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Could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places and there's an example of a man not obeying and hindering. Really. The Lords work so.
He individually, we have to do what the Lord tells us to do, and He gives us the ability to do that, or He eclipse us for that work. And it's the second Timothy 2 Says, prepared unto every good work. So every one of us has a job here to do everyone, brothers and sisters, young and old alike. And if we are listening to what the Lord says, we will do it, and we'll do it easily, no problem.
I was interested in the portion of Brother Jim referred to that the Lord had told Peter Follow me, and he sees John following the Lord when he asked that question. And what shall this man do? Well, there was an example right before him of one following the Lord, and he asked, what shall this man do? Very strange. We may stumble along that way and wonder what someone else is doing, but that other person is following the Lord the way he's leading them.
And so our own responsibility, just as you said, was for us to follow.
And do what the Lord has asked us to do, whether it would be to go to his home, or whether it's follow him in the way, or is an evangelist or whatever. But to do what the Lord says is, is what He wants us to do, is following. He had always pointed out the wrong of the systems of a one man ministry.
We, as brethren, have been guilty of the abuse of liberty.
We have attempted to do things for which the Lord had not called us, and we have brought this credit upon the truth of God.
By doing that, because the evangelist tries to teach and the teacher tries to evangelize, and we make a mess of it, we're not content with the place that the Lord has given us. That's what we are guilty of as brethren, and what we are perhaps are more guilty of than anything else is that we keep quiet and that we do not use the talents that the Lord has given us, and so some are almost forced.
And pushed into a position to do something for which they are not the best qualified to. Would you agree with that? But if they're.
In in numbers where the thought I'll just do it as quickly as you can the priests there were two priests.
Aaron's two boys and in all the Tabernacle. I've never seen that any one of those priests had something to do different than the other. They they were totally equal. The only time that the priest ever had anything special instructed to him was when the children of Israel are on the March and one of the sons made-up in the Bayou or Elias or Itamar. One of them was to be in charge of the Levites as they marched the wilderness, but as far as worship was concerned.
The priests were totally equal. We don't need gift to be worshippers of God, and we're all exactly equal. But when it comes to service, then it goes on to describe every man's job and each place what they were to carry.
And they were equipped. Some of them had eight oxen and four wagons, and some had.
Four oxygen and two wagons. And some of them had no wagons, and the coophytes didn't have anything to carry them to the wilderness state, but they had the greatest privilege of all, and that was to carry the ark and all the sacred pieces of the Tabernacle. So whatever job the Lord gives us to do, He gives us the equipment with which to do it, and it can be done. If we stay in our field and do it, He'll give us the power and the ability, and we'll do it well for His glory. That's the function of the body.
The hands and the feet and the eyes and so on. And that's what we really need to do, to do the job that the Lord gives me to do. And each one of us has that, sisters and brothers alike. It must have been a wonderful thing when the Lord Jesus was here, as we've had in our chapter, and he gave specific instructions to these two men and to other individuals throughout the Gospels. But we might raise the question today, Will the Lord Jesus isn't here in this world.
And we've been Speaking of how we He has a path of faith for us. And we've been Speaking of how we're to follow his direction and to follow him. And so we might raise the question, how do we follow him if he's not here in this world? Well, I'd like to hear what others have to say, but I believe that God has marked out a path for us, and it's a path of faith. And it's found in His word. We find in the 119th Psalm familiar verse, the 105th verse, it says thy word is a lamp unto my feet.
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And a light unto my path. The illustration has been used if you're going to.
Get out tonight and walk, we'll say from here to Frenchman's Cove. And we'll suppose it's a very dark night and there's no electricity And someone puts a flashlight in your hand. And you shine that flashlight a few feet ahead of you. And you might become alarmed and say, well, how is this flashlight going to show me the path all the way to Frenchman's Cove at several miles to Frenchman's Cove? Well, we know the answer immediately. You just hang on to that light and as you take one step after another.
Then you have fresh light for the next step, and I believe David recognized this in the Psalms. It's a nice very quickly, a nice little progression there in connection with knowing the mind of the Lord in the 27th Psalm. He says, Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path. And I trust each one of us have that desire here this afternoon, to know what the path and the mind of the Lord is for us. But then in the 119th Psalm, he realizes that if he's going to know the path, and if it is going to be plain, it's marked out in his word.
Sometimes I talk to folks and they say, well, I'd like to know what the Lord's mind is for me. Some little service or where he wants me to live, or a vocation in life, or a partner, or whatever it is. Well, you talk to them. You find out they're not reading the word of God. We'll never know the mind of the Lord if we don't read his word. Store up our mind with it too, and then he can bring something back that perhaps didn't mean much to us at the time, but some story about an individual in the scripture, a young man, a woman, and he can bring that back at the right time and apply it to the situation.
So we need to have that instruction. But then there's a nice verse in the 143rd Psalm. It says teach me to do thy will. In other words, David said, when you do, make it clear from your word has to be that desire. I believe the understanding of Scripture is contained in that verse that says if any man desire to do his will, he shall know. But David says, when you do make it clear, then give me the grace to follow whatever it is, hard or easy because the Lord might reveal something to us and we might hold back and say, well, I wouldn't mind if it wasn't something quite so difficult or if it was just a little different.
No, He his way is death. He chooses the path, he makes it clear, and then we need to seek to grace, to walk in it. But it's not of ourselves, brethren, If there's any response or desire to follow the Lord, if we've been preserved in any measure, whether it's at the Lords table or some little service, or in our everyday walk for the Lord, it's God that works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
I believe in Access or 11 We have a a nice simple little practical example of your evangelist, pastor, and teacher. Combination and verse. 19 it says. And they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as the East, and Cypress and Antioch, preaching the Word unto the Jews only. And so forth. And then we see the Gentiles begin to come into it.
And verse 22 Tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which is at Jerusalem.
And they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch, who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad and exhorted the mall, that with purpose of heart they should cleave unto the Lord. While you can see that Barnabas has undoubtedly A pastoral care for the Saints of God, and really is concerned with their good and blessing. But we notice in verse 25 he departs for Tarsus to seek Saul.
And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. Undoubtedly he recognized that Saul, which was Paul, had more the ability of the teacher. But you can see a pattern of things there, and I believe that pattern is seen in those Levites. I can't give much on it, but I know that Kohath no doubt.
Was more the teacher element of the Levites? Is that not right? And then Murray possibly.
And then Gershom.
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Name means waiting for assembly. It's very interesting.
The other two I can't remember. One is I was going to say someone handled the boards. Was it the Hershey Mites? I'm not sure.
Yes, but that would figure more of the person. And so you've got the evacuate side to make too much of it. But I believe there is that pattern of thought. You're over the chat as well.
We had the truth of the body of Christ along with Ephesians 4 and Colossians and 1St Corinthians 12.
But the point that Paul laborers about in the 12Th of Romans is don't overextend yourself.
Don't think higher off yourself, and you ought to think.
And he gives the moral condition necessary for functioning within the body in the first verses that we should present our bodies the living sacrifice and then not to be conformed to the world. And then he says, don't think higher of yourself than you ought to think. So in First Corinthians 12 you have the gifts classified according to their spiritual importance. Firstly, apostles.
Secondary teachers and so on. But in Romans, this is not the point. In Romans, he is saying as much as this. If you think you are a teacher and you're not, you're thinking higher of yourself than you ought to think. If you think you're an evangelist and you're not, you're thinking higher of yourselves than you ought to think. This is the point that he's stressing in first in the 12Th chapter of Romans, and that ought to be speaking to us.
And really, I believe that if we function in the place.
Where God has put us, and for which he has qualified us, will be the happiest.
While we clearly recognize from scripture that God doesn't give all the gifts to one man, is it possible that God would give more than one gift to an individual? I'm thinking of in Israel there were those who could sling as well with their left hand as their right, and I just ask it as a question. Statement was made to who made. Did you make it never gives more than one gift to a person. I wouldn't say that. I believe we have had brethren who?
Could serve.
In the Gospel as well as in teaching. Take Mr. McIntosh. You know, I believe he's an example. I believe he was a very gifted evangelist.
Yeah, that he said. That he had never, he had never noticed.
One brother having more than two gifts.
Madras Charles Stanley's gun. Yes, like you would accept the possibility that there would be a teacher and evangelist.
He must have had all of you. Yes. Well, he was of course a delegate from Gaza. People have said that Mister Kelly, an eminent teacher among the early you know, even in I understand that the university to Steven students would be advised to go and listen to the lectures of Mr. Kelly.
Because the way he lectured. But people have said that they enjoy tremendously listening to him preaching the gospel.
So but.
The main point is, beloved, let us not overextend ourselves, Let us not think higher of ourselves.
It's no presumption to know that the Lord has given me the gospel, or has given me the teaching, or given me shepherd care. And what do we need more than shepherd care, beloved? That is probably the crying need that we have.
And there's nothing wrong in knowing that. But then in humility, seeking to exercise that gift is guided by the Holy Spirit. Only then it will be for the glory of the Lord Jesus and the blessing of all.
Well, could we ask how do we stir up the gift that is in US? I'm saying this in view of younger ones since we've had.
Some very pointed remarks in connection with encouraging our younger brothers.
How do we know that? How do we know what gifts we may have?
How do we stir it up?
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Let me tell you what an old brother said years ago, he said. Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.
Now I might try to attempt to be a shepherd or a teacher.
If I really want to please the Lord, it becomes soon evident to me what I'm trying to do. Something that I'm not called to, I'm not qualified to do, it becomes evident to me. I'm not seeking hopefully myself in it, and the Lord will make it clear. We have to allow a young graduate to make mistakes, brethren, and to learn by mistakes.
Didn't we all learn that way?
Did we all learn that way by mistake?
I remember reading. I think it was in a.
Was by Darby, but doesn't matter who it was, he said. You can tell by the prayers he set up an evangelist. Praise Lord, look at these four sinners and the pastor. He's praying. Lord, look at these poor sheep. In other words, it's on his heart to deal with the sheep. It's on the heart of the other to deal with the sinners. And there's a you feel a tendency. I mean, you may even a shepherd probably has a a feel for sinners.
Certainly he wouldn't avoid giving the gospel to somebody if he had an opportunity. Nor would a preacher of the gospel avoid passing on some instructions. I do remember a fellow he was with the shantyman, and he went aboard the ships in Halifax Harbor, and he recognized that he knew the gospel and not much more. And if ever, he came across some Christians on the ship that were asking him questions.
He'd ever eat and call up another brother or myself say, can I bring these men out to your house? And so we often got to meet with some of these semen, you know, that that were Christians and talk to them because this this man, I believe it was because he wasn't reading the scriptures much. He didn't seem to know much more than the gospel, but he recognized himself that he was over his head and he brought these men to see someone who he felt had more.
Timothy was perhaps an evangelist because it seems as you read and Apollo's instruction to him that his.
Care and concern was to pass on the truth that he had received to to his brethren, and to the next generation, and so on. But he was instructed there to do the work of an evangelist. He may not have been an evangelist, but as he had opportunity, no doubt he delighted to tell others of Christ and point the Sinner to the Savior. And so, whatever our sphere of service or gift may be, the Lord may give us other opportunities, it says, redeeming the time because the days are evil or the thought. They're buying up every opportunity.
No sorties of opportunities to serve the Lord in every sphere of service, but again, Timothy was told to stir up the gift that was in him. That was what he was to be particularly concerned with.
May I add what a Gordon passed on about that I used to say that myself quite regularly, that Timothy might not have had the gift of an evangelist. He expressed his thought, and I passed it on for consideration. He said in Second Timothy, where the state is in ruin, and Timothy's responsibility in connection with the church and the truth entrusted to him might become so occupied with it that he neglected preaching the gospel and therefore.
He's encouraged to preach the gospel. I thought it was a good thought, but even.
Act to teach in First Timothy 3.
And the scripture in Hebrews 5, according to the time he should be teachers. It does not convey that those men who were apartment to teach had the gift of the teacher, or that according to time after you're safe to a certain length of time, you acquired a gift of teaching. But what it suggests is that we lay hold.
Of the truth and have a measure of ability to pass on what we ourselves enjoy. And in many assemblies, beloved, that's what we have to fall back on, that we don't pretend to be teachers, but have come to enjoy the truth and in a measure are able to pass it on. And because if you overemphasize the gift of a teacher, then better might say I don't have it, I cannot open my mouth.
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But remember, let's not pretend that we are, and we recognize that we handle something that we only ourselves have come to enjoy and pass it on, and that is not the same as claiming to be a teacher. I think that's why gifts were given to the body at large, to the church at large, and not so much to the local assembly. Because if the local assembly depended on gift, there are many little assemblies that perhaps wouldn't be able to function.
The function of the local assembly that well, we're thankful for Any gift the Lord places in the local assembly. The function of it does not depend on gifts. Would that be correct or not? Ephesians 4 does not have the local church in view that has the universal aspect of the church and those gifts. There are gifts to the church and there's fear of service is universal and not local.
A good example about an accent when Philip went down.
And he was preaching there, and there was apparently a work. But when this this man.
Simon Simon, Yes, he started to present problems. Well, it doesn't say that, Phillip.
Went back to Jerusalem. But it does say that when the Brethren in Jerusalem heard of the situation, they felt that Paul was was Peter was more equipped. So they send Peter there and Phillip.
Beautifully doesn't resent the fact that another man comes in and kind of takes over the work.
Philip just quietly turns over the work and lets Peter do it, and I think that's a beautiful example of what we're talking about.
He recognized Peters ability in that field and he let him go ahead with it. That's what we need.
We were going to say I was going to.
Mark that I think it's important that we follow the pattern given to us in the last chapter of Matthews Gospel.
Good for us to covet the gifts, and certainly not. As has already been said, not everyone has the capacity for gifts, but I have found that very encouraging in the last chapter of Matthew, and others may have preferred a similar thought.
That there's an order given to the disciples.
Where they were to meet the Lord after his resurrection. And he had told them before his death that he would meet them in Galilee. And he conveys the same message to those that went to the tomb after his resurrection, says, go tell my disciples that I will need them in Galilee. And we read down in the chapter and we find the disciples. They're meeting him in Galilee. And I think that that brings before us the.
Utmost importance of obedience. We might desire a gift, we might have the care of the Saints at heart. But if we aren't in obedience, I believe the service that we seek to render is going to be fruitless.
And so obedience is the utmost ingredient of being in the path that the Lord wants us. Second, we see that there is worship. And so I believe that to be in the enjoyment of what the Lord has given us, we need to place worship before service. And I believe that many times there's that tendency to put those things in the reverse order we want to put service before.
Our worship.
And so the disciples appeared there in Galilee. They were obeyed the voice of the Lord.
And they says the next verse they worship him and so that.
Aspect of our relationship with Lord Jesus is very important worship, and then we have the service aspect brought in. He gives them the Commission to go out and preach. And there may be the the work of the evangelist, the teacher, the pastor, and so forth. But there is.
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This order, I believe, given to us for our.
Instruction. And if we apply that order in our lives, the Lord will lead us into the service that He wants. And I was going to mention also that recently I was encouraged in taking up and reading in Nehemiah that as the.
Remnant returned there to Jerusalem. There was caretaking to look after the needs of different ones.
Of the priest and Levite reporters and so forth. But there's one versa, I believe it's in 11 Chapter that I found very encouraging and it is that the king made provision for the singers and we don't think of singers as being something important, but I believe it's something that's very important.
In worship and we talked yesterday about.
Different things that the sisters do.
And I like to tie that in with the attitude of John. First account of revelations. On the Lord's day he was in the spirit, and so there was no provision, public provision, made for the singers. But the king took note of that, and I believe, for encouragement.
Simply being in worship is something that our king takes note of and he will reward accordingly. There may not be the attraction that who many times cover.
Brethren, But the king takes notice of the singers, and it should encourage us as we try to go on for him. I believe two brothers, you'll find in Scripture that in a day of weakness and ruin amongst God's people, whether it was the Old Testament or the New Testament, those men and women that God used in blessing to his people were not necessarily those who had a great outward manifest gift.
But they were those who had a heart for the people of God.
There was a comment or two on the last section of the of the chapter because their time is up. But I was thinking of how when the disciples were plucking the ears of corn, what the Lord referred to was a former day. When the anointed King David was rejected and he ate the showbread He did something that was not lawful to do. And here was the Son of Man had come, The Lord Jesus had come as the Messiah, as he's been pointed out, and he was rejected.
Well, it's good for us to remember that in our service and whatever it is, we're following a rejected 1.
And the servant is not above his master, so that if they despise his word, they'll they won't listen to ours. It's not our word anyway, it's his. So we have to recognize that things are not going to be, oh, just as wonderful as we'd like to see them, because we're following one who's rejected, and we're following him and will be rejected too.
Hopefully accordance of not mixing the old and the new.
You know, and this is something that we've seen Piston dumb.
Found about the old and the newest mixed.
And much of what passes as Christianity is really Judaism.
You know, and we have to distinctly keep these things apart and not mix them. That is also clearly brought out here. And when we really in detail examine what is being carried on in the name of Christianity, they'll be amazed how much of it is really from the old.
166 Lord Tao has drawn us after thee.
Now let us run, and never tire Thy presence shall our comfort be Thyself, our whole, our soul, desire, our present Savior, while nor fear, nor sin can come if thou art near 166.
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Now that's just wrong.
Our soul.
Is our.
Presence.
In your heart.
Is not a word in heaven.
Our.
Aurangzeb.
'S.
Heart.
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Blessed Savior, we do thank thee that Thou has saved us all and not only.
Secured heaven for us, but also.
Has enabled us, and thus enabled us, to walk for the time that is left for us and is seen.
God has made every provision for us, and equipped us for that with God would have us to do for thy glory and the blessing of men. We do pray that we might ever be motivated in love for thee, lost for souls, lost for the people, in whatever fierce service thou hast given to us, but above all out of love for thee appreciation for what thou hast done for us.
That we.
Consider it an honor to be placed in the position of being the servants of the Lord Jesus.
So we do As for each and everyone of us to preserve us and keep us.
And we recognize that it's within us that which the enemy would seek to use.
So that we not only dishonor thee, but that we also become useless.
But I serve to help us and preserve us. We pray. We thank you for the meetings that we could have thus far. Pray for the gospel this evening. We pray that it might be presented.
Clearly in the power of the Spirit, and that thou will work in souls this evening.
We ask it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
These beautiful thoughts from the hymn, the forest, the all sufficiency of Christ, for every need of our pathway through this life.
We thank thee for the food that thou has given us, and we pray now as we turn to thy precious word once more that to thy spirit.
Would direct us unhinderedly to that portion which would lead for the need of each one. And we know that we're all in different stages of development and so we pray that there may be that which would fill the need of each one of us, young and bold alike. We commit us to the and count upon the blessed God now for this hour together and give you the praise and Thanksgiving of our hearts.
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In the blessed name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Mark's Gospel chapter 2.
The second chapter.
And again he entered into Hernium after Sunday, and it was noise that she was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together in so much that there was no room to receive them, no not so much to vote the door. And you preached the word on the bed, when they come on to him, bringing one sick of the palsy which was born of four, and when they could not come nigh unto him to the press.
They uncovered the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down, and they were in the sick of the holiday when Jesus saw their faith. He said on the sink of the pony. Sons, I tend to be forgiven me, but there were certain of the scribes sitting there breathing in their hearts. Why did this man let me speak laughing? Who can forgive sin, but God lonely and immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they solely within themselves sat on his hand. Why reason. These things are hurt.
Whether it is easier to say to the sick of the policy, but I can give you or to say arise by bed and walk, But that you may know the son of man has power on earth. Through his sins he tested the sick of apology. I say after the arise, and take up thy bed and go thy way into thine house.
And immediately he arose, took up the bed, went forth before them all, insomuch they were all made, and glorified God thing we never saw any. And he went forth again by the seaside, and all the most he resorted under him when he taught them. And then he passed by. He saw Levi at the front of all the years.
Sitting at their seat of cups and sit on the human follow me and heroes, and follow him, and continue to pass that Jesus sat at least in his many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus.
And they followed him. And when he describes the Pharisees by unique Republican senators, they said under the decision how we can eat us and drink this Republican and sinners when Jesus heard it, step unto them, they that are whole and no need of the position.
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners and disciples of John and the Pharisees used to fast, and they come down to him. Why did the title of John and it was heresy class?
Mom and Jesus said on them, and the children of the bride Jesus class, while the tribunals with them, As long as they have the brightens with them, they cannot stop, but the day will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them and eventually passed in those days.
Young man also sewed a piece of new cloth on an old garment, also a new piece that filled it up, filled it up, take it away from the old and the rest. And no man put his new line into old bottles of the new wine. The first bottle. The wine is still and the bottle will be mired.
A new wine must be put in new bottles, And in the past that he went through the cornfields on the sack of faith, and he cycled again as they went. What years of corn the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they understand that which is not lawful? And he said unto them, If he never read what David did when he had me, and was a hunger again, that were written how we went to the House of God, the days of Abyssal, the first priest, and if he could show bread which is not lawfully but for the priests.
He gave also to many provisions.
He sat on the van. The Sabbath was made for man, and not natural Sabbath. Therefore the son of man's word also was a Sabbath.
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As we think of the Lord Jesus, we realize that he is here as the Messiah.
And we see him and this multitude of people.
As he preached to them the word.
Well, we see that they had a real interest in their need and the Lord Jesus meets that need.
But on the other hand.
The truth that he was the Messiah comes out.
And their rejection of him is something you think about.
If they had received him as the Messiah, we can realize that all of the benefits of his being the Messiah would have been theirs.
But if they accepted the benefits and rejected him as the Messiah?
What a loss it was.
But a very serious loss and I think there's a lesson that for each of us.
We launched the benefits. Or do we want to put the Lord Jesus first in our lives? Is he the one that's important?
Each of us.
He may and he does help us, and He ministered to us, but it just seems that we're searching to think about the truth of this. He is the Messiah. He is the Lord of the Sabbath.
But they were content to keep the Sabbath or to find fault because he didn't keep the Sabbath.
They could never have the Sabbath apart and the Lord Jesus could never have rest apart, nor can we.
In the hymn that he was saying.
There were 12 lines and I just noticed as we were singing the 1St and the last.
Lines were the same.
Christ our All in all. And then there were 10 lines between and each one was a contrast, but each one was bringing out what the Lord is in all the circumstances. And we see a bit of this in this chapter too, because in the the second verse he is the one who preached.
And in the he was the preacher, and in the 11Th verse there he is the Healer.
And in the 17th verse he is the one who called, he's the caller. And in the 19 first he is our bridegroom, and in the last verse he is Lord of the Sabbath. Everything that we need we have in Christ.
Install free.
We have a beautiful statement.
You know we should read as Mr. Darby renders it. You know, when Lord is in capital letters, it is Jehovah in the Old Testament.
Bless Jehovah, O my soul and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless Jehovah whom my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Now it comes who forgiveth all thine iniquities.
Who heal us all die diseases. I think we see that demonstrated in this account in the Gospel. As our brother John has said, he's the Messiah. He's really Jehovah in the midst of his people.
And isn't it nice to see that when?
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He was let down through the roof. He takes care of the same question. First thy sins are forgiven thee, but he proves who he was and that he had power to forgive sins by healing him. He is Jehovah in the midst of his people.
The faith that these people had that brought him.
The lame one to the Lord Jesus. They didn't think of the same question, but they had faith in that person and it is their faith that is noticed.
And I think that could be a very great encouragement to us in connection with whoever we might have on our hearts to bring to the Lord Jesus.
And that we in faith can.
Turn to him, and trust that he will show himself for who he is to the persons that we haven't exercised about.
It's really significant, is it not, that their faith is mentioned when Jesus saw their faith?
He said unto the sick of quality. I'm sure that includes the fate of the one who was sick of the palsy, but.
If these people have brought him.
We can have faith.
Concerning our own that the Lord will.
Touch their heart and their lives and work the miracle that he worked in this case.
In the context of this chapter, we need to realize that specifically speaking, if the Lord's dealings with his earthly people Israel, you bind off it in the Gospels that he's in the house as we have here in the first verse. And when he's in the house, I believe it's his dealings with that Jewish nation as their Messiah. And I say that because there are some in Christendom today who teach that if we come to the Lord and receive the forgiveness of sins and then reach some spiritual plateau or level of.
Spirituality that we won't have any sicknesses or diseases in this life. What we know is.
All we have to do is look around us and we know that that's false teaching. But I think we need to be aware of this. And God in this dispensation doesn't promise to always heal our bodies or to take us out of an adverse situation. But what he does promise is grace and strength for the situation. Paul had a difficulty and he prayed three times to the Lord that the difficulty would be removed. And the Lord said, no, Paul, I'm not going to remove the problem or the difficulty, but I'm going to give you the grace so that you can go on in the path of faith.
Through the difficulty with the situation. And so he says there in Corinthians, my grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness. Wonderful resource that we have in the Lord, and we can turn to him and he's able for every situation. But if he doesn't remove the difficulty, he promises to give us grace through the situation, says by my God, have I leaped over a wall. The wall wasn't removed, it was still there, but he was able to leap over it. And then by my God, have I run through a truth.
The troop was there, but God gave him grace to go through the situation. Is that correct to say that? I appreciate you adding that because someone might have concluded from what I said as we looked.
For the same thing today. But he is here in the midst of his earthly people. And when we come to the miracles that the Lord Jesus performed, I'm going to try to get it back together. Our brother Hindsley put it out in Dorothy.
And quote Americans and what we learned from it. You know, first of all the heart of God for man, you know, is compassion. But also we learn spiritual lessons. You know, those things that take place with the one born blind. We were blind, we were lame, you know, And we need to see, we need to learn to walk and so on But then also.
These miracles were powers of the age to come, the manifestation powers of the age to come. You find that in Hebrews chapter 6, and it might still have been another reason that he gave, but that's very helpful to see. We don't have that today in Christianity anymore, but it was certainly when he was here, and it will be again in the coming day. But.
00:55:08
When it comes to the spiritual application, we were lame, we were blind, we were nigh unto death, you know, and the Lord Jesus had to touch us and and he he's going to do that today for us. But it's a in a spiritual way rather than to actually remove sickness. Not that he does not have the power to do that, but it is not presently the time when he will show miracles.
Or powers of the age to come.
Examples that prove that not every sick Christian was healed early on, like before the crucifixion we have Peter's wife's mother healed and many others, But later on the Apostle Paul, who had power, and we see it exercised in the book of the Acts to heal. He left Tropham as sick as my Litmus and his.
Very close friend Timothy had frequent illnesses and he gives them a little cure for it too. He doesn't take that illness away though. He had the power and has already been mentioned his own. His own case of the thorn in the flesh, whatever that may have been, a physical disability or whatever. And it wasn't taken away because there was a lesson to learn from it, and many times those things that lay a person aside.
Give time for reflection, don't they? And exercise before the Lord that in our busy lives we just don't take time to do.
It.
As you look at it, Jesus saw their faith. And he said unto the sick of the palsy, son, And thy sins be forgiven thee.
Only Jesus could make a statement like that.
He alone can see faith.
He alone can.
Measure safe and heal on.
Faith in.
We might have very little faith that might be in the right person, and there's only one person that is worthy of confidence and trust. There's only one person we can totally lean on.
And we know that when we accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we were as ready for heaven as we'll ever be.
That very moment that we were washed in the precious blood of Christ, who had a title to glory, and the only title is the Blood of Christ.
I wonder why he has left us here.
Perhaps the great lesson that he's teaching us is the lesson that he manifested when he walked down here.
He manifested that confidence in trust in God which gave him peace.
And I believe that as a result of confidence in the Lord Jesus, trust in him will have peace in our lives.
We know we have peace with God by believing in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus has made, as we have in Romans 5. But in our lives how much peace to leave manifest? I mean here are those four and they bring this helpless man.
Totally helpless, this man was, and they put an effort into bringing him and also to seeing that he was brought to Jesus. They didn't just bring him into the yard, they really brought him to Jesus. They knew that Jesus could help him.
And.
They saw.
The precious savior of the Lord Jesus do a mighty work.
But when they bring him there, he says to the man.
Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. Well, how do we get forgiveness of sins? It's only through believing in the Lord Jesus.
01:00:07
But we have to learn a very great lesson.
There was a question right as to who can forgive sins but God only.
But.
The one that can forgive us is Jesus. Now the nation of Israel needed forgiveness. This man needed forgiveness.
But when he received forgiveness of sins, the Lord Jesus could say to him and rise up and take up thy bed and follow me. And it says that that's what he's done.
So this is really the Christian life, isn't it? We receive forgiveness of sins, but we receive power to walk through this world, having power over that which controlled us. Here was the man he was under the the deadly. He didn't have any power. He was helpless. And the Lord Jesus not only forgave his sins, but he gave him power to file a sin. A wonderful lesson for us.
Again, put my finger on the verse that the Lord singles out Capernaum.
As a city that had great miracles performed in it, and it's going to be more tolerable for.
Sodom and Gomorrah in that day than this very city, that this individual man the first thing, as you mentioned, John.
He says that his sins were forgiven by that city which was witness to these things and probably knew all about they, as a city, rejected the Lord's presence and power and work.
Individual isn't for everyone of us here. It's individual trust and faith.
That causes the the Spirit of God to work in our lives and give us that confidence to trust no matter what the circumstances.
A very important.
That when we have faith in Jesus, he sees he measures that faith.
And as He passes each of us to the pathway of life, He gives us the faith for that which He passes us through.
And we're being very tested. We're being very tested about.
The privileges that we have as God's children.
Now we don't have an organization because the church is an Organism.
We have a fellowship, do we not?
And so when we.
See that the Lord Jesus would have us to remember him. We have an exercise as he that plays where we should remember him.
Well, he would be there and directed by the Spirit of God to that place. But once we're there, we know you not be directed by the Spirit of God in that place.
And so.
This faith takes whole of what God presents to us.
As we follow the Lord Jesus, because the Lord Jesus, if he's there, then that's where I would want to be, right? If the Spirit of God is directing me as a child of bond, I would want to be here and I would want to do what he has asked me to do. This man received a message, follow me, finally followed the place.
To the place where the Lord Jesus has said to me this do in remembrance of me. Perhaps there's people here today that when we the Lord leaves us here and we sat down together tomorrow.
You won't eat of that bread and drink of that cup. I trust it. As you sit there and as we've seen those hymns together, you'll be made aware of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Made at Calgary, you be made aware of the Christ that He paid for our redemption and you will respond to that and you will want to do that which he has asked you to do. Like this man, Think of this cool man being so totally helpless.
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And now Jesus said, follow me. Now isn't that a picture of us?
He brings us and gives us strength and wouldn't you want to do with the Lord Jesus?
Has requested. Wouldn't you want to remember him because you've been taste of his lungs? Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. It might be our last opportunity.
We might never have another opportunity to just eat that bread and drink that cup. Isn't it very simple?
It's a scholarship. When we talk about a fellowship, we're talking about enjoying something together. You say, well, have you calming thoughts now it's enjoying something of the Lord Jesus together.
Remembering him.
It's interesting to see that in this case with the lane.
He gives him the order to walk.
And also to go to his house.
He does not say, as far as I can see, that he should follow the Lord Jesus. We do see that with Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the rest of the receipt of custom, said unto him, Follow me Now these are important points in the word of God, that.
The fact that we who were lame can now walk.
And then go to thy house. Why would the Lord say good to thy house?
No doubt the work for the Lord Jesus begins for all of us in a house, you know, and I think that's so important now for this Levi he had a special service for him to perform.
He is called to a special service and so the Lord there gives him different direction.
But it is important for all of us to realize individually what the voice of the Lord for us is and what His directive is. You know, we're taking our marching orders from the Lord Jesus. You know we get directions from Him. We don't even get direction from the assembly. We never find in the word of God that we receive marching orders from the brethren or from the assembly. We get it from the Lord himself.
He directs every individual one and every individual servant in the service that he has to perform. We don't get our directions from the church. We're not the servants of the church.
We serve if we are a servant of the Lord, we serve even his own.
But we are His servants, not the servant of the Church. We have to remember that because that's a tendency that we can slip into as those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus that we.
As it were, give a place to the Church that is not given to the Church. Let me repeat, nobody is the servant of the Church.
If he is a servant of the Lord, he might serve the church, but he is the Lord's servant. We receive our marching orders from him.
Let's not presumptuously act as if we have that authority.
To dictate to the Lord's servants.
But the Lord's servant is The Lord's servant is under the judgment of the church.
But it's good. It never can be insensitive to the reaction of the Saints. That's why I was saying everyone is subject to the judgment, and the safeguard is that two and three feet and the other judge. But the servant is the Lord's servant.
And he gets him marching orders. And we could never, for instance, when somebody comes to any assembly, say the following subjects you cannot minister on here, you know that's not of God. But whatever anybody ministers on is subject to judgment of the church. Let two and three speak and the others judge. I've enjoyed 2 scriptures in connection with what you have said.
01:10:04
Because Paul spoke in Corinthians of his great desire, he said, We labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
As Paul went on in his service and ministry for the Lord, his great desire was that he would have the Lord's approval, and the Lord's well done. But just in contrast to that, in connection with what Brother Barry Barry has said, I've enjoyed a verse in the end of Deuteronomy in connection with the blessing of Asher, it says, and of Asher, let him be acceptable to his brethren. Now the two things I believe, as you say, go hand in hand, and I believe that if we are following the Lord and acceptable to Him.
Then the Lord will work in the hearts of our brethren so that we are acceptable to our brethren as well.
Because our brethren have good things to say to us, we ought to listen when our brethren speak, to weigh everything in the light of the Lord and His approval. But God has given us our brethren as a balance. I'll just say, too, that the path of faith that God has for me is not the path of faith that He has for you. We're individuals in God's family, and He has a path of faith for each one of us. The Levites all had a particular service in connection.
With the Tabernacle, and I believe the blessing and the joy came in their service as they performed that function, whether it was great or small, whether it was carrying the brazen altar or going around and picking up the pins and keeping the cords from tangling. It wasn't the greatness of the service that counted, but it was the fact that God had given them a service. And so it says in Galatians, I think it's the 6th chapter. It says let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another.
And if you just allow me again to say something to those of us who are younger times, there's a danger with us to covet what God has given another in the assembly. That is, we look at another and we say, well, I wish I was doing what that one is given to do, rather than to seek to follow the Lord in the little measure and place that he has for us to just turn over to the end of John's Gospel. I enjoyed in this connection the admonition that the Lord Jesus gave to John to.
Peter.
In the 21St of John the Lord was speaking to Peter and telling Peter something of the past that Peter was going to have in following and serving the Lord. And Peter sees John standing there, and he turns to the Lord. And just notice what it says in the 21St chapter and the 21St verse, Peter seeing himself to Jesus Lord. And what shall this man do? That is, he's referring to John. Jesus saith unto him, if I will, that he tarry till I come.
What is that to thee? Follow thou me. It was individual. In other words, what the Lord is saying here is.
Peter, I've got a pass for you. You're responsible to walk in that path. I also have a path for John, but you're not responsible for John's path. Now I want to temper that by saying it that again in Galatians. It does say that we ought to bear one anothers burdens. We're told to have the same care one for another and.
We need to seek to encourage our brethren, and if we see a brother or sister in a path that we feel is dangerous, we ought to speak to them and seek to encourage them. But in the final analysis, whose path am I responsible for? And will I be responsible for when I stand before the judgment seat of Christ? Not how well my brother followed the Lord, but how well I followed the Lord. Maybe I'll use an illustration that's helped me to understand what the Lord was saying here. When we were children at home, often we were given a task to do, sometimes to clean off the supper table after the evening meal.
And so Mother would leave my sister and I to that task. And after a while, she would come back in the room and say, Jim, you're not doing what I asked you to do. And I would say, well, Jennifer's not doing her part. And Mother would say, you do what I asked you to do and I'll take care of Jennifer. Now in a sense, that's what the Lord was saying. Here to Peter, I have a path for you. Follow thou me, I'll take care of John, and I have a path for him as well. So as you say, these two individuals in our chapter one was sent home to his house.
The other had another sphere of service. Each one was responsible in that place that the Lord put them in. Galatians Jim diverse as you referred to in the 6th chapter of Galatians verse two says bear ye one another's burden and so fulfill the law of Christ.
That is like in connection with the difficulties that a person might be facing, or even a problem that he has.
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But what does it say in verse 4?
But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have.
Rejoicing in himself alone and not in another, for every man shall bear his own burden. So when it comes to the service of the Lord, we all have our own burden to bear. We can be helped and try to be a help to one another in difficulties, and bear on another's burden, but in the service we have to bear our own burden to every man his work.
Yeah, the large Jesus in the 10th of John said. My sheep hear thy voice, and I know them and they follow me. When the man went to his house, was he following the Lord?
Yes, because.
We're going to. We're going to serve, or we'll have to serve people 25.
It makes it clear that when those who serve the Lord's people visiting the sick and and so on, they were serving the Lord and and Roman 61 would find Phoebe was a servant of the Church.
But she was serving the Lord. And I think if we serve the Lord's people according to the mind of God, we will be serving the church and unserving the Lord. The Lord is first Lord. We have a principle there. That passage especially refers to the blood Brethren. Brethren, in the future day you know who will preach the gospel of the Kingdom. And whatever you have done to one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me and that.
Secures them entrance into the Kingdom. But the principle applied today. But I believe we even dare have to recognize that the service of some are more to the laws and the service of the other are more to God's people. Like the evangelist, history of service is really outside the assembly. It's in the in the world and like one has said, like a compass with one foot in the assembly and the other outside sweeping into the assembly, bringing into the assembly.
But then the shepherd and teacher takes over and that is India Assembly. So our problem is, brethren, that we think that everybody that wants to serve the Lord should preach the gospel and also.
Visit the stains and go from house to house, give addresses and so on. That is not God's order. Some people service is in serving the lost, bringing them in.
And when you push the evangelist to be a teacher, you're going to get all kinds of problems, you know. But the evangelist can use the scriptures like a brother was preaching the gospel in Germany years ago. And there were some young brothers who learned more in the direction of teaching. So I let more their line of things and their interest. And they came to a well taught brother after this brother had preached and said, well, what did that man do with that scripture? That is not what the scripture teaches there. What he, how he used it. And the brother said, you have to give the evangelist.
A lot of liberty. And so he was calming them. You know, the evangelists in dealing with the laws, can use the Scripture in a way that the teacher would never use it. But when it comes to teaching the Saints, you know, that's a different, a different sphere of service. And there is nothing wrong in US knowing where we ought to serve.
Nothing presumptuous for you to say. Well, the Lord has burdened me to serve in the gospel.
Then let's support him, the brother that is serving in the gospel, and make much of that service that others are doing rather than the service that we are doing. That's the spirit of Christ. You know, like the brother. Allow me just to add this. Yet her brother wants the little service of the evangelist.
He was a teacher, I said to him. Brother, you better be careful. If the evangelist would do his work, you wouldn't have anybody to teach. I'm sorry.
I would believe Brother Tom was making a comment there. I believe that the man was following the Lord when he went and did what he was told, went into his house. The Lord said, follow me. But then he also said, go into thy house, arise, take up thy bed, and go thy way into thy house, and immediately arose and took up his bed and went for before them all.
01:20:22
Well, he was doing exactly what he was told in the previous chapter. The man that was healed of the leprosy. Notice what it says there in the first chapter.
And verse 44 Say unto him, See thou say nothing to any man, but go thy way, Show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded for a testimony under them.
But he went out.