Address—Bill Brockmeier
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Uh, saying 200-6206.
Oh Lord, we know it matters not how sweet the song may be. No heart, but of the spirit taught, makes melody to thee #206.
Oh Lord, we know.
Mm-hmm.
I want.
December beginning.
I'm strange in the morning.
Right.
Our God and our Father, we thank Thee we can lift our hearts and our voices together and praise to thee and to thee. Lord Jesus, we thank you for that sovereign grace the sought and found us and brought us to thyself. Lord Jesus, a marvel at thee Extend the magnitude, the greatness of the blessing that we have been brought into. And our God and Father, surely thou would desire response from our hearts and we're reminded as we have sung that only praise that issues forth in life.
00:05:01
And suthi our God.
Not of duty, not of ceremony, but hearts responding. Our God to Thy love and Thy grace. We pray this afternoon. Our God and fathers, we purpose to open Thy precious word that Thou hast use it to speak to our hearts and encouragement and blessing and exercise too, as where needed. We desire our God to be part of Thee. We think of Thee.
Few moments that might be left to us, our God and Father. We desire that they might be spent for the glory of Christ.
And walking according to thy mind. So I look up to thee for thy help, our God and Father. Grant his hearts to take in Thy word, as we seek thy blessing. Our Father, in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Like to turn first to a passage in James 5.
Just gonna read verse 10.
Take, my brethren, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering, affliction, and of patience.
James is an interesting book, the only book in the New Testament addressed to the 12 tribes. There's three main epistles written to Israel, and James brings before us the broadest group. He brings out the 12 tribes and he addresses the 12 tribes as still the people of God. The light of Christianity had not yet been developed, and he looks at the 12 tribes still as the people of God, and among them were those that had living faith and those that were not real at all.
And that would explain some of the references we have in the book of James to, uh, such as sinners.
And cleanse your heart. She adulterers, adulteresses. Those are not admonitions dressed to those redeemed by the blood of Christ. But yet it was the people of God in an outward way. Now the book of Hebrews brings things down a little bit more narrow, and that is addresses those of the Jews that had professed Christianity. Indeed, some were real and some were not real. And that was the great burden in the exercise of the writer.
As to those that had made a profession that were not real and were in danger of pasta sizing, Peter's epistles, they bring us to the Jews that were elected according to the foreknowledge of God, that is those Jews that had living faith. But here in James it's the people of God of the 12 tribes, and yet there is ministry to them that they could draw from to help them in their present conditions and needs. And as we read the 5th chapter, we are.
Impressed by the difficulty of the situation.
That many were faced and they were being wronged and abused and violated by those of means.
And it was a very difficult time. They've been defrauded and by their their masters. And James says be patient. Therefore, brethren, to the coming of the Lord. So look beyond the present to that day when the Lord will set things right.
But it has struck me in this way as we come to verse 9, which we did not read. It says grudge not one against another, brethren. Interesting, isn't it? We might say grudge not because of the situations that you're passing through at the hands of those that are dealing deceitfully and unrighteously. But he says grudge not one against another, brethren.
The trial might be coming from those without, but the danger is that they would turn.
In among themselves, and grudge one against another.
Lest ye be condemned.
God's desire is that his people would go on together in peace, and we are to follow those things that make for peace.
But here we find a sad situation. Behold, the judge standeth before the door. First, Peter tells us judgment must first begin at the House of God. And then we turn to those early chapters of Revelation. We find the judge in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. But in the context of this.
00:10:00
Situation and trial that they're passing through there is this word that we.
Read Take my brethren, the prophets, and to take the prophets as an example of suffering, affliction, and of patience, that they were to look at those that had gone before as an example, that had gone through real affliction and hardship, and yet they had continued on. And so similar to what we have in Paul's writings where he can.
Right. Whatsoever things were written before time, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. That's the same basis here that James is exhorting the brethren. Consider the prophets as an example, those that have suffered affliction, those that have gone through trial to sustain you in your present situation.
Well, I'd like to look a little bit this afternoon at some of that line of thing, the profits that, uh, endured affliction. But more than that, I'd like to look primarily this afternoon at the Sons of the Prophets. And there's reasons that I would like to pursue that. But let's turn back first. The First Kings, chapter 20.
Before we read this portion.
Would like to narrate just a little bit what has preceded this time, and I suppose most here are familiar, at least in the general way, with the ministry of Elijah.
Whose, uh, burden was that the people of God would be brought to repentance under the law, that they would own Jehovah as their God and not veil. And we realized how Elijah seemed to have that ministry come to fruition when the, uh, the people owned that Jehovah was God and how helpless Baal was and pleading for himself.
But then Jezebel rose up and Elijah went on the run, and this disheartened prophet found himself in a cave.
Symbolic, no doubt, of his state of soul, the gloom and the doom.
And the depression that was his. And in the low moment, he could say.
I only am left.
And we find in Romans that that was counted against them as interceding against the people of God. And the Lord said, Go anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, administer in your stead. Elijah's ministry had in a certain sense come to a close, although we find the Lord remarkably using him.
In a couple following instances, one is to staring Ahab in the face and rebuking him for the death, the cold blooded murder of Naboth the Jezreelite. So Elijah was still used, but it was then that Elijah was raised up. He would be the prophet of grace and we find here in the subsequent chapters the Lord had to remind Elijah that there was 7000 that had not vowed the need to bail.
Theirs, perhaps, was not the positive testimony, as was Elijah's, and yet they were faithful and they had not vowed to need a bail.
And we find these different ones such as Elisa in the next chapter you have Makaya. And here in the end of chapter 20, we find a son of the prophets that was used of God in a singular way. And so there's.
There's perhaps seven points, if we can get to them this afternoon, that bring before us the sons of the prophets. But I would like to notice that when we find the sons of the prophets viewed as a group.
The lessons are more warnings. Nothing really good materializes it as we look upon the sons of the prophets as the sons of the prophets. But when we find an individual singled out, there is lessons and instruction of profit and gain. And it strikes me in this way that if there is to be any blessing.
If there is to be any good and gain in our lives, it is as we are individually and exercise and conviction before God, not act and move as a group.
But as individuals before God, because we stand by faith. And so the great exercise in taking this up is that we might each one be individually be personally exercised and convicted before the Lord. Now one more point.
I suppose we've heard the word exercise.
00:15:04
Most of our life, well, I'm exercised about this or exercised about that, but allow me just to suggest rather than that sometimes when we use that word, we.
Really are not saying more than my gut reaction to this is such and such.
For my opinion on this is such and such, it really does not rise to the level of an exercise. And we have shorn the meaning of that word of exercise. What is exercise? And we might say this for further that what we desire is to be convicted about matters, not just have an opinion, not just have a random thought.
But that we might be convicted by the word of God as to what is right, and what is wrong, and what is truth, what is according to the mind and will of God, And that we go on with purpose, as the Proverbs tell us, that thou mightest know the certainty of the words of truth.
So let's look at First Kings Chapter 20 for the first point here.
And start with verse 35.
And a certain man of the sons of the prophet said unto his neighbor, in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, Behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slave thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him and slew him.
Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.
So the profit departed and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king. And he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle. And behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man into me, and said, Keep this man. If by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent a silver. And as thy servant was busy here and there he was gone.
And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be. Thyself hast decided it. And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face. And the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction. Therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria. We know the king of Israel that's noted here is Ahab.
His name is not mentioned. I and I take it the thought is when we have the king of Israel, rather than Ahab, that would bring before us the wicked man that he was. It's not so much the point as to the moral caliber or lack thereof of the man, but rather it takes up a man in responsibility, a king of Israel, a man in responsibility, regardless of his moral caliber and fiber. The point is he was a king and he was in a place of responsibility. That's the point that we wanna know here. Now we find that he had let slip.
The enemy of the people of God he was he was soft on evil. He let things go and now God is going to raise up a vessel to speak to him about what he had done.
Now there's four main players here. We have one of the sons of the prophets. We have the 1St man that he tells him to smite him in the word of the Lord. The man refuses and the lion slays him.
The second man he says to smite him and in smiting him he wounds him. And finally we have the 4th man, Ahab. After this son of the prophet goes through this attack by the man that he told him to smite and the word of the Lord to smite him and the word of the Lord, then he is prepared to give this message to Ahab. You say this is a very strange passage. How is it that God would have one to tell someone to hit him and for the man that refused to hit him that he would be slain?
By a lion.
Perhaps the thought might be something along this line. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
But what I want to notice here is that the son of the prophet, before he was to be used of God, had to go through something in order that he might be a fit vessel to bring that word to bear upon the conscience of the King of Israel. And we'll just anticipate a moment and say, isn't it sad?
That Ahab did not take the message. What did he do? And he did the same thing that you and I will do. If the word of God is brought to bear in our conscience and we refuse to heed it, what will we do? We'll do what he did. He got sullen, heavy and displeased. He got a bad attitude because he didn't repent. And what did he do? He went after Naval, a man of God that refused to give up the inheritance. Why? Because Ahab refused to listen to the word of correction.
00:20:16
And the next thing is we find that he kills a man of God.
But we're speaking now of this, one of the sons of the prophets, and the point I'd like to bring out here this afternoon is formation and preparation through suffering.
It's been said and.
Not that one knows much, if anything about it, but it has been said that no one has ever been used much that has not suffered much.
And we see the history of God's servants as we had in our verse. Take my brethren, the prophets that have suffered affliction. They suffered much.
Just recently reading again in Jeremiah what that man went through at the end.
Of the days of Jerusalem, just before it was plowed under by the hand of the Babylonians. What that poor man went through and suffering at the hand of his brethren at one point. We won't turn to it. They put him in stocks outside the court of the Lord. I I take it it was a public place, like they had in earlier days.
In North America, about putting someone in stocks and then mocking them publicly, Jeremiah went through that and later on we know that he went in the dungeon for perhaps no eye could see him. That was some of the affliction that that dear man of God went through, but he was a fit vessel. You think of the prophet Hosea, how God told him to marry this woman who was impure, and who, as we read the passage, it seems that she was unfaithful to him as well. Why would God raise up a man like that and to be sent to go through these trials? It's an order that he might enter into the very heart of Jehovah towards his people.
The suffering. The suffering can be the suffering of the mind and the heart, not just the body, which is very real as well, but God has.
The furnace of affliction for his servants. I was reason recently there in the 104th 105th Psalm, perhaps about Joseph, where it says they hurt his feet and fetters, and the iron entered into his soul physically he was hurt.
With his feet and fetters. But more than that, the iron entered into his soul. A man rejected by his brother, falsely charged by a wicked woman, and left her rot in the prison. But yet God had his eye on his servant. And it says the word of the Lord tried him. What was the word of the Lord that tried Joseph? I so enjoyed it rather than that it was those two dreams, those dreams that he would reign the sun, the moon, the stars, bowing down to him.
And then those 12 she's of his brethren, bowing down to him. And there he was, languishing in prison, remembering these dreams.
They would just mock him.
The word of the Lord tried him, but yet in that was what sustained him. But we see what the Lord's servants have had to go through in order that they might be prepared for His service. But more than that, to God is also forming us.
Some years ago there was a older sister that I don't know how she came in contact with the little assembly there in Hemet, but it was her desire to come. She had much affliction from heart problems to arthritis and the one medication she took, the one caused her problems on the other side and it was just a vicious circle. This their sister lived in constant pain. In fact, I remember the time when she asked to remember the Lord and.
View just a handful of brethren met in the side of the room to consider it and.
And she said, well, whatever the brethren decide, and.
What do we wait? Well, Scripture does say lay hands suddenly on no man.
But we didn't see what would hinder and my brother made a comment to her and she said I've waited for 13 years to remember the Lord at his table. I can we wait another week, but she has received immediately. But one large day morning I remember coming in early and there was this agent sister with two of the nastiest shiners.
Who was truly black eyes. And she sat there, this woman who had much pain and suffering the day before had been knocked down by two thugs as she took her Walker to the grocery store. They stole her purse. They knocked her down.
00:25:01
But there she was at the remembrance of the Lord, and all I looked at her, all I could say was, God bless you, Mary.
She said, her face just beaming like the face of an Angel. He's conforming me more to his image every day. The formation of the vessel through suffering. What we find here, one of the sons of the prophets, this is what he went through. And maybe we don't understand all the complexities and the nuances of the way God works with us, but we know it's for blessing and it's for good. But an example, we can find this man that was used.
Of God. Now let's turn over to 2nd Kings chapter 2.
The next ones we're gonna mention will find that the sons of the prophets are more viewed not as individuals here, but as a group. How are the young people's group? If you want, if you wanna get the points that way, call it the children of the Saints if you want. The point is when they move together, group think if you will, it's not for blessing. Again, it's the path of the individual where God can come in and bring blessing. Second Kings, chapter 2 and verse.
1.
And they came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elijah from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elijah, Terry, here I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elijah said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elijah, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?
And he said, yeah, I know it holds you your peace. And Elijah said to him, Elijah Terry here I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho.
And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as the soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho, And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elijah, and said unto him, Knowest out that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today. And he answered, Yeah, I know it whole G your peace.
And Elijah said on the M Terry, I pray thee here, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they too went on, And 50 men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off.
And they, too, stood by Jordan.
For the next few verses, they're so instructive to bring before us a man gone up.
Carried a fire the whirlwind. It's a double portion. My father, my father. So we had in the first well the first two hymns this morning at the permitting and so impressed me. The heavens are open now that's what we have a man gone up the heavens open to faith and Elijah was a man that saw the man gone up. It's really here and type the advent of Christianity, the gospel of the glory, but we want to look at the sons of the prophets and here was the end.
Of Elijah's ministry, failure, as with all the Lord's servants, but a man of God, and a huge loss to Israel when he left.
But there was one that linked up with him, that lined up with him, that walked with him.
So they come down from Gilgal. Now this would be the upper Gilgal. If there's three or four Gilgals in Scripture, this is not the Gilgal on the banks of the Jordan where they were circumcised. This is the higher, uh, Gilgal. And they come down from this to Bethel. And Elijah will not leave Elijah. He stays with him. But as they come to Bethel, we find that there's the sons of the prophets. And they run up to Elijah saying, don't you know?
That your master is going to be taken away today.
They had knowledge, but they did not have devotedness. Knowledge without devotedness. They knew it was the end of the path for Elijah.
And they figured Elijah didn't know, because if he did know, why would he be wasting this time going with Elijah?
Sarah Bethel, the House of God.
But they knew.
But they had no devotedness to follow. Then we come to Jericho and we find thing. There's the sons of the prophets.
At Jericho and again, don't you know your master, your, uh, my master's, uh, be taken away from my head today. And Elijah said, yes, I know it. Hold your piece because it was the language of unbelief. It was a language that would cause him to turn aside. And I believe it's so important. I think back in Ruth chapter one or two thereabouts when I think it's the first chapter, when Naomi says to Ruth, turn back, we know that Orpa turn back, that Ruth did not turn back, but what was the pinch? Uh, what was the, the, the point there?
00:30:14
The the the key focal point.
In that passage, it was when Naomi saw that Ruth was steadfastly minded to go with her. She left off speaking to her. Now, since talking to her anymore, her mind is made-up. There was purpose. She had opportunity to return in the language of Hebrews 11, but she didn't. She was steadfastly minded to go. And how many problems we have, not just as young people, but as older brethren, because we're not decided on issues.
Because we're not firm, we're not clear, and how often the enemy can work and get us.
So to speak, treading water on things, but when there is purpose of heart, there may be reproach, there may be enmity, there may be opposition, but there's peace and having a settled word from the Lord. Well, they were saying, don't you know why she says, hold your peace. He didn't need to hear those, uh, cries of unbelief. He was going to go on and what a portion was his. Now we're going to let's, let's speed on to the end of the chapter. I'm, I want to come back to something that's.
This earlier on, but I wanna notice these two places. After Elijah sees Elijah go up, he comes back. He retraces the steps through the Jordan in the beginning of his ministry, his ministry of grace.
Verse 9. Verse 18. And when they came again, the Emporia carried it. Jericho. He said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not? And the men of the city said unto Elijah, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of the city is pleasant, as my Lord seeth, but the water is not in the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruise, and put Salter in. And they brought it to him. And he went forth under the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters.
There shall not be from fence anymore death or barren land, so the waters were healed under this day.
According to the saying of Elijah, which he speak a wonderful type of the millennial days we have in Ezekiel 47, the water is being healed. But the point I want to bring out here is why was Jericho in that condition? They had the sons of the prophets there. Shouldn't that accounted for something?
Their fathers taught the word of God. They were the recipients of those that had heard the word of God.
They were those that knew before Elijah went up that he was going up. What was their impact? What was their influence there at Jericho? It says it was a pleasant place. In fact, twice over at least, it's spoken of as the city of palm trees. I believe it means the city of fragrance. What good have they done there?
The water was not, the ground is not. But oh now Elijah, the prophet of grace, and the energy of the Newman, the salt and the new cruise.
Puts it in the spring and there's blessing and there's healing. Oh, the blessing that can come from one individual.
That is an exercise in earnestness before the Lord. There is many small little assemblies.
Gathered in such weakness to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But all the good one brother, one sister can have with earn earnestness and energy in the things of the Lord.
What blessing there can be, but it's not moving along as this ambiguous, undefined group. It's one person acting before God. So Elijah brings in blessing there to a place that the sons of the prophets had done no good. Now it comes to chapter verse 23 comes to Bethel.
The other place the sons of the prophets were. And he went up from thence unto Bethel, and he was going up by the way. There came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up thou bald head, Go up thou bald head.
And he turned back and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth 2 shivers out of the wood, and tear 40 and two children of them. And he went from thence to Mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria. Well, now we have a situation that is.
It's not neutral. It's it's a very bad situation. We have these children.
Don't know who the parents were, but the sons of the prophets were in Bethel. And what do we find existing there in Bethel and, and name that means the House of God. We find in that place little children that mocked the servant of the Lord. Oh, you say they're mocking his bald head.
Which would speak of weakness.
00:35:03
But I believe it brings before us both the typical and a very literal thought that we would do well to be.
An exercise about that is.
Paul could say to Timothy that he was not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me his prisoner, nor of me as prisoner. There is a sense in which we are in great reproach because of our.
Our poor walk and our poor ways.
And we have to acknowledge it and own it. Nothing to glory in.
The other point here is this thought of respect not to the Horry head. Scripture does say our rise up before the Horry head, but the bald head. You'll allow me please to turn to First Timothy chapter 5.
We have just been.
In the first Epistle of Timothy back home.
And it's so very practical in this 5th chapter is certainly very direct.
We recognize that the burden in First Timothy is godliness in holding the truth. It is practical godliness. The 5th chapter brings out that piety must first be shown at home. That's where it begins. At home where godliness, where Christianity is lived out first in the home. But now let's take a look at a few verses here. As to the elder verse one, rebuke not an elder or rebuke not an elder. Sharply new translation.
But in treat him as a father, and the younger men as brethren. Drop down to verse 17. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. And verse 19 against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
I'll start with the last verse. Years ago, one of my peers in the assembly, there were some issues that came up and said verse 20. Then the sin rebuked before all that others may fear it's talking about elders. That elder needs to be rebuked.
I had a sense that he wanted to be the one to issue the review too.
But as I consider that and have considered it in subsequent years.
There is a order to follow in this chapter, and the first one is rebuke not an elder sharply, but entreat him as a father.
I don't know, I I don't remember ever feeling my father needed to be rebuked.
But if I did need to review, how would I have gone to him?
Use the context of an assembly meeting to do it.
Or when I first go to him and say, Dad, I think you're missing this one. I think you're off on this point. Can we have a little discussion on this? I think you're going the wrong way. That's what we're doing to our older brother and treat him as a father.
Verse 17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor. Why double honor? Honor for their age and double honor because the way they have conducted themselves.
Later on we have masters worthy of all honor, but here it's double honor because they roll well, that's to be recognized and respected age for one, how they conduct their service to. And then there's one other note, especially them, that labor and word and doctrine.
And some of us can say, and many of us here no doubt can say in our history, we have seen those that have been the most maligned and most vilified are those that have ruled well and they have labored and word and doctrine. May we allow the force of the word of God to sink into our hearts as to this point before we jump into verse 20, rebuking before all. But there's one other point against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Will you say that's true for anybody, doesn't it? When we have that back in Deuteronomy?
Let every matter needs to be established in the mouth, or two or three witnesses. Why is it brought in here before an elder? Why does he get special treatment? I believe it would bring before us the importance and the care that needs to be rendered to.
Those that are older.
Well, the bald head that was lost at Bethel, they mocked a man of God.
Let's move on to Chapter 4.
00:40:00
Now let's check that out. I want to just comment on chapter 2. We don't have time to elaborate on it, but I just want to briefly make a point, uh, back in chapter 2, where there were the sons of the prophets.
That.
After Elisha went on and thought, Well, maybe the spirit of the Lord has discarded them on the mountain somewhere, let's go get this posse outlook for him. But what did they do? They sent. What does it say in verse 16? Behold, now there be with thy servants 50 strong men. Let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master. Here are the same men that before had such knowledge, but they didn't have devotedness. Now they have the appearance of might and strength. 50 strong men.
But they're unintelligent. They knew a lot, it seems, but now they are embarrassingly unintelligent, as if the spirit of the Lord had just dropped Elijah off, uh, on the way up. But one other point here, while we have here might without intelligence, we find that they were looking at these 50 mighty men to do their work for them.
Perhaps there's a word in there for us, isn't there? Perhaps there is a generation. I think in a certain sense it's my generation. We keep looking for the older brother and to do all the work as they get past their three score in 10 and they're past their four score in 10.
And let the older brother do it. But there needs to be that exercise that we quit farming these things out and take personal responsibility for ourselves. Now chapter 4, verse one another cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elijah, saying, Thy servant, my husband is dead. Now know us that thy servant did fear the Lord, and the creditors come to take unto him my two sons to be bondsman.
This rest of the passage is full of typical teaching.
But that's not my point and noticing it this afternoon, here we have.
A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets just had one husband, but he's linked together here as the wives of the sons of the prophets again bring him before us that that thought of the group of the sons of the prophets, and this man had died.
And what did he left? What did he leave his family?
Nothing but debt.
Let's turn over to 2nd Corinthians Chapter 9.
Or rather chapter 12.
2nd Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13 or other verse 14. Second Corinthians 12/14 Behold, the third time I'm ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you, for I seek not yours. That is, he wasn't seeking their wealth trying to get that from them, but you.
Seeking their blessing for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I would like to read verse 15 in the new translation. Now I shall most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls, if even in abundantly loving you, I should be less loved. That's the heart of a father.
Here was the Corinthians. He couldn't take fellowship form us to say it made Paul rich, but he takes it simply as the place of a father needing to lay up for the children. So I have two things I'd like to mention. One is the literal and then is the typical, and we'll start with the spiritual first in terms of laying up for the next generation.
We've no doubt been struck by the great abundance that Solomon had as the established the temple and the Kingdom, the massive amount of material wealth that was there for Solomon to to build.
But where did he get it? It was in David that had set his affection for the House of his God, and he laid it up. David would have loved to have built the temple. In fact, Nathan thought it was a good idea.
Said, go do all this in your heart, David. And the Lord had to come to Nathan at night. Wouldn't it be nice if the Lord could speak to us that way and we could be adjusted that quickly, that we could be corrected that quickly? And the Lord says, no, Nathan, David will not build me a house. He's a man of blood. It'll be the man of peace, Solomon, that will build the temple. But David had labored so extensively that Solomon could build it up in a spiritual way. That's the burden that we should have for our children.
In the flesh and our younger brethren to lay up for them. But there's also another point. I, I, I we don't talk about these things too much. We live in some tough economic Times Now. There was that great famine in Egypt.
00:45:18
But Joseph had prepared for seven years, and so when the tough times came, he was able to be a help to not only Egypt, but to the entire world.
There is a verse in Proverbs and maybe you'll indulge me. We can just turn to it. Proverbs chapter 13. We won't linger any further on this topic.
Proverbs 13 and verse.
7.
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing. There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.
I like to think of that last part of the verse of the Lord Jesus, but we're going to be a little more practical.
There's a man I work with, Jewish man, and he sometimes comes into my office. He's got a bit of a bit of a temper and he comes in and likes to vent on different things and.
He senses I have an appreciation for the feast of Jehovah more than he does.
I trust the Lordal. Yep, save him. But sometimes the subject is money. Let me talk about different topics and.
One of the issues was with, they came in to me, said Bill. I don't understand it, don't understand. He's a man that makes a very good coin. He said. How is it these, uh, these young girls around here can afford these, these fancy cars? I can't afford that.
Well, verse seven, there is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing.
No, we're we're all stewards before the Lord. I'm not having dominion over anybody's faith. I'm just trying to make a few comments this afternoon that might be helpful because I recognize for myself and many of us recognize the pressure that is brought to bear upon us in this environment in this economy to have the appearance that we have more than we do. There is that make it themselves rich yet have nothing except payment plans.
It has nothing. Every man walks into vain show we read in the 39th Psalm.
To give the appearance that we have more than we do, but yet there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. Isn't it nice when there might be one that said, you know, I'm well able to afford that, but I'm not, I'm not, I'm not going there. I'm not going to buy that because it's going to hinder me in different areas. It is a wonderful privilege to sacrifice even in small areas that you can help the work of the Lord just a little bit. If I, if I can just say this, especially when you're young. When I was going to school, pardon the personal illustration, but it was such a blessing to my soul.
Here's a little Italian place. I'd love to get the Italian sausage now and then. It's a little place across from the school. The thought hit me. But if you don't spend that $3, you know, you might have $3 more to put in the box on Lord's Day morning. That's a very simple thing. But are we thinking along those lines? And where can we, where can we move that we might be able to be of help in some way? There's a real blessing connected with it rather than just building up this appearance.
Of being rich and having nothing. Well, let's go back to 2nd Kings chapter.
Six now, So what we have in that.
4th chapter we have.
A posterity without an inheritance.
And how sad that is if we look at that in terms of a spiritual perspective or a spiritual legacy. Aaron's garments were his sons after him. He had something to leave his sons. And how important it is that we have something to pass on to communicate to our children.
Could get ahead of myself back to chapter 4I, apologize chapter 4 and verse 38.
And Elijah came again to Gilgal, and there was a dearth in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him.
And he said unto his servant said on the great pod, and seethed pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds, his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage, for they knew them not. So they poured out for them in to eat, and they came to passes they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, Oh, thou man of God, there is death in the pot, and they could not eat thereof. But he said, Then bring meal.
00:50:10
And he cast it into the pot and he said pour out for the people that they may eat and there was no harm in the pot.
Beautiful picture here. While these often quote that going on into the world, pour a meal into the pot to neutralize the effect of the poison that you may and will encounter during the day. But here we find the sons of the prophets sitting before Elisha. And whether this one was one of the sons of the prophets, it doesn't specify here. But he wanted to be helpful. He wanted to contribute, so he went out.
And he went into a wild vine. Now what do you think he would get from a wild vine? He got a wild gourd.
The fruit more character to its source.
We need to know where we're getting things. What is the source in this case? Typically ministry, wanting to throw something into the pot, as it were, that the Saints of God might be fed in this man, perhaps unknowingly shred them into the pot. They didn't know where it came from, They don't know who threw it in, but there was death in the pot. Well, Scripture has given us great safeguard, knowing of whom thou has learned them. Though this man went to a wild vine. He wanted to contribute, but he did so without discernment. So how important it is.
For us to consider where we are accessing that which we would bring before our brethren, there's a lot of.
What would be considered conventional wisdom within the Christ under the umbrella of Christendom today?
That, we fear, is nothing more than wild goats. Let's stick with the.
Precious Truth of God now, chapter 6.
The sons of the prophet said unto Elijah, should Behold now the place where we dwell with thee is too straight for us, Let us go. We pray thee unto Jordan. Take then to every man of beam, and let us make a place there where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye and ones that be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was fell in a beam, the axe had fell into the water. And he cried, and said, A last master for us borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place.
And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, And the iron did swim. Therefore said he, take it up to thee. And he put out his hand and took it.
Here we have possession without ownership.
We know what that is, isn't it using something, but it's not really ours and this caused a real problem here in a little distress on the part of this one of the sons of the prophet when the the iron head fell into the river. There's beautiful tea. Typical teaching here. Oh, you have in Romans 8. The spirit of life have made me free in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death, going contrary to nature and indeed swimming.
But the point I want to make here with respect to the sons of the Prophet is, Behold now the place where we dwell with thee is too straight for us.
I suppose in a prophetic sense, as we have in Isaiah 54, when Israel is restored, enlarged, zitent.
Let the curtains of thy habitation be lengthened.
So break forth on the right hand and the left, and inhabit the desolate cities, and so on. The Gentiles should be an inheritance. I suppose that might be included in the spot. But again I want to take this up very literally. The place is too straight for us. Not straight, STRAIGHT as in the opposite of crooked, but straight in the sense of narrow, restricted straitjacket.
Perhaps we've each heard at different times. I go back in my mind 30 years ago as a young person growing up in a large assembly and the hue and cry of the day was the place is too straight for us.
There was a battling and I could go down 15 points of what the issues were and why it was too straight and there was too narrow.
Well, that path was pursued, and all it resulted in was scattering.
The assembly where I grew up now is maybe half a dozen to a dozen people on a weeknight. Once a booming assembly outwardly, but the place is too straight for us and we have to come to the recognition.
00:55:15
Of the day in which we are living. And again, to know our place and our role as it would seek to strengthen the things that remain. We're speaking some of us earlier that the last recovery, the last revival in the church's history was Philadelphia. And after that is Laodicea. We're not going to resurrect. We're not going to bring back the days of glory in a collective way. But there is a path for faith.
Let's just say this is our time is running out. There's many different points that we could address, but I would just like to say this and then leave it with you that one of the main premises that in my experience and my observations over the years is a emphasis solely on the preciousness of the truth of the body of Christ.
Christ and the Church, but to the setting aside of the truth of the House of God.
These aren't new things. When we come to Ephesians 4, it speaks of endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the uniting bond of peace. What is it that immediately follows? You say chapter 3 immediately follows. No, that's a parenthesis. What is that precede that point? So therefore point, it is the outline of the one Newman, the one body, and then the household of God, the habitation of God by the Spirit that grows unto a holy temple in the Lord, the preciousness of the body of Christ and the House of God.
And it is what marks the House of God is holiness. Holiness becometh thine household Lord forever.
From and we cannot have one.
Focus on one truth, as precious as it is to the neglect and the abandoning of others. If we're going to expect to be kept, we need the whole truth of God.
A lot more could be said on that. I just leave that with you. The place is too straight for us. If we want to break loose, the Lord may allow us to give what we are fighting for. It's turned 11 Chapters, the last or the 9th chapter and this will be the last point.
So, briefly, what we've at least sought to bring out.
This afternoon, the first point is in a very positive sense.
The preparation and the formation of the vessel through suffering.
Then the danger of having knowledge without devotedness.
The devotedness born of love that would follow the one who is a type of Christ.
Until he goes up and we see him there.
Knowledge without devotedness, and then might without intelligence have an appearance of strength, but yet bereft of spiritual intelligence.
And then that great danger of having a posterity without an inheritance.
I speak specifically spiritually, but there is that literal bearing as well.
And then?
The matter of contribution was discernment. Know the source of your food.
And then?
That thought of.
The place is too straight for us. Again, we could call it possession without ownership. Well, my burden this afternoon are those words. The place is too straight for us. Finally, Second Kings Chapter 9 and verse one in the life of the prophet, called one of the children of the prophets and said in him, Gird up thy loins and take this box of oil in thine hand.
And go to Rhema feelings. We find in the following verses that he anoints Jihu.
And verse.
10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. That's the concluding remarks of this son of the prophet. And he opened the door and fled. I didn't read those intervening verses simply because we're out of time.
But what I find here is so important for each of us. We find faithfulness and obscurity. He said go in anoint jihu. The man goes in and gets out. He goes in, says what he has to say. He opens the door and fled and left it there. What an encouragement for us. What an important lesson, lesson for us. He that is faithful.
And now it's his leash faithful now, which is much. I think I'm quoting that exactly, but that's the principle from Luke 12. Faithfulness and obscurity. How important it is that we would seek to walk and act and move before God. The fear of man brings a snare, but to be not only exercised but to be convicted as to what the Lord would have us to do and then to do it. Leave it all with him. Let's pray and God and our Father, we thank you for thy precious word. We.
01:00:29
Thank you for the encouragement of the scriptures our God and we think of the trials and the pressures as I know, and we thank the our God that thou art forming thy people ultimately to be fully conformed to the image as I beloved son our God, what can we say to this? We thank thee and two thou. Let's use these trials to prepare us in the way of service, whatever measure it might be, and we might encourage others with the encouragement where we where with we've been encouraged of the our God.
And two of the danger of walking simply in an outward way without devotedness of heart to the Lord Jesus. Help us to lay hold of these practical lessons. We are each before these individuals, blessed Lord, and we would just yield ourselves to thee and thou is help us and exercises as we have need, and that we might be here more for thy glory, Lord Jesus.
As we come anyway to thee with Thanksgiving for this great provision of Thy precious word and fellowship with our brethren.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.