Lawrenceville Conference: 1967
Table of Contents
Hold Fast-Be Strong
Address—C. Lunden
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They always sing together and #166.
I'll read the last verse.
Unchangeable, Thy gracious love, our earthly path has ceaseless views.
Air knew our beating heart to move Thy tender mercies still pursued.
Ever with us, May they abide and close us in on every side.
For the house.
God, my brother.
Oh.
Save this one.
Shall we turn to?
To second Timothy.
Second Timothy.
The first chapter.
You know Timothy, the the the epistles of Timothy were written.
To a person.
It's remarkable how the various scriptures are arranged, is it not? We have one, I believe one epistle written to a sister.
And then we have also a.
A gospel in the book of Acts written to a certain man has mentioned that we know little of.
And.
Here we have an epistle that's written to Timothy.
Now it's a little different than some of the writings in this way that especially the second epistle.
That the apostle is through with his ministry practically.
He's ready to be offered up.
And now his heart turns to Timothy, a young man we don't know how young.
But he knows that Timothy is going to carry on the work. He's assured of that.
And so he wants Timothy's heart to be warmed in the things of Christ.
He wants Timothy to know some of the things that he himself has experienced as he served the Lord down here.
He wants to point out some of the pitfalls.
He wants to set before him the reward.
And all that belongs to a path of service down here and faithfulness to Christ.
But there is something very touching about this epistle, as we'll see. It was written in a time when declension had taken place.
And the apostle was alone, as it were.
Not that there weren't other Christians, but they had lost sight.
Of the past.
All they that be in Asia forsaken me you could say.
And here is 1 soul Timothy that was true to the truth itself.
Not just the Apostle.
No, he was true to the truth itself.
And there were certain principles that mark Timothy that caused him to stand when others fell.
And so we would like to notice a few things in this 2nd epistle. This afternoon. We'll just read a few things out of each chapter.
In the first chapter, the first verse.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.
According to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus.
To Timothy, my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father.
And Christ Jesus our Lord.
I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing.
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I have remembrance of Thee in my prayers night and day.
Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy.
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice.
And I am persuaded that in thee also.
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.
Not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord?
Nor of me, his prisoner.
But be the partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.
According to the power of God.
Who has saved us and has called us within holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life?
And immortality to light through the gospel.
13 Verse Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of Maine.
In faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.
That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in US.
Now in this chapter we have sort of a background.
That the apostle is rehearsing in connection with Timothy.
As sort of a basis in which?
This man is going to be used of God.
There seems to be something here that goes back.
In the purposes of God in preparing A vessel to be used.
Now we sometimes think of certain persons like Jeremiah.
And Isaiah?
And Moses and Abraham and others.
And we think, well, they're especially outstanding characters, and so they have a special preparation.
But I believe that this is true in so many.
Not just a few.
But that the Spirit of God has wrought, so wrought in the hearts of his people.
That we might date back to our mothers, our grandmothers, and so on.
In the blessing and the background in our lives that have brought us into such blessing.
Now it's true that Timothy was going to be used in a special way.
But we see here how the apostle has noticed the background of Timothy.
Sometimes we wonder why there isn't more said about sisters in Scripture.
But have we noticed what scripture does say about the sisters?
Oh, with faithfulness on the part of these two.
Thy mother and thy grandmother.
Some years ago I was privileged to go and visit a man.
Who was on his deathbed? Who was 100 years old?
That is, he was to be 100 years old, perhaps the next day.
This man had been a criminal most of his life.
He had been in the penitentiary probably more than he'd been out in his adult years.
He had been a trial to the community.
But this brother asked me if I would like to go and see him on his deathbed perhaps.
He might confess Christ.
And he knew this brother well.
And as we walked into the room.
He called this brother by name and he said I have good news for you.
He says God has saved my black soul.
And so we had a little talk with him. He hadn't many hours to live.
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We asked him how had come about that after so many years, 100 years?
The Spirit of God had broken through into his soul.
And given him to see the light.
Well, he said. You know.
God put me on my back on the bed and he said all I could do was look up.
And he said I began to remember.
The verses.
That my grandmother taught me when I was a little boy.
How about it, grandmothers?
Are you getting discouraged teaching the little ones the verses? Don't be discouraged.
God is going to bless that work of yours.
In as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
How about it, mothers? Are you getting discouraged?
Don't be discouraged here we see.
As it's put here.
Thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice.
What value the Spirit of God puts upon.
These things that seem so small in the eyes of men.
That quiet teaching that will never be forgotten.
And so this is the background of this dear man.
And the apostle goes on to speak of the faith that was in him too, that he recognized.
Now Timothy was number doubt rather a timid man.
And that was nothing against him at all.
In fact, it was one of the things, no doubt, that drew the Apostle to him.
It was a sense of his own nothingness.
And so now he's ready for instruction in that line.
Because the boldness of nature is one thing.
And the boldness of faith is another.
Do you know that this according to history, that this timid man Timothy, who was instructed.
Do not be fearful.
We're told that he stood at the amphitheater and preached Christ until he was beaten to death.
That was the end of Timothy, according to history.
Yes, that's a different kind.
Of boldness, you know.
It's the kind of boldness that is the result of being in God's presence.
The other kind won't do.
It soon comes to an end.
And so he says, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power. That's what God has given, and of love, and of a sound mind.
We ultimately needed this.
Now I needed something else. The eighth verse.
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
That's the first thing.
Or you will say, surely Timothy wasn't ashamed of the testimony of the Lord.
Nobody was timid.
And he needed this expectation.
You know, it's one thing to sit in a room and talk about gospel work, and it's another thing to be found in the circumstance.
Where you are tested as to it.
It's quite another thing.
Then it's the question of crying to God to give you grace.
And so on those moments of trial and testing, he has this word from the apostles.
Being out, thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, not something else, nor of me as prisoner.
I suppose that was the reason why those in Asia had forsaken the apostle.
Because of his difficulties with the law.
At least that was part of it, I'm sure.
And so Timothy was able, through the grace of God, to see through it.
And to see that Paul was a prisoner for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It took real discernment, walking with God.
To be found in the path in the days of testing.
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And you know, we're living in similar days today when the believer is being tested.
In very unusual ways.
The enemy is coming right into our circumstances.
Everyday life in a special way.
With the children at school.
In employment.
In the everyday things of life, there are special testings that are coming up.
And they're all pouched in religious background.
Many of them.
And so the believer is being tested in a special way today.
And we may not be ashamed of the Lord Jesus.
But we might be tested in other ways that have to do with the testimony.
Pride comes in.
And so the apostles seeking to prepare Timothy.
But the moment when he would leave the scene and Timothy would probably be taking over in seeking to be a help to the people of God in a special way.
Now in the 13th verse.
He tells Timothy to have an outline of truth.
To hold fast an outline of truth. He couldn't hold it fast if he didn't happen.
And it supposes that you and I read and meditate on the Word of God.
Now it's nice to read the Psalms.
It's nice to read.
And the prophets?
It all has its place.
But let's remember that Scripture wants us to have an outline of sound words.
And so we should be acquainted with Scripture in general, both the Old and the New Testament.
If we're going to be able to stand against all of that was the enemy would bring against us if we seek to serve the Lord at all.
And so he tells them to hold fast.
The outline of sound words.
Which thou has heard of me?
He was an apostle.
It was Paul to whom was committed the truth of the mystery Christ in the Church, the most precious truth that has ever been given to man.
It is Paul that had this committed to him.
And now he was going to hand it on.
To Timothy.
He had to hand his designs to Timothy. He had communicated to Timothy these precious truths, as we see in the first epistle.
And elsewhere.
But now in the second epistle, when everything was falling to pieces outwardly.
He was encouraging Timothy to hold fast.
To this outline of truth now he refers to it again in the 14th verse.
That good thing?
That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in US.
Now immediately following details about those who have turned aside.
Probably men who had a great deal of intelligence.
But to know intelligence alone does not commend the man to the apostle.
Because they were using their intelligence to break up the Saints.
No, that won't do.
There has to be faith and love connected with it.
Not just intelligence.
And the things of God.
We have then a little background in this first chapter for Timothy.
The grace of God that long before, as we were singing in that little hymn there knew my beating heart to move.
Thy tender mercy still pursued.
Them as they was being prepared.
For this special work.
But now we will notice a few things in the second chapter.
In the first chapter we have a background.
We have here that which would be in preparation for his work that he has to do, the path that he's to walk in.
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The battle that's ahead.
And so it says, Thou, therefore, my Son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Isn't that a lovely way for the apostle to write here? We know it's inspired, of course, but I believe it just poured out of the heart of the apostle as he thought of Timothy.
The others having forsaken him, here was a man, a young man, who was standing fast.
And so he says.
Thou therefore my son, son in the faith.
Be strong.
How in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Now the natural man doesn't know anything about this.
You know true service for Christ is the result of grace.
Great. It isn't the result of natural.
Power or strength? It's grace.
And so he's exhorting him now to stand fast in this grace.
You know, if the apostle suddenly left the scene and Timothy found himself in a position where he might be taking a lead, he might feel possibly that he needs to exert some efforts.
No, he says. Timothy.
Here is where you understand.
Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Is he to use his own mind in developing the truth?
Never.
Oh how the Spirit of God guards the truth being carried on.
From generation to generation.
We may not have far to go now, you know. The Lord may be here any moment.
But if the Lord doesn't come immediately.
If he should wait a little so that souls might be saved.
Perhaps some of these young men and some of these young sisters will be found in places where.
They'll be serving the Lord in some special way.
And the Spirit of God tells us here how the truth is to be carried on.
The apostle doesn't say that on a certain St. In a certain place there will be a certain school that you'll go to, and there you'll be prepared in every way so that you can carry on the testimony of Christ. He doesn't say that. Notice what he does say.
The things which thou has heard of me among many witnesses.
The same commits out of faithful man who shall be able to teach others also.
That's the first thing.
That's the way the truth is carried on.
Where did you hear the truth? That's the point.
Where did you hear it?
And so.
Remember from whom thou heard them.
The source has to be pure, which is directly from the Apostle.
But it was in the presence of witnesses.
Oh, how precious this truth of this chapter is.
As we come to the very end days.
God is preserving the truth and has been preserving it.
And he's preserving it through young men like Timothy.
Who stand fast in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Not through some system of man.
No, this is the provision God has made.
The form of sound words that were transferred to Timothy into these other witnesses that were here.
Now Timothy was.
To commit these things to others, gradually, of course, in teaching, as he went about from place to place, he was to teach these things and commit them to others.
And so when Timothy passed off the scene, there would be those who had the precious truth in their possession.
That they had gotten first from the apostle.
And then carefully given to faithful man.
Faithful man.
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Who shall be able to teach others also?
But now he turns directly to Timothy.
As to his own course. And he says, Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Hardness. These were days of difficulty. The apostle had been in prison for some time.
His course was almost finished.
Timothy was going to find the path of hardness, and so it will be for those who wish to serve Christ today.
You may not be put in prison.
But it will be a path of hardness that is required.
No man that warth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life.
That he may please him who have chosen him to be a soldier.
You know we can't be double minded.
If one is serving Christ.
You can't be occupied with everything else.
There has to be a single eye.
He mustn't be entangled in the things of this life.
There are many things that are necessary.
But other things can be set aside. Their weights, the hint of the testimony.
They may seem important, but it only shows a divided heart if we become entangled in the things of this present scene as objects.
Timothy was not to do this. It would hinder his ministry.
Now the fifth verse I feel is so important.
It's all important to know. I remember the first time I heard this first quoted in a young people's meeting.
And it went through my heart like an arrow.
It was this verse that gave me to see the difference between simply gathering as I please and to be gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully? It was then that I was given to see that I was doing what I wanted to do instead of what the word of God told me to do.
You know, dear young people here this afternoon there's a day of reward.
Now God doesn't set that before you as an object, but He sets it before us as an encouragement.
There is a day of reward.
And you know there is such a thing as the judgment seat of Christ as well.
Our whole life will be reviewed.
And the motives behind what we have done.
In that day when God shall judge the secrets of man by Jesus Christ according to Paul's gospel.
Oh, what a day that will be.
Could you project yourself for a moment that far?
And picture yourself there at the judgment seat of Christ and looking back over your life.
How about the things that you and I are occupied with now? Are they profitable?
There are they in keeping with sound doctrine?
Oh, you say, nobody's told me not to do this or not to do that. Have you been reading your Bible carefully to discover the will of the Lord?
Our department, our dress, everything about us.
Is it all done in view of that day that's coming?
The day of reward. Then shall every man have praise of God, if there's any praise to be had.
It's then.
Oh, that's the day of manifestation.
The day when everything will be seen in its true light.
Habara.
Does my present manner of life conform to that moment?
The man also strive for masteries.
Yet is he not crowned?
Except he strive lawfully.
Now you'll notice in the last chapter.
If you look it up later that the apostle speaks about a crown of righteousness being laid up for him.
A crown of righteousness.
He had sought to strive lawfully.
And there's a special crown for that, the crown of righteousness.
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Now the sixth verse.
The husband man.
Past the first labor before he will be partaker of the fruits.
I believe that's the thought.
You may never see the fruits here.
Now we labor in faith.
You will see the fruits though.
But you will see them, perhaps in resurrection life.
There's no Timothy is instructed. You'll have to labor first Timothy.
The day is coming when you'll see the fruits. You may not see them now, but you have to labor first before there will be any fruit.
Now if we go down to the 19 verse.
We've noticed the background, we've noticed the preparation, the instructions of it.
And now we're going to notice a little of the associations.
In which he's to be found.
Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure.
Having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and that everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver.
But also of wood and of earth, some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor.
Sanctified and meet for the masters use.
Prepared unto every good work.
Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace.
With them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Now Timothy had a difficulty in his day.
He was in the house, but the house was broken down.
Things in the house were not like they were in their first epistle.
Something had happened.
When the Lord went away. You know why then?
There was unfaithfulness in connection with his testimony.
And that is carried down until today. There's terrible confusion in the House.
It's still his house though, remember that.
It's still his house and he's going to set things right when he comes.
Now Timothy can't set things right in the house.
But he can separate from that which is to dishonor.
And you and I can separate in the Christian profession from that which is dishonoring to the name.
Of the Lord. It's a question of His Lordship here.
And that's what Timothy is instructed to do.
The associations in which he is found must have also be pure.
They must not be contaminated.
There must be that which can stand the fire, the gold, and so on.
The wood and the hay and all that is going to be burned.
But Timothy, if he is going to carry on a pure testimony here.
The walk and the association is important, not only that.
But.
You and I are not strong enough in ourselves to resist.
Bad association.
No, if we obey the word of God, we will be preserved.
If we think that we can associate ourselves with that which is impure in a spiritual way.
Remember, we're going to be dragged into it.
You can never lift them up to your position. You will have to drop to theirs if you are going to be.
Having any fellowship at all with that which is not according to the word of God.
And this is so important.
And how many have fallen by the wayside here?
Oh, how important it is to notice that it's our associations.
And it's our habits that ruin us.
Now the foundation of God stands sure, Timothy.
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The foundation is your.
And As for God, he knows everyone of his children. Everyone of them.
There may be some disobedient children, but he knows them. He knows everyone.
There was a day when Timothy could tell who were the Lord's, perhaps that the time had come, that perhaps it was hard for him to know.
There was a mixture.
And you know, it's a sad commentary, isn't it, when those who are supposed to be God's people can't be told from the world?
And how often do we have to hang our heads too in this matter?
Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
It's the thought of the Lordship of Christ here.
Do we want to go on and own him as Lord in this scene?
Well, and depart from inequity.
Now in the Psalms, the word iniquity is often used in connection with that which is hidden within the heart, in contrast to the word sin.
Now perhaps that's the way it's used here. It's a religious line of things where there's something hidden in the house that's wicked.
A system of things that the enemy has introduced. The mystery of iniquity.
All of this is going on.
It doesn't seem too well, except by the anointed eye.
And so he is to depart from iniquity.
Now this is the result.
21St verse if a man.
Therefore, purge himself from these. This is what he will be.
He should be a vessel.
Unto honor set apart.
And meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
A brother used to use this illustration and I'll borrow it, he said. A sister.
Will take special dishes.
The dishes that she values very much that she does not use every day.
But she will wash them carefully and Polish them, and she'll put them away behind perhaps glass doors.
And there they'll stay, possibly month after month.
And then the time comes when a special guest comes along and out come these dishes.
Now they were prepared for the master's use. They may not be used though, except on certain occasions. I think this is a lovely illustration.
And it goes right along with the time. You know when.
Elijah was told after he had said to Ahab. According to my words, there'll be no rain in these years. The Lord said to Elijah, you go hide yourself.
And for 3 1/2 years, Elijah did nothing publicly at all.
Oh, that's good for our souls.
God wants us to know that He wants to use us when He wants to use us, not when we want to be used.
Oh, how good that preparation was for Elijah.
And I suppose if you asked Elijah after it was all over, Elijah, would you have missed this? No, Sir, I wouldn't have missed this or anything.
3 1/2 years hidden away.
And then to come out again and to be used in such blessings, such tremendous blessing for the people of God.
And then finally be carried up into heaven.
Accompanied by the Chariots of fire.
Yes.
God knows the way he takes.
And I will walk with him. The little hymn puts it how good it is.
And so we have the vessels now prepared and they're clean. They're ready for the master's use.
And remember, they're prepared unto every good work. How are they prepared?
Some special training indeed.
But that which was given in the word of God.
Not what men speak of as special training.
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How can you teach? How can you teach the things of God in men's schools?
It's only God Himself that can teach what He wants to teach man.
And it was handed to the apostle directly from himself.
Not to the church, to an apostle.
The Church does not teach, but the Church does support the truth.
But now we've had the preparation for every good work.
Now that's true of everyone who is in this position.
Now we notice the positive effects.
1St of a separation now.
Proper associations. The 22nd verse.
Flee also youthful us. In other words, when you flee, leave them way behind.
Way behind. That's the safeguard of you.
Leave them way behind. Flee them.
Don't make any provision for the flesh.
To fulfill it the lust thereof.
But follow righteousness.
That's the first thing. That's God's own character.
But I like that little word follow.
You know, this is a good word for young people or for any, no matter how old, if they're just young in Christ or if they've come in among the people of God.
One of the first lessons is to learn to follow.
To follow.
It's there in quietness that the soul learns the deep lessons.
Of the ways of God. Oh how important this is.
Besides, it shows the proper spirit of dependence and obedience.
Which is so necessary in the Christian walk?
Follow.
How do we follow? We watch others.
And we listen as they set the word of God before us.
We follow.
Whose faith follow?
Oh, how good it is to see a brother or sister walking in the path of faith, to see Christ replaced in the vessel.
And having that confidence in them.
To see how their walk is in keeping with the Word of God and how it's demonstrated before our eyes, that's good.
And so to follow righteousness.
Faith.
Now faith, you know, is that which comes from the word of God.
There's no such thing as faith except that which is founded on the Word of God.
Men use that word faith rather lightly, you know. But faith really means that it has come from what God has said.
That's faith.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. It doesn't follow. Just something that's come out of your mind that seems to be holy in character. That's not faith.
If they speak not according to this word, it's because there is no light in them.
It must come from the Word of God. That's faith.
But it's also that which counts on God, you know?
Is that what just rests completely upon God?
And his word.
But it's in keeping with His word. Now we follow righteousness.
Faith.
Love Charity.
The bond of perfectness.
By this shall all men know that you're my disciple.
In that you have love, one for another.
And then peace.
The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.
I am quoting for the new translation in James.
The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.
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You know, that's in keeping with the gospel as it went out. First they went preaching peace by Jesus Christ.
And that's one of the signs, you know, that the Spirit of God is working in the midst.
One of the signs?
Peace.
You know, it's easy to stir things up, but it's hard to settle them down again.
It's better not to stir them up.
That how much we we can learn from this. How much better not to stir things up.
To keep that evenness, that peace that is so important among the people of God.
And so there's a special expectation to Timothy in the 24th verse in this respect.
It's in connection with foolish and unlearned questions.
Questions that don't have any basis in Scripture.
You know, the things that are revealed are for us and our children.
The secret things belong to the Lord our God.
Let's leave them there.
And let's not bring up foolish and unlearned questions. And so the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men apartment to teach in patience.
Well, this is good instruction man.
But I want to finish that verse.
In the 23rd verse, or rather the 22nd verse.
With them that call on the Lord out of a pure or sincere heart.
And so when you follow these things, you're to follow them with.
Them. Now who is this them?
I believe that you and I will follow the.
Instructions so far. We'll discover who the them are that he refers to here.
They're the ones who you can't read their hearts, but you can read whether this is true of that company.
Oh, what a wonderful thing it is.
To be in a place.
To be able to bring our children up in a place with the Spirit of God is free to minister the things of Christ.
Where the guarded and kept from all the power of the enemy in the way that he lies, and wait to deceive, especially by the wicked devices of false doctrine.
But a wonderful thing it is to be preserved in this way, and I believe that God will preserve a little testimony in this way until Jesus comes.
Now it says in the 12Th verse of the third chapter.
I speak of this portion as.
Sort of an excitation to Timothy.
For constancy of spirit.
Starting with the 12Th verse. Before that, he's been speaking about what would take place in the last days.
The difficult times, but still he's exhorted to be constant in spirit.
So.
All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Timothy tasted persecution, I believe.
14th verse but continue thou.
In what? And bringing in something new that will fit the day? Is this is what he used to do? Is he to invent something that is for the times?
No.
Continue thou.
In the things which thou has learned, and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
And then he goes back to his childhood again.
It goes back to the very beginning where he heard the first things and that's what he used to continue in.
He had been taught by his grandmother, Lois and his mother.
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From a child.
Thou hast known the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Scriptures, oh how we should value the word of God.
What a contrast with all that men are setting up today.
With their wicked minds.
Oh, how we should value the precious Word of God.
In a day like this especially.
Because what will it do?
Are able to make thee wise unto salvation.
Oh, I trusted everyone of these dear young people have been made wise to salvation.
I am sure that most here have been brought up in Christian homes. Now it says continue thou.
Don't let anything ruffle you or disturb you out of the truth. Keep that helmet of salvation secure on your head.
It will keep out the arrows, the Wiles of the deaf.
Through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
Now that brings it home to the constants.
Oh, how many have heard the gospel in their home? But the point is, have you confessed?
Christ Jesus.
Have you confessed him with your lips? Have you believed on him in your heart?
So you can say he's my savior.
So what he learned as a child from the Holy Scriptures? I believe he's referring to the Old Testament, however.
Because that's what he had.
In addition, he had the words of the apostle.
Which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Now, there are two verses of Scripture that particularly have to do with this subject, and one of them is right here.
It says all scriptures given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. And so this is what this Scripture tells us what it's for.
But in the 15th chapter of Romans there is a verse that says.
In the fourth verse.
For whatsoever was written, For whatsoever things were written before time were written for our learning.
That we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope. Now that tells us who it's for.
And so he is introduced to that which not only makes him wise unto salvation, but makes him prepared and truly furnished to all good works.
Now, in closing, I'll just refer to the last chapter and that's this.
There's a day when God is going to judge.
The living and the dead.
And in view of that solemn event.
Well, there's going to be a separation forever.
Between those who have and who have not received the word of God.
Timothy was told to preach the Word in season and out of the season.
Over the solemn thing it is to think of the judgment to come.
And the souls that are going to perish forever, the living nations have rejected the testimony of the Kingdom.
And all the dead from Adam on despises the testimony of their day. But a solemn thing.
Then he also sets before Timothy certain ones like Dimas and others who have dropped by the wayside.
They were still believers, perhaps.
But they've given up the path of faith, the solemn warning. But he says to Timothy, henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.
Which the Lord, the righteous Judge will give me in that day.
Oh, what an end for the path of faith and faithfulness down here.
May the Lord give each one, especially you, dear young people.
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Purpose of heart.
To serve the Lord, to walk according to the truth. It has been set forth in the Holy Scriptures.
The Shunamite
Address—G. Hayhoe
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#209 Our times are in my hand, Father, we wish them there. Our life, our soul, are all we leave entirely to thy care. 209.
Our times.
Chapter 4.
Second Kings chapter 4.
In the 18th verse.
And when the child was grown, it fell on a day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the ***** that I may run to the man of God, and come again. And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him? Today it is neither new moon nor Sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
Then she saddled an *** and said to her servant Dr. And go forward, slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
And she went and came unto the man of God to Mount Carmel. And it came to pass when the man of God saw her afar off.
That he said to Gehazi, his servant. Behold Yonder is that Shunamite.
Run now, I pray thee to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. And when she came to the man of God, to the hill, she caught him by the feet, But Gehazi came near to thrust her away. The man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is vexed within her, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
Then he said. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my Lord?
Did I not say, Do not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way. Must thou meet any man? Salute him not. And if any salute thee, answer him not. Again. Blame my staff upon the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child.
Thought there was neither voice nor hearing, wherefore he went again to meet him and told him, saying The child is not awake.
And when Elijah was coming to the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes into his upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands. And he stretched himself upon the child in the flesh of the child, waxed warm. Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro, and went up and stretched himself upon him.
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And the child sneezed 7 times and the child opened his eyes.
And he called Gahazi, and said, that call this Unamite. So he called her, And when she was coming unto him, he said unto her, Take up thy son. Then she went in and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.
Well, it's a very interesting story that God has given to us in connection with this Shunamite. I'm sure we've all enjoyed reading it just because of the great interest in the way the story is told. But I believe that there is a lesson for us all in connection with this. And the lesson that I feel particularly is that when this woman was in trial, we find that there were those who did not enter into the cause of her trouble and her distress.
And then there was one who could enter into it and was able to be a help to her. And so, dear young people, that's my desire this afternoon, not only to speak of the problems that you might be confronted with, but that there is a way and that there is help. The Lord is sufficient, and we can turn to Him and count upon Him.
One, just to go back a little bit in the story here when we first read about this woman.
We find her as one.
Who saw Elisha passing by the house from day-to-day? And then she said to her husband, couldn't we put a little part, a little lean to on our house where this man of God could stop when he passes by? Well, I think this is almost beautiful because as we look in the past of her life, we see a singular devotedness to the Lord. And very often as we look upon the lives of young people, we can see a very singular devotedness to the Lord.
And this may continue for some time until some great problems and difficulties arise. And so it was here that this woman, she, she prepared this place. And it wasn't without cost, it wasn't without sacrifice. For I gather from the story that they were probably quite poor.
And it was a great expense to herself and to her husband that they prepared this home and this little room on the side of their home so that Elijah might stay there. And your young people, the Lord sees and values any devotedness, any love for him, any little service that you have ever done for him. He hasn't overlooked it. It's precious to him. He knows what it may have cost you. He knows the problems that you may have to meet and how you've sought to be faithful to him.
In your school.
And even if it may seem to be in the past, I say the Lord has not forgotten.
Whatever is done for Him is precious in His sight. He has told us in His word that not even a cup of cold water will lose its reward in that day. He has said that it would be unrighteous if He were to forget your work and labor of love which you showed toward His name. Isn't it lovely that He can righteously forget our sins? He can tell us your sins and iniquities. I will remember no more.
And yet he would tell us that it would be unrighteous if he forgot anything that we did for him. Oh, how lovely that he so values what is done for him. Well, and we find that she was rewarded not only in the in the future. And whatever has been done for the Lord will be rewarded in the coming day. But you know, the Lord delights to also come in and show us how He can work things out in our life down here.
And so, because of what she had done for the man of God, we find that as she was rewarded even in this life, and the desire of her heart was granted, she had wanted to have a son, and that had been withholding from her. But the Lord now rewarded her and gave her a son. Well, should I say that for a time everything seemed to go on quite happily.
And there was devotedness on her part. There was the Lord's blessing apparent in her life. Things continued like this for some time, but then a shadow fell. And dear young people, this is the way it is in life. Everything goes along, perhaps happily for a time, and the Lord makes Himself dear and precious to us. But it has often been said that God must test everything that is of Himself.
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And saw this test must come in this home and it must come in your life.
Maybe up to this point things have gone on fairly well. Or perhaps you too have come to the point when some great shadow has fallen in your life, some trial has come, some problem has arisen. You find yourself quite insufficient for this difficulty. It does come. I say again, the Lord allows this in our lives down here, and as we sang in our little hymn, we can say our times.
Are in thy hand, and faith can rise up and say Father.
We wish them there, we wish them there what we wanted otherwise.
Well, so where I began to read after everything had gone along quite smoothly.
And apparently, happily, a great sorrow, perhaps the greatest sorrow that she could have anticipated. To have lost her money, to have lost a position, wouldn't have meant so much to her. But this boy, this son of their old age, he takes sick, he takes sick. And it appears that the father is unable to enter into the sorrow he ought to have been able to.
It surely has. As the father in the home, he ought to have been able to enter into this sorrow, but he didn't.
And sometimes even those near and dear to us don't seem to enter into our troubles. They don't seem to enter into the sorrows and the things that we are facing. And we feel as we must, as if we must go through them alone. But dear young people, we don't go through them alone. The Lord is ever near. He has promised. I will never believe thee nor forsake thee. He has said, Lo.
I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.
Does crave understanding and justice? Think of this, father.
When the boy took sick, instead of having some feeling, he said carry him to his mother.
He just shelved the responsibility and can't we do the same? Sometimes when a problem rises, we just like to wash our hands and say, well, that's not my responsibility. If someone else can meet this problem, someone else can solve this difficulty. And so the father said we'll bring him to his mother.
And so he was carried to his mother, and he sat upon her knees until noon, and then he died.
Not she was allowed to feel now the full reality of the sorrow. She had held the boy upon her knees. She had seen his life, as it were, having a way, and now he was gone. He couldn't expect that her husband could enter into this.
Have because he had shown such indifference in this matter. And perhaps, dear young person, it might be that such a thing has come in your life. You were going through something. Maybe there's something right now in your life and you're passing through it and you feel as if there's no one that you can talk to. There's no one that understands, there's no one that can enter into it and help you. Well, the Lord does, and sometimes He uses others too.
Sometimes he raises up those who can be a help and here, I think is a lesson for us.
Because when the Lord Jesus was here upon earth, was He not the most approachable of all men? As He went about all those who were distressed and in sorrow, they found relief in Him. The woman of the city who was unwanted by society, she felt wanted by Him, and she came right into the very home of the Pharisee, and she took her place at His feet. If there was no one on earth.
That understood there was no one that knew the burden of her heart. The sin that she was living in was not bringing happiness to her.
Others might have just shunned her and said, well, look at the life she's living and it was wicked, but the Lord still was able to bring blessing to her soul. The Lord was able to meet her need. The Lord was able to bring pardon and salvation and He is able to bless still. As the little hymn says, the Savior can solve every problem. There's nothing.
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Too hard for Jesus?
There's nothing that he cannot do.
Well, then, it tells us here in the 21St verse that when the boy had died, she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door upon him and went out. Well, I think there's something rather touching about this. This man of God had stayed there at that home. He had that room by the side, and she felt there was one who could.
Enter into this trouble that had come in her life.
And I speak a little word to myself. I speak a word not only to the young people, but to those who are older. And I speak a word to young people too. This is a time when, if ever it was needed, it's needed now, that there should be those who would understand, those who would be able to enter into the problems.
That are very real in life today and that this world is changing so rapidly.
And young people are called upon to face these changes in a much greater way than we who are older. They are faced with situations that are exceedingly difficult, and they need the help and the understanding of those who are older. They need the help and the understanding of fellow young people, not to look lightly upon sin, not to become careless about it, but to know how to meet these.
Problems, these situations, these disappointments, these frustrations that come in a way that would be for God's glory and for their blessing.
And so here it tells us that she took this dead boy and laid him in the room of the man of God. And dear, dear brethren in Christ, I would ask you, if someone is in trouble, do they come to you? Or do they know that you would just turn away from them and say it's your own fault? Or do they come to you and find one who is willing so without saying a word, without even asking?
She went up and put the child in the room.
This man of God, she knew that was a room of prayer. She knew that was a place where there was a man who communed with God. She recognized in him a man of God, and she knew that she could find some help in this terrible calamity that had come into her life.
And then she called her husband, which was only right and proper. That is, she recognized her responsibility.
And we must never fail to recognize relationships and responsibilities. God has formed those relationships. God has formed those responsibilities. And it's never right under any circumstances for us to disregard those human relationships which God has formed. And even when perhaps they may not be all that they should be, even when there is not the understanding that there should be, it is right that we should recognize them.
Because God has owned them.
The relationship of the child to the parent, the parent to the child, the husband to the wife, and the wife to the husband. These are relationships formed and owned of God. So she calls her husband, and she asks that he would saddle an *** and that he would.
Allow her to run to this man of God. Well, he didn't understand.
Notice his reply on the 23rd verse.
And he said, wherever wilt thou go to him today, it is neither new moon nor Sabbath. And she said, it shall be. Well, yes, he, he didn't enter into this. There was no argument. There was no unpleasant words, but there was a lack of understanding. And this is something that's very sad. And this is something that perhaps is a word to those of us who are in the relationship of husband and wife.
Is there an understanding when problems rise? Is there an understanding, a sharing of the problems that come? Well, it was not just exactly so in this home.
Because we find that this father sent the child to the mother didn't inquire how he was and when she wanted to go away, he said, well, why do you want to go? It's not a new moon, it's not a Sabbath. All how sad this was. Well, this is a little word to us because when God gives a a wife as she used to be the helpmate and the husband.
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To love his wife, even as Christ also loved the church. So we can see, perhaps there's a little lesson. There was a lack in this home. But does this lack 'cause this woman to be so down and depressed by the situation that there is no help for her in the Lord? Oh no, there's. There's help for her in the Lord. And no matter how things may turn out to be.
And no matter what problems we may face, no matter how human relationships may fail.
You're young people, there's one who never fails, the little hymn says. Jesus never fails. Earthly friends may prove untrue. Doubts and fears of sale. 1 still loves and cares for you, and he will not fail. And I believe this dear woman had this confidence in her soul that there was one who did the Lord, the one whom Elijah, so to speak, represented.
As his servant, as his prophet, was the one who did care, and so she said she was going to go to him.
And so it tells us in the 25th verse. So she went and came unto the mount of God, to Mount Carmel. Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, Yonder is that Shunamite. Now you know Gehazi was a very keen man.
We find him in different situations. He was very keen, he was very shrewd.
But he was certainly not very understanding, and here we find that he wasn't the first one.
To notice her coming because natural keenness never perceives the problems and the difficulties.
But Elijah was a man of God. He was one who walked with God. He was one whose heart went out to the people of God. Indeed, I might say that he was a prophet at the time when Israel was at a very low state in their National History, and they had not hearkened to the call of God under Elijah, seeking to call them back to the true God. And so Elijah was a prophet at a time.
When the nation had shown a very sad attitude.
But here we find that Elijah was on the lookout, so to speak, and he saw this woman coming and he said there is that Shunammite there she is coming. And he saw that there was something was wrong. Do you and I noticed that, you know, often isn't it true that a mother will be quick to perceive, oh, there's something wrong with the child, there's something wrong. And her first thought, her first instinct is, can I help the child?
Do we have that feeling toward the people of God? We find that Paul did. It says that with those Philippians, or with the Thessalonians rather, he nourished them as a nurse cherishes her own children all. He had such a love for those dear people, saved from the darkness of heathendom, connected with all the worst observances of heathen practice, and yet he had a a soft and a tender heart.
Toward those people and cared for them. And that was the heart here of Elijah. I believe that's why he can be called a man of God, a man of God. Because godliness is God likeness. It's to be like God. And think of the Lord Jesus when he was here standing still at the cry of a blind man. There never was a heart in distress that he didn't know about it and that he didn't enter into the distress.
And the trouble?
And so it tells us that he sent Gehazi to meet her.
Run now, I pray thee to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. Well, this is a lovely expression of faith indeed. And she said it was well with her husband. She found no fault, although he certainly had not acted his part. Her little child was dead. And she said, It's well.
00:30:03
And is it well with thee? And her heart was oppressed with grief, and she still could say it is well all. How beautiful the faith that manifests itself in this circumstance.
What a challenge this is to us, dear young people. It's a challenge to us. It's a challenge to me. When someone has not treated you the way he should, you say, Oh well, it's well with him. I have nothing to say against him. Is that your attitude? I'm afraid it's not always mine. But this was the attitude that she displayed. Yes. It's well with my husband. It's well with the child. It's well with me. Beautiful triumph of faith. And yet.
There was a burden upon her heart.
Why didn't she tell it to Gehazi? Why didn't she mention her problem to Gehazi? All Gehazi could never, never enter into it. And how sad it is to think that this Ghazi, associated as he was with the man of God, was quite unable to enter into the difficulties of the people of God. And it shows too, how that any one of us, how we can perhaps.
Have a prominent place. We can become very active and yet not have a heart that understands, a heart that enters into things. And so we find here that she didn't tell Gehazi a single word.
Says in the 27th verse when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet and Gehazi came near to thrust her away. While Gehazi shows still more his lack of understanding, she was acting in an unusual way. She was she was forward and he didn't understand this and he was going to thrust her away.
And perhaps sometimes we may see a person acting in a strange way and we'd like to and we'd like to thrust them away. We'd like them to do something and perhaps we do drive them away. Sometimes people haven't actually driven away from the meeting. And the reason they acted the way they did was their heart was burdened. There was a sorrow pressing upon them and we didn't understand they couldn't enter into it.
We didn't know how they felt and so this was what Gehazi was going to do.
But the man of God, Elijah said, no, the faults with me, it's not with, it's not with him, it's with me, with her, it's with me. He said the Lord hasn't showed me what's the matter? There's something the matter and the Lord hasn't showed me. And when and we see people in problems and difficulties, do we blame them or do we do we say, well, what can I do to help that person? What can I do to minister Christ?
To lift that person out of the situation and so instead of the person being lost.
He would be helped, He would be encouraged, He would go on for the Lord, because it's a very happy sequel to this story, as we know, and for the rest of her recorded life. And God has told her, told us quite a little bit more about this woman in His word. We find that she went on happily after this, but Gehazi would have thrust her away.
But that little expression of the 27th verse. And the man of God said, let her alone.
For her soul is vexed within her, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
The Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me all. May I say again, when we see the days in which we live, the problems that our dear young people must face, the situations in which they find themselves?
Do we Do we enter into it?
Do we seek to be before the Lord that he might show us what the problem is and how we can be a help and a blessing? Well, this I think is a very humble attitude on the part of Elijah. He didn't blame her. He didn't even blame Gehazi. He just said let her alone. He said. The Lord hasn't showed it to me. I want to help her, he said.
But the Lord hasn't showed me what it is that is burdening her heart and all. There are many that have burdens upon their hearts. Many have trials, many have sorrows. And perhaps they say to you, it's well all, everything is all right. And in a sense, faith can say this. But in another sense, perhaps their soul is vexed within them. Maybe they're cast down.
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And oh, I think it's so sweet here, the way.
Elijah meets this situation.
In the 28th verse then she said, Did I desire a son of my Lord? Did I not say Do not deceive me? That was all she said.
She didn't say the child was dead, she didn't mention her problem, she just said enough.
Understood what it was. It was something about the child. It was something about that boy that she loved. And she didn't undertake to tell it all. She just told a little bit. She said, did I ask her son? Did I say don't deceive me? He said, I know what it is. That's what's on her mind. And so he was quick to discover what the trouble was and he was ready to do what he could to help out.
In this problem.
And Ohio, how lovely it is to see him prepared to make any effort, any sacrifice in order to be a help. I'm not just saying this to you who are older. I'm saying it to myself. I'm saying it to every young person here because you can be a help or a hindrance. One young person can be a help to another. One young person can be a hindrance to another. An older person can be a help to a young person.
All each one of us.
Paul said in Hebrews 10, Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. Think of something that you can do to help someone to love the Lord Jesus more, to follow Him more, to do more of what's pleasing to Him.
Well, the 29th verse Then he said, The Gehazi drew up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way. If thou meet any man, salute him not, and if any salute thee, answer him not again, and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
Well, shall I say.
Even Elisha sought out an easy way out of this difficulty. Perhaps if he could just send his staff and Ghazi could take it and put it on his face, that would help. Perhaps we see somebody in trouble, we send them a little pamphlet, a little tract in the mail. We think maybe this would help all. She said no, she wouldn't leave him. She said the 30th, 1St and the mother of the child said as the Lord liveth.
And as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.
And he arose and followed her. Isn't this lovely? She said no, there's no easy way of helping in some of these situations. There's no easy way, brethren. It takes what we find in the verses that follow by getting into our room with the Lord, having the problem out with Him, being in His presence, getting close to it, and that we find so beautifully set before us.
In what follows.
But Gehazi, impetuous as he was, he passed on before them. He was going to do something. He was going to show that he could do something. And so he takes the staff and he puts it on the face of the child and he comes back. He says the child is not awake. And how often we get impetuous. We like to do something in a hurry. We like to clear out the thing in a hurry by some easy method.
Remember, but the Lord Jesus said, when the disciples came down from the mountain, and there was that Father and his boy was possessed with that evil spirit, he said, I spake to thy disciples, and they could not cast him out. Well, they asked the Lord why it was, and he said, this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting.
This kind God is not out but by prayer and fasting. Now don't mistake me, I don't minimize what great good can be done by a little gospel tract, by a little tract or message that might be sent in the mail. The Lord has often been pleased to use such efforts. But there are times when it requires more than that. It requires an entering into a situation that we have never entered into before.
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Something that has never perhaps arisen in our life or in that other person's life in exactly the same way.
And so it tells us in the 32nd verse and when Elisha was coming to the house.
Behold, the child was dead and laid upon his back. Yes, the mother had done this before. She'd taken the boy up. She had placed his lifeless body upon the bed of this man of God, and she had gone to seek him. And now he comes back. He follows her back.
Seeking no doubt to enter into her sorrow. And he goes up to his room. And there was the problem, so to speak. There was the problem in all its reality.
And it was put right there before him.
Was he going to drive her away? Was he going to say the case is hopeless? Or was he going to turn to the Lord and find a resource in him? In the God of resurrection, in the one who is able to give life in the presence of death, The one who can do what no mortal on earth can do. The one, as we remark before, who can solve every problem.
Who can meet every situation, and who has said, My grace is sufficient for thee? How He went up to his room, and there it was, and the 33rd verse. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. Oh, how beautiful this is. It wasn't his problem. In a way he could have said, Well, this isn't my difficulty.
Let the others straighten about themselves. It wasn't his own family. It wasn't his own in that sense, but he had a heart for the people of God. And that's what a man of God is. I say again, He is one who represents the heart of God, who acts in that way that God is.
Is made known through one of his servants. He was perfectly made known in the Lord Jesus.
He was God manifest in the flesh. But here we find Elisha in the room, and there the two of them, the dead child.
The difficulty and he's praying to the Lord, He's looking to him. Oh, what a grand thing it is that we have such a resource in God.
Yes, we have one that we can turn to. You know, dear young people and those of us who are older, I say it again, we're living in difficult days. We can say all it's hopeless. Things are going from bad to worse. But here the child was dead.
But the Lord was sufficient. The Lord was sufficient. Or may we have that confidence when such things come, and that we will do what Elisha did here now on the 34th verse. And he went up and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he stretched himself upon the child.
And the flesh of the child waxed warm. There's something very touching in this description here when it says he put his mouth upon his mouth.
Have we ever entered into another person's situation? Have we ever entered into it?
Tells us about Ezekiel, that when he was sent to the children of the captivity.
He came in the heat of his spirit. He was grieved at the conditions that existed.
Among the people of God who had been carried captive. And he went in the heat of His spirit. But when he went there and saw where they were, it says he sat where they sat, and remained astonished, and didn't say one word for seven days. And I think that's what is brought before us here. He put his mouth upon his mouth.
All how important for us to enter into what others are going through.
Have we put our mouth upon their mouth? We put our hands upon their hands, We put our eyes upon their eyes? Do we know what they're exposed to, what they're having to meet? Maybe they're things that we never had to meet, things that we never entered into before. And our children are facing things that we older ones don't know much about. We didn't have to face those things, but they're facing a new age. They're facing a different one. But here we find this man of God.
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And you notice a striking expression. It says he stretched himself. Now, you wouldn't think if I were to lay on top of a child, I wouldn't have to stretch myself. I'd have to shrink myself to get down to the size of a child. Why does it say he stretched himself?
Oh, you know, it takes a great deal of effort, takes a great deal of stretching because we're so cramped in our thoughts, we're so cramped in our affections.
That, as Paul said, that be also enlarged. We need to have our affections enlarged. We need to have our thoughts enlarged to enter into things. And so he stretched himself and he stayed there until it flesh of the child waxed warm, flesh of the child wax warm. He could have said, oh, it's so cold, I can't bear it. But he stayed there until a flesh of the child.
Relaxed, warm, and then even though lowlife didn't return, even low, it didn't seem as if he had the answer just yet. It says here in the 35th verse. Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro.
It wasn't something that could be done hurriedly or quickly. He walked in the house to and fro. And sometimes we want a situation to be cleared up at once.
See, the thing answered right away. But there are times when we need patience. It says that the signs of an apostle were wrought in all patients. It says in Colossians 1 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power unto all patience, and long-suffering with joyfulness. And so he went up again, and he laid upon the child again.
And it says.
The child sneezed 7 times. Did you ever wonder if that expression?
The child sneezed 7 times. Well, I I read a remark that another maid, which I much enjoyed a good many years ago about it, he said the first signs of life may be in a very unexpected way. I thought that was very good. Sometimes we want to see the first evidence as something as something that's very pronounced, very glowing, very touching.
But here he just sneezed 7 times, the strange evidence of life, but it was a great evidence to the heart of the man of God who was looking for it. That's what he was looking for. He was looking for the evidence of new life. That's what he was looking for. Dear young people, that's what I want to see in you. That's what the Lord wants to see in you. I confess I often fail not having enough patience to wait for it.
Not looking for it enough.
Not having the grace to enter into the situation till I have seen the display of that new life, the Lord.
Values for that which is of himself in your heart and mind, any feeble pale reflection to his love. And as I said, it came in a very strange way, but the man of God could say child is alive, there's life there, and oh how beautiful it is where there's life there.
It will manifest itself, It will manifest itself. And So what a triumph for this dear man of God. He didn't give way to the feelings of Gehazi. He didn't give way to his own feelings which might have been of disappointment. He continued in his room along.
In contact with this problem until there was the evidence of life, and then he called in the mother.
And he could say, here's your child, here's your child. Oh, how beautiful this is. No, dear young people, I want to say to your heart and to mine this afternoon there. And we're living in difficult days. We're living in times when everything about us tends to suppress that new life that God has given to us. We're living in times when all that we contact in this world tends to occupy us with man and with his progress.
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Instead of with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, His love.
But all how lovely to know that when difficulties do come, when we seem to be overwhelmed by them, that there is an answer. And again, I want to say before I close that we find the two different ones here. Gehazi, he was a servant of the man of God.
But Gehazi was a man of God.
Hey, about Elijah, I should say was a man of God. What a difference one was a servant of a man of God, that is he was a people servant and so he was going to.
Treat this dear woman harshly. He didn't enter into anything of what was going on at all. He was no help in this situation. But in the case of Elijah, how different he was a man of God.
He was a servant of God. He had a love for the people of God. He saw what they were in. He didn't allow the sad condition in which the nation was found to hinder him in the outgoings of love to the people of God, in their needs and in their difficulties and all. I'd like to ask each one of us here, young and old.
Are we seeking to be a help? There never was a day.
Of greater need than right now. Young people on every hand are in need. Their hearts are burdened. They crave understanding. They crave someone to enter into just what they're going through. Are you and I seeking to do this? It's easy to thrust them away. It's easy to fail to see. But may the Lord give us to come close, as it were, to, as it were, stretch ourselves upon them.
To wait, to pray.
And to know that the Lord is sufficient and that he can enable us to be a help and a blessing. And when he gives new life, it's a life that is able to rise above all the circumstances and problems and difficulties that we may have to face as we go through this life. And so I say again, she took back the child, she bowed before him. The child went through a famine afterwards.
Lord preserved the child through the famine. They lost their land, but the Lord gave them back their land.
Yes, and it all started here when we find this man of God.
Who was able to be a blessing in this family and to be a blessing to the people of God? May the Lord enable each one of us to have understanding of the times and to be a help rather than a hindrance in these last days.
Jesus, my Saviour, thou art mine, the Father's gift of love divine.
All thou hast done, and all thou art are now the portion of my heart. 193.
He's a smile.
Savior.
Hebrews 6:7-20
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127.
327.
Lord Jesus are the wireless being.
Old fight Odessa flowers and crucified and generously.
Now one in heaven about 327.
2536 Nice and we are one.
What rules or thou or fear?
He said to call the father strong, and we are in him there.
You both.
Where's Devon?
Hey bro. Chapter 6, verse 7.
For the earth that drinketh in the rain, that cometh off upon us, and bringeth forth earth meat from them, by whom it is dressed, receive a blessing from God.
But that was thorns, and Briars had rejected, and is nigh under cursing. Whose end is to be burned?
But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation is always us peace.
Where God is not unrighteous to forget your labor, your work and labor of love, which we have showed Jordan his name in that he administered to the Saints and do ministers.
And we desire what everyone of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope under the end.
That you be not small for the followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made promise to Abraham.
The God need to swear by no greater. He square by himself, saying, surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
So after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
For men barely swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation this of them an end of all stripes, wherein God willing more abundantly to show under the heirs of promise the immutability of His council, confirmed it by an oath. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for John the line, we might have a strong consolation.
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Who have fled for reference, to lay hold upon the hope set before us.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul.
Both sure and steadfast. And which enters into that within the veils, whether the forerunner is forest entered. Even Jesus made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
There are two things mentioned, particularly in the 4th chapter.
That we should carry with us all the way through the book of Hebrews.
If we're going to understand the intent of the Spirit of God and giving us this book.
That is in the wilderness, those who are going on to their rest, that remain at the end of the road.
They must have, first of all, the word of God.
And then they must have a high praise.
And So what we've had this morning would have to do.
And particularly with that side of things.
It's the testimony of God, but it's a testimony now that leads us to higher and better things.
Now, what had to do with Jesus? And the Messiah was the word of God. There's no question about it, and he is coming.
To deliver his people as their king in the coming day.
But though we find that now.
We have not the earthly gift, but the heavenly gift, as we notice.
Now this is new instruction. This has to do with the new revelation to our souls.
It's heavenly thing, it's a heavenly gift, His blessings that belong in another world, as it were, not here on earth.
But where is that world? Why, it's where Christ is gone.
Well, that our affection should be there.
In practice, our life should be there.
That is, everything should be geared to that end down here.
And so if if perfection is seen in that way.
The beginnings were were good, but now we've come to that which has to do with perfection. As our breadth were telling us this morning. It has to do with something that brings in maturity and and the full revelation of God through our souls.
Now, it isn't simply the Doctor love it. That isn't the thought, good as that is.
But it's the lay hold of it ourselves that's what's before us here in Hebrew. This is a necessity for going on to that rest.
It isn't simply that there are doctrines that we hold. That's almost going back to the forms.
But this is a living reality in our soul. Now. If this is soul, there won't be any apostasy.
The living reality in our souls of Jesus.
Is the object of our hearts.
And not just holding a doctrine, as we see the Christian world around this so-called professing world, there are certain creeds that are held even in connection with Christianity. It won't do.
Christ must be a living.
Object for our hearts.
That's what we have here. One thing for us to get more of the truth is another thing when the truth lays hold on up. Yes, it isn't just the fact of the teaching of it is what I mean. And that's why in connection with the word that set before us in the 4th chapter, it divides between soul and spirit.
That is, it's the active thing going on continually, for instance.
In Hebrews it isn't a question of one, of getting in difficulties and and being restored. That is, that isn't a subject exactly.
But it's the Spirit of God continually bringing before us the precious word preservice in our path.
And the Father continually reminding us that isn't the way you're to walk. The Word of God shows you how to walk.
If I do that, I'm in the enjoyment of these things.
But if if that doesn't, if I don't follow this, then the 12Th chapter comes in where there's a chase thing so that we might be partakers of His Holiness.
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But here in the 4th chapter.
It's simply the Word of God and then the High priest, which we get here in this latter part of the chapter. These are two things that are musts.
If one is to reach that.
At the end of the road.
For as long as one holds to the Word of God, even outwardly, he's not an apostate. He may be an unbeliever, maybe on a road to a lost eternity, but an apostate is one who has turned his back upon Christ. And the very foundations of Christianity saw that in Hebrews 10. It says really what apostasy is. They trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant where he was sanctified and unholy things.
And have done this, but under the spirit of grace.
It's really despising the truth of God. And so an apostasy as we see it today would be in the giving up of the inspiration of the Scripture, the virgin birth of Christ, the blood of Christ for salvation, the deity of Christ. All these things are leading to the final apostasy, when all will be given up from the worship of man will replace it.
It has helped me to understand the epistles of the Hebrews, to see that there are really three groups. There are those who are real believers who are encouraged to go on and bear more fruit. There are those who are professors who are warned that if they give up the profession it would be apostasy. And then there are the apostates, for whom there is nothing but judgment.
And so he is warning those who were perhaps on the verge of giving up everything but to give it up with the apostasy. The important thing is that they should be saved. Of course, it would be just like if you had a neighbor and he was going to a place where he was hearing the gospel continually. But he's not saved. You know, in conversation with him. He's not born again, but he comes to you one day and he tells you that he is thinking of going to.
We will say that Jehovah's Witness where the deity of Christ is denied and so on. And you say, oh, I certainly would warn you not to go there. Well, he says, but I'm not saved anyway. All that you say, as long as you're going to a place where the gospel is held and preached, you might be saved. That's my hope and desires. But if you turn your back on us, God may allow you to be given over to Apostrophe so that.
The the third class, and the one that the professors are warned against, is that they might turn to apostasy.
Can we write in regards to modernists and liberals of the Christmas and Cosmates? And they still fly the Christian bands? Are they plastic?
There's a verse in 2nd Corinthians 4.
That may have its application.
Where the mind is involved.
2nd Corinthians 4 and four.
In whom the God of this world?
Hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. Now these aren't ignorant persons.
These are those who have had an opportunity, been right in it, but they didn't believe.
And so the lines of the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ was the image of God, should shine under them.
I believe there is such a thing as continually.
Treating the Word of God.
Like it would be the works of man in such a way that finally there's this darkness that comes over one.
Satan brings it, but it's allowed.
Or one who who continually refuses.
To believe the word of God.
There are three steps of apostasy, and they're given in the third chapter.
3rd chapter of Hebrews.
The eighth verse Harden not your hearts. That's the first step.
Now people who simply take the word of God so that they can see well how many things they can find wrong with it reasoning.
They soon find themselves hardened against the Word of God.
If they don't seek it by faith and even any of us.
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Who may hear the word of God and refuse to act on it but our wills? We might be guilty of this very thing of hardening our hearts, at least in measure against the truth. But I believe this is the first step of apostasy.
That we have here the very outset of the book. Now the second step.
Is they do always earn their heart, That is, every nature must express itself.
So here comes open, Sam. It's the expression of what's in the heart. But if they paid attention to the word of God, this wouldn't have happened. If they bowed to it, they had been preserved.
No, we find Judas as an example of this.
He spent 3 1/2 years.
In the presence of Jesus, I'm the most blessed ministry. But what was the result of his hardening his heart? He became a thief, and soon we have the next step.
In the 12 first an even heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
But the 12Th verse wasn't the first step.
That's the last step. The first step is hardening the heart against the truth.
Now we should have tender hearts for the truth. We should seek that.
We should seek to be willing to bow to the truth as it comes home to us, whatever it may be and wherever it comes from. I mean, by that it might be a, a person that we're not particularly fond of who who rebukes us. Well, the way of correction is the way of life. We better take heed if he brings the word of God, because we better take heed.
If that word to my soul.
That may be the thing God said to stop me in my course, so I should vow to it now. That's the first step of blessing in my soul, the bow of the Word of God.
I don't think that we can call a person an apostate. They may be going in that direction, but God only knows who an apostate is. I believe that the apostles had discerned them. They could say, all could say.
To that man pulled out full of all equity, thou child of the devil, he could speak of them that way, and the Lord could say he of your father the devil. But I don't believe it would be right for us to call anybody a child of the devil or an apostate, and what they're doing may be in that direction. I was thinking of their first epistle of John in the 4th chapter.
First John, chapter 4.
It says in the second verse, Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist, where he of you have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world.
Well, I believe that's the spirit of Antichrist.
That giving up of the deity of Christ is the beginning, the spirit of it. The full apostasy will not be until after the Church is gone and the Antichrist comes. He is Antichrist that denies the Father and the Son.
When we see the trend in this direction and we we warn against pardon.
Whosoever.
Transgressor or both? Beyond the fact? Not in the doctrine, that would be impossible.
Yes, if he really believed it in his heart, then that here again comes We have seen people that we.
Believe are true that have been mixed up in these things and afterwards delivered. But one who really denies the deity of Christ from his heart couldn't be a true Christian at all. He'd be if he had known of him once, confessed it and then gave it up. He'd be an apostate.
In other words, it is quite possible of our brother termed it to still be under the banner of Christianity and being a prostate, although we are not the ones to point the finger at one and say that they are aside.
Would you perhaps feel free to say that such in one as Mary Baker, Eddie or Judge Rutherford, who are now gone?
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Where actually apostates, although they would vigorously defend their position in Christianity, that is, the Bible was supposedly their textbooks, although they gave up and denied everything that was fundamental in it that so.
Here's in fact that was in First Corinthians chapter three. We find three classes of workmen there.
There is a saved Workman with good work which is rewarded. There is a saved Workman with bad work, and his work is burned up, but he himself is saved. And then there is one who built upon the Christian foundation, but defile the temple of God, and it says him, shall God destroy both he and his work are destroyed. That is, he didn't bring his false doctrine into a healing country, so to speak.
He brought it into in on the Christian foundation, and he defiled the temple of God.
Well, that would be an apostate and.
If it's not manifested here, or it will be manifested in that day when everything is brought to light, so that there are those who have labored under the banner of Christianity, who have professed to build upon the Christian foundations for really apostates.
Told to try the spirits in that chapter, you call her attention to the Halo.
In the first verse for the try of the spirits.
And that's the the point.
It's the spirit, it's either of God or it's of Satan, and there's discernment given to the believers. We have in first print in two months.
The anointing of the Spirit.
So he's able to discern the spirits.
This isn't a personal thing between one man and another. It's a question of.
Of trying the spirits, What is that spirit of?
Does it confess Jesus Christ?
That's coming come into play, that is.
One who came here.
Came from another place.
He had no beginning. That's the point.
The general Son of God.
Doesn't it make us value and feel the need of more and more?
The personal reading and the family reading and the assembly reading of the Word of God.
With all these dangers so subtly presented around us.
Our safeguard is not in knowing all about them, but in the personal reading of the Word of God, the family reading of the Word of God.
And certainly the assembly Bible readings for I believe I can say with very, very much Thanksgiving that.
In visiting among those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, I have never, never heard false doctrine. And that's a remarkable thing to be able to say. We have heard that which perhaps might be a little more accurate, but I don't believe that we have ever known of that which is false to be taught and allowed.
And it's a very, very wonderful privilege that we have and that the dear young people have in these difficult days.
To be privileged, to be present.
The assembly Bible reading where the truth of God is presented.
I was wondering about the last chapter of Hebrews where Esau is brought in as the profane person.
The picture of an apostate, that is, in a sense at least.
He was rejected the read of tears here, but they were not tears of repentance, but tears because he couldn't get the blessings.
Now you mentioned this morning.
If one rejects the truth of Christ, what is there left?
Well, it seems to be re echoed in ethos crime. My father has stopped but one blessing.
Well, the truth is God has one blessing, and if we do not accept the truth in Christ.
As God gives it to us in His Word, there is no other.
Then Esau, who despised his birthright, In other words, he despised God's way and to reach bitter fruit, the book of Obadiah.
On the 24th chapter of Numbers.
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Both testified to the Destiny.
Of Esau.
He will be left without an inheritance.
Because of his perpetual hatred for his brothers.
And although Hamlet was the first of the nations, his end will be that he perished forever.
Well, it's it was at the history supposed that we learned this that is.
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated comes out not at the beginning of the history, but after their history is over. God said that the book of Malachi.
It certainly is the giving up.
Despising of the birthright, So there's nothing left if you despise that.
Well, the earth is that which deceives the rain, The little picture of the heart of man.
I was trying to say that for the crown of God that He has given us certain safeguards.
Yeah, down here against these things which would turn aside. We've been looking at first John 4.
And we have, I believe, 4 safeguards there for us.
In the 4th chapter.
In the second verse.
You have the person of Christ.
And the.
The the lake.
That Jesus Christ is coming.
Play and then we have in the.
Workers.
Ye are a gobble of children.
And I've overcome them.
That is you and I who by grace believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have that new nature.
So we have that new nature of divine nature.
To safeguard us and then it goes on that same verse. Greater is she that is in you than he that is in the world. Spirit of God the the unction.
Will preserve.
He takes the things of Christ.
Shows them to us.
Phenomena 6 words We are of God, that is, that the apostles speaking. We are of God either knoweth God here enough.
The apostles quote the word of God.
And we have that in our hands, the Word of God.
So we have these four things that God has given to us.
Will preserve his own from the dummy entangles in these things.
True, it was Speaking of this apostasy.
Which is a true child God will never get into, but he may get entangled in these things.
Well, when I've mentioned here about.
The rain coming down, bringing forth herbs and then badwitch prayers, thorns and briars would have not show that the blessing of God pictured in the rain coming down, but it makes what has a good root grow and bring forth fruits, but it makes that which has a bad root blossom out and bring out what's bad. And so we find that very distinctly when the Lord Jesus came into the world.
For those who came to Him, who received new life from Him, all what a blessing His coming was. It meant salvation to them, it meant everything to them, but it brought out the evil of what was in man as it had never been brought out before. Saw that the Lord could say, if I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sinned. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.
And the full revelation of what man's heart is, and all its wickedness has been brought out more since the coming of Christ than before, Because just like the rain makes these thorns and thistles and all its bad grow too. But.
That that rain makes what good growth. And so you and I have entered into the blessedness of his coming, what that work means to us. And now the encouragement is to go on.
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There are more fruits as we have in John abiding in Christ. There will be fruit fairies because the roots good, but a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit.
The wilderness proves what we are when the rain falls.
It will indicate what kind of a nature the plant is.
Because it will bring it to maturity and so in the wilderness.
We have the proving.
The believer is going on to the rest that remains. But it was in the wilderness of the children of Israel were proved only two entered the land that came out of Egypt. Who proved in the wilderness?
Will be so again to the 10 triads. So it's going to prove them in the wilderness.
But.
It's here that the rainfall. We're living in a day of grace.
As far as God and his part is concerned, He's giving the rain, but whatever nature it is will prove itself.
Here in the wilderness.
Isn't it?
And then to be burned. But then he turns immediately.
Because that isn't the subject of the Spirit of God would have us occupied with judgment.
He wants to encourage the people of God and all that He can encourage him. And that's why we're here at these meetings, to be encouraged in our souls, to be built up. Of course there are warnings, but the purpose is to encourage us and build us up. And he would start by telling us that.
Shirley is persuaded better things of you, because those are the ones that his heart was set upon the Saints of God, at least those who had given evidence formerly in what they had done, that they belonged to the Lord.
It's nice to be able to see Christ be placed in the vessel, isn't it?
We showed in this ninth verse that he's not talking about.
The same ones within the sixth verse, if they shall fall away, it's impossible to renew them again to repentant. That's the one who didn't have a probation and only had a probation and fell into apostasy. But when we come to the ninth verse, this is reality, and you find that continually distinguished.
Read in the 10th chapter of Hebrews this morning. He warns again there about those who draw back.
But he says, Beloved we are, He says that we are not of them who draw back on the perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. So all these warnings about the apostasy do not refer to a real believer, but they are given as warnings for those who had profession only, who were not born again of the solemnity of giving up.
And it's a very needed warning in this day because we find the foundations of the faith being swept away and people who had only profession going along with this sort of thing. And if it continues, they're going to find themselves landed in open apostasy.
From which there's no return.
Now there is a work that's connected with the pathway here.
The the thought is we get in the 4th chapter where we see God labor in the creation. On the 7th day he rested. And that's the pattern that we have in Hebrew. The believer is laboring now.
Not to get rest for his soul, but he's laboring in view of the rest that remains for the people of God. He has rest for his soul, but he's laboring now in view of that rest that's to come.
We've been created under good works and so the labor is passing through the wilderness and he's occupied with good works.
That's the pathway here. Now at the end of the road, of course there will be rewards in the Kingdom and all that, but the point here is that in the meantime.
He's occupied with good works, and so that's what the apostle calls attention to here.
Your work.
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And labor.
But it's labor of love.
And so if a cold water is given, a cup of cold water is given.
It should be given in the name of Jesus. Shouldn't be. That is, it should be identified with that name that's been rejected here in this world. Otherwise it's simply doing it as other men would do it. But there's a reward in the coming day for a cup of cold water. It's given in the name of Jesus.
How very beautiful and how very different to the way in which so many look at it that is.
These first verses of warnings seem to produce a terror with some they feel that they better work very, very hard in order to maintain what they possess.
But it's very noticeable in 2nd Corinthians 5 where we have such strong words of certainty. We read there, therefore we are always confident. Then again, we are confident, I say.
And the very next verse says, Wherefore we labor.
Wherefore we labor. Isn't that lovely that God has given us that unshakable confidence? And then the very next verse is wherefore we labor.
Because of that which we know is ours and ours forever, the heart delights to labor, and it is really a labor of love. Not a labor in order to obtain something, or even in order to maintain, but a labor of gratitude and love because of that wonderful confidence that is power.
What's his name? That's Tim Parkin, isn't it?
That's the name that's been rejected here and I believe that's so important because.
Because there's so much work being done today and and the name of the church or the name of the.
Some society, but here's the name that's been rejected and this is what.
Will be rewarded that the judgment seat of Christ.
So that which is connected with the name of Jesus precious name.
The Lord values to what is done for his own, doesn't he? And that he ministered to the Saints, and do ministers I'll dear his own are to him involved persecuting them. The Lord said Saul, Saul, why persecute us down me?
And in the coming day, it is Matthew 25, he will say, As much as you have done it under one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it under me.
Well, it's a lovely thing to think that in showing a kindness to one of his own, we're doing it for the Lord, and that He values it so much. The book of Ruth, she was commended for what she had done to her mother-in-law. That was the basis upon which Boaz took notice of her, what she had done for her mother-in-law.
There's a little labor also mentioned in the book of Nehemiah that I think is quite interesting.
Uh.
Something that we might not consider perhaps to be.
Of very great importance.
The 10th chapter of Nehemiah.
And the 34th verse.
We have read of the burnt offering and of the meat offering and of the peace offering and so on, and we can quite picture the Lords delight.
In these sacrifices that were brought to him.
But in the sense of Nehemiah and the 34th verse, we read and we cast the locks among the three, the Levites and the people.
For the wood offering to bring it into the House of our God.
The wood offering, That's an unusual expression.
I picture it this way that an Israelite goes out and gets an arm load of wood and brings it in to be used for these sacrifices.
Little thinking as he did so that it was going to be classified as an offering.
Without it, it wouldn't be possible to continue with the service of the temple though He brings his arm load of woods and the Lord refers to it as the wood offering. Well, I'm sure that at a time like this there are many little services that go on unseen by those of us who are visitors.
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And it's a labor of love, I have no doubt. And if it's done for the Lord and in His name, how very sweet it is to realize.
The preciousness that there is in it for him.
And the appraisal that he will put a fine in that day.
There's some someone who said we don't appreciate the.
Water so much until the well runs dry. And how many services?
Of the brethren we don't recognize until perhaps they're missing.
And the one who opens and closes the door, for instance, until the door isn't open some morning, and then they see there's a brother that's doing a service. But all these things the Lord notices.
And values if it's done to its name. She did what she could. It's a thought I believe.
And then the next verse, it says that we desire that everyone of you to show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope under the end.
It's often easy to start doing something and to do it for a little while, then if we don't get thanks or are not noticed, to kind of give up. But here he desires that they would continue.
And as you're remarking about the one who perhaps ultimately closed the door and so on, how many there are have gone and continued to do these things year after year?
Well, it's easy to do something when it's just on occasion, but it's to be doing it constantly. The Lord values that.
The same with a Sunday school class. Perhaps you take a Sunday school class well.
Maybe all right in the winter time when you're not traveling around too much, but in the summer time comes and then there's a diligence required to perhaps work with some of your own pleasure to be there with the children. So the Lord takes notice of all these little things suddenly.
That's not only true of a Sunday school class, it's true of the meetings, the gospel meetings.
All these things and you're associating that particularly with the 11Th birth, brother, Yes, diligence to the end, continuing on and what we have brought before us in the end of the ninth verse and the 10th and the 11Th when you take it that way.
But it's done to the end. That is, it's really until the Lord comes. Yes, it's continuing until He comes with that which He's given me to do. Now we do have a verse in that gospel that shows the path of the servant. It says He appointed to every man His words.
So there's no St. of God needs to say, well, no, I'm one of those that just sits on the bench. I have no job. That is not true. And that's what brings exercise.
In his presence, to know just where we fit.
It certainly wouldn't be to follow some other brother and sister, but it would be deceitful.
In the Lord's presence, what He would have me to do. Now others may look down upon what I'm doing, but if I'm doing it for the Lord, well, that's what's important.
I suppose we have the Lord Jesus as our example in this as in everything. I was thinking of the first person, John 13 having loved his own, which was in the world. He loved them under the end, and that the end is.
Really never end service is he? Is there a God right hand as our high priest now? Love is the things he loves us under the southernmost. Well, that's the standard before us then.
But this is leading us into the line of things that he has. At the end, he's brought the word hope. Indiana, his first, his lemon first.
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Of hope.
And that's what he's leading us on to, because that's at the end of the row.
Turned aside then, but now it's whole, pure hope.
So he brings, he brings Abraham before us from the subject of patience that goes along with this line of things.
Abraham was promised.
When he was back in UR the counties.
That God would show him the land.
But later on he was told he would be given the seed to be given that land, and then he was told he would be given it.
But he had to wait.
For 99 years for these promises.
For 100 years possibly.
Before he received the evidence in the son Isaac that this would be fulfilled. Now, that's a long time to wait, but I believe we have that expression here.
Umm.
Through faith and prosperous be not plausible no the 15 first so after he had.
Patiently.
Endure now that work patience is sometimes translated endurance in Scripture, but we have the two brought together here now so after he had patiently endured.
He received the promise.
That is, he received all this in Isaac.
The one who had been promised him would be the depositary of God's counsels and purposes.
But as after he had patiently endured, Moses gives us really the energy of faith, but here it's the patience of faith that we need in connection with the wilderness pathway to endure unto the end in that which we know that God has promised us.
To occupy in that until he comes.
Always that that the Spirit of God so graciously overlooks here Abraham failure.
He became rather impatient for me.
So they couldn't wait for Isaac Till.
Or we got eight meals.
Also became a brief to him, but it was really in the trial of that patient wasn't that he was not just purpose of the Spirit of God and looks at here that he was a friend of God.
So God takes account of our failures, all right, but when you have something rewarding to say to us.
He passes over by. They have been judged in their own time, but he does not mention it here. What a precious God we have that doesn't bring up against us all our weaknesses.
But if we.
Keep us a course goal in mind and reach that course God is so happy to tell us.
Well done and looks on the outward appearance and God saw Abraham's heart and that was the difference, wasn't it? He didn't overlook sin though, did he?
No.
Now this little word, followers of them, I think it's our first brethren, because we need.
We need one another.
If it is a question of Abraham walking across a desert into a land that was promised him alone, that's one thing.
But God has called us as Saints together, and we should remember that we need one another.
I know it isn't the subject of the one body here, but the principle is here.
It's a question here of following and how much we need to follow. Of course, it's looking back.
To the examples, but no doubt, but still it's the principle of following. So we need to to learn, I believe.
To that independent spirit is not good.
If it's the people of God.
Followers of them who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises.
Some of these examples of the Old Testament.
Then the examples of our brethren.
We're to follow their faith, as we learn later in Hebrews in the latter part.
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That's a great cloud of witnesses referred to also in the 12Th chapter, isn't it?
To know that we're not the first ones that have had to walk the path of faith. Those who have trotted before us have often had more difficult time than we. And if we think our path is difficult, it's good to look back and see what they had to endure and how long they had to wait. But how God finally did come in? Well, this encourages us, doesn't it?
But it's nice to see in that 12Th chapter. But then there's the one who's brought before us, who did it perfectly.
The great cloud of witnesses are those who walk by faith, as our brother remarked, and in the 11Th chapter 2, there's no mention of their failures. But the Spirit of God is careful then, to bring before us in the 12Th chapter the one who began the path of faith and completed it. If others have failed, they have, and each one of us have to confess that we have failed. We can have our eye upon one who never failed.
To walk the path of faith perfectly. So he's the perfect example, although we're encouraged by the faith of others.
That's the way he endured seeing him.
A remark was remade in Toronto concerning that.
Chapter with all the examples of faith.
And perhaps we sometimes feel that if we just have sufficient endurance of faith.
That eventually, we will.
Receive that which we have been waiting for, and our life will, after all, turn out to be quite a triumph.
But when you read the 11Th chapter of Hebrews, you read an account of quite a good many whose life seemed to be of that character. And then he says in the 32nd verse, And what shall I more say?
For the time would fail me to tell Gideon that the fair accident of Samson, and of Jasper, the David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets. Now this is the kind of thing we all like to read about, and wish it were a little more evident in our own experience.
Who through faith subdued Kingdom, drop righteousness, obtained promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong.
Waxed violent in fights, turned to flight. The armies of the aliens. Women received their dead. Raised to life again. We like to read of these and we call them heroes of the faith. And sometimes having read of them, we feel a little bit.
Impatient, or maybe disappointed because it hasn't been our experience, but the chapter goes on to say and others.
And others were tortured.
Not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, A moreover a bomb and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder. We're tempted slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskin.
Being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy.
They wandered in deserts and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth, these all having obtained a good report through faith.
Well, we would very much like our experience to be.
That experience of triumph that we enjoy reading about in the Old Testament. But there are also those who are listed here as part of the Cloud of Witnesses.
Whose experience of faith caused them to wander about in sheepskins and goat skins.
They suffered right through to the end, apparently.
And it says of them of whom the world was not worthy.
Well, if the Lord sees fit to allow something of that kind to be the experience today.
We can still take courage from what we have right here in this epistle. Where would we go if we find these afflictions? Intestines today, Albert.
We have things so easy comparatively, but I do feel that if we.
00:55:00
Were more faithful and more separate, as we ought to be. We have a little taste of it, and the Lord alone knows.
Whether the dearly beloved young people are going to be faced with a lot more of this than we have ever known. He doesn't come soon and call us home, right in our own circumstances, on the job, at school. The Saints of God are passing through similar trials, only in another way.
I'm reminded of a story that I read in the church history.
Of a man who was called to design the Coliseum.
By one of the Caesars, I believe it was Nero and when he finished it.
And the Emperor took him out to view the completed.
Structure.
As they were standing there, the emperor said, Now this is the place where we're going to.
Burn the Christians.
The architect turned to the emperor and he said I am a Christian.
Now there was the test. He could have been quiet, you know.
Could have been quiet.
How, how often we have to confess that we're not wearing the name of Jesus on our forehead here.
We're going to wear it up there, but.
How many times we tested us to this down here?
Be not slow, but followers of them through faith and patience, inherit the promises. That's the end of the road. We're going to inherit it all. And so God is going to confirm this to our our hearts here.
And he says that.
God, when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, you swear by himself.
Saying surely?
Blessing, I will bless thee, and multiply I will multiply thee.
So after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Men verily swear by the greater.
And an all for confirmation is to them, and end of all strife.
We're in, God willing, more abundantly, and showing the errors of promise. The immutability of His counsel confirmed it with an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Now what are these two amenable things?
God's word in the oath isn't. That's right, and I believe that it goes back to what we had in the 4th chapter.
And that is?
The word of God as you call your attention to, but also it's God himself his oath, but made good in Jesus, the forerunner who has entered for us. We have the both of them here in this chapter, do we not? It's made good to our souls and the one who's already gone to God's right hand.
Well, He wants us to have this confidence. Men think it's sort of humble to doubt that the 70s verse says we're in God willing more abundantly to show under the ears of promise the immutability of His counsel. Isn't it lovely that God has done everything that love could do to remove any doubts from our mind that He is going to fulfill everything, that He has purpose for us?
And the ground has already been laid. His word has been given.
The Lord Jesus is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Nothing can fail, because all depends upon Him, and He wants us to be sure of this.
All country, that is, to the thoughts of man who thinks, as I say, that it humbles. 1000 Even those who do know salvation, teaching such things as they can be lost again. All these things are contrary to that which God would sit before us through the work of His Son.
We have the priest here connected with the place.
As we get the end of the chapter where we have fled for refuge.
Now that takes us back to the 19th of numbers, doesn't it, where we have the cities of refuge brought in.
And you can just see a man running.
01:00:02
And now he casts himself across, across the threshold of that city, he's saying.
Despite the Rapids, he's safe. But now how long is he safe? What is his confidence?
Until the priest died.
That's how long? Well, when will our priest stop?
Say he never died because I live, you shall live also.
And provision is in connection with the priest who's there. And so he's preserved. Of course, if he has really offended, his case will be taken up and he'll be tried. And but the one who simply.
Has fled to that city under the conditions of that 19th chapter.
He fled to that, to that city.
He's safe because the priest was safe.
If we go back home on the free side.
Well, yeah, but that's something else. That's his inheritance, of course.
Hebrews 725 gives us elaborate word on that.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the honorable.
That come under God finance he ever liveth make an intention for them.
First, now there's this little typical thing in the death of the high priest. I think it was mentioned before in the meeting that the Lord said priestly work goes on, but the time is coming when that word will no longer be necessary, as all will be safely back in home in glory. Then his earthly people will return to the place of their inheritance. That is, they they killed they, they killed the Lord Jesus.
But he took their sin as a sin of ignorance, for there was only shelter in the city of refuge if a man killed another and unawares. So the Lord spoke of what they did is something that was done at unawares. And Peter mentioned this. And now brother and I walked through ignorance. She did it as it also your rulers. And so he assured them that because of this there's refuge, but there is a time when they will return to their inheritance and.
Possess it in peace.
But of course there is a thought brought before us here too, that there will be no death to the High priest, because he's there forever for us, and so that everything is assured to us in the heavenly glory.
The other thought is so very, very beautiful too, isn't it? Showing the loving heart of God? In the 30th chapter of Numbers, it tells us that if a woman utters A vow, she is chargeable by all the responsibilities of that vow.
But if her husband heard her utter that bow and he chose to disallow her?
Then she is delivered from the claims of that vow.
Well, would it be right to apply that to the case of guilty Israel, who said his blood be on us and on our children?
What a horrible bow that was.
The Lord Jesus heard that terrible vow, and perhaps we could say as husband to Israel, he lifted up his heart and said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Seems to me that he is disallowing that awful vow which would have made it forever impossible for Israel under any circumstance to be brought into blessings. The Lord Jesus disallowed that vow so that Israel now is held guilty of unpremeditated manslaughter.
And is, I suppose we could say, taking shelter among the nations until the cessation of the service of the high priest, and then how lovely it is that they will come forth. But if an Israelite, even though he may have been guilty.
And tried to take shelter in a city of refuge. If he came forth during the lifetime of the high priest, the hand of the avenger of blood could fall upon him. Well, that's what Israel is doing now. They are returning to the scene of their crimes in unbelief and during the term of office of the high priest, and the hand of the avenger is going to fall upon them.
01:05:07
And those who have pled to refuge have a strong consolation.
And so we have a hope, which is an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.
The anchor is sure, and it's steadfast.
The old sailing vessels.
As they reached a port.
Oftentimes, they're unable to sail in between the rocks.
And.
A boat could go out ahead with a line.
And secure an end within the harbor.
And once that was secured then those on ship would brings the ship in on the line.
But it's a little picture, I believe, of what we have here. Saint Peter, There's one who has gone in already. The ship is secure, though, because of the line.
As one has already gone in, he's gone in for us.
We have a strong consolation.
We have a hope that's an anchor of the soul, and there's no question about the anchor, no question about that whatever.
And so all those who have this, who fled for refuge.
To lay a hold upon the whole set before us, which hopefully has have us an anchor of the soul.
Well, sure.
And steadfast, it cannot move.
But it also is the other end is anchored within the veil.
With as a forerunner is for us. Enter.
So we have the Lord Jesus as man who has gone in there for us.
Even Jesus.
Now we have the name of Jesus in Hebrews over and over again.
When it's a question of the work on the cross, it's the blood of Jesus in Hebrews. Maybe one exception, but generally speaking I believe it's the blood of Jesus.
Because the Spirit of God is bringing before us, I believe here the person.
And the Word and the offices of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He's he's bringing us directly in the presence.
Of the person of Jesus.
It isn't something that's simply a doctrine. The truth here brings us right into the presence of the person of Jesus. And so it's even Jesus.
Even Jesus.
Made of high priest forever.
After the order of milk and then what we have in Leviticus.
1650 Bring his blood within the veil.
Well, here it's a question of his everything, isn't it?
Of course that's true.
That.
The efficacy of that blood is what is taught in the later chapters where we get the sacrifices.
Wait, there's a contrast here that's wrong between the priesthood of Aaron and the Melchizedek priesthood, because the Melchizedek priesthood was before the people that entered into the agreement of the law. And then when they failed under the law, God provided the sacrifices by which he could go on with the people after they had entered into the agreement to keep the law.
But.
When the Lord Jesus had offered that one perfect sacrifice, then all it was foreshadowed under the Mosaic Law was fulfilled and settled. Now God, as it were, goes back to that which was before. They're entering into the agreement of law altogether, and shows how that Melchizedek had met the Lord, had met Abraham rather as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him.
He blessed him consequently, a victory that had been already won, and the blessing was entirely unconditional. He told him of the blessing, that from the Most High, and it wasn't conditional on anything in Abraham at all. Well, that's the lovely part of the work of Christ. All the claims of the law were settled. He's entered in once the question of sin has been settled, so that the types of the Iranic priesthood were fulfilled.
01:10:13
Now he can bless according to that which was in his purposes that doesn't depend on man at all. And the priest forever. And then he also quotes from the from the songs where it's in the Psalms that the oath is given. I think it's the 110th Psalm where it says thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Lord has worn and will not repent. But the point is that at that time the people were still under the Mosaic law. They were still offering the sacrifices.
But God showed that He had some other purpose in view, and that when all that was fulfilled in Christ, then He could bless according to those original purposes. And that's what brought before us. And this is what gives a strong consolation, because all the tapes and shadows have now been fulfilled, and now the blessing comes unhindered as He as the priest after the order of Melchizedek.
What do you make out of that word that says it doesn't say that the hope just really enters, prevails, that it enters into fact within the base?
I think that was meaning the things that are concerned with that.
Well, in the fourth verse you have the heavenly gift in contrast to the millennial Kingdom on earth.
Could be that it's in view but.
Did you have some thought on it, brother?
When he mentioned that that is that the the work of the Lord and then the blood being presented there as a fulfillment of the Tyson within the 60s.
No doubt. That's the basic for all, isn't it? That's the basic for all our security practice. Lot of tightness.
What was within the veil was not the very presence of God Himself.
And that's where the high priest, where they were gayless, had gone, and that anxious.
Then in there where it's where it's actually within the veil, in the very presented dog. And if that's true.
Well, what the What need we fear? We have that hopeful assurance steadfast.
Well, the whole thing that was before the Jew was the millennial Kingdom.
And all the blessings of it. But.
We find that in Hebrews the Spirit of God takes the old types and shadows.
And puts them in a new light. But it isn't now. Some things, but it's a person.
And in that person is found everything that will satisfy the heart of God's people forever.
Well, thinking of this too, that's the the high praise in the days of the of Israel, the Commonwealth.
The the high presented in was very and friendly.
There was no peace.
Wasn't sure it wasn't steadfast then.
There was always a fear that something had not been there, done according to the prescribed order that God and the nation set forth.
If the word can touch their pieces, that perhaps be the key. Here we have the picture of an of the anchor of a ship.
Being safely put to anchor in the midst of a raging storm, possibly there until the anchor comes.
Well, not his event brings that thought before he was King of Salem and his King of peace.
And when looking into the holiest of all, there we see the ark, right? We see the cherubim don't see there he could meet all just justice and judgment, but that has been meted out and impeached has been made.
It seems to me it's so precious to look into the holiest, knowing that peace has been made.
And there's the Melchizedek speech, no?
01:15:02
It's a lovely thing too, is it not, to realize that we never, never can fathom the full result of the finished work of Christ?
And the place that he now occupies for us.
That is, He has not simply entered within the veil in order that we might have an unshakable feast. That's gloriously and wonderfully true in the 9th chapter and the.
12Th verse It says neither by the blood of goats and calves bused by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. The 24th verse. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the truth, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
It's a very lovely and a very wonderful thing to know that we have an uncapable refuse.
And unchangeable peace. But it just seems that there might be that thought into that within the veil that is the opening up to us or something, which is far more wonderful than we actually long for when we felt our needs.
It's more than.
Simply a refuge, shall I say. I don't say that in any disparaging ways. A wonderful reality of a rescue.
Thinking about him called from above, and heavenly men by birth.
212.
The work we brought, the citizens of earth, the children here we seek a heavenly home, are a portion in the ages yet to come, 212.