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Savior come by Saints or wait.
183.
If you're gone.
Reading in Luke's Gospel chapter 12. Would verse 35 be a good place to start?
Luke 12, starting at verse 35.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and you yourselves like them to men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when He cometh to knock us, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you that He shall gird himself, and shall make them to sit down to meet. It will come forth and serve them, and if he shall come in a second watch, will 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 have suffered his house to be broken through. Be therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh in an hour when ye think that.
Then 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 rulers over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Blessed is that servant whom his 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 has. But an if that servant stay 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 at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in Thunder, and will appoint him as 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 to Him shall be much required. And to whom men have committed much of him, they will ask the more. I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I, if it be already kindled?
But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened till it be accomplished? Suppose either I am come to give peace on the earth. I tell you nay, but rather division. For from henceforth there should be 5 in one house divided, 3 against two, and two against three. The fathers will be divided against the son, and the son against the father, and the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
And he said also to the people, When you see a cloud rise out of the West, straightway ye say, and there cometh the shower. And so it is, and we see the South wind blow East Bay, there will be heat, and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it that you do not discern this time? Yeah, and why even of yourselves judging that what is right? But now goes with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, and give diligence that thou mayst be delivered from him.
Lest he hail thee to the judge, the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee thou shalt not depart thence. So thou hast paved the very last night.
I'd like to make a comment of the connection between what we had this morning and the verses up to 34 and verse 35 S Verse 34 says where your treasure is, there will your heart be also, And then immediately it says, let your loins be heard about, your lights burning and so on.
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Where my treasure is, is going to determine my preparedness.
For the coming of the Lord, that is, if Christ is my treasure.
He can't come too soon.
And all my present life is in view of.
The one, my treasure, who is coming. We have that in the end of Revelation 22, where the Lord says I come quickly.
Out of the Spirit and the bride, say.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus, there is that response of affection and so if my treasure is in this world, I'm not really looking, I'm not prepared. My loins aren't gird about, I'm not looking for my Lord, if you will, to come. That's an interruption to my plans and programs and my interest and desires, my material interests that we had this morning. But if.
I think of the Lord Jesus as my if he is truly my treasure, it's like the apostle Paul said, for me to depart with Christ is far better, he said. I'm not.
Any problem with leaving this world for me it's better. I'm looking forward to it whenever the Lord, you might say, releases me from my present responsibilities in service and takes me to himself and so he looks upon it that way. And that's another as it were, you might say, evidence to the soul. Is it really have its treasure in heaven is am I?
Really looking forward, is there anything presently that's keeping me from really finding enjoyment in my treasure?
The Passover night in Egypt, when they were to eat the Passover lamb in the houses where they had put the blood over the door.
Says Thus shall ye eat it with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your stabbing your hand. He didn't taste it as the Lord's Passover, but I understand is that they used to wear long flowing garments.
And to be able to walk unhinderedly, they had to.
Gather it up and put a belt around that would control that those things, and I think it speaks to us.
Of control in our lives. Are we in control of things in our lives, or are they? Are we relaxed and let out our garments and are not ready to March in Egypt? They were supposed to be ready. The command would be given at any time to leave Egypt. And brethren, we should be ready to leave this world at any moment.
Ready for the March, Things under control. It's interesting how often that expression is used. I think enough one in first Peter chapter one.
And verse 13 where Peter exhorts and says, Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind.
Be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought up to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Turn up the loins of your mind.
That is.
Control your thinking. So often I find for myself that my mind goes helter skelter, One Direction another.
I can be sitting in media. Maybe my mind is 1000 miles away, some other corner of the world.
Gird up the loins of your mind. Bring your thoughts back to what we're talking about here in this conference. That's what it means, and we need to learn to control our thinking.
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Olympians for whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just several things are pure. Think on these things. That's the channels which we should direct our thoughts. So we need to gird up the loins of our minds, control our thinking.
Other places, Ephesians, where it tells us in connection with the armor of God.
To be have our loins heard about with truth. There it is. Connection with simply making the truth of God. Not something that we merely know in our minds, but that we put into practice. We turn it on. So I suppose this all has some connection with our verse, our loins girded.
To the fact that our Lord is coming.
I'm looking at some very searching verses in First Corinthians 7 in connection with what you just said. I'll read them verse 29. But this I say, brethren, the time is short. It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none.
And they that weep as though they wept not. And they then rejoice as though they rejoiced not. And they that buy as though they possessed not, they that used this world.
Not a new translation, not just as disposing of it as their own. For the fashion of this world passed away, but I would have you without carefulness.
He that is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, that he may please the Lord.
But he that is married cares for the things that are of the world, only may please his wife. There's a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, that she that is married care for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I speak for your own prophet, not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that you may attend upon the Lord.
Without distraction.
Researching verses for all of us.
And so in that sense.
Bob, we're never told to gird up our hearts, are we? It's a different thought, isn't it? My heart goes where my treasure is, and it's evident from where my heart goes, where my treasure really is. My treasure is down here. It will be evident because my heart will be here. If my treasure is up there, it will be evident because my heart goes to where my true treasure is.
But when it comes to our external circumstances and garments are often used in Scripture as a picture of that, when it comes to my mind, then I have control over it, don't I? Then there's an opportunity to order my circumstances in a way that is in keeping with the treasure that really means much to me. Then there's an opportunity to, as Colossians 3 says, this is the Darby to set my mind on things above.
I have a control over it. I can do it. I'm never told, strictly speaking, to set my heart on something. My heart goes to what really counts. But my mind needs to be controlled, my circumstances need to be controlled. And I suppose in lands like North America, and maybe to an extent in other parts of the world too, life has become very complicated. And I hope I'm not stepping on anybody's toes if I say this, but.
It seems increasingly that we find many people are really unable to cope with the complexities of the modern world. Things start to fall through the cracks and so many things that we have to do and have to keep straight are just overloading.
Our minds and our hearts, mostly. Our minds. Well, what do we do about that? There's a need for control, isn't there? We can't opt out of the world we live in. We can't turn back the clock and live like the Amish or the Mennonites or something and pretend that that's the solution. I don't believe that's God's way.
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But there is a need, isn't there, to control my circumstances so that.
I am girding them up rather than they running me, so to speak, because many people in the world today, that is the way it is. Circumstances are controlling them and unfortunately that is just the way the devil wants it. Well, it can overtake you and me too, can't it?
Want to read another passage? Strongest language possible. It's in the 14th chapter of Luke and verse 26. And if any man come to me and hates not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yeah, in his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
And whosoever does not bear his cross, come after me.
Cannot be my disciple. Then he gives the example of building a tower. One has to count the cost.
And.
Verse 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my disciples. And we know that Scripture says that the husbands are to love their wives and so on. Is the Lord contradicting that? He's basically saying when he uses this very strong word, hate these. These are in a natural relationship to him. He says I come first.
No ifs, ands or buts about it. I come first and don't claim because of the way you've gone and some of these troubles we've had, the way you've gone because family, they don't come first. The Lord does. And that that really ought to, to make it clear to us that when we have to make a decision, He's number one. What what is going to please Him?
Over any other relationship, no matter how precious it might be.
That's what I get from this passage of these things we're talking about. Let me read a verse just to follow that up. In Romans chapter 12, I'll read 2 verses, but particularly verse two I'm thinking of, but I'll begin with verse one. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable or intelligent ServiceNow notice this and be not conformed to this world.
But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now when we quote this second verse, we often quote it in connection with outward things, and certainly it has its application. But I would suggest that in its context, here is just what our brother Chuck has been bringing before us, and that is that the natural bent of man is to put himself in the center of his world.
He does everything for self. The natural man has a self governed life. That's just the bent of the natural man. And so he puts himself in the center. He draws this circle and he does everything for himself. I've sometimes said that the generation that we find coming on today is not simply the me first generation, that was my generation, but the generation today is the me only generation. And I know that when my young people go to school, this is ingrained in them.
You're number one. You're the center of your world. Make sure that you take care of number one first and do everything.
For self-interest. But in Christianity, there's to be a new center in our lives and that's Christ. And if Christ is the center of our lives and that's where our hearts go, our hearts go out to Christ, then it's going to take care of many things. It's going to take care of our relationships one to another. It's going to take care of our service for Christ. It's Christ and then his interests that are to be the center of our lives. And so this is the renewing of our mind. It's a change of thought here. The natural man thinks of himself first.
The Newman we're to think of Christ 1St and everything is to be done in accordance with the truth of God. That's why it says in Ephesians your loins gird about with truth. It's bringing every thought into captivity under the obedience of Christ. They teach us at school to empty our minds. That's not of God. You empty your mind and Satan's got plenty to fill the vacuum. Know us to fill our minds with Christ from his word.
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To have an understanding and a knowledge of the truth of God that's girding up the loins of your mind. And then I say ourselves at the center of our world, but Christ. And that will then take care of all those practical things that we've been Speaking of.
You can't think of nothing. That's right.
Something must fill that vacuum, either Christ or the world or whatever.
Just a short comment on this 36th verse because.
Sometimes we think it is connected, perhaps with the.
Marriage, shall we say, of the church to Christ. And while I don't object to that thought, I would just suggest that that's not really the imagery that is being used here. Rather, in Eastern weddings, quite often the bridegroom would go off to the wedding, the groom would go off to the wedding.
But he would leave his servants in charge of certain things that he had left behind, some things of his that had to be kept in good repair and so on, and had to be kept ready for him. And he expected that when he would return from the wedding they would be ready. Well, of course, Eastern weddings are often at night and kind of go late into the night, and this might be a very late hour. It would be very easy for these servants to fall asleep.
But the thought is here, as it says, And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he shall return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
I believe the thought is here, as we have expressed, that we should be ready and waiting and expecting the Lord to come at any moment so that there need be no delay. They had to be inside perhaps a place and there would be an opportunity for relaxing a little bit. But they didn't know when he would come back. And as soon as that knock came, hopefully there would be an immediate response and they'd say, Sir, we're all ready and immediately they would be able to undertake the responsibilities and go where he wanted to go.
Well, that's what the Lord is looking for in you and me today, isn't He?
The servants were watching, weren't they?
And the light burn.
Sometimes we're aware of a little expression for the Buchanan and I were Speaking of this between meetings. Every time we turn on the computer, we think of WWW. We know in its context there it speaks of the World Wide Web, but I've enjoyed it in connection with what we have in this chapter. We have servants that were characterized by three things that begin with W. They were working. They were watching.
And they were waiting, and that's what ought to characterize us.
There's quite a difference between waiting and watching.
I could be waiting for something, I might be asleep. I'm still waiting. But if you're watching, you're not very much asleep. And so we find 2 Characters brought before us in these two verses.
36 waiting wait.
37 Watching. And then in the 37th it says, Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meet.
And come forth and serve.
Marvel Can we imagine the Lord of glory causing us to sit down in service?
Amazing thought, isn't it? But that's to those who are watching. It doesn't say that with 36, but it says those that he finds watching.
So the character of our life should be such that momentarily, I don't mean we don't sleep momentarily are watching eyes should be open.
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For the Lord to return, that's what we have in the.
40th verse.
Be therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when you think.
The character of the Son of Man, of course, I suppose, would take us beyond what we are.
Now the Son of Man character is, when he comes back, glorious.
So this isn't a rapture, this is. This is after the rapture when he returns.
Where is. But the principle applies to us now that. Yeah.
I think of that, what you're saying, Brother Dave, about watching so often in Scripture. It's in context with sleeping. You can't do the two things at the same time. You're either watching or you're sleeping.
And we're talking, of course, in the spiritual sense.
Person that's asleep is not alert. He has.
Gone to sleep and you know how easily sleep creeps over you. At least I have to confess. After a good meal, new time meal, and sometimes a little bit warm in the afternoon, you sit down in a comfortable seat. You don't even realize that sleep is starting to take over.
Brethren, I believe This is why the Lord has to allow sometimes real bumps in the road. Sometimes I've had to experience driving along the road and I didn't realize I was going to sleep and all of a sudden I got off the side of the road and boom. Thank the Lord for the bump.
Where I got further off the road. And that's what's so important in our lives. The Lord gives us sometimes trials in our lives to wake us up. We don't realize that we've gone to sleep, they say.
We really, truly consider the awfulness of the judgment that's coming on this world that we're living. Right on the edge, brother.
Of the worst time of judgment this world has ever seen, I honestly have to say.
The majority of this world is completely asleep and a big quantity of even Christians are asleep as to where we stand in relation to the Lords coming.
Am I awake? I don't know that I'm the judge of that, even that it should be an exercise present to be alert, awake, aware of what's going on in the world around.
Realize the Roman Empire is being revived today.
We are seeing things happen in our world that show that our time is getting close. We need to be alert as to those things.
Easily, So easily.
Sleep takes over and dominates us in our testimony. Lord help us.
Don't you think we have more sleeping Christians in the United States than anywhere else?
Brother, are you looking and talking about me?
Well, if you were a mirror, I'd be talking to that fellow.
Let's notice in Romans 13 in this connection. So I think it's very solemn.
Just read a couple of verses in Romans 13 and verse 11.
And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. And this is not written to unbelievers. This is written to believers. This is written to those of us who ought to be awake to the truth of the Lord's coming. This is written to us who ought to be serving the Lord in our capacity and sphere in the last moments.
Of the Day of Grace, realizing that there are just but a few moments of service left. And I've sometimes said in connection with the parable of the 10 virgins that when we take it up, we often take it up in the gospel. And we stress the reality of the five foolish who were asleep and had no oil in their lamps. But I think it's solemn to consider that all ten of them were asleep initially.
There were five that were real. It did prove true that they had oil in their lamps, and those five went into the marriage. But isn't it solemn to consider that? You look at those 10 ladies, initially you couldn't tell outwardly who was real and who wasn't. They had all sunken down to the same condition. Now, brethren, that's a voice to my heart. That's a voice to your heart. We are just at the end.
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Our salvation is nearer than when we believe the Lord is about to come. We're about to receive, change bodies and sit down in His presence to be served and ministered to for all eternity.
Now, does that awaken us as to the reality of what our position, our service should be? Our loins should be girded. And I just want to say this too, about we didn't mention it in connection with our loins gird, but I would suggest that it also speaks of ready to serve. A servant couldn't serve with those robes flowing in, in the way. No, he girded them up in viable times and then he was ready standing there to serve. That ought to be our attitude, not asleep.
You don't find service sleeping and serving. No, they have to be awake and alert to serve. We ought to have our loins gird about for service and then to be watching and waiting. But oh, it's so easy to fall asleep in this comfortable society we find ourselves in. To fall asleep spiritually. The voice to us.
We may have wondered in connection with Peter in Matthew chapter 26, where he said, though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee Likewise also said all his disciples. And then further down in that chapter. The Lord says this is at such a critical time. The Lord says, what could you not watch with me one hour Watch and pray that she entered not into temptation.
The spirit of need is willing, but the flesh is weak, and so we too may think that they're pretty sure of ourselves and we have an Old Town pretty good. Peter did too, but he had to be reminded that just a short time later they couldn't watch with him. And at that crucial hour when the Lord, with so much of enjoyed the company and fellowship of his disciples.
It's interesting too. Isn't it Norm that they were sleeping for sorrow? It says in one of the Gospels. And isn't that one of the tactics of the enemy? We look around, maybe there's sorrow in our personal lives. We sorrow at the condition of things in the assembly, maybe even locally there's problems. We want to be careful that we don't sleep for sorrow, that those things don't overcome us, so that we're not watching, waiting and serving. They that weep as though they wept not.
Yeah. And so as I suggested I think earlier, there is an appeal.
Both to the conscience and to the heart here isn't there? We've been speaking about appeals to the conscience and it's a very needed thing. The danger of falling asleep, the danger of being indifferent to what is due to the Lord.
Ultimately, if that is the only pull that draws me out to follow the Lord, it won't last.
And so the Lord presents what our brother Dave Ingle was particularly laying stress on.
What is the Lord going to do? If we could look at it this way, and pardon me for drawing this analogy, but I think it fits if when we were up there in heaven, the opportunity were offered and we'll use the human imagery that the Spirit of God uses here. Supposing there were an opportunity if the Lord Jesus sat down for us to serve him.
I venture to say that everyone here would be the first one.
Wanting to have the privilege of serving the Lord Jesus.
But that isn't the way it's going to be, is it? That's not what he says here. No doubt we will serve him. It does say that. And his servant shall serve him and they shall see his face. But the thought here is he says you have been faithful. You followed me when I was rejected, and so now you sit down. I'm going to serve you.
I suggest that if that gets a hold of our hearts, it draws us back to Calvary's cross. What right have we to be served anything?
As the hymn says, trembling, we had hoped for mercy some lone place within the door.
But the crown, the throne, the mansion, all were ready long before, and so he gave everything for us.
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On Calvary's cross, in order that we might spend eternity with them in those courts of glory. But when we get there, in return for any little measure of faithfulness and watching, he's going to say, now I'm going to serve you. If that gets a grip on our hearts, I suggest it will not only exercise our conscience, but it will draw out our hearts and our affections so that my treasure will really be up there.
Asked me once what's he going to service?
Answer is more of himself.
More of himself.
What an amazing thing.
Just just before the cross.
The disciples had been considering each other who would be the greatest, and surely thereafter the Lord says, Ye are they that have continued with me.
Amazing that the Lord would say that of these disciples who had just moments before considered who would be the greatest. Not not the Lord, but then and then for that comment.
I mean, I think too, of just to follow up on what's been said, John Six. He says, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. I am that living bread which came down from heaven.
The Father gave you not the man of that. He gives you the true bread manna we eat. We will feed on him forever and ever.
Down here it's not the place of relaxing, is it?
So easy to give place to that you find a comfortable spot and want to take it easy and relax. And now is our time of girding ourselves.
That day he will gird himself.
Sir, what a wonderful grace, but now is the time of our service, Brother, what a privilege and any measure to serve him.
Verse 37 is a continuation of John 13, isn't it? Cephus 3037 is in the glory. John 13 was down here. And Chuck, I'd just like to point that out because I was thinking of that. There is a contrast to between the service in John 13 and the service here because in John 13, when He gird Himself and served the disciples, He washed their feet. That's right. We're left here in a world where there are defilements.
Those things that chill and dull the affections in the soul. But up there there won't be any need to have our feet washed, but He will come forth in service. I sometimes illustrated it this way. When we, when I visit amongst the Lord's people and I enter the homes of the Saints, they come out and they try to make you as comfortable as possible in their home. They seek to serve you and to make you comfortable in that home. And when we get home to the Father's house as God's children.
Blessed to think, brethren, that the sun is going to come forth and it's just as if he's going to say, now he's at your home, I'm going to minister to your every joy and satisfaction for all eternity. As you say, Chuck, it'll be more of himself, but he'll minister to our joy and satisfaction for all eternity. Now I'd like to just say too, there were two types of service under the Levitical Order. There was the service of burden and the service of song.
Now the service of song will continue as Bill said. His servant shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and we will serve him in the service of song for all eternity. But the service of burden in the way that it was given to the Levites, that service is something that's only given to us, as Bob said, for this life. We only have the privilege of serving the Lord in that way down here. And are we?
Exercised to carry that service out, the little service and the burden that he gives each one of us.
You know, there's a verse we often quote, and I don't want to be misunderstood, but we do quote it a little bit out of context sometimes. And that is that verse where the Lord said to the disciples, come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a while. We quote that sometimes, and I want to be careful, but sometimes in justifying laying down the service of burden for a time. Now I'm not saying there aren't times when we need to rest and relax. That's not what I'm saying. But if you notice the context of that verse, they really didn't get a rest.
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Because he drew them into the desert place and then it says, and he lifted up his eyes and the multitude was coming. And the next thing you find is not the disciples resting, but there was more work to do. And pretty soon 12 disciples are distributing food to several thousand people. That was quite a chore. That was a lot of work. That wasn't the rest that perhaps they anticipated. And I believe what we learned from it, brethren, is just what has been said. And that is that our rest is not here. They and I often take comfort from that verse that says.
There remaineth therefore arrests to the people of God. This is not a time to be sitting back and relaxing. We're here to serve our Lord and our Master and there's no shortage of needs and opportunities. You know, we don't have to pray and ask the Lord for opportunities for service. What we really need to do is pray and ask the Lord that we will have our loins gird. We'll be watching and waiting and ready to avail ourselves of the opportunities that there are.
Because there are no shortage of opportunities and you don't have to go to another country or the other end of the world to find opportunities to serve the Lord. Just get up in the morning, get ready for school and work, and pray that the Lord will make you watching and ready for service and you'll find lots of opportunities right where you are. But this is not the resting time, brethren. This is the time for service.
Matthew 11 That says take my yoke upon you and learn of me.
Where I think and lowly in heart, and he shall find rest into your souls. Rest in the yoke. We're going to enjoy rest down here. It's rest in the yoke of services. I've often found that in my own life when I've tried to have a nice rest, but it hasn't turned out that way.
But when you go on with the Lord's direction, and the Lord gives rest in his own way, now, now is not the time properly of rest.
He does say occasionally to us coming yourselves apart and rescue our and he'll give us that. He sees our need and he'll give it to us.
I might just say this too, while we're on this subject. The Sabbath, which was for Israel was a day of rest. But the Lord Jesus, when he was here, he gave many reasons why He healed on the Sabbath day, why he worked on the Sabbath day. But one of the outstanding reasons he gave was my father worked at hitherto and I work the Sabbath. God's rest was spoiled by sin and the Lord Jesus was not here to rest. In fact, the only time that you read of the Lord Jesus asleep, I believe is on a borough pillow and a borough boat. And it didn't last very long. They woke him.
And he rose and rebuked the wind and the waves, the wind and the sea. And so here's the example. Now we talk about the Lord's Day. The Sabbath is not for us. That was Jewish. It was a day of rest. The Lord's Day is not a day of rest. And if you're again watching and ready for service, you'll find lots of opportunities to serve the Lord on the Lord's Day. You know, it's a day when we don't have perhaps the normal cares of life all through the week. You, you have your job, you have school, maybe Saturday you get.
Caught up around the house. Lord's Day, of course, we come to remember the Lord. There may be other meetings set aside for the Lord's people and the gospel, but what do we do with our Lord's day? Now? I'm speaking to my own heart as much as any. But there's an opportunity there. The Lord stays not the Christian Sabbath. The Lord stays not in Scripture, given to us as a day of rest. No, it's a day when we can avail ourselves of some of those opportunities to serve.
Well, we said there was that in this chapter, which was for the exercise of all. And I suppose going on to verses 39 and 40, as we've already mentioned, it brings in the Son of Man, and it brings in the fact that He is going to come back in judgment on this world, isn't He? It brings in the fact that He is going to come to this world, as Scripture says in many places, as a thief in the night.
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We know that He doesn't come for you and me that way, and it's important to see that because Scripture never refers to the Lord's coming for us as the Lord coming as a thief in the night. Unhappily, it's something. No, we don't. But He is not coming as a thief. A thief comes, It is true, when you aren't expecting Him and he comes unwanted. Neither are true of the Lord when he comes for us, but when he comes back to this world, he does come as a thief.
He comes when they're not expecting him. It's not merely a case of a believer being asleep. That's sad, but it happens. But the believer who is asleep or not watching will be very, very glad to hear the shout. But the world is not going to be glad to see the Lord Jesus when He comes back. And so there is a warning here, I suggest, which all could take heed to. And it's important for us to recognize that we're living in a world.
That does not want the Lord Jesus to come back. He's going to come, but when he comes, they will not be expecting him and they will not want him. Well, the exhortation here is to be ready and I believe you and I can say to a lost world, get ready. I spoke to someone just last week with the Lord's help about this and I said, look at the way the world is. The Lord Jesus is coming back and what are you going to do if you are found?
Guilty before him and no opportunity to be saved. There's really 3 comings. His first coming was when he came into this world as a baby.
Second coming is when he gathers out of this world those that have believed on him, and we call that direction the third coming, and they're all comings. Is the revelation or the appearing when he comes to Earth?
That's that's for judgment. That's for judgment. But it's coming for us. The world, I don't think will see it. They'll feel the effects of it. They can't help but feel the effects of it. But millions will be missing. But that's not a judgment. That's glory for us.
But the word coming applies to all of those. Hmm.
41St verse Down to the 10 to the 44th. We have a faithful servant.
And then from the 45th to the end of the 48th verse.
We have unfaithful servants. I'm sure there's many young folks in this room, and maybe older ones too, that would like to hear some explanation of verses 46 and 47 and 48.
And also with that tight into verse 41 and question.
Interesting the word of verse 39. Speaking of the house.
Of course, I suppose that the future day, the remnant in the tribulation period will read this and find instruction in this, but as we've been talking with the principle, we have diet the House.
And those that the good men of the house would have watched and do not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Matthew's Gospel and the Parable of the Sweet and the tares, it says.
While men slept, an enemy came and sowed terrors.
What has happened in the Christian profession is because of sleepiness on the part of the servants, there has been ruin in the public testimony. And I think that there's a lesson that he learned in in this too, and then further on.
The verse 42, it speaks of the household and it's in connection with a public sphere of service.
The household where there are servants. So there are things, there are lessons that apply to us rather than in connection with the truth of service.
00:50:03
Having our loins heard it.
You have in verse 43, what does that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing? So here is this faithful servant that's doing what is pleasing to him of the truth. I say unto you that he will make him ruler over all of that. Then he speaks of another servant. But and if that servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men's 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 at an hour when he's not aware.
And we'll cut him in sunder, while appointed his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant both, which knew his Lorde 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 whom much whomsoever much is given of Him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much of Him, they will ask for more. Now these are all called His servants, but some are real and some are not. Some are real, and some will will be rewarded, and others will be judged.
So to answer the question then that our brethren raised, is this something we can apply to ourselves in this present day, or is it something that will apply also to godly ones in a coming day during the tribulation? Or what is the thought here?
That seems to be the question that Peter asked the Lord in verse 41.
And I think it's instructed to say that the way the Lord answers it.
Leaves it for each one of us to be exercised in their place.
Who then is that faithful and wise steward? His Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of need in due seasons. Important it is to discern the need of the Lord's people.
Any measure that we can, and this applies to all, not nearly when we're together collectively.
But perhaps the sisters do they know the need amongst those who are sisters, perhaps younger and need help in their homes to minister the word in whatever way it might be, but to give the portion of meat in due season. God's people need to be fed. That is really important. I I just feel that sometimes, brethren, when there's Stripe among God's people.
We need to realize that strife does not feed God's people. The need is Christ to have Christ ministered to this. Yes, there are principles that deal with problems and we cannot ignore that. I don't say that we do. But what feeds God's people is Christ. He is our food, and it's to give the portion of meat in due season.
You don't give a big chunk of meat to a little child of.
One year old, you have to see what is good for that child discernment and give it accordingly. I think that's what.
What it's Speaking of here at the end of verse 42.
So it applies to us right now then, doesn't it?
The Lord, as it were, is saying, and I don't mean to be trite about it, but he's saying I'm going to make some remarks and if the cap fits where I believe for myself, and I stand to be corrected, that there is a thought here that will apply in a coming day. There will be those unhappily, who will be unfaithful servants, who will eat and drink with the drunken, who will cast the godly remnant of God's people out of the city of Jerusalem and abuse them in every possible way.
While at the same time worshipping the Antichrist and taking the place of being the people of God. They fit here too, perhaps. And there will be faithful ones in a coming day. And as you say, Bob, no doubt they'll read this and they will be encouraged. But for you and for me, the question is.
00:55:00
Am I being a faithful steward? I suppose some of the thoughts here come alive when we see how large estates were run and years gone by, and perhaps in this day too, because.
Perhaps.
100 and 5200 years ago and more when large estates were being run.
There was a man or a woman who had the charge of all the food, and food wasn't as plentiful as it is today, so it was kept under lock and key and they were responsible for dealing it out on a daily basis to the cooks and various ones who were going to feed that household. Depending on who was coming and whether they were expecting company or whether there were more people than usual, they allotted the food accordingly.
But they were responsible and if they didn't do it, if they didn't go to the places where it was kept and produced that food and make it available, literally no one could eat. You couldn't run down to the supermarket or somewhere like that and and get it. It had to be available. So I suggest that's the thought here. And if you and I by grace have been in any way stewards of what God has given us, than we're not to use it to accredit ourselves or distinguish ourselves.
And say, look at, well look at what I've got. No, God says I'm leaving you as stewards to use it for the up building and blessing and health of all.
But those that knew the Lord's will and did it not shall be beaten with many stripes, and those that didn't know it did it not, shall be people with few. I don't think those are real believers. The real believers come in a group first. They'll be rewarded. And according to First Corinthians 3 is it.
There'll be rewards given for faithful service, but none of us are going to be beaten with stripes.
That's not that's pretty unsafe. Is that right?
Judgment seat of Christ.
The seat of manifestation where the Saints appear is not a judgment of persons, it's a judgment of acts, isn't it? And it's the character of what we've done that's going to be judged. First Corinthians. Second Corinthians, chapter 5.
It says that we all must stand. Well, that's universal, I believe, and covers the whole realm of mankind.
There are those that are going to stand at the judgment seat of Christ, which are Christians.
We're not going to be judged as to our person. Our acts are going to be judged. Those who stand at the great white Throne, their persons will be judged. Truly it will be because of what they've done. A good example is you judge, you find a Flower Show that's being judged and each one that brings their flowers that the person is not judged, but the flowers they bring the judge. But you stand before a judge in a Criminal Court.
And a man is a murderer, his person is going to be judged. And when an edict comes down, it's the person that said that's the great white soul.
But they're judged according to their works, aren't they? Yes, it says that, yes. Revelation 19. I mean, 20/20/12, I saw the dead, small and great stand before God. And the books were open and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. So there's going to be different, different degrees of punishment and health, as well as different degrees of reward in heaven. I shouldn't say in heaven, maybe in the Kingdom.
I think the Kingdom 1000 years when the rewards will be dished out, but when we're when they're in the eternal state in the well, I know as soon as the rapture takes place, we'll be as far as we can be glorified, but still there's rewards meted out in the Kingdom and but in in the Father's house. That's all grace. I take that to be all grace. Everything that we come into the good of is provided by himself. So one of the great lessons.
And principles we learn from this portion is.
That it's the Lord's approval we seek in our service. It's not as it says in another place to do eye service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart is under the Lord, knowing that of the Lord, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord's Lord Christ. And in everything we do in our service for him down here. The question is, is that for his glory and for his approval? Paul said it was the great labor of his life.
01:00:06
He said we labor that whether present or absent, we might be accepted of Him. And brethren, when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ, what is going to matter how much we got patted on the back for our service down here, or what isn't it? What is going to matter? It's His. Well done, Thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord. It's nice to encourage one another in our service. Nice if a young person helps with something in the assembly.
Does something for the Lord's people not slow? We don't want to flatter, but it is nice to encourage. But in the final analysis, the question is, whose approval are we really seeking?
I like to make this comment because it might help some that when he he speaks of himself as coming as the Son of Man, that's never the rapture. That's coming in judgment. The Son of Man. Now Matthew 25, which speaks of the 10 virgins, 5 wise 5 foolish ends with a verse that speaks of the coming of the Son of Man that shouldn't be there. That's not his coming as the Son of Man, it's coming for his own. And so that that's a mistake.
That's just a manuscript problem, but it shouldn't say Son of Man there.
So He comes for us as Son of God. Is that correct? Say that to wait for His Son from heaven. That would be right for the bridegroom, for the bride. Sorry Bob, you were going to say something. I just want to encourage the young people to. I have found my own life that when I was younger, some of the younger ones that encouraged me in the word for a tremendous influence for good.
Just want to encourage you when you get together to open this book, read it together, talk about it together. Don't be ashamed. It seems like sometimes when we get together, but it's almost embarrassing to have to get the Bible out that that bothers me when it's that way. Why? Why is it that way? That's not right. You should enjoy this book together. And do young people have.
India.
Greater health many times to other young people and we were older.
I must say my youth, some of the younger ones, was a traumatous influence in the right direction. Say that in connection with the end of verse 42, the servant that gives them their portion of meat in season.
Need to remember that there's a season to give the scriptures in.
First Chronicles, chapter 12. There were the men of Issachar which had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. There is an understanding of the times we live in, and to minister the word according to the need at that present time is an important thing.
Important exercise that we need to think about.
I asked a question about the Stewart.
So then, is that faithful? And why is Steward?
What application would you compare if you use First Corinthians 1/4 to the position that we are in?
That is the Lord's ministers and stewards.
I'll read the version.
1St Corinthians 4.
Come on, let a man account of us as.
The minister took place.
A servant of Christ.
And stewards of the mysteries of God, I think. A present day brethren.
Very wealthy and what's committed to them.
The ministry of Christ.
We understand that so much, I suppose, in the Gospel, but stewards and the mysteries of God is the unfolding of the revelation that has been given to rather than for 150 years. Take care of it.
01:05:04
We have responsibility to get forth the truth and.
People and why? Stewart? Who is Stewart?
You can't try to keep that printed material at their PGP the truth, don't you?
Tragic.
Steward Jump.
The truth that's been committed to us.
This room probably has more Saints in it that have heard the truth.
In a coolest way than any other group. I'm saying that with any pride. That makes us very responsible. But.
Our chronicle of 27.
What? Hey.
OK.
I believe that was sorry.
We're just going to respond to that comment. It is the King's treasure and we are only stewards of it. And in that sense, if the Lord has given much to some, as I said earlier, it is not proper for us to use that to distinguish ourselves as a company. It may distinguish us.
But on the one hand, there ought to be the walk that is in keeping with it. That's one thing.
Because others look at the walk and judge unhappily of the truth of God because of that walk. And a brother made a remark back in the 1800s. To the extent that we can have this truth, we can teach it, we can boast of it, and yet with all that we can repel honest souls that are desirous of advancing and throw them into the hands.
Of those who have no care for that truth.
We know how true those remarks are.
And so there is a walk that is in keeping with it. There is a presenting of Christ.
And a walking with him, the same passage reads, we need more than right principles. And I think this is what Bob was bringing out. We need God himself. But having said that, then there is a responsibility to share this truth with others. And I am reminded of a remark of another brother again many years ago, who said I have never.
Asked anyone in my life to come among brother.
I must confess, 25 years ago that hit me hard because if I can say it for myself.
I had a burning desire to see souls gathered to the Lord's name, and that wasn't all wrong, but I had to learn, as the brother went on to say, that he said, rather, instead of trying to get souls to come among brethren, I have sought to minister the truth according to the need. And that's, I think, what Bob was bringing out. Neat in due season.
Maybe they'll never be gathered to the Lord's name. Maybe they'll never see the whole truth, But are we giving them meat in due season? He said. Going on, he said. And many will recognize from where I'm quoting this.
He said if souls are gathered to the Lord's name and brought into the light of all the truth of God, that is well and good. But that has never been my object and I believe we need to take that to heart because we can share the things of the Lord. If I might say from my own experience when I first went to Romania and brother Doug over there will I'm sure support this, we found souls that were mixed up on much more fundamental matters like.
Eternal security and baptism and things like that. And if we can say it, we had the light to be able to help in those situations. It wasn't strictly speaking truth that gathered souls to the Lord's name, but eventually as time went on, there were those that got hold of more and said we do want to be gathered for the Lord's name.
01:10:00
But again, I don't believe it should be our object, rather it should be. If God has given us access to food, then we have to be good stewards of it and to supply what is needed that meets the need of that soul where he or she is in their Christian life and understanding at that time.
When you think of it in Second Timothy 3, in the last days, difficult as perilous but difficult times should be there. Think of someone that comes into this country from some remote part of the earth. He's never heard of Christianity and he's he's told from scripture what the church is. It's one body. And he looks around and he sees 1200 bodies in the United States. Where can I go? Where am I to go? Couldn't be more confusing, difficult.
Or someone like that and someone would ask you and say, well, where should I go? My answer is I can't tell you where to go, but I can tell you of one that can direct you where to go. And he never makes a mistake. That's the man with a picture of what man is, a picture of the Holy Spirit using the Word of God. They said if you follow that man, you'll go to the same place that I'll go to. If I follow that man and he never makes a mistake. We can make a mistake. I can be wrong.
There are other brethren that say they're gathered to the Lord's name, just like we say.
We can't both be right. We can both be wrong, but we can't both be right.
But if we are followed by the Spirit of God using the word of God.
That's that's that's the way to get to the to the right place. Isn't that what Matthew 1828 are gathered?
Don't gather themselves. They're not gathered because of their own thoughts, but are gathered. Is that not the Holy Spirit that's done together?
It's not so much perhaps a question of where should we go, but to whom should we go? Because it's Christ, it's a person, as you say, Brother Dave, to whom we are gathered. I would like to just go back and make 2 little comments, one in connection with what our brother Buchanan said. And I ask it in a form of a question more than anything, but I've wondered if that isn't perhaps.
What Paul felt as a steward of the truth of God when he said to Timothy in Two Timothy 2.
That the things which he had heard of Paul amongst many witnesses, he was then to commit to faithful men who would be able to teach others also. It's the truth passed on to others who hold it dear and seek grace to pass it on in the same with the same purity with which they have received it. That's being a faithful steward. I think that's what Paul's saying there. Let a man show account of us, Paul, that he don't believe being there, walking in it, knowing it, giving it to others.
That's it. Yeah. I'd like to make another comment too about the servants serving in connection with meat in due season. I thought of it in connection with going to, we'll say, a wedding banquet and everybody sits down to the wedding dinner and the servants come out, the waiters and the waitresses. And there's not so much interested in the individual needs of the guests there because they bring those plates around and every plate is the same. And you just listen to some of the comments that are feast like that.
Some of the older ones say, oh, I can't eat all that and I'm overwhelmed by it. A mother says, well, this is going to go to waste because my children can't possibly my child can't possibly take in this much food and some of it isn't appropriate for the child at that age and so on. But those servants, they're just serving indiscriminately those dinner plates. But is that the way we're to serve when it comes to ministering the truth of God to our fellow Christian? No, we need to seek grace to discern where our where our brethren are at.
I enjoyed a little story in connection with some brethren who were gathered to the Lord's name and they were brought into contact with another little group of Christians who had a lot of questions and they lived some distance from the assembly. And several of these brethren would visit this group of Christians on a regular basis. In fact, I think it got so that every Friday or Saturday night, whatever it was, they would go down and they would have a little time over the Word together.
But one of the older brothers who was privileged to be in on those visits and Bible studies together, he told me years later, he said we never told these people they needed to come up to where the assembly was. We never really spoke to them about being gathered to the Lord's name. We just sought to minister Christ to them where we felt they were. And after some time these these Christians started talking amongst themselves and they said.
01:15:13
These brethren have something we need to go and see what they have. And they did come and see. And as a result, they were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. And some of them to this day are still gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus and very happily. But it's what I was saying earlier, it's not where should we go? As to whom should we go? Those brethren have the discernment to minister Christ to their hearts and with their hearts drawn out to Christ, then they said we need to go and see where they come from.
It was a good lesson to my own soul. Christ asked to be the reference. That's it. At all times, not us. So often we present the truth of gathering in a way that makes us the reference point. And that stumbled soul because they look at us and they see our inconsistent.
Draw attention to Christ. You don't make a mistake, but it's that way. Somebody has put the hypothetical question and the Lord came to Lawrenceville, for example, which group would he go to? The answer I thought was good. He would not go to anywhere, anyone. We would go to him. That's the point and.
I think that is important. That's your reference, not us.
Question supposes a fallacy.
The question supposes the fallacy that that he would go to one of our groups. You know, one group. He won't go, we'll go to him.
Lord, to whom shall we go? Yes.
And that's what's going to preserve us there too. If we lose sight of that, if we get our eyes on brethren and thank God their dear brethren, but if we get our eyes on brethren, if we get our eyes on circumstances, we're going to go away. You know, I've been solemnized to realize when souls come and take their place at the Lord's table, they will happily speak about being gathered to the Lord's name. But when time goes on and they become discouraged, or for one reason or another, they leave. They don't talk about leaving the Lord or even the Lord's table. They left brethren, or they left that group of Christians or something like that. What's happened is they've got their focus from the Lord.
On to brethren or circumstances or problems amongst brethren. And if we do that, we're not going to be preserved there. When the Lord said, will ye go away also there were problems and there were more problems coming for the disciples. And the Lord said, are you going to go away? Peter said it's a person that we're attracted to, to whom shall we go? And in all these things that we pass through, brethren, that's what's going to keep us.
The Rapture is called in, Second Thessalonians are gathering together unto him, and that'll be the whole church.
Every believer will be then gathered.
I want to make this comment. Will the church go through the tribulation or not? The way to answer that is, which church? The true church? The answer is no, it will not. False church? Yes it will. Which one you're talking about true church or the false? Usually they're talking about the truth, but there's a difference between the two, isn't it?
And shall we see thy face, and hear thy heavenly voice?
Well known to us in present grace, well may our heart rejoice, 270.
Interesting, a little note.
This was written by Darby, probably just a few months before he passed away.
270.
First Thessalonians, chapter 4.
Verse 16.
For the Lord Himself.
Shall descend from heaven with a shout.
With the voice of the Archangel.
And with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord, Wherefore comfort one another with his words, our God.