.
You know.
It's nice to know things and from the Bible we can know in.
00:10:03
First, John.
We, I think I've countered it up probably more than 21 Times. It says we know or we have known and there's so many things that we know.
But you know that oftentimes we allow what we don't know to spoil what we do know.
Beloved.
Stand on the promises of God what has been revealed to you, and enjoy them and appreciate them and know them. And if you do, God will give you more light and give you more things to know.
But we need to realize that Satan is opposed to everything that is of God.
And he's not going to allow these things to come easy to you. It's going to cost you some. It's going to cost you some effort to be able to to.
Walk in them. But remember one thing I know, this man said.
Whereas I was blind, now I see. Wasn't that wonderful.
Even though those men did not believe him or didn't want to believe him.
He was.
Had lots more light now and they did. You know sometimes we can see with these natural eyes, but we may be blinded as to other things. If we don't want to know something. Maybe God will withhold that light. But it says if any man will do his will, he shall know.
And that is so important for us to realize that.
If we want to do the Lord's will, he'll show it to us. But if we want to do our own way?
That light may be withheld from us, and that's a solemn thing.
The next one thing that I'd like to look at is found in Elites Gospel chapter 10 and verse 38. It says now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house and she had a sister called Mary which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, does not, and dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Better therefore that she helped me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.
But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen.
That good part which shall not be taken away from her.
Here the Lord Jesus was in this home and received their hospitality. There were two sisters, Martha and Mary.
And in another place that says.
Now.
Jesus loved Martha and her sister.
I think that's so nice, but.
Here was Mary, she was sitting down there at the feet of the Lord Jesus.
Just taking in what he had to say.
And enjoying it and digesting it, in contrast to her sister Martha.
Who is busy trying to serve the Lord? And she was probably doing a very good job of it.
But she should have been content, I believe. But she was discontent in finding fault with Mary because and she wanted the Lord to speak to Mary. Well, how Lord you, you should know that I need help here, but.
The Lord had to tell her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but Mary has chosen the good part. Is there anything equal to sitting at the feet of the Lord Jesus and hearing what he has to say? What impresses me about Mary and this one thing that's needful that she have chosen is the fact that.
00:15:04
That in the Vietnam, the 12Th chapter.
Of John's Gospel.
That Mary is found there.
And she anoints the feet of the Lord Jesus.
And she has the first box of very precious ointment.
And she breaks it and pours it upon the Lord Jesus.
And we see that the disciples who also heard the words of the Lord.
Were there.
And we see that Judas makes this.
Remark that says my that what a waste of that was to pour out. That ointment could have been sold for 300 pence and given to the poor.
The Lord Jesus says let her alone. She has wrought a good work on me.
Can we do too much for the Lord Jesus? No, He wants your heart.
She wants mine.
And if he has that, he's got everything. He's got all he can give.
The disciples heard the Lord Jesus say.
I'm going to go up to Jerusalem and I'm going to be crucified and I'm going to die and I'm going to be buried. I'm going to rise again, be raised again. The third day they all heard that, but I believe Mary was the only one.
That really understood what he was saying.
Because the Lord Jesus said She hath anointed my body for the burial.
Did she do it indiscriminately? No. I believe she had intelligence. We come to the tomb of the Lord Jesus we don't find.
Mary there. Just Mary. There was some other Mary's there, but not this one.
** *** believed with the Lord, told her, I think and I believe with all my heart that the Lord said one thing is needful.
Dear young people and all.
Never think that being in the presence of the Lord Jesus and sitting at his at his feet is a waste of time and it will not take the place of anything else. No service or anything. All true service comes from.
A heart filled with Christ worship always proceeds service.
And that's not the way man thinks. We feel like, well, we've got to be doing something and and they all get in all of a dither about certain things and feel like, well, this and that have to be done. And if I don't do it.
Just enjoy the Lord Jesus and everything else will come.
Naturally, according to God's mind.
In the Lord Jesus, God found his whole delight, and he wants.
You and I me to find our Holy Light in him too.
The next one thing we're going to look at is found in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 13.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do for getting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize.
Of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
This one, this is the great Apostle Paul speaking. He was the.
One time solve tarsus.
The Lord Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, struck him down, saved his soul.
And.
He looked at himself as the chief of sinners.
And he is the chief of sinners.
Is scriptural.
She made me send her #1A two or three. But the chief of sinners is in glory.
And he says this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
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With that goal before us, glory before us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need not worry about the things in the past.
You know, you might feel like, well, I didn't do too bad. I I really served the Lord well and things like that. We may look at ourselves or we might get so discouraged, think, oh, I made a mess of my life. Don't look back, look forward.
I like to look at it this way.
The Lord Jesus went to the cross.
He shut his breath. Blood. He has forgiven all my sins.
Past, present and future.
And he says their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.
They are all taken care of.
And we know that if we do anything for the Lord Jesus, he's got a book and he's going to write everything down. So that's all taken care of.
And he's got the record. My record may not, may be very faulty.
And God is never going to pat us on the back and says you sure did well.
No, he never will.
But in one day is coming when those books are going to be open and as everyone is going to be rewarded according to that he had done.
And whether it be good or whether it be bad, those bad things for the believer are all under the blood of the Lord Jesus. And what's left? He's going to open the book. He said you did this for me.
Perhaps that you didn't even realize that you were doing it.
And we may say, well Lord, what about this or that? Oh well.
We won't mention that.
But the Lord has the record is going to be absolutely perfect. Want that to be a wonderful day so we can afford to.
Forget those things which are behind and lift forward to that goal, the Lord Jesus, and keep pressing on.
Until that moment.
The next one thing I'd like to look at is in Second Peter chapter 3 and verse 8. But beloved being not ignorant of this one thing.
That one day is with the Lord as 1000 years and 1000 years. This one day the Lord is not slack concerning His promises must some men count slackness. But his long-suffering to us were not willing that any should perish, that that all should come to repentance.
Now why would?
The Spirit of God tell us that.
He doesn't want us to be ignorant about this one thing about one day in the sight of the Lords, that 1000 years and 1000 years is one day.
You know.
Sometimes we may feel like well.
This will never end.
Or this trial will never end.
Or we may look at other things and say, well, this is lasting a long time and we look at it the way men look at it, but let's not do that and let's look at it the way God looks at it.
Is there?
There's many children of young people here, probably 16 years old if we reckon time. According to this, you're about 24 minutes old. That's not too long.
And Wally. And Ken and.
Myself, we're about an hour and 40 minutes old. It's all.
So.
Time isn't really.
That important after all? Is it because God looks at one day being as 1000 years?
And 1000 years is one day.
I think was made remark last night, not sure, but about the I think Doug mentioned about the Lord Jesus in those three hours of darkness on the cross, you know that was an eternity.
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For you and me, each of us individual.
The Lord Jesus suffered for the sins.
Of millions. And he bore them all in three hours.
Can we possibly enter into that? Never.
Ever. Can we enter into that?
But we know that our sins have been righteously dealt with because God said so. God raised him from the dead.
And God set him at his own right hand and glory.
And if we have come under the shelter of that blood, God is satisfied. God is satisfied with Jesus. We are satisfied as well.
How the next one thing?
And I think this is number six. Everybody been keeping track of them is found in Psalm 27.
And verse 4.
It says one thing, have I desired the Lord that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
In Psalm 23 it mentions it says I shall dwell in the House of the Lord all the day.
Plenty of just with me.
I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. No, that's the future of everyone that has put their trust in the Lord Jesus. We're going to be there forever.
You know, but it's.
Thomas says one thing I've desired of the Lord, and that will I see capture, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, and to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
In John's Gospel chapter one.
John the Baptist looks upon Jesus as he walks.
And he says, Behold the Lamb of God.
You know two of his disciples, when they heard him say that, they followed Jesus.
And they said master.
Where dwellest thou?
And they abode with him that day.
1St I need to qualify so the Lord said come and see.
And they followed Jesus and they saw where he dwelt, and they dwelt with him that day. You know, there's a place now on earth.
That.
We can be where the Lord Jesus dwells.
He said in Matthew 18, verse 20.
Where two or three are gathered together in my name.
There am I in the midst of Him.
And Ephesians.
Chapter 2.
There's the habitation of God by the Spirit. There is a dwelling place here on earth.
Does that mean anything to you? Does it mean anything to me?
This dwelling place.
Is not liked by Satan and he's going to do everything in his power.
To hinder anyone from coming and coming to where the Lord Jesus is dwelling here upon earth.
But that ought to be the desire of your heart and mind to be where the Lord Jesus is, in the midst of His people.
I'm sure that he anticipated that moment that we are living in today.
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That the testimony to his name would maybe be down to two and three. It touches my heart.
To think that the greatest.
In all of God's universe.
The Lord Jesus.
That there would be no more that would be.
Brought to where he is dwelling.
But this ought to be the desire of your heart and mind. This precious book that we are reading from gives us God's mind. It shows us what He His desire is for us. He doesn't have a different path for each believer. He wants us all to follow His Word, and He's marked it out very plainly for us.
Do we appreciate it? Sometimes I feel like for myself, I can only speak for myself.
I don't appreciate it like I ought to.
I believe.
Made me appreciate it.
More than anything I can remember.
Just a few short years ago.
We went over to.
A large continent of Australia, nearly as big as the United States. And there was a couple, an old couple.
And advanced in years.
In their 80s, now is 90. But there was just a man and his wife who were searching.
The place where the Lord dwelt.
And in that vast land.
There is only two.
That are gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
He was searching for 30 years for that place.
And he found it.
And it meant so much to him.
But that's my heart if it means so much to him and he's willing to make this sacrifice.
Simply to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
It ought to mean something to me too. Sometimes we take it for granted. It's not just another group.
And I say that with all humility because we can take pride in this.
I don't believe the Lord wants us to do that.
I know he doesn't.
But He simply wants us to obey His word. And you young people.
You have been brought into such a place of nearness and privilege.
Don't give it up.
We trust it is your desire.
To dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of your life.
And to be able to see the beauty of the Lord.
To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire at his temple.
The Lord Jesus when he prayed.
The Father in the 17th of John.
Jesus, Father.
I will let.
Those that thou hast given me, behold my glory.
I used to think that, well, yes, one day we're going to.
See the glory of the Lord. We're going to see Him as He is.
There in bodily form, with these very eyes.
And we're going to see all his glories. But I wonder, you know, you and I can see his glory now while we're here upon this earth. And that's what he wants us to do. Is the Lord Jesus precious to you? Because he precious to me?
If he isn't, dear young people, please take inventory.
He wants to be precious to you. He is altogether lovely.
The last one thing.
Going to look at Joshua.
Chapter 23.
And verse 14.
And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed.
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Of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you, all are come to pass on to you, and not one thing have failed thereof.
This was.
Statement was made.
By a man who followed the Lord.
He was Moses minister, and he watched Moses as he led those children of Israel through the wilderness, heard their murmurings and complainings and all that pertained to them.
And he heard all the promises that God had given unto Moses.
Joshua led the children of Israel across the Jordan River.
He was their captain, or he's the leader. The Lord, of course, was the captain, but he was their leader.
And they were now settled in the land.
And he could say, not one thing has failed of all what the Lord said.
On the authority of the Word of God.
I can say that.
That there will never be one thing that will fail. All the good things that the Lord has promised stand on His promises.
There has never been an old person.
That has followed the Lord all the days.
Of their life and says I sure wish they hadn't done that.
No.
That is the path of joy and happiness following the Lord Jesus.
You young people are young.
Why not start today and make a?
A commitment in your heart like Daniel. Purpose in your heart to follow the Lord. I can assure you, you'll never ever be sorry you did it.
This world has many things to offer you, but.
Their only vanity and vexation of spirit on the authority of this word, The word that's exactly what they are, The richest man that ever lived upon this earth.
He wrote it all down for us. We don't have to experience it, however.
If we don't believe it.
We will experience it to our shame and to our sorrow.
Follow the Lord now.
Perhaps we could just simply.
Recap a bit of these seven things that we've been talking about.
One thing thou lackest, one thing I know, one thing is needful.
One thing I do.
I would not have you ignorant of this one thing.
One thing I have desired.
And then the last.
The last is there has not been one thing.
The Lord has not. It will never fail us.
Joshua could say that with experience, we can take Joshua's word forth.
And believe it and experience it for ourselves.
That thing.
Verses of 168.
The last two verses, I'm going to read them and then we'll sing them.
Oh, pardon us, Lord, that our love to thy name is so faint, with so much our affections to move.
Our coldness might fill us with grief and with shame. So much to be loved and so little to love.
Kindle within us the holy desire, like that which was found in thy people of old, Who tasted I love, and whose heart were on. Hearts were on fire, while they waited in patience thy face to behold.
The Things that are
Revelation 2-3 The Things That Are