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Chapter 9.
Verse 37.
And it came to pass that on the next day when they were come down from the hill.
Much people met him.
Behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, for he is my only child.
And lowest spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out, and it tearth him so that he that he formeth again, and if bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not.
And Jesus answering said, Oh faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you?
Bring thy son, hit her.
And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down and tear him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wanted everyone at all things, which Jesus did.
He said unto his disciples.
But these things sink down into your ears, where the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them that they perceived it not, and they feared to ask him of that saying. Then there arose A reasoning among them, Which of them should be the greatest.
And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name, receiveth me, and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me, for he that is least among you, all the same shall be great.
And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him, because he followed not with us.
And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is poorer.
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face. And they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him.
And they did not receive him because his face was as though he should go to Jerusalem.
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord will tell that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did.
But he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit you're of.
For the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them, And they went to another village.
And it came to pass it as they went in the way. A certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee Withers, whoever thou goest.
And Jesus said unto him.
Boxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.
And he said unto another, Follow me.
But he said, Lord suffered me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou, and preach the Kingdom of God.
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee who let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.
Close to the meeting this morning, I believe we were on.
Mark.
The verse 29th verse of that chapter practice 9 where it says.
This come, this kind come us not out, but by prayer and fasting we have emphasized very much.
The need of prayer, of dependence. And it's here, all through the chapter.
And we have had that teaching about self denial in verse 23. Let him deny himself.
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I believe in principle that's what fasting is, self denial, but going farther than that and seeking.
The benefit of others we find here in the disciples. They had lost their power because they were not in prayer, and because they were not denying self but rather reasoning who should be the greatest. So the power was gone to do what they had been given to do.
There's another thought here in the portion we began with the Lord's.
Questions about whom do the people say that I am in verse 18 And then?
To further Who do ye and whom say ye that I amverse 20 To Peter, or to the disciples he says, the Christ of God. And we've had in the translation the preeminence of Christ stressed very much, and correctly so. It's always of God to set him up, And when the glory was gone, they saw no man save Jesus only.
Now this ought to always be our.
Abby and testimony is a wrong object to have. We are always a testimony.
And we do, I believe, want to be a good testimony. We are always a testimony one way or the other, but that is not the correct object because that brings us in what we are. The object is right, and there's just no place for self before God or to go on in joy of communion and to really be what we want to be a good testimony.
The way is to have grace before us, and Him the preeminent one, always.
But two things.
Speaking of prayer and fasting.
The two things are often linked together.
Why do we pray?
Just because we have proclaimed the time of prayer.
Or just because it's a habit or we feel it's a duty.
Or even part of a ritual?
Real prayer is having an earnest desire in the heart.
And telling the Lord about you're in earnest, there's reality there.
And I believe the same kind of.
A condition proceeds fasting. We get so in earnest about a thing so exercised about it, that we forget the natural needs of our body.
I believe it's got to come from the inside out, not something that we impose on ourselves.
We impose upon ourselves a time of fasting. There's that's a common thing in Christendom. But I believe when the soul gets really earnest before the Lord about a thing and deeply exercised, you get to the point where you don't even partake of food.
And you don't have time for other things, but just that waiting upon the Lord in deep earnest exercise and.
There was this with these disciples that.
They were really not deeply exercised about this thing. That's where the Lord had to bring it out.
That these do not come out but by prayer and fasting.
And I suppose there are many.
Conditions that we might find ourselves in or circumstances there might be assembly problems.
And we think we can follow some kind of a human made plan for the solution of these problems.
But I believe what we are faced with and should be faced with is a deep, earnest desire in connection with these things and looking to the Lord about it.
Sometimes rather than get together and they discuss it as they discuss it, maybe discuss the thing till midnight and get nowhere. Finally they get down on their knees before the Lord and really cry to Him and they're in earnest. The Lord comes in and undertakes.
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And brethren, I feel we need more of that. And I'm sure that here this afternoon there are many dear Saints of God from assembly for their problem. It just seems like all have problems. They're not peculiar to one place or one assembly, But how are we going to solve them? How are we going to get rid of these things? How we're going to get deliverance?
By just getting before the Lord in real, earnest prayer, to the point even where we don't think about anything but looking to the Lord and waiting upon the Lord in this matter.
But when we hear the Lord telling His disciples this about prayer, fasting, how it speaks to our hearts, how it speaks to my heart, am I really in earnest about these things? Are we just playing around?
Sometimes the expression is used to play in church. We don't want to be found doing that. We don't want to be guilty of something like that. We want to be earnest before the Lord and with the Lord and taking things to Him. And if we really get before the Lord, we'll find that the Lord can solve the problem.
Now the Lord is the one who healed the child, wasn't he? And so it's lovely to see here Grace pursuing the whole thing that we have. He delivered him to his father. That is, the Lord didn't make any claim on him because he'd healed him. The claim had to come through an exercise of soul to the Father. And so this was true when the Lord healed or raised that Son from the dead.
Just delivered him to his mother.
Now this is Grace.
And the Lord taking the place of servant of the Father, he just does the work that's given him, and leaves the rest with the spirit to operate.
So he delivered him to his father, and it shows here how the Lord.
Was gently leading his disciples, I say gently, because all of its grace. And He's leading them. But He has to. He has to reprove them, of course. And he says, oh, faithless.
Why were they faithless? Because he had given them the power.
Now, do we have power today?
Yes, the Apostle in Ephesians does not pray that the Saints might have power.
Because they have already the power, He prays that they might be in the good of the power they have.
You and I have the power now, the powers according to the might of his glory. That's Colossians one. There's no measure there. There's no want of power with the Christian.
The power is there. You don't need to pray for the power. You need to pray that you and I might be in communion that that power.
Will be used.
Power is there. It was provided at the cross, just like everything you have as a Christian has been provided at the cross. You'll never get any more, but the use of it is different, and that's what he's exercising his disciples about the power being used that they have been given in the first verse of the chapter over demons.
Chapter one I was thinking about the prayer and fasting we've been mentioning and in chapter one.
Of Nehemiah. We have both brought together so nicely.
Nehemiah was concerned about the Lord's people, about the place, and about the name of the Lord in chapter one, and when he heard concerning the Jews in verse 2 and concerning Jerusalem, and in verse 3 the great affliction of the reproach. Rather it is much like today, isn't it? Verse four. It came to pass when I heard these words.
That I sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven. Well, there's one who really was with prayer and fasting. But who was he? Well, he was a slave. He was in Kushan's palace, but he was a slave. But he had a heart for God's people. His name means comfort of Jehovah.
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And brethren, anyone who has this kind of attitude and desire with prayer and be a comfort to the people in these last days, well, I just mentioned that. And then in chapter 2, of course, when he was asked by the King himself what was the what was the problem in verse four, he said, I prayed to the God of heaven. There was a man of prayer and how he was used, well, that's the thought we were getting into.
On prayer and fasting and brethren, we have the same conditions today. The walls being broken down, separation being broken down, and it's going to take prayer, assembly, prayer. We've been mentioning that our dear brother. I do think what's needed today in assembly is not so much air conditioning. Prayer conditioning is what we need. I believe we need it more and more together, corporate prayer and our assemblies.
Verse 44. The ears, the conscience.
The ear is the conscience.
Unless the truth reaches the conscience.
It won't really do us any good because of what we are by nature.
And that's what the disciples needed. Was their conscience reached?
But these sayings sink down into your ears.
The resting place of the truth is in the heart, but it might pass through the heart.
And never benefit us. It might be a temporary joy as you have.
Privilege with other Christians, but unless it has reached the conscience, it will never stay.
Never do us any good. And so it has to pass through the conscience. There has to be that exercise of soul. Then will be the blessing. So the Lord says, let these saying all that we've had so far sink down into your ears. Now he's going to bring for the third time his sufferings before us, because the only thing that can restore our soul.
The Spirit bring before us Christ has done for us, so that our love might answer to it.
In Acts chapter we take a look at Philippians. First of all, Philippians chapter 2.
And verse 5 Lepien 25 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
The one mindedness is what brings down the Grace and the Power Acts Chapter 4.
And verse 32.
Act 432 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul. Neither said any of them.
That are the things which he possessed with his own, but they had all things common.
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And grace was upon the mall. And then that brought before us again in First Corinthians chapter one and verse 10.
I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you.
But that you'd be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment and the the necessity.
Is found in first Peter chapter two. We know in in systematized error they say they are safe to serve.
They don't have any comments about worship disservice, but here in First Peter chapter 2.
We find the fifth verse there was the spiritual.
Work the holy priesthood verse five ye also as lively stone are built up a spiritual house.
And holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. That's the primary importance. Worship comes first, spiritual sacrifices, our holy priesthood, then the royal priesthood. We have in verse 9 for the same chapter, but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation a security people.
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That you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness in his marvellous life. There's our privilege of witnessing, holding forth the word of life, holding forth these precious things that we've been speaking about.
God delight.
By his Spirit to bring before us the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He does that initially when we're saved.
When the gospel is preached, that's the heart of the gospel.
And any gospel preacher ought to preach that Anytime he preaches the gospel, he ought to give that forth, because that's the heart of the gospel. Christ died for our sin.
He was very rose again the 3rd day, the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is what saves the souls, what brings life to us. But what about later on as we go on through life? I think we have that also in John's Gospel chapter 6.
And I've enjoyed that so much.
It's in that chapter where the Lord Jesus Christ is presented to us as the bread of light and in verses.
53.
Down to.
57 I believe it is.
John 653 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. I believe that refers to the initial drink.
An initial initial taking in the Lord Jesus Christ, having given his life and his body.
In death check his blood and given his body in death.
And it speaks of that as giving us life Here, who shall eat as my flesh and drinketh my blood? Past eternal life is appropriating the death, suffering, and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is how we get eternal life by faith, believing that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us and gave his his body, gave his life his blood. At Calvary there is no other way to get life.
But if we do take that in by faith, then we have eternal life. And he says I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat or food indeed, and my blood is drink. Indeed, he puts it very simply and plainly. Now I know a great part of Christendom has perverted this, but still it's just as simple and and just what we need right there.
He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I and him. Now this is a man of abiding in the Lord, dwelling in God, and being in fellowship and communion with him. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As a living Father has sent me, I watch this one as a living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father.
A blessed Lord was living by the Father when he was down here.
So he that eateth me, even he shall not this time get life, but even he shall live by me. He that eateth me, even he shall live by me. The Lord Jesus Christ lived by feeding upon the Father. We live, We carry on our Christian life. We live the Christian life by feeding upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is suffering and death, and that brings it out so plainly. How important that is.
But this was the very thing that many of these disciples did not understand, and they went back and walked no more with him.
See, that's what brought about what we have. Following that they began to reason which was the greatest, because if they had understood this, they wouldn't have reasoned with the greatest, because that shows a very low state of soul. And when we get occupied with men in any way in the assembly, that shows a low state of soul, we should be occupied with the Lord, and He may use any vessel that He places.
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But we should not be occupied with the vessel.
And so they wanted to see which was the greatest, and that's only flesh.
So the Lord puts the child in the myth.
And it seems that if there is a danger of.
Seeking a high place or wanting to be with those who are up there, you might say spiritually speaking, this is the answer. Go after those who update, you might say in Christ, anybody that does not enjoy to be in the company of a baby.
Who might not understand very much of the things of God.
That does just not agree this attitude and spirit of wanting to be great among the people of God and at the same time wanting to have to do with those who might consider vague.
So it's a good thing to.
Speak the company of those that are doing the faith that in order that we find grace to.
If at all possible, come down to the level of the little and not.
Trying to get up those who are great.
I think we'll see if we search for them seven things. The disciples missed the mind of the Lord in this chapter. And here we have They missed the Lord's mind again, as we've noticed before, because they were not in communion. So if we are in communion.
We're not happy to miss the Lord's mind.
But here it's quite evident that they weren't in communion and.
That let these sayings sink down in your ears and next thing we we see is they there rows of reasoning among them. Which of them should be graded? But now if this reasoning is not checked, if it's not judged?
Under the 22nd chapter, we'll see what happened.
OOP 22.
Now we find that Peter is at the table, you get the Lords table.
In the 22nd chapter.
The 19 first.
Now what happened?
It says.
22nd verse on the 23rd verse. And they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was. No funny prosperous. I'm sorry. There was also a strife among them. Which of them should be the count of the greatest. You see, what we had was reasoning in our chapter. Now there's strife among them.
Which should be the greatest? And so the Lord says again, we have grace.
He says he goes on to show how the Gentiles do.
And then he says to Peter, or them each 128th verse here, they which have continued with me in my temptation. That's grace. And I employed unto you a Kingdom as my Father's appointed to me grace. But you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, sit on Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. That's great. That's future. Then he says Peter.
Peter, I have something to say to you.
Behold, Satan has desired to have you, that it may sift you as weak, but I pray for thee.
But I faith fail now. When the arts converted. Strengthen thy brethren now. Peter had not judged the reasoning. If he'd cut the tree down was small, he wouldn't have to cut it down was big.
That's what happened.
If we allow things to go on in our lives, we go without prayer, fasting, we're going to find a big problem.
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And God will have to come in into our lives and.
Correct that problem when it gets big. If we don't judge it and he will not let it go on. But notice he corrects it at the table. After he's at the table, then it comes out one who isn't at the table. It may go on and on and on, but at the table he will not allow this sort of thing and eventually it comes out at the table. This is a wonderful thing to remember.
If we really wait upon the Lord, there may be something there.
But the Lord will take care of this.
This is Mark. As you say, he will not allow it to go on well. It's his table. Judas was not a table, but he no, Judas wasn't at the table. He saw to it that he wasn't there.
The Lord takes care of these things.
That 47th verse does Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart. That's an interesting expression, but it's really the problem.
The only time we have our own thought, they're going to lead us contrary to the Lord's thought, because our thoughts are not His, as high as the heaven is from the Earth, so higher his thoughts to Mars. But here they have thoughts in their heart. That's the real problem we just had in verse 44 again.
In telling them of his death, he stopped frigging death. Now he had told them so many times and in great detail. I'll just give you one example and that's.
Mark's Gospel Chapter 9 and notice the detail verse 32 at the end.
Verse 32 of Chapter 9. I'm sorry. Chapter 10, chapter 10 of Mark and verse 32.
And he took again the 12 and began to tell them what things should happen unto him. Verse 33 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered under the chief priest, under the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles. And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him.
And shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise again.
Times he told them this was his word, and they also had this truth. In the Old Testament. Signs all pointed to this and to him. But when it happened?
And that brings us back to the 24th chapter, Luke and he appeared.
They didn't believe because they were thinking thoughts in their heart, and that you'll notice those ones at the tomb in the 24th chapter. It's when the Angel said in verse six, he is not here but risen. Remember how he spake unto you? And they remember, Will that help what the rest of them didn't? And finally, not only the two to obey us on the way to obey us who were reasoning.
That took them right away from the place, right away from the people of God, right away from the Lord. He had to go find them, they reasoned. But finally he came to the apostles again, and that's in verse 36 of 24th of Luke. Jesus himself put in the midst of them and said unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted and supposed. Here comes the thought.
That they had seen his spirit. Now notice verse 38. And he said unto them.
Why are you troubled? Why the thoughts arise in your heart?
They didn't need thought in their heart. That's the place that controls us. They needed Christ in their hearts. And he put himself there by the word of God, the prophets and the Psalms and all the scriptures, things pertaining to himself, and he put himself in their heart. But we have the word of God and brethren. Anytime we're using our thoughts, they're going to put us with the two on the way to a mayor.
Emmaus means wandering in earnest.
But wondering, leaving him and going our way, the expression here, the thought of their heart, you see it took over. If you let your thoughts go, they're going to take over. And your heart is what drives you and leads you.
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So then, in connection with those thoughts in the the same gospel of Luke, notice the verse in the second chapter concerning the Lord Jesus.
And it's Simeon talking to Mary the mother of Jesus about Jesus in the 34th verse of Luke 2.
Timmy says to Mary, Behold this child. That's easy, except for the full and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yeah, sword shall Pierce through thy own stole. Also he saw the crucifixion, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Here is the revealer part. This is the revealer of secrets, but the revealer of the secrets of the heart. This is Jesus, and we find him and it.
Always in grace in this gospel, bringing out the thoughts of those hearts, He does it in grace, such tender grace, and we've seen it and time and again already, and the application of it in connection with the reasoning and the strife as to who should be the greatest. And then the child that the Lord Jesus sets in the midst here going on in our portion.
Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart while he's going to reveal it and teach them.
About that he set the child in the midst of them.
And says in verse 48, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me, A whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me, for he that is least among you all the same shall be great. Now let's go to the doctrine in First Corinthians 14, where we have a chapter devoted to really the assembly in its function.
We've had this coming out in Luke 22, immediately after the institution of the Lord's Table.
The keeping of it, perhaps while still there that the Lord reveals and brings it out, He lets it come out this strike that came out of their hearts. Who would be the greatest.
And it's humbling to thank.
Ben said The Lord takes care of it, and He does. He has the power.
The Lord has the power, the authority, the Lord in the midst. But isn't that humbling that we need it taken care of, and that he is the one to do it? So that in this chapter 14, which is so.
Important for us as to our assembly meetings right in the middle of it. Notice the middle verse 20. It's just as though that.
The ministry stopped as to the doctrine and gives us an example and what is it, brethren? Be not children in understanding, however in malice be children, but in understanding, be men. Now the the Spirit of God in teaching us takes us back to the same example. We can learn from our children and these things that rise up as.
To.
Strive, and we've had it in our past, address strife.
And hate him. Do they come amongst the Saints of God? Oh.
Or tumbling, isn't it?
But we don't lack power. There were comments made about power. We don't lack power because the Lord is there.
In spirit and the Spirit of God is there, We always have the Spirit of God. There's no lack of power. The lack of the use of power we have because of interference of the flesh. And this is the same thing going back to our capture.
Independent and self seeking. We should be dependent in prayer and denying self and seeking the good of others. Then we would be like these little children and.
Be in communion.
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We have in verse 49 a little different side to selfishness.
In verse.
46.
That personal selfishness.
Individual selfishness. But here in verse 49 it's collective selfishness.
And John answered and said master.
We saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forgot it, because he follows not with us. Is this an old, a new question? No, It comes out in the Old Testament. And Jesus here says unto them, forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us. Now this came out as recorded in numbers.
In the 11Th chapter it's recorded.
Of numbers.
And verse 26.
And there remained two of the men in the camp. Either were those that went outside the camp to the Tabernacle.
The name of the one was Elder and the name of the other was me, Dad.
And the Spirit rested upon them. He There was a point the Spirit rested upon them, and they were of them that were written, but went not out onto the Tabernacle. And they prophesied in the camp.
And there ran a young man and told Moses and said Eldad and me dad do prophecy in the camp.
And Joshua the son of nun servant Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My Lord, Moses, forbid them.
And Moses said unto him.
Envious thou for my sake.
Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, that is, that they had the Spirit resting upon them anointed with the Spirit, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them?
And Moses got him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
Moses would not consent to this if they had the Spirit of God upon them.
He wouldn't interfere, but it was evidently a sort of a collective jealousy there, just like we have here in our chapters.
We forbade him because he follows not with us.
Well, we need to remember.
That were gathered on the ground of the membership of the body of Christ. And there are many dear Saints of God and Christendom that are members of the body of Christ. And we must not look down upon them, and we must not look at ourselves and get proud and feel that and have this selfish spirit in the matter, and be be jealous of them.
The Lord, if he wants to use them.
And gives them the word speak. And the spirit of God energizes them to do it. Who are we to say if they're giving out the truth?
We cannot perhaps go on with the systems that they belong to.
But we can thank God in our hearts for anyone that is giving out that which God wants given out the names of those two men you mentioned. Eldad and me dad are interesting. The meanings L dad means God love and me dad means would be loving. Well that's the heart of God for his people and he was going to see that they were fed too. So back in our capture about the.
Word let these things sink down into your ears.
Well, Christ was teaching, and he would have any and all who were within.
Is the voice to hear him, to let it get down into the constants, and lay hold of it by faith.
And faith does that. Faith lays hold of its object. There's faith, hope and love. God love and would be loving. That's the names of those two men well for us. Faith, hope and love. What lessons they have for us. So faith lays hold of its object. But what is it all God loved and would be loving. That's the names of those two men. Well for us. Faith, hope and love. What lessons they have for us So faith.
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Lays hold of its object. But what is it all through this?
Bible you might say it's Christ. He is the object for us to lay hold of by.
Faith. Man. Hope desires it oh, when we lay hold of it and know who he is.
That was a question. Who am I? Peter says the Christ of God. Have you and I laid hold of that? All faith will lay hold of it. Then hope desires it. But you know what love does it enjoy? Love enjoys the object, and this will make us serve and have a love for others too.
But the disciples did not cast out a demon, and the Lord's work is going on.
And if we don't do it, the part that He's given us to do, he's going to use someone else. And so he did use someone else in this case, because the disciples were not up to it. But remember that that he has given us work to do. And in the state that should humble us, shouldn't it? Yes. And Mark touch ourselves because God has to raise up somebody else to give out and to help out. If it was just left to us, where would the gospel be preached?
Mark's Gospel is appointed every man whose work, and this should be individual exercise for us. But our work is yet there is a site, isn't it, brethren, that is brought out in the 11Th chapter.
Which is well to mention here in the 9th chapter. The Lord deals with sectarian tendencies in His disciples and they are in our hearts as well.
There might be jealousy seeing what the Lord is doing.
Among others.
Yet itself at the bottom and sectarian ideas, but in the 11Th chapter.
You have he that is not with me in verse 23 is against me, and he that gathereth not with me gathereth. You see, they said he doesn't follow with us. That's the secret, That's the key that manifests their heart. And the way the Lord answers. And Mr. Darby's translation, he does not say he that is not.
Not against us.
He says he that is not against you is with you. You see, he answers their sectarian ideas. We must not be concerned whether people follow with us. The question is, do they follow Christ? Do they gather with him? That's the point. That's why the Lord answers here in the way He does, because he answers the disciples.
Selfishness and their sectarian tendency he does not approve of.
Gathering not with the Lord, that is taken care of in the 11Th chapter. And we have in Acts chapter 20 that men will arise drawing disciples after them. The object is not Christ, but when we have ourselves as the object.
Then these jealousies bring up and go on, and there are many out there who seek to serve the Lord according to the light they have. They do not understand that they are.
Pursuing things not according to the word of God, and the Lord knows where they are in their own souls, but for us, we have to be on our guard that we do not become self-centered.
And look at the Lord's work in light of ourselves. You see, the Lord has a work that is much larger than the gathered thing. And that's a wonderful thing, that that is a fact.
But the truth that the Lord has brought to our attention is the truth of the one body gathering not only on the ground, but also in separation from evil.
But we have to be before the Lord and ask him that we might be faithful in doing that. Because that danger is there for us right now, beloved brethren, that we become so self-centered that we might even forget that we are not only gathered on the truth of the one body, but also in separation from evil, And that we have together with Him. People must not be the object even in our service for him, it must be him and his glory.
00:50:31
Otherwise we are in danger of whether it is looking at ourselves or looking at the people. That is not the object. Price is the object.
Now the time has come for the Lord to be received up.
You know he could have gone right in heaven. His work was finished as far as showing the perfection of manhood down here.
And his Father was glorified in that part that we have up to this point. The time had come for him to go up.
But to see if he had gone on.
Umm, you and I wouldn't have any portion. And so the corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die. And he sets his face here.
He he steadfastly set his face.
We go to Jerusalem, but that's where he was going to die. That's the place where the prophets were killed, which he tells them about later in Luke.
But he was that fast. He set his face. He couldn't be moved in any way because he came. Christ Jesus came in the world to save sinners. That was his purpose coming. Glorify the Father first, but then to save sinners. And if he had gone up then and he could have, according to.
Exodus as a servant.
He would abide alone forever as man, because he has become man and he will be a man forever.
But as a man forever, he's going to have companions in the glory. And so he set his face steadfastly go to Jerusalem.
In the prophet Isaiah says I have set my face like a Flint. That's Isaiah 50, verse 7. When we get to John's Gospel chapter 18, it developed that.
The first words of chapter 18. When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth, and the fifth verse, the 4th bird, John 18. Four Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and John 19.
And verse five. Then came Jesus for wearing the crown of thorn.
And the seven piece verse, John 1917, he bearing his cross went forth. That's where Jesus was going from. Luke 195051. He was proceeding right there, and he knew everything that lay in his pathway, but he looked beyond it to the glory of the Father's house, which we've touched on. He had that in view before him, the return there, but it was by way of the cross, so that in John 12.
Just to notice the further verse.
He is to be glorified in John 12.
And he says.
In verse 31, now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, we'll draw all unto me This he said, signifying what death he should die. He was to be lifted up on the cross before he was lifted up into the glory.
From whence he draws all men unto him, So he says in the 14th chapter, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me he is the one that draws and really carries us right into that glory which he had in view, even as he now set his face like a Flint to go to Jerusalem to be offered up.
00:55:11
Seems like he had just another lesson to teach his own, didn't he, in the next verses. And that lesson was really what grace and divine love is.
Because he sent the sons of Zebedee where James and John.
Forced to prepare, prepare this village of Samaria to receive him and they would not. And of course, they said let's command fire from heaven and consume them all. Then women and babies consume them. That's the heart compared to his.
You know, divine love is what we're going to get into, and he wanted them to know what that is. It loves the unlovely thing and his enemy, even. That's us, brethren. When we were enemies, Christ died for us.
But he said he had to rebuke them again.
Rather than our thoughts are not his thoughts. Let's never forget it. They used their thoughts to get it. You know not what manner of spirit you are of, but the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.
That doesn't matter if they won't receive him, Doesn't matter if they hate him, Doesn't matter if there is enemy. That's you and I when we're in our sins. That's divine love. What a lesson this is.
That did mean that judgment would not come. But it was not time now for judgment. The Lord had come and prayed in the day. Coming you come in Judgment as judge came as a savior and grace, and God has manifested grace to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. But the day will come when the Lord Jesus Christ will be manifested as judge, and he'll come in the clouds to deal with all of His enemies.
Here's another case where Jesus brings out what's in the heart. When he had chosen his disciples. There's three of them. And he gave surname to Simon. He surnamed Peter. That was just a stone. That's all you are, Peter. Just a little stone. But these two, James and Johnny, call them Brewer nurses, which means sons of Thunder. Well, the Thunder comes out here, doesn't it? They they want to take things in the power in judgment. Now they too.
Hadn't learned great. They didn't know what manner of spirit they were of. Oh, we must learn this. We too. We're acted. What? To have God pull down judgment when we hear men blasphemy and say such terrible things that it affects us? And might be so, but oh, our thoughts ought to be embraced toward them, because God loved them. Till that means God loved me. Dad means loving well.
We ought to have, love, do, and learn the spirit of Great.
Henley not also applied and in a practical way as Jerusalem being the center, God's center.
They'll recognize even at this time. The Lord brings that clearly out in John Chapter 4.
That Jerusalem was the place, not Samaria.
And if we, as it were, that our faith towards the center that we have now, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, we don't have a geographical center, we must not be surprised if there are those who do not want to receive us and that.
Grace is to be the attitude that should be manifested by us is people do not understand our desire.
To be in Jerusalem, so to speak, the center that God, where God has said His name, there is the danger. And self again, is the principle that manifests itself in this way, that if we find no understanding with people about our exercises, that we have about the divine center, that we would want to see judgment fall upon them. That is not according to the spirit of grace.
But that is manifested in the Lord Jesus, and I do believe some of us should have less trouble to show a spirit of grace, because it has taken the Lord a long time for some of us to complete that place, and perhaps have been in opposition to that faith ourselves. So let the exercise, beloved, if you show grace when people do not understand our exercise, the Lord is praying before His disciples again.
01:00:27
Really. His death? So they won't act as they did in the next verse or so. But you see, we have that several times in our chapter. If we really occupied with Christ, we will be aware of the work he's done. And that's what brings out the love. And we wouldn't act as these disciples acted, which we might act and call down fire from heaven. Now the Kingdom of God was mentioned.
The Kingdom of God is especially mentioned in Luke's Gospel.
More in the full sense of what it means. And really, in Luke, it's a vast moral Kingdom with Christ at the head. By that I mean it isn't simply the reciting of facts for us to remember, but the deep moral lessons that we've had in this chapter.
That's what characterizes the Kingdom, God in his present aspect for us deep moral lessons.
As the poet puts the barbed words that fasten where they fall and stay deep in the hearts of men and never pass away. And So what we have here is forming the believer not only for the present testimony, but forming in for companionship of the Lord Jesus for all Ethernet.
If we're reading.
The word of God simply for information we're not going to get to benefit God wants to have.
Putting it in another way, the word of God has been given to us.
To form our life for formation, not just information, information we get in the words good. But if that's all we're getting, it's not enough. And our brother has made a very important point that is to form us and make us more like Christ.
He morally conformed to God, to his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is important and there is that in us that resists that, that whole nature, and it still resists it. But I'm glad that something is best said about the power we have. The anointing that is the spirit of God anointed for power and.
God can help us, and we have grace here, and the Lord will give us grace that we might get the good out of the world, that it might speak to our hearts. So often. I'm afraid we're reading the Word and it doesn't say anything to us.
And it's because we really don't want it to say anything to us. We just want to read the word, the start of a habit and maybe as a ritual. And sometimes I feel that we use the Bible as a sort of a petty or charm like the people have in even countries. Well, it's more than that.
It's the living word of God, and it's to be read by us, and it's to be fed upon, it's to be meditated upon, that we might form our lives, to be made more like the Lord Jesus Christ, morally more more like him. The anointing of the Spirit is the presence and the energy of the Spirit of God in intelligence and power.
In this verse 57 we have religious flesh.
It's everywhere. I will follow thee.
But there's nothing to it, because when they're tested, they won't follow him.
The missionary, who received a letter from a Bible school, said, If you have.
A good road to where you are. I have several young men interested in coming. The answer was, if they need a good Rd. the Lord doesn't need them. That's really what we have here, isn't it? The Lord says if you're going to follow me.
Boxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man doesn't have where to lay his head. You're not going to find any place for yourself in this world if you follow Jesus, and it isn't going to be the easy Rd.
01:05:06
We've got a promise from him. He shall have tribulation. We have that promise and it will be. But he's with you through it. That's what's nice. We often look the mean. Mean. That's what you're talking about, mean.
Instead of the sores. But really, you think of a disciple with the Lord in front of him. What else does he need? He's got the sword. Why worry about the main? Well, it takes faith to lay hold of that thinking about the Kingdom my brother was speaking out too. And that moral thing over which Christ has set up his head, it's something we can't see, but we can see the results of it. We can see the result of it. Well, there's love, faith.
Hope and grace, and particularly grace and the glory of grace.
And people practicing self denial and prayer, That's the results of the Kingdom, we can see that.
It's all that fed in this counter to ignore many good things.
And I think we've come to a point there, something I've enjoyed in my own soul while we're talking about I've never seen it before. But you know, why did Moses and Elias have to disappear from the scene? Why did they have to leave the Lord Jesus there alone so that the witness came from heaven? This is my beloved Son. Hear him. But throughout the chapter, there's perhaps two different ways in which we could.
Trace these two.
That are out of place here with the Lord.
And the first one, of course we've understood, and I've always understood that.
Moses represents the law and crisis, the end of the law, to all them that believe for righteousness to then to all them that believe. And Elias was the representatives of the prophets. But the prophet was to prophecy of one that should come, and they themselves were not the object. So Elias must disappear too.
But now, in this very chapter, a moment ago, the brother brought out the sons of Thunder.
Well, what about Moses? Why? Why didn't he enter the land?
All we remember the words that Mona spoke. Must we catch your water, you rebels? I'm not holding you exactly, but Moses spoke unadvisedly with his lips, and so did John hear in in speaking that way.
Bob tell me a man's fire come down from heaven, that was unadvisable. So the Lord Jesus in that point shows up so wonderfully again as being the object for our heart.
And then what about Elias? You know, a brother brought specially out that the Lord Jesus had his face steadily to go to Jerusalem.
But what did Elijah do? He steadfastly set his face to get away from Jezebel. He went to mark horror. He steplessly ran till he got there. Took him 40 days, He did but the Lord Jesus again, the opposite of all that is in man's heart, a wonderful one here who is so different than Elias. In this case too, he was the one that had his face through Jerusalem. But for to die there. Elijah wanted to flee from being killed.
The Lord Jesus went into death with a face that's better.
And there we see in that blessed one boy. I tell you, brethren, through these meetings here, speaking about this chapter in the growing thought in my heart, Lord Jesus must have the preeminence, He must be shoring off in everything that he does, and that way we can enjoy them all more and more.
It's not following a popular Christ here.
It's forming. It's following a lowly man, Christ Jesus.
Just think of it.
The foxes had holes.
The birds of the air had nests, but the son of man had not where to lay his head.
Who's going to follow a man like that?
Is there anything for the flesh there? I believe This is why the Lord brings it out, because he wants to cut off that which appeals to the flesh. It's not there. This kind of thing does not appeal to the flesh.
01:10:15
And he said unto another, Follow me.
Well, this is discipleship here following the Lord. But what are we going to follow Him for? We'll have to follow him just for himself, what he is and how he presented himself here as the lowest man, Christ Jesus being obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, He went that pathway of faith as we have heard once before today.
Looking on to Jesus, the author or the beginner and finisher of faith, he walked the pathway of faith through this world with his eye always upon God, his Father trusting, always in him, always dependent upon God, his Father. He would not take one step without him. He would not do one thing unless he had a word from the Father part. He was the obedient defendant man.
And when we see what it turns out to be following a man that has nothing.
Is there room for the flesh there? No room for the flesh there. He's not popular, and the flesh in his looks for somebody popular.
And when the Lord Jesus Christ is sought to be popularized in the world that he might get a following, that kind of thing is all wrong.
That's why the cross comes in. And when we preach the gospel, we must remember there's a cross connected with it and it's not popular.
Sometimes we hear gospel preached in places, and perhaps those are saved. But.
It's presented in such a way as to make the people feel that this is a popular thing, and if you follow this, you'll have earthly gain. But it speaks nothing about earthly gain here. And the Apostle Paul realized that he learned that that when you follow Christ, you're cut off from things here and you can't expect earthly gain, but you can expect heavenly gain. The heavenly side of things are brought to force here, not the earthly side, and this is the important thing to see.
But when we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we're following a man who took the low, low, the lowest place. Are we willing? Are we ready to follow him? There's a special gospel emphasis on this verse you're Speaking of, because in that land they would have feasting for 40 days at a funeral and he wanted to go bury the dead.
So that if a man waited 40 days, when the Spirit of God convicts a man, he doesn't act.
God speaketh once a year, twice.
Man, he does not, and so if he waited 40 days, he wouldn't come to Christ. Now our time is slipping away and we just got a little more in this chapter.
61 verse 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first.
Will bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Is there anything come before receiving Christ?
Now we have the illustration in First Kings 1919.
Of this passage is taken from the Old Testament.
Elijah.
Came across Elijah and he cast his mantle on him.
And.
Elijah was going to follow Elijah.
But he said let me go home to my house first.
He says go back again. What have I done to thee?
But he goes back. He doesn't go home to his house. He'd been fine with oxen. He slays the oxen. He he prepares the meat for the people of God.
And then he shows his fitness for the Kingdom of God.
01:15:01
Not 5th to the Kingdom of God says here one who goes back. It's not a question of service, it's a question of fitness for the Kingdom of God. Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plow.
And looking back, that is going back to the old.
He used the plow in all the instruments to burn, to cook the meat for the people of God. He brought in death on his whole former position. Now he's fit for the Kingdom of God, not before.
Jesus said in our verse here follow me. And I was just thinking that's what he's saying to each one of us who belong to him. He wants disciples. And in John 21.
19 He said to Peter, follow me. But the interesting thing is what Peter saw when he turned verse 20 Peter turning about. See if the disciple whom Jesus loved following.
You know what? That speaks to me. The only way you can really follow in this world, this wilderness, the Lord Jesus, is to have a sense in your soul of how much he loves you. John was already following, didn't have to say.
John followed me, and when Peter looked, he saw the disciple who called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved, whom brethren, that teach one of us. And if you have that sense in your soul, following is not a chore, it's a privilege.
#244.