Montreal Conference: 1971
Table of Contents
The Object for Our Hearts
Address—C. Little
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General Meetings, Montreal, October 1971.
Addressed by Charles Little.
I'd like you to turn with me first to the Gospel of John, chapter one.
We're not going to go into some deep, lengthy subjects this afternoon.
That's not our object, that's not the point. Our desire, dear young people, is to bring the person of Christ before your hearts. We need not only the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we need Him in our pathway down here.
So we'll just turn to John's Gospel in the first chapter, and this is not going to be a new subject.
Going to be an old story. An old story.
In the very first verse of John's gospel, we read these words.
In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God.
Dear young people, we're not going to ask you this afternoon.
To interpret this verse, we're not going to ask you to dissect this verse.
Perhaps not even to understand it, but to know the one whom the verse is speaking about.
Oh bless it to know the Lord Jesus.
Can I understand this verse? Never. Can I believe it? Yes. And each one of you can believe this verse.
These are eternal issues.
These are not lectures. These are not preaching. It's an eternal issue. You have an eternal, never dying soul. And if you're out there in that audience right now without Christ, you need this one of whom this verse speaks, the person of Christ. And that's why I mentioned this person. I want to read this verse. I want to emphasize it. This verse tells us of the one who is in existence, eternal.
The Eternal 1.
These are not ordinary things. These are divine. It's the word of God. It's the living God that you must do with. And I'll tell you this, dear young people, God can look right down in each one of those hearts. He knows whether you believe him or not, He knows. Perhaps you may fool your parents, you may fool your friends, you may come to these meetings.
Just because someone has invited you, thank God for it. But all do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior?
Or you need Christ. A dear brother visiting Investor New York some time ago made this comment.
That there's only one way of happiness.
Whether we're young or whether we're old.
One way, and that way is Christ.
The only thing that can make those of us who are older happy is Christ. And dear young people, the only one who can make you happy is Christ. We both need the same thing, that there is no such a thing as generation gap. Forget the thought, the word of God brings us together, we need Christ.
We need Christ and we need Him now. Now what is this verse?
Can I aspire the verse? No. Can you understand it? No, I can't understand it. But all dear young people, I believe it. It's the word of God. It's the word of God. And this verse tells me about the Christ who came to save you, to save me. And not only so, but he wants to take us right on home to his presence. And he's given us an object for our hearts now, one of the things to be saved.
But it's another thing to continue on in the with the person of Christ as one who loves us and has given himself for us. So then in this verse we just measure these things.
In the beginning was the word in existence eternal. Eternal. You can't understand it. I can't understand it, but all I can believe it, believe it.
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And then the word was with God, that is, as to his personality, He was distinct. Distinct. He wasn't just an influence, He was a person. He had a distinct personality.
And then the word was with God.
In nature he was divine. He was divine.
Oh dear young people, we need this one. And so, with this thought in mind.
We'd like to look further in the Gospel of John.
And see those who with their eyes, at that very time, they saw the Lord Jesus.
All but the privilege that you have now.
And I have is to look up with the eye of faith and see that blessed One as our Savior, yes, as an Archie for our hearts, yes. Well, how precious this is. How precious to know one thought of it. During the reading this morning, mention was made of John the Baptist. Whom did he see? He saw Jesus, he saw the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Just look at that verse here.
In the Gospel of John, this is the first thing as we look with the eye of faith, as we view to that Blessed One, we must see Him as the object for salvation. And so in the 29th verse, there are many, many verses in this chapter, lovely and precious, but we're not going to expound the chapter. We want to bring Christ before you. You can read the chapter at your leisure, and I'll tell you if perhaps would be better for you before you did, to get down on your knees and ask God to make it good to your souls.
You need Christ. You need Christ.
All this world, dear young people, with all its stencil, is headed for judgment. The judgment of God is stamped upon it, upon everything that your eye rests upon. Oh, but that faith in Christ. We'll just look then at the 29th verse. The next day John sees Jesus Curry unto him. And Sir, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Oh, dear young people.
This must be your first view of Christ, that Blessed One who was from eternity with the IFA. You've got to have the first view of Christ as the Lamb of God, which takes away your sin.
Each one of us as we look upon that blessed one with the eye of faith, or I can look up and say the Lamb of God who has taken my sin away my sin. You notice it doesn't say sins, it says sin. The thing that has caused all my aches and pains and sorrows and tears He's taken away, taketh away my sin. Well here John says, takes away the sin of the world.
Precious that each one of us, each one, what a young or old can look up and say the Lord Jesus as we gaze upon him, the one who has taken my sin away. This is our first view. This must be our first object of the person of the Christ to see one who has been to Calvary's cross, one who is able to take away that sin that has caused all the sorrow.
And the sickness and the suffering in the death in this world where I'm going to tell you this, dear young people.
If you don't accept Christ, if you dealt with the eye of faith, view Him as the one who was taken away.
Your sin, You may die in those sins. Sad to say, young people die as well as old people, and don't forget it. Perhaps percentages aren't quite as great, but however, we have no lease upon life, and I'll tell you this if you belong in your sin.
And in your sins, without Christ, there's a day coming when God is going to chase you out of this world. You must leave this world.
How about it? You're going to leave trusting in the Savior who has taken away the sin of this world. This must be your first object of Christ, not just a good man, not just a pattern. Because if you don't have Christ, if you don't know him as your Savior.
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How can you walk with him? God cannot have sin in his presence, it must be done away. And so John's first view he could say, behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Go back to Abraham's history when Isaac said, behold the fire in the woods, but where is the land for a burnt offering? All Abraham could say God himself.
Shall provide a lamp. And all. Dear young people, there's only one lamp, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ, the one that John gazed upon. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Or you can say that this afternoon in truth, put your trust in Him. Get your eye upon Christ as was brought out this morning. We're too much occupied with that which we see around us. Oh, look up.
Look off unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Oh, that blessed One, the Lord of glory. God has no other way of salvation for you.
But you know, there's something further.
Something further than this, but I'd like to point this out.
That John sees him as the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God. What does this bring before your soul? What should it bring before my soul?
Or that he was the Lamb who went to Calvary's cross. We know that he was still here. He was walking here. But I'd like to turn over in John's gospel to another.
Before we look, there's other verses in this chapter, but just turn over to the 12Th chapter of John's Gospel just for a couple of verses there.
And we find others that that wanted to see Jesus.
May that be your desire.
To see Jesus, not see us, not look at the failures of your brother, but to see Jesus, oh, you'll see no failure in him. And so on the 12Th of John, there's a few verses here.
Say that twenty 20th verse. And there were certain Greeks among them, which came up to worship at the feast.
The same came therefore to Philip, which was a of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Oh, is this your desire?
Do you desire to see him? Oh, then you must first see him as the one who's taken away your sins. View him in that way and all. Then you'll know that that blessed one soul loved you, that he gave himself for you, if you'll trust him. But here we find that.
Her desire was to see Jesus.
You know, we have many desires in this world. There are many things we'd like to see. Some people would like to see see the countryside, others would like to see great power. Others would like to see great panoramic views are are attained to great riches. There are many trees in this world, many great trees that men seek after, many things they'd like to see.
But Oh dear soul, there's one thing necessary for you to see.
Only once, and everything else hinges upon the fact.
That you've seen Jesus because all dear, dear young people, if you should die in your sins, you're going to see him. But not in grace, not in grace, not in grace. You'll see him on the throne of judgment. For remember, remember this, read it carefully. You'll find that after the Lord Jesus.
Went to the cross placed in the tomb.
Was raised again from among the dead and walked here. Not one, not no one of this world. None that didn't belong to him ever saw it again. But they'll see him a judge in the judgment throne. But all, what an opportunity you have. It's the day of grace. You can see him now. And now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
And so here these Greeks, they come out, they say we would see Jesus. And Phillip comes and tells Andrew. And again Andrew and Phillip tell Jesus and.
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The Lord Jesus bring before them.
Jesus answered them, saying that the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. All what hour was this? All the hour of his suffering? The cross was before His soul. They wanted to see Him.
Oh, do you want to see him look at Calvary's cross?
See that Blessed One hands all stretched in love for you?
So the Lord Jesus brings before them his death, His death.
Apart from that.
Dear soul, apart from that, whether young or old, you can't see him. You'll only see him on the Day of Judgment, but you'll not see him in the Day of Race.
So here he says, Jesus answered them, saying, The hours come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, or truly, truly, I say unto you, Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die to fight it alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that heath his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. Now one more verse here. If any man serve me, let him follow me.
And where I am, there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, Him will my father honor.
Oh dear soul, the first thing we must see is the Lord Jesus as the Savior, the one who died as the Lord Jesus brought before those who would see him. He brings his death before them. I call this to your attention. You notice in the first chapter.
It was John's first view, the Lamb of God. Come on fine, well, because he was God's lamb, that sacrificial lamb that could take away sin. And now in this chapter, when they want to see Jesus, what does he bring before them? Oh, one thing dear soul, brings before them his death. His death, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and dying in a bite of the bone. All he desires your soul, He desires your company.
Oh, he died, so he might save you and me.
We both need the same object.
What a yellow.
I am perhaps old.
You're young. I need Christ. You need Christ. The only way of joy, the only way of peace, the only way of happiness is Christ. Nothing. But Christ is only threat. The gift unpriced. God's living bread. What a precious hint. And so he brings before these Greeks.
His death, His death.
When we think of this.
Doesn't it touch your heart to think?
A1 who loves you so much that he was willing to die for you.
Mothers. Fathers love their children.
And we love them too.
But there's one thing we couldn't do among many things, and that is to save their precious souls, but the Lord Jesus.
Has done that very thing that he might save you.
Why should there be controversy? Why should there be a difference between old and young? Why what? What has brought this in? Or do young people? It's the work of the enemy. It's Satan's work that would divide not only the Saints of God, but families, families, families.
Where are the Bible readings in our homes? Do we gather our little ones around us?
Do we read the Word of God now? I'll ask you young people too, when the open, when the Word is open, do you repel against it? Why? Who makes you rebel against the reading of God's Word to hear about the Lord Jesus? Satan is the enemy of your soul. He desires to drag you down.
To the depths of hell. Solemn, isn't it? But all the Lord Jesus wants to lift you up. He wants to bring you to his home above. He wants to save your soul. And so he brings before these Greeks the fact of his death. His death.
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Well.
Go over to.
The end of John's Gospel, the 20th chapter.
In the 20th chapter of John's Gospel.
The opening of this chapter.
We find an open sepulchre. We find that the Lord Jesus.
Has been to the cross. He was placed in the tone. He's raised again from among the dead. This is the scene of John 20.
But notice.
In the 19th verse of this chapter.
Then the same day at evening.
Being the first day of the week when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews.
Came Jesus. Came Jesus. Oh how precious this is.
Do you want to see that Blessed One?
You can be assured of it that you will see him. But how about the day of grace? Do you want to see him now? Now in the day of grace with the eye of faith? Well, here, as we pointed out before, the Lord Jesus was here among men.
He was one who was in nature divine, and he walked here among men.
And his desire in all his pathways was your blessing in mine, your blessing and mine. And we were at such a distance from God that the only way he could do it was by way of the cross. Oh, dear young people, don't let Satan rob you of your privilege of accepting Christ. Don't let Satan rob you if you have accepted Christ. Don't let Satan rob you of your privilege of following Christ, Following Christ.
I just want to point out here in this in these verses notice.
It says.
In that 19th verse of the 20th chapter.
When the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and sat under them. Peace be unto you.
How precious this is. He desires to to, to give peace to your soul. Peace be unto you. Always think of this scene. I'm sure many of us have been over this chapter many times, in fact all the book of John, because we find the Lord Jesus here as the one who was rejected from the very beginning.
He was glorified here, He was a man down here, but he was truly gone. But all how precious to see though these same ones had turned away from Him, yet it tells us He says, Peace be unto you. Why? Why can He say this all? Because He's been to the cross.
Oh, he's died there for them. They were his.
And He has redeemed them, and now He can preach peace to them. His desire is to do so with you. But I'll tell you, dear soul, this very moment.
You have no peace unless you have looked upon the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God, which has taken away your sin. You have no peace unless you realize that the death of Christ was for you, for you.
All when I was first saved some 35 years ago now I guess.
Seeking to tell others about the precious Savior, this one said to me, why He said to the way you talk, you think that you're the only one in this world that ever got saved.
Well, perhaps, I don't know. I wasn't very intelligent, though. I knew the Lord Jesus. I knew the man in the middle cross died from me.
Please, the eye of faith. I could see Christ in all his sufferings. What do you see? Do you want to see him? Look at the cross? But you must do it with the eye of faith. Without faith it's impossible to please God, for they that come to God must believe that He is.
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And that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him.
But oh, now we come to a company here of those who are his. They are his. And you notice he preaches peace to them. Would you like to hear that word?
To your soul to know for a surety as you laid upon your fellow tonight that you could say I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have that peace all I'm going to tell you this.
You know when when the people are in crowds or when they're among others.
There's much bravado, there's much bravery. They're all.
When they get together all by themselves, that is when they're alone by themselves.
In the wee hours of the morning you will wink. What are your thoughts? Are they of Christ?
Do you have peace? Then suppose you didn't wake up.
Do you have peace?
All these are serious considerations, dear young people.
Serious considerations, and this may be the last time you'll ever hear them. The Lord Jesus is coming, and He may come today.
But all just to look a little further at these.
The blessed Savior here, after all his sufferings and his death, the shedding of his precious blood that has made peace with God.
It says.
And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side.
You notice what it says further in that same verse. I just want to call your attention to this.
It says, then, were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord? Oh, glad? Why? Why were they glad?
Oh, he was the one who went to the cross. I'm sure they didn't understand all this.
But all they thought, as we find at the end of Luke, the two that were on the way to Emmaus, it says they, they, they went away sad, they left, they left Jerusalem, they were going down to Emmaus.
And they were sad, and they reasoned about many things, but all here we find they're glad. Then they see the Lord, the one who was once in the tomb, the one who was Once Upon the cross. Now he stands in the very midst.
He desires to stand with you. He desires to have you with him. He desires your company, dear young people.
And there isn't a gospel for young people and a gospel for all people. There is an object for young and an object for old. God has won, and that object is Christ. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.
Never changes.
And all God has given us a language.
But each one of us can understand.
I understand I'm not too much up on this so-called hippie movement.
But even some Christians today think that we have to use a different language to talk to young people. God has given us a ton in the English language that we all understand.
And this is the language that God would convey to you, the person of Christ, the need of accepting him, not some hocus pocus.
It's not something conjured up. It's the Word of the living God and the issues are eternal and so here.
The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Dear young people.
I pose a question to you.
Each one of us are going to see him. Are you going to be glad or are you going to be sad?
It's a good question. You don't have to answer to me nor some brother here, but you're going to have to answer to him. You're going to answer to him.
Whether you've taken this or not, whether you're glad or whether you're sad, it's up to you.
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It's a solemn thing.
It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
But oh, how nice to know that right now there is a Savior on high in the glory. God has a Savior for you. But here we find the disciples were glad. They were glad when they saw the Lord and all with the eye of faith. I can say truly to I'm glad when I see the Lord.
I'm going to see him Sunday with these eyes of mine.
But now.
With the eye of faith we can see it.
What a privilege this is.
Do you realize it as a privilege?
Or you're just taking advantage.
Of the blessings that God has given for all we have, every possession we have is a mercy of His.
And all the greatest need is the salvation of your soul to be glad in the presence of One who knows all about me.
One who has died that I might live, One who knew all my past sins, One who knows all my future. But all I can say glad in his presence.
Is this your portion? It can be this afternoon.
It can be.
Well, we find here that and it says that when he had so said, he showed them his hands and his his side, and then.
Were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord? Then it said Jesus to them, Peace be unto you as my Father has sent me, Even so send I you as another side to this.
I'm sure there are many here that are safe. We've been speaking primarily to those who perhaps haven't yet put their trust in the Lord Jesus.
And we bring before you solemnly your need of accepting Christ.
But then there's another side to this. There are many that they get saved and immediately they're sent out to do some great work.
They've never been really in the presence of the Lord, and that is.
To fall down his feet.
To see him in all his sufferings.
Well, there's this side of it.
It's as he sends them out from his presence, isn't it?
And so here he gives. The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord, and Jesus said to them, Peace be unto you, as my Father has sent me, Even so Sen are you that is, now that I know him as my blessed Savior.
And gathered unto his precious name.
I can go out from his presence.
As one cent of him, this is what he did all but first. Dear soul, dear young person, you must have peace in your own soul before you can go out and tell others about it or be in a position to be used of God. I just go back in closing before the go back to the first chapter of John's gospel again.
Remember we spoke about.
John see the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God which taken away the sin of the world. I noticed the 35th verse again the next day after John stood and two of his disciples and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he sat. Behold the Lamb of God.
Oh, He didn't say anything this time about taking away the sin of the world. All the thought here is I believe that he been in the presence of the one who takes away the sin of the world. He saw the Lord Jesus as his as one who takes away his sin. And this must be your first view of Christ. You must see him as one who has taken away your sin. But all then this isn't all. It's not just a question of being saved from judgment to come, but it's a question now of a pathway for us.
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To walk in all, some of us, I'm sure many here have been saved much longer than I have, but at least 35 years. Why has God left one here so long? Why all these years? All that we might walk in company with him, that we might tell others about the sureties of salvation and the blessedness of a Savior who loves us and lives for us. And so John here again, it says he looks upon Jesus as he walked.
He said, Behold the Lamb of God all Now I believe this brings before us very blessedly the fact that we have the same one that is the object for our salvation is the same one who is an object for our hearts. Or he could just say, Behold the Lamb of God. Did this have an effect upon others? Indeed it did. Will it have an effect upon you? Yes, it will.
Or do you know Him as your Savior? Do you know Him as the Lamb of God that is taken away your sin? If you do all of them follow on to know it, and you can view him then and the company of others and notice it says and the 37th verse. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Oh, John's disciples. Oh, they saw Jesus. They saw John's expression. They saw his. His. The article was before his heart.
And now they turn and they follow Jesus. They too had an object, and it was the same object. Dear young people, there's only one object for you. There's only one object for me, and that is Christ, the person of Christ. There's no such a thing as two objects. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways, all his ways. One object, Christ and nothing but Christ. And so here.
Jesus turned and saw them following, and said unto them.
They say unto him, Rabbi, which is to say, being interpreted, Master, where dwellest thou? Where dwellest thou? Oh, I've enjoyed this. I've been over this. I'm sure others in this room have heard me speak upon this same subject, but I've enjoyed it in my own soul.
Where dwellest thou?
Oh dear soul, dear young people, if you've accepted Christ as your Savior.
Are you gathered to his precious name?
Have you followed him?
You know, if you ask the Lord Jesus.
Where dwellest? Now you notice what he says here.
Come and see, Come and see. I'll call your attention to this if you ask me where I lived. And I said come and see.
What would What would be the response? What would you have to do? You'd have to follow me, would you not?
Oh dear young people, I believe this is what the Lord Jesus is bringing before these these souls here. They ask him, Where dwellest thou? All he says, come and see, come and see.
And did they say, well, we'll come tomorrow, we'll wait a while, perhaps still some other convenient time, as one ruler did? No, they didn't. What does it say?
He says come and see, and they came and saw where he dwelt and abode with him that day, for it was about the 10th hour.
Oh, I'm sure there are many, many precious things connected with this, but they responded to his invitation to come and see.
We ask you if you've accepted Christ, Have you responded to his invitation?
Come and see.
We're not going to tell you where to go. Follow Christ. Follow the instructions in the Word of God. Follow the man with a picture of water. Follow the Lord Jesus.
And you'll find where he dwells all how precious, where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them. And that's not just an influence, That's the Person of the Christ. The one who once died upon Calvary's cross, was once in the tomb, raised again from among the dead.
00:40:04
Seated at God's right hand and now.
He's gathering out of a world under judgment of people for his name up there. But all nice to know that there is a place where the Lord has chosen the place's name. And if we want to know where it is, what is the instruction? What what do we do? Follow Christ, follow Christ. And so here it says they came.
And saw.
Where he dwelt and abode with him that day, for it was about the 10th hour.
So how precious. There are many, many other things, but one will just desire to bring this before you, dear young people. The need of looking at Christ and seeing Him as the salvation of your soul. The need of having your sins put away and then to look at Christ.
Further and see him as an object for our hearts.
All the Spirit of God would bring before you and the person of Christ.
And again I say, should you die in your sins?
The Lord Jesus himself has said, Whither I am, he cannot come, but how nice here He says, Come and see. And they came and saw where he dwelt, and they afore with him. How precious do you want to abide with Christ?
Then follow Him, not only as a savior, but as an object for your heart. Well, May God use these few remarks. And this is His own precious words. It's not our thoughts. I'm sure that.
God would speak to your soul through His Word to bring these things forcibly before each one of us.
Well, may he use these few remarks then, for the blessing of precious souls, your souls.
We see #131.
In 131.
Could we rise and see 131?
Praise we.
Turn.
Away.
4.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh.
God.
Provision in the Time of Dearth
Address—J. Brereton
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General Meetings, Montreal, October 1971. Addressed by John Burton.
Guide us all, Thou gracious Savior, pilgrims through this barren land. We are weak, but thou art mighty. Hold us with thy powerful hand.
#276 remain seated and that some brotherhood started for us.
00:05:16
I would like to look for a little while this afternoon.
To 2nd Kings chapter 4.
Second Kings chapter 4.
And beginning with verse 38.
And Elisha came again to Gilgal.
And there was a dirt in the land.
And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him.
And he said unto his servant sat on the great pot, and seat pottage for the sons of the prophets.
And one went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine.
And gathered thereof wild gourds, his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage.
For they knew them not.
So they poured out for the men to eat.
And it came to pass as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out and said.
All thou man of God, there is death in the pot.
And they could not eat thereof.
What? He said. Then bring meals.
And he cast it into the pot and he said, pour out for the people that they may eat.
And there was no harm in the pot.
And there came a man from bail, Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruit.
20 loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
And his servator said, What should I set this before 100 men?
He said again, Give the people that they may eat, for thus, saith the Lord, they shall eat, and shall leave their own.
So he set it before them.
And they delete and left thereof according to the word of the Lord.
I believe, dear young people.
But in this portion of the word of God that we've read this afternoon.
We find something that can be of instruction for us.
And perhaps particularly.
So today.
We find in this account given to us here in Second Kings.
That the record opens with the announcement that there was a dirt in the land.
And your young people, we heard just this morning mentioned in the reading meeting.
That we live at a time in a day when indeed in Christendom generally.
There is a famine for the truth of God.
That well, there is a great profession, perhaps, of Christianity Today.
There is very little, if any, knowledge of the truth of God.
As we have it revealed in the Word of God.
Well, we find that art at this occasion when it was announced that there was a dirt in the land.
We find that there was provision made.
For the sons of the prophets.
00:10:01
Who sat in the company of Elijah?
You notice in the first verse that we read that there was a dirt in the land.
And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him.
Well, one has enjoyed in these types that we get presented in the Old Testament many things.
But the portion before me this afternoon is to view in this picture before us.
A company.
Enjoying the presence of Elijah, the man of God.
And finding dear young people that.
They're sitting in His presence, sitting in the presence of the man of God.
Provision was being made to feed the sons of the prophets.
We find that as they sat there in the presence of Elijah, that he gives the instruction to his servant.
Set on the great pot, and seek pottage for the sons of the prophets.
Dear young people, God is seeing to it that by the Spirit of God.
The Lord Jesus is directing by the Spirit of God.
That provision might be made for your needs.
As far as feeding your soul is concerned.
We find that they were sitting.
With Elijah, what precious company to be in, to be in the company of the man of God.
Oh dear young people, do you know what it is to sit down in the company of God's man? To sit down in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ?
And to find to find.
That the Lord himself by his spirit.
Has set on the great part.
That the pottage might be sealed, That the food might be ministered to your soul and to mine.
Let me ask you a question.
Your soul refreshed this morning as we sat under the ministry of the Word of God.
Such a precious, simple ministry of the truth of God as we had this morning.
One was so struck when the meeting was over.
To, as it were, realized that there had been really nothing new brought out this morning. And yet one left that meeting refreshed. The truth of God had been ministered.
Young people who prepared it for us.
The Lord Jesus Christ by His Spirit has set on the great part, and there was the food for us, minister to us, by His servants, minister to us, as we see here the pottage prepared by the servant of Elijah. One believes in one's own soul, soul. We have a picture here of the Spirit of God.
That prepares the truth for us.
It is poured out by the sons of the prophets.
Before we go on to the portion of this, particularly before me, one would hope that we might lay hold of this picture for ourselves to see.
That there is prepared for us as we sit in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, the food that your soul and mind needs, that we might be nourished in the things of God.
You notice too, that thing that which was laid on in the great pot. All one has enjoyed that expression, the great pot.
Dear young people, we couldn't possibly.
Take in all the wonderful truths of God that He has for your and soul enjoyment and mine. It's a great part, a great truth of God that He has for you and I to enjoy.
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But it tells us that it was a part of pottage.
In meditating on this portion 1 wondered about that.
Set on the great part, and see Pottage for the Sons of the Prophets.
Dear young people, why is it?
That some young people and older ones too, or the older ones, those of us who are older are not exempt. We come to the reading of the word of God.
And we go away after the meeting is over and we, as it were, all we've seen is cottage. We haven't seen that what we had before us.
We haven't enjoyed what we had before us as food for the soul.
Instead, we find that because we are not in happy communion, because our hearts are occupied with other things, because the worldliness, or because critical spirits have come in to our own heart, we find that that which God has prepared.
As food for our souls we have little appreciation of.
Dear young people, if if the truth of God ministers in these meetings has not been the enjoyment of your soul, if you found little in these meetings these last few days to refresh your heart.
Don't criticize the weathering for it.
Don't criticize the ones who have ministered it though, I'm sure they would own that it's been ministered in weakness.
But we want to look to our own hearts before the Lord as to why that which the Spirit of God has prepared as food for our souls we haven't enjoyed.
That which God has prepared for our nourishment we have looked upon as simply pottage.
Well, the danger, and that which is particularly before me this afternoon, we find coming in in the next verse. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof Wild gourd. His lap falls, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage, for they knew them not.
Dear young people.
In this day, this year, this month, today.
One of the outstanding things, if we could call it that.
In the world around us.
Is the spirit of criticism of all things that are established. It's become a popular thing to quote the expression criticize the establishment.
We find here that there was one of the sons of the prophets.
Instead of being content to sit in the presence of Elijah.
Instead of being content to obtain his nourishment from that which the servant of Elijah provided, instead of being content to take that which was being prepared as food for his enjoyment, he goes out into the field.
With the thought in mind of finding something.
To improve the pottage, find something that he can bring in that will improve it, that will make it more attractive, make it more palatable, make it more tasty, whatever is thought.
And yet, dear young people, the striking thing is that he went out to get the additional ingredients. He went out into an area that we had already read was characterized by dirt. He went out into an area where there was a family and wanted to find something that he could bring in that would improve on that which the man of God.
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Was providing for them well dear young people, when he went out looking for it.
When he went out looking for it in the field, he found what looked to him to be more attractive. He found what he thought would be an improvement. He went out into the area of famine and found a flourishing gourd, a flourishing vine, so much so that he was able to fill his lap with these gourds that he found.
And after he had found them, he brought them back.
And you notice the expression that's used. He shreds them into the pot. He put them into the pot, not as growers, not in great big lumps that would be readily identified, but he shreds them into the pot. He added to what had been provided already.
And he added it in a way that it became disguised. It was shredded into the pot.
Dear, beloved young people.
I say to you, as I say to my own soul when I read these words, this is a great danger for us to feel that in this thing as contrasted to 10 years ago or 20 years ago or 100 years ago.
That we can borrow from the characteristics of the field of famine around us and add to the truth of God in order to make it more attractive, in order to make it more palatable.
You notice one thing also that said about this man, and about that when he shredded it into the pot, it says, and they knew it will not the end of the 39th verse before they knew them not. I am not suggesting, dear young people, that we go out, or that you or I might go out and look for strange things to introduce into the truth of God.
Deliberately knowing that it is going to cause.
Heartache, difficulty and death as we see here.
This man who went out, the son of the one of the sons of the prophets, when he went out and gathered what he found, his intentions undoubtedly were good and furthermore, dear young people, what he brought in, he didn't know the character of it, He didn't realize what he was introducing.
But nevertheless the effect was the same.
The effect was the same. The world says you've got to change.
You've got to change with the times. You've got to change with the as the years go by. But beloved young people, the truth of God does not change what God has for us today. The truth for our souls to enjoy today is the same truth that was ministered to the Lord's people 100 years ago. The same truth. And it was theirs to enjoy them, and it is ours to enjoy now.
And we are not going to improve upon it. We are not going to make it more palatable. We are not going to make it more helpful to the Saints of God, even with the best of intentions, by bringing in that which is strange and which has not been prepared by the servant of the man of God, if it is not that which the Spirit of God has prepared for His people.
Dear young people, it is not going to be of any use, but rather it is going to do grievous harm. Oh, how often we hear.
From young and some not so young.
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Saying we think things should be different, that things should be done differently today.
That we should change, that we have seen this kind of thing work in business or in other parts of Christendom. That we have seen ideas used, and we saw the work there. Dear young people, this gourd, this vine, it flourished out in the field. It produced fruit out in the field, but not fruit for God, not what God could use.
That which would feed his people. The result is that when they had introduced it, when they had shredded it into the pot so that it outward identity was lost, the result was there was now death in the pot. All beloved young people.
The Satan himself longs to introduce death into the pot. And if you and I are not careful.
We can be instruments in His hands to bring in that amongst the Saints of God that will be harmful, that will be damaging, that will bring death in, rather than that which would nourish and be of help and encouragement to the Saints of God. We find that when this had happened, so they poured out for the men to eat.
Now we noticed beforehand that the order was that the man of God, this type perhaps of Christ, gives the instruction. We have the servant, the Spirit of God, who sets the pot and provides the food. And then we have the sons of the prophets who poured it out. All dear young people, we saw some of it being poured out this morning.
That which was being poured out was for your encouragement, for your souls, nourishment, and for mine. We had some poured out yesterday and the day before. We've had three days of pouring out and the great pot is still full. But beloved young people, let us be very careful. Let us be very, very careful before God that we don't try.
We don't even try to introduce into this great part, this precious ministry of the Spirit of God that's for your soul benefit and mine, that which would bring in death. All around us, all around us, there are wild things that we can bring in that we can introduce into the Assembly of God.
That we can bring in.
And add to the ministry of the Word of God. But the result will be as it was here. There is death in the pot.
When these ones went to taste of it, they recognized thankful we can see it. They recognized that that which had been added.
Would produce death.
Dear, beloved young people.
Their recourse when this took place was to cry to the man of God and beloved young people.
We don't have to look any farther than our own hearts. We don't have to look any. At least speaking for oneself, we don't have to look any farther than our own hearts to see that that which.
Can be picked up all around us in this world. Find the lodging place in our hearts.
But, beloved young people, what are we going to do about it? What are we going to do about it?
These things come in, some of them have already come in.
Some of the things that come in that have already come in amongst the Saints of God.
Give his people much heartache.
What is our recourse? What are we going to do?
When we see worldliness in our own hearts, when we see worldly practices in our own hearts, when we see those worldly practices coming in amongst the Saints of God, what are we going to do? Well, the sons of the prophets, when they recognize, and all beloved young people, May God give us to recognize death in the pot when there is there.
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May God give us to see that which has been added in any measure. That is not the teaching of the Spirit of God, it's not the ministry of the Spirit of God, but that which has been added in some cases, as one said, to make it more palatable, to make it more attractive. Oh, you'll hear it said if you, if you, if you're too faithful, if you minister the truth faithfully.
Some of the young people are some of the older Saints or some of the Lord's people are going to be offended.
Beloved young people, what are we to do? Are we to give up the truth of God?
Are we to say just some of the gourds? We'll let some of the gourds stay know our recourse is to cry to the man of God we find it says.
And it came to pass as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out and said, All thou man of God, there is death in the pot, and they could not eat their own beloved young people.
To you instead of. And I say this to my own heart more than anyone.
Do you, instead of criticizing the Lord's people, instead of criticizing the Lord's servants, instead of criticizing the brethren who seek to minister the truth of God, do you pray to the man of God, to God's man, that his people might be preserved from the death that comes in so easily?
We see as each conference goes by, we see many new faces, ones who have been added, dear young people who are going on in the truth, and one rejoices and thanks God for it. We see young families established. We see families coming to these conferences that last year were not families at all, but God has added.
But then we sometimes see those who are missing.
Those who have been stumbled, those who have been turned aside, those who have gone off after something else and their young people. Do you ever search your own heart?
1/6 grace search ones own heart as to any measure in which we have contributed to their being stumbled or turned aside if we have in any way brought in through young people.
Through older ones, whatever it is, in any way that we have introduced that which has put death there, which has caused a stumbling or a turning aside for those who are the Lord, the Scripture says make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way. And so we find that they cry to the man of God. There is death in the pot.
Beloved young people.
We have a resource.
A resource that is all powerful, one who loves your soul very much. And he longs to hear us turn to him and ask him to come in and deliver his people.
Oh, I don't suppose I I'm sure I can't get the birth of my heart across in this.
But we hear so much discussion today.
About the troubles.
And the difficulties that afflict the people of God, beloved young people.
The resources of our brethren of 100 years ago. The resources that Paul had in his name.
Are the very same resources that are yours today.
If you have the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
You have the word of God, the complete reward of God, you have the Spirit of God, and God has granted to you the privilege, and I mean every word of it, the ineffable privilege of being where the truth of God is ministered, where no part of it, even though there is much failure and weakness.
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Where no part of it is set aside as not being applicable today. Beloved young people, that great part, that wondrous.
Collection of food for your soul is ministered. Do you thank God for it? And is it your desire? Is it my desire to ensure in with grace and through grace a long supply of God?
To see that we in Norway.
Encourage.
The adding of that which will bring in harm to the people of God.
You notice it says when they cried to him, all thou man of God, there is death in the pot, and they could eat not could not eat thereof. But he said, then bring meal.
You know there's a danger for us when we're young, perhaps.
Perhaps older too, but there's a danger for us to feel that we want something new.
We want something different. We sometimes hear someone say, well, that's the same thing that we heard last year.
We heard the same thing the year before.
Dear young people, when they cried to the Lord, what was His remedy? The sons of the prophets had introduced some. One of the sons of the prophets had introduced something new, but it had brought in death. But now the man of God, he doesn't introduce anything new. He simply introduces again that which was already there.
Get then bring meals and he cast that into the pot.
Beloved young people, as we mentioned before.
Do you come to conferences to hear something new?
And you go away disappointed, perhaps because there was nothing new, Brother So and so got up and spoke, and he said the same thing that you'd heard last year or the year before.
All beloved Saints of God, God doesn't have things that are new. If it's it has been said, if it's new, it's not true, and if it's true, it's not new. The truth of God that we have for the enjoyment of our souls now is that which Paul enjoys, that which Paul ministered from that prison and rule, that's the food that God has for you.
To enjoy now when we speak about the Lord's coming.
Dear young people, Paul was looking for the Lord's coming, and now 2000 years have gone by and you and I are looking for the Lord coming. It's not new, but it can be the joy of your soul if you're walking in communion and in the expectation that He's coming very soon. When they cried to the man of God, he introduces again that which had already been prepared by the Spirit of God before.
He adds to it what was already there. And beloved young people, we come to a conference like this again. I want to say how much my soul enjoyed that meeting this morning. I came away refreshed, refreshed in spirit, even though there was nothing particularly new. But I found one soul refreshed as the Spirit of God poured out for my soul from the great part, some of that precious food that the Spirit of God had prepared for us.
But he used his servants to pour it out.
But he said then bring meal and he cast it into the pot and he said pour out for the people.
That they may eat and there was number harm in the pot.
All dear young people, one has been struck with this expression and there was number harm.
In the pot where the spirit of God.
Prepares.
The food that His servants pour out, there is no harm to the people of God. There may be that which reaches our consciences. There may be that which causes exercise in the presence of God. And if there is, then one seeks for oneself grace to thank God for it. That He spoke to my heart and to my conscience about that thing which His eyes saw needed.
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Corrections, but that ministry by the Spirit of God.
The ministry from the great part that has been prepared by the Spirit at the direction of the Lord Jesus Himself. Beloved young people, that ministry brings no harm. It will not harm you in your pathway of obedience of service to Christ. It will not harm you in any way, but it will.
Feed your soul.
It will nourish that new life that is yours as a child of God. All dear young people.
When we lay hold of the picture, we have the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the body, who loves every member of that body.
We have the Spirit of God, that by which we are joined together by 1 Spirit into one body, and we have the Spirit of God preparing for us in this great part, this food for our souls. Now, dear young people, if you and I are not enjoying it, if we are not enjoying the ministry of the Word of God by the Spirit, or it may be given with stammering lips.
It may be giving it given in a halting way. It may be given with poor English. It may be given with very little manifestation of gift. But, beloved young people, if it comes from Christ, the ascended head, it's for your soul's enjoyment, for the nourishment of your soul by His Spirit. And if you're not enjoying it, why?
All the first inclination is to say that's brother, so and so I I he just.
My brother will pardon me using an expression that's used so often today. He just turns me off to hear him. He just turns me off. Dear young people, it isn't a question of being turned off by brother so and so. If it's the truth of God, it was for your soul's enjoyment. It was food for your soul. Now, if you didn't enjoy it, why is it because of brother so and so?
The question is, was it the truth of God?
Was it according to the Word of God? If it was, then your soul can enjoy it even if the brother himself has given it out.
As.
Can easily be done in a very poor way or a poor manner. Even dear young people will hear it said well.
That brother isn't even walking in the truth. He's giving it out, and he isn't even walking in it himself.
Dear young people, that is so often true. So are speaking for oneself. It is so often true.
But if it's the truth of God, if it's what the Spirit of God has prepared for your soul, then you can enjoy it. You should be in the enjoyment of it. You can receive it from the Lord even if you find that which is not in keeping in the one who ministers it. Beloved young people, I say this to my own heart.
This day is a day where it is popular to criticize.
Where it is popular, it is the popular thing. It is the end thing to be able to say, well, I don't agree.
I don't agree.
But the Spirit of God is preparing for our soul's enjoyment, for the ministry that we need, and He uses His service to pour it out for us.
Beloved young people, let us receive it. Let us see grace from the Lord, to receive it from Him, and not to be occupied with the servant, but occupied with Christ.
When we go on to the last part of this chapter, one has been struck about in the that in the first part that we read, we have that which we might call the collective scene. We have the Spirit of God preparing for His people this great pot, and we have them pouring it out.
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And we have the admonition, the warning of the danger of introducing death into the pot.
But another thing that we hear so often today.
Is what am I going to do? What am I going to do? Dear young people, what are you going to do and what way? In what way can you?
Best serve Christ and his people.
Has been struck in this further portion that we read at the end of the chapter. We find here that there was a man.
There came a man from Baal Cilicia, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits.
20 Loaves of barley and full ears of corn in the husk thereof.
Mr. Darby translates that fresh ears of corn in the husk thereof.
And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. Now we have an individual here.
An individual and what is he doing?
Beloved young people, he is bringing to the man of God the first fruits. His first fruits. He is bringing to him, to the man of God fresh years, of course.
What are you going to do with your life? What am I going to do with blind? Are we saying if we've heard it said so often, there are thousands, millions of souls all around us?
What are we going to do about them?
We sometimes hear it said, you people are too, you look too much to yourself. There isn't enough outgoing, beloved young people. The direction that God would have by his Spirit from my soul and for yours is to give Christ the first fruits. Bring to him the first fruits of your life. Give to him and all. How one says this to oneself more than anyone.
Give to Him the 1St place, the 1St place and He will use it in a way that is for His glory. We have this man. He comes and brings to the man of God the first fruits. He brings to Him 20 rules bread of the first fruit, 20 loaves of barley and full or fresh years of corn. What are you going to do? Are we going to give Christ? Are we going to give to the Lord Jesus Christ the first place?
The first place some of you are not just at the time where you're planning your lives.
Where you're looking and wondering about what you're going to do next, perhaps about college, perhaps about work, perhaps about having a family, what being married, whatever it is, here are young people. The instruction, the direction that we get and I believe it's presented to us here in this type is that the man of God, we bring to him the first fruits. Now we notice that there were those who said.
When the man of God said, Give unto the people that they may eat.
And his servator or his attendant. This isn't the same person as the servant in the earlier part of the chapter.
It may be that this was the servator or attendant of the man from bail Shalissa, I'm not sure, but it's a different word that's used than the servant that we read about earlier. This man, he says what?
Should I set this before 100 men? Dear young people.
The scripture speaks about despising the day of small things. God has given to you certain talents, certain ability, whatever it is, and that is what He would have you use for him. Now, what is the result when He gets the first fruits? When the first fruits, the first things in our life, the first place in our life, in my life.
Is presented to him, then he says that his people will be fed.
His people will be fed. There were those who looked upon it and said, what do you mean? From this small offering, from this little thing, you're going to feed all these people. Yes, dear young people, if you place, if you and I place in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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The first fruits of our lives. He will use it not only.
Wondrous as it is for the feeling of His people, but there will be that leftover, there will be a full measure of that which runs over you. Notice it says, And he said, Give unto the people that they may eat. And his servator said, What should I set this before 100 men? He said, again, Give the people that they may eat, for thus that the Lord they shall eat.
And shall leave thereof from this offering, this small offering that this man brought.
100 men were fed, and there was that which was leftover. Beloved young people, we have come here to these meetings and we have seen the Lord Jesus provide. Provide for our material needs, true, but above all, provide for our spiritual needs, ministering the truth of God. Now, dear young people, how can you help? How can I help? What can you do?
All there are, there are going to be those who will save.
Very much, not very much. You don't have very much. But beloved young people, if what we give to the Lord is the 1St place, the first fruits, whatever they are, the 1St place, if we allow Him by grace that He supplies to use us for His glory, the result is that the people of God are fed.
One was struck in meditating on this portion of the contrast.
Between the son of the prophet who went out and gathered from the field and brought that which would bring only death, and this one who brought up the first fruits and offered them to the man of God, and the result was that the people of God were fed. Oh, dear young people.
In this day, I say again, in this day in which we live now.
The spirit of the age is to criticize. The spirit of the age is to prove that the young are the ones who are as if we're taking over. Now, dear young people, that, and I say it, I trust as a voice of my own heart, that is not according to the mind of God. And if we are not careful, we are going to gather, we are going to pick up.
From the fields around us.
We are going to gather from a scene where there is only famine.
The wild things, and bring them in, and rob the Saints of God, of the food that the Spirit of God has for them.
Instead.
May we have grace, may I have, and you have grace from the Lord to bring to Him the first fruits of our lives.
And the result will be that the people of God will be fed.
As the Lord uses that which we place in His hands.
For His glory.
Might we sing hymn #17?
May the grace of Christ our Savior and the Fathers boundless love.
With the Holy Spirit's favor, rest upon us from above #17 Remain seated, and some brother will start it for us.
Holy Spirit.
Spare heart.
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Oh God.
Open Mtg.
Open—C. Lunden, D. Andersen
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October 1971 open meeting.
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John's Gospel for a verse, the 17th chapter of John.
Verse 6.
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gave us me out of the world thine they were, and thou gave us the Me, and they have kept thy word.
I'd like to make a few remarks this afternoon in regard to the subject of the assembly. Now I know we don't have the assembly exactly in John's Gospel.
But we do have the beginnings of it.
And here we have the origin.
Of the believer.
The very beginnings.
Of those who are to form that assembly.
And there's something very sweet and precious about this, dear brethren.
That there's no mention of sin here.
The Lord Jesus could say at the beginning of this chapter, I have finished the work which thou gave us me to do.
And so the believer has not seen any longer.
Bound in the cards of his sin.
We were singing in that little hymn this morning, 1:37.
In regard to the Lord Jesus, how all the bands of death were loose.
Yes, he loosed them all. There's not one band now upon the believer.
They're all loose. We're set free.
And you know, it's a good thing for us to begin.
The understanding of our position before God and the assembly.
In this connection.
That we are given as a gift from the Father to Christ.
Again.
If we were to go back to the 4th chapter.
Or the 8th chapter. We won't take the time.
But there we see in those chapters.
Of John.
Sin brought out.
And all its hideousness.
And, beloved, who was there but Jesus?
Jesus was there.
Had he not come to Psycho's Well Shechem, the place that Jacob gave to his son Joseph?
Shame had come over that place as we read early in Genesis.
Shame, sin and shame.
And you know, dear brethren, if we realize this, there be more praise to the Lord Jesus.
If we realize the guilt that attached to our souls.
What cost? What it cost the blessed Savior?
To provide that salvation for us.
And what does he say to the woman?
In John 4, after all of this has been brought out.
What she is I that speak under the AME, is that the person of Christ before the soul.
And in what connection? One who was guilty before him?
He's come to remove the shame.
From those who were to be a part of the Father's house.
And in the 8th chapter, what sin again? A broken law.
Neither do I condemn thee.
Why he had come to undertake the whole work himself.
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Now turn with me to Ephesians.
The 5th chapter, 4 verse.
25th verse in the middle of the verse.
Christ also loved the church.
And gave himself for it. Now go down a little bit and 30th verse.
Where we are members of his body, of his flesh.
And of his bones.
Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Now it's true that.
He died for us, but all brethren.
What is expressed in this verse?
He gave himself for it.
Gave himself.
Or the church.
And so we learn here that we are members.
Of his body, of his flesh, of his bones.
But how did this come about?
So we'll turn to John's Gospel again, the 20th chapter.
The 19th verse.
Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week.
When the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus.
Stood in the midst, and seven of them feet beyond to you. And when he had so said.
He showed unto them his hands and his side.
Connected with his, showing his hands and his side.
Now our names were told in the Old Testament are graven in his hands.
But all the story about his side, what does that tell us?
Side.
Oh, how much we learned here, beloved, because this takes us all the way back to the origin of God's counsels. We find them in Genesis, the second chapter.
Genesis 2.
The 20th verse and the last part of the verse.
But for Adam there was not found and helped me.
For him.
And the Lord God caused the deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof.
And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her under the man.
And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out.
Of man, this, beloved, is the story.
Of his side, his side.
Oh, is that spear pierced his side. Forth with came their blood and water.
Yes.
The atoning work and the cleansing.
There's not one spot or stain remaining, Beloved. This is the foundation upon which the Church rests.
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Yes, what a story here. Have you pondered it?
Having meditated on this passage, this blessed passage, oh how rich these illustrations in the Old Testament and how much we miss. We don't meditate on them.
In detail.
His side.
That's the origin of the believer.
Made for him.
That precious?
Now we'll turn to a verse.
In First Corinthians, the 12Th chapter.
Verse 13.
4 by 1 Spirit.
Are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit?
The 10th chapter in the 17th verse.
For we, being many, are one bread and one body, For we are all partakers of that one bread.
Now, will you turn with me to Acts, the second chapter?
Here we have the beginning of the history of the assembly on the earth.
The first person when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as a fire, and that sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as a spirit.
Gave them utterance.
Now we noticed in this passage.
That the House is introduced.
The house.
And so there's more than one aspect.
Of the assembly.
We find the truth in Corinthians of the body of Christ.
Everything there is perfect. Nothing can change by 1 Spirit. We're all baptized into one body.
But now we have the history of that testimony regarding to that truth.
On the earth. And so the subject of the house is introduced.
The house. And when we have the house spoken of in scripture, I'm sure we all realize.
That there is responsibility connected with it.
And you know, it isn't enough for us just to be occupied with the fact that by one Spirit we're all baptized into one body. That's precious. Oh, how precious the truth.
Precious the truth of being taken from his side.
One with Christ.
But beloved, you and I are passing through a world where we're sending to the world as the Lord Jesus could say. As my Father has sent me, so have I sent you.
And so.
His but the church here to replace.
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Israel in testimony on the earth.
And it's good for us to have our hearts.
And our conscience is exercised as to this truth.
The house character.
The responsible side of things, and we'll turn to a verse in Ephesians 2, the last verse.
First, in the 20th and 21St verses, he's speaking.
Of the building.
That is soon to be completed.
But now he's speaking also.
In whom the 22nd verse ye also are builded together.
For inhabitation of God.
Or in the Spirit.
This is the assembly here on earth where God makes his habitation.
And we often quote that little verse in Matthew 18 and 20, or where two or three are gathered. That is gathered by the Spirit of God, of course.
Together, in my name, there am I in the midst.
In the midst, how precious this truth is. But that's down here in this world.
Jesus in the midst, we've noticed in these scriptures we've read.
Of the fact that the person that was before us, Jesus.
He could say peace to those in the 20th of John.
He gave himself an Ephesians.
So on.
It's the person who's in the midst of his people. Oh, how we should value this down here in this world. He's made his daughters, made his habitation by the Spirit.
But also Jesus has promised his presence in the midst of the two or three that are gathered by the Spirit to His precious name.
No ask do you value this place?
And do you value the place that's been provided for you here in this world? Oh, you say I value the blood of Christ, but I say, do you value the assembly?
And the truth of it.
You value it.
We have had some solemn.
Things before us in regard to the judgment seat of Christ.
Oh dear ones, are there anyone here?
This afternoon, who knows?
This precious truth and have never answered to it.
To take their place as identified with the people of God here.
After the manner that scripture sets forth.
Be gathered to the precious name of Jesus.
Jesus.
To one of whom we've spoken.
Who shared his precious blood?
We were singing in that little hymn that we began the meeting with all that precious blood.
The price that was paid for our redemption and he's made one request this due in remembrance of me.
Now, by doing this, there's a practical exhibition of testimony to the rejected name of Jesus in this world. And oh, how the Father delights to see his children gathered.
In the ordered way.
Now I'd like to turn to.
A passage in Timothy.
Two Timothy 2.
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We know that in the day in which we're living, everything that has been set up.
Has been affected by sin everything that God set up.
But we believe there is still a path for the believer.
And so.
We have the purging here.
In this chapter, but I'm going to read the 22nd verse.
After it speaks of purging himself from vessels to dishonor that he might be a vessel to honor.
Flee youthful lives that's get just as far away as you can from them. Flee them.
But follow righteousness.
Bathe Charity. Peace.
Righteousness. God's own character.
Faith. Be sure it's according to the Word of God.
Charity, the bond of perfectness.
And as much as is in you live at peace with all men.
Yes, peace.
With them.
That call on the Lord, the Lordship of Christ, with a pure or sincere heart.
So, dear one, we have a path then in the last days.
Supposing everything is in ruins, as Second Timothy would suggest.
There is a path for faith.
Now I'm going to turn to an Old Testament passage that might be a help.
Least to some, it's in second kings.
It seems to me that it gives just a little picture of the assembly.
Second Kings.
The 4th chapter.
The first 7 verses.
The other cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elijah, saying.
Thy servant, my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord, and the creditors come to take unto him my two sons to be bonds men.
And Elijah said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house?
And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil.
Then he said, Go bar the vessels abroad of all thy neighbors. Even empty vessels borrow not a few.
And when the art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons.
To pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
And she went from him, and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her, and she poured out.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her, Son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There's not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God, And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debts, and live thou.
And thy children of the rest.
Now the translators have changed.
And it seems that the first verse it should be children, and the seventh verse it should be sons.
Which might help a little in the thoughts of the passage.
We have a woman here whose husband.
Is dead. She's not spoken of as a widow.
But her husband is dead.
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She has nothing in the house.
Nothing in the house.
Nothing in the house save a pot of oil. And what's that?
Oh, how in a day like this the natural man can see nothing unless the Spirit of God opens the eye.
What is it that you and I have, dear brethren, that this world does not have? What is there in the assembly that this world doesn't have? What the pot of oil suggests?
All was a figure of that Holy Spirit of God.
We noticed near that the oil takes care of the whole matter from beginning to end.
Beloved, we're living in the day of the Spirit of God. The Spirit has come down as we learn in Acts.
We read in the first chapter.
Are we counting on the Spirit of God for the full supply at every turn?
Oh, shame on us if we turn to man.
If we turn to human inventions.
Because as soon as we do, the Spirit of God no longer has control.
Oh, may the Lord keep us in all the simplicity.
Now the Word of God sets before us to wait independence on the Spirit of God.
In all things.
Can he supply?
Is the pot of oil, and it's in the house.
It's in the house, it's in the present place where God has chosen to set.
His name?
It's where the Spirit of God has come down here on earth to make his abode.
The oil.
The natural mind doesn't see these things.
And beloved, the more were occupied with natural things.
The more we're occupied with present things, the making of money, the seeking of prominence in this world.
All these things will lessen in our souls a sense of this precious truth.
It's only the single eye that can appreciate the value of that oil in the house.
And so we have the question here.
What shall I do for thee? Tell me, What hast thou in the house? What a question. And so the Spirit of God would ask of the Beloved this afternoon, What hast thou in the house?
Because that's the important question here. What hast thou in the house, man?
See she from man. His breath is in his nostrils. The day of the Spirit of God.
What hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house.
Save a pot of oil.
You know, there's a lot of difference between ignorance and willfulness.
She was ignorant.
And when one is ignorant, they can learn that all that awful will that comes in and sets itself against the Spirit of God.
Nothing save a pot of oil.
Now we have the instructions. The 1St 2 verses are the conditions and the need. Now we have the instructions in the next two verses.
Then he said, Go bar the vessels abroad of all thy neighbors. Even empty vessels borrow not a few. And when they are come in, thou shall shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons shall pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
Go borrow.
Empty vessel.
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You know there wouldn't be near the difficulty among the people of God if the vessels that were brought in were empty.
Empty vessel.
We were speaking the other day.
Of how often times vessels are brought in that are immature and they're not yet ready to be brought in.
And here we find the instruction to bring in empty vessels.
But scan, not bring in as many as you can. That's the going out in the gospel. But it's always connected with the assembly.
The testimony of the gospel is connected with the assembly.
That is, the purpose is to bring souls into the assembly. You get that in the 4th of Ephesians, where the evangelists are identified there with the assembly.
But notice here you have an inside and an outside.
In the house outside of the house.
Their separation.
Oh, how we need to remember that.
I have gone into meeting rooms and I've seen on the wall holiness.
Becometh thine house, oh Lord Holiness separation.
And so we learned from the Gospel of Luke that it's an upper room separated from this world.
With the Saints gather.
All in separation.
From this present world system, completely inside, outside.
Shut the door upon me and upon thy son's.
The children have turned the sons. Now their children and John Paul's writings are sons. Oh, how precious. Sons always speak of being associated with one who has the inheritance. That we learn in Ephesians 1.
Now in the assembly, it's poured out into the vessels.
There is a verse in the third chapter, one Timothy, that speaks of the House of God.
As being a pillar, the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and the base of the truth.
Don't expect to find all the truth anywhere else except for God put it.
And so it's in the house then?
That.
She pours.
Into those vessels.
These are tights. These are figures.
Don't stretch the tie.
No, it's just a little picture to us that in the midst of the assembly, the oil is poured into the vessels, that's all.
That crisis, the bosom of the Assembly.
Where we can bring our children, Where they can grow up in the things of God, Where they be instructed.
You think they're Christian because there's only three gathered in your little meeting that you don't have instruction.
What hast thou in the house?
You have the pot of oil there, don't you?
Be sure of this.
God will never disappoint faith. Never. There's only two or three.
And sometimes he allows this because we get the leaning on what men call gift.
Oh, what a poor thing to lean on when the Spirit of God is in the midst.
And what about setting aside that which is full?
Now we have the other side of it. What is it? There should be discernment in the assembly to recognize when God.
Has endowed someone with a special thing that he can do for the Lord.
And the Saints should recognize it. How often there is that jealousy that comes in among Saints.
Afraid to recognize when God raises up someone to be a blessing among His brethren.
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Set aside that which is full.
That was the spirit of God's thought.
Now the institute carries out the instructions. We learn more as she carries them out. And what's this?
She went from him. Now she's on her own for Faith shut the door upon her first.
She takes the place of separation, and then on her sons, thou and thy house.
Father and mother, is this the case with you?
Have you shut the door on you and your house?
Oh, you say, well, I, I can't do this. I just have to do it for myself.
I remember.
Calling attention to.
One once about her child.
And she said I never interfere with the exercise of my children, never interfere.
All my friends are just in the quest of interfering father and mother. What a precious privilege this to lead.
You're all in to the precious truth of God.
Was this not true of Israel?
That they were to to instruct their children from morning to evening.
But the truth of God.
Are these truths really precious to your heart? Well, then you can pass them on to your children as being that precious.
If they're precious to your own heart.
Who brought the vessels to her?
Who brought the vessels to her? The sun. The church doesn't teach.
For those who go out of the assembly to teach.
And to evangelize that the church does not teach.
They went out from her.
And they brought in the vessel so they could be filled in the bosom of the assembly.
And now, when the vessels were full, she said under her son, bring me yet a vessel.
And he said unto her, There's not a vessel more, And the oil stayed.
The oil stayed.
This is the solemn moment in this world's history when the oil stayed beloved.
We're nearing that moment rapidly when the oil is going to stay.
There will not be a vessel more.
Wouldn't it be sad, dear fellow Christian, if you at that moment that had the opportunity and yet you'd never once found yourself?
Seed is that table to remember the Lord Jesus when he comes. Oh how solemn.
The dear friend, if you're unsaved here this afternoon, remember there's a time coming when the oil is going to stay.
No more will the gospel of the grace of God go out to this sad world.
But judges will come.
But that's not spoken up here.
But the next verse tells us of something else. Go sell the oil. Pay thy debt.
Now I gather from this that is the evaluation of what the oil will do.
We know very little here.
Few little meager thoughts we gain on this journey through life of the precious things of Christ.
That oh, how we'll learn up there, the value of that oil and beloved, what does it do? It pays the whole debt.
And all through all eternity, we and our children. Is that so?
Thou in thy house.
Live of the rest.
Have faith for that.
You have faith for God. What God says thou in thy house, he says it. You have faith for it. God never disappoints faith.
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Never. If it's genuine faith, he does not disappoint faith.
Live thou and thy children.
Really, here should be sons and the dignity of the inheritance of the rest. There's enough for all eternity now.
That the oil is brought in.
Oh dear one, what hast thou in the house? Just a pot of oil.
What let's do pays the whole debt, doesn't it?
Yes, and it takes care of you for all eternity.
And your sons?
Their faith.
And now one more Scripture will turn back to John's Gospel again.
The 17th chapter.
And here I'm going to read about the destiny of the believer.
We've had the origin of the believer.
From that ribbon side.
We've had the present position of the believer in the assembly down here passing through this world.
A witness for Christ.
And what we've been gaining as the oil is poured out in the midst of the assembly. But what's the destiny? The 24th verse.
Father, all that precious, precious name of Father. Father, we have it in John in this chapter, in various ways. In the 11Th verse, it's Holy Father Keith.
Through thy name, those that spouse given me.
But here is just father, Father.
You know there are various pictures in the Old Testament of the Church of God.
We noticed the first one.
There are several.
But I like to think of Abigail.
She's in the spoken of in the 25th chapter of a First Samuel. I believe Abigail now I believe her name means Joy of the Father.
If the first one that we have spoken of speaks of the one who's associated with the Lord Jesus in his headship over all things. Like Adam was appointed the head of the creation.
Abigail is a picture of the bride and home in the father's house.
Did you ever thought of that? There was the bride and home in the father's house.
That's going to be your portion. Have you ever thought about it?
Or what are you thinking about as you pass through this world? Are you thinking of these paltry things that are going to waste away at a moment?
About the Father's house.
Who is it that brings joy to the Father's house, The children? To the Father? What he says? Blessed be the God of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. What does that mean? It means that God is going to make himself infinitely happy by having four sinners that he saves through the blood of Jesus in his presence.
His house is going to be filled with children.
Father.
I go unto my Father.
In your Father, my God, your Father.
Is this truth ever gripped your soul, beloved Christian?
The Father. The most endearing memories that you have, I'm sure.
As you look back in your childhood when you sat at your father's table.
And it was intended to be so, to give us a little picture of what's coming.
Joy of the Father, Abigail.
Yes, Father. And now the Lord says I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.
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That they may behold my glory.
You know we're going to share glories with him.
But there's some glories that we're just going to be opposed.
Oh, how precious.
How precious that they may be whole.
My glory, which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before.
The foundation of the world.
Well, dear one, if you have never seen the precious privilege that you have today is being identified with those who form that company that will be in the Father's house to be identified down here in the place of the rejection of our blessed Savior.
Weigh it carefully.
And find yourself in that position in the house, sitting at his table, answering to his loving requests.
Let's do in remembrance of me.
That you might have the Spirit of God open to you those joys.
Concerning the Father.
In the Father's house and that blessed Savior that loves you.
The Son of God that loved me.
Gave himself for me.
Our brother reminded us.
But we are still on Earth. The assembly is here on Earth.
Being here in this scene, we have a responsibility.
We're still going through the wilderness.
And God has made ample provision for his assembly as it goes through the wilderness.
In this connection.
I wish we might turn to numbers Chapter 19.
This chapter gives us.
Something connected with the wilderness journeys of the children of Israel.
And it tells us of provision that was made.
For defilement.
How it was to be cleansed.
From them how they were to get rid of this defilement?
And we have here the ordinance of the red heifer.
It's one of the types brought before us of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, his suffering and his death.
And in this case, the Children of Israel were on their way from Egypt.
To Canaan they were in the wilderness.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel.
That they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yo. And he shall give her unto Eliezer the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp. And one shall slave her before his face. And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the Tabernacle of a congregation 7 times. And one shall burn the heifer in his sight, her skin and her flesh and her blood and her dung shall be burned.
And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh and water, and afterward he shall come into the camp. And the priest shall be unclean until the even. And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even. And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and lay them up without the camp in a clean place.
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And it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel, for a water of separation. It is a purification for sin. And he that gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and the unclean until the even. And it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger, the sojourners among them, for a statute forever. He that touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean 7 days. He shall purify himself with it on the third day.
And on the 7th day he shall be clean. But if he purify not himself the third day, then the 7th day he shall not be pleased. Whosoever toucheth a dead body of any man that is dead, and purifies not himself defile of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from Israel, because the water separation was not sprinkled upon him, He shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet upon him.
This is the law when a man dieth in a tent.
All that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent shall be unclean 7 days. And every open vessel which hath no covering bound upon it is unclean.
And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean 7 days. And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin. And running water or living water shall be put there too in a vessel. And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent.
And upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him to touch the bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave. And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the 7th day. And on the 7th day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be cleaned at even.
This brings before us.
A solemn picture.
We have.
God's pictures of the sufferings and death of Christ in the Old Testament, and this is one of the solemn ones, bringing before us the awful agony, suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We notice that the heifer is to be read without spot. That is, it's to be a pure color, bringing before us the purity of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was no spot in him, no impurity there. He was wholly spotless, undefiled.
And then it says no blemish. Ah, that was the, the one that we have been speaking about here in this meeting. The blessed Lord and Savior, no blemish in him. They couldn't find any fault in him. What a savior we have.
And I was it was to be a heifer upon which never came yoke on the blessed Lord was never under a yoke, never under ******* never under never a slave to sin. There was no sin in him, no sin on him. He never did any sin or what a holy person.
We thank God for sending him into this world to become a man that he might die for us.
Then it speaks of this heifer being slave. Well, this is what took place at Calvert.
Our blessed Lord and Savior gave up his life there.
Wicked men.
Took him and slew him, nailed him to a tree. But we know the blessed Lord laid down his life.
At Calvary. But here we have the blood brought before Eliezer. The priest shall take her blood.
With his finger and he was to sprinkle of her blood directly before the Tabernacle of the congregation 7 times.
This was before the presence of God. God was there present in the Tabernacle, and this blood must be sprinkled before him.
All this reminds us of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that's been shed at Calvary and we read in Hebrews. Without the shedding of blood is no remission and the sins that we have committed.
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Have been washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's through that precious shed blood that we have the forgiveness of our sins.
And everyone who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior can say, I know my sins are all gone, I'm forgiven. God doesn't charge me with any sins anymore. They're all gone, forever washed away in the precious blood of Christ.
And it speaks of seven times that the blood is to be sprinkled.
It was a perfect work that the Lord Jesus Christ did, and when our sins are washed away, forgiven, it's a perfect work. And we read that he will not remember them against us anymore. They're gone forever.
Now we notice something else here. The carcass of this heifer is to be burned.
If not only the blood sprinkles, but the carcass must be burned, and this brings before something else. This brings before us that not only the fruit of sins have been dealt with.
But the root of sin has also been dealt with, and I believe this burning of the heifer answers to what we have in Romans chapter 8.
In connection with the Lord Jesus.
Verse 3.
For what the law could not do, in that was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son.
In the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.
Condemned sin in the flesh when the Lord Jesus Christ.
Was sent into this world.
In the likeness of sinful flesh.
And for sin.
God condemned sin in the flesh.
When the Lord Jesus Christ was hanging there upon the cross and guides.
And all. What a picture this brings before us.
The skin of this heifer, her flesh, her blood, her dung, all to be burned.
Brings before us that awful judgment that fell upon the Lord Jesus Christ and the suffering that he went through there during those three hours.
God was dealing with sin. Sins and sins were dealt with at Calvary.
The precious blood of Christ cleanses all my sins away.
Death of Christ puts me away.
Sin in the flesh is put away. Sin in the flesh has been condemned. That Calvary and my blessed Lord was condemned there on the cross.
That I might be seen by God.
As having the old sinful nature, sin in the flesh condemned sin.
Sin in the flesh, condemned in the person of Christ.
All what he suffered, the judgment he went through. Why does God give us this kind of a picture, All to impress us with what the Lord Jesus Christ has gone through.
Not only putting our sins away, but putting sin in the flesh away.
That doesn't mean that I'm rid of it. I still carry it with me.
It's still there, that's sinful nature, but sin in the flesh has been condemned.
Judge, and we're to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, not only that, but alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
So we find here a picture of sins and sin being dealt with.
In the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But there's something else. Cedar wood and hyssop are to be cast into this burning.
What's that that's symbolic of nature? The mighty cedar down to the little hyssop, the two extremes of the vegetable Kingdom of nature.
Yes.
All that might be attractive to this old nature in US.
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Has gone down in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And there's also the Scarlets, which speaks of this world glory, that which appeals to the pride of man. That's gone too.
So all that would appeal to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life has been judged by God and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the carcass has been reduced to ashes and all of this cedar wood and hyssop and the scarlet.
What what it wants to be done with the ashes there to be kept, there to be gathered up.
They're to be kept.
Well, I believe the ashes would be a memorial of that burning.
And we have brought to our memory.
The burning at Calvary when we look in the word.
Yes, we find it there. We notice that when an Israelite was to be cleansed from defilement.
These ashes were to be mixed with water and sprinkled on the unclean person to cleanse him from his defilement.
What's the running water? Well, no doubt it speaks of the Word of God brought to us in the power of the Spirit of God.
Bringing before us the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And isn't this what takes place?
When the Lord sets about to restore our souls when we've sinned against Him.
By His Spirit and His Word, he reminds us of what the Lord Jesus Christ had suffered at Calvary. And when I've sinned against God, I have done that which brought suffering and.
Death to my blessed.
And I don't believe there can be proper restoration in our soul when we have sinned, unless we're directed by the Word and the Spirit of God back to Calvary and we see what really was done there, that our sins were dealt with there, and the old sinful nature that produces the sins was dealt with there. And when I see what my blessed Lord has suffered.
For my sake.
And I view this thing that I have done.
In that way relating it to Calvary.
Surely I see the horribleness of that scene.
And I believe this is the application on the third day.
We see the awfulness of, we see the horribleness of the thing.
Ah, what do we do next?
Then we confess and he says if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, cleanse from all the deposits, nor we don't need another application of the blood. The blood is a judicial thing. That is when it's applied to us, it's once for all judicially, and all of our sins are taken care of judicially and there's no charge against us anymore.
But.
If after we have been relieved of all the charge and guilt of sin, we sin again, we become defiled by it and we need cleansing from defilement. And God has made provision that we might be cleansed from defilement. And so in in light of Calvary, we see the awfulness of that thing we've done. It might be moral evil. It might be an evil principle.
It might be doctrinal evil that we've gone on with, but I must see it in the light of Calvary. And when I see that, see it in the light of Calvary, I see how bad it is, how awful it is. And then the next step is I make confession and then I'm cleanse.
From the defilement office. Oh how, how wonderful, how lovely that God has made provision that we could be be cleansed from the defilement of evil.
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Now notice in verse 11 it says he that touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean 7 days. Why a dead body? It seems that in the Old Testament they result of sin is brought before us as a symbol of the sin. The result of sin which is death is brought before us as a symbol of sin. Why is that?
Every time death comes in among us, into this world, people are solemnized.
They're made to realize that the wages of sin is death.
Yes, death came in because of sin.
And I believe this is a way God has of making us realize how terrible sin is.
There's much carelessness in connection with sin these days.
There's looking likely upon sin.
But death is still here.
And every time death comes in, God is speaking to souls. He uses that to teach us the awfulness of sin.
There is an increase in diseases connected with moral sin these days.
I believe it's God's way of speaking to this world of how terrible moral sin is. He allows an outbreak of disease connected with it.
We will not realize how terrible sin is, naturally speaking, without having these.
Results of sin come upon us.
But all I trust that we may see how horrible sin is, not just from the results of sin, but look at Calvary see the result of sin there not just to ourselves, but to the blessed law. This is the only way that we can really understand and see how terrible sin is. We see the result of the.
When our blessed Lord.
Had to suffer that awful agony and death, therefore our sins, not for His, but for ours for our sins. He bore our sins in His own body on the trees.
There is a solemn thing said here.
If a man.
Would not purify himself on the third day. Then on the 7th day he would not be cleaned.
Sometimes I believe that souls, and very often so we do not realize how terrible that sin is that we have committed.
We do not see the horribleness of it because we haven't seen it in the light of Calvary and so there's not real self judgment with us.
And so we never really get rid of that defilement.
Cannot possibly get rid of the definement without judging the thief in the light of Calvary and making confessions to the Lord of it all. May God give us grace to really judge ourselves and not only individually but corporately. Collectively, we need to judge ourselves because of the things that come in among us and the things that we're careless about.
Oh, it's so easy for me, for each of us to become careless about sins, about worldliness. We become indifferent. We're in a layer of the same condition and we we're not really interested in that which is for the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're cold, lukewarm toward that which dishonours the Lord Jesus Christ, all that we might have.
Our conscience is stirred up that we might have a tender conscience.
That we might have a warmed up heart. That we might have Christ before us.
And see how it affects him.
We go on down.
In this chapter and we notice.
1 Corinthians 3:1-12
Reading
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General meetings Montreal, October 1971 First reading meeting.
I'm sorry, chapter 3. I meant to say First Corinthians chapter 3.
And thy brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual.
But as under carnal, even as unto faith in Christ.
I have met you with milk.
For hitherto he were not able to bear neither yet now are ye able, for ye are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you, and being, and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal, And walketh man for a while once said, I am appalled, and another I am a false are ye not carnal?
Who then is Paul, and who is a false but ministers by whom he believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted a fallen water, but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that walketh.
But God that giveth the increase, now he the plant, and he that water are water, and every man shall receive his old reward according to his full labor.
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For we are laborers together with golf.
Ye are golf husbands. Ye are golf building.
According to the grace of God, which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another build of their own. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereof all.
Other foundations And no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stone, wood, Hayes, double, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work.
Of what sort it is?
If any man were to buy which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive her award.
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
Know enough that we are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you if any man defile the temple of God.
If shall God destroy? For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool. That he may be was For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own practice.
And the game the Lord knoweth the butts of the wives, that they are vain. Therefore let no man's glory in men. For all things are yours, whether false or false, or sequence, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours, and ye are Christ, and Christ is the.
With the Corinthian Saints at this time.
Although he had some things to say to them.
In the way of correction.
And we all need correction, because that's the way of life we read in Scripture.
He still began by commanding them in the first chapter, for all that he could commend them.
And he speaks of them in the first chapter.
In the seventh verse, so that you come behind, and no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom here we're called under the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now, brethren, this is a wonderful thing, that when when God speaks to us in the way of seeking to show us the path that we should walk in, He does so from the basis of where we are, where Christ has put us in His Word and.
He shows us here that everything we have, as we notice in our chapter, rests on that one foundation.
Jesus Christ and that precious blood that he shed, and I believe that's what Paul had before him as he communicates to these Saints. He says in the second chapter that he would know nothing among them that Jesus Christ and crucified. And it's on this basis that he communicates to the Saints to show them that what they need and what we need today is to have this one pure object before our souls.
The.
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We find that the impossible makes three classes. That is, if you ask the end of the second chapter.
The natural man receive us not to make the spirit of God, for there are foolishness. Again, either can know them because they are spiritually concerned. Oh, we're not. We drive by the neighbors.
I don't understand the hospital or the clothes that are.
Natural men without the spirit of all and it's impossible for them to get 100 times a day to falls hurt. I think it was your father pulled a man from the hill. But if it's an unbeliever and if he could understand this Bible, you can put it apart burn it up because it's a little false book that I.
That is an amazing.
Natural mask to save us nothing. So there's so therefore they're foolishness, their foolishness.
Oh, no wonder there is so much.
As things that build your soul and find joy because it's impossible. It's impossible for him to receive them until he receives a new life of God. The fact Nicodemus.
When he came to Jesus and said Master of our teachers come from God.
Rabbis are the teacher come songs, Lord says, except the man is born again. He cannot see the Kingdom of God, that is there must have to work. He must be born from above, have a new life before he can even see, much less.
To possess or understand.
For God, I'm just giving a brief and then there we get the the spiritual man who discern it from all things.
Who walks with God?
Whose ways are the answer of those spoken of as pertaining to the car? Have those?
Envy strike division. If one is going on in a state of soul like that, full of envy and strife and division, you couldn't consider him a spiritual man.
Thank God there are those spiritual men, and I think that no one among God's children would set themselves up and say that they were spiritual. I believe that they did. That would prove they were not. And then you get the carnival Christian He's a child of God, a real believer, and if he's in a state, such a state that all.
Realizes that he cannot communicate to him.
The truth of God's word.
He speaks there in the second chapter in the sixth verse, albeit we speak with among them.
Perfect, yet not the reason of this word, or the Princess of this world that comes in love, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory.
How Paul realized that it was useless. It would be only a hindrance to try to give the mysteries and all receive different mysteries directly from the Lord, But to expound these mysteries to the Corinthians?
Would only hinder the work of God. That was necessary and yet, as our brother just read in the first chapter.
They came behind in no gift. They were gifted group of Christians. I'm sure they could speak very awkwardly and very forcefully the things that they knew, but they were not a state to enter into.
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The hard truths that are so precious to those who enter into them. And then he gives their reason in this chapter because they were carnal.
And let's not forget this, beloved. It should be a serious word to our consciences.
Have walked past men.
Couldn't that strike a warning to our souls? Are we walking like other men?
Our business transactions.
Our our conversation among our neighbors.
Lord, we where we where we live.
No, not Christ, just man of the world.
Well, the Spirit of God never brings the truth before our souls, but he gives a word to exercise of conscience and soul to lead us to judge what is inconsistent and would hinder the truth of God.
For entering the soul with all its bliss.
And if there is a state that is not consistent with the truth, the danger is that perhaps the result will be that it will only become head knowledge.
Which is a very dangerous state or a believer to be in.
I'd like to contrast for a moment the.
What we have in respect to the church in Ephesians with what we have here in Corinthians, I feel that taking up this official to the Corinthians.
Will be very helpful to us as it is a very practical portion of the word of God.
In Ephesians, we have the Church.
Universal brought before us. We have the Church, you might say dispensationally to as including every believer from Pentecost to the Rapture. And then we have the Church in its universal character as the body of Christ. And we know that every believer living on the face of the earth today is a part of that Church.
But when we come to Corinthians, I believe we have the practical carrying out of that truth. In the locality where these members of the body of Christ reside, we know that the church, universal as such, does not convene.
That is the the church looked at in its character universally as consisting of every believer.
On the Lord Jesus Christ does not function as such, but the Church functions in its in a local way, in the various localities where the members of the body of Christ live. And I feel that that is where this is very helpful to us today, because we find that when we seek to walk according to the truth of the assembly, the Church of God.
In the localities where we live, we find that.
Then there are problems and difficulties arise.
As long as we remain on the line of the universal character of the church and speak of the body of Christ universally consisting of all of the members of the body of Christ, well, there's not much difficulty with that. But when it comes to carrying this out locally, where we reside, seeking to walk with those who are Christ, then we find difficulties arise, just as it did in Corinth.
There were divisions there. There were parties. There was strife, there was confusion. And it seems to me that in the first two chapters of this epistle we have three things brought before us that must be recognized and entered into in order that we might be able to go along together locally, as walking together as members of the body of Christ. For really this epistle to the Corinthians is written to regulate us.
00:25:07
In our various localities, as we seek to walk together as members of the body of Christ, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and as I.
I believe there are three things in the first two chapters that we need to recognize and enter into we find in chapter one the cross of Christ is brought before us and made prominent. Not the death of Christ, of course. It refers to the same thing, but it's presented as the cross of Christ, as the end of man in the flesh. The condemnation of the first man, the cross of Christ. We need to see that God has.
Put an end if it were to.
Man in the flesh before himself, he has no standing before God. And then we have Christ brought before us as made unto us wisdom. Christ on high is the wisdom of God. And he's you might say he's spoken of in the second chapter as he is, as the Lord of glory. He is the beginning, as it were, of of that world to come, a new order of things which God has brought us into.
Christ as on high, the wisdom of God, you might say, that sets aside this world in all of its glory. The first, the cross of Christ said to man, set aside man in the flesh. Christ on high is the wisdom of God, the Lord of glory, which none of the Princess of this world knew, sets aside the world in all of its glory. And then thirdly, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit not only in the individual, but dwelling in the House of God, the Holy Spirit down here that sets aside all of the wisdom of man.
And unless these three things are recognized and entered into.
Where the results will be, as we have in the Corinthian assembly here, divisions and stripes. But I feel that these are foundational truths in connection with our seeking to go on together in our localities, seeking to carry out the truth of the assembly as set forth in the word of God, the first man set aside in the cross, the world set aside in all of its glory, in Christ on high as the Lord of glory.
And man in all of his wisdom in his way, set aside in the presence of the Holy Spirit down here.
But it's nice to notice, dear brethren, that his babes in Christ.
The Apostle, although he does have to speak to the way as being carnal, and that he cannot give them any further meat until.
These envies and stripes and divisions are corrected, and they began to walk as spiritual still, their babies in Christ. And the standing is there. Now there is such a thing, you know, as newborn babes desiring the sincere milk of the worst. We have that in Peter, and that's a very healthy state to be in, even for those who are, as it were, mature.
Continually desiring the the.
Your mental milk of the word. But here he has something to say to the Corinthian Saints.
Even though they are faiths in Christ, and perhaps he has something to say to us this morning, dear brethren. And that is the reason that we are Colonel. If this be the case is because there's envy, because there's strife, and because there is there are factions or divisions.
And I believe that as we are thus in the presence of God this morning.
We should allow these words to reach into our hearts and consciences because whatever the individual is, that assembly is and we should be exercised that we are not contributing.
To the general failure that's coming in among God's people so that we might go back to these foundation truths.
We might learn to stay close to that precious truth of.
The work of Christ has been presented here in the first chapter, The Cross of Christ, the freshest blood that was shed for us.
00:30:09
And the Spirit of God that now communicates to us and gives us the ability to communicate to others and also to discern, as we have in the second chapter.
And then Christ is the foundation that we have here, upon which we build in connection with any service.
For Christ, as we have in this chapter and the first verse.
He says, And I'd rather not speak unto you as unto spiritual.
I like to picture the Apostle Paul writing this.
It must have been a great burden for him to have to write in this way.
To the assembly, of course.
He must have been grieved.
It must have been something that really weighed on his heart.
That he would have to write like this.
I could not speak unto you as unto spiritually, because of rather but all.
What a stake they're in, but far must be faithful. And it's a faithful the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ, because it's God by his Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul, and it's the faithfulness of the Lord connection with his assembly that's coming out.
But in contrast with this we have in verse 15.
On chapter two, he that is spiritual judges all things. That is, that word judges is discerning all things, the spiritual one.
Deserves all things.
Why is the spiritual person?
One who is occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ and he's not conscious of it.
Anyone thinks he's spiritual. He's not spiritual at all because he's occupied with himself.
When we're occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ, we're not conscious of any spirituality, I believe we'll be conscious of our nothing, our other nothingness, and we will not be striving for anything for ourselves at all. And we will seek only the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All he that is spiritual discerns all things.
But the Corinthians have gotten into a state now where the apostle had to say, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual What was the matter?
Occupied with their own things.
Oh, how solid and beloved.
If the Apostle would speak to us today, if he were to write a letter to us, what would he have to say?
Well, certainly he would have to say the same thing, wouldn't he? The very same thing.
And it is said to us because you notice.
In the first chapter.
He says in verse 2.
Unto the Church of God, which is at Corinth.
To them that are sacrificed in Christ Jesus called Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. So it's written to all that in every place.
Call upon the name of Jesus Christ. It's written to us.
Yes, it's up to date.
And certainly this fits up.
It's probably here to see in this first verse that was first chapter that was right to us on the eighth and ninth verse, who shall also confirm you unto the end, that he may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom you were called, unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. If their state was so low, it surely was, and no doubt ours is too.
Isn't a glass of the sea that he begins by Speaking of their perfect and unchanging standing? And not only that it was thought that time, but it would be preserved till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is an encouragement to us in a dark day, that as we look upon the Saints of John, that we can see them in this standing, and we can also look forward rather than rejoice.
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That there is a time coming that everyone who is a member of the body of Christ will be in that place blameless before the Lord Jesus. And so because this is so, therefore he speaks to them that their state might be brought to correspond with their standing. And when he saw those things that grieve them, he didn't give up, nor did he put them under law, but instead he brought before them.
Now that which would correct the things that were wrong, but never losing sight of this wonderful truth, now that we are perfect as to our standing in Christ, And as our brother Barry remarked, there are two classes of Christians the.
The one who is indwelled by the Spirit of God is capable of entering into all the things that are given to us in the Word by the Spirit, but we're not all in the enjoyment of them. And so the one who is saved has the capability of entering into all these things. It says that we have the Spirit, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, but alas, because we have allowed other things to come in.
There is a hindrance, but the capability is there because the spirit of God indwells us. And another thing that I thought was nice in the first part here of this chapter, that he didn't say he had given up because he didn't feed the couldn't feed them with meat. He didn't say that he wasn't feeding them at all. Instead, if he couldn't feed them with meat, he was feeding them with milk. And it may be that there needs to be with us that.
Ministry of Simple Things.
That would touch our hearts, that would quicken our affections, so that there might be a renewed desire with us to go on for the Lord, for the.
Things that lead to carnality are often things that are quite hidden and unnoticed.
Envy is something that's not outward.
Stripe is an outward thing, but it begins by something that's inward.
And this is the thing, brethren, I believe we have to judge the beginnings of departure in our hearts. Are we looking at others, as our brother remarked, or are we looking at Christ? Do we have some person before us instead of the Lord Jesus? Well, may the Lord grant that we will be fast, so that whatever departure there has been, our affections will be quickened. But let us never doubt this blessed, this wondrous truth that as to our standing.
Perfect in Christ.
I believe we have another very important truth in this chapter, or rather in the first chapter it has already been referred to many times, and that is the Lordship of Christ. The Lordship of Christ you find in the first chapter the Apostle brings before the Corinthians 6 times in the 1St 10 verses the Lordship of Christ.
How very important this is. We not only know him as our savior, but he's my Lord. He's one who has all authority over me.
And I'm duty bound to obey him. And I was thinking what we have in the 11Th chapter, First Corinthians verse 23. For I am received of the Lord Again we have the Lordship of Christ brought in. I do believe brethren is very important for us to remember that Blessed One is our Lord, not merely our Savior. Thank God He is that. But He is one who has all authority over me. He has the right to tell me what to do and how to walk and how to live.
And it's my responsibility to respond to him in all these things. And so the apostle Paul, at the order in which he first knew the Lord isn't it as the Lord from the glory. And so he invariably speaks of him as the Lord Jesus Christ. But the others, Peter, James, and John, they invariably speak of him as Jesus Christ. And that's the order in which they first knew him during the days of his earthly ministry down here.
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And so we find this this epistle. We have one addressing the Corinthians who first knew him as Lord, and so he brings in the Lordship of Christ before them constantly.
In this successful and beating them with self, seeing how the truth of the Lord is coming, the way the substance before the Saints behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep with thee.
Be changed in a moment. A quick thing of an eye at the last Trump so.
Where are those truths that you would think of as milk?
Well, undoubtedly he brings in some other things in the Epistle, but he was seeking to lead them on, and we find that in the latter part of the epistle. But I believe he was seeking to lead it on their souls in occupation with Christ, and indeed even in this chapter.
He brings before us the judgment seat of Christ, when our lives will pass into review, something that we all have to have constantly before us.
All has so often spoke of that day he lived in view of that day. He thought that it would be so in the Corinthians.
That they wouldn't just look at things as they appeared in the present in man's day, but as they appeared.
In the day of Christ.
Now I believe that he does bring before them deeper truths as the epistle goes on.
But I believe that when the soul is prepared by a ministry of Christ, it is often able to receive the deeper truth. Because, as you remark, there is the capability in every believer to enter into these things because the Spirit of God dwells in US, and as the teacher, we should desire that too, shouldn't we, brother? I was thinking of what Peter says in his first epistle in the second chapter.
In our fast food here, he said, Paul could say, I have met you with meat, with milk, and not with meat. That is the basic and truth concerning the person of the Christ. Well then, Peter, in first Peter two and verse one. Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile and hypocrisies and entities, and all evil speakings, as no board fades, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow there by well the Apostle Paul.
Tells the Corinthians he is fed them with milk.
That is the the basic, the simple truth of the person of Christ. And Peter says that we should desire that No. The sincere milk of the word of God. Well, I believe this is an exercise on our part. He desires to beat us with milk. What is our what is our response? What is our desire? Should we have that desire for the sincere milk of the word of God, that we might grow thereby? This is how children grow. This is how they grow, no?
I believe that.
The Apostle and this epistle brings before them.
The fact that it wasn't simply their gifts that were so important.
But.
He sat before them the example of his own law, his own trials and testings. We have much of it in the second Epistle, and that they might experience practically the truth.
That they're giving out.
I believe it occurs in this epistle, that expression I have believed, therefore have I spoken. Now that's ministry in the spirit.
It's just simply carry on and pass on something we heard may not be ministry in the spirit, but where the apostle himself has experienced and felt with the Saints the truth that he's giving out.
That's more in line with what the apostles setting before them.
We get the truth of it in the 100 and 126 Psalm, I believe the one that goes forth, weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again. Rejoicing. That is the the entrance is that the one who was sowing seed, his crop had failed, so he had to resold, and he was using the very food that he was going to eat that year.
And so he wept as he sewed it well.
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I believe that that's really what the apostle feels for the Saints here, that it wasn't simply setting forth thoughts that they had gained, but it was. They're experiencing with the Saints, the trials, the testings, all of the path of faith, cause for here to walk with them, to feel with them, to weep with them. And the apostles certainly entered into it, and that's what he really is bringing before the Saints.
Vessel because there were two particular evils in Corinth, and one was division among them, and the other was the tendency towards the worship of intermediate beings. He warns of that in the second epistle in the 11Th chapter. And then the apostle later has to take it up in Colossians, those who might appear as angels of light to deceive them.
Although the Apostle says I offend you with milk.
It's not his desire that we should always be on the milk bottle. Not the Lord's desire either, but that we should grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him. I was thinking what we have in the 4th chapter of Hebrews.
5th chapter I'm sorry verse 13.
For everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is obeyed.
But strongly belongs to them that are full age, even though so by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
So the milk is all very well in its place, but you never expect to keep a baby on milk all its life. And although we are very fast, yet the Lord wants us to feed on strong meat as well. That'd be my growth thereby and be strengthened in the inner manner.
Talk to Big Brother flying that.
Sought to find his first Peter, second-half, desiring the sincere milk of the word, is an entirely different thought. That is, every Leaver in the Lord Jesus should always have that healthy, normal desire, or the things of Christ. He's not entering into the doctrinal side of things there.
But here in Corinthian, there's another thought. Milk, instead of being just looked at us as that which feeds the soul, whatever subject or truth it is setting forth is the fundamental, the football fixed up when he came upon them as bizarre. They should know nothing but Jesus Christ's guilt crucified. That is the subtle truth of the past.
I believe that carnality and this place.
And the reason why he had to feed them was?
It was milk and hot was meat is because of this state, this carnality.
Saying I'm a full name of the policy, so on, but in Hebrews it was more of a legal state of things. They're putting themselves under law and in that way they they were not.
Growing.
They should and pass the 6th Chapter Shores going on to 12 road that is leading on to the enjoyment of a glorified Christ.
In the verse referred to in Hebrews 5, we might notice what it says in verse 12.
It says there and are become such.
As a need of milk and not a strong meat.
This seems to be a second childhood that referred to.
It seems that at one time they were going on well and as a brother Barry mentioned, they were going back to the lawn now and it was going back to second childhood.
But in our Scripture, 1St Corinthians 3.
It wore the glass state they'd never gotten out of there, baby state.
And this is a solemn thing. But it's possible for us to be made in both ways. To remain in the baby state, never grow, but having enjoyed, on the other hand, having enjoyed the things of the Lord and then going back, going into a second childhood.
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Doesn't it bring before us what constant danger is before? Oh, how we do need to be cast upon the Lord and look to Him for grace and mercy to help us at all times that we might grow?
Embrace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and not go back all we're in danger of going back.
And that's why we have these exhortations now, right? That's part of what is spoken of as the mute.
When the apostle has to occupy us with our failures, with our low state, surely that's real. That's not the strong meat of the word, but it's necessary.
It comes to a point in our state of soul where this is necessary, and it's part of what I believe Scripture speaks of as exhortation. We need to be stirred up.
But it isn't that we need extradition all the time. We need the positive side too, to build us up. We need the edification as well as the encouragement. But how sad it is. And when we get into a low stake, God has to occupy it with that state.
And when they're in the state like that, the Spirit of God is grieved. And you can't really occupy us with Christ as it would when you have to occupy us with that failure, that sin. But if we come to a point where we judge it and confess it to him, then we're cleansed from the defilement of it that the Spirit of God can minister to us in fullness again.
But all how we get ourselves into a state where.
We're hindered. We're deprived of what God really wants us to have. All this should exercise as deeply.
Say, Brother Anderson, that the early state is seen in the 10th of Hebrews and the 32nd verse.
Down to the 34.
The call to remembers the former, days in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endure a great fight of afflictions. That's a good state of soul, partly whilst you were made a gazing star, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly while she became companions of them that were so used, for he had compassion of me in my bonds.
And took joyfully the spiraling of your guns, knowing in your sounds that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance cast not away. Therefore your confidence, which at great recompense a reward velocity former state, that's the early state. That's the good state, isn't it?
Sounds like Caleb and Joshua, who having had a taste of the good fruits of the land that was at the end of the journey.
Share the laundry of the children of Israel for those 40 years and during those 40 years, their whole delight, I'm sure, was in the prospect that when the years were ended, they were going to be able, by the grace of God, to enter into that heritage that they had set their foot upon and had seen.
So I believe that even though our state is, as it has been described by the wonderful grace of God, we can rejoice, and we not in that heritage which is even now ours, as though.
That there is that glorious future that is assured to us. I was thinking too, in connection with the strong means, which I trust by the grace of God we may really have an appetite for. For there's something wrong with us. If we listen to the sound ministry of the deeper truths of the word of God, and find that they don't have an attraction for our heart, we can well search our hearts as to.
These things don't.
Reach our souls and build us up as they ought to. I was thinking of the Lord enjoying a meal with Abram and Sarah, and how the actor recorded the meat that was served to him that day as being tender and good.
00:55:13
Well, this has occurred to me in connection with the ministry of that which is me that.
Eva marriage was served to the Lord. That day was put down engulf word of being hinder and good, and I wonder if it might be an exercise to us, perhaps in seeking to minister such truths of the word of God, that they might be ministered in such a way as would have that same flavor and attraction to those who hear it.
Is it not possible, perhaps, that the meat of the word of God might be ministered in such a way as would fail to reach the appetite part of those who hear?
There are refined in the next episode that Paul wrote the first epistle with many tears.
And that gives us a little insight into his feelings about these dear Saints. There was no harshness, no unkind feelings towards them.
No thought of deserting them, for they were tears flowing down the fossils cheeks while he was writing what we're reading here this morning and as our brother mentioned.
When he says I could not speak on the US spiritual but on the car, we can think of it here for the Apostle Paul feeling so sad and so distressed.
Is such a danger going on together of getting into a state of legality with one another?
That never is risen.
Encouraging unsaciousness in any way, but when there is faithfulness, it should always be attempted, it always should be with that tenderness, love, and desire, and concern for the wealth of any of those that are the Lord that are out of the way.
There's always a constant, isn't there? And I was thinking of Jonathan.
And you were speaking about the Hebrew believers, how happy Jonathan was when David had won the victory. And he came and presented everything that he had to David and wanted to follow him. But there came a time when he realized it was going to cost something to identify himself with David. It was going to mean a break with those things that had been very clear to him, and he waited thoroughly.
Was he willing to break with the court of Saul and all that it meant to him to follow a rejected king? God's rejected king? Well, when he considered it, he made a decision that from that time there was a going back instead of forward. We know that Jonathan will be in glory. We know that there was much that the Spirit of God has been pleased to record a desire for the Lord in the life of Jonathan. But that point came in his life when there was a particular decision to be made.
As to whether he would count the cost and follow Christ, or go back and follow Saul, and all of the court of Saul stood for what I believe. This comes in our lives too, and particularly in these days when it means something to go on for the Lord. And perhaps in these meetings. Such a a time comes in our lives when the truth of God is set before us, when the blessedness of following Christ is brought out in the meetings.
Now then, we might decide something. Do we? Are we satisfied to say, Well, I know I'm saved. I know I'll be in glory, but I just don't want to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. Well, I believe that's the thing that we have brought before us here. There's no doubt about the salvation of these Corinthian believers, but they were allowing things to come in that hindered them from really following the Lord.
01:00:06
And the apostle writes this pestle.
To stir them up, to point them as we sat on to what was ahead, and to show them the blessed privileges of the present too, in living for the Lord.
The things they were allowing were religious or spiritual in the fight, saying there was the divisions among the people of God. It wasn't necessarily an awkward worldliness, although perhaps there was that too, as we see later. But it began with this.
Report from the House of Chloe that there were factions starting among them. Well, this was right in the Assembly itself, and that was what made it so serious.
We see the wisdom of God in meeting this situation, that Paul uses his own name and the name of Apollos and later of Cephas. But in reality they were not saying I am a Paul and I have Apollos and I have Seepas. They were actually using the names of their own leaders. If you turn to the 4th chapter, you'll see this, the sixth verse.
And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos, for your sakes.
That she might learn in us not to think of man above that which is written, and that no one of you be pumped up for one against another. That is, they were using the names of their own leaders, such as Stephanus and others, perhaps. And if Paul had pointed this out and brought it before them, they might have said, well, Paul, you wouldn't mind if we were saying I'm a follower of Paul or one of your coworkers of Paulus, but you don't like it because we've chosen our own leaders?
So in the wisdom of God, he uses his own name and the name of his fellow workers to show in them not to think of man above that which is written. Well, I just call attention to this because very often when we want to correct the state of things, we're often blunt and unwise, and we spoil what we could perhaps do if we met the situation in the wisdom of God. And here it's very beautiful to see this divine wisdom.
Given of Paul that he didn't want followers for himself any more than he wanted them to have followers of their own. He wanted them to be occupied with the Lord Jesus and to follow him.
Of a story.
Of a brother in a in a certain meeting. I suppose it was years ago this happened, but this brother wasn't coming out to the meetings anymore.
And this has been going on, I believe for some time.
And it was the concern of his brother in the assembly.
And I believe it was discussed in the in the brothers meeting, the care meetings.
And so one brother took it upon himself, and no doubt with the fellowship of his brother, to go and visit this brother that was forsaking the meetings.
While he was much before the Lord about meeting the situation with wisdom, he was looking to the Lord.
And he went to this brother's home.
And they greeted one another.
And then they sat down. They were sitting beside the fireplace and no one said anything. The other one said anything. They just sat there looking at the fire.
Well, one of the embers burst out from the log and fell on the heart. Well it would, blowing red.
For a little while.
But then after a bit, cooled off and it became black.
The visiting brother, he picked up this black amber and he put it back in the fire and he began to glow again.
The brother had been missing the meeting, he says. I'll be back at meeting next large day. He got the point. It was wisdom. Not a word was said.
But the Spirit of God used it all. How we need to be before the Lord, that we might all be a help to one another. And I was thinking a connection with this expression. Walking as men makes me think of something. If you read the 16th chapter of Judges, you'll find that he speaks of that being like any other man. I believe three times.
01:05:24
Well, what was Samson? He was a separated man. He was a Nazarite separated under God.
He was toying with his separation to God. He was careless about it. And finally.
That which marked him out as a separated man was taken away from him.
And he did become like any other man when we lose.
Our place of separation or state of separation separation onto the bar.
Then we become like any other man. And then what was the consequence? Samson's eyes were put out. He couldn't see. We lose discernment. We can't see. We're not spiritual any longer. We're not able to discern. We can't see or to solemn thing.
May we value being separated unto the Lord and not be like any other man, or walk like men.
Thank you, thank you, I'm there. Fifth verse. What? John the Baptist replied to those who were jealous for him because they said that rabbi he that was with me beyond Jordan, baptizes and all. Then come unto him.
As all that would set up a rivalry between the Blessed Lord and John the Baptist, well, John the Baptist just simply wipes himself out.
He just uses the Rob hood to watch an entirely dispose of himself.
So that no one there would see anybody but Christ.
Story says I'm must, he must increase, I must decrease. I think that last word we have from John the Baptist is one of the most touchy and precious.
Subjects and we could consider all that man within the forerunner who have been so mightily used the full name that turned gone down to Jordan and been baptized. And when they thought of getting in the way, whatever of the progress and the ministry of the Blessed Lord, she would just step out of the picture all together, he says. I'm just the voice.
The one crying in the world.
Instructive forests below that the man that formed the Lord says.
There hath not a risk of greater than John the Baptist. That was a man. And asked who art thou that we may tell others about you, He says. I'm just a voice, I'm nothing. Now that's the man the Lord says is the greatest man born of women, is a man that was willing to be nothing.
So that Christ might be everything.
The last of that for that fifth verse.
Perhaps the thought is as the Lord hath given to each, that is, it's explained in the next verse.
One plants and another water.
That is, every member of the body has his place.
And no one is single.
As having a special place, each one has their place to fulfill.
The apostle was said that before the Saints here, lest they think that one was more important than the other. Now, it's true that God does set some in certain places, like the Apostle Paul of prominence, but it was only for their blessing. And so Paul says, who are they? Why, they're they're just ministering servants, that's all by whom you believe, and that's the purpose of it. So every part of the body functions in his own place.
01:10:09
There's no rivalry in the Church of God. There may be among men, but this should never be introduced among the people of God.
One gift, I think it's in the 12Th chapter of Romans and we need to remember, and that is after mentioning a number of other gifts, he says helps, helps. Well, that's a gift that every believer can possess.
And refuse them in a most valuable way.
Maybe very little things may be very hollow things by saying things took them over.
Adding something, helping our brother, maybe even in connection with several things and when we think of those who have planned these meetings and are preparing the meals for us.
Doing all that service, isn't that a help He does. If it wasn't for their kindness and their efforts, such a meeting as this would be impossible.
The power that enables.
Any work to be carried on, so the credit goes to God.
The member brother Walter Gill, pardon me, his father, brother Frank Gill, getting an illustration that I had never forgotten in connection with this, we were watching before a meal at the Des Moines conference years ago.
And our dear brother was standing there washing his hands, and he pretended that one hand was crippled and he was trying to wash the one hand all alone. And I noticed this. And he looked up and smiled. He said, Did you ever try to wash one hand when the other was bandaged or crippled?
He went through the motions as though he were trying to do it, and then he just worked the two together. He said the left hand washes the right, the right hand washes the left. And he picked up the towel and he said, and when the hands are clean, the left hand dries the right and the right hand drives the left, the job is done. And he walked out the door. He just left me standing there thinking of what a wonderful, beautiful land that was as members of the same body. How ridiculous.
The thought of envy.
Could ever, ever be. I'm. I'm a right-handed man and I go off to work. More than likely by the end of the day the right hand will be quite soiled and the left may not. And the left goes to work to clean the right without any word of complaint. Never says you're always getting dirty. I'm always having to clean you up.
And if there's any skilled work to be done, you'll always get it. And I never have anything like that to do except to keep you clean. No, there's no such thing as envy or rivalry. If we remember that we were members of the same body, that little lesson at the wash base in that day was one that.
Has often come before me. I don't say I really learned it as I ought to, but I think it's very, very beautiful to realize that these various functions and these helps are that which the Lord so widely is able to use for the blessing of His people.
The same epistle where I enjoyed this this verse.
The 18th verse of the 12Th chapter.
In connection with what you've been saying, Brother Albert.
The 18th verse. But now as God set members, every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him. That's the what the thought isn't. He ascended in the body and has pleased him.
That's nice to notice that.
As it pleased him is for himself.
For the Lord himself. And let's remember that.
When we seek to serve as servants, as members of the Body of Christ, whom are we serving?
He served the Lord Christ, and if we have that before us, I'm sure it will help to regulate our service too.
01:15:09
I was thinking, brother, behold, of your comments about Jonathan. And Jonathan could say to David, thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee.
Was he? No. He missed that privilege. Why? Because practical and precious aggravations that we've been having this morning.
And which he knew too, a walking company with David, Sharon, David protection. And walking in the truth, he went back into the city with the enemies of David and he lost that right reward and that position of nearness to David.
Well, may we not be like Jonathan, thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee.
He lost it all.
1 Corinthians 3:13-23
Reading
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General meetings, Montreal, October 1971 Second reading meeting.
Pretty proud of the authentic.
I'm ready to send you.
My identity to the best of your age and we're going to get this Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
First Corinthians chapter 3.
First Corinthians chapter 3, verse 8.
Now he the planteth, and he that water are one, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
For we are laborers together with God.
Your golf husbandry, your golf building, according to the grace of God, which has given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another bill that they're on. But let every man take heed how he buildeth their apostles for other foundations. And no man lay than that it laid, which is?
Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this foundation.
Gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, Every man work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, And the fire shall cry every man's work Of what sort of did?
Many men work to buy which he had built thereof, 'cause he shall receive reward.
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
Knowing enough that he are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you, if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let it become a fool.
But he may be wise, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craft. And again the Lord know of the thoughts of the wise that they are faith. Therefore let no man glory in men, for all things are yours, whether a fall or a fall, or Sepas or the world.
00:10:02
Or life or death or things present.
Or things come, all are yours and hear Christ, and Christ is God.
The thought is I am where Paul says I have planets and a college water. They were trying to make rivals, rivals of the different laborers and those who labored among them.
He shows that that is absolutely a wrong thought. After all, they're just one from doing 1 little service and another doing another service.
Ever went through assembly line where they're building cars? One man isn't falling with another man has to his part in the job. Each one is doing some little part and they all work together.
And they all produce the cars snow rivalries to just apart each one is taking and then you get in the 9th.
Verse.
Of the.
For the yes. For we are laborers together that shouldn't read. We are gods, fellow laborers.
Of the thought that they were laboring with God, as though God was partner with the laborers. But all who labored in the work of the Lord were fellow laborers working together. And at least it should be that way.
And happy harmony with one object before them. And that was to accomplish the work of God and to glorify Christ.
In their past thinking that as we know in the Greeks there were gods many and Lords many, and they had different philosophies and ideas and so they brought these ideas into Christianity. And so they followed leaders just as they had followed different philosophers and different gods. But now they were to learn as we have in First Corinthians 12.
First Corinthians chapter 12.
And verse 4.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit.
And there are diverse differences of administration, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations. But it is the same God which worketh All in all. So it shows here that the whole Trinity together are working and working in perfect harmony. And as we seek to work under His authority and under His guidance, it's all for one purpose and not one against another.
But I suppose the background of their thinking affected their Christian life, and it's very often so with us too. And that's why we need to have the renewing of the mind through the Word as we read the Word of God. Wrong thoughts are corrected.
And we're brought to see that God and His Word has given us the perfect pattern. But I do believe that it is most important that we should realize that just as this was God's building, as we're told here, and the work all to be carried on under His direction.
It's not one working against another or exalting himself, but rather for this purpose that God is seeking to accomplish. As we often sing and Him it is ordained to raise the temple to Jehovah's praise, composed of all the Saints who own no Savior but the living stone. And this should exercise each one of us that any part that we take in connection with the Lord's word should be for this purpose.
For the glory of Christ.
And for the blessing in common of his people.
00:15:14
Every man shall receive his his own reward according to his own labor.
Now he's about to enter into the subject of rewards.
And I think if you take the passage itself and follow the instructions that are here, it has to do with the large work and the large service were engaged in that work that is bringing in material.
Sinners saved by grace and the Assembly of God.
And then the care for those who are saved and brought into the place of blessing. Now that is properly speaking, the subject that we have before us, but I'm sure that the principle of.
Labor here.
Can be considered as covering every line of.
Work with any of God's people, do for the Lord, and covering the whole subject of rewards at the judgment seat of Christ, although as well to get clearly before us that the primary thought here is the work of the laborer that is bringing souls into the place where they get fed and.
Where there's nothing in the assembly, and there is always the danger, as he calls tension here, to bringing in mere professors among those who are truly born again and saved, and they would be likened to the wood, hay and stubble. Whereas the ones that are born again, truly saved are like the gold, silver and precious stones.
That is, if one gets a lot of mere professors.
Among God's children, his work is going to be tested out some days.
That what he has thought was a work of God was after all just furious that there were those that were not really saved, and it might be well just to consider that subject before going on.
More especially to the subject of reward for all God's children.
That there is often danger with those who preach the gospel.
To see sinners saved or confessed the Lord, I'll never forget the answer a brother close gave to brother down in Kentucky years ago. He had been raised among a group of Christians where the main object in meetings was to get converts, to get people to make a confession and make more or less a show of.
Gospel effort.
Well, he said to Brother close. I believe if you talk to some of these people that you'd get some to confess the Lord. Yes, Brother close said I could go to that tree and shake down a lot of apples, but he said they'd all be green.
Well, there there is always that danger. And I think the apostle primarily is giving a warning in connection with that danger of bringing into the assembly what he called here, wood and stubble. And then the test comes as to whether it's real.
Or as to whether it's just like Simon Migus who who accepted the gospel and was baptized and went on the Philip that he wasn't saved at all.
We have a warning here too, of introducing things that are not in keeping with the foundation truth. And so the apostle brings before us, first of all the foundation itself.
Now in Romans, Paul gives us the foundation.
As a wise master builder, Romans gives us the foundations, I believe, of Christianity. And he says in the second chapter that there is a day when God will judge the secrets of man by Jesus Christ according to his gospel, and so before he speaks of introducing bad materials into the building.
00:20:17
It gives us that which is solid and that's the foundation which is Jesus Christ.
But it's the person of Christ, but also his work, is it not? And in Romans we have redemption, the full work of redemption, not only buying the soul back, but forgiveness of sin, setting the soul free. We also have justification. That's the 4th chapter. But it's connected with resurrection. And we have.
Reconciliation in the 5th chapter.
And then we have the salvation brought out very clearly in the 10th chapter.
So Paul even goes on in the 8th chapter to the full truth.
That he brings before the Saints.
Giving us a little outline in the 8th chapter of all the Truth that he was about to set forth in the other epistles, so that he gives a full foundation that there's there should be no question for the one who serves the Lord if he reads the word as to what the truth is. And one who serves the Lord is responsible as he not.
To the truth that has been revealed because it has all been revealed to us.
I think we have that what Paul is referring to in this verse 10 about the foundation. As you say brother. Historically in the 18th chapter of Acts doing not when Paul was in the city of Corinth and the Lord appeared to him and told him to fear not to preach the word where he had much people in that city.
So he remained there considerable time preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. He He literally laid the foundation there in bringing the gospel to them, and as we had before us this morning when he came among them, he says in chapter two of our epistle. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified, that is, he presented the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not only in His work for our blessing, his sufferings on the cross for our blessing and putting away our sins, but He presented the Lord Jesus Christ as one rejected Him crucified. And this is the foundation of the the assembly and it's the foundation of a local assembly. And I I think it's important, as our brother said, that here we see that Paul is concerned as to how those who come in after he had laid the foundation.
How they work in connection with that, what they bring into the assembly, whether it comports with the foundation or not. And we find in the second epistle in Chapter 11 That there were those in Corinth. They came in after the foundation was laid, the gospel had been preached, and assembly formed, but they were bringing in a different Jesus from what?
The apostle had preached. They came in a different spirit. And so the the apostle was fearful. I think that's what he has reference to. Here is what is brought in on this foundation, what is contributed into the assembly? Is it in accordance with the foundation? Is it in keeping with the truth of the Lord Jesus and him crucified, rejected man, set aside?
If we bring in human principles, in human ways and thoughts and the ways of the world.
That's the word hay and stubble. It's not in keeping with the foundation of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, which Paul had brought to.
Yeah, the foundation has been laid and we have that in the scriptures, just as we have in Ephesians 4, the gifts that an offended Christ has given were.
Apostles and prophets, Evangelists, pastors and teachers. And in the second chapter of Ephesians, we're told that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. That is, the foundation has been laid. It's been faithfully laid. Where will we get the truth of God as to the person of Christ, as to the work of Christ, as to the assembly and all those things that are so blessed?
00:25:20
Well, we'll get it in that which has been laid by the apostles and prophets of the New Testament. The truth has been given to us. But what has Christendom done? Well, they have accepted the Christian foundation, bought into that. They have brought all kinds of things, things that really belittle and undo, as it were, the foundation and those who are not saved or introduced and on top of the Christian foundation so well laid by the apostles.
We find that which is under the name of Christ by the last, much of it is not even real. And so it may be anticipating a little here to say that there are three classes of workmen that are brought before us. In what follows here there is a saved Workman with good work. He's the one who it says if any man's work abide, he shall receive a reward. Then there's a saved Workman.
But in his field to get numbers.
In his zeal to make the building look large and fair, and it has become a great house, he has introduced that which is not real, and the day is going to declare that. And so it tells us that the man himself might be saved, but his work would not be acceptable, and would be set aside at the judgment seat of Christ. If any man's work be burned, he shall suffer loss, yet he himself shall be saved. But then there is last the third kind.
The workmen who defrauds the temple of God. And so we know that under the name of Christianity, on all kinds of wicked doctrines, have been introduced, not into Mohammedanism, not into paganism, but right on the very foundation of Christianity. There have come in and those things that are called Christian, and yet they belittle and set aside the very foundation upon which Christianity rests.
The person and the work of Christ. And so this I believe is what he's bringing before us here. The importance first of all the blessed privilege of having part in the Lords work, but the solemn aspect as to how we do the work, because it's all going to be manifested in that day.
Well, in my early experience listening to men like Brother Hart and Brother close, we were rather surprised that they would preach the most powerful, searching gospel to a crowd of unsaved people. They would walk out of the tent where they were preaching and leave people sitting there in their seats. They never pressed anybody to make a confession.
Well, the rotors that came later and were more anxious to get confessions.
And they got in confessions that weren't real. So I feel that those brothers that were so definitely used of God were right in leaving the result of the gospel that they had presented.
With simplicity, and with power too, with the Lord to work in the hearts of those prayers, and I know in one case.
Well, the sister that years afterwards, I asked her, I said, Sudie, when were you saved? She said I was saved in those meetings when Brother close was preaching on the Clinton Rd. on our descendants of that sister are still in a meeting down there.
That was a real work, although it looks so little when just one after Brother close was with the Lord.
Told how she was saved in those meetings. And yet that testimony has been a testimony that has remained a real testimony. And I believe that that is far more to the Lords glory than getting many to make a confusion may make quite a display of the effort. And yet when?
00:30:03
There are many that are not really saved at all.
I believe when anyone is giving up the gospel, and that doesn't mean just getting up to preach to a company of people. It can be done privately. But when we give out the gospel, certainly we must have faith to believe that the word we're giving out is going to do its work.
We must believe God. We must believe in the word of God. And then after the word has been given, we must believe that the Spirit of God will use it because he's been sent to convict the world of sin and of judgment and of righteousness. And there's a verse in Zechariah Chapter 4 that was a great help to me, and it was the Lord that brought us before me when we were working in the Congo years ago.
I could see that there was something going on.
In missionary circles that did not seem to be according to the Lord, and there were many being brought in making professions, but it just seemed that there was no reality, and the Lord brought this scripture before me in Zechariah 4.
Verse 6.
Then he answered, and speak unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto derubable, saying not by might.
Nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
After we've given out the word, perhaps we state that by might or power we can stir up these souls and get them to make a profession. Well, perhaps we can.
But what's the result?
Getting professions that are not real and so they make a profession and perhaps they can go on for a little while and then they give up.
And that brings a reproach upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, how much better to have faith that God has sent His Holy Spirit to do that work of convicting to lead souls to accept Christ the Savior and make a profession? Because if they make a profession that's not in the power of the Spirit, well, what good is it or how we need to walk by faith in the work of the Lord?
That's the whole line of things I think that is being brought before us here as we find in the verses that.
We read this morning so that neither is heat and watereth anything, planteth anything, neither heated water us. But God did give us the increase, that is the servant is to do his work and remember that God gives the increase. We were speaking a little bit of this in Ottawa just on the Bible reading this week, and that we don't get any example in the book of the acts whatever of anyone being brought to force to a decision for Christ.
The gospel was faithfully and warmly presented. It was presented in the power of the Spirit of God. But we never find anyone being asked to make a profession. And I believe we have the pattern for God's work brought before us in the book of the act, and that if we were to follow this, we would find that God has the pattern. He hasn't just left us to our own ideas, He has a pattern for His work as well as the truth that we're to preach in His Word.
And it's departing from the truth of his word and departing from the pattern that he has laid down that has brought in so much confusion and Christendom. And because we like to get credit to ourselves, and we're all the same, we all like to get credit to ourselves. If we're not watchful, we look over the fence and see the apparent results, and we're not content to go on and leave the results with God. Let us remember these words again.
So that neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that water us but God that give us the increase. When are we going to find out whether God was pleased with the work that we did well brought before us here the judgment see of Christ, there will be the manifestation.
And in the mean time, let us go on in faith and count upon him. As you said, brother, I do believe it's very important. And this thought of the exaltation of man comes in, in a very subtle way, into the service of the Lord, not only into other things, but we have to watch it. God wants to exalt his buttons. He would take all the glory for him and the work of the Spirit of God.
00:35:18
No man can come unto me except the Father which has sent me. Draw him.
It is possible to cause an untimely birth of a soul. That is, one is maybe disturbed, awakened as to their sins and their need, and one gets.
To hear that one and and set the gospel before them and gets them to make a confession. And it may be true, it may be real, they may be really safe.
But that exercise they were going through was very important, and it's something like a butterfly trying to get out of this cocoon. Well, he struggles and struggles and struggles trying to get free.
And someone sees the poor little creature in his and his distress, and he takes a pair of scissors, or he takes some instruments, tries to help him out.
Where we succeed, the butterfly comes out and his wings are injured.
And he never can fly very well. All that struggle that he was making in getting free from his cocoon was necessary for his development and for the use of his wings so he could fly properly. And I believe where a soul goes through real deep conviction of sin. And this trouble awakened us to his lost condition, the more his disturbed and distressed about it.
Until he finds peace through believing is a very necessary part of the work of God in his soul, and we have to be careful that we don't interfere with the work of the Spirit of God.
It wasn't until Lazarus was undergoing corruption that the Lord raised him from the dead.
And it wasn't until the stone was rolled away and all of that stench was allowed to come out.
And surely we have a picture there of a soul that lost. And the Lord is not in a hurry. He didn't raise him the first day, he waited until the 4th day.
Well, when it comes to saving souls.
Certainly the Lord is not in a hurry to get them to make a profession. Ah, they have to see their lost corrupt condition. And then the Lord will come in and work, and our brothers can bring before us the examples we have in the Acts. Think of the man in the 16th chapter of Acts, the Philippian jailer. When was it that the Apostle Paul said to him believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?
It's when he got really exercised. What must I do to be saved? Well then it was time to tell him Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes at the end of a gospel meeting, I have, and I've heard others say that if there is one in the 10th or in the meeting room tonight who was burned after the question of their sins, and is not clear if they would like to speak to the speaker or to any other here, they would be very glad to sit down and read God's word with them.
Would you be happy about that, Mother Mary?
Bladder has. I think that would be a very suitable way to, but still one I'm dealing with. That soul would have to be careful and she said not to just get to make a confession before they see that the work with pens or the exercise has led to that point of confession.
The account of the wise man and of the foolish man is repeated in Scripture, the wise man building his house and laying the foundation upon a rock. And then we're told that when the elements combined to fall upon this house, it fell not.
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With any account is repeated again, and it says of this wise man that he did deep and laid the foundation upon a rock. And this time when the elements combined to fall upon that house, it said it didn't even shake, it didn't even shake, for it was founded upon the rock. And I wonder if that perhaps is a distinction between a soul who has passed through this kind of exercise.
And has been brought to see the foundation laid upon the rock Christ Jesus. Neither house fell, but it was said of one they could not be shaken. And that was the house where there was a deep digging preceded the laying the foundation. Not what we've been saying.
Has been related to accepting Christ as Savior.
But we know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of the assembly.
And how about souls coming to take their place as a member of the body of Christ, taking their place at the Lord's table in fellowship with those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who profess to be on the ground?
Of the one body who professed beyond this foundation, the Lord Jesus Christ, who professed to be members of the body of Christ and only members of the body of Christ. How about them?
What can we do? What can we say? But again, give the word and trust God by his Spirit to work in their hearts and to make them see these things, because I'm afraid very often they're those.
Who take their place at the large table. Professors leave as members of the Body of Christ, and yet perhaps they don't really see it. And then perhaps testings and trials come, and they fall by the wayside.
That is, as far as the assembly is concerned. They don't seem to go on how. We need to see that the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation. He's the rock. He's the center of gathering. He's everything. I don't.
Late brother Anderson, that one who has neglected the Gospels and is not acquainted with the general principles found in the Gospel of repentance and things of that nature, are really prepared to take their place at the Lord's statement. They may have a little bit of truth in their hands as to.
The ground of gathering.
But unless there is true a true sense of repentance before God and what it means, a complete moral revolution in the soul, there will never be happy at the Lord's faith.
OK, so Jerusalem were not to be open until the sun was hot, and so discernment and the full length testimony of God's word is needed in the assembly as the question of reception, is it not?
If the gates were open before the sun was hot, it might there might be miss, or it might be still not quite daylight and some light slip in. That would be the very cause of sorrow that we've been talking about. Is that what the apostle Paul held? Timothy lay hands suddenly on no man gone.
Rush to be identified with them, or have them identified with you. Wait on the Lord.
To make all clear, what you speak of is the responsibility of those who are receiving. But what I was referring to also was those who are applying for fellowship. The state of soul is necessary, and the exercise that should be with each one of us for that matter.
As to what the Gospels present, how full the Gospels are.
Of foundation truth. It's like someone has said that in reading the gospel we have the person of Christ before us and.
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We are.
Our hearts are warm, our hearts are drawn to him. But when we come to the epistles, we have the added thing of being instructed as to the doctrine itself.
In regard to being drawn to him as the center.
Don't you think by one being there?
The warp and conduct, the one who desires for expressive desire to remember the Lord is a very important consideration. Just just saying, why aren't you breaking bread? Well, there should be another inquiry. What has your walk been? What are you connected with? Is your walk careless? Are you going on with things that dishonor the Lord? Are you walking in company with the world?
Well, I believe that that things like that.
As to their walk is perhaps more important than even how well they understand the step that they're taking and taking their place at the Lord's table. A young believer might come in with a deep loss of the Lord and very little intelligence.
But if there is a godly walk, if there is a separation from the world and its ways, well, I believe a soul like that will be led on.
To a deeper understanding of what it really means to be gathered to the Lord's name alone. But this just encouraging anyone to come in, begging them to come in, and rather condemning them because they're not.
Remembering the Lord, I believe is a, is a is a wrong thing and can do harm.
In the book of Ruth we find that Thor has said of Ruth who stands with this. He wants to know something about it before he receives it. And it's very important too, isn't it, that we know something about those who applied the fellowship to be as Lord Stable go under their history?
We have an experience in the West Indies with a man who came one morning.
The Brighton village and he wanted to be received the Lord's table and dear brother Brown and he alone brother faithful from the two said. You know brother I need some help. I'm gonna receive your next Lords day, I said. Well, I'd like to have a little talk with him if I may.
So he and I went the back of the room, and I said, would you mind telling me with whom you've been associated before you came here and asked him to fellowship?
Well, he said. I've been with the Open Brethren. I said. Would you mind telling me why you're leaving them? He said. Well, I'm right around with some of the brothers and I've had a rail with my wife. She's there, too, he said. I cannot get along with them. I think I can get along with Brother Brown.
I said, Well, let me tell you this, dear friend, this is not a city of refuge for those who cannot come on the brethren, or cannot come on with the wife. Your first responsibility is to be reconciled to your brethren as your wife. Then if you exercise by taking a place before the Lord, then come and speak to Brother Brown.
I'm talking about with him. I said you couldn't be received on those grounds. I said I can see through it quite well. You're trying to avoid further conflict with your president and your wife, that's all. So he said, well, if you do not receive me here, I shall still come because I love them all. But that's the mask we saw over next week using the police station. Come here. So in Montreal, a young person asked to be received at the Lord's Table.
Their parents were spoken to and they said that they saw a real desire in their child's heart to please the Lord. The Sunday School teacher also was encouraged and as this was discussed in the brothers meeting, a brother said what does this young person know of the ground of gathering and the truth of the one party?
An older brother there said being received at the Lord's table is not a test of spiritual intelligence, but rather their law and a heart of affection for Christ.
I read a verse in God's Gospel, the 12Th chapter, in keeping with what you have just said.
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John's Gospel, chapter 12.
And.
Verse 25 and 26.
He that loveth his life.
Shall lose it.
And he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it a delight eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall also my servant be, if any man serve me him.
Will my father honor now? I believe that it's important that we see this in one who wishes to remember the Lord that he has.
The Lord before him, seeking to follow the Lord. It isn't a question of intelligence in Scripture, but I believe the principle that we have here is very important, as we said before in the gospel, that which brings the Lord before us and.
So the soul can have Christ as the object.
In that way, to follow Christ.
I like what we see in the parable of the Samaritan. It has been pointed out before.
That it was not the innkeeper who went out looking for additional guests. The Samaritan brought this wounded man to the inn, which I believe is a picture of the assembly. He brought the wounded man to the inn, and the condition of the wounded man was certainly not normal to that which the innkeeper had probably experienced before.
This man would be one who would require special, watchful, perhaps nursing care, and yet he was brought to the door of the inn by the Samaritan with these words. Take care of him. And whatsoever thou spend us more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Well, I just dropped this to death, and because I believe perhaps they're ought to be more of a sense of shepherding.
With all of us who are gathered than there is. I agree thoroughly with everything that has been said concerning the prayerful, spiritual, priestly discernment needed in connection with every individual case. But I wonder sometimes, when perhaps the disappointment follows, do we always say, well, there must have been a mistake in receiving? Or perhaps might we say?
Has there been thoughtlessness and carelessness in shepherding if a wounded individual is brought by the Lord to the assembly?
So what a responsibility rests with those who might hear the Lord saying.
Take care of him.
Our Lord's enduring this thought of the fact that.
God knew all about horror before 4 News.
And they didn't decide the assembly.
He president Nearly.
Provided the means of the restoration.
So it is always with God. He he's the head of the assembly and he will never protect the assembly because.
Because of course we do. We do need the word of God.
In this exercise to keep us from sin and sinning.
Though I was thinking how blessedly it is that God was pleased to God with this threat that presses the presses, the work hard restoration.
And he loves to do it too, The sorrow, responded The first chapter First Corinthians of the ministry.
That they needed before poor new energy, The thing that was there, the special thing that was the corals.
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And he never left it. So he went on to restore the assembly and.
The person that and that we find, I suppose we find that the proof of it in the second edition.
We could say, too, that the assembly of scripturally gathered, we are gathered as members of the body of Christ, and as such there is a place for each one there, unless excluded by discipline or by a careless walk. And then to the assembly is to be the pillar and ground of the truth. It's the place where the truth of God is maintained and those who come as it's been brought before us, are shepherded or should be, and the truth brought before them saw that they would grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
So that I believe there is not only the fact that there might not be knowledge, but even in some cases, like our brother just mentioned, there might be someone who needs special care who is brought. And we don't look that a person has thoroughly had given up everything that is out of the world, because perhaps when they're seeking to go on for the Lord, we see definite progress.
That is, I believe that when we see a person really desiring to please the Lord, there are certain things that will drop off as they go on and make progress in the things of God and if there is spiritual power in the assembly.
The person who has the right desire will learn, and I suppose most of us who are now gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus could say that there are things that have dropped off since we have been there, things that we have seen, and as we start to go on for the Lord.
These things we learned and desire to please the Lord more, and so they were given up. So I believe it's important that it's not only knowledge, nor is it only that there should be everything that's outward. The Pharisees had everything that was outward, but they didn't have a heart for Christ. We desire that the heart should be right, and if the heart is right and we see a desire by, surely the Lord can lead them on.
And in the assembly they learn not only the true.
But they learned to that which is becoming to His presence and growing grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
In our 12Th verse, we are called attention to the fact that the building is individual.
The Saints are workers together, and they're one, but still they're responsible individually for the work. And so it says, if any man build upon this foundation.
And then we have enumerated the kind of material.
Suggesting what's permanent and what will not stand the fire, because eventually the fire will test everything and so this puts it down. Individual responsibility does it not, in connection with what is built into the building.
Don't you think that pretty good? Consider this.
I was taking up any work of Christian is seeking to do for the Lord.
That's going to be tested out someday, not only dreaming souls into the assembly and capturing them. And that's the primary.
But I'm sure the principle would apply to every believer. We're all builders in a certain sense.
Building in view of Eternity and the day is coming when our works will all be tested out.
At the judgment seat of Christ.
And this is a very solemn thing to consider, that it's going to be revealed by fire. It says forest fire is a symbol of the judgment of God, and what is for the glory of Christ will stand the test. And of course the obedience to His word is also.
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Another consideration.
If it's not in obedience to His Word, for then it is something the Lord cannot grant a reward for. For surely the Lord could never reward disobedience to His Word. And so that brings in a very special exercise, and would turn a continually to the word of God, to search it and to get His mind, and to see what is according to His will and to His mind.
So that we might not be following a path of disobedience. So at the judgment seat of Christ, everything will be tested out there, and it shows in this passage as clearly as any passage in the world.
That salvation is not dependent on good works. It says if any man's work abide, well now if salvation.
You turn it on. Good works. Are there only Apostle which says, such as one will go to heaven? But no, he doesn't say that at all. He says, if any man's work of five which he had built thereupon, he shall receive our reward.
Another question that should search the hearts of all young and old who are here, that the subject of reward is definitely taught in the word, and to have rewards in that coming day is worth all that's surrendered in this life. Then on the other hand, if any man work shall be burned.
Why does it say you'll go to hell?
He supposed the man here whose works are all burned up. Well, you think, well, such a man, certainly to never get to heaven. But no, that isn't what he says. He says that he shall be saved, yet so is my fire.
I believe that the parcel here is just giving us the doctrine.
Supposing in one case where all works are good, in another case where all works are bad.
Well, I am sure you'll never find anyone among the Lord's children who hasn't failed. No one will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and all His works be accepted. Nor will there be anyone that the judgment seat of Christ, no matter how He may have failed in his life. But what the Lord will find something in his life for which He can reward, He sets the example clearly before here.
But the the subject is of the fire consuming.
What is merely a work of the place or something that may have made a great display in this world, and yet when it's tested, it's just so much material for the bonfire, whereas the little gold, silver, precious stones is far more important.
And having a mountain of wood, hay and stuff. So it's been often said that quantity will never make up for quality. That is a little that is really for the Lord's glory down here.
Is far better than a great display of what isn't, according to the Lord's will and mind, and is not done in obedience to His word.
Quality Brother Barry, I think of those scriptures that refer to the Lord Jesus in this way.
Not only did he restore that which he took not away from serving the Father, but he added the 5th part to it.
Now in the sacrifices.
They were not to allow the salt to be missing.
Salt has many meanings, but in that connection I believe it means devotedness.
Now, if there isn't devotedness in serving the Lord, there is liable to be would pay and double. If it's just a question of carrying out a command, then there isn't too much in it. But if it's a question of the heart in it, if any man has served me, let him follow me. Now that's devotedness to Christ, and I believe that's the kind of service that's seen as gold.
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And silver.
And precious stones. It's a result of appreciation, brethren.
For what took place at Calvary's Cross Forest? It's a result of what?
We find as we meditate on the work of Christ for us, and the heart goes out in answer to it, and the service really then becomes an overflow of praise. Is that not right in service?
It's certainly something we have to guard against, a matter of getting so occupied with service for the Lord that we forget the Lord. And I believe every one of us is faced with this temptation of getting so occupied with service, we forget the Lord. And instead of the service flowing out from devotedness to the Lord, we're occupied with the servant itself and think that that's devotedness.
We need to be in the presence of the Lord. We need to spend time with Him, but we can get so busy that we don't have time.
To spend in His presence. We're we're confronted with these trials, these testings, these temptations continually, and it's because of the weakness of ourselves and we're apartment to be LED astray, unwittingly. We make a God out of our service instead of being occupied with the Lord Himself.
We know that.
Perhaps noticed in connection with Martha and Mary, We remember that Martha was covered about much service and came to the Lord and said, speak to my sister that she helped me.
Well, Mary was the one who sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word.
Will you truly think that Marla would have been the sole winner?
Two sisters. But if you look at the 11Th chapter of.
John's Gospel.
Have the Raising of Lazarus look at the 45th verse.
Then many of the Jews which came not the Martha, but to Mary.
And had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. Many the one that sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word was instrumental in turning many to Jesus that came to her.
So the autumn here the statement that chameleon received ServiceNow true that is. And just as we had in that scripture, brother London, that you were reading there in the 12Th of John.
If any mind surgery doesn't say let him go to a Bible school or let him learn how to preach, but it says let him fall on me.
That's the true secret of service, isn't it? And that's the one the Lord can use in his left way.
Why do we have terror? Why do we have terror connected with the judgment seat of Christ in the 5th chapter of Second Corinthians?
In the 11Th verse, after we are told that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Then the 11Th verse says knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, why is terror connected with the judgment seat of Christ?
The fact that the Apostle had had been considering the fallen subject of the judgment seat of Christ, where the searching light of God glory was the place on his life and the life of all God's people. He thinks of the poor Sinner without any refuge, and brought under that searching light that's going to expose.
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All his life history down here, he thinks of a terror, he thinks of the awfulness of it and and it just stirred him up to persuade men to escape that terrible judgment that will take place when the Sinner stands before the Grapevine thrown and has his whole life brought into review.
And there's no shelter for him, no blood to cover his fins. He has to meet.
The Oracle solemn judgment of God.
Sometimes the judgment seat of Christ is looked at in its broader aspect, not only for believers, but also for unbelievers. Or it's the same person who will sit upon the great white throne who will sit upon what is for us the judgment seat of Christ. And so we find in Romans. It enlarges there, as I live, saith the Lord, Speaking of the judgment seat of Christ. And it says, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So if you thought of your life passing into review, what a blessed comfort to your heart to know that all has not been according to the mind of God will be burned up. The blood is forever. Put it away from God's holy sight, and it will not be charged against you.
But a lot of serious thing to think of all that passing into review and nothing to put the sin away and all being charged to us as sin. How terrible. So I believe there is that wider thought in connection with it. But there is no terror at the judgment seat of Christ for the believer. Because when we stand there, we'll be like Christ. We'll be clothed in the best world of heaven. However, I think we should not lose sight of the fact.
That there will be such a thing as feeling there, And if any man's work be burned, he shall suffer loss. And John spoke of it in his epistle, where he said that we may not be ashamed before him, it is coming. There is such a thing as feeling that our lives could have been more for him, but were for self instead, and that they will be lost at that time, not that there will be any.
Charge made to us, but it will be a loss that can never be regained. If any man's work be burned, he shall suffer loss. For how long? Never regain, Never regain what? An encouragement there to think that when it all comes up, the Lord's not going to charge one thing to us. But what a reason why we should live more for him when we think that he's taking note of every little thing that is done for him.
And will reward it. Remember that the Lord bat over against the treasury, and watch how they cast into the treasury. Not what, but how they cast into the treasury. And a poor widow came in with only two mice. She cast them both in. She didn't say, Well, I'll keep one for myself and give the other to the Lord. She gave it all.
The Lord says there is the one who has given the most. She gave all that she had. So the Lord looks not only at what is given but what is held back. He looks at the how the motive that prompted the act.
I believe that the subject of works and their judgment is not a new subject to the New Testament. We have it in the book of Ecclesiastes, the Last Word verse, for God shall bring every work into judgment.
With every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil, and possibly in in Isaiah.
24 Also with the judgment of the earth is spoken of, I believe it goes on until that great white throne day, That is, it refers to the judgment that will.
Take in everything in the coming days.
So I believe the subject of judgment and the works is not a new thing with the New Testament, although the Lord when He was here, he brought out the subject of eternal judgment which was not really known in the detail before.
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Here are the one who they suffered a lot, nor that they gave you very difficult time in his life in connection with the Blessed Lord. Jesus can't believe he was following the Lord as far off then he was warning himself at the fires of the enemy He had an opportunity to confess.
The Lord Jesus.
He had an opportunity to speak well, right? Well, I mean all the restoration.
That in power has reached it off later on. But that opportunity was not restored to him. Wasn't so in a sense you can see what would be to suffer off when he stands and the judgment seat of Christ. You will realize that here was an opportunity that he had and yet gone couldn't be restored.
We might remember that when it's the time for the judgment seat of Christ, and when we appear that is, believers appear before the judgment seat of Christ, we will be in our glorified body and we will be able to judge of things then in a way that we can't judge now.
And I I like to think of it this way, that the Lord then gives us the opportunity to.
Fully judge the thing as he judged it. He gives us the opportunity to have his mind about that thing which has not been According to him, and that is the thing that finishes it all. I'm sure that brother has been saying that we'll have feelings there. We'll go through a feeling of suffering, loss, but the judgment of the thing that was not according to the Lord will be feral.
And that will finish it. The reason we don't get through with things down here that we need to judge is because we don't seem to be able to judge them so early, and they keep haunting us and following us and troubling us. And we need to ask the Lord for grace to judge a thing even down here that we might be finished with.
Because we read if we confess our sins.
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So often we fail in self judgment and in judging the thing that was wrong, and so we're never really free from it and we never come into the joy of knowing that we've been cleansed from the defilement of.
How thankful we will be, surely in that day for the judgment seat of Christ.
When we will be completely finished with all of this that we could not thoroughly judge here there will be thoroughly judged and we'll be finished with it. But we should be exercised here and not wait until the judgment seat of Christ. No doubt that's why the terror part is brought before us, to make us realize that there will, there is not connected with it. It seems that here in our passage of Scripture in.
That we've been looking at 2nd Corinthians 5. The terror is connected with men. Knowing, therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
Well, why do we go out and preach the gospel to persuade men to accept Christ.
We know the terror of the Lord. We know the terrible judgment that awaits them. If they die in their sins, they die without Christ. They must meet the Lord on the great white throne. There is terror connected with it, and no doubt the apostle brings it in here that we might be exercised too about this.
Fact that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, not as to our salvation, it's not a question of that, but as to our works. And we should fear the law. We should have a reverence and respect for the Lord, not a fear like the the one who's still in his sins would have but a reverential fear that we that we fear that we do anything.
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To displease the law. It's not afraid of coming judgment but a fear lest we should dishonor the Lord or bring any shame on his name. To help young believers here with some brother, please explain what self judgment means.
You can explain it. Brother Snyder has well, could we say this self judgment?
Is not just holding.
Myself, and acknowledging that what I've done is wrong and disobedient to the word, but it's getting into the presence of the Lord, into the sanctuary, and owning before him.
Whatever the hindrance is, and whatever has been concrete to his mind and to his word, and asking him for grace to judge the matter third.
Self judgment. It's the judgment of self. It's true as a brother saying that sometimes we just judge the sin that's committed the truth. But we have to remember there's a root there that produces that, and we must judge that too, and remember that it's been judged at Calvary.
Christ was hanging there in the cross, and he suffered in the flesh.
He was condemned there on Calvary's cross, and we are seen by God as condemned in him in that death their calories shelf has been condemned. And we need to realize this not only judge the fruit, but the root of sin as well, which has already been condemned by God. And we need to take that attitude toward the truth that we hold it in that place of condemnation.
Let's sing our little camp all that we were.
Our sins.
Well, that we were our sins, our guilt, our guest was all our own. All that we are, we all to be of God, of grace alone.
2 Timothy 2:1-4
Reading
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General meetings, Montreal, October 1971 Third reading meeting.
Our journey go here on earth. Be room to find and have a flavor our spirit home for our city.
But he found the gold free to look up to heaven in our Rd. #56.
Oh, oh, oh.
Rift me to give out one more hymn brethren before we read why those fears. Behold his Jesus holds the helm and guides the ship.
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#290.
Covered fairly well, Brother London, the third chapter First Corinthians.
I think it would be nice to go on to something else if someone has something.
All of the Brethren think of taking up the second chapter of Second Timothy.
The reminder to raise your voice as much as possible for you. Very difficult to hear the four corners of the community.
Suggested that we might take up the second chapter of Second Timothy.
Second Timberlake, second chapter.
Now therefore, my son.
Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
00:20:04
And the things about her to me among many witnesses the same, Commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Thou therefore endure hardness.
As a good soldier of Jesus Christ, no man, that war entangled himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who have chosen him to be a soldier.
And if a man also strive for mastery, yet is he not proud except he strive lawfully?
The husband that laborers must be first partaker of the fruit. Consider what I say, and the Lord give the understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my God.
Wherein I suffered trouble as an evildoer even on the ball, but the word of God is not found.
Therefore I endure all things for the elected sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful thing, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with Him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him if we deny him.
He also.
Will deny us if we believe not. Yet he abides faithful. He cannot deny himself.
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words, and no problem.
But for the subverting of the here.
Studying to show myself approved unto God a Workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word truth.
But Sean profane and vain badly, for they will increase unto more ungodly, and their word will eat at as Duffy tanker of whom is time even.
And.
Who, concerning the truth have aired saying that the resurrection has passed already and overthrow the basins off. Nevertheless the foundation of God stands pure. Having this seal the Lord knows them that are his. And let everyone, the name of the name of Christ, depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only methods of gold and of silver, but also.
And a murder, some water, some dishonor. If a man therefore burns himself from thee, he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified, and meet for the master Jews, and prepare unto every good work.
Flee also youthful love, but fall righteousness, faith.
Peace with them that fall on the board out of a pure heart, but foolish. Not alert questions. Avoid knowing that they do gender strikes, and the servant of the Lord must not strive.
But we gentle unto all men have to teach patience, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if God her adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves, and to snare the devil who are decapitated by him at his will.
00:25:07
Yes, thank you. Wealth of instruction we have in this chapter.
And specially.
Important for the very day and time in which we're now living.
Some questions of God's word are especially important in giving us what Peter speaks of as the president, who all scriptures have foretell Timothy farther on.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable under doctrine.
Righteousness. Man of God may be perfect, thoroughly punished unto all good works. So whether it be Old Testament or New Testament, the Gospels or the Epistles, or Revelation, or the Acts of the Apostles, it's all intended for us. But sometimes it may be that we need special instruction for the problems.
And for the needs and the establishment of God's people.
At a special time.
In the history of this world, and especially what here, in connection with our responsibilities.
In the Church of God.
As you go, as he's already taught, Timothy, which is the pillar and ground, are part of the truth.
There's a verse that says something like this.
Speaking the truth in love, I like to think of this second epistle.
As just that.
The apostle here is about to be offered up.
And he could say of Timothy. I have no man like minded Timothy could enter in with the apostles.
And have the same mind as to the things of Christ.
The He had sat under the apostle, and he had learned the truth of these precious revelations that God had communicated to Paul, and especially in that which was so precious to God a testimony here on the earth according to the truth itself. And so he he commits certain things to Timothy.
In this matter, in this regard, but he does so.
In affection, and we have it in the beginning of this chapter.
Now, in other places in Scripture the apostle asserts his apostleship in a very definite way. But here it seems that in the very last moments of his life his heart is poured out to Timothy and to us through Timothy, the deep affections of the heart of the apostle.
Who Dr. deeply in the love of Christ is now expressed to Timothy, and so when he says my son is more than an expression.
We learned earlier that he remembered him with tears because he felt those bombs, those Christian bombs, were so strong and so precious especially.
In the day when always that in Asia had forsaken him, now, brethren, this is a word for our hearts.
We're living in a day when things are breaking down around us. The very fundamental truths are being given up around us.
There's one way in which we can express Christianity. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, and that you have love one for another, and as we express the truth in any way.
Be done in love, as the apostle shows us here in connection with Timothy.
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I know it's the first chapter of this epistle, and this is in connection with what my brother Lundeen reminded of us holding the truth in love. It says here in verse 13 of chapter one.
Whole fact, the form of sound words without heard of me.
In faith and Lama with faith and love.
This is very important. There are two things, faith and love, and that's the balance, isn't it?
All the truth in love.
But also remember to hold it in faith, in faithfulness, perhaps is the thought we must hold the truth and love, and in faith as well and.
This cast us. It was a test for Timothy.
He saw the Apostle in prison. He saw him suffering for the truth sake, for Christ sake.
And no doubt Timothy was tempted to give up.
Paul has to tell him in verse eight of the first chapter, be not now, therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. And remember, Timothy was a young man, and perhaps we might say it would be easy for him to be stumbled, or try to sign, or to be ashamed and give up, but the apostles encourages him to go on.
And that's what we need today.
An encouragement to go on and.
We noticed in this same first chapter that Paul reminds him.
This thou know that all day which our name can be turned away from me. But then it seems that he's saying Timothy, don't turn away, don't turn away from me, don't turn away from the truth, hold on the truth, and don't turn away from the grace as we have here in the first verse of our chapter.
Be strongly grace that is in Christ Jesus. Don't give up.
You can't stand in your own strength. The only way you can stand is by grace.
There are three special names by the team mentioned in these officials.
In the first chapter to find out those whose feet were wrong.
First of mentioned 1St 15 This thou love of all things in our nation be turned away from me. Well as we prolonged and turning away from the cops before because he was following sight, let me find the statement after the motion hits were wrong.
7/16/17 first and the second chapter.
And their word will lead to stop a canker of whom is Himanius and Philetus who concern you? The truth have heard saying that the resurrection is passed already and overthrow the faith of some. They're wrong in their heads.
Well, in the third chapter.
In verse 11.
Verse 10 For Demas hath forsaken me. Having loved this present world, the heart of demas was wrong, and turning to this world instead of following Christ. And we have the three remedies for them too. How to keep the feet right? How to keep the head right? How to keep the heart right Now we have in.
And the 21St verse of the second chapter.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, and prepare unto every good work This show you'll keep the feet right.
Then it tells us in the.
The fourth verse of the second chapter. No man at war entangled himself with the affairs of this life.
But he may please him who have chosen him to be a soldier. Disentanglement from the affairs of this life will help to keep the heart rate, and it tells us how to keep the head right.
The 15th first of the second chapter.
Study to show thyself approved, undergone a work when that need is not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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That will help to keep the head right. So these are three special dangers mentioned. And we all need the warnings too, that our feet might be kept right in the path which the Lord has marked out, and our heads right and our hearts right.
Before he enters into the subjects of this chapter, he says far away from the strong in the grief that is in Christ Jesus.
In a similar way, the Apostle speaks to the Ephesians.
In in Ephesians 6 chapter.
Where he is about to bring before them to put on the whole armor of God. He may be able to stand in the evil day, but before he enters into that subject and the 10th verse, he says, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord.
And in the power of his knight in this chapter he says, be strong in the grief that is in Christ Jesus.
When it's a question of.
Warfare. When we're in conflict with the enemy, we need special strength. And where we will find that strength? Did he tell us to put on the whole armor of God that?
In order to use that armor, we must be strong in the Lord.
Not in our own might, not in our own strength, but in the power of his might.
Well, in this chapter where he's about to give instructions first way.
Partially we have to God's children as to their walk and their preservation.
The word grace is prominent to be strong in the Lord, where we need power because it's facing those wicked spirit and heavenly places. We need that power here in connection with the health and instruction for the people of God. There is much need of Greece and brethren how we do need grace to go on together.
In an evil day.
And we can be strong in it. And they remember this too.
The Great sets self entirely aside because it is of grace. It's entirely apart from ourselves.
That by which we are saved, We're saved by grace and His grace that keeps us. And when we get to glory, it will be.
Great health, great that has brought out in our lives that will be that for which the rewards are given.
Don't you say of that seven verse of Ephesians 4, Brother Perry.
Coated No Season 4, not 6.
How do every one of us is given grace?
According to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Well, I thought a brief there really as the gift.
If a gift is bestowed, it's really God's grace. None of us didn't deserve any of his favor.
Perhaps you have some thought More than that, I was wondering if.
This suggests that possibly.
The soul would be more concerned now about being in close communion.
So that we do not overstep that which he has given to each individual, because each one in the body has his place and.
We're to act according to this, the grace that he's given, but not to go beyond it. That word measure there may suggest this, that he has given grace and each member has his place now, Timothy.
00:40:00
Had much committed to him, and the apostle has to exercise him as to what had been committed to him.
There may be the danger, especially with the younger one, of going beyond that which the Lord has committed to him. I suppose that's the danger of all of us. But I think in communion we learn this, do we not? What he has committed and how far we should go?
But it says all to be turned away from me. It wasn't that they had turned away from Christianity, but they had turned away from all doctrine. They were not walking in that truth. That was communicated to Paul. And that's why this pistol has its particular application today, because we see a vast profession of Christianity.
It has become what is described in the second chapter as a great house with vessels to honor and vessel to dishonor, and also as we had in First Corinthians 3IN that house where the spirit of God dwells, there's wood, hay, and stubble, as well as gold, silver, and precious stones. There are those that defile the temple of God. And I believe that this is a great concern for every true Christian.
That is, he looks about on the profession of Christianity and he says, well, there are so many people believe differently, and they all claim to get it from the Bible. How are we to know what is the truth of God? Well, I believe this shows us our path, that we're not satisfied that they merely profess Christianity. But now we must make a test. Is it according to the word? Is it according to that truth of Christianity that has been revealed?
For Paul speaks of that which he had received from Christ in glory, and it says, see that she turned not away from heaven, that speaketh from heaven, and saw. I believe it has a very special word for us in this day, that we might know what our conduct should be in this great House of Christendom, and that there is a path for faith where we can follow righteousness, faith.
Love with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. It isn't that we have proposed to say that only certain ones are believers. Even Paul when Speaking of these two men who said the resurrection was passed, he didn't pass judgment and say they were not saved. He said the Lord not them that are his. But his path was clear. Let everyone that name is the name of Christ.
Depart from iniquity. And therefore in this chapter it's been noticed before. The Christian is looked upon in seven different ways, and in these different ways the particular character of conduct. And so the first one we're considering as being in the family well, what is to characterize the family Well, to be strong in the Greece, that is in Christ Jesus, as our brother remarked that grace has been shown to us. And what is grace?
Is an overlooking of sin. Oh no, God didn't overlook sin. God judged them that He might manifest what was in his heart. And sin was perfectly and completely judged at the cross. And now God abounds to us and all the riches of His grace. Well, in giving out the truth, let us remember we're no better than others. But God has revealed something to us from His word and as we pass it on to others.
It's in the sense that it's only grace that has made it known to us and that can make it good in our own souls and having its power over our own lives.
To notice too that it's the grease which is in Christ Jesus.
So that necessitates that we are much occupied with His blessed life down here.
I found a remedy lots of times.
Well, I can't sleep to start out with one of the Gospels and justice travel through the gospel and follow the Lord from step to step.
Find it. I get up to enjoying the Lord in my soul and occupied with him the first thing I know, I said, which seemed to be.
Evading me, I get. I get a peaceful sleep then.
00:45:02
My father taught me that. He said start in one of the gospel, chapter after chapter, and see how much you can remember in each gospel. And I found it a very practical, simple way to get rest times when I'm restless.
The grief which is in Christ Jesus. It was perfect. There all think of those gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth, and then think that the next thing, that those who would not accept that grace were ready to throw him over the brow of the hill.
You know where it was to be despised because of His grace. And so those who were faithful in connections with their testimony will have to experience the same thing. But that never changed the Lord.
Going on in that same gracious ministry all through his pathway down here.
I'm thinking of this expression, My son. It's it, really. Paul is Speaking of Timothy as his son.
I think if we can connect that with the what we have in chapter one where the apostle says I have.
In verse 3.
Our first four greatly desiring to see thee being mindful of light here.
Timothy was one who had great affection for Paul, not just as a personality, but as you mentioned, Paul is brought before us in this epistle as the the one who has brings the truth of God in Christianity to us. He is the vessel of testimony, we might say and Timothy.
When others had turned away, as they did in Asia. From Paul.
Timothy was sympathetic and there was a fraction, and it's reciprocal here, he says. My son, I'd like to contrast that with what we have in the 18th chapter of Acts.
Around the 20th chapter of Acts, when the Apostle Paul has the elders.
Of emphasis before him.
In this 20th chapter of Acts.
We have really the culmination of the ministry of the apostle. He had been raised up of gods who.
Complete or fulfill the word of God, as he says in Colossians. And here he says that he had not shown to declare unto them the whole council of God.
They had all of the truth brought to them. The testimony had been fully revealed through the apostle, and he commends them to God and to the word of his grace. But what I had, especially before me, is the affection that they showed for him. At the end of the chapter we read in verse 37 that they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him.
This, I believe, would speak of the fact that in these early days there was a real love of the truth that Paul had brought. Because, you see, their affection for him was because he had been the one used of God to bring the truth to them. They spoke of their affection for the truth of God, the truth not only of the gospel, but he was a minister of the assembly as well, the truth of the Church.
The truth of Christ, love for the Church. So in the beginning we might say that this characterized the whole church. They were.
They had the love of the truth that Paul brought. But now when we come to the days of Second Timothy, that Second Timothy speaks of the day of the ruin and failure of the church. Why they have left the first love. They've departed from that first love.
And like Demas, he had forsaken the apostle, having loved this present world, not necessarily the sinful amusements and pleasures of the world, but he had to no longer that affection for the truth that called it brought, and other things he was interested in. We might say that he he was more or less attracted by that which gave him a place in this world.
00:50:08
And those that in Asia turned away. But here was Timothy he he still had love and affection for that truth, that Paul had brought Pauls doctrine, Paul's truth, the truth of the assembly as well as the gospel. And it speaks of that affection, I believe, for the truth that the Lord would look for even in a day of ruin and failure, when the vast majority of those who profess to know the Lord.
Have no concern for the truth of gathering to the Lord's name the truth of the assembly, the truth of that Paul has brought to us by the grace of God. Well he I believe, that the Lord appreciates.
That affection for Paul, in that sense that there is a love for the truth of the assembly in a day when it is, and as to its outward testimony and ruin and failure.
There were 10 positions. That's where you used your 7. Seven ways that the believer is looked at in this chapter. Well, we have immediately before us.
Three of those positions, first we have the soldier, then we have the athlete.
And then we have the husbandman or the farmer, each giving us a special line of instruction. It's very helpful.
But before we enter into that subject in the second verse.
He says the things that thou hast heard of me, among many witnesses, the same commits out of faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Now here is the scriptural way in which the truth of God is ministered and preserved among his people. In the 1St place we have.
Paul, who was an inspired man committing their truth that have been revealed to him by the Spirit.
To Timothy.
Of whom you are just mentioned that there was no one like minded, who would naturally care for the for the Saints. Apostle could remind the Philippians as a son with a father, how he had gone on for years.
There was a suited vessel.
Into which the apostle the great inspired apostle.
Could pull up the pure, undiluted truth of God.
Now in the second place.
He was still commit these things from the apostle.
To faithful men, well, that's important, isn't it? Faithful men. Men who have proved through years that their conduct is above reproach.
And that their walk among their brothers has committed itself so that all fields, that certain one is one who and with a whole heart desires to please the blessed Lord. And true that one can't be a faithful unless He's one who is walking in obedience, simple, humble obedience to the word of God. And then?
The third step is.
Who shall be able to teach others also?
Now that the dispensers any such thought, the theological school or a Bible school, this is the divine way of when man begins to interfere and think he has a better way to perpetuate the truth. Why he spoils it, he brings in.
A system that is open to all the work of the enemy. So many Bible schools or theological schools started out sound and then as time went on then corrupt minds got in and after a while the whole system becomes just a modernistic system but the way the apostles.
00:55:19
Set things before Timothy is perfect.
It's. It will exclude anything like.
Coming in.
Of wrong teaching without a faithful man, who shall be able to teach others also.
Brother Potter told me that when he attended general meetings in England years ago, he said you'd see Mr. Darby.
With a group of brothers around him, told of another brother that went astray, He said that he would. You see him surrounded by the sisters. Well, we don't want to belittle the sisters, but he just called attention to this that.
Brother was continually preparing others to carry on the truth. The Lord had given him to others. So when he first went to Chicago, he saw a young man who was a Shoemaker there, working humbly making shoes to provide for his family. And he recognized in that young man a gift. And he spent much of his time with that young man. And that young man was our brother, Walter Potter.
Who was greatly used and continued on, and the testimony to the end of his journey.
Brother Barry that in regard to the sisters, we have two circles here, one in the first chapter and one in the second that you have just referred to. In this second verse of the second chapter, we have 4 generations that have had the truth communicated to them.
In the first chapter there are three, but this we have the sisters, that is, the mother and the grandmother who had communicated the truth to Timothy. Now this is very important to notice.
Because.
Little do the sisters perhaps realize how important their work is in the hall. They're in close contact with their children.
And that's why the spirit of God says keepers at home. Because unless the woman is a keeper at home, she cannot fulfill her duty and privilege with those dear children. Now, there may be exceptions, of course. We're not trying to lay down laws, but we're Speaking of principles that the the mother and the grandmother.
Have a very important place in communicating the truth to the little ones. I'm going to refer to something that I have referred to before, but I think it's very important to notice this. In the first chapter I was called with another brother to the deathbed of a man who was 100 years old.
And on his deathbed he confessed.
The Lord Jesus as his Savior and we asked him how he came to this when he said, when the Lord put me on my back, I remembered the words that my grandmother taught me. Now that was almost 100 years before.
And so let's not grandmothers give up. You have something to do that no one else can do.
With those dear grandchildren of yours, because you can show affection to them in a way perhaps, that can attract their hearts and communicate the truth to them. There was an old grandfather who was unsafe and a little girl. This is just the reverse of it, of course.
A little girl came to him and she said, Grandpa, aren't you going to heaven with us? Well, it broke his heart. And so it works both ways, you know, works both ways.
In connection with the existence speaks about being keepers at home, I often think of what she was said to Abraham. Abraham, where is your wife? He said in the tent.
01:00:09
He didn't say round the neighbors having a coffee break.
He said in the tent he knew where his wife was. She is a keyboard home.
We hear the expression Apostolic succession.
We know, of course, there's no such thing in the word of God.
This is the only succession that I see in scriptures what we have right here.
In this murder, and this is a simple one, isn't it? And I believe we need to be exercised about this, that we help others in the truth and the older ones should help the younger ones, because there will come a time when the older one will be gone, the Lord carried. And who's going to carry on the younger one the responsibility passes on from.
Generation to generation.
On each generation needs to be an exercise about the truth of God.
For written ministry. But it never replaces this, does it? We have often found one is that spend a great deal of time over written ministry, but neglect the fellowship of their brethren. And that shall I say word of mouth help that God is able to give mess a great deal and can perhaps to become one sided.
I believe God has provided and we thank Him for the written ministry that we have, but we also thank Him that in this present time he has a testimony, and it has been said that there is a tendency to reject a present testimony from God.
We find this all through the history of God's people. Even when the Lord was here, they boasted that they accepted Moses, but they were rejecting the Lord. So if God has a present testimony, let us on it and seek to go on with it and realize that we need one another. I wonder if we see that in the last chapter of Acts. That seems to me to be very significant in connection with what has been said.
It's a wonderful, wonderful privilege to sit at the feet of those to whom the Lord has entrusted the truth. And really, before we know it, some of them are gone and their voices are silent. And we we feel that we missed something because we perhaps have not thought out the opportunity ourselves as sitting and listening to such ministry. In the end of the act, we found that great city of Rome which the spirit of God knew would someday be the boasted center of Christianity.
But in that city there was a man who was virtually A prisoner, the apostle Paul. And it says of him that he dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came unto him. I think that the very interesting picture they are in that great city of religion. There was one place where there was a despised man, virtually a prisoner.
But if there was a real desire for the truth of God, and a recognition of the present testimony that has been spoken of, they knew where they could go to hear it. They could go to that home. And it wasn't a very popular place to go. There was a man from whom they heard the ministry, a very popular man either, and it seems to me rather striking that this was only granted for two years.
I felt there's nothing rather significant about that. I feel those two years are just about ended, and I feel that the ministry of God entrusted through that, that servant bog off wondrous grace is still available. It's not popular.
But it's still, by the grace of God, I believe, accepted, and in contrast to this reference has been made to demons who had accompanied Paul and had listened to his ministry. But there came a time when Demas made a choice.
And somehow, I don't know whether I'm using the right word or not, but I've always felt it was a bit of a compliment to the Apostle Paul.
01:05:00
That FEMA?
Felt he could go along with Paul and with the world at the same time. Demons had forsaken me, having lost his present world. There was something about the presence and the ministry of the Apostle Paul that made demos reorg that he just couldn't go along with both. And I cannot help but feel that if the ministry of the precious word of God is and it ought to be.
It just could greatly be mingled with that which he must not have.
There is quite a lengthy exhortation to the women in Scientists or Not.
Especially the way it reads in the new translation in the second chapter.
Titus 2.
His first speech of the elder man and then?
In regard to the women.
The fourth verse in regard to the women.
And it says.
For the third word, Father, that the elder women in like manner be in deportment and becoming those who have to say the sacred things.
Not slanderers, not enslaved much wine teachers of what is right.
That they may admonish the young women to be attached to their husbands.
To their children, discreet, chase, diligence in homework, good subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be evil spoken of.
Younger men in like manner start to be discreet and dawn.
It's very, very good, isn't it?
I believe in this next verse.
That we're coming to.
It might be.
A well to notice that another translation puts it this way. And take our share in sufferings. Take thy share in sufferings as a good soldier.
Jesus Christ.
Not to shrink, Timothy might be willing to.
To speak. All right. But now there's something else comes in.
There's something that characterizes Christianity in a special way.
As was told to the apostle at the beginning of his ministry, and that is in fact it was told.
To the Prophet, not to fall, but to another I will show him what great things he must suffer for my sake. Now I'm sure that no one wants to go into suffering, but when it comes, take thy share of suffering. As a good soldier, I believe that's the thought.
And in the fourth verse it says no man that Warren. Here we find a soldier on active service.
Not merely in the barracks, there's nothing but his daily drills to worry about. He's on active service, and so therefore he needs the grace which is in Christ Jesus, and his desire should be to please him who have chosen him to be a soldier. But for the grace of God would be the soldiers of the devil. Still, how thankful we should be that we are soldiers of Jesus Christ through his work at Calvary. Otherwise we'd be in the devil's army.
So here we have a soldier on active service, one who is has an enemy to face.
And he needs that grace, special grace which is in Christ Jesus. And his desire should be to please him who have chosen him to be a soldier.
Himself with the affairs of this life.
To do with the politics when he's in the army, has he?
He's the soldier and that's his position and he has his duties to perform, but he has nothing to do with politics.
While he's in the army.
01:10:01
Well, I'm sure there are many other entanglements that we can have. We can get into things and large debts over our head and all kinds of things like this that hinder us. Perhaps when we want to do something for the Lord, we have put ourselves in a position where we say, well, I just have to attend to this and that. Whereas the one who seeks to go on as the scripture says, Oh no man, anything seeks to go on in a somewhat simple life.
Find that when there's a call to do something for the Lord, he's not entangled with that which would hinder him from saying yes. We find that when the Lord called people, he called busy men. He called Jeff. He called Moses when he was keeping the flock of Jethro. He called a fisherman. When they were fishing. He called Matthew when he was sitting at the receipt of custom. They were fulfilling their ordinary jobs.
But they were in a position where they could leave at the call of the Lord. And I believe, I I think it's a very helpful thing for us all, and especially those who are young and planning their lives, not to put themselves in a position where they become perhaps obligated for years to come. And if the Lord should say, I want you to go here to do this and that their son tangled that they can't go, it's not that these things are are positively wrong.
Things may be perfectly normal and right, but it's a question of pleasing him who has called us to be a soldier. I believe this is a very good and helpful word for those of us who make plans, and especially for those who are younger.
I believe we can do a lot in our youth to fit ourselves so that when the Lord does want us, we're free to go. The the Levites were numbered from a month old.
It appears that when they came to 20, they began to be broken in, as it were. And finally, when they were 30 years of age, they were doing full service. But it wasn't something that just came suddenly, was something that came gradually because they belonged to a family.
Who owned the Lord's claims over them? They were his set apart for him.
Gideon's army.
Well, he had a quiet army to begin with, but they were pared down to only 300.
Well, at the last, when they came to the to the water, there were those that bowed down to drink, but there were those that that laughed as they went along. Well, I suppose that brings before us, but in every one of us a desire for ease and comfort. A dis.
For ease and comfort and all, what a hindrance this is to us in serving the Lord. But here were 300 that had as it were abandoned themselves, and they were not seeking any comfort at all. If they could get a little water by as they were walking long, laughing it up with their hands, well, that was all right, but they were not going to bow down in a comfortable way to get a drink.
And they were the ones, the 300.
That got used well. There were soldiers, and they were not so only soldiers in May, but in reality in their hearts. And isn't this what God is looking for? It's so easy for us, and every one of us has this in him, to seek for comfort and ease, just to settle down and have it easy. And perhaps we're thinking about the day when we're going to retire and have it easy.
Oh, this is the main one of the veins of the Christian, I believe. And May God give us grace to, as it were, yield ourselves to the Lord. Say, Lord, take me, and use me, if not that we want to be great, but to do some little thing that the Lord might want us to do, and to be a soldier, to stand for him, to be true to him, and if we have any testimony to give, that He'll give us grace for.
All we need to ask the Lord for grace.
Just to abandon ourselves to the Lord, and I believe here in this verse.
01:15:04
It could retake your share of suffering with the cause, or for the cause. It is the cause of praise. What cause do we have in this world? The only cause that we should be interested in is the cause of Christ.
The testimony for Christ, living for Christ, walking for Christ in the sea.
Someone they're worried about the the 19th chapter of First Kings Elijah is calling Elijah.
The last 19th chapter of First Kings. Yes, that's connected with a burst in Luke. Perhaps we should read that first. And that's the.
I have just turned to it when you've spoken.
The.
61St Birds of the 9th Chapter of Luke.
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go and bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, no man having put his hand to the plow.
And looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God. I want to read that verse again. No man.
Having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God.
Now in Kings Second Kings, our first kings 19 and 19.
We have.
What this refers to, I believe that our brother has mentioned.
In connection with.
Elijah as he is to take up the work.
Of Elijah.
As a successor.
We find here in this passage.
In first Kings 19.
And 19.
So he departed fence, that's Elijah departed then and found Elijah, the son of Shaytan, who was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen before him, And he with the 12 and Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxygen and ran after Elijah and said, let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother.
And then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took not a yoke of oxen, but the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boil their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
The picture here is.
What comes first? The issues of the Kingdom of God or self?
We have in the picture of Elijah.
Juan, who was now going to pass his mantle, that is the work was going to be put on another, and his mantle wants to be transferred to Elijah. And we find that Elisha is plowing now. Plowing in Scripture suggests, I believe, the state of soul repentance.
And so he finds the man who is repentance, a man who is just self. That's the first point.
Perhaps you better not go into too much of this just to refer to the main points. I believe that the 12 yoke of oxen, however, suggests that it's the end of a dispensation. The law and the prophets were until John, after that the Kingdom of God's preached, however.
He passes by him, and he casts his medal upon him. Now we notice he leaves the oxen, and he ran after Elijah.
And he said.
Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother now. This is equivalent to what the Lord was Speaking of in Luke, going back again to the old order of things, putting that first.
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Father and mother suggest the first principles Nature.
But instead.
He rebukes him, and he says, go back again for what have I done to thee? This won't do you go back again. And he does go back, not to kiss his father and mother, but to bring death in upon everything.
That had gone before.
He had been plowing with Oxford, but now he slays them. He takes the very instruments that he had been using to make the fire wind, so he can boil the flesh for the people of God.
It suggests the new ministry of grace that follows that of Elijah.
A ministry.
That.
Has to do with the subject of the Kingdom of God.
Righteousness.
Peace, joy, and the Holy Ghost. These are pictures, of course, but he he brings death in upon everything that's gone before. And now he's ready to follow Elijah. Because Elijah, I believe later in the in the second chapter a second king sets before us, the risen man.
The one who has gone on high with Elijah, Elijah now following him.
And being his representative down here, which really is a picture of the believer.
Once you have brought the forest, brother, I believe is very important in connection with putting the Lord first in the ninth of Luke. We have three types of followers mentioned. One has already been mentioned by a brother, it says in verse 57, and it came to pass as they went in the way a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee with us, whoever thou God.
With us whoever there are goals, And the Lord turns to him and says Foxes have holes, the birds of ear have nests of the son of man have not where to lay his head. Are you prepared to follow me under those conditions? We hear no more about the man, then we find the next, one says.
Verse 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me for us to go and bury my father.
I do not believe it necessarily means that his father was dead. But he put himself under an obligation and he was not free to serve the Lord till his father was dead. So he says me first and then in the verse 61 and another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first again go and visit them farewell which are at home. So we have three types of followers. When the Lord told the first one what conditions were we hear no more about He's following the Lord.
Than the other two said me first, Lord, me first.
On both occasions, well, it should be the Lord first. So do we not have a picture here entanglement with the affairs of this life?
In here about John Mark, because I think he was an example of one who did turn back, was unwilling to take his share and suffering when there was difficulty in the work, it says he went back and saw the next time Paul didn't feel free to take him because he hadn't taken his share in suffering.
But the story doesn't end there. It's nice to see that he was afterwards restored, and Paul could speak about him and say bring Mark or he is profitable to me for the ministry. No doubt he had learned lessons by the mistakes that he had made, and some have suggested that it was by writing the Epistle of the Gospel of Mark. We know that this one who had been a failing servant.
Was used as the Spirit of God to write the gospel of Mark, which presents the Lord Jesus to us as the perfect servant. So what a change it wrought in the life of Mark. And we afterwards find this very man profitable to Paul for the ministry. So let us not be discouraged, if we have perhaps turned back in difficulties, to realize that the Lord can still use us if we seek to come beforehand.
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And the profit by even the mistakes that we have made and on them before him and seek to go on.
50.
2 Lord, we are Lord.
I love.
You.
I love you.
Right.
2 Timothy 2:5-22
Reading
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General Meetings, Montreal, October 1971.
Reading.
#12
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Second Timothy 2 brother Barry.
Very happy to go on my end of the brother. What verse? Verse 5, but I thought.
Second Timothy Chapter 2, verse 5.
And if a man also strive for mastery, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully?
The husband man that laborers must be first partakers of the fruit. Consider what I say. And the Lord gave the understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
Wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer even unto bonds. But the word of God is not found. Therefore I endure all things for the elects sake. They may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying. For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him.
If we deny him, he also will deny us. If we believe not yet he abide, is faithful, he cannot deny himself.
Of these things put them in mock remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no prophets, but to the subverting of the here.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, but shunned profane and vain babbling, For they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat. Has got a canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Phalidus? Through concerning the truth have heard saying that the resurrection is passed already and overthrow the faith of some.
Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands assure having this seal.
The Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also wooden of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man left or purged himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified, and meet for the masters youth.
And prepared until flee also youthful lust.
Follow righteousness, faith, character, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart but foolish and unlearned questions. Avoid knowing that they do gender strikes, and the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men apartment to keep patients in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance.
To the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him, and it will.
And the fourth verse that I think is very nice in connection with what was said this morning.
Mention was made of abstaining from entangling ourselves with the affairs of this life, but it's so lovely, the way it goes on in the verse, to say that he may please him.
Who have chosen him to be a soldier. I've never had any Army experience, but I've heard from those who have that.
In the face of hardships and difficulty, there are sometimes 2 problems that arise. 1 is.
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I'm in this because I have to be and I don't really want to be here. The other is they're never very sure whether they're really on the winning side.
But how lovely it is to know that those of us who are included in this fourth verse and have this exhortation put before us are actually there because of the choice of Him who put it in such a position that we may please Him who has chosen us to be soldiers, and by the grace of God, who we know that the position in which we're found is going to end in.
Not in defeat.
There are some verses that I'm sure that all of us.
Feel that have stood out in our lives as turning points.
We feel that for instance in salvation, some may feel that John 5/24 was the first that really gave him to see their need and the provision.
Well, this fifth verse.
Certainly was a turning point in my own experience. I remember I was coming to the meetings.
But I wasn't clear.
About the truth until this verse was read to me at a young people's meeting.
If a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. I believe in the new translation. It has to do with the games. That is, the thought is there.
Now most young people here have had to do with different parts of athletics.
In my own case, I used to run a little bit for the school and we were very deftly told what the rules were and if we violated them, no matter how fast we ran, how well we ran, we would not get the prize for the school.
And so we had to be very careful that we have made all the rules that we started right, that we stayed within the bounds and that we ended up properly. Well, I believe this is something that.
We need to take home to us in connection with the word of God.
We must drive according to the rules. It's a wonderful thing to give out the gospel.
But, you know, there are certain things that are pleasing to the Lord in connection with the giving out of the gospel, and other things that we may invent from our own minds. And I think it's good for us to have the instruction from the word of God and to act on it. This is true all the way through, from salvation on that we must go according to the rules. Now it's true we're not under.
The law.
But the point is here pleasing the one who has chosen us.
He's chosen us and all to think of the cost in choosing us, how he has provided for us. Well, the least we can do now is to abide by the instructions, because all this will come out of the judgment seat of Christ, whether or not we have continued according to the instructions.
11/6 Go along with this verse.
About the state, it is impossible to use him.
Yeah.
Speaking of that.
We noticed in that passage in the end of our chapter.
Where we have righteousness, faith, love and peace. That's the order.
Well, when we think of faith, we must remember that there is no such thing as faith unless it's based on the word of God. I suppose that's your thought, brother. If the word of God, that we must.
Abide by That's faith. It wouldn't be faith to use our own reasoning powers, whether it be in the giving, the methods of the gospel, or anything else.
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Brother was quoting that scripture. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
And it's not.
Our faith is not based upon reasoning, as her brother says, nor on what we might read in in good books. It's the word of God that's the basis for the faith.
Oh yes, they're both good, aren't they? But I'll read Hebrews 11/6. But without faith, it is impossible to please him, impossible to please him.
For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Suppose we could say that there is what is done, and also the motive for doing it in First Corinthians 3 that we were considering. It brings before us what was done. But when we come to 1St Corinthians 4, we have the motive for which it's done when a God makes manifest the councils of the heart. So we might do a thing that perfectly right in the way it's done, and yet not have the love of praise constraining us and doing it.
It is blessed that when the 2GO together, and yet one is enjoyed the thought that in First Corinthians 4 it says, And then shall every man have praise of God. A man might have a motive in doing something, and perhaps the thing might not be just according to the mind of God, but it's blessed to see that God takes notice of the motive, even though he can't reward the act.
We have a little example of this with David. David wanted to build a house for the Lord, but this wasn't the mind of God for him. That was the mind of God for Solomon. Yet the prophet could say it is good that it was in mine heart. And so we know that there have been those who have done things that were not all together according to the Word, yet they had a heart for Christ, for God can't reward what was done that was not according to his word.
But it's lovely to see that he does take.
Desire of the heart. And so that this is the only passage in referring to the judgment seat of Christ, where it assures us that everyone will have a reward, then shall every man have praise of God. So when we think of this, it's an encouragement, I suppose. Many of us have attempted to do something for the Lord, and we've blundered. We found that we made mistakes in doing it.
Well, the Lord can't reward the mistakes that we made, certainly, But it's lovely to know that he sees the motive of the heart. I remember reading a little illustration of this about a a child and she saw her father step down his watch at night and when he set it down, he noticed that it has stopped. And he said to his wife, oh, my watch is stopped. I think it needs cleaning. So the next morning he didn't take it to work.
Because it wasn't going. But his little girl thought she would be very helpful, and she took it and moisted under the under the faucet in the kitchen where she meant well. But it wasn't what he wanted her to do, certainly, and if she'd only asked, he would have told her how she could have been helpful. But he did take notice of the loving little heart that wanted to do something for him.
Solace. Be thankful that the Lord does see the motives.
But it's nice when both the motors and the action are, According to him, a.
Member When the Lord began to exercise in the Congo about the way God wanted us to do His work, this was one of the scriptures that He brought before us. It's true that God has a work to be done, but He also has a way to do it.
And so I looked to the Lord about that, Well, what was his mind? What was his way?
And I found a great deal of help in the book of Acts, because there's where we see God's servants doing his work, and it was a good pattern for us. So God has not only worked to be done, but he has a way to do it as well.
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Mr. Lord Jesus, of course, always a motive, and the way was perfect. I think it's lovely for us in reading the gospel, but I think particularly of Mark's Gospel, where he's presented as the perfect servant.
The way in which he served there. I'm just going to read, if I may, 1 little passage.
An instance in the service of the Lord. See the the 8th chapter, the 10th person straight away he that entered into a ship with his disciples and came to the parts of Dalmatia.
And the Pharisees came forth and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, Why does this generation seek after a sign? Verily I said to you, there shall no sign be given under this generation. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed through the other side.
A little instance in the service of him who was perfect both as a motive and as to the manner of his service. And yet I believe there's a less minute. The Lord Jesus went to this place and he met with this pitiful spirit that would ask for a sign that was unbelief in their heart. And he sighed deeply in his spirit. I think that's interesting because you find that expression more often.
In Mark's Gospel and in any other, he groans, and he sighs more often than Mark than in any other gospel. He felt very, very deeply the unbelief that he met and he kept into the ship, and comes back again. Well, in reading this we naturally think now if I had undertaken such a venture, I surely would have felt that I have missed the mind of the Lord to go over there and meet with that unbelief.
To have to get in the ship and come all the way back again without ever having accomplished anything, I would say Why surely missed the mind of the Lord and wasted that effort, but not so the Lord Jesus. I wonder if it's put in their dust to encourage us that, even with a right motive and a right manner.
There's no promise that there will be that which can be pointed to as a result. So I believe by the grace of God we can be encouraged to serve the Lord. And if we meet with such an attitude, we're never entitled to shrug our shoulders and say, well, I did my part anyway.
The Lord sighed deeply, not from discouragement, but because he felt their unbelief and longed to bless them.
I have been struck in reading what the incident we have in verse 22 of the way in which the Lord Jesus.
Bring sight to this blind man in keeping, as you say, with the thought of Mark. Where we have the Lord Jesus as the model servant, there's an expression in verse 23 that we might take note of. Said he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.
Well, I thought once in reading this, why did the Spirit of God give us this little notice that before he affected any delivery for this man, he led him out of the town?
Well, we know that town speaks of where people dwell, cities and towns is what man builds. And I believe we have here the principle that in the service the Lord service is seeking to help souls in the gospel, or any way they should be taken, as it were, out from under man's influence we do not want to use.
A man's methods in ways that human influence.
And seeking to bring blessing to souls, the Lord LED this man out of the town, and then he affected the deliverance. Now the Apostle Paul followed up this same principle when he came to karma in the second chapter of the first epistle. He said he came not with Excellency of words he did not come and in any way to influence them humanly.
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He did not want them to be affected by any human influence. He wanted their faith to stand in the power of God and I believe this is a principle in the service of the Lord that where human influence and human methods are employed.
It it really takes away from the power of the spirit of God and affecting a work that God would desire to affect.
We had the soldier, we had the athlete, and now we come in the sixth verse to the Heavenland that always someone that has a new translation would read that verse in the new translation. It's much better than what we have before us six verse of the second chapter.
Labor.
Thinking of the truth, yeah, that is the lever received the fruits, and that is instructional for anyone who seeks to serve the Lord in maybe especially in gospel work.
That there may be much labor, may be years of oil efforts before they'll see any blessing.
May be soul saved, but we need to remember the seed must be sold.
Before there's anything to reap. Yet there was number seed ever sold in the in the ways of God, there'd never be any harvest at all.
And the the Lord says, And the 4th of John is speaking about the connection with a woman at the well that others had labored, and they were entering into their laborers.
And so he says that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. No jealousy, no rivalry whatever, If one labored for years and years, and then another brother came along and was blessed, and seeing many souls saved.
The one who had sowed the seed has just as much to rejoice in as the brother who is used.
Bring blessing or salvation to souls. And I think we need to remember this too, that sometimes we see a soul brought to Christ. Oh, such a happy conversion, everyone is rejoicing in it. But we may forget that perhaps in a lonely place in the closet, as it were. Some mother, some grandmother, some loved ones.
Has been interceding before God for that one for many years, and they're reaping a little of the fruit.
A loved one who on her knees or on his knees, has been at the throne of grace. Now the reaping time comes.
This expression, husband man, really means a farmer. And of course the contact would bear that out because.
It's Speaking of of fruits, fruit that would come from from planting and care of of a farm.
And we noticed that it speaks of laboring.
Well, if we're acquainted with farming at all, we know that farming is hard work.
You don't raise any crops unless you really go to work, and it means perspiring and really earning your bread by the sweat of your brows. It's hard work, but there's a reward. There's a looking forward to the fruit, and in serving the Lord, surely we ought to be reminded of this.
But it's not easy.
To be a soldier is not easy.
And to run in the games is not easy, and to be a farmer is not easy. These things are not for people who are looking for an easygoing life.
In serving the Lord, it takes real labor. Well, the farmer works the soil to get it into condition to put in the seeds.
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He doesn't go and spread the seed on top of the ground.
Well, it takes much labor first.
Before it's ready for the scene, well, how is the servant to work to get the ground into shape? Well, the ground is the heart of soul and how can we get them into shape?
Well, I believe we have to be in the presence of the Lord in prayer and trying to Him, that He by His Spirit will work in their hearts, That they might be ready to receive the word when it's preached. That it might not be the wayside ground or or the Stony ground, but it might be good soil.
Been worked up. I understand that expression good ground means.
A ground that has laid over the winter. The frost has worked upon it and broke it up into small particles, so it's mulchy and it's ready to receive the seed well. This is what we need to be concerned about as being in the service of the Lord and giving out the word and being a testimony for Him. It takes prayer waiting on the Lord to work by His spirit and heart.
That they might be ready to receive the word so often, I'm afraid that we're giving the word of God the souls who've not yet been prepared to receive it, and then we try to make them.
Give a confession and we force a confession out of them and.
Well, they become damaged souls, and there's no real fruit for God in it.
Some may feel that this refers particularly to.
Someone who is in constant active service for the Lord. But I I believe that we should apply this to each to ourselves, whether it be the housewife at all, or whether it be the child at school, or whoever it is. These principals are good for all of us, on the other hand.
I suppose most of you have read. I don't recall the name of the.
Missionary who who worked for 15 years in one of the, I think it was the South Seas and there were no results whatsoever.
But there were times when he had to run for his life, but at the end, practically the whole island that he was working on it came to the Lord the chief, and many of the people confessed Christ.
But this was the result of years of patience and labor, and now there's something else I'd like to mention, supposing we don't see results.
It turned to the 49th of Isaiah.
It would seem to me that this is a prophetic.
The Lord Jesus at the cross.
It says in the fourth verse.
Then I said.
I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for not and in vain.
Yet surely my judgments with the Lord and my work with my God, I was at a meeting one night where there was a man who had been working in Africa for a good many years.
And this verse was quoted he was just visiting for the evening.
Oh, he said this. This was worth coming for.
He said All those years I did not see much proof, but I know I'll see him in resurrection, what this verse says and the Lord Jesus.
When he was at the cross, there was no real evidence outwardly that man could see of the fruit of his laborers, but all what fruit will be seen in resurrection life? And I believe we should have faith that if the Lord has appointed us has to do that, there will be.
The fruit as a result, whether we see it or not.
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Never count your converse. You won't count enough. Leave that to the Lord. Let him manifest in his time just how much he used.
Your efforts and your service, I believe in what follows. Here we have just exactly what our brother has been saying.
He's speaking about the Lord Jesus in this very way. It says the seventh verse. Consider what I say and the Lord The other translation is and the Lord shall give the understanding in all things. Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead. According to my gospel, that is what is going to give us understanding in this whether we might labor on and not see any results.
But when we consider Jesus Christ, we consider the one whose service was perfect. Our service is far from perfect. We make blunders. We speak when we shouldn't. And often there are so many things in connection with our service that we might be cast down. But here was one whose service was perfect. And where were the results of his service? Well, as our brother remarked when the time came for him to be crucified.
Where were all the people that had been blessed through His ministry? What did His disciples do? They forsook Him in flat, and it seemed that there were no results from that perfect pathway of service. Where are the results? Or they'll all be manifested another day and were to remember Him raised from the dead and all He is the first fruits. And what a glorious ingathering there's going to be when not only the 1St fruits but all the harvest is gathered.
And there, together, we'll see that it was all a fruit of the trivial, of his soul. But the point is that the results were not apparent in his life. It seemed to end in disappointment. Well, this gives us understanding. It gives us encouragement to go on.
And when we see this, and I believe also that there's a further thought to it, not only the gospel in connection with the saving of souls, but I believe he enlarges the thought here when he goes on to speak of his own service. Here in the ninth verse, in the end of the eighth verse, according to my gospel, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even a divine, But the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
We talked a little this morning about declaring the whole council of God. It wasn't only that testimony that was used to the salvation of souls, but it takes in all of Pauls gospel the declaring of the whole council of God. And there's a tendency with us because we see that the truth of Paul's gospel, of Paul's ministry, the heavenly calling, the truth of the church, is unpopular.
For us to feel that nothing is being accomplished. But here he enlarges on this, and rejoices that even alone he was in prison, because he had stood for that truth, that the word of God was not bound and trying God through his grace, we sit here this afternoon enjoying those precious things that Paul was willing to suffer, that we might have. And let us not be discouraged, brethren, not only in connection with giving out the gospel.
But in giving out the truth, that may make us unpopular and Christendom, but is that truth which leads the Saints of God into the full enjoyment of all that God has for them? I believe that's the force of it, the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Lovely brother. Hey, all the salvation which is in Christ Jesus is fought. The gospel brings to the Sinner that we don't want to stop there. That isn't all that the gospel brings. It brings the assurance that there's a home and glory. There's a reign with Christ.
With eternal glory just like this, here's salvation, and I'll just put in eternal glory in addition.
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To that salvation. So we could meditate at length on that eternal glory. Just think of not just a few years of.
Games or something attained to but an eternity of glory with Christ. It's immense, isn't it? It's marvelous. It's wonderful to think of being associated with the Lord of Lord of the in company with him in that scene where sin and sorrow.
And never come. Well, that's all is included. And Paul wasn't just satisfied to give the gospel and not go on any farther with souls. He was concerned that they might enter into and understand something of this eternal glory that God has has promised.
Speaking of the word of God not being bound.
Paul was bound. He couldn't get out of prison.
But the authorities couldn't keep the word of God in there. It got out. Some of the most blessed epistles came out of that prison. The word of God was not bound, and there were souls that came to see him, and they went away with the word of God. And that word of God just exerted its power and influence in a great area.
Not only just in the immediate vicinity of the prison, but even into other countries. It's wonderful to see that. And I think we should remember that when we give out the word, perhaps it's only one person that's heard the word. But that person may get saved or may get good out of the the teachings that we have tried to give them, and they take it to somebody else and it just spreads all over well. This is the principle.
And that God has given us in connection with the Word.
That's the way it caused it to spread. It's not found or wonderful to have the word of God and it's not found. And here we have it in a on a lap this afternoon. There have been those that have tried to burn up the scriptures, do away with them. They couldn't. We still have the word of God.
Mr. Kelly, I believe it was passed away. One of the religious journals of the day made the comment that it seemed too bad for a man was such a gift to have restricted his usefulness to self. You, when I speak of it, as an example of a man who sought to walk in the path of the truth and were often accused of the same thing today, where you restrict your usefulness.
Well, if we if we only restricted within the bounds of God's word, we can be quite sure that the word of God is not bound. Far better to seek to go on in obedience to the word of God and leave the results with the Lord of the harvest, then step into the path of obedience to accomplish results. If Paul had chosen A wider path. You know, James said to him, thou seest brother, how many thousands of Jews there are that believe, and they're all zealous of the law.
I know that's what we're told today.
Why? Look at the results that we're having. And you're trying to walk in such a narrow path. But the truth that was committed to the apostle Paul is the truth that has remained Jerusalem was destroyed.
All that which makes Judaism and Christianity was came under the hand of God there with the destruction of Jerusalem. But that truth of God that He has given to us in His word remains, and it's unbelievable word of encouragement to us always seek to labor and obedience to the Word of God and leave the results. The Word of God is not bound and thank God the precious truth ministered according to the Word.
Then flows out and reaches to many many in other places.
Even though they may not come to The Walking the truth themselves, it still goes out to them, and they're blessed by it. I was struck by a remark by a historian reading a certain history who I do not believe was a Christian. At least there was no evidence of it. He made this remark that the Roman Empire came in at just the right time to clear the seas of pirates so that the Christianity could spread over Europe.
00:50:02
Well, I thought that was a remarkable statement for a man who was not particularly interested in Christianity. I also read at one time that when Tibet was opened up, they found evidences of the epistles of John in that remote country of Tibet. Well, these things are rather interesting. When we think of the word of God not being bound, God saw to us that the word spread regardless of man and his opposition.
History of the Gospel in Russia, one time going back to the days of the apostles, and the writer told of the time when there was such a storm of persecution that all the Christians were killed.
Just wiped out. But they left their bibles behind and people began to read those bibles after the Christians were killed and got saved and apparently new work of God sprang up as a result of that. The word of God was not bound, they killed all the Christians.
But they didn't destroy his words.
For a moment, I suppose the farmer has every right to particular fruits himself. First, as they I was thinking what we have in Leviticus 23.
Three verse 14.
And ye shall eat neither bread, nor past corn, nor green ears, until the self stained day that she had brought an offering unto our God.
God must have his portion first. He has every right to it, Athlete.
He says there is a faithful thing for if we are, we be dead with him.
We shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. We deny him. He also will deny us if we believe not yet here by the faithful. He cannot deny himself.
Now every believer in the Lord Jesus is looked at as having died with Christ.
The Apostle says that in Colossians, knowing out that so many of you as no, I just didn't get it just right. So I'll turn to it.
Read it just as it is there.
At the third chapter.
If he then be risen with Christ.
Let your affections on things above and not on things on the earth, or ye are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ and God.
So there isn't a child of God that isn't looked at as having died.
Christ. But what do you think that in this passage that is seeking to bring it before?
Before us, in a practical way. The more there is that recognition of our having died with Christ, the more the more we'll enter into the the joy and the reward the gain hereafter.
When we're living with him, so it falls on the same way. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him now. You couldn't be a child of God in this dispensation without being one who will someday sit on the throne of His glory when the Kingdom is set up.
All will reign with him, but isn't there special rewards and connection with Rainy?
And if we try to avoid this suffering, that something like the history of Jonathan isn't it? He loved David and thought about a good place and Davidde Kingdom, but he has shirts of suffering with David and of course in that case he completely missed the reigning. We couldn't carry that too far because everyone will reign with him. But you find among David's worth is they were mighty men.
And they were faithful and loyal to David, and they got special rewards owners because of their faithfulness to David during the time of his rejection. And that's our position now, isn't it? We're following a rejected Christ, and if we cater to the world and think it's.
00:55:19
Think it's smiles?
And compromise with the world. We're certainly, definitely losing something in connection with raining hereafter.
Then with the 15 first were strive diligently to show Thyself approved unto God. That's the thought, the approval in his sight.
This is all all goes together, doesn't it?
And then, if we believe not yet he abided faithful, he cannot deny himself.
Denial there, I think, is really being rejected. You couldn't say that Peter denied the Lord in the sense in which Paul speaks Timothy Here he says if we deny him, he will also deny us. That's really is a fatal thing, to be absolutely set aside and rejected.
Now Peter never denied the Lord's divinity, his being the Son of God. He confessed that boldly thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peers. Denial was cowardliness. Not to confess the Lord, because he was so frightened that the consequences of testimony for Christ. He denied that he knew him. He really didn't deny.
Who the Lord was at all?
But that's a very strong thing for anyone.
Denies that the Lord is the eternal Son of God. Denies His deity or who he was. That's something that's faithful. It's a solemn word for these modernists in these days that they're boldly denying the eternal sonship of Christ.
Lord our God will never bring any dishonor upon his beloved Son, because.
Multitudes of so-called Christians are out denying the virgin birth of Christ, and it's a very solemn thing that some of these popular preachers are having modernist men on the platform to to offer prayer. God cannot honor that. He may in his sovereignty reach souls with the gospel, but it's a very serious and solemn thing.
This denial would seem to be a course of things which would indicate.
That the person is not the Lord at all.
Denying Peter, denying that he knew the Lord was not a court, that was a fall that he had, but it was not a course with Peter. This was not the tenor of his life at all.
For in the 13th verse, rather, if we believe not in the new translation that renders it, If we are unfaithful, he abides faithful. He cannot deny himself. He would say Peter was unfaithful, but he did not deny the Lord in the sense that's referred to here. But he was unfaithful, and we've been unfaithful too. And the Lord never turns His back on one of his own, because we're unfaithful, because he cannot deny himself. He's pledged himself that we should never perish.
But is your remark, and I think it's important. The one that's referred to in the end of the 12 verse are ones that were never saved.
Here's the pronoun we. Explain that to me, please.
If we deny including himself as an outfit person.
Through the epistle, because there were always, there was always a danger of no identifying strong. But the Christian testimony who were not real, you know, identified himself with the Christian testimony, was baptized.
But that the action was true, that it's hard to not write the kind of thought and it is enough to be out of the identified testimony to take the place of a soldier or or a husband and yet not be played. I believe we are going to see that word that we that addressed. If it says if you continue in the very ground and unsettle that we have moved away.
01:00:27
All of the gospel.
We shall not be.
And the context of the chapter is the house, isn't it? The sphere of profession? We got that little word three times mentioned in the first epistle of John.
Says verse six. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. And the verse 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in US. And the 10th verse, if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar. So there's an illustration of that there.
In the second chapter of of Hebrews.
You get the How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Paul realized they might be here, professors among the Hebrew believers to whom the epistle was addressed.
And the prophecy too, with the not in the first epistle of John. Yeah, that's just right, really.
Hiding Like our mentioned later, their word relief is done. A canker of whom is Simonius and Philetus. There are examples here of those, although we wouldn't judge them, yet there are those who are on the way in a wrong path. And so there's a warning to servants in this chapter as they're not particularly.
Brother Hale, those seven different positions looked at. I suppose you come to one of the seven and the 15th verse.
Studied to show thyself approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
Rightly dividing the word of truth. There's the student, isn't it?
Approved not the man, but approved to God.
A Workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
Well, there's something to exercise the soul and then rightly dividing the word of truth. I believe the new translation puts that cutting in a straight line.
Word of truth and that is a very important subject. Not to mix up all different subjects and confusion so we fail to get our bearings. And reading the word some might think are the all important.
Service for us is to get the gospel to sinners and to get them saved. It is important. It's very important.
But still the going on in the things of the Lord has an equal importance too, and so we don't want to neglect their disregard. Stop them that we find in the scriptures and we want to get these truths in their definite scriptural.
Location, that is. We do not want to mix up Israel's blessing with church blessings.
And so are mixed up our blessings with the blessings of the coming Kingdom after the Church is gone.
Illustration would be if they were building a three story building and they have the blueprints for the first floor and the blueprints for the 2nd and for the third. Well if the Workman attempted to mix these up and say well here's the blueprint, it'll do for any floor, he's going to be in confusion. The blueprint gives the instructions for the first floor, but that's not to be missed with mixed with the second floor.
The instructions for the 2nd floor are equally clear, but they're for that part and not to be mixed. There was a certain area where they were going to build a bridge, and they followed the instructions perfectly. They had the instructions about how this bridge was to be built, and they went about and they got about half or 3/4 of the way through it. Before they realized that alone, they followed the instructions perfectly. They hadn't put it in the right place.
01:05:11
And it had to be torn out. The instructions had been followed, but the location of it was incorrect. Well, it just shows us how when we read the word of God.
There are blessings that are associated with Israel. There are blessings that are associated with the church. And if we mix these things, we're going to be in confusion. And this is a very important part of the service of the workmen. We know how much confusion has been done in Christendom by mixing Judaism and Christianity into one system.
And there is distinct as can be. A new line of Christianity was not to be put in the old bottles of Judaism. The new things of Christianity were not to be put as a patch on the old garment. It was a new thing. And it's so blessed that God has given us this and given us His Holy Spirit, so that we can rightly divide or cut in a straight line the word of truth.
You might even consider the matter of the.
Praise for the Lord. In the Old Testament times we had loud founding symbols and harps and all kinds of musical instruments to praise the Lord. Well, when reading that and you tried to introduce that into.
Into the Christian testimony. Why you would be just mourning the very way at the Spirit of God would have our praises go up to the following the sun.
If if you looked at, say, the last song.
150th song.
Praise ye the Lord, praise God in his sanctuary, and so on.
Then the third verse, praising with the sound of the trumpet. Praise him with a sultry and heart, praise him with the timbrel, and dance.
Praise him with a stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud symbol, So on. How if we turn to the New Testament for instruction, if you looked at the 5th chapter of of Ephesians for one place.
And the eighteen first been off drunk with wine, wearing a success, but be filled with the spirit speaking to yourselves and sounds, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. How different that is, you'll find nowhere in connection with.
Church truth. Anything about musical instruments in connection with the worship of the Lord.
It's worship in spirit and in truth.
Some of the young people you know may wonder why it is that there's that you come into our little meeting rooms, there's no organ, there's no piano, there's nothing of that.
That's permitted there. Well, we're following New Testament instructions and not Old Testament instructions.
Our principles, however, in the Old Testament that we need to take heed to are there not, and that we have to distinguish between what's definite instruction for the Old Testament and the general principles that always hold good.
That's where the remark comes in, and you probably heard my father make it. Sometimes the moral ways of God do not change with dispensation. So what was morally suited to God was wrong to tell a lie in the Old Testament. It's wrong to tell a lie in the New.
The holiness of God is the same, and the old and the new. He might have born with things in the comparative darkness of Judaism, but His holy character was the same.
And so we have moral instruction in the Old Testament, just like, if I could use my illustration again, it's just as important that there is safety on the 1St floor as there, that there's safety on the third floor. But the way it's built might be different. And there is that which is.
01:10:01
The same at all times. I am the Lord, I change not.
Did you have any special thought for the jail on vain babblings if you warned against here?
While I believe we have to be careful about the activity of the mind and the things of God.
There should be a simple submission to the Word of God, and when we introduce our own thoughts, we can get into all kinds of reasoning about the things of God.
Things about which scripture is often found and it's well for us to be silent, makes me think of I heard about a group of Christian not in fellowship with those gathered to the Lords name, but they came together to read about the temptation when the Lord was tempted of Satan, and they spent the whole hour trying to figure out how they got the Lord under the pinnacle of the temple.
Says that Satan took the Lord on to the pinnacle of the temple and told him to cast himself down. Well, Scripture doesn't answer that kind of a question at all, just simply says that he he took him up there.
It's not for us, then, to try and find out how they did it.
And there are many things like this in connection with the truth of God. The silence of Scripture is often as important as what God has said. And I believe that the two things, simplicity and romance, in connection with the word of God are very important.
And will save us from these vain babblings. And as soon as our minds go to work, the result as we have here, they will increase on the more ungodliness. Because if we can introduce human reason into one thing, we introduce it into another. And first thing you know, we've got far away from the truth of God and are following our own thoughts. There's a connection between this, perhaps, and the first epistle, as we often see in the two epistles.
If you'll notice, in the 6th chapter of the first epistle, the subject comes up.
I just mentioned the one expression in the fourth verse, doting or sick about questions. Well, it's the beginnings of a bad state with someone, but it ends in our epistle, where the church is in ruins. Where?
Thing is going to pieces where they're actually teaching.
The wrong truths about the Resurrection.
But it starts out with being sick about questions, and so we want to be careful.
That even if their questions come to mind, that there are questions that are in keeping with what would be good for us, not just questions to satisfy the curiosity even about spiritual things, questions that will be beneficial. And you know, Speaking of this, I think it's very helpful sometimes and those who are younger.
To introduce a question.
A good question into the breeding meeting because it helps to bring out subjects sometimes that would be missed. They may not feel free, and perhaps it wouldn't be proper for some who are younger to try to instruct, but to bring out a question sometimes is very helpful.
But not questions that gender strives, not questions that would throw the meeting into difficulty.
But it's it's questions that would be for edification. But now when you come to the second epistle, you get men who are raising up questions about the resurrection. And that's all. I suppose we could say in connection with what is being said about this 16th verse, that the 17th and 18th verse are a continuation of the subject that is.
How? How did they get this idea that the resurrection was passed already?
Thought that they took the case that's recorded in the gospels, that when the Lord Jesus rose there were bodies of the Saints which slept, that arose and went into the holy city and appeared unto many. And so they speculated on this that this was the first resurrection and that's all there was to it. And rob the Saints of God as the truth that is set forward so clearly in First Corinthians 15.
01:15:04
I mentioned this because it shows how we can use one scripture against another. We can take one verse of Scripture and almost make it set aside another. To have a true interpretation of the Word of God, it must be in harmony with the whole revealed mind of God.
Now Scripture is of any private or isolated interpretation. The understanding of God's word will always be in harmony with all His truth. And we get this by the Spirit. And it's a sad thing when a person uses some verse of Scripture to raise the question about another instead of seeing how it harmonizes perfectly with it.
That one of the question here that they denied the fact of resurrection.
But it was going astray. As to the manner of something about it, some detail about it that they went astray on. But what was the result? Well, it was upsetting the state. It was overthrowing their faith. It had this asterisk effects nevertheless.
All of that he says. However, the left, the foundation of God stand, is short. Having this seal, the Lord N them that are his, and that everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
Yeah, that's in the 16th of numbers, do we not?
According to our verse, nevertheless the foundation of God stands ashore. Having this seal the Lord knows them over his and that everyone that named the name of Christ will name the Lord. Depart from iniquity. In #16 we find there are 250 Princess. They are famous in the congregation, many renowned.
But it says in verse 5 And he spake unto Korah, and unto all his company, saying, Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are his, the Lord knows them to his and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him. Even him who we have chosen will he cause gum near unto him.
There's one side of the seal, we might say, as we have in our verse. And then.
Verse 26.
He spake under the congregation, saying, Department, I pray you from the tents of these wicked men is the other side of the seal, and touch nothing of theirs, that she be consumed in all their fins. And we find later on that these 250 men, famous in the congregation, men, have renowned they were slain.
So we have a very similar picture to what we have in this 19 verse.
Yes, touchdown The Greenhouse yesterday, didn't you, Brother Lundy?
This point.
Is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen because the the number of ceremonial law sacrifices. And of course they can see all that and.
He got back into the glory and now they must fought by friends.
The 7:30.
I was thinking of this expression withdrawing from iniquity. You know, some things are so thoroughly embedded in people's minds that they don't realize that they're connected with what's wrong.
I remember a sister once I heard of who was trying to get her husband to come to the meeting, and he belonged to a secret organization of some kind and he couldn't see anything wrong in it.
And.
Her brother Martin happened to be going through and he knew nothing of this at all, but he was to have a meeting that evening.
In a certain home. And so this sister asked her husband once more if.
01:20:08
If he would come to the meeting, well, he said. All right, I'll come.
Brother Martin knew nothing about this brother at all, but during his talk he spoke about some people who are so cold as the marble slab and the Masons temple that did it.
This brother came out from it immediately, but you see how the Spirit of God works. He uses various ways.
To to shake so loose from these things that entangle us and all. How many things entangle souls if they don't realize?
What? What they're connected with?
We're not called upon here to leave the Great House, who would have to forsake Christianity or the profession of Christianity to do it? But in the Great House there are vessels to honor and vessels to dishonor, and it's that which takes place within the professing House, separating from the vessels to dishonor, just as in our own homes we have certain vessels for one purpose, certain for another.
We wouldn't mix them because if we mix them, why they would become defiled by being mixed. So they're kept separate. And in the Great House there are vessels to honor and vessels to dishonor. We're not even called upon to say whether all these are saved or not. The Lord know them that are His. But it's an individual call to purge from the vessels to dishonor. And having done so, then we find others who have done the same.
And together follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them to call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But I think it's important to notice that it's an individual call. It's not calling for a group of people to leave a certain other group, but it's calling upon each one as an individual, to separate from the confusion and vessels to dishonor. And when he does so, he finds that God has also worked in the hearts of others, just like the ones who came out to David in The Cave.
They came as individuals, but when they came to David, there was a band. But they were there because they came as individuals to one who they recognized as God's rightful king. But I believe it's very simple for us too. So often you meet Christians, well, they'd like a certain group of Christians to separate from something and have a little more truth. Well, the cause individual. And when we do act upon this and obedience, the Lord will direct us.
And Charlotte, that there are others who have had similar exercises and who are seeking to walk in the truth and speaking with those who may be are still in places like that in Christendom.
They may be very exercised about what they're connected with.
And invariably, any soul like that that's exercised about the condition of things, he's trying to set things right where he is, and this seems to be a principle that many faithful souls.
Follow in Christendom. And we can thank God for them. They're sincere in their way, but they're not following this principle. They're trying to set everything right that they're connected with. But this verse tells us to set ourselves right. And I have had a case to speak to some in this way, that God doesn't require you to set everything right where you are, but he does expect you to set yourself right. And when you set yourself right, as you see further down, you'll find other that have set themselves right and you can have fellowship with them.
312.
Lead on, Almighty Lord, lead on to victory.
Encouraged by thy blessed word with joy, we follow thee 312.
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