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Umm, and here it's our turn of our God of everything.
But trust.
Let's great, let's see.
Our hearts when I eternal.
And.
Matthew 13, verse 44.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure in a field, the which, when a man has found, he hide us, and for joy thereof goeth and sell it all, selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one Pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea.
And gathered of every kind, which when it was full, they drew ashore, and sat down. And gathered the good into vessels, But cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just.
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus saith unto them, Have you understood all these things? They say? They say unto him, Yeah, Lord Then said he unto them. Therefore every scribe which is instructed under the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder.
Which bring us forth out of his treasure things new and old.
Man asks why does God like what goes on in the world? Go on.
And as Brother Stephen was saying yesterday, there are certain things that are very evident to even the eye of an unbeliever that they're wheat and tears in the field.
But God, man does not see in this world what is precious to the heart of God, and so all things were created by him and for His pleasure. They are and were created and what was precious to the heart of God.
Is hidden to the eye of man that treasure that was found in a field and so.
Man sees the field, but he doesn't see the treasure.
Treasure is made-up of individual gems, isn't it?
Brings before us.
Uh, individual believers, I believe the, the Pearl of great price would bring before us the collective aspect of things. But in the, the treasure be the individual, like Paul would say in Galatians 220, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. We can each individually say that perhaps this treasure would, uh, bring me for us that which was restored in the, uh, at the time of the Reformation, eh?
With the work of God commenced. It wasn't complete. I believe all the truth as to the church was not brought out as the Reformation. We have that, uh, some 150 years ago or so that when Lord Jews, Brother Darby and others to show that uh, believers joined together as one or form the church and that the hope of the church is the rapture. These were wonders, truth that were in Scripture but were not seen before.
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It's an important thing to see that.
He found the treasure.
He for joy goes and selleth all that he hath. He buys the field. He bought the field for the treasure. We should just turn to Second Peter to see this.
It's a line of things that is taken up.
Second Peter chapter 2 and I just say this. Peter was given the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
And so I believe that he particularly feels a responsibility in connection with that, was given a responsibility in connection with that. And so his first epistle he gives the government of God in connection with believers, and in the second epistle he gives.
The government of God in connection with false professors.
And to put it very simply, so that even a child can understand is there's a custodian in this facility and he was given keys to open up this facility.
And our brother stood up at the beginning of these meetings and he says there are certain responsibilities connected with those who have come to these Bible meetings in connection with things in this facility. And so there's a responsibility as those that profess to be at these Bible meetings have come to these Bible meetings. Now a person may come in here and the custodian may see him wandering around and say, what are you doing here? He says, well, I'm here with the Bible meetings. He didn't come here for those at all, but he's causing mischief.
And.
He may likely well call the police and have the man charged with trespassing. He was professedly on the same ground as those that were here at these vital meetings. And so his conduct is going to be judged. Also, those of us who are here is going to be judged. And second, Peter is taking that up. I just mentioned that in connection with that, that we have a responsibility in connection with being in the Kingdom of heaven.
And Peter opened up the keys, he had the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. He admitted first to Jews, then the Samaritans, and then the Gentiles. We see that in the book of Acts. But here, now I just wanted to read this in second Peter chapter 2, in connection with the purchase of the field, because there but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you who shall privately bring in damnable heresies.
Denying even the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction. He bought the whole field. They weren't part of the treasure, but they brought in damnable heresies.
And so this chapter, this whole chapter really develops that.
Thought that these ones were bought. He bought the whole field.
They were not redeemed, and that's the difference, but they were bought. And so a man who takes his place as a Christian and in Christian profession bears a terrible responsibility because he's going to be judged as one that that was part of that possession.
Go to my Bible here. Christ gave all when he bought that field, gave his life for the for his children. I also wrote in your treasure being Christians.
The price gave all for that field wasn't just purchased, it was gave it all.
As the treasure brings before us, uh, preciousness of.
Of that particular thing, doesn't it? So.
I'm like, I think that the Lord found.
A preciousness in US of value to us.
As has been said, he gave all he had to buy.
I believe there's also something else practical here in connection with this in Very Precious is that we know that the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, and we see the heavenly city in the Book of Revelation in chapter 21, that the foundations of the wall were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was Jasper, the second sapphire.
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The third chalcedony, the 4th and emerald, the 5th Sarnox, the 6th sardius, the 7th crystallite, the 8th barrel, the 9th Topaz, the 10th croissant processed, the 11Th adjustment in the 12Th amethyst, that these were precious stones. And I do not believe that you can separate the individuals from the truth that came by them. And I think that that leads to a very practical difficulty when we do that people want to separate.
Doctrine from what is precious to the heart of God. And it was that doctrine that brought us to God.
And we can't separate the two.
The Lord Jesus said I am all together. He was altogether what he said he was, and you could not disconnect the Lord's person from what he taught. And so this treasure found in the field is connected to, I believe, with the truth that was given to man, that brought man to God, these precious truths.
Very precious to the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. As our brother said, he purchased it, but what was the cost of purchasing it was already had?
We shouldn't despise what God treasures.
The 19th chapter, the same book, there was a certain man who came to the Lord and said, what so I do that I may have eternal life. And the Lord told him in verse 21 of that 19th chapter, that won't be perfect. Go and sell all without haste. Give to the poor and come follow me. And you would think, you know, that was a pretty hard, uh, thing to request of somebody. But God never asked us to do something that he himself would not do. And in our chapter here it says.
Those concerning the treasure in the field and as to the Pearl of great price, in both instances it says that he sold all that he had versus 46 again, he sold all that he had. And so Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. You know, this Pearl is a very apartment picture of the church. The Pearl is a unity. Uh, you can't carve a Pearl the way you can a diamond or an emerald.
Uh, the Pearl is, is one whole unit and also a Pearl. I understand it's, it's something with maybe a grain that gets inside the oyster or a grain of sand and causes suffering. And, uh, it secrets a certain substance which grows around that grain and thus the Pearl grows within that oyster. And so the church is the product of suffering, isn't it?
And, uh, just like a Pearl, it grows gradually, uh, silently. Uh, the work of the Lord is being done today, isn't it? Uh, I think this, this Pearl brings before us the church. We collectively like the treasure does we individually.
I don't want to get too fanciful, but in connection with the gemstones, if you were to place where they were created in Genesis chapter one, you'd have to say in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, that they were created in the earth with the earth before the seven days of creation. But the Pearl was something formed in time. And so, as you said, the Pearl was formed in a living thing that was very precious, and it's made-up of living members. And that's why the Pearl is such a lovely picture of the church.
And it can't be chipped away at our fashioned, as you said, it's it's as it was formed.
Throwing the thoughts here are the words great Christ the Lord, he lost his Pearl, the great price put some value on it. He used the word great. I was thinking how child of God can't put a value on a child of God.
Bought with a great price and we are a great price of parts value to him searches out he gave himself for us. I think of that one sheep that he finds those after out of 99 is there in the 100 sheep he goes and looks for.
I think you know that one sheep goes looking for in a very great price searching it out.
Again, I believe this has very practical implications, you know, because when you see the cost of redemption and you see the cost what it was to the Lord Jesus Christ to have the church for himself to weave out, do we place that value on these things?
And I think sometimes we exercise more care over our material possessions than we do over souls and over the truth of the assembly. A man may look take more care over his car and his bank account than he does over the truth of God. And he becomes very casual sometimes about the diligence we had in the earlier part of the chapter. While men slept, the enemy came in and sowed tares. But as we as careful with what is introduced into the assembly, or is careful, do we value this treasure?
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There was hidden appeal in connection with the truth to be diligent in connection with these things.
Realizing the cost of these things, what we're handling, you know, many have squandered inheritances and the natural inheritances, and we can also squander an inheritance that has been given to us of God.
And that he puts a great value on.
And we need to be very diligent in these things, because the Lord was. We have twice this expression. He selleth all that He hath, and there was joy in connection with it. I marvel at that expression. And Isaiah 53. He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul and be satisfied. Every one of us in this room have bought something, and then sorry that we wasted our money on what we bought, But the Lord is satisfied with the price that He paid. He went with joy.
And may our hearts value what in this earth what the Lord values he values the assembly. He died that he might gather together and won the children of God that are scattered abroad. Do we feel that on Tuesday night when it's prayer meeting or Wednesday night or whenever it happens to be. Do we value that fact that the Lord Jesus Christ died that he might gather together in one the children of God that are scattered abroad and we know that every Saints going to be a gathered St. that the wraps.
But in a practical way, does that have power over our soul now?
You know, when somebody says to you, well, you have your doctrine and I have mine, and so on, do we value the fact that for this treasure hid in the field that he went, and he sold all that he had? We feel the jealousy and connection. A jealousy in connection with the jealousy is a good thing. Envy is a terrible thing, but jealousy is a good thing. We have a jealous God. Are we jealous for the truth and the things that the Lord put such a great value on?
What we get in these verses that we've just been considering from verse 44 where we get Israel in here verse 44 again, the Kingdom of heaven like unto a treasure hid in a field.
The witch when a man has found, he hideth it, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buys the field again. The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls out of that same feel that he bought. He's seeking this goodly Pearl, like it says. And when he had found one Pearl out of all that possession, a great price. I wonder we have a verse over in.
Psalm 135.
So I, I don't know, I'm just submitting this thought umm in Psalm 135, verse four. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his.
Peculiar treasure. I wonder if we don't find that in 44th verse, where I know that the Lord is great, that the Lord is above all gods. But out of that field he sought 1 Pearl of great price.
So I don't know, I'm just submitting. I don't want to confuse things here.
Because it says again, the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls. So out of that field, out of that that he purchased, he finds 1 Pearl great price.
And he said all he had and he bought it. I I just submit that I'm not saying necessary.
Certainly includes the Jews, doesn't it? In fact, the 1St to the Jew 1St and then to the Gentile.
Israel as a nation was set aside. Weren't they just thinking what Peter says in first Peter chapter 2 and, uh, verse nine, he mentioned that peculiar people there, but he's referring to believers there. First leader 29. He also chose a generation of royal priesthood, a holy nation and a peculiar people. And he's referring to that passage. I brought a little just referred to, but applying it now to all believers. And, uh, I think that the Lord had such, such delight in US.
It's also instructive to notice that first you get the individual, then the collective things at the Pearl, and then you get the gospel that the net of evangelization, evangelization, uh, but you don't get that until you get the truth of the church brought out first one girl. And then the center is directed into the assembly. Uh, just like in Luke chapter 10, that that thief that felt that, uh, man went down, fell among thieves. Well, the Good Samaritan took him to the inn. Hey, that would bring before us the assembly also, wouldn't it?
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A place where you sheltered and fed. So these that were gathered here, uh, in verse 48, not to anticipate which when it was full, they, I believe these are those who go out with the gospel. Uh, it's, it's not the angels, uh, it's never angels gathering. Uh, it's angels that sever the just from the wicked further down verse 49. That's the work of the angels, but the Lord uses redeemed sinners to.
Together the good into vessels, that is, the evangelist, is to bring them into the assembly where they are fed and separated.
Appeal.
Hit in the field, it wasn't just filed in it, it was hidden in it in that field. And if we look at Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse eight on the most high divided to the nations, our inheritance. When he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. The Lord of portion is his people. Jacob is the Lord of his inheritance.
Israel, I don't think was hidden in the earth because the field of the world.
But they were marked out as God's chosen people in a public way. But there was a Gentile treasure that was hidden. Hidden.
Start seeing and again, I believe the thought is individuals.
Pearl is one, but I don't believe Israel is hidden.
Lovely too there in Revelation and connection with the heavenly city that the 12 gates were seen as one Pearl. And now people look and they see things in a divided state, but in that day they're going to see there was one Pearl on what was of great value to God. Man, every one of us values something in this world, but what in that day it's going to be manifested what was of value to the heart of God.
Man's chasing a dream in this world and so on.
But the Lord had something here that, as our brother was saying yesterday, that is not evident. It is evident to man that there's wheat and tears in the field, and so on. But what is not evident to him, what he despises in fact, is of great value to the Lord. It's invisible to the eye of man.
Very interesting in connection with fishing because we hear a great deal about fishing and off the Grand Banks, you know that they practically fished the oceans dry and there will be enough fish for the Son of Man to reign over. But it's interesting that man is cast a great net into the sea and they pulled up good fish and bad. And they say now that they've banned cod fishing for a number of years and they say there's less cod now than there were ten years ago, that man is just depleting the oceans of fish.
And in one sense, we can rejoice in the fact that every good fish is going to be caught. But we see the way that man fishes is that he just drags up everything. And it is going to be a work to separate the good fish from the bad. And so we see this, a great work is being done and bringing souls in, but the end is that there's good fish and bad fish in the net. I understand in the Pacific Ocean they were using Nets that were.
200 kilometers long, this great big Nets and dragging everything up and, uh, rather irresponsible way to fish in the Atlantic Ocean. Nets that were 20 and 40 miles long, dragging everything up and irresponsible way to fish. But nevertheless, God is above man's irresponsibility and every good fish is going to be caught and the the bad severed from the good. But it just shows the way. This is the last similitude that we have here.
Of the way that that work is being done. And I believe that that is why Paul has said to Timothy on a day of ruin in second Timothy, I believe that Timothy had the gift of an evangelist. And I think that the assembly is good to recognize those that are gifted in that way. And Paul, he said, do the work of an evangelist. Why? Because it was a discouraging thing to bring souls to Christ and you see them maybe leave the assembly go off into confusion and so on and he said because the.
House had taken on the character of a great house and it became very discouraging. And he said, well, what's the use of doing work to have children saved in Sunday school and then see them go off and so on? Well, he said, do the work of an evangelist, don't give up. And so it has to be diligence and, and unfortunately a great deal of the work that we have to do today is just preaching a clear gospel and straightening out souls that have have really heard many confusing things.
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But continue to do that work to announce the good news.
That depletion you're speaking about, Neil, will be healed in the Millennium. Ezekiel 47 and uh, verse nine, that shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth whithersoever the river shall come, shall live.
And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because the waters shall come thither, and they shall be healed, and everything that liveth whither the river cometh. The Lord will correct things in the Millennium in large measure, I'm sure.
There's 47 of her chapter says gathered of every kind. I just think it made for some of the younger people every kind I believe means of every nation the golf is going to go to the world and this gathering in the next sea and speaks of the world and gathering of every nation from every nation there will be those gathered in.
With every kind, with all kinds of fish in the sea, We went, uh, a little charter fishing cruise down the Dorothy some years back and the lines would go in and we'd haul up the fish. And I thought, so that's a sea rod. And he takes off her throwback. No good. You know, what kind was going to come out? All kinds came out all kinds come in as the gospel that comes out all kinds. There's good times and there's bad. And then Jeremiah, there's a little verse, Jeremiah 15.
Verse 19. It's the middle of the verse.
If I'll take forth the pressure from the vial, thou shalt be as my mouth. And so then that goes out, that gospel man and those who draw it in, those who are casting the net and drawing it in.
They need to separate pressures from the mile.
You know, it's the angel's job to take what's left on the shore and cast it into the fire. That's not our drive. We have wonderful job to separate the pressures from the mind.
We're not. We don't. The Church of God and we as individuals do not have a cherubim character.
We are not the executors of God's government judgment in this earth. He has those who will do that job and take that up. Does the government affair is not a sword in vain? And there are the angels who will come forth from the completion of the age, and gather up the wicked to cast them into the fire. But we have a happy job, and there is a man.
In the Old Testament in second King chapter 10 and God had a man called two men in this chapter one is a terrorism character. He's an executor of God's judgment and you know he's really.
Not a man of God at all. He's just an instrument of God's hand. His name is Jason. But there was another one, John Adam. He is one that separates precious from the vile and 2nd Kings chapter 10, who had been sent by God to execute judgment on the House of Ahab. And he meets the man in verse 16, excuse me, verse 15. And when he was departed, then he lighted on John and Dab, the son of Recap, coming to meet him.
And saluted him, and sent him to him as Einhart. Right. My heart is with thy heart they have answered. It is, if it be Give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand, and took him up into the chariot, And he said, Come.
With me and see my zeal for the Lord. So they made him ride in the chariot. We go down through the story. We finally gathers in all the worst crews who fail into the temple of Bail, and he's going to purpose to slay them there. The priests and the worshippers that fail, that worship that Ahab had introduced and that Jezebel had brought into Israel. And Jonadab is sent in verse 23. Jaywen and John Adab the son of Greek have into the House of Bail and said unto the worshippers of Baal, search and look that there be none there be here with you none of the servants of the Lord, but the worshippers who failed.
Home, he has a precious job, he knows who are the Lords, Jehu really can't pick them up, and Jonathan stabbed his views of God to separate the precious from the wild effort.
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The job he's given to us as well, so.
You just read a verse in John chapter 20 in this connection, because I don't believe you have assembly administration here, although that would fall into also what our brother was saying, but John 20 and verse 23 or 22. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. And whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Now we know that we do not have the power to remove sins from an individual, but the but there is a separating of the pressures from the vial. And so a fisherman he looks and as our brother was talking about fishing, there is a difference in scripture between a clean fish and an unclean fish.
And we have a responsibility to recognize that. People say, well, who are you to say that? I'm a believer well.
We may not be the foundation of God's standards. Sure, the Lord knoweth them that are His, but we can separate that which is precious from that which is vile.
A clean fish has scales and fins, fins so that it can direct and scale so that it for protection and separation and to go against the current. An unclean fish slithers along the bottom and follows the currents. And so we have a responsibility in connection with that, not to execute judgment, as our brother said, but to be diligent in the work of God. And so he's given us in Scripture instructions as to what needs his approval and what doesn't meet his approval.
In each case, there is an end resolution to this question because as we've said, what we have in Matthew 13 is the sphere of profession of Christianity. And what we see is there is going to be an end to this because.
Verse 49. So it shall be at the end of the world. The Angel shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of tea.
They gnashed on Peter with their teeth. And I appreciated what brother Ron Clawson said, that it's been a million years. You opened the gates of hell. Not one man would come out. He would stand at the open gate of hell and raise his first against God, angry for him, putting him there and gnashing his teeth against God. There will be no repentance in hell. And so I believe our brother, very rightly so, brought before us the appearing and I believe that the brethren in the last century.
Properly used, the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, behold, he cometh with 10,000 of his Saints to execute judgment, to exercise the conscience of souls. Professors, I don't believe it's proper to threaten people with the rapture, but it is a solemn thing to think that one professed the name of Christ and there is going to be a resolution of this matter.
It's a solemn thing to think that one should be left behind to see the Lord come in the character of judgment.
The question was regarding verse 48. This one, it was a full. They drew to shore the Nets. He spoken up here is this was a rapture. Recurse and that and the net is full.
Think it's an ongoing work because it's the fissures of men that are doing this labor and at the point of the rapture, there's, that's the end of that time of fishing for men. The fishers of men are currently at work and the gospel that is currently bringing in. And, uh, so there's a responsibility there to separate what depression, those that are truly the objects of Christ's affections and the, and the eternal counsels of God chosen in Christ before the foundation of the earth.
Separate them, pick them out. What about the bed? Doesn't say they were thrown back into the sea. That thought of cast out means just left on the shore. And that's really where we need to leave False professors. Just leave them on the shore or it's going to take care of that. When he sends the angels don't have anything to do with it. Leave them on the floor.
You might say they've already been gathered in by the net.
I'll throw in the back end of the seat.
They have come into that sphere of profession, and they'll lay there responsible when the angels come in judgment.
It very much helps us to understand the book of Hebrews.
Because, umm, and to understand these scriptures in the Gospels that people use for this idea that somebody can be saved and lost and so on. It really is, and we emphasize this, that man will be judged. A man that professed the name of Christ will be judged far more severely in that day of judgment than a Muslim or a Hindu.
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Because they were one that were was drawn. They were bad fish, but they were drawn into the net. They were in the place of professively along with the good fish.
Doesn't the Nets go further and, uh, include the Gospel of the Kingdom here?
Goes right to the end when the the judgment is going to be executed by the angels.
A very solemn time, one of when mentions the tears being burnt and the.
The fetching locks for judgment.
Or it comes and puts in the sickle, as it were. Judges, I don't know.
Believe there's something practical here too, in the beginning of the 52nd verse.
Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder. Why does it mention the scribe? Because the scribe has to do with the written word of God.
And the great difficulty is that the Saints of God are not acquainted with the Word of God, and so we can't be instructed. The Spirit of God can't take up and instruct us in matters that we're not acquainted with.
And so that's what I believe, why it says every scribe that is instructed. And so we take up the word of God and we read the word of God. And I believe every time that we take it up, perhaps as we had in the book of Proverbs, there's an enigma or a puzzle to us. And that's why he asked him if you understood these things, because he's working on our souls. And we say, well, what is the Lord talking about here? And so, but if we never read it, it's never going to present a puzzle to our souls. But that's how the Lord instructs us.
And so the Spirit of God has nothing to work with unless we read the Word of God. And it creates these puzzles. And we see these puzzles because it is a puzzle to man when he looks out and he tries to rationalize what he's seeing out there under the name of Christ. But when we read the Word of God, we meditate on it and we get hold of these truths and it really gives us to understand what God is doing, what God values.
For something very precious here too, he brings out of his treasure things new and old. Now I don't know about you, but if I had a treasure box and I had something very old in it, I would probably bring you out the most old and valuable thing first.
Why does it say things new and old? Because we have in Scripture, we learn from the book of Leviticus, and in Song of Solomon two we find that order. We have the new, the old because of the new. And so when we're really grounded in the doctrines of the New Testament and the truth of the New Testament, then we can really go back to the Old Testament and see these treasures in the Old Testament.
You didn't understand the truth of the church, the Spirit of God going across to get a bride for Isaac. Then you would never see the lovely picture. If you didn't understand the truth of the church and what God is doing, what God is for God. You would never understand and see in that lovely picture of the servant going to get a bride for Isaac. Or you would never understand the picture of Joseph rejected of his brethren taking a Gentile bride.
And being raised to a place of glory. Why do we understand that? Because we understand the doctrines of the New Testament. We have the old because of the new. And so he takes out of his treasure things new and old all talking to Timothy as looking second Timothy, uh, two and 15 May help a little bit of the thought. Brother, study to show thyself approved unto God a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed. I mean worthless. Look at rightly.
Dividing the word of truth keyword there is rightly dividing. There's all kinds of people who take the word of God and and give false doctrines, sad to say, and but here we says rightly dividing the word of truth. That doesn't come till you have meditated on the word and studied the word and made it your own. That's when you you could rightly divide them if you're just listing somebody else all the time.
You just listen to their teaching and it might be wrong doctrine. You wouldn't know.
Until you have made it your own and studied it for yourself. I believe that's what Paul is saying here to Timothy for our own understanding.
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And these familiarities we've had, those great outward features that men can see, that was started out so small and sprung up like the blade in the field, that mustard seed that grew into a tree, something that was great in the sight of men.
And those things, and then that which is in this mixture, in the Kingdom of heaven, which is precious, the sight of Christ and the sight of God the Father, those that will shine forth as the Son and the Kingdom of their Father.
And the other similitudes later in Matthew we get the individual responsibility as a servant to that Lord that is owned in that sphere, and we see the.
The end of the path for fault professionals involved, would you mind pointing out?
Later in Matthew, probably working backwards, Matthew 25 is the five foolish and five wise virgins. And then, uh, verse 14 of Matthew 25, the Kingdom of heaven, it says a man traveling into a far country and the servants and the talents.
I believe it's earlier we get the the unrighteous servant, uh, chapter 22, the marriage of the king or the King's son. Excuse me, but I don't spot the unrighteous servant right now. Chapter 1823. Thank you. That's the servant who took his fellow servant by the throne and demanded what he was. They all have to do with individual responsibility as servants, that Lord that they professed to own.
Do you think that when the Lord asked him this question verse 51.
Have you understood all these things they say, Yeah, Lord, you think they were saying the truth there? I mean, we could read this passage and there's so much that we do not understand of it. Uh, it tells us First Corinthians 13. Now we prophecy in part. Now we understand in part, and now we prophecy in part. And another passage in John's Gospel, 16th chapter, the disciples told the Lord, now thou speakest plainly and neatest not that any man should, uh, tell thee.
Do you think they plainly understood everything the Lord was telling them?
I did not the Spirit of God, when he came after Pentecost, bring much to their remembrance so that they were more fully able to understand and reverend, even today you read a passage like this 13th and we don't I don't think we would pretend to enter into all the.
The details that the Lord has here, all that he would have us to, uh, glean from this chapter until we are finally brought to glory. Uh, and then I believe that the Lord will, as He did with those two going down to Emmaus, unfold the scriptures to them and 'cause our hearts to burn fully.
Enter into it more than we ever have had here below.
You wonder why the Lord would ask a question like that. He knew the answer to it.
I believe that sometimes, if I may put it this way, we can see farther than we can walk, and we have an outline of Scripture and it's a good thing. And we have a picture, and it is a good thing that Paul desired that Timothy have an outline of sound words, and it is a good thing. The Lord desires us to have an outline of things. And as you pointed out, we very often realize how little we really do know, but how helpful it is to have an outline of these things.
It would be a terrible thing if somebody came from Egypt or South Africa or South American came to North America and he had no idea where Washington, DC was in relation to Washington State, in relation to California.
And he was left to try to wander around without a map. And yet many Christians are that way. And so the Lord has an interest in a desire that we understand these things and have a picture. And I think the moment that we think we learn something, we haven't really learned it as we ought, but the Lord would desire that we have a, an outline of these things because it's helpful. A lot of believers are just wandering around lost in this confusion. And there is confusion. Wheat and terror is growing up in the field, good fish and bad.
What is precious to the heart of God is is not evident to the eye of man. And so we need these scriptures to see. And then, as our brothers pointed out, we need to know what our responsibility is so that we might conduct ourselves properly in connection with this. Because there is a responsibility. We've been admitted to the Kingdom of heaven.
The Kingdom of God Paul took up and it said spite of things. Perhaps we don't ignore, we ignore, but Paul took up the Kingdom of God and at the end of Acts and there is a, perhaps somebody else could explain it better, but I've enjoyed this illustration is that people say, well, that's the, that's the what mall house. And then they say they don't do this there or they don't do that there. There's a moral character to it. And the Kingdom of heaven is a little bit like saying, well, that's that's what the Lord's put his name on.
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And then there's the side of things. There's the moral character that even unbelievers are aware that is suitable to that place where God's name is given. And even a unbeliever may say to you will have a real Christian wouldn't talk that way or a real Christian wouldn't do business that way. They understand that there's a moral character that's suitable to that. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house at the end of Acts. Again, we have the house there.
And received all that came on him, preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern.
The Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding, is that Paul taught those things that were morally consistent with his place of profession, into which we've been brought as perhaps a side of things that we've ignored.
The first chapter they asked, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel? Last chapter he was preaching things concerning the Kingdom of God. You know the truth of the Kingdom was not new. This is old.
But that it should embrace the whole world and not be exclusive to the Jew, but go out to the Gentile as well, that was new. And the fact that it was to be established on the principle of faith and belief in the Word of God and not positional nearness.
That was new.
Now it's in their verse and Luke's gospel that says, you know, when you hear about something new, you don't, you don't want that right away. You know it's.
How's that going?
In the last verses, chapter five of the loose, no man having drunk wine, uh, drunk old wine straightway desirous new preset. The old is better. Well, we don't want to say that, brethren. We don't want to say the oldest better, the newest better. In this case, you know what God is revealing from Matthew 12 back at the end of Matthew 12. Backwards is the old one, but forward from Matthew 13 on the Lord's bringing out that which is new.
And I believe getting a, a, an outline of that, which is new, our brother Neil is just bringing before us, helps us to understand the old, there's a verse in, uh, Leviticus that, that, uh, I think would explain that to us.
Leviticus 26, verse 10.
2610 says Ye shall eat old at store, and bring forth the old because of the new.
That is, we'll understand the Old Testament if we read the New Testament. But how?
Have a person who doesn't see dispensational truth, how do they understand the Old Testament? But the New Testament is the flashlight, isn't it? That helps us to see the pictures, the wonderful pictures that God has in the Old Testament. But certainly what He's revealed in the New is far better.
I believe that's what the secret things of in Deuteronomy. You may notice that verse there, the end of Deuteronomy chapter 29 and verse 29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children. You know his secrets were grace. That was the unrevealed secret that was hidden from the old, the Saints of old when the people failed under law.
God still has another thing up his sleeve when they use accommodate express. He intended to bring in Israel on the ground of grace, not law keeping. He's going to bless them. Uh, they failed in keeping the law, but God has a secret in mind and God would find Ways and Means of justifying them by by faith a man had proven himself a total failure under law, but on the grounds of faith, God is going to.
To bless all mankind. And uh, but that was not revealed in the Old Testament, was it? That was a secret thing then, but now it's revealed to us by the Spirit of God.
The Kingdom of heaven goes beyond.
Uh, simply the church.
It definitely does. It is named as having existed, but at the time of John, and it certainly goes on to the Millennium where they sit down with Abraham. We're, we're rightly drawing up on her the application of it to the church and the Pearl and the treasure. But it's, it's, uh, it has application even for the Jews during the tribulation, uh, the Lord and his Beatitudes spoke to the Kingdom of the heavens.
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Kingdom of heaven as it is here and uh, so it that we understand that is, we certainly would call it that that's, that applies to the Jews government too. So, uh.
But we're drawing from this is right, but it goes beyond our own interests in the assembly and in the church and Christianity.
Well, it's good, too, to remember that there are young people here and perhaps some of these things are over your head. You don't always understand them, and it's good for us to remember to each one of us. I was going over to.
Jeremiah chapter 50. You'll need to turn to it. I'll just read it.
Jeremiah 15 and verse 16. Thy words were found, and I did eat them. Now what does this mean? It means when you eat something, you don't throw it up. If you do, you're sick. You assimilate it. You make it your own. So my words we found, and I did eat them, and they were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. For I am called by thy name, O Lord God of us, so we don't need to worry.
I think, well, all these things are some of these things are cloudy to me after all these years. I don't say that I know everything, but I know the Lord Jesus and I want to get into his word and seek to understand it and it that takes time. Where Isaiah tells us we learn here a little there a little line up online, precept upon precept. So we don't need to get discouraged because we don't see clearly.
Like this this chapter we've been having before us.
There are many things in it that we don't see, but that doesn't mean that we can't enjoy the Lord.
I think it's very precious, uh, to think of that in that way. I'd like to read a verse and saw some verses and Song of Solomon, which kind of connects that thought with what Reuben read and Leviticus 26, Song of Solomon, Chapter 7.
I am at verse 10. I am my Beloved, and your desire is toward me. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field and let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards to see if the vine flourished and whether the tender grape appear.
And the pomegranates flood forth. There will I give thee my love?
The Mandrakes give a smell, and our gates and our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
And it is in communion. I'd just like to turn back by the Charles to a scripture that you referred to in First Corinthians chapter two, I think yesterday, because I think this is really the secret of how to lay hold of these things and perhaps why we don't.
In the hindrance to these things.
First Corinthians, chapter 2.
And verse 9. But I But as it is written, this is a quotation from Isaiah. I have not seen nor heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, ye the deep things of God.
For what man knows the things of a man, say the spirit of man, which is in him, Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. There's a slight variation between here and Isaiah, because it says have prepared for them that wait for him in Isaiah. They were hidden then, but they're not hidden now.
They're revealed by the Spirit we've been given, the very Spirit of God. But what is the hindrance to us getting a hold of them?
Is not giving place to the Spirit. And so we make provision for the flesh. We occupy ourselves with earthly things, and we don't really get a hold of these wonderful and precious truths.
So somebody said made this comment, if we could say that we knew everything that we read, we absolutely knew it, it wouldn't be the word of God because we will never fathom all the truth.
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You can get glimpses of it, we can get samples of it, we can get points of it, but we will never, never fathom the Word of God has adept that we cannot fathom at all any portion of scripture we read.
Dear Mr. Gill used to say, we say it might mean this, but he said it could mean more than that too, could mean more than that. So God allows us by the Spirit of God to learn some of these things and we can enjoy them. Enjoy what dear brother Gordon used to say, don't let the things you don't know, don't understand keep you from enjoying the things you do understand. And I believe there's a lot of truth in that.
There's many things that I don't understand this precious book.
After almost 70 years, still it's the word of God. Can I say, I know, I don't know, I can't, but I can enjoy it. I can enjoy the precious things that God has revealed to me. So it's it's a lovely thing to remember that that we're not dealing with the with the schedule on a newspaper. We're dealing with a living word of God and God lives, his word is living and we need to be guided by the Spirit of God in order to notice.