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Oh, my greatest word.
Hungry.
All by my children.
To pray.
So.
Response.
00:05:37
I wonder if it'd be done mining the bread, somebody else said.
Go ahead, brother, go ahead.
I was thinking of.
Begin that the sun Luke chapter 12 from verse.
31.
Maybe to?
38 Some young brother to freedom.
If that is suitable for the with the president.
Luke, chapter 12.
Verse 31.
But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. You're not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Sell that you have, and give alms. Provide yourselves bags which wax not old. A treasure in the heavens, that faileth not where no thief approacheth either moth corrupted. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Let your loins be gird about, and your lights burning, and you yourselves like unto men.
And waiting for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants who in the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them, so, blessed are those servants. And this know that if the Goodman of the house.
Had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not suffered his house be broken through. But be therefore ready also, for the Son of man cometh at an hour when you think not. And Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Blessed is that servant whom is Lord, when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But And if that servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men, servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and it had an hour when he is not aware.
And we'll cut him in sunder, and we'll appoint him this portion with the unbelievers. And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required. And to whom men have committed much of him, will they ask for more.
There are some very in.
Significant moral principles in the teaching that the Lord is giving here.
It's living in view of eternity.
And it really brings before us.
The responsibility.
We have a servants of the Lord, and we are all servants of the Lord.
In view.
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Of the time when we will give an account of our lives before Him. Now Christian truth is not developed in its fullness here, and the Lord's coming may be in a general sense, but the principles that the Lord is expounding here are very important for each one of us.
It is living our lives down here.
In view of eternity.
What are we building for? What are we using? Our energies, our time, our money. We are stewards of of everything that the Lord has given us. We have any gift or any ability that comes from the Lord.
But there is a responsibility, and I think the moral principles here that the Lord is is presenting.
Are so important and it brings before us.
What is our hope? What is the the motivation of our lives while the Lord is speaking here of of his return, he's he's coming again and.
Let us.
Let us remember that.
We should, we should be expecting the Lord.
To return at any moment.
And he would have this hope in him, purified himself even as he was pure. So the moral principles here that the Lord is is unfolding.
Are really very important for our daily lives.
For our.
For our activities or you say I'm not in the ward service, but you are. Everyone here tonight who is a believer is one of the Lord's servants. You may not be on the platform.
Not many are, but that's not the important thing.
Are we living in view of that day when the Lord will come?
When our lives will be reviewed.
What will there be in my life?
That will have the Lord's approval in that day. I'm sure that others have thoughts in this passage.
What is the thought of the?
Of the expression.
The Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
What is the?
The cost there?
Do you have a father, John?
Well, I think that.
As I say, the passage is speaking in general terms.
We have that verse in second in the Peter chapter one.
Where's the lemon?
Well, the apostle is referring to the previous part of that chapter, but.
Verse 10.
Work with a rather second Peter chapter one.
10 Wherefore the rather.
Brethren, give diligence.
Make their calling and I'd like to ensure.
Where if you do these things, you shall never.
Fall.
Or soul and entrance shall be ministered unto you.
Abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now, that's not an abundant entrance into heaven.
Every believer will have an abundant entrance into heaven. There'll be no difference there.
But there will be.
A difference in the position that we will have when the Lord reigns.
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He says, Here An entrance shall be minister unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom.
Of our war.
Well, we know that we're going to bring with Rice in his Kingdom.
We are.
Are the queen of his throne he's going to share?
The inheritance with his bride, that is the Church of God.
You are part of that bride of Christ, so.
We all will have a joyful entrance into the glory but our position in the coming Kingdom.
Will be according to our walk down here.
I think that's the thought that the apostle has there in second Peter one. Maybe someone else can enlarge the Bunny.
I take it in future.
And.
It's going to be noticed is that.
Exhortation is to seek the Kingdom of God.
In this part, it's good pleasure to give it to us.
This is open the way Christian exhortation works and I know you're not you know full Christian Brown in this gospel. If you take back to Ephesians chapter 4 where the man Christ Jesus has been raised up. He's head of the church and from him comes down all the nourishment we join some bands, the gifts he's provided. Why that to perfectly the Saints so that we grow up unto him and all things.
And then what's the desire in the individual believer? What do you have in Philippians 3?
Regions for us that that.
You might know him.
Believers like I want to know and so.
A harmony of God's work for us and in US. And so here.
He gives it to us, but I take it it's futures.
I think the Kingdom of God is now in a moral aspect.
I would take it to seek me first, but rather seek You, the Kingdom of God.
We are part of the Kingdom of God in its moral aspect. The Lord is every soul that is saved.
Is part of that Kingdom at the ward that has in the glory?
The Kingdom is not yet manifest.
On the earth. But it has a moral, immoral aspect, that right? I think so.
So if I were to put it in my own words, would it be correct to say that we are to live? And so the King, we are in the Kingdom of God, but the Lord is not here on earth. He's in the Lord, so we're to live.
Under the domination of that king here in the character in which we display as Christians, as brethren, is as though he reigned here now Is that correct?
Very good, Brian. Yes.
Owning the Lordship of Christ.
So that's kind of characteristic with the way that it's expressed in Romans 14.
Verse 17 For the Kingdom of God is not eaten drink, in other words, the tangible things when it is manifested.
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The righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
So we look forward to the Kingdom and really that's when he will reign.
We.
Now walk through the scene as servants of the Lord, not in relationship to him as subjects of a king.
But as servants of the Lord.
We seek the Kingdom, in other words, we seek his interests now, while we're here. That's not the same thing that's put out.
In Reformed theology of furthering the Kingdom of God, in the sense that through our efforts we will bring the Kingdom in and all its glory and power in this world, He's going to give the Kingdom. It's not us bringing it in, but meanwhile we seek.
His interests while we're here and we are in that moral Kingdom of God. And so there are those things that character should characterize us morally, but as we seek his interest rather than our own interest, which is in the versus previous to this.
He'll take care of all those things that the world seeks after in our lives. But more than that, what is presented in the previous verses in connection with meat and drink and food and, and, and you increase your height and stature and anxiety of soul in connection with those things. So He will add to us the peace that comes with a walk of dependence upon Him and seeking His interest instead of our own interests.
In this scene and that's.
How I take it an abundant entrance ministered into the Kingdom. Very interesting scripture and I I sought to try and get some help from our older writers on that subject and.
There there are, and it's not. I have not found it so easy, but Mr. Kelly and Mr. Darby present that as a present, laying hold on in our souls, in the enjoyment.
Of the Kingdom.
And it's kind of like.
Stepping from this scene into another scene and it's no abrupt change because I am in the present enjoyment already of everything that's coming. And so I step into a fully furnished, abundantly furnished unto you. Everything there is in full accord with what I'm in the enjoyment of now and going on with now. And so it's it's a present laying hold.
Of what is ours.
In connection with how Peter presents things the Kingdom.
And there won't be any abrupt change when that day comes when the Kingdom is set up in power and glory in comparison to my present state of soul and enjoyment now. So I know it's probably not a very clear way to put that across, but.
Worth digging into what our early brethren wrote on it.
I think that's very good, Steve, although it might.
Primarily refer to the.
Lord's reigning.
The Millennium.
Remember that the church.
Is going to.
Be reigning with the Lord, we look at Hebrews chapter 12.
12.
Where there's a list of the.
The privileges that we have and.
Given to us from verse.
22.
It speaks up to the General Assembly let's the the myriads of angels and Church of the first born which are written in heaven.
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Judge of all the spirits of just men made perfect well the Church of the first born.
That is sometimes taken to refer to the Lord Jesus. That is, that is not correct. The Church of the first born is Mr. Kelly.
Translates it and says it's the Church of the first born ones.
That is the church.
Is in that place of preeminence. That's the the thought in the the word first born. It doesn't refer to a.
Generation.
The eminence in, in, in.
Order of the birth, but it refers to a place of.
Prominence and so Church of the first born once is the is the bride of Christ and.
We will be.
Will be reigning with the Lord.
And.
We will have the.
A nearer place.
In the Kingdom to the Lord, then the Old Testament Saints the Old Testament Saints are the spirits of just men made perfect are the Old Testament Saints who are going to receive.
Their glorified bodies when the Lord comes.
But they are not part.
Of the Church of the first born ones they will.
Be friends of the bridegroom. Is that right? I think that's right.
Steve.
Everything that we might seek as to our own interest down here.
In in the end, is going to be left behind, comes to corruption even while we're here.
And so on, but seeking his interests, having that coming Kingdom in view.
It's treasure that's laid up in heaven. It's not going to.
As Peter presents it, reserved in heaven for us, there's no chance of that being lost as all the things that we have down here.
But really it has to be a result of where our hearts occupation is. It won't just happen. The things we do in our lives that the things that were occupied with the things we spend our energy and time on and money on is where our heart is. And so it has to be a heart occupation with Christ for those things really to.
Come out in our lives and really being those who lay up treasure and haven't having those.
Bags that wax not old and.
As he includes that a little bit, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
So if that's our.
Whole occupation.
Work with our affections, then that's where we'll be laying up our treasure. And then it works the other way around. Where our treasure is, there our heart is. I enjoy the old, it's just an old story I read as a kid, the old Sherlock Holmes story, you know, and the Sherlock was going to go in and try and find out where this lady had kept her treasure, and he was trying to figure out. So he stays that there would be.
A emergency called and a fire alarm rung and and so on and he placed himself in the living room and and when that alarm went off and she looked right towards a particular spot when she heard that fire alarm go and he knew right there was where she hit her treasure. You know we can't disguise our hearts occupation.
We look great towards where, you know, everything in our life points towards what our hearts occupied. We can't really disguise it and.
It's really the Christ is that formative object of our hearts. That day of His glory, when he'll set up His Kingdom, we'll share reign with Him in that coming day. Those things form our hearts and form our walk and our ways down here.
The assessment of the present days.
It's meant to be striking different in light of the future.
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Believer on the unbeliever.
So as you mentioned in the previous verses, it's it's the natural concern of having enough, having enough food, having grayness.
What am I going to have for next year? What am I going to live on when I'm old? All of those things are what is natural to them.
But it's like in the terrible and a couple chapters later we get the parable of the unjust steward, which is a really unique parable because people get a little bit confused. Why would the Lord recommend or commend someone that's unjust? But the point of the parable is that he had a temporary chance to use a temporary position for future blessing or benefits. And that's the way we do it. It sums up by saying.
Make to your friends.
The mammal of unrighteousness, that when you fail, when they receive you with everlasting meditation.
So we use present resources, advantages and so on, not to just insulate ourselves against future challenges or trouble, but in a certain sense, we plow it under, we invest it in the future.
Friends and righteousness and so I believe that helps with the context of verse 33 in our chapter cell that you have provide yourselves bags and tracks, not only the treasure in the heaven and so forth.
I think the it's it's important to see that the Lord has a treasure down here.
His people are His treasure. Don't try to love the Lord anymore than you do.
But sit down and contemplate his love if you if we have the.
The enjoyment of the Lord's love that that his treasure is his people. We're going to make our treasure up above that right there.
Our treasurers in heaven, His is down here.
So it's the, it's holding the, the things of this world. I mean the temporal things, we, we, we need to have them in order to get through the world.
We have God encourages industriousness in our day-to-day work. We are responsible to provide.
Honestly, for our families, well, Paul says clearly there in Thessalonians.
Or Timothy if any man provide not for result.
And he is. We better turn to that verse first. You can find the first Timothy.
Chapter 5.
Founded restricted. Verse 8. Thank you. Yes, verse 8. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house. We have denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
So.
A person who is in.
Has the responsibility of a secular position.
Can still walk by faith.
And but we are.
Live in view of the Lord's return so the loins are to be girt about or not to allow our.
Minds and souls to be.
To go wherever they're whatever appeals to us. We should be as if we're waiting for the Lord to come. Would he? Would the Lord be happy if he saw me involved in some?
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Some activity that.
Although it may not be sinful, it is. It is not the glory of the Lord. So there's something here for the conscience. Loins girt about is referred to in Ephesians chapter 62 and lights burning.
It's a really beautiful.
Picture it's you know, whenever we think of a wedding and bridegroom, we immediately get the thought of the church and the marriage supper of the lamb in our minds. And but that's not what this is taking up.
It's really taking the figure of a man who has servants, and I think of it like livery men and a coach and so on. And there's going to come a point where he comes out from the wedding and he says it's time to go.
Time to go and and there they are. And the lights are burning. The the carriage is ready, the horses are ready.
Their loins are girded, they're prepared and they're they're ready to take him where he needs to go. They're really in the secret of what he is intending to do and they're ready and prepared to to when he comes to.
Carry them on to whatever is the next place. And he says I'm going to come out and serve them. It's it's a, it's a beautifully close relationship of service in, in the way I get the picture.
That that they're in tune with with the program, so to speak, and they're not off distracted. And you know, that happens with guys on a job and things get delayed and something doesn't come that's needed to build something.
Soon they're off. Somebody's up here doing this. Somebody's out here. And then, Yep, the product comes in that you need and you're, you're pulling people in from everywhere, all distracted all over the place to, to get this job done. Not these guys. They're ready. Their loins are girded. The lights are burning. They're keeping them going. And he comes out that door. He says, guys, it's time to go. And they go, let's go, you know, and they're ready. Watching, Yes. It's better than even better than waiting, yes.
I think the whole horrible speed that you are referring to is in the context of an Eastern wedding. Yeah. And the bridegroom, I don't know too much about it, but I think the bridegroom.
His friends are waiting for him.
To come out so they can accompany him to meet his bride and bring her home. Yes, I think that's right.
First, you're going to say something.
I was going to say I when I used to on occasion travel with the top execs in the company I work for, they had private planes at their back and called and when they went back to the.
FBO, you know, Louisville Airport.
You know, those pilots were in the pilots room just.
Drinking Coke, Pepsi and eating and playing crossword puzzles and.
When we arrived and we had to go knock on the door since that was not good, I think there were supposed to be knowing that we were back on the way to the FB O and flight plans already in place. Engines are warmed out. The usually they have two pilots. They're standing there waiting for your luggage and everything. And that's exactly what happens. You go right in, say hello, walk right out the other door and I'll be going on pretty much on your way.
So, you know, if you went in and the backroom said, oh, we've been waiting for you, they were waiting for hours for us to have a meeting or whatever.
But, and we're watching and it's.
And remember your children when they're these guys is age and waiting for dad to come home or something. And one thing to be preoccupied with, they say we're waiting, we're waiting for you because we know we're going to go somewhere. But I remember.
Coming down our road and see these little eyes where we talk about, you know, looking over a window and they're, they're really in tune that.
That combines a different quality of thing, and that's what the Lord looks for. So that's just waiting, but watching.
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Watching for the Lord to come really gives us a heavenly character to our life because we're not focused down here. We're we're just watching for him to come and but the longer he carries, or maybe that's not even a scriptural word, but.
The longer the more time goes by, the harder it is to keep our focus on him.
And the easier it is to start looking around and get distracted and to say, well, while I'm waiting, maybe I'll go do this or go do that and things that maybe aren't wrong, but it's not watching. And that's why I think he says if he shall come in the second watch.
We're coming the third watch and find himself. Blessed are those servants. It's like the longer he waits, the more precious it is to his heart that were found watching. And sometimes you say, well, it's been a long time, but if he comes and he finds us watching, it means a lot to him.
Yeah, it's not dynamic on his part that he wants us watching when he comes, is he? If as you put it?
Perfectly, it's the effect it has on us to be watching in the new time.
With the guys that I traveled with, it was it was fantasy.
It was really bad, but it's not that way with the Lord He. He's looking for the effect upon us, as you say.
You know there's an expression. Move it. Off topic, but.
Spreadsheet in the little ******* book waiting to see the Morning Star arise.
I'm not sure that gives the right thought.
If I sense that in Peters ministry, Peter one that.
In the Morning Star is the present hope and expectation we have.
It's not him finally coming over. And now I have the Morning Star and some of the hymns of Little Clock. I mean, they're very beautiful, but a little bit off. It's.
More precious thought to realize we have now we ought to have now being the good journey of the expectation of the Lords coming for us before the Son of Righteousness comes forth. One of the things I miss the most about not working.
It's not being up in the dark.
And walking a job or traveling.
You know the planets, but to you and me in the morning stop and and the specialness of being.
Alive and awake.
Thinking about the Lord states before the sun is even and when the sun comes up and here in the full day it's kind of anti.
The Morning Star.
Appears before the dawn. Yeah, it's really it's planet Venus, of course.
I can remember reading biographies of the African missionaries and they plodding through the dense African forests with the native people. All of a sudden they saw a shining light.
In the distance.
Illuminated the whole sky.
And the missionary had never seen this before. They had a word for it in the in their native language. It really was the Morning Star.
Which heralds.
The dawn they knew when the warnings, when they saw that morning star shining there brightly, they knew that the dawn wasn't very far, wasn't very far ahead.
As you said earlier on, John.
The Lord's coming here is. It's not.
It's not the precision we have before.
Rapture distinguished from your hearing. It's the Lord's coming. I believe that in a general way and the force and focus it's meant to have on our hearts. And so I hope I think this helps explain verse 39.
Our chapter.
00:45:00
Many parable years the Goodman of the house had known what hours the people come. He would have lost him and not have suffered his house.
We're not listening to the Lord to promise his feet.
Whenever the word of God speaks of the Lord's coming with the teeth in the night.
It's not the rapture, It's not us. It's not coming. Nobody wants a speech to come.
Especially tonight.
So that's not a figure, it's a figure of suddenness, of accountability.
Those that are dwellers in the earth.
Judgment.
For us in this chapter, the figure is.
Be ready, son of man, come up in an hour. You think?
But for us, it's not.
And also I think we have the.
Thought here of verse 42 we ventures that faithful and wise Stewart.
And his wards will make his household, and give them their portion of meat to do season. Bless. It is that servant who is Lord when you come it.
So I'm so doing.
So that brings before us.
Ministry activity.
In view of.
Of the manifestation of our lives, the Lord says that there will be a reward for faithfulness.
Serving the Lords people.
Preaching the Gospel.
The Lord is going to take that into account in that day. So the the the idea of the the truth of.
Recompense is brought before us here. Is that right to speak?
Yes.
Well, in our day in life, verse 45.
It's not just people saying it in their heart, they're saying it out loud.
Christianity.
Has been taken over by.
Those who espouse the doctrine that it's not the believers hope to be expecting the Lord to come for us at any moment. And so it's not just believer with sound doctrine that's that.
Gets sleepy and careless in his heart and says my Lord delayed his coming.
Nowadays it has become solidified into a doctrine.
See that in Revelation chapter two and three. What was that? First, the deeds of the Nicolaitans became the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
Mr. Kelly, who I rarely ever read.
The foxes, his parents of the wish, I think is the way he put it, but the wish is parent to the thought.
So our it can be a treacherous thing when the heart is regarded how many of the issues of life.
And end up backing into doctrine and takes our practice even lower and summers the world.
Others.
We know that the formal attire got through treating that the Lord has a book of remembrance.
Our sisters here.
Do not publicly.
Participate towards the morning.
Because the word of God.
Prohibits this.
However, they are as much holy priests as the brothers and every thought sisters, that you have on Lord's Day morning about the person of the Lord Jesus and his death and his sacrifice is recorded in the Book of Remembrance every thought.
00:50:03
And someday that book will be open.
And the Lord will reward.
Maybe things that we have forgotten entirely.
The Lord hasn't forgotten me. He will not forget the work and labor of love. It may be behind the scenes.
Not seen by your fellow believers, but the Lord. He has the record straight.
Like he said that about Mary's.
Mary's.
Sacrificed there, went to Ford the alabaster box upon repeat of the Lord. Wheresoever this gospel should be preached, this act this woman hath done shall be spoken.
About her, you know, maybe secure to that person John has.
12.
112.
Sausage and.
But disappear in another gospel.
Matthew 26.
Verse 13. Thank you.
26.
Yes, very, I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached, and the whole world.
There's also this that this woman hath done he.
Poll for a memorial of her.
Notice the servant here is a single servant.
And.
Very interesting in the way it's expressed.
And.
Verse 45 but and if that servant say in his heart, same servant.
So we apply these things individually, but in a certain sense it's the servant dispensation.
Started out with the hope of the Lord's coming, but it's going to end having.
Really lost that.
The same servant.
Whether it's that servant?
He knew his Lords will.
Made no preparation.
What she's given.
Much will be required.
Fears that the judgments that fall upon.
The Western world.
Most severe.
The western world that has had the advantage of.
Christian Testimony.
The Spirit of God active for so many centuries up until the present time.
Got a sobering with the for the Jew, for the Israelite, even a faithful one.
There came a time when God governmentally wrote on the nation.
You are not my people.
00:55:04
You will not.
Mercy.
That will be reversed in the coming day.
But there were faithful ones who had to subsist under that governmental sanctions.
I don't believe that sentence would ever be written across the Church of God while we do.
As somebody was saying, was praying earlier.
His treasures in his feet.
And as much as our failure is in a way even greater than injuries because we have more committee to us.
Still, with his patients, there's another side of it.
That he's building a holy temple, stone by stone, with perfect workmanship.
It's not yet complete, and it will be.
So he's.
He has purchased the treasure.
The whole field of the treasure and the.
Not long sighted that.
Ruin of.
The testimony hourly, which is our responsibility.
Is another thing.
Believe after we're gone, after the Lord comes for us and takes us out.
Then the judgment followed.
We will publicly manifest that that great Christian, Christianized system.
Left behind in your dog.
It's not.
It's an abomination to it.
Unleash the East to destroy the false church.
So meanwhile.
She's precious to that, which is really precious to it.
And it's really a mercy.
We don't lose any personal privileges.
Right up until the end.
Collectively, we feel it. We see it even in our short lifetimes. Our short lifetimes.
But we see it and feel it.
It's just an amazing thing that we still have all these present.
My privileges I call you.
I think it's Mr. McIntosh that says that. I guess their time is up. I think Mr. McIntosh says he sums up this chapter.
Time in view of eternity.
48.
Shall come.
In.
Forever.