Montreal Conference: 1969
Table of Contents
We Shall Know as We are Known
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Exodus chapter 33.
Verse 7.
And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp.
Far off from the camp and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation.
That it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out under the Tabernacle of the congregation which was without the camp.
And it came to pass, when Moses went out under the Tabernacle, that all the people rose up and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses until he was gone into the Tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the Tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle. And the Lord talked with Moses, and all the people saw the cloudy pillars stand at the Tabernacle door.
And all the people rose.
Rose up and worshiped every man in his tent door, and the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.
And he turned again into the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tabernacle. And Moses said unto the Lord, See thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people, and thou hast not let me know where whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast found grace in my sight.
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee.
That I may find grace in my sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For when shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight?
Is it not in that thou goest with us, So shall we be separated I and thy people from.
All the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also, that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious, to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy, on whom I will show mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see my face. See me and live.
And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me.
And thou shalt stand upon a rock, and it shall come to pass while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by. And I will take away mine hand. And thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen.
My brethren, what was particularly before me in reading this passage is the thought of the Lord's presence with His people. I believe this is the most important, the most blessed thing that we can possibly enjoy His presence, and I believe we have it. Perhaps we could say in two ways here, His presence as at the Tabernacle of the congregation.
And his presence enjoyed by Moses.
Individually, we need these two things to be able to go on in a day like this.
And I was thinking it was specially so in connection with the way that this chapter comes in.
We're all aware that previous to this chapter, commencing with chapter 25, we have the instructions about the making of the Tabernacle of the congregation where God provided a meeting place between Himself and His people.
But before that meeting place was prepared and built, as we have in the latter part of this book, we have this very wonderful incident brought in here.
It shows us how God anticipated the failure of his people, and he was not going to fail, even although they might. And isn't that lovely? Because just as we have in Revelation.
We have the Church as a Candlestick, but before that we are introduced to the Lord Jesus as the faithful and true witness, the first begotten from the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth. And so it is a lovely thing to know that a law, everything does break down in the hands of man, that God never fails. He is ever faithful, and He is faithful to His people.
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And when the people were redeemed?
It was His desire that He should dwell among them. He said in the 25th chapter, Make me a Tabernacle that I may dwell among them. It was His delight, His joy to be in the midst of His redeemed people. But as I say, before even that Tabernacle was built, the people had turned away. They had made the golden calf. They were worshiping it. And so we find in this lovely chapter.
God's gracious provision showing that even before the failure, He made provision for the time of failure.
And we're in that time now. We're in the time, not the time of Israel's failure that is past, but we're in the time of the failure of the Church as a Candlestick in the earth. But he is faithful. He delights, I say, in the blessing of his people.
And so when they had so grieved his heart and made this golden cap and were worshipping it, Moses comes down and in righteousness God could have consumed the people in a moment, But oh, he loved the people. He wanted their blessing and faith and intelligence about the mind of God and the part of Moses.
Leads him to do what we have in this seventh verse. And Moses took the Tabernacle.
And pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out unto the Tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
We're all acquainted with the fact that that beautiful structure that was made later.
Was called the Tabernacle of the congregation. What is this that is called here? The Tabernacle of the congregation?
The one that was built according to the pattern that Moses was shown upon the mount.
Was in the midst, and the tribes were all arranged around that Tabernacle. But this one was pitched without the camp, afar off from the camp. But it was called by the same name, the Tabernacle of the congregation. Oh, how lovely. Did God still love his people? Did He still delight in their blessing? Perhaps this was only a small place.
Someone has suggested perhaps it was Moses own tent.
But it was called the Tabernacle of the congregation. Isn't that wonderful? And it doesn't matter whether there's a large company or a small company to be in the place where the Lord's presence is, where He would have us, is everything. And faith recognizes that even in a day of ruin, God is still faithful. There is one body.
And we're exhorted to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit.
In the bond of peace. And so in the 18th chapter of Matthew, the Lord said in the 16th on this rock I will build my church in the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. But in the 18th of Matthew he talks about two or three on the day of Pentecost there were about 3000 that were blessed and brought in to the assembly.
Thus in the 18th of Matthew he says where two or three.
Are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them. Yes. He anticipated a day of declension and failure, but he said even if it's only two or three, there he would be in the midst. And so Moses, I say, intelligent about the mind of God here.
He takes this tent and pitches it afar off from the camp, afar off from all that was going on, the grieved the heart of the Lord. And there it tells us it was called the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it was a happy thought for us this morning as we saw that one loaf on the table, to know that it represented every member of the body of Christ.
We know everyone, even in the city Of Montreal.
All or for Droid or dornion was not present, but they were all represented in that one loaf. And this tent that was pitched perhaps only small, was called the Tabernacle of the congregation. Oh how blessed. And it says everyone that sought. What a fine building that which was displayed so beautifully in that Tabernacle that was later built.
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No, everyone that saw.
The Lord all brethren, do you and I seek the Lord say I'd like to be with an assembly where there were large numbers, where there was activity, where there was a great deal going on. Well, I'm sure we all delight to be with a large company who loved the Lord, who desire to please him. But I trust that we can say that we're not here because of the crowd or the company, but we're here because.
We have sought the Lord.
He sought the Lord. Brethren, it's the only thing that will keep us going on in the little assemblies we come from is to be there because we seek the Lord. It may be just a tent, it may be a man's house, as this may have been Moses own tent, but it was the Tabernacle of the congregation, and those who sought the Lord went out there to be in this place where the Lord was.
And doesn't tell us of many. It only mentions the name of Moses and of Joshua, perhaps to bring it down to the very smallest number. And yet this was the place where the cloud came down and where the glory of the Lord appeared. It was the place where the Lord met with his people. Oh, how precious this is. And I say again.
Because we're living in the last days.
We're living in days of failure. We all have to hang our heads and confess our own part in the failure. But I believe, brethren, what we need is to get our eyes off one another and to get our eyes upon the Lord. He's the same. He is the same if Moses had looked around and if Joshua had looked around, and indeed he did, He looked around and he was so discouraged about it all that he didn't know what to make of it. And.
And it was very disheartening to this young believer. But when the Tabernacle was pitched, Joshua was there, and Joshua didn't leave.
Don't forget, dear young people, he was a young man. He was a young man, but he was there. Why was he there? Because the glory of the Lord was there. He sought the Lord. He sought the Lord. May the Lord keep each one of us, and especially the young, in days of difficulty, in days of trial, in days of testing.
So it tells us here in this ninth verse that came to pass. As Moses entered into the Tabernacle, a cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. The Lord talked with Moses, and all the people saw the cloudy pillars stand at the Tabernacle door. Did they go?
Did they seek this place even although they saw it? No, it says they remained at their tent door. They remained at their tent door. Perhaps you say all the meetings so small, there will be so few there. I think I'll stay home. I think I can enjoy the Lord's presence even in my home. Well, in a sense this is true, but not in the same sense that His presence can be enjoyed.
In the midst of two or three gathered to his name. And I wouldn't like to say that all these people who stood and worshiped at their tent door had no heart for the Lord. And I dare not say here this afternoon that many who are not gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus don't have a real heart for him.
Thank God for the devotedness of everyone who is not so gathered, but I believe this was a blessed privilege that was given and a privilege that was enjoyed by very few. Well, the Lord talked to Moses face to face. He went out to this place where the Lord's presence was among His people.
And in the 11TH verse it says, And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp. But his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, he parted not out of the Tabernacle. I think this is written to show us that emotedness of this young man, who might have been so thoroughly and utterly discouraged. And yet here we find that faith that continued.
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And when he had seen what could be enjoyed there, when he had seen the Lord's presence, that was enough. Well, I say again, I believe this brings before us the enjoyment of the Lord's presence in a collective way, and I trust it will be precious to us and to my own heart. I repeat that it's very precious that this didn't come in after.
The Tabernacle.
Had been built and all had failed but before, because God foreknew, just as Paul said to the elders at Ephesus. Think of that assembly at Ephesus so blessed, given the highest truth that we have in the New Testament, I believe, and yet that very assembly when he talked to them, he said.
After my departure, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock? Yeah, also of your own souls shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. This word was spoken to that assembly. Why? Well, it's easy to go on when there's a freshness, when there's a happiness, when there's a oneness, when there is real spiritual energy.
But it takes the eye upon.
The Lord to go on when we see the breakdown of things in the hand of man, but always say again, God is faithful. And here were two who enjoyed the Lord's presence in a collective sense at the Tabernacle of the congregation.
But now we go a little farther in the 12TH verse.
And Moses said unto the Lord, See thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people, and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast found grace in my sight. Well, Moses here felt very much alone. I believe at the 12TH verse we have shall I say, a little change to what might be called the individual side of things.
I believe in the first part we have the collective side of things, the Tabernacle of the congregation, the Lord speaking there, and those who sought that and those who remained at their tent door. But now we find another circumstance brought before us here. Here is Moses. He's an individual. Many of us come from little assemblies gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
Many others seek to go on in this.
Position collectively. But after all, we are individuals. We are individuals and we play an individual part in the assembly from which we come. And this can often be discouraging too. And it was very discouraging to Moses at this time. And so he said to the Lord, he said, you've asked me to lead the people, and you haven't shown who you'll have.
To go with me.
He craved company. He craved company and his individuals. We crave company. We crave those who love us and who understand us. It has been said that the thing the human heart craves most of all is love and understanding. And as humans, even as believers, we crave this. And Moses craved it. He loved the people he wanted.
To lead them into the promised land. It was bright and glorious in his soul that God was leading the people to a land flowing with milk and honey. And its bright and glorious in our hearts as we look over the company here. And to think that the Lord Jesus is the captain of our salvation, bringing us home to glory. But we have a part in helping one another. None of us liveth to himself.
And no man dieth to himself. We each have a part.
A little part in connection with this, and Moses had a special part in this, and he said, who will go with me? Did you ever look around and feel that way? Say, who can I have, who enters into my feelings, who enters into my thoughts? Who will be my companion to go along? And it would be so nice if I had someone of like mind of understanding with whom I could serve the Lord and with whom I could follow.
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Him and he said, If I really found grace in thy sight, why have you left me without someone with whom I can walk this yearning? This feeling rose up in the heart of Moses, as it may rise up in the heart of many of us, even here this afternoon.
And Moses repeats it. He said. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight.
Oh, he, he couldn't understand. You know, there were times, brethren, when we don't always understand God's ways with us. We can't understand why he leads us a certain way. But isn't it nice what he adds? Show me now thy way, He said. I don't understand it, but show me thy way for you and I content to walk in his way.
Even though we can't understand why he's leading.
Do we look up and say, Lord, show me now thy way, thy way. That was the desire of the psalmist. He said, Lead me, lead me in thy truth, and teach me another verse. Teach me to do thy will. This desire rose up in his heart.
And he said that I may know thee.
And that I may find grace in thy sight. He thought he had already found grace in thy, in his sight. But as we have been reminded in these meetings, now there is the grace that saves, and there is the grace needed for the pathway. And Moses at this point felt the special need of the grace for the pathway. And so he adds that I may know thee.
Yes, when we don't understand God's ways, the enemy seeks to bring in a wedge and say you don't understand God, you don't understand the Lord.
How the enemy seeks to come in between US and the Lord. But he said, Show me thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may know thee. Oh, to know him, the one whose heart is full of love, the one whose heart is full of grace.
The one whose heart is full of understanding, whose delights are with the sons of men, who is not himself going to be satisfied without company.
Yes, it has been said that God is complete in himself, in everything, but that He desires objects for his affection, and he is going to have objects for his affections. That's His way. That's His way, that he might have objects for his affections. And who are they? You and I, You and I.
Well, what did the Lord answer?
And he said.
My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Now this wasn't just the collective thing.
This wasn't what we considered before the blessed privilege of being gathered to the Lord's name. Shall I say you can have that wonderful privilege of being gathered to the Lord's name? And yet perhaps it could be Saul that as individuals were not enjoying his presence individually. And so the Lord tells him, My presence shall go with thee.
Oh yes, to walk in the enjoyment of the company.
Of the Lord Jesus, brethren, is the sweetest portion on earth the sweetest portion on earth? When we lose this, we've lost everything that's worthwhile. What is the matter with man today?
What is all the frustration in everything? Because he is trying to find in the material universe and trying to find through the efforts of his own mind that which can only be found in the Creator himself, made known and revealed in redemption. Yes, that's the answer, the only answer. And it doesn't matter how far he advances. He can go to the Moon, he can go to Saturn or Mars or any of the other planets.
You'll never find satisfaction for his heart in this no may find a little bit of bolstering for his pride, but not satisfaction for his heart. But a humble believer in this room can find satisfaction in the company of the Lord Jesus. Satisfaction in the company of the Lord Jesus. How often is true a Christian laid aside from all activity laid aside from.
So he doesn't enjoy his health and his possessions, often finds that he can enjoy the sweetest and deepest portion. And what is it? The company of the Lord? Company of the Lord? And how ready was the Lord's answer? He said.
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If I find grace in thy sight, show me thy way. And what's the Lord's answer?
My way is to enjoy my company, he said.
My company just like a friend that you love very much and they said you say to them, well where, where are we going to go tonight?
Well, the friend answers and says, well, I don't just know that one thing. We'll go together. All you say that's fine, just to be in your company. That'll that'll make the evening, that'll make it worthwhile. Is it wonderful? The Lord may not show us the way, but he does say, my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest. This is not rest of conscience, this is rest.
In connection with.
Our pathway through this world shall I say rest of soul, the Lord said in Matthew 11. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
The longings of the heart satisfied, I will give thee rest. Now notice the answer that Moses gives. And he said, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up thence.
There's something very interesting in this to me. And that he is, he says.
If thy presence go not with me, notice the singular. And then he said, Carry us that the plural carry us not up thence.
Now, wherever, wherever, there's a heart that's in communion with the Lord.
We're not selfish. We don't just think about ourselves, we think of others.
And so he desired to enjoy the Lord's company for himself.
But he also desired that he would be able to be a help and a blessing to the people of God. Collectively. We find this in Gideon. Gideon was a threshing wheat by the winepress. He desired to have a portion for himself from God's land, but he was concerned about the people of God as a whole. And because of this, God could use him.
The same with Jonathan. Jonathan was concerned about the condition of the people of God, and because of this, God could use him. And so I say again, if we really enjoy the Lord's presence individually, our hearts will go out and we'll be a blessing to others collectively. Collectively, you say I'd like to be some help to the people of God.
If you and I are enjoying the Lord's presence individually, we'll be a help.
To others, how often in a meeting I've heard an older brother say one time the presence of that person was a benediction to the meeting. What did that person, What did he mean by such a remark?
Wasn't what the person said, but just somehow you felt that person was in the presence of the Lord, and because he was, his presence was a blessing to others. So he said, if thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. And brethren, any service that we do to the people of God, any effort that we make will be very empty and in vain.
Unless we are ourselves are in His presence.
In His presence, it's not just knowledge that we need, although that's important, but it's His presence and when we speak to bring His presence so that others might be brought into the enjoyment of this portion. You remember when the Lord had found Andrew?
He went and he found his brother Peter. And what did he say? We have found the Messiahs, which is by interpreted the Christ. And he brought him where? To Jesus, To Jesus. He found the presence of Jesus, and he brought his brother to the company of Jesus. And so it is if thy presence go not with me.
Carry us not up. Hence he said, one is all this journey through this great and howling wilderness, if we don't have thy presence. And he said, I can't serve the people of God unless I have the enjoyment of it myself. All brethren, are we enjoying this? Do we say, Well, the meetings are called?
Well, are you and I bring something of his presence? Are we bringing in a little ray of sunshine so that the others will feel that they're journeying to to that bright and heavenly land and feel refreshed by the fact that you have been in his presence? Well, this was Moses desire.
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Now the 16th verse, for when shall it be?
Shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in my sight? Isn't this nice? He first says I and then he.
He says in the.
13th verse I have found grace in eyesight. Now he associates the people with him. In the 16th verse. Wherein shall it be known that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight?
He just looked around and the failing people of God, they've been worshipping the golden calf. The Lord had said he would have to consume them.
Now he said, I found grace. Thy people have found grace in thy sight. This is the result of being in the presence of the Lord. You look at the people of God differently. You look at them differently when you're in the presence of the Lord. And this was the result with Moses. And then he goes on, Is it not that thou goest with us?
Is it not that thou goest with us? That is what makes us His people.
So shall I say in a practical sense His presence, and then so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
We can have separation of very cold way. We can have separation like Israel did, a middle law of partition contained in ordinances, or there can be separation of heart, separation of heart. And it ought to be that as people look at us, they would see that our hearts have been won to Christ. They should see that we have something so real, so different that they feel there's something different about us.
Not necessarily because we have built up a barrier, but because they see that we are in the enjoyment of the presence of the Lord Jesus. I believe if you had been here and seen the Lord walking in and out among men, it wasn't anything about His appearance that caused others to recognize him, but it was faith alone that could recognize in Him the one who was ever in the.
Bosom of His Father, who brought something of the glory down here into this world, and that others could see it in him. And I say again, brethren, true separation is separation because we're enjoying the Lord's presence.
If our meaning is just separated because it's in a different building, then it's only, it's only a geographical separation. But if we're separated because we enjoy the Lord's presence, this is another thing. This is another thing. And if you and I are separated because we're in the enjoyment of his presence, that's true separation. Otherwise it could be pharisaical, it could be pretense.
So he said so.
Shall I and thy people be separated from all the people that are upon the face of thy earth?
And now he goes on in the 18th verse, and he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.
Now Moses asked the Lord to show him his glory.
And so the Lord answered, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious, to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy, on whom I will show mercy.
I might say that in the little event that follows here, where Moses didn't see the face of the Lord but only his back parts, there is a typical meaning in this and that is that God was not fully.
Revealed in Judaism, there was only a partial revelation of God-given as we have in Chronicles, God dwelled in the thick darkness. In Christianity, the glory of God shines out in the face of Jesus Christ.
And I believe that's why.
In the earlier part of the chapter he spoke to the Lord face to face, but when it was a question of seeing all His glory, it did not. Of seeing all His glory, it did not shine out in Judaism, not until the full revelation is given in Christianity. And so we have in 2nd Corinthians 3, we all with opener unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord.
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But you will pardon me if I make a little practical.
Application of this incident in the last of the chapter A practical.
Shall I say application that I can apply to my own heart and perhaps you can apply to yours?
Many of us may be in circumstances that we cannot just understand why, if the Lord is gracious, if He loves us and cares for us, why He should allow those circumstances to remain. And we would love to see His face in all these circumstances that have come.
And it may be that the time has not yet come for the Lord to reveal this to us now. It's a testing time. It says that we walk by faith, not by sight. And there are times in our lives when, if one could speak in this way, the Lord seems not that he really does, but seems to hide his face and we can't understand.
And this was the position in which Moses.
Was at this time and it may be there some Christian here and you feel just in this very same situation. You know what it is to be gathered to the Lord's name. You know what it is to have found grace in his sight. It's your great desire to enjoy his presence, but it seems the circumstance is risen as you can just understand.
And the Lord says you can't see my face.
And he puts his hand, and he says, You stand there, Moses, and I'll put my hand over your face. How wonderful, how wonderful this was, whose hand was over his face? The hand of the Lord himself.
Brethren, in circumstances in life that we may not understand, isn't it wonderful to think that it may be because he is saying, just stand there, I'll put my hand over your face. And to know that, lo, we cannot say that we cannot understand, that it's his hand that's keeping us from seeing at that moment what he has in view.
Moses saw something of his glory. Later, Moses was on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Moses space was shining then and he was seeing the Lord and he was talking about his deceased that he would accomplish at Jerusalem, but he didn't understand at this point. And there are things that we won't understand until we get home to glory. And so the Lord said, you just stand there and I'll cover your face with my hand. And he said, when I'm passed by, you'll see the glory of my back parts that as you'll see.
That I passed by, and notice what he proclaimed before him. I will make all my goodness pass before thee.
Oh my goodness, how could this be all my goodness, you say? I don't see goodness in this circumstance. I don't see goodness in this trial.
Moses was there, but the Lord's hand over his face and the Lord was saying, Oh my goodness shall pass before thee and I will be gracious. Oh, how lovely. And thereafter he had passed by. He looked and he saw the glory of his back parts. At this point it wasn't possible. And so I say again, it's lovely to think of this same man later on the Mount of Transfiguration talking to the Lord.
Where He was transfigured there before them in glory. And may we have the grace to walk in His presence. So I say again, before I close, we have, I believe in this lovely passage. The Lord's presence enjoyed collectively that which we can enjoy, knowing that He is in the midst of His people, even in days of weakness and failure and breakdown and ruin, He's the same.
Yesterday and today and forever. And then as he leads us on and we have desires to please him, we have desires to be useful, we can't understand perhaps this or that or the other thing. Isn't it lovely to know that He puts his face, his hand over our face and said, it's my hand that's there. And as he passes by, he proclaims his goodness, He proclaims his grace, He proclaims his long-suffering patience.
And He lets us see the glory of His back parts. But it won't always be so, brethren, it won't always be so. Now we see through a glass darkly, or as the new translation is, a dim window. But then face to face, now we know in part. Then shall we know, even as also we are known.
Gather Together in One
Faith
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I'd like to turn to a few passages in connection with faith, first of all in Hebrews Chapter 11, verse one.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For byeth the elders obtained a good report, and the sixth verse. But without faith it is impossible to please him, For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Now shall we also turn to Ephesians chapter 2?
Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
And 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. Second Corinthians chapter 5.
And verse 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
And in the First Epistle of John in the 5th chapter. First Epistle of John in the 5th chapter.
And the fourth verse.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.
And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Well, it's often been said that Christianity is the only religion of faith, and I believe it is very important that we should realize and understand what faith really is, and that we might learn by His grace to walk by faith.
And all in the Old Testament God laid down certain ordinances for his people. By obedience to these ordinances, they became devout Jews. They became those who were separated from the nations round about them by ordinances. For it says in Ephesians chapter 2, that the enmity was the law of commandments contained in ordinances.
And so we know that when Daniel was in the court of.
Of Nebuchadnezzar, he couldn't partake of the meat that was served there because I would be disobedient to an ordinance that God had given.
And the whole principle of separation, and the whole principle of their walk was obedience to certain ordinances. And this is what made them, we might say, good, devout Jews, but in Christianity.
Man's trial is over. God is no longer looking for anything good in man. It has been shown that there is nothing in the natural man that is acceptable to God. And so now.
That which is acceptable to him is by faith, and it tells us without faith it is impossible to please God. So that a person might do many things, he might live up to certain regulations, he might conform to certain things, but this would not make him a Christian. It might make him a devout Jew, but it wouldn't make him a Christian.
That would only be by faith.
It has been said that the simplest definition of faith is found in the 3rd chapter of John. And there it tells us, he that hath believed here is God's testimony hath set to his seal that God is true, that is, it's taking God at his word. Now of course I wish to mention and I will speak of it a little more later.
But all through the Old Testament, the only ones who were ever.
Acceptable to God were the ones who had faith.
They might, as a Pharisees, make broad their philac trees, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and pay men to pay tithe on all kinds of things. And yet the the hypocrites, the unbelievers, they could go on with the outward things. And now in Christianity God is looking at the heart.
And I might say again that in the Old Testament, the only ones who were really acceptable to him.
Were those who walked by faith. So we find with Abel, he offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. How did he know that this was acceptable to God? He learned that by faith. It wasn't because there was some particular ordinance. He learned that by faith.
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We find that Abraham was a heathen, and he was called to lead his country and to go out into a land that he should after receive for an inheritance. He obeyed the call of God. He went out in faith.
God told him that he was going to give him a son when it didn't seem possible because of his age and the age of his wife that this could be. But it says Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. So the only principle on which God could bless man and does bless man is the principle of faith.
And I believe in this time that it's very important because.
As you young people go to school and college, we find a great deal of the comparison of the religions of the world.
Well, many of the religions of the world have certain things that mark them out as belonging to a certain group or belonging to a certain religion. Those things are called their faith. But in reality it is outward things. And so a person could be a Mohammedan and as long as he goes on with certain things.
Was accepted in the Muhammadan group. Why he's considered that? But dear young people, that doesn't make you a Christian just because you go with outward things. It must be in the heart.
What must be in the heart? And so it tells us in Hebrews 11, where we began.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith makes real to the soul of that which he has not seen.
Faith takes God at his word, and perhaps one might say, well, how do we know it's the word of God? Oh, I say, God reveals himself and this is the way that he makes himself known through his word. He might have spoken in different ways. He appeared to Abraham when he was a heathen. Some people will say, well, what about the heathen?
Never limit the power of God to make himself known. Abraham was a heathen.
God revealed himself to him. Abraham knew that that was the call of God, and he left his country and his kindred. Someone might say, Well, prove to me that that was the call of God. It was God who revealed Himself to the soul of Abraham, and Abraham acted upon that in faith, and he went out into a land which he should afterward receive for an inheritance.
Someone might have said Abraham, how is it possible?
Well, for you, it's your age and the age of your wife to have a child. Was he able to explain it scientifically? Was he able to say, well, it has happened before? No, all he could say is God has said it and God can make himself known. And this precious book that I hold in my hand I accept as the word of God, not because the church has given it authority, not because I can prove it scientifically, but I believe.
That God speaks through this book and every one of us in this company this afternoon are saved because we have accepted this precious book and the message it gives us as a message from God, and it has proved itself by what it has done.
You remember what the Lord Jesus said to Martha at the grave of Lazarus? He said, said, Thine not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see. He didn't put it the way man often puts it. He says seeing is believing, but God put it the other way, He said believing.
If thou wouldest believe thou should have seen, he must accept it as a revelation.
That the Lord Jesus, the resurrection and the life was given was giving. Or she must, I should say. And she did accept it. And this is the only way that you and I can accept the truth of God. We accept it in faith. So in that same 11TH chapter of Hebrews, it says by faith we understand that.
That the world's were framed by the word of God? Is it because we can prove?
It scientifically, is it because we can renounce scientifically all the errors of those who teach this or that which denies the Bible? I couldn't answer many of their scientific ideas, but I could say, and I hope every young person will get this in his heart.
I could say I believe it because God said it. That's the highest authority. That's what settles it for me.
00:10:07
And the reason I believe in the creation account is not because I can prove it scientifically, but because God has spoken. God has spoken. And dear young people, if you get this in your soul, you won't need to worry about whether you can refute the false ideas of man. You'll be satisfied because you have the word of the living God.
And God himself making it good to your soul.
Just as someone said, how do you know that there's a sun in the sky? Well, even when you can't see, if you can feel, it's warm. And God can make this precious word good in the soul. When Paul went to Thessalonica and preached.
He couldn't bring forth proof that what he was saying was the word of God.
From I mean, he had the Old Testament, but I'm Speaking of the New Testament and of the truth that Christ had died. The New Testament hadn't been written. How could the people there receive it? They received it as the word of God, just as the Old Testament was received as the word of God. It says he received it not.
The word of man, but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh in you that believe. And when they heard Paul announce that message that Christ had died for our sins and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scripture. Why they believed the message. Their souls were saved, they turned to God from idols. They served the living.
Through God, their faith was spoken of through the whole world. It was a present reality. God had made himself known to their souls and they were saved. And dear young people, I want to press this upon you because we're living in a day of reason. We're living in a day when they tell us everything has to be proved. And so sometimes even Christians make an attempt to prove.
That this book is.
True, we can prove that we believe it because God has said it and it proves itself when we have believed it. Now, of course I know that many facts can be proven, that is historical facts and so on. But I don't believe it because of the historical facts, because I don't depend on man's history, the history that men have written.
May be reliable and may not. The history that's studied in the United States of America.
And the history that's studied in Canada varies considerably. And both would say, well, our account of the history is true, but it varies considerably. That shows you can't rely on history, but you can rely on this precious book. You can take this book and you can rest your soul upon the word of God. You can meet the tempter in all his power and say, I believe it because God has said it and.
Dear young people, I want to press this important thing upon you because it tells us there in Hebrews 11 and verse 6 without faith. It is impossible to please Him without faith if you only believe it as I say, because of proof. When you go to college and someone more clever than the person you talked to before gets hold of you, they may be able to shake your confidence if your faith only stands in.
Wisdom of man, but if it stands in the power of God, it's a rock that can never be shaken. We have a Kingdom which cannot be moved. Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And so isn't it lovely? It says through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things of things now.
For Buyeth, the elders obtained a good report. Yes, they had a good report. Why? Well, because they believed what God said, even though at times they couldn't understand.
Take the case of Noah. God said there was going to be a flood.
As far as we know, there wasn't rain before that time. How could it start to rain? How could it rain for 40 days and the earth be in a deluge? How could it be? No, it didn't undertake to try and explain it or understand it scientifically. It says that he took God at his word. He was moved with fear. Why did he fear? Because God said there was going to be a flood. Why did he prepare an ark to the saving of his house? Because God.
00:15:17
Said it and it says he obtained a good report. He believed God. And can't we even say this in natural things too? If you tell somebody a certain state in a certain matter and he says, well, I won't believe it unless I ask a few other people and they tell me it's true.
Does that does that make you feel very happy?
Oh no, you say, I'd like them to take me at my word. Well, when you and I doubt God, we dishonor God and we doubt God, we dishonor God. When we believe him, we honor him. He is our Creator. He is the one who speaks to us through this blessed book. And this is His message that He has given to our souls. And before I go any further, I wish to say to each young person.
Take your stand upon this precious book.
It has stood the test of time. All the attacks of infidelity and atheism combined have never been able to make one dent upon his precious book. And as another person has said, we have more to fear from the lack of the knowledge of this book than all the attacks of infidelity and atheism combined. It's because our young people are not reading this book. They don't know what it says.
They haven't learned through this.
Precious book, the mind of God, as they should, and so when they hear something, they don't know the verse to answer it with.
And perhaps they say, well, I didn't know how to answer him. The Bible says to be ready to give an answer. Think of the blessed Lord Jesus as the perfect dependent man. Our brother the other day brought before us the 16th Psalm, showing us the pathway of the Lord Jesus. Who said, Preserve me, O God, and what is the rest of the verse? For in thee do I put my trust.
And that blessed, perfect man said.
He often with mine ear mourning by morning. He ofteneth mine ear to hear as the instructed one All read the Bible every morning. Read it until you think in the very words of Scripture. Read it until you know it so well that when you hear anything put to you, that you test it by this precious word of God.
The Lord Jesus when he met the Tempter.
And Satan said, command that these stones be made bread. The Lord Jesus as God had the power to do this. And he could have reasoned and said, well, what is wrong with turning stones into bread when one is hungry? Is that what you do when something's presented to you? You start and reason and say, well, what's wrong in this or what's wrong in that?
Or do you answer by the word of God?
The Lord Jesus didn't reason with Satan, He answered him and said it is written, Man shall not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God shall man live.
How Satan showed the Lord all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them in a moment of time, said All these will I give thee, if thou fall down and worship me.
Is the Lord Jesus going to have all the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them? Yes. We read in Revelation 11. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. But he waited the Father's time to have it. And so he answered Satan again by the word, and said, it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve the Lord Jesus as the.
Perfect man had the word of God there in his heart. Thy word have I hid in my heart Some people again I say, read the Word of God, Read it again and again until your thoughts are formed by the word of God. When you have it like a yardstick or a measuring line in your hand, so that everything you hear you put the test to it. Is it according to this?
If I didn't have faith in the yardstick, I would throw it aside and get another one. But if I have faith in that yardstick, I measure every bit everything by it. I say this is a reliable measure. So I measure by it, and I've got a reliable measure, the word of God.
00:20:08
And so says, without faith, it is impossible to please him. You may know a great deal, but unless you have enough confidence in God and in His word to rely upon it, like like Paul said, I know whom I believe and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. If you don't have enough.
Confidence to take this precious book. Well, then you're not pleasing God. You may be very clever. Perhaps you can answer some of the arguments of unsaved people. I talked to a man the other day and he said, well, I know there's a God. I can see the evidence in creation. Was he saved? I don't think so. I didn't see any evidence of the love of Christ in his heart. But he could say that because he looked out and saw that evidence. But that didn't save his soul. He had faith in what he saw with his eyes.
That he didn't have faith in the word of God. He didn't have faith in God who had spoken. And so again, I say this precious book is so very important for us. And so it tells us here in that verse that we read in First Second Corinthians chapter 5.
Well, perhaps he should turn to Ephesians first. Ephesians chapter 2.
Ephesians chapter 2.
And verse 8.
For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
Well, when it says here through faith and that not of yourselves.
It refers here to faith. It doesn't refer actually to salvation. That is when the verse says by grace are you saved through faith and that it means and faith not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.
Faith is a gift from God. There might be somebody here at this time and you say, well, I don't have faith, how can I get it? And if it's a gift from God, how can I get it? Well, salvation is a gift from God too. And so faith is a gift from God.
And I believe that God gives that faith when one comes to the end of himself. As long as you have confidence in yourself, you'll never feel your need of Christ. You'll never feel the need of the word of God. If you feel you're clever enough to answer all the arguments of the professors of college and all the answers of the arguments of the teachers at school, you'll not feel your need.
Of simple faith in this book, you'll say I'm well armed.
To me, all our arguments, because I think I've got a pretty keen mind and I can show them up. Ah, don't trust that mind of yours.
Don't trust it. Your mind or my mind is no match for the devil.
He is a mastermind that tells us in Ezekiel 28, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty. He knows more than any of us do, but he doesn't know more than God.
He is outwitted by the precious word of God. Well, it tells us here, faith is the gift of God. And it's necessary, dear young people, that we come to the end of ourselves. You know, when we're young, we like to feel that we're we're a sort of a match for situations that come up.
And sometimes a young person will say, well, I wouldn't be taken with that. I'm not so stupid as all that. We like to think this, don't we?
Everyone of us, and especially when we were young, we had a great deal of that youthful confidence and we thought we were able for situations and how often we found, like Peter, that we weren't really able for the situation. Satan was more than a match for us.
But when we come right to the end of ourselves and say, Lord, I have no strength to save myself. All my righteousnesses are filthy rags. I haven't got a clever enough mind to meet the devil and all that he has to bring to cause arguments and so on. And when we come right to the end of ourselves and we just say, well.
I have no works to present to God, only filthy rags.
I don't say that my mind is good enough for these things, but I'll just, I'll just come and own that I'm nothing but a poor, helpless, bankrupt Sinner. And what does God do? God gives faith. We've come to the end of self. It's a slow process. We take a long time to come to the end of self.
00:25:23
I can remember. Speaking of my own experiences, I have a sort of a doubting mind. I'm a person that likes to reason things out.
And just because I like to reason things out, it made it much harder for me to accept the truth of God in simplicity. You know I've enjoyed thinking of this, that when the Lord Jesus said, except ye be converted and become as little children, he shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Now you stopped and wonder why the Lord said this.
And I just have enjoyed this thought that I pass on to you, you know, and a child.
It's very small. It hasn't learned yet that it can't trust its fellow man, and so it has such faith and confidence in what other people tell it that it just believes every word.
But as the child gets a little older.
He or she begins to find out that the older people tell him lies, older people deceive him. And so that little child, his simple childlike faith, is shaken and he begins to be incredulous. And in a few years he doesn't believe what anybody says. He's heard so many lies. God said you never need to feel that way toward me, because I never told you one lie.
I never disappointed.
Your faith, you can have just as much confidence in me as a little child that hasn't learned about what human nature is like, he said. You can have that confidence in me. I always tell you the truth.
Oh, isn't it wonderful? The Bible says it's impossible for God to lie. And the greatest and most intelligent man in the whole of Canada has to come in the same way as a little child. He has to come in faith and believe God.
And so, as I say of myself was hard for me because I like to reason things and God had to bring me to the point where I just look up and say, well, I'm not going to try and reason it out. I'm just going to believe it because God said it. And everyone of you young people who are saved today, you have to be brought to that point, didn't you, where you came to the point where you said, Lord, I believe.
I put my faith in thee and all happy moments that was you relaxed your grasp and all your good works. The devil says what do you feel like he said it doesn't depend on my feelings, it depends on Christ. I rest on His word. And every time the devil tried to put a doubt in your mind, you answered him by the word of God. And it worked, didn't it?
And the peace flooded your heart when you just took God in simple faith. Well, now as we learn from 2nd Corinthians 5, it's the same all through the Christian path.
We walk by faith, not by sight. We read the word of God and we have to constantly tell our own hearts that we must accept it because God has said it and He never told us a lie. He tells us the truth.
Then it also tells us that faith works by love. A person might be very truthful, but not love you at all.
But when God speaks to us, He speaks in love. He loves your soul.
When the very foundations of this earth were laid.
God, God's delights were with the sons of man. He was thinking of your happiness and your blessing.
And in that glory above, He has prepared a home, and He wants you to and I to be there and be in that glorious home. Why? All because He loves us and it grieves His heart. When there's any unbelief or doubt that springs up and is allowed in our minds, we need to have that simple faith in His Word we walk.
By faith, not by sight. Often we'd like to see.
Pathway, a long piece ahead. We just wish God would illuminate the pathway from the moment we're saved all the way up to the glory. But he doesn't do that. He gives us light for one step at a time. And he says, take that step and I'll give you more. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
00:30:17
Perhaps there's a young person here and you said, oh, if I only knew how things.
And we're going to turn out in five years. If I only knew, if I was going to be married and have a home, then my mind would be a great deal more relaxed. If I knew that I was going to get through school and get settled in a job, my mind would be greatly relaxed. I'd feel so much happier.
Well, the Lord knows the future and His will is best for you and me. Would you want anything different from His will? Do you have enough faith and confidence in Him that you can commit your whole life into His hand? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also?
Freely give us all things.
Turn over for a moment.
First Peter chapter 5. Pardon me. First Peter chapter 5.
And verse 6 Humble yourselves therefore unto the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, or he cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resists steadfast in the faith.
Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Sometimes we get into very humbling circumstances. We get into circumstances we just can't understand why good God should have allowed them. Well, it tells us here that the point for us to do the thing for us to do at this point is to humble ourselves under His mighty hand. I'm sure you have noticed that verses 6 and seven are one sentence.
I've often said they should be read together to get the sense.
We often have verse 7 hanging on our walls, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. But we forget the verse before and perhaps some young person has said, well I really do want to cast my cares on the Lord. I often kneel before him and I try to cast my cares on him, but I don't seem to be able to do it. Why is it?
Well, if we read the verse before, I believe that it helps us to understand.
What is being brought before us here? Are you in a very difficult spot in your Christian life? Are there things that you can't just understand why they have happened and you feel as though God's hand has been upon you?
Perhaps you have the thought that the only way you can be happy is to get out of that circumstance. You think if God would just come in and Take Me Out of all this, then I could be happy.
But perhaps He wants you when he wants me to learn to submit to His hand in the circumstance to submit to His hand in it.
I've sometimes been restless in circumstances myself. When troubles and trials have come, I've wanted to cast the care upon the Lord, and I found myself very restless as well.
Nothing can be right until I get out of this.
But I have found that when I got down on my knees and said, Lord, I submit to thy hand in this matter, I bowed thy hand in this trial that has come, that then, but not till then, can you really cast your care upon him.
In reality, it's because we think the only right thing is to get out of it. Just like Paul when he had that thorn in the flesh, he thought no doubt that he could serve the Lord much better if he didn't have that thorn in the flesh. And the Lord, as it were, said, no, Paul, you're going to have that thorn the rest of your life.
But you're going to prove that my grace is sufficient for thee. And I don't believe, dear young people, that we're ever going to be able to really cast our cares upon the Lord until we have taken those cares as from him, until we have just got before him and said, Lord, you put me in this position. Help me just to submit to it.
And then why does it come in in the verses that follow about our adversary, the devil as a roaring lion?
00:35:00
We often think of Satan as a roaring lion in connection with persecution, but this is the only place that he has spoken of as a roaring lion. And what is it connected with?
Connected with discouragement. Discouragement. Yes, a discouraged Christian is 1 upon whom Satan can just pounce like a roaring lion.
A persecuted Christian may be bright and happy, a shining light and testimony for the Lord, but a discouraged Christian, Satan can just spring on you or me, can't he? And he can really get us down a little bit further. Oh yes, and how can we overcome this all? We can look up and say, Lord, I accept this is from thee. I leave it all in thy hands. And the devil is defeated. He wanted to get us down. He wanted to jump on us.
He wanted to tell us that God was not really for us, that he was against us. He's not against us, He's for us. He's prepared for us at home in the heavens. And so it says here, whom resist steadfast in the faith. We walk by faith, not by sight. When you can see your way out of the matter, why then its sight as it were, but when you and I can't, To see that hand that's guiding the captain of our salvation and to.
Confidence in that hand, That's faith.
And we need throughout the walk of faith, the same free grace that saves. Yes, it's faith is the gift of God.
Faith that saves, but we walk by faith, not by sight. God doesn't always let us see what's ahead, but He wants us to put our hands into His and say, Lord, give me grace to take the one step that I have light for. And when we do, then He leads us on.
All, dear young people, we need this. I've seen many young people turned aside, and I believe in my observation of young people, there have been more young people turned aside by discouragement than any other thing I know of discouragement. Yes, they get discouraged, we may say, when they get carried away with this or that or the other thing. That was a second thing.
The main thing was they got discouraged.
And the reason they got discouraged was because the shield of faith was down. The shield of faith was down. They lost confidence in the God that saved them. And Satan is a roaring lion took a leap and jumped on them and they weren't able for the situation. Ah, dear young people, we need faith to save. We need faith for every step of the whole pathway. Let's turn to 1St Epistle of John in the 5th chapter.
First Epistle of John in the 5th chapter.
And the fourth verse.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. What is it that overcomes the world?
Is it because we follow a certain code of rules that we overcome? Oh no, you may. You may follow a court of rules and be the most discouraged person in this whole meeting.
You may be so discouraged and cast down, and yet outwardly everything may seem to be all right.
What is the victory that overcomes the world? Because God always begins from within. He always begins from within.
And my desire, dear young people, for you and for myself, is that our hearts would be filled with Christ. And if your heart and mind is filled with Christ, I don't fear that the world will ever get a hold on you.
The world gets a hold on us because we're not enjoying what we have in Christ.
And saw the things come in.
But it's the and the heart has to have an object. And if it's not Christ, then it's other things. And what I want to bring before you this afternoon is that the Lord loves you. He died for you. He's prepared a home for you in glory. He's planning your life.
And he knows just exactly what is best for every young person in this room this afternoon. But the devil wants you to get doubting about this. He wants to get you down. He wants to jump on you. And then when you get discouraged, you turn to the world, don't you? And you say, well, what am I going to do? I haven't got anything to do. So there has to be something else come in. But in reality, it's because you and I are not enjoying the Lord.
And so I don't stand here.
And say, well, you must do this or that. But I say, how much has this faith, this living faith?
00:40:03
Then a practical thing in my daily life and in yours.
Without faith, that is impossible to please him. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
You say you mean to tell me that if I stayed away from some entertainment because I didn't think I should go, that that could be sin? If you didn't do it for the Lord, there'd be nothing for Him in it at all, not a thing for Him in it. There might be an unbeliever who'd do the very same thing, and it wouldn't be a work of faith at all.
What I desire for yourself and for myself is that we would do what we do because we want to please the Lord, because we have confidence that He loves us.
Well, you say, well then why are all the practical exhortations in the word of God? Oh, these are very important because it tells us in John chapter 13. John chapter 12, I should say, and I know that his commandment is life everlasting.
That is, God has given you a new life, a life that delights in pleasing Him, a life that loves Christ and loves His people.
And now he has given us, in his word, instruction about how to live.
Pardon me for repeating a little illustration my father used to often give.
He said, supposing that I wanted to send a gift to the Queen of England.
He said I wouldn't have any idea what I could get that would please her.
Desire is there, but I wouldn't know how to find something that would please her. But he said, supposing she wrote me a letter and said, now here I'll tell you a few things that would please me very much.
And so I go and get one of these things. I wrap it up and I send it and somebody says, Are you sure it'll please the Queen? I say absolutely sure. I had a letter from her and she tells me that, dear young people, this is the Bible. That's why we have practical ministry.
That's why we have these precious things, and that's why the Lord Jesus said, I know that his commandment is life everlasting. He said I've given you a life that delights in pleasing me, and now I'm going to tell you in my word how you can please me. Isn't that lovely?
Not so that you'd do it because you were under law and because you were conforming to certain things.
No, not that. You know. The enemy doesn't want anything in our lives that brings us close to the Lord. The world is filled with religion that keeps people at a distance from God.
But that which brings us near to God, and that which brings our hearts into communion with Him and seeking to please Him, He will always seek to hinder this.
He doesn't care if you just come to the meeting to please your parents. Why? I'm glad you come to please your parents, but the testing time is going to come.
I'd like to see you come to please the Lord.
I'm glad I say if you come to please their parents, your parents, but the testing time is going to come.
And I hope that you're coming to please the Lord Jesus. I often tell a young girl she was going to school.
And she was on the school bus and.
They were having an entertainment at the school and they said to her, oh I know that you won't be going to the entertainment because your mother won't let you go.
And she said, my mother didn't say I couldn't go, but I don't want to go because I belong to the Lord Jesus. What a sweet answer.
That was faith. That was faith, that was something done to please the Lord. And dear young person, that this is what I desire for you.
This is what I desire for you. Do you want to please this wonderful Savior who died for you? And let's prepare a home for you in glory. You'll find in His Word that which will please Him. Yes, there are lots of practical exhortations in the Word of God, but oh, read them as the One who loves you, writing to you and telling you how you can please Him.
So it says, this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Shall we also turn to a verse in Psalm 142? Psalm 142? We'll read the first 3 verses. I cried unto the Lord with my voice. With my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before Him. I showed before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path.
00:45:10
In the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me? Well, it was particularly this third verse I was thinking of.
It says when my spirit was overwhelmed within me.
Then thou knewest my path.
There are times in our lives when we pour out our complaint to the Lord and we don't know the path. I've heard many a young person say, how are you going to know when you have the Lord's mind about a matter?
Well, the scripture even contemplates a Christian being in such a position that he doesn't know he wants to please the Lord, but somehow he can't discover in the Word or it doesn't seem that the Lord makes it clear to him what the path is. Isn't this a lovely verse? When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knowest my path. At that time when you're saying, Lord, I don't know what to do.
I'm at wits end corner. I'm puzzled.
I want to please thee. I don't know. Isn't it nice to look up and say, But Lord, you know the past, and even if I don't see it myself, I desire to do what's pleasing to thee. All this. He's above there. He knows. He knows our shortcomings, He knows our frame. He remembers that we're but dust. He knows our path.
And how often in our lives, when we would have made a mistake, how he has overruled.
The mistake and come in, in his wondrous grace and cared for us. And so when there's some doubt in your mind, look up and say, Lord, even though I don't know, thou knowest my path thou knowest. And he keeps us waiting. Sometimes he teaches us how far short we come. And there were not walking as close to him as we should.
But he knows the path.
Now let us turn for just a few moments to Hebrews Chapter 11 again, Hebrews Chapter 11, beginning at the 32nd verse. And what shall I say more? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barack, and of Samson, of Jephthah, David also, and Samuel of the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises.
Stop the mouths of lions.
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight The armies of the aliens women received their dead, raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yay, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments. They were stoned, they were sun asunder, were tempted, were slain with a sword, they wandered.
About in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy, they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in den and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us.
Lay aside every weight and the sand which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience or endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Well, perhaps you wonder why I read these verses, but just briefly, I'd like to call your attention to.
Two groups in the latter part of this 11TH of Hebrews.
The first group beginning with the first part of the 33rd verse to the middle of the 35th.
Notice in the middle of the 35th while we read the whole verse, women received their dead raised to life again.
Now that's the end of the first group, and then the second. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings.
The reason I call your attention to these two groups is that in the first group they cried to God and received deliverance. In the second group they had faith, they turned to God, but God did not take them out of the circumstances. He let them go through it. They had the trial of cruel knockings and scourgings, bonds, imprisonments, stones.
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Stone asunder all this. So we see that there were two groups.
They had the first group that got all the answers and all the mighty deliverance have faith. And the second group who went through all these things, did they go through them because they didn't have faith? No, God doesn't so divide it at all. He says there are two groups, but he said they all obtained a good report through faith. And now, dear young person.
Perhaps you look around and you say I don't understand it. There's another young person, they pray and they seem to get.
The answers things seem to work out in their life. But I pray and nothing seems to work out in my life. It doesn't seem that God hears me. I can't understand why it is. Is there something the matter with my faith? Is there something the matter with me?
Now isn't this quite remarkable that in this lovely faith chapter, God tells us about these different ones in the Old Testament that walk by faith. He shows us that there are two groups that there are those whom God answers in a mighty way and delivers them, takes them out of, you might say, impossible situations. Things seem to work out. And in the other group, things don't seem to work out. Things seem to go wrong and get worse until.
Offer and perhaps even die. But they died in faith. They died in faith. And dear young person, let me say this to you. If things aren't working out, remember God sees and values the faith that trusts Him even when things don't work out. And he is writing up a report, not on whether you got all the answers or not, but whether you went on in faith even when you didn't seem to get the answers and when you looked at somebody else and you couldn't.
Understand why it is that they got the answers and you didn't.
Remember, what we're talking about this afternoon is faith. And that's what God values. Faith that saves, faith that believes his word, faith that meets all the arguments and infidelity of atheism and all that we find about us. Faith that meets the circumstances of life, that trusts Him when we can understand.
God will give you that faith, God will sustain that faith, and God will reward you for it in a coming day. And you won't always need faith. It tells us in heaven.
It says, and now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three. And the greatest of these is charity. Well, you won't need faith in heaven because faith will be changed to sight. You won't have something to hope for in heaven because all your hopes will be realized, but love will abide eternally. But here we walk by faith. We walk by faith. All. Dear young person, don't allow the enemy to get you with the shield of faith down.
It may not be very good at arguing. Perhaps you can't answer all the arguments that people raise at college, but you can tell them that you believe God.
You may not be able to answer why it is that certain things come in your life and not in another. Leave that with the Lord God. God values the faith that trusts Him, and He's writing the report. And all my desire for you, dear young people, is that you would be given grace to walk by faith, not by sight. To trust Him even when you can't understand.
And I've often thought.
That at the judgment seat of Christ, when our lives pass into review and everything comes out that God has seen in our lives, that we may be surprised who it is that pleased him the most. It may not be the one who seemed to have all the answers and everything down here. It may be someone who seemed to have a life of hardship. The sweetest hymns that we have were written by people who were in all kinds of different and difficult.
Circumstances all, May God give us grace to walk by faith, not by sight. And as you go home from these meetings, May God grant that you left the shield of faith afresh and keep it up. You'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.