Montreal Conference: 1973
Table of Contents
Love and Separation
Address—E. Smith
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General Meetings, Montreal, October 1973. Address for Eric Smith.
#100 and Nine 109.
Jesus, that name is love, Jesus our Lord.
Jesus all names above Jesus the Lord.
Thou, Lord, our all must be nothing that's good. Have we nothing apart from Thee, Jesus, our Lord?
Jesus.
Last name.
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So we asked the Lords bless you.
Before we read a few verses.
Relevant to this matter of love, beloved.
There was a word mentioned from.
Ephesians One.
That word chosen.
One day I asked our chief Narsi. I may have mentioned this before.
I ask now see by the way, his chief over 12,000 families.
Gathered years to the precious name of Christ, both he and his wife.
And bearing a wonderful testimony all these years.
I led him to Christ when he was a lad in our school. He's a man of 68.
Chief of the Red Belt Inca tribe.
I said now she what is election?
That was a hard question. Do you know what he said?
Brother, he said.
He long before God ever dropped a stone into a place, into any into its place. He was loving this poor Indian.
I think that's one of the nicest explanations of election.
Long before he didn't say chosen him, before the foundation of the world, but he said, long before dear brother God ever dropped the stone into place, he was loving this Indian.
And so it is.
I'd like to read a verse or two relevant to this question. I didn't intend to speak on this. I've been exercised about other themes, but it would seem to be the mind of the Lord to carry on with this. And though we may repeat scripture, scriptures can be repeated. And each time we do repeat the word of God, we find fresh truth.
And that's why it's divine. It has something you always for the soul.
I'd like to read a verse or two.
From.
First Samuel.
It's a well known portion, First Samuel.
Chapter.
18.
First Samuel 18.
And verse one.
Then afterwards, as the Lord enabled, will turn over to say to Chronicles 12. First Chronicles 12 and it came to pass.
When he had made an end of speaking unto Saul.
That the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.
And Jonathan loved him as his old soul.
And Saul took him that day and would let him go no more, home to his father's house.
Then Jonathan and David.
Made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul.
The result we find in verse 4. Beloved, you dear young people, sitting here in my notes. Lots of them.
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And Jonathan, a type of the believer, a type of everyone present who?
Been born again by the Spirit of God.
The.
Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him.
And gave it to David, a type of Christ.
And his garments.
Even to his sword and to his bow, which, by the way, we read was mighty in Israel.
And to his girdle.
Dear young believers, have you done that?
Have you really done this?
We read that holiness.
Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Is the rejection.
From my heart and yours, everything.
That would be contrary to God's mind.
And to God's nature, God is light.
And we are children of the light, children of day.
No, those are not my words, but the words of one aware, loved English. Brethren, whose writings you are acquainted with, we trust.
Perfecting holiness in the fear of God is the rejection.
Of everything from my life and testimony.
That would be contrary to God's mind and to God's nature.
So here we have a type of.
The Believer, Jonathan.
A type of Christ, David and Saul, the carnal man.
And we find here.
That David is in rejection.
And his love frame, Jonathan.
Forms makes a covenant with him.
A covenant of love.
And he strips himself.
Of the road that was upon him.
And gave it to David.
As I look back over my life.
In 1915.
I said Lord Jesus.
I want to do that.
That meant me being put out of the house for my father was an unsaved man.
He wanted me to be a lawyer. I've mentioned this before.
To take care of his interests where which were too cumbersome.
Too many things of this life he had. He was a rich man.
I said Father in thy will eliminate your son, Eric.
Because I couldn't take care of it.
But you're going to leave me?
I can't trust myself.
And so I was eliminated from Father's will.
Just to walk in simple faith.
And by His grace, continue to do so happily.
That's a long time ago.
Dear Young.
People, have you stripped your dear hearts of every object?
That would.
Cause a fog bank to be over your testimony and keep the sunshine of His love from you.
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He would challenge us this afternoon to do so.
Where the whole realm of nature hours.
That were an offering far too small.
Love that transcends our highest powers.
Demands my life.
My soul, my all.
Have you done it? Have I done this?
Ask yourself the young people the question this afternoon.
Have I done this?
These are days of weakness.
We are part of the ruin, and we feel it, and we should.
And there's a great need, dear ones, of this stripping process.
Lest the beauty of that blessed man become obscure, his division of himself become obscured.
With worldliness.
And carnality.
And love of things.
In this scene.
Yes, he stripped himself.
Everything that belonged to him, he was a Prince.
And he says, David, here it is.
Everything I hold dear, I give to thee.
Have we done this?
Is there any, any obstacle in thy life, the young man, the young woman that prevents thee from making this decision?
There are some sitting here who haven't, who have professed to be the Lords. I know a lot of them have.
And they're not even gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ yet. What is hindering they? What? What? What's the matter?
Someone asked me during our last period in Lima. Brother Smith, you're an old man.
Would you tell us?
When do you teach?
That's a new work and believe in Peru, you know.
When I lead Valderrama to Christ, that's the beginning of that word. There are 4 assemblies today. Would you tell us When do you teach?
Those truths that are most surely believed among us. The truth of separation. The truth of the one body, the gathering name.
And the reply, by the grace of God, was as soon as they're saved.
Perhaps this is the reason why today there's a testimony that's stable in Bolivia.
There have been failures there.
And especially with one dear brother called Philly Montgomery, who, after 22 years of faithful service, was tripped up by Satan.
I led him to Christ in the war as the chaplain of the tackle war and he went on faithfully. He's the father of six assemblies.
And the assembly where he failed after all those years.
There are 73 in fellowship.
A tremendous blow.
There was something in his life that caused it. He was mayor of the town and I wrote him. I said fill him on.
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You're not stripping yourself.
You've tied yourself up.
With an unequal yoke. And he wrote me a sweet letter saying, brother it is true, pray for me to be delivered. But that's when he went wrong.
And the work is suffering today.
Well, we ask you the question.
Concerning this stripping process.
Let us look over a little more.
In verse 24 of chapter 19.
Or rather chapter.
20.
Now we can read 19th chapter, 16th verse.
Of Chapter 19.
No, I think it's 20. Excuse me, dear brother. Chapter 20, verse nine verse.
16 And Jonathan So Jonathan made a covenant with the House of David, saying, Let the Lord even requite it at the hand of David's enemies.
And Jonathan caused David to swear again because he loved him.
He loved him as he loved his own soul.
That was wonderful, wasn't it? He loved him as he loved his own soul.
I never saw a man so full of love among our Latin brethren as dear Philimon Garnika yet.
Been tripped up.
The lust of the flesh in you.
Philemon is a man of 68 years of age.
A matured man, 22 years of service.
It's broken my heart.
There's the lust of the eye in middle age people and the pride of life in we old people. Pray for us.
It was my very great privilege to sit under men like Walter Scott.
Alfred Mace, HP Barker Syndrome, Hinman and others.
And I shall always remember.
There, the ministry of those men, it made an impression on my soul to this day, yet they did not stay.
Where they knew it was scriptural.
They left that divine ground. What happened?
The pride of life. The pride of life.
You may not have heard of the name of Hinman.
Mr. Deck, spiritual son.
Came out of the Church of England a man of letters.
His ministry was never heard in these countries.
But for 40 years he labored between England, Australia and New Zealand.
If he'd stayed on in the Church of England, he would have been Bishop London, Bishop of London, England.
Came out brightly full of mold.
There was a man.
Who stripped himself of everything?
Well, they used to call me Timothy. You know, I two years I spent with him.
And they called him Paul.
He came right across the Pacific to say goodbye to me in San Francisco when I booked up to go to Bolivia in 1920.
There was a man who stripped himself of everything.
Everything rich man.
Die the poor man.
Well.
He loved his He loved his Savior.
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He loved him as his own soul, it says here, now there's something.
His David in rejection, of course.
And the time goes so quickly.
I'd like to come back to Chronicles if we could, but not yet.
In chapter 22.
David therefore departed thence verse one, and escaped to The Cave Adalam.
And when his brethren and all his Father's house heard that, they went down little to him.
And everyone that was in distress and everyone that was in debt.
And everyone that was discontented gathered themselves unto him, and he became a captain over them, and they were with him about 400 men.
May I introduce some little personal matter here now?
As you all know, I was a preacher for the Baptist Baptist affiliated for some years in the in Australia before I saw the truth of the gathering name.
And it was through the reading of Mr. Darby, Kelly, Wigram and so on, books sent to me by my loved eldest brother, that changed my whole course.
And I remember going back to New Zealand after being away several years.
To find my dear father gathered to the precious name of Christ and Mother and all of them.
And the table of the Lord set up in his own ranch.
We're quite a number gathered to remember the Lord.
It's a long story, I'll try and make it breathe.
Before Father died.
My sister Jesse and are in.
Wrote me a sweet letter saying Father.
Is getting ready to depart.
And he wants to write a little letter to you before he dies. I'm propping him up in bed and he just told me. Jesse, bring me a sheet of paper to write, Eric.
And he wrote me this letter.
And I got a cable saying after that letter was written, he quoted.
I shall never leave me, nor forsake thee.
And with whole.
What did he say in that letter?
He said son, hold fast, stand fast.
Hold fast, stand fast.
The church in the mind of God is ever perfect, Son, don't forget it.
It's in ruins today.
Some are throwing up their hands in despair in England and in the colonies.
Some are going back to the Begley elements of the world, others are.
Going back to the systems, these religious systems from whence they came, He wrote it beautifully. Not an Arab in the orthography of this beautifully written as he always did.
Being a successful businessman, he was awfully careful how he wrote.
And he says others in this country are throwing up their hands and giving up, saying they're going to go along.
Son, remember, this is all wrong.
This is all wrong.
And he quoted Second Timothy 222.
Follow righteousness, faith, love, peace with them that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.
And was gone.
What a wonderful leather.
There was a consecrated man.
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All he did had a little Pierce. I forgot to tell you, he said. Son, I don't know who'll ever bury me.
So great the ruin is. The ruin is so great. I don't know who Lee even buried me.
If the law doesn't come.
Are we so discontented, the young people, with this precious savior of yours?
That you would even dare to say no to him if he should touch your dear hearts.
To strip everything from your life and testimony.
That would prevent you.
From taking real rejection with your savior. Would you even dare do that?
I wouldn't, I wouldn't dare do that.
I remember having a meeting, we had meetings for a whole month. I must say it left me pretty poorly, but it was a joy to go and see. There would be a soul.
And I spoke to a group of them, Some 200 Saints gathered.
There were some among them who hadn't taken their place at the table yet.
And I said to them one day in the meeting, as the Lord Jesus ever done you any harm.
Has he ever failed you?
Has he ever?
Made a mistake concerning you and the place you should be in. Has he ever treated you like that? And they said Brother Smith, never.
Six of them were happily gathered to the precious name of Christ.
They took rejection with the Lord Jesus.
It costs there.
The vicissitude are only unknown to the Lord Jesus concerning those dear ones.
They suffer when they take rejection of Christ.
What a privileged people we are in this country.
We don't suffer here, beloved.
They suffer, they suffer poverty, they suffer persecution.
Are are we too well fed? Are we too comfortable?
Are we so absorbed with things that Christ is secondary in our minds, in our hearts?
All we trust not.
Brown, David. Here a few gathered. They took rejection.
These were this is a devoted ban.
They gathered unto Him. They took rejection with him.
And there's one thing, dear young Christian.
You may think that you are few and we are just a few, and we're going to become fewer and fewer as the age draws to its close.
But God, in his infinite wisdom and love.
Caused Dave to triumph.
He was the man of God's choice and when everything was shattered and broken in Israel.
God tempted his cause, beloved, through the man of his choice.
And he'll do that first still, if we'll only let him.
There's another sad point here. Time going along.
We read that he went back to his house.
Verse 24241 of chapter 20. Again, I'd like to read this if you would bear with me a moment and.
And as soon as the lad, you know the history of it, how an arrow was shot, if Saul, who persecuted him as as a Patrick on the mountain, if the arrow was shot beyond, it was safe, it was shot near if there was danger there from this king who sought his life.
And as soon as the lad was gone, Dave arose out of a place toward the South and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times.
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And they kissed one another.
And whipped one with another.
Until David exceeded beloved young people.
There is no love like the love of your own lovely man who loved us.
And gave himself worse.
69 years ago I saw myself a lost Sinner.
And I got on my knees and cried to God to save me.
Thank God the joy has never left me by His sovereign grace.
Isn't he a wonderful savior?
But we read here that Jonathan didn't take rejection.
There was love there, but he didn't take rejection.
Is this what you're doing, dear young person this afternoon? Have you taken rejection with crime?
Is he everything to your dear hearts this afternoon?
Is he?
As we read in the song of Psalm.
What is more built? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou should so charge us?
My beloved is white and Ruddy, the chiefest among in the Greek simple word, the myriads. The chiefest among the myriads. The chief is among 10,000 the altogether love.
If I could say nothing else but to draw your attention to a young woman, dear young man, to the blessed man, that blessed man in glory.
Surely it would not have been in vain this hour, this afternoon.
He is the solution to all your difficulties.
Christ.
Nor thy the Apostle could say, but Christ that liveth in me.
And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.
Who loved me and gave himself for me. Yes, he did. And why did Jonathan go back to the house? He went back to the palace. He was a Prince. It was kind of something you'd expect of a Prince to go back, but it was a retrograde step. And if you read carefully, the second book of Samuel.
And chapter one.
You'll see.
The effects of it Dear young person, have you taken rejection with my savior?
Have you really taken rejection with him?
Isn't he worthy? Indeed he is.
He's worthy of every heartbeat.
Oh yes, he is. He's so worthy.
You wouldn't fail him if you really loved him.
Second Samuel 1.
What has happened? War broke out.
Saul is dead. Where is Jonathan? Dead on the battlefield. Why? Because he didn't take rejection.
With David, Jonathan is dead. This is a picture of many young men and women whom I know.
Just simply because they have never taken rejection with Christ, they are dead on the battlefield.
They are lost dynamic.
And I'm sad today to tell you that my own dear brother Jimmy.
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A man of 69 years of age, he's another dead on the battlefield of life.
Jimmy was to go and join me in Bolivia.
He marries a beautiful woman, but unsaved.
And he's lived to repent of it ever since.
Where are his children?
In the world.
Prosperous, Yes, because he's a prosperous. Well, he's home with the Lord, but he was a prosperous man.
His children lost dynamics.
Lost dynamic Jimmy is a lost dynamic.
He knew better.
He ceased to write me. I wrote him the last time when 1920. He's never replied sick, never had a letter from Jimmy to this day.
He's a broken man.
A broken man.
He knew better.
Here is the lament which is so sad.
Time is running on, but it's such a sorrowful Here's David contemplating his love, Jonathan on the battlefield. Saul is dead all the.
All God did.
Tell it, Marvin Gaye, verse 20.
On the streets of Escalon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph, he mountains of Gilboa, let there be no review. You know, do only fall from the very calm night. It doesn't fall on a stormy night.
Do speaks of refreshment, beloved.
And it falls when there's no.
Stormy wind blowing.
And I like to think of it in connection with the manner that.
Didn't fall on the desert of the sand, because then it wouldn't have been a type of the spotless humanity of the Lord Jesus. Where did it fall? It fell on the dews.
On the dew there was number spot in him.
But here it is, let there be no due.
Nor will it to be rain upon you. No fields of offering for them. Shield of the mighty is mildly castaway, the shield of soul as though hip not been anointed with oil.
As if he'd never been anointed with all.
From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the ball Jonathan turned not back in the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death.
They were not divided. They were swift and Eagles. They were stronger than lions. He, daughter of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle? Oh, Jonathan, thou was slain in mine high places. I am distressed for thee.
My brother Jonathan, very pleasant. Hast thou mean unto me? I love to me was wonderful.
Thy love to me was wonderful.
I'll sing the love of women. How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished?
Isn't this a sad ending? But there's one comfort here. I want to encourage you, dear young people, this afternoon.
Anything you would do for Jesus sake, for the Lord Jesus sake ascends like the offerings of the Old Testament as a sweet savour to God.
Every thought of Jesus and his love of His.
Intrinsic value for he is God over all things blessed forever. Every thought the young person that you may have even of concerning the Lord Jesus sends as a sweet savour offering to God. That's how God looks at it.
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And here he says, thy love to me was wonder. Yes, he does appreciate the Lord. Jesus doesn't forget.
Any decision you will make this afternoon and we trust there are some who would be willing to make a decision for Christ this afternoon.
Not me, our Savior. That would be glorious.
But as obedient children.
To his desire.
Would you make a decision like that for his sake?
Just look over at Chronicles a moment, please.
We haven't very much time left to take this up.
Here we see David in another role.
They're going to make him pain.
Chapter 12.
And we have a wonderful statement here in verse 16.
And the K And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the whole unto David.
This is astounding. These were the these were the mighty men of Saul.
They came to David.
Unto the whole.
God.
Call these out and God called you out to take rejection with this blessed one. And they say here in in verse 18. Then the Spirit came upon a Massa Amasa who was chief of the captain.
And he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse.
Peace, Peace.
Be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers, for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.
Verse 29.
And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, 3000. For him the two of the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the House of Saul.
I've been impressed with First Samuel 230.
Them that honor me, I will honor.
And I want to give you the original rendering of it, which is terrible. And they that despise me shall be more vile. Isn't that a dreadful thought? Yet it's the truth.
When we translated the scripture, we found that out.
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of.
Ram.
And of the children of Benjamin the kindred of Saul 3000, and of the half drive of Manasseh 18,000 which were expressed by name to come and make David king.
And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were 200 and all their brithmarth, their commandment of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle expert in war with all instruments of war 50,000 which could keep rank. They were not of a double heart.
Double heart.
And it goes on verse 38. And these men of war that could keep rank.
With a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel, and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart.
To make David King the Crowley King.
Oh, you dear young people, will you do it? Not because I say so, because I'm nothing.
Because of the love of Jesus blessed heart.
Because of the honor of his name. Would you do this?
I can see there is a on the face of many young people here this afternoon. There's a longing in your heart and your soul.
One could notice it wondering what to do.
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What to do?
I've noticed beloved in this country.
That the pretensions and energy of man are strongly manifesting themselves.
But as one has said, but to learn in this day of grace, to be still and know that God is God is completely above the education of the flesh. That's what J&D wrote, and I read that as a young man.
And I'd like to quote again as from the Spanish.
This is what he wrote.
And I got it down. I have it down in my Bible. I'll put it into English.
If anyone speaks of separation from you without being humiliated, let him take careless his position. Become simply only that which at all times has constituted sex.
And produce doctrinal heresy nearest to Christ, he says, would keep us from sectarianism, the most natural weed of the human heart.
What a statement.
I've put this into Spanish 50 years ago.
For the sake of those dear ones we love.
And I'll read on a little farther.
Now I know he says that the present time of no servant which is worthy of him, if it's not done in humiliation.
This is not the time to speak of a place for ourselves. If the Church of God, so dear to Christ, is dishonored in this world, if it is scattered, ignorant, afflicted, he who has the mind of Christ will always take the lowest place. True service of love will seek to give according to a need.
And because of their need, he will never think of slighting the object of the Master's love because of their necessity. And then he made this statement. Man thought of God go forth into his service from a place of strength, realizing.
The degrees.
No, some of us have degrees which are not worth a snap as far as spirituality goes.
Where they have learned, he said, And he had degrees.
From the university several where they have learned their own nothingness.
Beloved, our faces this afternoon, you dear young people, your places in the dust before God.
Because of lack of love to Christ. Because of the willingness to give every heartbeat to Him who is so worthy.
Realizing their own nothingness.
Well, the time is gone.
They made him.
Little singer him in conclusion.
When we survey the wondrous cross #283.
When we survey the wondrous cross on which the Lord of Glory died.
Our richest gained we count, but loss and poor contempt on all our pride.
Forbidden law that we should boast save in the death of Christ our God, all the way in things that charm us most.
We'd sacrifice them to his blood #283 would a brother start that, please?
Realm of nature, ours that were an offering far too small.
Love the transcends our highest powers demand, our soul, our life are all.
Prayer
Address—C. Lunden
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
1973 addressed by Clarence London.
Shall we sing together M #246?
246.
From every stormy wind that blows, from every swelling tide of blows, there is a calm, A sweet retreat is found before the mercy seat.
Every story.
Shall we pray?
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Shall we turn to the 9th chapter of Luke's Gospel?
We'll start at the 18th verse, Luke 9.
And it came to pass as he was alone, praying.
The disciples were with him.
And he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
The answering said John the Baptist, but some say Elias.
And others say that one of the old prophets is risen again.
He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering, said to Christ of God.
And he straightly charged them and commanded them to tell no man that thing.
Saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And he said unto them all.
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it. But whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantage if he gained the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of him, shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
But I tell you the truth, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Kingdom of God.
And it came to pass about in eight days after these sayings he took Peter and John and James went up into a mountain to pray.
And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered.
And his raiment was white and glistening.
And Beholder talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias.
Who appeared in glory spake of his?
Deceased, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
But Peter and they that were with him were heavy was sleep, and when they were awake they saw his glory and the two men that stood with him, and he came to pass. As they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here, and let us make 3 tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Not knowing what he's baked.
While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them, and they feared as they entered into the cloud, and there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, hear him. And when the voice was passed, Jesus was found alone.
And they kept it close and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
And it came to pass that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
And below the man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son. Freeze mine only, child.
And lo, Spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out, and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departed from him. And I besought by disciples to cast him out, and they could not.
And Jesus answering, said all faithless and perverse generation.
How long shall I be with you and suffer you bring thy Son hit her. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down and tear him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child. Deliver him again to his Father. And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered everyone at all things which Jesus did, he said under his disciples.
00:10:21
Let these sayings sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
But they understood not the same, and it was hid from them that they perceived it now, and they feared to ask him of that saying. Then there was a reasoning among them which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name.
Receiveth me.
And whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me, for he that is least among you, all the same shall be great.
And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name.
And we forbade him, because he followed not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us.
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face, and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him.
And they did not receive him because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said Lord.
Will thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them even as Elias did?
But he turned and rebuked them and said, you know not what manner of spirits you're of, But the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Chapter 11.
And it came to pass that as he was praying in a certain place, when he seized, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord.
Teach us to pray.
Verse 5.
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend? It should go under him at midnight and send him friend. Lend ME3 loaves, for a friend of mine in his journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.
And he shall he from within shall answer and say, trouble me not. The door is now shut. My children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give thee.
I say unto you, though you will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
I suppose you have guessed already the subject that I have on my heart this afternoon.
Subject of prayer.
This may seem a little unusual connection with what we've had before us. You know, in the 47th chapter of Ezekiel, we have the waters coming out from the house over the threshold.
And.
First they reached the ankles.
Well, that would suggest the walk, isn't it? Because the water is the word of God and it affects our walk first, doesn't it?
But then it reaches the knees.
And that's as far as we're going to go this afternoon, perhaps.
Because, you know, after the knees you get the lines and then you get waters to swim in and there's no, there's no boundaries from then off. Some of our brethren brought that before us today.
Brought us into things where there were no boundaries. But perhaps for this afternoon we'll stay at the knees.
It's a good thing for us for a little while.
You know the Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians.
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Is praying twice. He's on his knees.
He's praying, first of all, that the eyes of the Saints might be open so they'll understand what they have in Christ.
And then he's praying in the second instance that Christ might dwell in the heart by faith.
The the precious truth that has to do with the inner man.
And then we have emphasize in Colossians who was just one of the Saints that says, and he was combating earnestly in prayer that the Saints might stand in all the will of God.
But then we go down the line and we see a man in the 18th chapter of Luke who cries out as he smites his breast. Lord, be merciful to me, the Sinner.
And then again, as we go down further, we see some sailors in the times of Jonah.
Who cried to God to spare them that their ship won't sink?
If God heard them, He's a faithful creator.
Oh, how good God is.
Yes, but you know, dear young people, you have started a new life when you receive Christ as your Savior.
And you have to have power for that new life, and it's not in the flesh.
It's found in Christ alone.
Oh how slow some of us older ones are to learn this.
But we went that to dear young people would learn this early and quickly.
To learn where the strength lies. It's not in self.
No, Jeremiah speaks of that, and he says in the 10th chapters, not in man to direct his ways.
Where do we find our strength in dear young people? We find it at the mercy seat. On our knees. On our knees.
We get our instruction from the Word of God, but we won't know what it means until we get on our knees.
We might have it in our head.
But in order to walk in it, we will have to get on our knees.
Wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, but the Excellency of knowledge is.
That wisdom giveth life to those that have it. That's knowledge. And you know it also says.
That understanding.
Which is the result of wisdom and knowledge combined is the wellspring of life.
And you know, we can't be too simple in our prayers.
Because the longest prayer recorded that I know of in Scripture is less than 10 minutes. That's the 119 Psalm.
And even the prayer of Solomon would only take a very few moments in the six chapters, and of Chronic, the Second Chronicles, only a few moments.
And just think of that woman as she comes to the Lord because of her need, and she said, Lord help me and he answers her.
The answer, Sir.
How about the Sinner who came and said, Lord, if thou wilt Duncans, make me clean?
Were there not prayers?
I'm thinking of a little boy right now.
Who ran all the way across?
The city of Chicago, I believe it was to hear a preacher because he wanted to hear the gospel and when he got there.
You all know who this boy is too. He's with the Lord now, but he was a boy then.
When he got there, they wouldn't let him in.
The crowds had gathered and he couldn't get in. He was too late and he sat down on the curb.
And he wept. Was that a prayer?
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And a man came along and he said, My boy, what is the trouble? Oh, he says, I came to hear the gospel and I can't get in, Woolly said. Then come with me.
It was the preacher and he led him to the platform.
Ah yes, God answers prayer, doesn't he?
He answers prayer, and in that passage we read in Luke the 11Th chapter, the disciples say teach us not how to pray, teach us to pray.
And the Lord answers, and he says, Which of you shall have a friend?
All, beloved, you and I go to the Lord Jesus as a friend.
Those silent prayers in our work, or as we go down the street, or as we find ourselves in difficulty in traffic, or whatever it may be, Oh, how important that is too. But you know, in the third Psalm, David says that cried to me with my voice.
And then what else did he say? Thou hardest me out of thy holy hill. Why the holy hill?
Do you expect the Lord Jesus, dear young people, to answer you if you're going on in ways that you shouldn't?
Do you? Surely not.
We need to be exercised as those who belong to a new creation to walk in the ways that please the Lord Jesus. But then there's another side to it. You know, we're not always instructed, are we? And we need to be instructed and how beautiful it is to be instructed in the right way. And the Lord Jesus in our chapter that we're considering this afternoon, he's instructing his disciples in the right way because he leaves them an example.
And in the 18th verse that we've read, he is now praying.
And his disciples were with him, but they were not praying.
They were not brain.
You know, it wasn't according to the economy of Israel to pray. There were those who prayed. Daniel prayed three times a day.
And there was a time when he just, he just mourned before the Lord. And the Angel came and said, I've heard what you said, I heard what you said.
There was a time when Hannah went into the temple. She never said a word.
And yet the prophet said to her, God, grant thee the petition that thou art desired of him.
Yes.
But you know.
In this 18th verse, the Lord is praying.
And his disciples are with him.
And they're learning.
And so the Lord begins to teach them. And what's the first thing He wants us to learn, dear young people?
He says who am I? Who am I all? They say some say you this and some say you're that. He says I want you to tell me who you think I am.
Dear young people, have you decided who Christ is for your own soul?
I knew a man who broke bread for some years.
And I asked him one day, I said, do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? He said since last Tuesday.
Last Tuesday and he'd been breaking bread all these years and didn't know Jesus Christ was the eternal Son of God.
Think of it.
So I don't miss him.
Who is the Lord Jesus to you? Is he your precious Savior? Is he God's Son?
Is he the one who loved you and died for you and washed those sins away in his own precious blood? Who is he? Peter says He's the Christ of God. And that was true, wasn't it?
I suppose this would be the Messiah of God, wouldn't it?
And the Lord says to Peter.
And the rest. Don't you tell any man this thing. Why?
Ah, because he's rejected.
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And that's the first lesson we have to learn, dear young people.
There are 7 lessons in this chapter we may be permitted to notice.
Disciples learned, and really in some of them mistakes they made because they weren't praying, they weren't praying.
You know, if you and I are praying in the presence of God, we'll soon learn that our path is one of rejection with Christ.
To follow a rejected Christ.
This 9th chapter sort of divides this book of Luke from from this chapter on we get the spirit mentioned and heavenly things in a special way.
And here the Lord is teaching them that they're going to follow or rejected Christ.
Are you willing to do that?
And so the Lord appeals to them here.
And he says.
The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. Now in this chapter the Lord is praying twice.
He speaks of his death three times.
As he instructs.
His disciples.
He keeps his death before them.
Instruction How precious this is.
You know, beloved, that it's the death of Christ and that precious blood that was shed that brought us into eternal relationship with Him as we received Him as our Savior by faith.
And it's his death that restores our souls as he reminds us of all that He's done for us.
He brings us back into Communion again, as we need so often.
And so.
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself. He doesn't say, no, I want you all to follow me. No, he says, if any man, A lot of this is an individual invitation to follow the Lord Jesus. If any man, are you going to follow the Lord Jesus?
You know, dear young people, you have many attractions today.
There always have been some.
There are many things that appeal to that nature of yours that you receive as a child of Adam.
But you know you have another nature if you're born again.
And that nature loves the things of God.
Are you praying?
Are you reading the Word of God?
Have the waters risen to the knees yet?
Nothing.
As you read the Word of God and you pray, you'll be kept in the path of faith, and you'll enjoy it too. Because the more we read the Word of God, the more we're in His presence, the more we'll enjoy the path of faith.
Did you ever come home from school or from the job?
Slip into your room and get down on your knees. Just for a minute. Did you ever do that? Just for a minute, did you?
Triumph. You'll get up singing, won't you?
Oh, how we need. Lord teach us to pray. Which of you shall have a friend? You and I know this friend.
He wants us to follow Him in rejection.
There's a day coming when we're going to be with him as he goes out over that vast universe of bliss as the head of it all. Now he says, follow me if any man will come after me.
They deny himself.
Not deny this thing and that thing. No, deny himself.
Christ must be everything.
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And.
Take up his cross.
Daily.
Because, beloved, if we don't do it daily, we won't do it all at all.
You and I are creatures of habits.
And we must do this daily, and we'll discover in His presence what it is.
And in denying ourselves, we won't be occupied with self, will we?
The Lord was always occupied with others, and usually the weakest. There we learn the path that He took.
Now we go on because our time is slipping away.
And we find that in the 27th verse he speaks of the glory.
I tell you the truth, there be some standing here.
Which shall not taste of death till they see the Kingdom of God.
Came to pass about an 8 days after these sayings. He took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to pray.
Now the Lord is praying for the second time in this chapter.
And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered.
Could that be true of you or me? When we pray that the fashion of our countenance would be altered, it was with Jesus.
And his ram, it was white and glistering.
And behold, it talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias.
Who appeared in glory and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Again we have His death before us.
And now this is connected with the glory. What does that teach us? Why, I believe it tells us, dear young people, what our subject will be in heaven, will it not?
Could you think of a more blessed theme than the fact that our blessed Savior came all the way from the glory down here, that He might have us for His own?
Dying in Calvary's cross to pay for everyone of those sins and to put them all away. Could there be a more glorious theme for our souls for eternity?
The love of Christ.
His death, and here they were looking on to it.
It's the center, is it not, of two eternities? Is that one grand theme that.
The angels desire to look into, but they'll never know what you know, beloved, about the death of Christ.
They'll never feel. What you feel is the Spirit of God opens to you the precious things of Christ.
As you're in his presence.
No, angels will never know that.
But Peter?
James and John are here, those who were pillars.
Let's not depend too much on the pillars. Let's trust in Christ.
These were pillars.
Now what happens to the pillars?
But Peter 32nd verse and they that are with him were heavy with sleep.
Oh, how sad when the pillars go to sleep. How sad.
Well, Peter refers to this later in the in his book The 2nd Epistle. I believe he refers to this occasion.
And he speaks of the glory and how they were with him in the glory. Marvelous theme.
Now I know he had it by revelation then, but notice this little expression.
And when they were awake, they saw His glory.
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All of the story this tells.
When they were awake, they saw his glory. Who wakened them? Who was it not Jesus?
Oh, how much they missed because they were asleep. Someone has said that if they hadn't gone to sleep in the garden.
Then they would've been awake on this occasion. I know that the timing is different.
But it's a moral picture. It isn't a question of time and the things of the Kingdom of God. And if we're asleep as to his sufferings and death, we'll be asleep too as to the glory.
Well, this is then the second thing that they have to learn.
And here they learn that.
They're not as dependable.
As they should be, they go to sleep on this occasion when the glory is before them.
And here they have these two men standing with Jesus.
Now that Peter has something to say.
You know, it's a sad thing when we have things to say when we're not supposed to say, isn't it?
When we have something to say when we're not supposed to say.
And this is what happened to Peter. And so he said things that he shouldn't have said.
Master, it is good for us to be here and let us make 3 tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses and one for Elias, not knowing what he said.
Well.
Theater, you know, was very quick to speak.
Very quick.
But he had to learn on this occasion.
And all what a patient teacher he had.
Why did Peter do this?
He was sleeping instead of praying, was he not? Is this a lesson for my heart? Dear young people this afternoon and for yours? How many mistakes did have we made this last week?
This last year because we weren't praying.
How many times have we spoken unadvisably advisedly with our lips because we weren't praying?
How many times? The Lord knows.
Now the Father has something to say to this three tabernacles. No, just one. Just one, that's all. Oh, what a lesson for our hearts, beloved. There's only one that's worthy of our attention at all, and that's Jesus.
Let's not get our eyes on anyone else, just Jesus.
What does the father have to say?
There came a voice out of the cloud saying this cloud that overshadowed them.
This is my.
Beloved son.
Hear him now we have that expression before. This is my beloved son in another place.
But here we have added to it, here, here, here him. Why is this? Well, in the Old Testament God spake by many to the fathers, as we learned in Hebrews 1.
And he even sent angels.
And it was necessary in the first two chapters of Hebrews for the Spirit of God to bring before man, basically the Jew, the fact that angels were to be set aside entirely from that place of prominence.
And there was only one now that was to be heard, and that was Jesus.
00:40:01
Father, God has spoken in Son, in Son.
He's the one now we're to listen to.
And when the voice was passed, Jesus.
Was found alone. Oh dear young people, I trust that as you and I leave these meetings, when the voice is passed, we'll be Jesus will be there alone in our hearts. I trust it'll be so.
Jesus alone.
But now we have following this.
It says they kept it close in those days.
But it came out later, didn't it? Peter's ministry.
But that was after the Spirit came, wasn't it? Spirit of God came down, and Christ was raised to the highest place, and he received the Spirit and glorified man, and then he sent the Spirit down.
Yes, and then Peter could tell out these marvelous things.
These heavenly things.
But now we have the next day.
About tomorrow, when we leave these meetings, when we come down from the hill, as it were.
Because in a way, we're on the hill today. You know, the Spirit of God is these reading meetings is setting before us those precious truths that lifts us right into the heavenlies. But how about tomorrow?
Do you think, Malabar, that just because you and I have been to a conference that we're going to have a great deal of strength to meet the enemy?
Do it. Do you think so? Well, it isn't true.
It still remains, beloved, that unless you and I pray, we won't have any strength to meet the enemy.
One bit.
We may have ample instruction.
But strength doesn't come from mere instruction.
Now if you care to look back sometime, you can notice in the beginning of the chapter that the Lord Jesus had given them power and authority over the demons for the heal diseases and now they come down from this lofty place where they were.
Beholding the glory.
And this voice from heaven.
Seeing these two men in the in the heavens.
And so on and this glory.
Scene. And now they come down and they're helpless.
Oh dear young people, will it be so with you and me tomorrow as we meet our daily tasks? Will we be helpless in the face of what the enemy presents to us? We will, unless we learn this precious lesson.
Lord.
Teach us to pray.
And his answer? Which of you shall have a friend?
A friend.
Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus.
Is this the way you and I pray?
Or is it sort of a formal thing?
Here's a man that's possessed.
Surely the disciples should be able, after this experience, to meet this.
No, they couldn't meet it. Here's the fourth thing then that we noticed that.
They failed in because they weren't praying.
Jesus answering, said, All faithless and perverse generation, How long shall I be with you and suffer? You bring thy son, hit her.
And so on.
And he healed his child and delivered him again.
To his father. Notice that.
He not only healed him, but he delivered him to his father.
00:45:00
When the Lord Jesus raised that young man in the 7th of Luke delivered him to his mother.
Or any claims that the Lord will have on your heart, dear young people will be through love and affection for.
Christ.
Simply because a command has come forth. It's because we love him, because he first loved us.
Yes.
There were those that I will follow thee, and we trust it was because their hearts were drawn to Him, not because he commanded it.
Merely.
Now they were amazed at the mighty power of God.
And they wondered everyone at all the things which Jesus did.
They well might wonder.
And he sat under his disciples. Let these sayings sink down into your ears. That's the conscience.
Let these saying sink down into your conscience. That's what it means.
For the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of man, the.
Time is death is brought before them, but they understood not these words.
Why? And as we sat together yesterday and had that.
High and holy privilege together as Saints.
Did we understand these things?
Perhaps if we brought our basket of firstfruits. And what does that mean? It means that all during the week we were occupied with the death of Christ in some way or other.
Then we have something to bring, because the Jew was not to come empty when he came to present himself before the Lord.
He was to bring his basket of first fruits.
46 verse Things are getting worse, aren't they?
And beloved, they'll get worse too, if we don't pray.
Yes they will.
Then there are rules of reasoning. Among them, which of them should be greatest.
Now when you get to chapter 22 where the table is spread and.
Peter's now at the table. They began to strive which would be the greatest?
And then the Lord has to say to Peter, Come Peter, Satan has desired to have you, that me may sift you as wheat, but I've prayed for thee.
But even their beloved before he ever says that.
He said He or they which have continued with me in my temptations, and I appoint unto your Kingdom.
To seat you on 12 Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
Oh, what a savior.
You know he never puts us through a trial or test without a resource.
Even Elijah, before he had that long journey, the Lord says the journey is too great for thee, rise and eat. And there was something for Elijah to eat and for him to drink.
Yes, the Lord always prepares us for what's ahead, if we're willing to listen.
There's never a trial, but what he prepares us, What about David?
Sat in the presence of God.
And he told him about his house for a long time to come, and David went out and numbered the people.
And the plague began.
What would have happened to David if he hadn't known that the Lord had blessed his house for a long time to come?
Oh what a savior we have. And dear young people, no matter what the trial or test you may be put through.
Has already prepared you for it. If you'll pray and if you'll be in His presence, you'll have the victory.
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And so the Lord puts a child before them.
Oh, how we need to learn this lesson, every one of us here today.
Puts a child before him, except a man becomes a little child, he shall not see the.
Kingdom of God or enter it no.
And this applies in principle even to us who are saved to enter into the enjoyment of these precious things. There must be.
That spirit that Mary showed as she sat at his feet to hear His word, The dependent spirit. And that's what prayer is, is it not?
Now we come to something further.
You see how the evil.
Is making progress.
And how it will in our hearts, beloved, dear young people, if we don't pray.
You see someone taking a wrong step and you say, oh that person made a made a blunder, yes, but what about the path before it?
How that person could have been preserved if there had been the waiting upon God in prayer.
John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him, because he followed not with us.
He followed that with us.
Is that our business? If the Lord has appointed someone else to preach the gospel, is it our business to interfere with his preaching the gospel?
It doesn't matter where he comes from or where he is, if the Lord said he, we better leave him with the Lord put him.
Then we'd better pray for the Gospel, too.
We better pray.
But here we have the spiritual rising up in the disciples that there's somebody.
Not a terrible spirit, this is.
This doesn't become the Saints of God, because we're nobody.
It was said at one time when Mr. Darby was speaking in a house.
A home in England.
Among some of the wealthier people.
That he saw a pair of shoes under one of the drapes and he knew someone was standing there, one of the servants.
And he said, who are you? Nobody.
But he said you better come out then because you're the person I want.
Oh, if we could only take this place. Nobody.
Nobody.
Forbid him not for he that is not against us is for us.
Now they're going to Jerusalem. The time had come for the Lord to go up. Does he go up?
Been sad for us if he had.
No, he doesn't go up. He sets his face as a Flint.
To go to Jerusalem, he knew what was ahead.
Because that's why he came to die.
I.
Now they're making ready for him, but we find the smarter didn't receive him.
And now when James and John saw this, they said, Lord, will thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, consume them even as Elias did?
Would he have said this if he had been praying?
Ah, he hadn't discovered what Christianity was all about following a rejected Christ.
He hadn't discovered anything that responded to what he saw in the Lord Jesus in the way of meekness, gentleness.
00:55:05
The path that belongs to the Christian as he passes through this world.
And so we find these two now they would like to call down fire from heaven on those that resist them. No, that's not the path for faith, is it? You see how evil has accumulated and how now it's risen to this very height where they're going to call fire down on their enemies.
How far can we go and how far will we go?
If we're not walking by faith and dependence, praying.
Praying.
But he turned, rebuked him, and said, you know not what manner of spirit year of.
For the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them, and they went to another village.
Now we see in the 11Th chapter that someone and I can guess who it was, I think.
Because he was always the spokesman.
Was it not Peter who said this? I think it must have been.
Lord.
Teach us to pray.
Are you and I going to say that now this afternoon to the Lord? Teach us to pray. And what is this answer to us?
In the fifth verse, which of you shall have a friend?
And go to him at the at the time when it's most inconvenient, at midnight.
When you really shouldn't go, you know.
Any other time I do, but when don't disturb a person when they're when they're sleeping.
No, he says.
He says your own friend might not like this.
But the eighth verse?
I say unto you.
Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend.
Yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needed.
Now I don't know too much about Webster and his dictionary, but.
It seems to me that this word would suggest something like this.
We'll say here's a busy lawyer taking care of a client.
In his living room.
And his little boy runs in and he says, Daddy, I want something. His father stops.
The child, what he wants, the child runs out and he goes back to his work. It's just like that.
Anytime you come, the Lord's ready.
Why? Because Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it.
And he's a spirit, not his own son.
Not with him also freely give us all things.
And you know what the throne of grace is for? So we can go and plead and plead, hoping that maybe God will hear us, No?
He wants us to come and Justice take home that seasonable help.
That he's already provided as our great high priest. Oh dear young people.
Are you going to say to the Lord now teach us to pray?
Shall we sing that little hymn 319?
By Jesus.
Moses' Three Forty Years
Address—G. Hayhoe
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General Meetings, Montreal, October 1973. Addressed by Gordon Hayhoe.
#18 and the appendix.
And is it so? I shall be like Thy Son. Is this the grace which He for me has won? Father of glory, thought beyond all thoughts in glory to His own blessed likeness brought him #18 in the appendix.
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I'd like to turn this afternoon, first of all, the Second Chronicles Chapter 9.
Second Chronicles, Chapter 9.
Beginning at the first verse.
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bear spices and gold in abundance, and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
And Solomon told her all her questions, and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.
Now in the 18th son, Psalm 18.
And the 28th verse.
For thou wilt light my candle. The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect. The word of the Lord is tried. He is a Butler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the Lord, and who is a rock save our God.
It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like Hinds feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
Now could we turn to the 7th chapter of Acts?
I'd like to read a little about the life of Moses here as it's recorded in the 7th chapter of Acts.
Beginning at the 17th verse.
But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, till another king arose which knew not Joseph. The same dealt subtly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children to the end they might not live. In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months.
And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up and nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds. And when he was full 40 years old, it came into his heart to deliver his brethren the children of Israel, And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian.
For he supposed his brother would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them, but they understood not. And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strolled, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, your brethren, why do we wrong one to another? And he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee A ruler and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?
Then flared Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Median, where he begat two sons, and when 40 years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an Angel of the Lord in the flame of fire in a Bush. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight, and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying, I am the God of thy Father's, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold, then said the Lord to him.
Put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the place where thou standest is holy ground. I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. This Moses, whom they refuse saying, Who made thee A ruler and a judge. The same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel which appeared to him.
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At the Bush he brought them out. After that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness 40 years.
The 39th verse To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turn back again into Egypt, saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us. For As for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we want not what has become of him.
How could we turn also to Hebrews Chapter 11?
Hebrews, Chapter 11.
The 23rd verse. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the King's commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ.
Greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
My faith He forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
And justice.
One more passage.
In First Corinthians chapter 13.
First Corinthians, chapter 13.
Verse 12.
For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known?
What was on my heart, dear young people, to talk this afternoon about those 3 periods of 40 years in the life of Moses. The 1St 40 years he spent, we might say, in the school of Egypt. The last 2-40 years he spent in the school of God. And I was thinking of how this is the way our life is normally divided if we go on for the Lord. And I was thinking of the Queen of Sheba.
Came up to see a King Solomon. There were many hard questions, Questions in that land where she lived that she could not find the answer to truly. She had plenty of wealth. She had riches in abundance. As you read the passage there in Second Chronicles 9, you can see something of the wealth and glory of the Kingdom where she came from. What did all this wealth give her? The answer to these hard questions?
And supposing, dear young people, that you were to make a success of life, that you were to get together the treasures of this world, and that you were able to enjoy them in a natural sense, I'm sure there would still remain in your life a great many questions unanswered.
Persons for which there is no answer in the wisdom of this world. Questions for which there is no answer at all.
In all that man can give you. But oh, how wonderful that God has a plan in connection with your life and mine, and that He is seeking to work out that plan. It may seem as though it's behind the scenes, and so it is, but nevertheless, if we are willing to commit our lives to the Lord, if we are willing to seek to go on for Him, He will teach us.
That which he would have us learn so that we might become good.
And useful in his things. So I think of the Queen of Sheba there.
And when she made this long journey all the way up to Jerusalem to get an answer to her questions. For it says the price of wisdom is far above rubies. And all dear young people, I beseech of you not to be satisfied with success in this world, not to be satisfied with just getting those things that satisfy for the present, because the pleasures of sin are for a season. But how to find in the word of God?
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And in the Lord Jesus Christ now the answer to life and one in life is really all about, so that you might receive something at least of the blessing that God has for you in all that he may pass you through. So in that passage that we read in the 18th Psalm, let us turn to it for a moment.
It says there in the 28th verse, for thou will light my candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. And that is God can bring light into your pathway. He has an answer to all those questions that may be perplexing you right now and if you will bring him in, maybe those things that seem so hard and difficult to understand.
And you will already find some of the answers in the light and wisdom of His precious Word. But one thing we have to settle before we'll get the answers, and that is confidence in God. And so it tells us here. By thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect.
He is a buckler to the word of the Lord is tried. He is a buckler to all laws that trust in Him.
Older young people, let me say this and that whatever God may allow in your life and mine, As for God, His way is perfect.
He knows exactly what he's doing, He is doing every good and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and there's not a trial or a difficulty in your life or mine, but is allowed of the Lord.
In His schooling with us to teach us some needed lesson, we can brush it aside. We can try and get through the difficulty without turning to the Lord. But that's not the solution. It's to turn to Him. But I say again to turn to Him with that confidence that As for God, His way is perfect and also His Word. Is that what you and I need to sustain us in all that we pass through?
As it says in the 16th Psalm, the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places. Yay. I have a goodly heritage, and if you and I find the word of God coming home to our souls, it'll make a blessing out of every situation.
Then it tells us to.
In the 33rd verse, He maketh my feet like Heinz feet and setteth me upon my high places. You notice this in connection with that verse. By my God, I have leaped over a wall. You know, there's a sort of a feeling in us now that God has to remove the difficulty or we can't go on. But that isn't always God's way. Sometimes it's His way to enable us to rise above the difficulty.
Sometimes it's his way to show us that the difficulty has been placed there by him in order to teach us dependence upon Him. And so the troop wasn't removed, but the man of faith ran through the troop.
Now the wall wasn't removed. How about the little hind coming to the wall could spring up and jump over it and know how good it is to know that a little God may not remove some of those problems and difficulties in your life. That He is able to help you to run through the troop. He's able to help you to spring up and go over the wall. And then as you notice the verse speaks about walking on my high places.
Made this comment, perhaps you heard me say it before, but I do enjoy it in my own soul because I've often watched a little hind come to the fence and jump over the fence, but then it comes down on the other side, comes down to the same level on the other side of the fence. But the Lord is telling us.
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He not only will give us the Hinds feet that can rise and jump over the wall, but He says He makes us to walk on our high places. That is, we don't need to come down on the other side with a thud. Now the Lord is able to lift us up and keep us up in the sense that He gives us the strength.
To rise above the difficulties and to go on with him, because He's always above them. He's above every situation. He's upon the throne, as it says in the second chapter of Hebrews. We see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. And what is our position now? Well, we read in Ephesians chapter 2.
And that we're already seated with him in the heavenlies, that is, we're above the difficulties of the way. Just as the children of Israel when he entered the promised land. The man has ceased. Why did the man have cease? Well, Amanda speaks of the comfort that the Lord gives us.
Along the way, he's the true brand that came down from hell to heaven and helps us in our difficulties. But when they entered the land, then they didn't need comfort because they were in the end of the.
Portion that God had given to them. And so when we're in difficulties, we often need comfort, but God can enable us to rise above the difficulties so that we're already in the enjoyment of our heavenly portion before we get there.
And that's what He brings before us. I believe in that 18th Psalm. But I want to say again, and I want to impress upon your heart and mind those words. As for God, His way is perfect. Oh dear, young people, remember this. Some of you have had some real sorrows and disappointments. Some of you perhaps have come to the point where you're just about said, well, I give up, but it's because you lost faith.
It's because you didn't have the sense in your soul that As for God.
His way is perfect and that absolutely nothing happens by chance.
In the 8th chapter of Romans it says we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Perhaps when you've read that verse and you've looked at some problem in your life, you have said, well I just can't see how any good could ever come out of this. Perhaps that's what you have wondered. And that was because the shield of faith was down, the wall was in front of you and it just seemed that you couldn't rise above it.
You thought God must remove this difficulty, but not so. He may intend that you should have those Hinds feet that could rise up and go over them. And I've often pointed out and enjoyed it, and that in the next verse of the 8th of Romans, I might say that in order to get the thought, I believe we have to read verses 28 and 9 together. The 29th verse says For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate.
To be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born.
Among many brethren, why does that next verse come in? Well, God knew just exactly how we'd feel.
In some of these situations where we couldn't see any good coming from them at all. And so the next verse is a little explanation, if I might speak in that way, for whom he did foreknow, that is, did you question how it was going to work for good? Well, I often illustrate it like this. Did you ever pick up a storybook? And then you came to a sad chapter in that storybook. Even the tears came to your eyes and you just saw.
Difficulty, a situation, there didn't seem to be any solution to it. And you couldn't wait any longer. And so you turned over to the end of the book and when you saw how the story ended, and then you went back and you read that sad chapter with perfect confidence. Why? Oh, you said, I know how the story ends. It's all going to work out because I've read the end of the story. Now, dear young people, that's just what God tells you in the 28th, 29th verse.
He says, you're wondering how it's going to work for good. So he said, I'm going to turn over the page and tell you the end of the story. And what is the end of the life story? That we should be conformed to the image of his Son. And then we might say, oh, but my life story hasn't yet been written. I haven't lived out my life yet. God says, oh, but I'll tell you more and read the 30th verse. And then he goes back into a constant eternity.
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And tells us that we were chosen in Christ long before whom he did predestinate.
Then he also called, and he carries us into a coming eternity and says whom he called them he also justified, and whom he justified them He also glorified. He said, I have more to tell you. Your life story has been written. I know everything that's going to happen in your life and in my purposes you're already glorified. Oh dear young people, if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
You could not be more richly blessed. The heart of God could not tell itself out in a fuller and more wonderful way than it has been told out in the gift of His Son and through redemption. And now to bring us into all His counsels and purposes. He has unfolded these things to encourage us because He knows the way that we take. He knows all about the pathway.
And as my father used to so often say, he has an individual schooling for each one of us. And that's why I read a little bit about the life of Moses. I just like to go over these things in the life of Moses with a little bit of detail because God not only tells us some of these things in a doctrinal way in his Word, but he actually takes men and women of like passions with ourselves.
And shows us how they lived in situations very similar to our own and how God passed them through the very things that we're passing through. And he shows us how their life began. He shows us in what measure they learned these lessons and then shows us how their lives ended. And I think this is all very blessed. Someone has spoken of the Old Testament as God's picture book because God brings before us in the lives of men and women.
Those things that are taught to us doctrinally in other parts of the Word. And so the life of Moses is a lovely example of this. I think we're all aware that there are quite a few periods in the Bible of 40 days and 40 years because.
40 days or 40 years bring before us the period of testing in our lives. The Lord Jesus was tempted 40 days of the devil. The children of Israel were 40 years in the wilderness. Moses was on the mount 40 days with God. Over and over again in the Scripture we read about these 40 days and 40 years. And so in the life of Moses we have an example brought before us of a man whom God used.
And how those 3 periods took place in his life. And now you know dear young people, it would have been very easy for Moses at the end of the 1St 40 years to have thrown up his hands and said I give up. Did you ever feel like that?
Perhaps because you just came to the end of the 1St 40 years, you felt like throwing up your hands. But oh, what a loss it would have been to Moses. What a loss to the people of God if he had given up at the end of the 1St 40 years. That 40 years was necessary in the ways of God. It was 40 years spent in the schools of Egypt. For it tells us that he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.
And was mighty in words and deeds. But I wanted to begin where we started here in the 17th verse, when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham long before, about 400 years before. God had made a promise that He was going to bring His people into that good land, that land flowing with milk and honey, and He was going to bless the minute and give them possession of it.
Well, you know, this was a difficulty, a difficult time for Israel. Here it tells us when the time of the promise drew nigh, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt. But then there was another king of Rose, and this king was a very.
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Unkind man, it tells us. Here. He dealt subtly with our kindred and evil entreated our fathers.
Well, this was a difficult time, wasn't it? The pressure was all against the people of God. And doesn't that perhaps correspond to the time in which we live? There's strong pressure against the people of God. There are real difficulties for those who would seek to walk in the path of faith. And so we find this difficulty, this hard time for the people of God. It says that.
They dealt subtly with our kindred and evil entreated our fathers.
And perhaps you say, well, it is a very hard time and I don't think it's possible to really live for the Lord.
In such a time as this, because everything is against you, notice these words here.
In the 20th verse, in which time Moses was born, in which time Moses was born, and dear young people, you have been born in a very difficult time of the world's history. You have, you have come into this world at a time when the course of things in the world, especially in Christendom, is turning more and more against the Word of God, against the path of faith. Truly the words of the second Psalm.
Are characteristic of this day.
It says in the second song that the kings of the earth said let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. This is a day of casting off restraint. This is a day when people say, well, how do you know it's wrong?
Only wrong when you think it's wrong. But everybody's idea of what is evil is different and you can never really be sure. If you think it's wrong, don't do it. But ideas are changing. Well, this is the time in which you live. Is there a path for faith in such a day as this? You have been born in this time. Was there a path for a faith for Moses parents?
Unless they throw up their hands and say.
Well, it's just too difficult in this day. We can't expect our children to go on for the Lord.
In such a day as this, but Moses parents Amram and Jacob Ed. They had three children and those three children grew up and loved the Lord. They weren't perfect, but they did grow up and love the Lord and became useful people among the people of God. But they were born in a very difficult time. They were born in the time when I say the whole time.
How the world was against them and.
And it tells us here that Moses was born and he was exceeding fair and nourished up in his father's house three months. Now that is as long as possible. His parents took care of him, sheltered him. But there came a time when they couldn't do it any longer. They had to commit him to the they had to commit him to the Lord. And so they made that little ark and they put him in the ark.
And we know how that God overruled. I've often thought of Moses parents. It says that Miriam stood there to see what would become of this boy. But it tells us in the 12Th chapter of Hebrews and that his parents were not afraid of the King's commandment. I just pass on this little word as an encouragement to young parents. Why, when you look at your child in a day like this, I'm sure you've often said.
What's going to become of them? That's exactly the way that Moses parents felt, and little Miriam watched to see what would become of that boy. But in another sense, they had confidence in God, and they were not afraid of the King's commandment. And so these mixed feelings in their hearts cast them thoroughly upon the Lord, and they had to allow their boy to be taken to the court of peril.
They had to allow him to get all higher learning of Egypt and all. How they must have trembled. Only atheism, all the idolatry, all the superstition, everything that was contrary to what they wanted and desired for their boy, was pushed into his little mind.
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And there he grew up, and they saw him become a successful.
In the world, in Egypt, it says he was mighty in words and deeds. Perhaps he got the finest diplomas, perhaps he was making all the progress and it was applauded as the one who might be the next pharaoh of Egypt. Now this was what the world had to offer to him.
And dear young people, the world is a vast system of things. And so we have often said that the 1St 40 years of Moses life, he was learning to be somebody, He was learning to be important in this world. And the whole system of the world's education is to make you somebody very important in your country, in your society, in your school, in your business, in your community.
It's to urge you on in this and sometimes you can get caught in the current, perhaps moles as well as to I think it's quite notable that the Spirit of God makes no comment about what Moses thought or did in these first 40 years. Perhaps he got carried away with it himself. Perhaps he himself became so occupied with success and getting along in Egypt.
That for the time being.
He forgot that he truly was one of the people of God now that he was raised up not to be a great man in Egypt, which was under judgment, but instead God had caused him to be born in that very time for a specific purpose, and that was that he might.
Suffer affliction with the people of God, and that He might lead them out of the land of Egypt altogether. But the 1St 40 years seemed a contradiction of this. And dear young people, as I look at you and I see you getting along in school, perhaps you have made a success, perhaps you have good grades, perhaps you have a good education. But I beseech you to remember this, that all this that is making you great in this world.
Can be used of the enemy to cause you to settle down in this world and you can have a wasted life. You can have a wasted life. Oh how many dear young people with great ability because they have done so well in this world, it has been a wasted life. They have as it were stopped at the end of the 1St 40 years and they have said well now I've got what I want, I'm just going to settle down.
I do believe honestly in my heart that all this time Moses was a true believer, a true child of faith. But he had got along in this world so much that it appears now that the real calling for which he had been raised up seemed to have been forgotten. But God had his eye upon him. God had his eye upon that boy.
And I want to encourage you, dear young people, not to get.
Too involved in what's going on in this world, because now this world with all its glory is going to pass away. It's under the judgment of God. And all the schooling of this world will only occupy you with your own importance, with the importance of this world. And you'll never see the world as God presents it to you in His Word as a place.
Where God's Son was rejected, where Christ is cast out, and where it's under the judgment of God. But something wonderful happened at at the end of 40 years, after he had been well educated, after he had come to a position where he could have made his mark in this world. It says it came into his heart to deliver his people. It came into his heart, we're told in Hebrews 11.
To identify himself with a despised people of God. And dear young people, I do desire for you that if it's never really come into your heart before, that it'll come into your heart today to cast in your lot with the despised people of God.
All you say, but you don't know what things are like. The people of God aren't going on with the Lord like they should in the little meeting where I am. It's not so easy as you think, Brother Hajo. It's very difficult. Was it easy for Moses? Did his people appreciate what he tried to do for them? Not a bit. They thrust him away. They wouldn't have him. And perhaps you say, I've tried, I've tried and I've been thrust away too.
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And did you give up? Did you give up? Was the 1St 40 years in the wisdom of this world all that you attained in your life? And so you just threw up your hands and said, I tried and I give up. What a loss it would have been to Moses. What a loss to the people of God if Moses had given up at this point. Well, you say, well, he didn't act very nicely. Perhaps he did act in the flesh.
And sometimes we can do right thing in the wrong way. I'm sure many of us have tried to do the right thing. It came into his heart to deliver his people, the children of Israel. And he saw them striving. He saw them fighting. He didn't see them going on nicely. He saw them fighting. But that's the kind of people he identified with, the people that were fighting, the people that were having these troubles and difficulties. He identified himself with these people.
And he thought, well, I'm going to try and set things right, but it wasn't appreciated. He went about it in the wrong way, that's true. But he did intend to be a help to the people of God. And it says they thrust him away. And he had noticed what he said in the 26th verse. He said, Sir, ye are brethren, why do we wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee A ruler and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?
Yes, because he had failed in the way he had done this. Now he fled. He gave up because they said, Who made thee A ruler and a judge over the people of God? But God had further purposes for him. He had graduated from the school of Egypt, but he hadn't taken his first lesson in the school of God. This was going to be a new experience for him.
And you know, dear young people, when we graduate from the schools of this world, we may not have taken our lessons in the school of God. And you know, it's in our schools today. The class periods perhaps vary from 20 minutes to 3/4 of an hour or an hour.
Perhaps there's a semester, or perhaps there's a year's course, But strangely enough, Moses had a long, long session.
To learn just one lesson.
A long, long session.
Just to learn one lesson. And why did it take so long for him to learn that all? Because he had to be emptied of all that self importance. He had to be emptied of all that. It isn't that God took away the desire to deliver his people. I'm sure that that desire often came up in his mind as he thought of the people whom he had left behind, like back in Egypt.
He'd run away from them. He'd said, I give up, I'm through, I can't do anything, and they don't want me to do anything. And so he had fled. But I'm quite sure that many times his heart went back and he thought of those people and he knew that they were in slavery and he longed for their deliverance. But I say he was learning something in the school of God. And what was he learning in the school of God?
We say it was learning how to keep sheep. Oh, that was his occupation, but that wasn't what God was teaching him. And you and I may be involved in some very menial occupation, or we may be involved in some very important occupation.
We read of those whom God called who looked after sheep. One was a gatherer of Sycamore fruit, another was in the very highest position in Babylon. They were man whom God used. But all these men whom God used had to learn the same lesson.
They had to learn the same lesson. And what was the lesson that they had to learn? They had to learn that they were nothing. And whether it was minding sheep, whether it was gathering Sycamore fruit, or whether it was a person with a very high civil service position like Daniel in the court of a court of Nebuchadnezzar, he had to They all had to learn the same lesson. They had to learn that they were nothing.
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They had to learn that the Lord alone.
Must be exalted. And here young people, this is a very, very difficult lesson for any of us to learn that we are nothing. But it's a wonderful thing. It's an important thing to realize that the scripture says the flesh prophetess nothing.
Someone asked Mr. Darby. He said I'd like to study the word of God.
And saw that I would get some knowledge something like you have. And Mr. Darby said study well, 4 words, the flash prophetess, nothing. All this is a lesson that's hard for us to learn. It took Moses 40 years before he learned this even in some measure. And may the Lord grant that we'll realize that we are nothing and that when we come to this, when we realize this.
Then it tells us in the 30th verse. And when 40 years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Sina an Angel of the Lord, in the flame of fire in a Bush. When Moses saw it, he wondered the sight. And as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying, I am the God of thy Father's, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Oh, what a wonderful thing. God hadn't forgotten his servant in those forty years in the backside of the desert.
Seemed to be a long time, didn't it? 40 years before he had tried to help them. 40 years they had suffered under this hard ******* and nothing had happened. It had got worse instead of better. And the person whom God was going to use.
Was on the backside of the desert keeping sheep. What a strange thing. Could you understand it naturally? No, dear friends. But As for God, his way is perfect. If God was going to use a man as his messenger, it wouldn't be one who was puffed up over his knowledge. Because he was the the most educated person perhaps in the whole of Egypt, mighty in words and deeds.
He could talk well, but after he had been in the school of God for 40 years, he had been so emptied of himself that when the Lord appeared to him, you know what he said? He said, I can't talk. He said I'm just like a child. Well, you say, what a pity.
What a pity. He could have been so useful 40 years before and now he's no use. He spent 40 years in isolation and now he's no use. Oh God was going to use him. He was useful now. When he thought he could talk, he said and did the wrong thing. But when he found out he couldn't talk. He had to rely totally and completely upon the Lord. He had to look to him for every word because he might say a word out of turn.
He might do the wrong thing because he had tried to do it in the energy of the flesh, and now God is going to use him. And I think it's lovely what the Lord says to him in this.
In this 34th verse I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people, which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning and I'm come down.
To deliver them 40 years before Moses had tried to do this.
As though God didn't see it and God didn't know it. Not at the end of 40 years. The Lord said, Moses, I understand the situation perfectly. I know all about it. I know just what my people are going through. You thought I I didn't know because surely I would have delivered them long ago if I had known what was going on. But he said, Moses, I do know. I know just exactly what they're passing through.
And he said, I've come down to deliver them. Moses thought that by his hand the Lord would deliver him. Now the Lord said, I am come down to deliver them. And now how beautiful. And now come, I will send thee under Pharaoh. Now the Lord says, Moses, I can use you now.
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You think you can't talk, You're evil, You're even afraid in my presence.
You have learned something of your own nothingness, and now he said, I can use you in blessing.
I ask you, dear young people, where those 40 years wasted?
Say I don't seem to be able to do anything. I like to feel like an accomplished something and it doesn't seem that anything is happening.
Where those 40 years wasted? No, that was part of God's schooling. That was what God was passing Moses through. It was very far from what took place in Egypt, because in Egypt he learned his own importance, but now he learns that he's nothing at all. And the Lord says.
I'll be with thy mouth, and I'll teach thee what to say. Oh, don't we need this? There never was a day when we needed so much to have the Lord with our mouths. It's so easy to say the wrong thing. It's so easy to do the wrong thing. How about the Lord can be with us and the Lord can help us?
And he said in the 33rd verse, Sin said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from my feet, for the place where thou standest.
His holy ground, although he was going to be used of the Lord, he had to realize his own nothingness. He had to stand there, as we might say, with nothing under him. Stand there and bare feet with nothing under him at all. And the Lord said, Come now and I'll send thee. Oh dear young people, the Lord has something for you to do. If He leaves us here, I believe that He really wants to use you.
As we look back over the history of the church, we see how often God has used young people, but he has always had to pass us through these three things. All those whom God has used have had to go through that. These three stages that we speak of in the life of Moses, we find it with the we find it with Paul. When Paul was first saved, he went and spent three years in Arabia. Why didn't God use him right away?
All I had to go back for three years into Arabia and then God sent him out and God used him and constantly we find moles us with his forty years on the backside of the desert and over and over again we find this that God has to teach us this needed lesson. But now let us see here what it says in the 35th verse this Moses who they refuse saying.
Who made thee A ruler and a judge? The same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel which appeared to him in the Bush? Well, notice this, when he tried to do it in the energy of the flesh, it says that he was a ruler and a judge. But when God had taught him in his school, then it says that the same Moses, yes, the very same person.
But what a change here. It says the Lord sent him to be a ruler and a deliverer and all. It's easy to be a ruler and a judge, I suppose many of us. I can look back to my younger days and it's very easy to be a judge.
That's very easy to take the critical place. But you know, as we go on in life, the Lord teaches us that we're nothing. He teaches us that we have failures of our own. He lets us see that we've made many mistakes. He lets us see that in ourselves were nothing. And when we have learned that we're nothing, but then we find the Lord said that this very same Moses was not a ruler and a judge. Now he was a ruler and a deliverer. It's a tremendous difference, isn't it?
A deliverer, a helper in a difficult situation, not, not in the position of judging because we're no better than others. In the 6th chapter of Galatians, when it's talking about helping someone, it says considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
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When we have learned what we are in ourselves by, then the Lord could send him to be a ruler and a deliverer, this same Moses, this same Moses. And now he goes, Was he appreciated? Now at this point did all his brethren throw their arms out and say, Oh wonderful, God's going to use Moses?
Now when he tried at the end of the 1St 40 years, they thrust him away.
When he was sent back at the end of the 40 years in the school of God, he had the sense that the Lord was with him. For the Lord said, certainly I will be with thee, certainly I will be with thee. But what he did wasn't always appreciated.
Thought he had learned that he was nothing. And he had learned one of the most wonderful lessons. He had learned that God loved his people in spite of all their failures and shortcomings. He loved his people. Not that God ever lowers his standard of holiness. Never.
He never will lower his standard of holiness. His standard of holiness in 1973 is no less than it was in AD 73.
Young people might think it's changed. No, it hasn't. Dear young people, God thinks just as seriously of sin today as he did before. But in spite of all that, the people of God are. He loves them still, and he wants to bless them. And Moses needed to learn that God was everything and that he was going to accomplish his own purposes in connection with his people. And so Moses then went.
And it tells us that when Moses went first, why they wouldn't listen to him for bitterness of soul, they didn't appreciate it. But Moses went on why all he'd been in the presence of God. He had learned that he was nothing. But now he was coming to see that God loved his people and that God had a promise and that he was going to fulfill that promise. Supposing Moses had given up at the end of the 2nd 40 years.
Have you given up at the end of the 1St 40 years? What a loss it would have been. But if he'd given up at the end of the 2nd 40 years, what a loss it would have been to truly learned his own nothingness. But it's a miserable thing to learn your own nothingness and not to learn that God is all sufficient. That's this horrible thing to have to learn you're nothing, if not at the same time learning that God is everything and that He can and does delight to bless His people.
And so Moses then was used of God, and he led the people out through the Red Sea. First, of course, as we know, they had to be sheltered under the blood.
The Passover lamb, and then they were let out and then it says 40 years. He suffered their murmurings in the wilderness. How could he take it the first time that they thrust him away? He said I'm through.
But now, 40 years, he put up with it. Why? All because he learned he was nothing himself. He was just the same as they were, a poor failing thing himself. But God loved his people. God wanted to bless them. God was going to deliver them and take them out. And he had the privilege of being the one who would tell them what was in the heart of God toward them. And so, in spite of all their murmurings, we see him going on in the Bible says he was the meekest man in all the earth.
I know, dear young people, again, I say, as I look into your faces and I see you growing up in the different meetings. I know how easy it is to be discouraged. I know how easy it is to say it's no use. I know how easy it is to say, well, I don't feel as if I am accomplishing anything.
But remember, God is passing us through these things in his school, and the important thing in your life and mine is to do His will. And as a little song says, and when we've learned our lessons, our work in suffering done, our ever loving Father will welcome everyone. And so here Moses went on, and during those last 40 years, he failed once.
At least that's what's recorded. And what was his failure? What was the one failure that's recorded about Moses in those last 40 years?
He lost his patience with the people of God. Didn't they provoke him? You say, I wouldn't blame him. The way they acted just once, just once. I'm ashamed. But when I think of a man serving the Lord for 40 years, not only getting impatient the way they acted once. Did you ever get impatient about the way things were done and said she just got impatient once and said, must we fetch you water out of this rocky rebels?
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And God said, Moses, you can't lead my people into the land. You haven't properly represented me. You lost your patience with them, but I didn't lose my patience with them. I still loved them. I still wanted to bless them. And if you were going to be my representative, you needed to have my heart toward them. You needed to love them just the same. And so Moses, wonderful servant though he was, he wasn't able to lead the people.
Into the land. But I love to finish the story that when we come over to the Gospel of Luke, we find Moses in the land. Grace brought him in, and there he was on the Mount of Transfiguration. And what was he talking about? What a fine servant he had been.
Now he was talking about the deceased that the Lord Jesus would accomplish at Jerusalem. He was talking about the work of Christ. And so that's why I read that last verse.
Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Then shall we know, even as also we are known.
And all dear young people, I want to say in closing, are there a lot of hard questions in your life?
Are there a lot of things that you find so difficult and hard to understand? But just think about these three 40s. Perhaps you're in the 1St 40 years and you say I'm getting along. I think I'm going to make a success. I think I'm going to get somewhere in the world and then perhaps I can be a help. Well, if Moses had given up at the end of the 1St 40 years, what a loss it would have been.
And when he had learned that he was nothing, if he had given up them, what a loss it would have been. And then at the end of the 3rd 40 years, when he lost his patience once and God said you can't enter the land, he might have given up them. But what did he do? Oh, I think it's lovely.
He said, well, if I can't lead the men, somebody else can because God is going to lead the men. And he went to Joshua and he said, Joshua, you can lead the people in because God wants to bless them. God wants to give them their portion and you're going to have the privilege of leading them in. Oh, may the Lord grant that we lay hold in some little measure of these lessons. And dear young people, God is working this plan in your life and mine.
He wants us to have these three things in our lives. When we learn that we think that we have got somewhere, He wants to show us that in ourselves we're really nothing. But He doesn't want us to stop there. He wants us to realize that He's everything, that He loves His people, and that He can use us. If we exalt Christ, if we give Him the honor that's due to Him, He'll bless them. And if we have failed along the way, let's still not give up.
Because the Lord is going to bless his people, may He keep us so that in little, in some little measure, we'll be a little blessing in the assembly where we are. And if you feel discouraged at this time, just think about Moses. Just think about what he passed through and think about that glorious mount of transfiguration. For Moses is there talking to Jesus and talking about those promises that God had made.
And how they are going to be fulfilled through that. Blessed that glorious work of Christ. Oh may the Lord bless you, dear young people, and make you a blessing.
Could we sing 256?
Praise the Savior, ye who know Him, who can tell how much we owe Him gladly Let us render to Him all we have and our 256.
Praise the Savior.
Open Mtg.
Open—E. Smith, A. Roach, G. Hayhoe
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General Meetings. Montreal, October 1973. Open meeting.
288.
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You've got to open your Bibles at Psalm 133.
133.
Behold.
How good?
And how pleasant it is.
For brethren to dwell together in unity.
It is like the precious ointment upon the head.
The ran down upon the beard.
Neither of these.
That went down to the skirts of his God.
As the dew of Herman.
And as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord commanded the blessing.
Even life forevermore.
As you notice, beloved, this is a song of degrees.
Which was sung in those early days as they came up to Jerusalem. And of course it will be resiled in a coming day.
We know.
As dear old Mr. HP Barker used to say to me, Eric, remember.
To whom the word of God is written, but don't forget to apply the truth of that particular portion.
For it is written for air in structure.
We might notice at the very beginning that I shall be very long this afternoon because I don't feel well.
But I want you to notice, beloved, that.
This.
Unity spoken of here.
Is good God will.
And pleasant man, we repeat, it is good God war.
And pleasant man war.
And the summer says it's like the precious Anchorage.
That compounded of spice, of special spices.
It was poured upon the head. Aaron and his sons were anointed.
The ointment then was for the police head and ran down upon the beard.
He even ate on his beard that went down to the skirts of his garment.
And it says here it possessed the dew of Herman.
Those of us who have seen the mount.
Know that it's more or less a mountain of 9300 feet and usually covered with snow.
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And this is understood that.
Excessive dew falls there on the slope.
And we believe that it was there on the slope.
That the transfiguration took place.
Of which we've been reminded today.
The dew speaks of refreshment and as I mentioned yesterday.
It fell not on the sand of the desert, which was contaminated.
But it fell on the dew and thus became a beautiful type of that essential.
Aspect of price spotless.
First manhood.
Well.
It says that this unity is as the due and due just forms falls on a still night.
Never falls when there's a storm.
And so when there's dissension, beloved, there's no refreshment and new due.
For a stormy singing never brings that refreshment.
There hath God commanded the blessing.
Even life forevermore.
One day a brother said to me, an earnest brother.
Who knows something of the troubles in these lands, He said. Brother Smith, you're an old brother.
You know, I've been trying to keep the unity of the body so long, I said. Have you?
Yes, he says. I have. He was quite sincere.
Will, dear brother, I said. Perhaps you.
Would never be able to do that because it's God's prerogative to keep the unity of the body.
Then another brother said I've been trying to get a unity of our spirits for years.
And I said, dear brother, I don't think you'd be able to do that.
For you know, that is a communism.
Of which we read plenty in the book of Isaiah. We won't have time to read that.
Say not the Confederacy. God blows upon that, and we know where it's heading below it.
We know where it's heading. Pray for the Bolivian Saints that they may not get mixed up with it. 150 of those dear President who were plagued with that thought of unity of spirits.
Were so trouble they got together for three days to pray about it and they wrote me a sweet letter saying, Brother Smith, we've written one word over that business separation.
Separation.
No, it's the unity of these spirits, beloved in Ephesians 4 that we are to keep.
In that uniting bond of peace.
Are we forgetting this?
There is a growing weakness, and you'll excuse me as an old servant.
There is a growing looseness among us.
And we are liable to slip over truths that are so very precious.
To us.
Truth which impressed my soulless in a special way when I was gathered in the South of New Zealand where Broward **** Mr. JG **** the author of 41 of the hymns we've seen in the year 1918.
As you know, I came out of system.
And it costs something to move away from a lifelong association. And my dear brother, you took me to the first meeting.
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There they were. There were five weekends still left. FG Pets of wind.
And so did Mr. Darby. And so those five meetings were in fellowship and they didn't know much about this part of the world.
Through the visit, Mr. Darby and Peter visit here as you know, and also the stage.
But if you remember the story as I was told by my eldest brother, a man of God.
Whom God used in those early days.
You will remember that Mister **** forfeited the truth that characterized the first the gathering of the Saints.
Strong minded barrister from breast from Bethesda. He went to New Zealand and he convinced Mr. Mr. **** that there was a need of an amalgamation.
Mr. **** was a sick man.
And he acceded to his petition.
Will before Mr. **** died.
He made a confession that he had failed. Beloved.
As he wrote home and asked his dear President of England to forgive him.
And we know they did, and we know the Lord forgave it. But what about the testimony?
When I went there, there were 350 sitting in a circle.
My brother, Hugh said. Now, Eric, don't be in a hurry. You may sit back again. You may sit back too. Sit back and listen.
And I'll never forget that wonderful unity that.
Filled the hearts of those Saints.
There was a table in the center with one big goblet of wine and only One Cup which was filled and refilled.
And I looked at this group of God's dear people, and I said, who's going to? I said to myself, who's going to lead? Who's going to take charge?
You know how your mind gets.
Frozen and perturbed when you're mixed up in system like I want.
An old brother got up.
And he announced to him.
And I always remember that hymn O Christ was burned, fell the hymn.
A load was laid on the.
Well, that impressed me.
And then another brother got up and prayed.
As I thought, well, isn't this wonderful? He followed the same line of truth exactly.
He read from Psalm 22 and then from Psalm 102.
And then turned over to Matthew 27 and read a few versions and sat down.
Then another hymn was sound just the same thing. And you know, I began to get so interested.
I could see that the Spirit of God had taken place, had taken over.
Then an old brother was a white beard, who commended me to the one of nine, who commended me to the work of the Lord. Two years afterwards he came to the table, and he broke the bread and was passed around.
Then when they had brought back the bread.
He came forward and thanked the Lord for the precious blood of Christ.
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And spoke concerning what that cup represented and it was passed around.
After that, a hymn was sung, the same theme.
A basket was passed around.
As they quietly put in their gifts and it was put on the table.
Then an old brother spoke on the sufferings of Christ just for about 8 minutes and sat down.
Him was so the same, the same thing as the meeting finished.
My first experience of seeing the breaking of the brain in a scriptural way. After the meeting, my brother came to me and said, Eric, what did you think of it?
Oh, I said you. I'd love to be there.
Well, he said, don't hurry.
If you don't see the truth, don't you move?
But if the Lord reveals to you this precious truth, then you ask for your place, which I did. I've never regretted it, beloved.
And I stayed two years with those old brethren, helping them.
One day I was called by nine of those present and I took my Bible and I said, surely I'm in for it. They're going to correct me or do something or say something about.
They'd listen to me simply giving a little ministry during the time.
And they handed me a letter.
Signed by 9 of them.
Eric, you are commended to the work of the Lord anywhere in the world.
I cherish that letter.
Afterwards I went to the living and I've tried, beloved, to teach them the truth.
Of the gathering sector, and God has blessed His word in a remarkable way.
Though.
Coming back to this song, it's the unity of the spirit.
We are enjoying the peace.
In the uniting bonds of peace, it's not the unity of our spirits.
It couldn't be the unity of the body because that's God's prerogative. It's the unity of the Spirit we are enjoying to give diligence in the grief, to keep in the United peace.
Now, what happened to those meetings in in New Zealand?
A man rose up there as a leader.
May the Lord preserve us from such things. As leaders present, we are nothing. Our brother Heyhold has stretched stressed that. And remember what Mr. Darby wrote, and I read it as a young laborer.
Man called of God into his service go from a place of strength, realizing their own nothingness.
Nothing.
What happened?
A leader took over.
Those five meetings, I didn't know the actual little flock Hamburg, because I used always that first edition, you know, the tiny ones.
I didn't know this.
Little flock that you use, we use the first one.
So precious. Those hymns are beloved. Oh, they are so precious.
To the soul. Well, what happened? This leader took over.
And in self will, and you know, beloved self will is absolutely pride, pride.
00:25:06
And those five meetings, Happy meetings.
Where I sat at the feet of God's servants.
They have folded up.
Brother Harry Haver said Eric, if you go to New Zealand, I'll go with you to try and link up with some of those dear Saints. But he said my dear wife's heart is weak and Eric, I don't think I can possibly leave her.
Well, dear brother Harry Hamilton, he would have gone with me back there to link up, but God didn't permit it.
And as I've been back once since 1920, beloved, all I can find out concerning my brother. Eldest brothers with the Lord my, second older brothers with the Lord, fathers with the Lord my.
Four of us are all all home. And so I've lost contact. But I saw a brother in a meeting in Los Angeles and I said, brother, where were you born? He said, in such a part of New Zealand. Well, I said I was born there too.
Can you tell me anything of those meetings in New Zealand? He said. Brother, they are all they have all folded up, nothing left.
How sad.
How no unity there?
I refused fellowship from those meetings for 10 years and worked with my own hands in Bolivia to maintain the truth of the one body.
Fortunately, the Lord gave me time as a student to acquire something of geology, and I took up the mining projects in Bolivia and worked for 10 years in the mines.
And became manager of one of the last Anthony Mines after so many years.
Saved sufficient to build 3 little halls and the and a couple of trucks which have been wheeled to the Saints to carry on. I have the sake in the world in Bolivia.
But what I want to make this afternoon, beloved.
When when we take or assume the place that the spirit of God.
Alone says we are on the wrong beat.
It hurts to say this.
Leaders are springing up.
Once their brother said to me that brother is his. Well taught isn't he Brother Smith?
I said, well, he's well read.
But I don't think he's well taught. He's well read. I'd sort of be a wee voice beloved than a strong echo any day. A weak voice for Christ.
And the strong April.
Well, this is sad.
How good and how blessed it is for breath to dwell together. Don't. Do you really think that we're going to be numerous? No, we are not.
We are becoming fewer and fewer.
And if we would hold fast to those first principles and its principles we're talking about.
And at all costs below, if we surrender these first principles, we are going to become quickly fewer and fewer, and we are going to become fewer and fewer if we really do hold to these first principles.
00:30:02
Some are going back even now to the beggarly elements of the world. They've never seen the truth of separation. Separation, beloved, is to Christ, and consequently from this world, it's sin and its system.
I was a slave of a system.
When God is passive, delivered me while their sister said to their brother Jackson. You were a pastor, Roger, like Smith of a large congregation, weren't you?
1000 odd in that big meeting in Atlanta, Brother Jackson. Yes, he said. Dear sister, but the Lord forgive me.
The Lord forgave.
So he forgave me too. Beloved, he forgave.
We are becoming fewer and fewer and.
Let nothing, beloved.
Whether it be parental affection or affection for a friend, let it let nothing turn us away from these divine principles. It will see him who said How wonderful it is to be gathered.
Where the Spirit of God is free and open to wield and to ply all His truth calculated to separate us in heart and feet to Christ.
And from this world.
He said this is not presumption, but it's faithfulness to God. May we be found faithful, beloved.
Yes, some are going back to the Begley things of the world.
Dear young Mr. Christian, you won't find any place in there, and God will have the last word with you. If you've known the truth, and you and you go back to the bagel and things from which you came out, you'll never be happy.
Some are going back to the systems they professedly left.
And others are throwing up their hands and saying it's not worth it.
Let's give up and go. Beloved, all these three things are wrong.
We read in Second Timothy 222 Follow righteousness, faith, love, peace.
With them that call them a lot out of a pure heart. With these we can go along beloved.
Those two words with them have been Mother's Day of this poor heart of mine all these long years.
With them.
I've finished brother.
16th chapter of Matthews Gospel.
Verse 18.
I say unto thee, I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church or my assembly, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
One feels the solemn responsibility that our brother put upon all here this afternoon when he made the announcements for this meeting.
Not one of us would dare stand up here and say I definitely know and I'm sure that I have the mind of the Lord to be here. We may have the sense of it in our souls. The Lord has given us something, but the Scripture says let the others judge. And so this a question of spiritual judgment in your soul and mine when we hear the word of God. I want to speak this afternoon for a few moments on the assembly.
The church.
Our brother Smith yesterday let our thoughts out in the connection with the days of David, when Jonathan was attracted personally to David, loved him but never went outside and identified himself with David in the place of rejection.
00:35:19
I believe in those days, as now, it was a question of knowing the mind of the Lord as to the state of things in Israel.
And what ought to be done?
The priesthood had failed. God brought in a king. He allowed them to bring in a king, and that king failed. But God marked out David. David was anointed king twice. He was anointed first in the purposes of God in the 16th chapter of First Samuel. He was actually anointed as king in 5th chapter of Second Samuel.
But in the 16th chapter he was marked out as God's king, and anyone in Israel who had the mind of God, who sought to know what Israel ought to do, would find themselves in company with David. And we were reminded that Jonathan never took his place out there in the place of rejection. David was the true king, but he was not accepted. He was in the place of rejection.
And it's better and more popular to be with something that is loved by the people, loved by the world. And so we find that Jonathan, who did not identify himself with David, he ends up on the walls of Beth Sham. He himself had said to David.
When you come into the Kingdom, I will be next unto thee. He know that David was a true king.
And he expected to share that Kingdom, but he was not next to David in a day of his rejection. Well, I believe there is a truth. If it gets hold of our souls today, it will guide us in this path. Is there a place today that corresponds to David and The Cave? Adela, Beloved Bradman, I believe there is. But it is founded on the truth that is in principle brought out in the verse I read.
In Matthew 16, the assembly. Now God had an assembly in the Old Testament, but that assembly consisted of a nation. You didn't have to have new life, you didn't have to be saved. All you had to do by natural birth to be an Israelite and you are part of that earthly assembly which was called together by the 2 silver trumpets. God had an assembly, but now the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is introducing another assembly of which we have no counterpart and no definite Speaking of in the Old Testament. Shadows and types, Yes, which we know of now, having been instructed in the New Testament. What is the assembly now? We know the word church. When the translators came together in 1611, they were instructed through the cane that they were to keep as many words.
As they referring to the Church and the bishops and usual Church terms without correcting them. And they carried this out in connection with the word assembly. Now in the old and the ancient days the Greeks had two forms of assemblies. They had the General Assembly, which consisted of all the states of Greece. But then there was a specific assembly, the assembly of the first born ones.
The leaders, those who are in the position of the first families of the of the state who formed the assembly in that particular estate, that state. Now Paul uses both of those in the 12Th of Hebrews, he speaks of the General Assembly.
That includes angels and the spirits of just men made perfect, and it includes Zion and the city of the living God. But then he distinguishes the assembly of the first born ones whose names are written in heaven. And it's that assembly we want to speak about. God has an assembly.
Assembly of first born ones, all beloved. Who are those first born ones? They are sinners saved by grace, indwelt by the Holy Ghost, and they are the assembly of the first born ones. Let us notice one or two things.
The Lord Jesus says.
00:40:02
I will build my assembly.
As plain and clear that he was not doing it then.
It is plain and clear that it had not been done before and it was not being done when the Lord spoke. He says I will build my assembly now. There were two things that had to take place before that assembly could be built.
Two things had to take place, one consequent upon the other, and we'll give scripture for that in a moment.
The Lord Jesus Christ had to finish the work of the cross, go down into the grave, be raised and ascended up into glory, and from there, the second thing He was to send the Holy Ghost. Now the Holy Ghost could not be sent, could not come until the Lord Jesus Christ was glorified. Now hold our place here and turn to the 7th of John.
For scripture that proves this to us, I believe we want to get clear in our souls.
The true foundation and basis and composition of the assembly.
In John 7.
Verse 37.
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man's thirst, let him come unto me and drink, he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now notice the next verse. But this fake He of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive.
For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. Or you can read carefully John 1415 and 16. And what does the truth develop there? It's expedient that I go away.
If I go not away, the Holy Spirit will not come, the Holy Spirit whom I shall send from the Father, and when he is come, He shall glorify me. That spells out very clearly the fact that the Lord Jesus, when he went away, he would send the Holy Spirit.
This verse in John 7 makes clear that the Holy Ghost could not be given until the Lord Jesus glorified. Now that brings out the next point. How do we know then that the whole the church could not be formed until the Holy Ghost was given? Well, let's turn to 1St Corinthians 12. We want to get the basis of this First Corinthians 12.
And.
Verse While we read the 12Th verse to get the connection, it brings in the unity for us. A body is 1 and how many members? And all the members of that one body being many, all one body, So also is Christ.
4 by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body?
Whether we be Jews or Gentiles will stop there. Notice that the Spirit of God formed the Church of God formed the body. Here it's looked at as a body, not so much the building. The Holy Ghost joined these members together and formed the Church, that unity to which we ought by His grace to be committed in principle. Here it says.
For by 1 spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles. Now the assembly that God had in the wilderness in the Old Testament was not true and Gentile. It was true, only there was something new. The Lord Jesus said I will build my church. Now let's go to the second of Acts where we have.
The coming of the Holy Ghost.
In the second of acts.
Well, let's notice in verse in chapter one first. There's a interesting little note in verse 15.
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, the number of names together were about 120 men and brethren, so forth. The number of the names together were about 120.
00:45:10
Here we find a very small company. Here they're all believers. They love the Lord Jesus Christ, they're in company with the apostles, marry the mother of Jesus is there as brethren who now believe on him, they are there.
But they are individual believers. If you ask each one of them if they love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, I'm sure every one of them could have said yes. He is my Savior. He is the one who died for me. His precious blood has put away my sins. But they were not one body.
They were there were individual believers. Now in the second chapter.
Verse one.
And 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 a sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now we have for the first time on earth, we have the church that Christ is building.
We have 120 individual believers and they are linked together into one body.
Into one building, as it were, by the Spirit. Now when we speak of the building, I must we must remember there was a second aspect to the building. There was that which Christ builds, and He only builds good material. But there is an outward aspect of the building.
In which men build three other kinds of material. We won't go into that now. That's not our purpose. We want to notice what Christ builds. Christ only builds real good material into his building. Now here it is, the day of Pentecost. 120 believers, they're now united. Now the feast of Pentecost is very instructive. We may make an offhand reference to it in Leviticus. We find that on the Morrow after the Sabbath.
There were 4049 days. There were 7 Sabbaths and then the Morrow after the Sabbath. The first day of the week was the day of Pentecost. Day of Pentecost was the first day of the week and on that day they offered two lows and they were bacon with leather.
You'll find 2 meat offerings in that chapter in Leviticus, and one of them has no sin offering with it. The other has a sin offering with it. In the first case, that meat offering is Christ. There's no leaven in there, no sin offering needed. But in the other offering, it's the church brought in, the two loaves I would take to represent Jew and Gentile brought together before God. But there's 11 and it's bacon, and there was a sin offering in connection with it.
So the work of Christ is the foundation of the Church, but here in the second of Acts, the Holy Ghost comes from heaven and links them together. Now what happens in the rest of this chapter? Let's go down. I'd like to notice how.
People became members of this church. Always think of church membership.
Young girl asked me one time. She said, what church do you belong to? Well, we don't have a stock and trade answer. I believe we ought to look to the Lord each occasion for an answer. The one felt constrained at that moment to say this to us. I belong to a church that nobody can join.
All she said.
How do you get members then? And I told her that the church to which I belonged.
Was the church which was purchased by the blood of God's own Son. And if she was washed in the blood of Christ, she was also part of that church. Now let us see how this works out practically in the second of Acts and we find that there are 3000 souls. This is an interesting thing. We'll notice this in passing. There were 3000 souls who listened to Peter and and bowed to the word. And it says in verse 41.
Than they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them.
00:50:01
About 3000 souls. So what were these 3000 souls added to the church which the Holy Ghost had formed on earth? You mean that 3000 were added to the 120? You know, in a human way we would speak of the 120 being added to the 3000.
But the 3000 were added to the church that was already formed. Now you go down to verse 47.
It says praising God and having favor with all the people.
And the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved. I know there's some textual question about the word church here, but the principle is true that they were added to that which God had already formed on earth. The church, it says such as should be saved. Now if you're here a saved person, you belong to the only church on earth that God recognizes.
The only church that God recognizes. Now men have set up divisions and churches so-called, and if you check out, you'll find that these churches are organized after man's order and they have names to them. Some of them are named after doctrines, some of them are named after forms of church government, others are named after men.
Dear Martin Luther, nobody can read his history without recognizing that he was a great and marvelous servant of God, faithfully faithful to the to the position in which God had put him. But when it came to the truth of the church, the dear man was not walking in the good of that.
And so we have a church named after him, but we find in the Word of God the church is the church which Christ is building, and it says the Lord added to the church such as should be saved. So I look back to that night in September 1918 when I heard the gospel and I received Christ as my Savior. Something happened to me that night that I didn't know took place. I know it was saved. That was wonderful to go away from that corner. Praise God, the burden is gone.
The sins are gone, Christ is my Savior. But oh, I didn't know. I found out later through the gathered Saints in the Brooklyn meeting that that night I was added to the church. Now let me ask this question. If the Lord has added me to His church, what is my responsibility? My brother was saved at the same time, and we decided ourselves where we were going to go. We didn't say in our work we learned the way to get saved. There was a word of God.
Showed us how to be saved. We ought to look into the word of God to see where we should go. My brother remembered a mission where he had gone when when he was a boy with his grandmother, and he said, let's go there. So we began to go there. Well, what was that?
Self will if I choose where I'm to go, if I follow the advice you get in the world to go to the Church of your choice, then I am acting in self will for God is revealed in this word. What the truth of the church is God's assembly. It means a call out company, called out to home, called out to Christ. You mentioned before the coming of the Holy Ghost. Now the Holy Ghost work on earth.
Is to glorify Christ. Now to whom will the Holy Ghost gather me? He will not gather me to the name of dear Martin Luther. The Spirit of God may have activated Martin Luther in his gospel efforts, but the Spirit of God couldn't lead me to a name. Could it lead me to a form of church government or to some doctrine? The Holy Ghost will lead us nowhere but to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. What did the Lord mean in Matthew 1820? He said where two or three?
Are gathered together unto my name. There am I in the midst of them. There is the principle, the simplicity of the church, two or three gathered together unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. What does it mean to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Lord implies authority, one who ought to be obeyed. That was the first thing that entered Saul. Saul on the way to Damascus, he says.
Who art thou, Laird?
He owns that the one he was seeing there should be obeyed. And so when we speak of being gathered to the Lords name, it's a question of his authority in the midst. And I believe, beloved brethren, as our brother Smith was just warning us, this is the truth.
00:55:17
That the enemy has sick, has been seeking to weaken. Let's go to Matthew 18. I believe it's an important passage in relation to the church.
We have the simple form of the assembly here as gathered.
In Unity.
Verse 18 The Lord says, Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
Whatsoever shall loose on earth should be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you.
That the two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of by Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in or unto My name, there am I in the midst of them. Notice that the the Lord in the midst, it's His authority. Now the Lord being in the midst, the Lord is the Holy One, and He is the truth. And so that should mark the character of all those who draw nigh unto Him.
And if we are acting on the truth that there is one body that the Lord adds to the church daily, such as should be saved, we cannot, unless we act in self will join a man made church or division. God would have us seek the place where the Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst, where there is the liberty of the Holy Spirit to use whomsoever He will and to exalt Christ. But notice there's authority here.
The assembly as such has no authority in itself. The authority is in the Lord.
But it says in verse 18, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be found in heaven, whatsoever shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And so an assembly at Corinth.
Disciplines a man and puts them out. So Ephesus and all the other assemblies are in unity with current, and so they bow. They acknowledge that if they do not, they are rejecting the unity which the Spirit of God has formed.
Rejecting that this is the Lord's authority in the midst of his people. And I want to say this, I had been away from this, from the mainland here for 13 years, from 1937 to 1950. And I was amazed and astonished when I came back, the meeting, beloved brethren, at conferences and other places to find that assembly decisions were being questioned. One brother came to me and he said there's a such and such a situation and what about it? I said.
Brother Matthew 1818 is the answer. We're near it to that assembly than you are. But if they disciplined, we bow to that, we accept that and that's what the principle I found as I went about that this principle is being lost sight among us. Why have we lost sight of the truth of the assembly as one?
The church is 1, the body is 1, And as our brother remind us, we can't keep the unity of the body. Thank God he does that. But the expression of it in a practical way, keeping the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace, that's another question. And so here we have the assembly.
In a simple form, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. That's a little illustration about this binding. I shall. I'll call from the insurance business in which I was for a number of years and we lived in Honolulu. We represented a company in Hartford.
Connecticut, all that distance. But that company gave us what we call binding authority. And if I went out or anyone else in the office and someone wanted coverage, as they call it, on a certain building, we didn't have to go and ask the company. We could bind it and cover it on the spot. And the moment we covered it, it was covered in Hartford. Whatever we found in Honolulu was covered in Hartford later on of a mistake was made. If it was a poor risk, the company would raise a question.
And settle the matter. That's another thing, but the binding was there and once that was bound by us 6000 miles away, it was binding in Hartford. And so the Lord says whatever you bind on earth with my authority in the midst binding in heaven. And this is a truth I believe we ought to cleave to. Well this is a deviation. We just were thinking of the fact of the expression there of two or three gathered together under the Lord's name. Just one or two thoughts and we'll.
01:00:09
He finished the church is mentioned in the 5th of Acts just to notice how it's now spoken of as an existing thing.
After the day of Pentecost.
Verse 11 Great fear came upon all the church.
And upon as many as heard these things, the church was in existence. Now fear came upon, and this was God's judgment upon Ananias and Sapphira, but the church was in existence. Us go to the 8th chapter.
Verse one.
And Saul was consenting unto his death, and at that time there was a great persecution against the Church.
Which was a Jerusalem and they were all scattered. The church which was at Jerusalem. You know there's a doctrine at the enemy is introduced that tries to separate the early church from the church that we know of after Pauls ministry. Now God knew the end from the beginning. He formed the church in the day of Pentecost when it consisted of those Jews. But God's purpose was to bring the Gentiles in also.
And on his own occasion he raised the Apostle Paul to bring this out in a special way, that as a divine revelation. But here we have the church which was at Jerusalem. Notice that still the assembly, whether it's before Pauls ministry or after Pauls ministry, it's the assembly. It's the same one body, the one body of Christ. And so those who are disassociated, and the reason I mentioned is those who try to do that.
Try to do away with the breaking of bread to say that was connected with the Jewish aspect of the church.
When there was only the Church of Jerusalem, but all in, what do we learn in first Corinthians 11 after the Lord had gone back to glory, He speaks from heaven to Paul and reveals the Lord supper to him. I've received the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, how the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. That is, the Lord speaks from heaven as much as to say, now Paul, you weren't there that night in the upper room.
When I instituted that feast, but I want that feast continued as long as the church is on earth till I come again. So we see that these truths should be held together. If it be the Church of Jerusalem, it's the body of Christ there. It would be the Church of God, which is a current. It's the Church of God there.
But overall it forms 1 unity. Now let's go down to the third verse. It says As for Saul, he made havoc of the church.
The church was persecuted and all I believe this is our brother has reminded us, if we seek to act upon the truth, that there is one body and that we gathered simply to the Lord's name in the place of rejection, it'll not be popular.
It will not be popular. People want a name for everything. Not too long ago, over a year ago, I remember when I was admitted to the hospital. They want to know what your religion is, but they won't let you tell them what it is they'll put down. After you tell them the truth, they'll put something else down. And I, we sought to show them that we were neither Protestant nor Catholic. We belong simply to Christ. He was my savior and I belong to him. And so it's a little.
Disturbing in the world.
Not to be able to give ourselves a standing. If I say to a man, I used to go to the Presbyterian Church when I was a boy, suppose someone says, what church do you belong to? And I, well, let me give you an exact case. There was a man I used to deal with on the train years ago and I commuted between Woodbridge and New York. And I used to talk with every, every opportunity I had. So one day on the train, he reared himself up. I got a smile on his face. He said, look, he says I am a Presbyterian.
Of 14 years good standing.
Well, I said Tom, I said when I came to Christ, I came as a Sinner who had no standing, and he received me. He was, he was proud to say what church he belonged to. But if someone asked you and me, what do we say?
Do we have a little difficulty? If we could say we belong to the Plymouth Brethren, why now? Then a reproach is gone. We've got a standing, then we've got a name. The world likes to give us that name. I used to meet a minister on the train. He used to commute too. And I used to get talking with him and he used to say, what do you belong to? And I said, we have no name. We belong to Christ. We gather to us that. But you've got to have a name, you've got to have an organization. And he cried around.
01:05:25
Well, finally, I don't know how he found out. He knew that I was with the guy that Saints, but he didn't call him that. He says you know what, you belong to the Plymouth Brethren.
No, I don't belong to the Plymouth bread when I belong to Christ, but I meet with my brethren, those who know Christ and want to walk in accordance with the truth. The only I've often said this, the only Plymouth brethren I ever met.
I say this to be factual.
The only Plymouth president I haven't met were at Plymouth, PA. We visit them in their own home. Why were they Plymouth present? Just a lifted Plymouth. They were brethren. They belong to Christ, and they were Plymouth bread, and they lived in Plymouth. Plymouth. Same as we got Montreal brethren, Ottawa brethren. The moment we take any kind of a name to designate our position, we have sacrificed and set aside the reproach. There were two Christian men. They grew up together. They went to college.
Later on, one of them was gathered, the other one became a minister. They met each other after many years.
And they got talking together as about what they believed. And the one who became a minister said, well, I believe that. And I believe, what have you got that I haven't got? The other Christians said, you haven't got the reproach. You haven't got the reproach. There is a reproach connected with being gathered outside the camp, just as there was a reproach to get down after The Cave of a dalam and be identified with David while the Lord is building his assembly. And let's in closing turn, let's just notice the destiny of the assembly.
There are so many scriptures we could turn to, but we just want to close with this one thought in Ephesians 5. Where will the assembly end? Where is Christ going to take the church?
Where is you going to take the church?
Ephesians 5 and verse 25.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.
That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy without blemish. Notice the three things He has said about the love of Christ. His past love took him to the cross. He loved the Church and gave himself for it. His present activity of love. The washing of water by the Word. His priestly service.
Now, what is the future activity of His love to present it to Himself? Christ is going to come. He's coming soon. He's going to present the church to Himself in all the beauty and all the glory with which He has invested it. May we in the meanwhile take the outside place, realize that the blessed Savior is in the midst of the twos or threes, simply gathered to His name on the ground of the one body.
We are gathered that there on the ground that there is one body as the Roman Catholic priest I've been corresponding with for some years, and he wrote to me a very excited letter one time about the ecumenical movement and he said this must be the work of the Spirit of God. Well, in my aunts, a part of my answer to him, I said, well, I have been connected. The company of Christians I'm connected with are not interested in the ecumenical movement for this reason.
That ever since they were called out, they have been committed to the unity of the body. That's the principle which they maintain. And the ground is broad enough to take in every believer on the face of the earth. And so may the Lord keep us walking in separation.
To himself.
I'd just like to read 3 scriptures, brethren.
In Matthew chapter 23.
Matthew, Chapter 23.
Verse one.
01:10:00
Then spade Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat all. Therefore whatsoever they bid, you observe that observe and do, but do not. She is after their works, for they say, and do not. And shall we turn off to Acts chapter 20?
Hamburgers.
28.
Take heed, therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own cells shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance. Among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessity.
And to them that were with me I have showed you all things, how that solely bring me ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all.
One other passage in First Timothy, chapter 4.
First Timothy, chapter 4.
And verse 16.
Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.
Brethren, there's something very solemn in connection with these verses, and that is that a position as set before us in the Word of God is a very blessed and wonderful thing, something for which we can indeed be most thankful to the Lord. But I believe it's also important, as we see in these Scriptures, that the Spirit of God would have a walk that corresponds with the position that we take. When the Lord Jesus was here, He recognized that there was a place on earth.
That was according to his mind he had placed his name there and he said in that 23rd of Matthew, the scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seat all. Therefore whatsoever they bid, you observe that, observe and do. But he didn't stop there. It was a wonderful thing that there was a place provided of God, a place on earth where the Lord had chosen to put his name. But all what a sad response to that.
When the people weren't there, they found those who said and did not. When the Lord Jesus was born, we find that those people in that very place, they didn't even know or were too much concerned about where the Lord Jesus was born.
When he was brought into the temple, there were only two there that we read of when he was brought in.
And so the place was right. But alas, their walk didn't correspond with the place. And now we find in this 20th chapter of Acts.
In the 20th chapter of Acts, Paul calls for those who were the overseers among the Saints, that Ephesus. He doesn't speak of their human appointment. He says, Over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. And I have instruct, rather than that it tells us in connection with the overseers, If a man desireth the work of a Bishop, he desireth a good work.
We might wonder why that is so. But again I say, brethren, the church is dear to Christ. He loved the church and gave himself for it, and to have a godly interest for his people is a great joy to his heart, for he loves them infinitely. He loves them under the end. As Paul came and talked to these people, he rejoiced that there were those raised up by the Holy Ghost who did have an interest and a desire.
01:15:29
For the Church of God, which He has purchased with his own blood or with the blood of his own, Oh, what a cost. And we should never forget this, the cost by which that the Saints of God had been redeemed. But then he has to warn him, He has to warn these people that after that, after I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock, there would be those who would come in from the outside, who would seek to rob the Saints of God.
Who would seek to scatter the flock, and not only from without, but those from within? This was indeed sad. Now, this was what caused the tears of the heart of the apostle. It wasn't just giving out the truth that caused him tears, but all just like the man of God in the Old Testament when he realized what was coming upon the people of God. It says the man of God wept. The man of God wept.
Brother, there's cause for tears as we think of how busy the enemy is in these last days, seeking to do everything. It's a blessed thing, I say, to know the position that God is outlined in His precious word, where we can give expression to the truth that we are members of the body of Christ. But it's a solemn thing when our walk doesn't correspond with it, when we're not careful to walk it away. That shows that we realize that the one to whom we're gathered.
Is holy and true, and so these who would rise up would draw away disciples after them.
That is, they would have men before them instead of the Lord. And how easy this is. As spiritual life declines, it's very easy to have our eyes upon men instead of upon the Lord. Oh, may He exercise us that we may have our eyes upon the Lord. And so he goes on. And what does He do? What is their resource? Oh, I think this is lovely, brethren. And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
Oh, isn't this lovely? Do we have a resource in a day like this? Do we have a resource at a time when the walk doesn't correspond with the talk that we have a resource when the enemy is busy and there is an attempt made to divide the Saints of God? Oh yes, we have a resource. And what is the resource? Oh, isn't this lovely? God? What power, what love, what grace? Well, all that we could think of that's blessed.
All in himself.
Unchanged and unchangeable Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.
And then what about direction for our path? The Word doesn't just say the Word, but the word of His grace. Brethren, we need to have a sense of His grace in our souls. It's grace that's kept us to this day. Nadir Apostle could say, by the grace of God, I am what I am. He took no credit to himself. So it's not only the Word, blessed and indeed as it is, but the word of His grace because God would remind us in His last days.
It's only His grace that can keep us. It's only His grace. And So what a resource, command you to God and to the word of His grace, and then he points them on to the glorious future. Isn't that lovely? It says here, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified. He said if the enemy is busy to pull things down, the Lord is able to build you up.
What does it mean? How can we build, be built up when everything is being torn down? Well, it says growing grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, yes, we can build up because the more we see the ruin of all that's committed to man, the more it magnifies His wonderful grace.
That's going to carry the church through and present us without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
What a hope before us. And then why does he bring this in? I have coveted no man's gold or silver or apparel. What does he talk about? His own hands. Why does he speak about what he had done? Well, this is important. There needs to be the testimony of our own conscience that we're seeking to go on with the Lord. It's a serious thing, brethren, to walk in the presence of God.
01:20:20
And to have that confidence you know the Israelite when he brought his basket of first fruits. He not only recognized what he was in the past the Syrian ready to perish, but he also was exercised that he his life corresponded to the place that he took and are you and I exercise that our life should correspond with the place that we take is gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. Are you and I exercise the apostle Paul was.
And he sought to go on in such a way about what he said had moral weight with those who listened to him, because they saw in him one who desired the blessing of the Saints of God. And isn't it lovely what he said? He didn't desire other people's possessions. He was willing to work with his own hands. He sought to support the weak, not to pull him down. And it says to remember the words of the Lord Jesus.
It's more blessed to give than to receive all the precious Savior. How lovely. He went about doing good. He was a giver. He said to the woman at the well, if thou knewest the free giving of God, thou wouldest have asked of him, and He would have given thee living water. He was in this world, brethren, as a giver, and you and I were going to go on with the Lord. We're going to be a blessing among our brethren. We need to realize this spirit too, not giving.
And that giving, as the little song says, for out of his infinite riches in Jesus, he give us and give us and give us again. And then the last one is addressed to Timothy. Here was the young man Timothy might have looked around and he might have easily become discouraged because tells us here in this 4th chapter of first Timothy in the first verse, the Spirit speaketh expressly than in the last days.
Some shall depart from the faith. He might have been discouraged, but here's what Paul says to him. Take heed unto thyself and under the doctrine. Isn't this remarkable too? Take heed unto thyself and under the doctrine, that is to apply the truth of God to himself. Oh brother, I feel the need of this in my own soul. I trust each one of us do. We've talked about these things.
We rejoice at the privilege of being gathered as members of the body of Christ, but may these words sink down into our hearts. And I say it for myself, Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them. As we said of Moses. Don't give up, but continue in them.
And what will be the result? In so doing, thou shalt both save thyself.
And them that hear these all, what a sad thing that we can make spiritual ruin of our lives.
It may not be manifested here, but at the judgment seat of Christ all will come out. For a long time Joab seemed to be the victorious general.
Looked to him and he won many great victories for David, but when the manifestation came.
He was omitted from the list of his mighty men. He was out in the front for all the activities. But the one that God makes note of is the armor bearer of Joab, the man who was unnoticed, but apparently his life corresponded, and David could talk about him the one as one of his mighty men. All may you and I brethren, seek his approval. Not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commandeth.
And so I just had this little word in my heart, and I say it to myself as well as to you. We have a wonderful privilege. The truth of being gathered as members of the body of Christ has been brought before us in a very blessed way. But oh, what a solemn responsibility is ours.
And yet let us not be discouraged, because there is that which sustains the soul in a day of ruin and breakdown, and a day when men arise, and a day when we feel our own coldness and departure. How lovely. I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them, all them that are sanctified.
01:25:08
By faith that is in me, O may the Lord give us grace to go on in these last days, and may keep the feet of His Saints, because he has to test his brethren about the truth that we profess, and if we don't walk in it, we will not be preserved. Because God wants reality, may He give us grace to go on for Him in these last and closing days of the Church's history.
Every distance is stolen right till it never lasts in you We have made our rescue 311.
Real time with all is changing things and all the grief that intervenes. Let his support he's fainting cars and thou assigned to our heart 309.
No.
Ephesians 2:1-6
Reading
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General meetings Montreal, October 1973 First reading meeting.
Real second chapter of the season.
And can we at the forest?
On my heart.
See who captured.
And you have a question.
Who were dead in trespasses and.
We're in time past, she walked, according to the course of this world.
And according to the Prince of the power of the air.
The spirit of now worketh in the children.
'S.
Among whom also we all had our conversations in times past in the lust of our flesh.
Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
And we're by nature the children of Ross.
But God who is rich in mercy.
For his great love, or which he loved us even when we were dead in sins. That's quick enough, together with Christ.
By praise your faith and have raised us up together and made us fit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
That in the ages to come, he might show.
The exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are you saved through faith, and that's not of yourselves. It is a gift of God.
Not a work lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus, and the good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in that.
Wherefore remember.
That he being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision.
And the flesh made by hand. And at that time you were without Christ.
Being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
00:10:17
For he is our peace, who have made both one and have broken down the middle wall of practition between us, having abolished in this flash the enemy. Even the law of commandment contain an ordinance for the making himself a claim. 1 Newman.
Soul making peace.
That he might reconcile both under God in one body by the cross.
Have explained the enemy thereby, and came and preached peace to you, which were afar off, and to them they were not. For through him we both have access by 1 spirit under the Father. Now therefore you're no more strangers and foreigners.
But fellow nevertheless with the things and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the buildings fitly framed together growth under one holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God.
Through the spare.
It's me, and I get a little hotline of the chapter by clawing attention to the first words and you in the fourth verse. But God.
That is what man is.
And then what God is. And then in the 7th, 7th, 11Th verse, wherefore remember.
Tiles and so on, without God and without hope in the world. Then the 13th verse, but now?
So you get but.
And you but God.
But we were, and now in Christ Jesus.
In the first chapter, we have God's thoughts.
As to his people.
And this is what warms our cold hearts, is it not?
And in order to appreciate this second chapter rightly, we will first have to.
Enjoy, but we have in the first chapter and how it was his own will.
And it was his own counsel back at eternity, that we should be not only children, but sons, and be brought into that special place of relationship with his own Son, who is exalted to the highest place. Now this, this should warm our hearts when they think of God's thoughts towards us and the means by which He brought us to Himself.
That is.
The work of redemption. And then he speaks of the forgiveness of sins. Now he tells us what we were in contrast. And then again we have God mentions after that.
I believe that's very important because in chapter one, where you get the Councils of God is only an indirect reference to our guilt.
Referred to the guilt. Our guilt isn't developed in chapter one at all, though the remedy is needed. Verse seven shows that. But in chapter one we have, as you point out, and I believe we ought to get hold of it, God thought before man ever came into the position of responsibility.
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God's purposes were established, but now in the second chapter, we learned how bad we were and what he had to do to bring us there.
We could mention brethren that the 1St 3 chapters of Ephesians.
Deal with our standing, with our standing.
The last three chapters deal with our state.
And there's a great deal of difference. But one of our old writers has remarked that Chapter 2, and it's been remarked by our brother Clarence.
Unfolds the great and wonderful truths of Chapter One.
I believe that's true that chapter two really unfolds these marvelous tools that we have enumerated in chapter one.
Where we get a perfection of heavenly blessings mentioned there.
Which we shall not dwell on now, but simply to mention those blessings there in chapter one are all heavenly, and there's not one earthly blessing. They're mentioned, they're all heavenly. So there is an unfolding.
Undoubtedly in chapter two of the blessings that are found in chapter one.
Before us in the first chapter, those eternal purposes, all centering in his beloved Son, that in the dispensation of the fullness of time he might gather together in one of all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in Him. So He opens up to us those eternal councils, not only as regards our blessing as being part of the Church.
Thought the blessing of the whole scene under Christ. But then when we come to the second chapter, we see the kind of material that God picks up to display in this wonderful scene of glory. And to me that is most marvelous. When man is going to put on a display, well, he hunts around to find the best material so that this display will look like something very grand. But what kind of material did God pick up? Well, he picked up those who were dead in trespasses and sins.
And the work is all his. He gave us a new life, a life that could respond to all his counsels and purposes, a life that could enter into and enjoy his counsels and purposes. And I think that is what is developed in this second chapter, the first chapter giving us these councils, all centering in Christ and Christ too, as the head of the body, the church. And then in the second chapter we see that what she is doing now.
And gathering in a people, both Jew and Gentile into this place. A building being put up in this world is spiritual building soon to be completed. And then Christ will have his rightful place, and he will not take the inheritance until he takes it in his Saints. He's waiting for that day when he has his people with him, because the display would not be complete if Christ were not there as the center with his bride.
I'm sure we've all heard it said that Ephesians.
If the Joshua of the New Testament, and in a remarkable way.
We find that the first chapter corresponds very strikingly with the first chapter of Ephesians because the first chapter of Joshua.
Gives us the boundaries of the Promised Land, just as in Ephesians. One, we get how we're blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. But then when we come to the second chapter, we get rehab brought in.
So it shows that God in his wondrous grace, just as in Ephesians and as her brother was saying.
Takes up the very worst of the human race to display his counsels and his purposes. And so we have a poor, degraded gentile brought in to those listings that Israel were going to enjoy.
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Which they are, which they must enjoy.
Well, the poor Haroon creature of Jerry for that city that first came under the judgment of God.
Did you allow Brother Smith, that although we have the standing here that there's a word for our consciences in the second verse? Almost assuredly, and there's a point here that sometimes.
Young people miss concerning the work of Christ. The Lord Jesus has dealt definitely beloved and eternally with the question of sin.
He has fully satisfied.
The holy, The righteous claims of a holy God against it.
And.
Therefore.
Our standing, our standing, We find ourselves in all the perfection of that Blessed One before the Father. This is a truth that we seek to emphasize very much among the Latin Saints, and they seem to enjoy it perhaps more than we might people.
As regards our sin.
We thank God that he bought them in his own body on the tree, now being dead indeed unto sins.
Might we might live unto righteousness.
By whose stripes we've been healed. What a wonderful savior we have. So here we have what has been done for us all. There's something very specific here.
All the believers, for those who were once lost and undone, brought into such favor.
Enrollments. The center is seen alive, and in a sense, and so their death is a blessing. There with death, with Christ. But here is the national state in which God's grace found us dead and trespasses and sands. And here we don't need death, We need quickening. We need light. And so I think it's helpful between those two epistles to see that in Romans, alive in our sins, deliverance comes through death with Christ.
And here in Ephesians, it's quickening with him.
There is however, what our brother mentioned about the second verse, that we are looked at as being alive and thin there. And what was the kind of conduct that we had as being alive in our sins. It says in time past he walked according to the course of this world.
According to the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, we were dead in our sins, so that there was really no movement godward but another. In another way. We were alive, but we were alive for this world, going on with all that it had to offer, walking according to its course, whether it's the evil, the greater part of the world.
Or whether inside, which is perhaps the clean side, but for man's exaltment and honor, We find a great deal of that in this day of prosperity and the advance of science, people will say, well, what's wrong with that? Well, anything that ministers demands pride.
Is really part of the course of this world building man up in his alienation from God. A whole system of things in which we live, where man is the standard, but God has another standard and that is his beloved Son. And in that new scene of glory that we spoke of in Ephesians one and 10, the Lord Jesus is to be the center of that scene. And in that scene all will be to his praise and glory. But this is a very solemn indictment, as our brothers mentioned.
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Of what our course was. And if there's anyone who is unsaved here, that's the course of this world.
That's the course in which the unsaved walk, whether it's in the degraded part or whether it's in that which seems clean but exhausts man instead of exalting Christ. It's a course of things. And brethren, there's a warning for us too. We can be caught in the current of this, and especially in this day of materialism, how easy it is to be caught in the current of this kind of thing and go along with it. And I would suggest that Satan being spoken of as the Prince of the power of the air.
The air is that which comes between US and the heavenlies, and Satan is doing all he can to keep our minds and thoughts in this world and centered in everything that's going on here in this airy world, everything that's going on here. He points out to us constantly as being of interest. Something that we should live for, something that if it goes wrong, we should be depressed about anything that will keep us from looking up.
But when we look up, we look above the air. We look up to where our blessings really are, and they're in the heavenlies. And that's where all our blessings are. But our course was dead toward God, but alive in all the activity of this world. But God has come in, and He's given us a new life.
That connects us now with another scene, and we can say, like I believe Brother Kelly did, which world this world is going on to judgment, or that new scene of glory where Christ is the one who is the center of it all, God's beloved Son.
You can see him that there's a paradox. Dead man walking. Well, this city is full of dead men walking.
So as our own source, Chatham, every place should go your dead men walking and the Spirit of God has been pleased to take this figure to show how desperate man condition is.
If it's the matter of being defiled like the leper while this cleansing.
If it's the fact that he is disobedient, there's forgiveness. There's forgiveness.
So there are different views of God's grace coming in and salvation to sinners, but here in Ephesians, the Spirit of God gives us the most desperate.
Figure that's possible of the sinners condition that is dead that is when they have one has drawn his last breath and the doctor said hope is gone.
He's dead. Well, there's nothing more that man can do.
So as far as man in himself is concerned, his case is absolutely hopeless.
I read of a case said during the time when they were trying to raise volunteers in England, they put up a crime.
Wake up. Your country needs you and someone, unfortunately.
Packed up one of these signs in a cemetery and there bread wake up your country in Asia. Well, of course that was a laughable mistake, thinking waking up dead people. Well, as far as man and anything he can do his case with justice.
Helpless and just as hopeless, whatever is wonderful, adverse. In John 5 the hour cometh, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that here shall live. So God's voice is sounding out through the gospel today, and any poor Sinner that will listen to the voice that.
Speaks to his soul through the word.
Of his lost condition and his need of a savior, God imparts divine life to that soul, so he lives.
There's a special contrast here, is there not as well in this chapter between the Jew and the Gentile.
In this chapter, of course, the two are brought together in one body. As to the doctrine, I mean, but the Jew was.
Nigh to God, he had the oracles of God, and he was under the law.
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Now we know that it wasn't carried out, but still he was in that place of nearness. But the gentile was afar off, and he was he was in the place simply of an outcast, as it were, from the things of God.
And so we have here really the extreme case when the gentiles are mentioned, not those that have had the instruction and light.
That God would give a special people the Jew, but those who have no life, no understanding of the things of God except creation, perhaps.
Now in in first Peter 4, I'd just like to read.
Verse or two, because I believe that there is a word for our consciences here who are believers as well.
This was to the Jew, no doubt.
In a special sense.
But the 4th chapter first, Peter.
For as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. For he that have suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.
That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lust of man, but to the will of God.
For the time pass of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, and then he gives a list of all that we walked in. But I was thinking especially of that expression, for the time pass of our life may suffice us to have rock the will of the Gentiles.
A regeneration has put the believer in an entirely new position.
And the language in this chapter, second chapter of Ephesians, is where in time past you walk. It doesn't suppose the flavor to be walking in such a path now.
That's three times repeated in this chapter, and it seems to me to be very, very searching, searching to the point where we would wonder that it would ever have to be said of anyone. I wonder if he or she really had life. But when it's spoken out here, a new remark There is a time past of our life, and there is a present, and there ought to be such a distinction between the two, according to this chapter, as would leave no wonder in anyone's testimony.
To whether there's really life or not.
You would say then that in verse two we have a description of the Gentiles, whereas in verse three we have a description of the Jew.
And there is just this difference. It says we're in time past Ye you see that's Gentiles. And then in the third verse, among whom also we all identifying himself with the Jews as an Israelite.
But in describing the condition of the Gentiles, they were walking according to the course of this world, and then according to the Prince of the Prince of the power of the air.
Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience. You don't find that when the we or the Jews are mentioned that.
They are under in the same way, the Prince of the power of the air, because the end the Jewish economy there was that light that Satan couldn't penetrate or Satan works in the dark.
But the Gentiles without the revelation of God, the articles of God the Jew had.
Was in a more desperate condition for we know all the idolatry was really Satanic and.
The Gentiles were subjected to.
All that awful controlling power of state.
The solemn thing that in our day that more and more in the very countries where the light of Christendom has been shining, that there is a turning away even to the worship of Satan.
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Going back to the very condition that Christianity has called for, those who have been brought under the gospel have been delivered from. So we're fast nearing the solemn end of this present dispensation of grace.
To that when he describes the condition of the Jew in the third verse, that he identifies it with the condition of the ones in the second, because he starts, among whom also we all had our conversation and time passed in the lust of our flesh.
Even although they were so privileged and had the oracles of God, still, if they were dead in trespasses and sins, their ways were actually no different. And that's what the prophets were continually telling them, that they were doing as bad or worse than the Gentiles.
And he had to say to them, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you.
Now that is their conduct with soul, that it was difficult to tell any difference between them and the Gentiles, although they were more responsible because they had more light. And that's the solemn thing about Christendom. Today it has more light.
But the only unregenerate heart of the heathen and the unregenerate heart of a person in a Christian land is no different. And they both desire the same things. But because they're in the light, they don't want to go too much against public opinion. But as soon as public opinion goes down to a lower level, they do the things because they always wanted to do them, and they were only restrained by the light. And this is solemn, and this is what is taking place.
They say people are changing. They're not changing, but what was in their hearts was restrained by the light of the Bible and of Christianity. But as the light of the Bible is removed from the schools, as it's not read in the home, as we see the changing standards of the world, we see the people we never expected are doing things just because the unregenerate heart of man is always the same.
And the solemn warning is, as it's been remarked, that our hearts are the same. And if we're not walking with God, we think down to the level of things around us and become controlled by public opinion instead of by the word of God. And that's why when he brings out the blessed truth of new birth and a new life and being brought into this wonderful place, and then he also brings before us that we are to remember that we have been delivered from all this and that God has ordained good works, that we should walk in them.
It's a marvelous picture here of the grace of God to both Jew and Gentile, and where God has brought us. And the new life in the believer shows itself in the same way, whether it's in the heathen land or a Christian land, just as the unregenerate heart shows itself in the same way.
Brother Barry, could you give us a word on the difference, if any, between the children of disobedience?
Children of wrath.
I gotta hear what you have to say. I'd like to hear you, brother.
I really believe in the end of the second verse in Sons of Disobedience, is it not?
Sons of disobedience. And that is what characterizes man and his natural state.
Sons of disobedience. And I believe the Spirit is very carefully enough to say that we want some children of our sons of disobedience, but we were among them now when it comes to children of wrath.
It isn't a question of that responsibility before God, as it is that we were fit subjects of God's wrath and judgment. Now we were children of wrath. By nature we deserve the wrath of God. But sons of disobedience, I believe, are those who will go on and on and on and resist and resist and never receive the gospel of the grace of God. So he doesn't say we were sons of disobedience. He says we were among them.
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We all mixed in with them. We didn't know who they were and we couldn't point them out. But I believe there's a serious distinction. If we go on and on rejecting God's grace, that marks us out, sadly in that position as sons of disobedience, but every one of us will by nature the children of brand. What a deliverance we've got, we've got.
Do you think that would you suggest on that there should be the Bible reading in the homes?
Indeed, it's so important that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water, by the word, and much more So today, as our children are hearing the new ideas and the new morality and the new thoughts of men, How is it going to be corrected? The only way is we have it in Romans 12. It says be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
There's a certain course in this world, and if you hear those things and see those things continually, you're liable to take that shape. You pour some Jelly into a mold and you put it in the refrigerator and a little while it's taking the shape of the mold. And that's the thing. If you're continually left in this atmosphere with nothing to ever change it, we're liable to take the shape of the mold. But the the as it goes on to say that.
He transformed by the renewing of your mind that he may prove.
That good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Where are we going to find the will of God? We're not going to find it in the writings of them. We're going to find it in the word of God. And as we read it, while our minds are renewed, we say, well, this is God's truth. These are God's thoughts.
This is the wisdom that comes from above. And then we prove walking in it that it is good and acceptable. It's a happy path. And so if I might continue the illustration, if you pour that into the mold and then you take it out in 5 minutes, it doesn't take the shape of the mold. But if you leave it there, it does. And so it's certainly if there was ever a time when the reading of the word is needed in the home today. More than ever before, I believe.
You believe that if we neglect this that we will replace it with other things and that's the danger today.
Of replacing.
With other things, that which has always been.
The mind of God for his people, even in the Old Testament, they were not only to read these things, but they were to bring them before their children. And if we as parents are faithful in bringing the word of God before our children, our children will be preserved when they're exposed to these dangers from the outside.
Is that right? Yeah. The word of the Apostle Paul to Timothy the young man was in second Timothy 2. My son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Well, how are we to be strong if we don't plead?
Just as we need nourishment day by day, our breakfast and lunch and dinner, we need this to sustain our bodies, now we need this spiritual nourishment day by day. And wherever the word of God beloved is neglected, you'll find a low state among God's dear people.
My son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Reading the word of God, getting on our knees in prayer, Some young people get up in the morning, say good morning Lord, and go out to work. Well, they do acknowledge that, but.
Oh, how the need such a need of getting some spiritual nourishment before we go out to work. Just a few verses. You may not have time. And I do know that so many of God's dear people.
Do not have much time. They get up early and they go to bed late, back from their work. And we feel for our dear brethren who work that way. But just a few verses. The old method was the father would read a few verses at the meal hour and then get on his knees and commend the children to to God. It was a wonderful testimony in those days. This is largely being read.
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Neglected, don't you think? Well, we need the daily meditation reading, feeding upon the word of God, How we're to be strong if we don't and then in prayer.
Not to forget that and war. What about our war? And this word conversation here is really behavior.
I'll walk through this seam.
And Mr. Hayhoe used to always say another aspect to that. He said there is to confess Christ to others. That keeps you happy. Now that's a good thing to to do, to keep you happy. The Lord make him known to others.
A real exercise for one and all how far we are being conformed to this world. People are watching our waves or the way we dress, the way we in any way imitate the the waves.
With Lost World, that's going on hasting on to its judgment, so we can each one take that home.
I let her know where any way being conformed to this world. But then it is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may know what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
One wonders how many are reading to their children the book of Proverbs.
Now I believe it's very important.
To gain the principles found in the book of Proverbs.
I'm going to refer to 1.
In the 24th chapter.
Proverbs.
And verse 3.
True wisdom is an house builder.
And by understanding it is established.
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
A wise man is strong, yeah. A man of knowledge increases strength.
Now I believe we can apply this in this way.
That each one is building a house spiritually.
And.
We find now it's connected here with it.
You know wisdom and knowledge together bring understanding.
And understanding is the wellspring of life we learn in Proverbs.
The reference here no doubt is to the honeybee, The honeybee.
Has a house filled with little chambers.
And as these chambers are filled which are 6 sided, I understand.
It's covered over, with the seventh sealed up.
Now that's what.
Should be the.
The practice not only of each one of us, but for our children.
To to give them that reserve that they might call on when they need it to build up in these little chambers.
That precious, that sweetness, not just knowledge as we speak of knowledge, but as that which is enjoyed in the soul. Because, brethren, I don't think we have any truth if we haven't enjoyed it.
It's really Christ, after all. And if we want the practical side, it's his life that's before us. And now are we filling these chambers and sealing them up one after another? The day is coming when we'll need it, and we'll find ourselves at an extremity, perhaps. And then we'll run to someone and we'll say, oh, could you give me a verse for this? I'm in trouble.
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Well, that started late, isn't it? How about filling these chambers so when the time comes, we have a reserve and we can we can rest on the principles of the word of God.
There's a verse in Psalm 103. I think it is.
He said his word and deliver them now if we don't have the word stored up and the sweetness of it.
How can the Spirit of God recall it to our?
So at the time we need it. So I believe this is a practice that we should have ourselves and for our children continually to store up the word of God.
I believe we get that principle for the young and Ecclesiastes 12/1. Remember now like Creator in the days of thy youth. So how do we do that? Well, by filling our souls with the word of God. I can remember that the first Bible was ever given to me.
To be my very own way back in around 1913, the Sunday School teacher wrote that verse in the flyleaf of my Bible. Remember now thy Creator. In the days of thy youthful He gave me something to remember the Creator by. I could read the word of God and and rejoice in what God has done, what Christ has done. And so I believe that we start with our youth to have our soul filled with the word of God.
And the water pots are filled with water. The Lord will see to it that the wine will take place.
The joy of.
That chapter gives us the reason why we remember the Creed in the days of well, the evil days come not in years to arrive, and I shall say I have no pleasure in them.
When I visited dear brother Tom Jones, about two months before he died, before he went home to be with the Lord, what was the soul filled with? The word of God. I can just sit down, listen to that product. Both the scriptures and how when he couldn't sleep at night, this farm had come before him and that why did he have all that preciousness of Christ in his soul? It wasn't sudden that was built up over those 98 years of life. Whatever how long he lived from the days of his youth, the soul was filled.
Word of God. And so it is that we remember our Creator in the days of our youth by reading His Word and meditating upon it, acting upon this lessons.
This 4th hers should should really touch our hearts because.
It was God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness in the first place.
And the Apostle Paul uses that in the 4th chapter of Second Corinthians.
To apply it now to the heart of man, God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness.
Has shined in our hearts.
To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. And so this this is really touching as we think of this. It's connected here with mercy.
And it's when we were far off as Gentiles.
That this mercy came to us.
We were destined to. We were without any resource whatsoever but God.
Two very important words are brought before us.
Mercy and love.
And he's rich in mercy. And it's according to his great love wherewith he loved us. And when did he love it? Or it wasn't when we were seeking after him? Well, there's none that seeketh after him. They've all gone out of their way. Dad was when there was not one single movement in our hearts towards him that he loved us. Now that's divine love.
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And we can't base it.
It's beyond man to think of the Blessed Lord's love going out even to those wicked soldiers that drove the nails to his hand.
And it's interesting to notice that when the Lord told His apostles to go out with the gospel, they were to begin at Jerusalem. Why Jerusalem?
Oh, it's just as all the Lord said. I want you to go back to the very place where they nailed me to the cross.
I want you to tell those poor soldiers that there's forgiveness for them. I want you to tell a soldier that thrust his tear into my spine that this full salvation forgiven. I want you to tell that gravel that cried away with him crucified, that I loved him and I want to share all my glories with him.
Well, that tells of his wonderful love.
That goes out to his enemies. For it was when we were enemies that we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.
And even as believers.
A young sister came to me and said brother smell Mr. Smith I I don't seem to be able to love the Lord enough, the Lord Jesus enough.
Could you make any suggestions? Well, I said.
Suppose you reverse it, and you dwell on his love for you instead of you thinking of your love for him. Well, she did, and she was wonderfully restored. She dwelt on his love for her. Or it was a real victory for that young woman in her Christian life. So it is, beloved. It's.
Not that we loved all, but that he first loved us. His love for me. Oh, that's wonderful to think of that, isn't it?
God delighted to assure his people of His love toward them, when we would perhaps least have expected it. Think of the 31St chapter of Jeremiah. And Jeremiah is the weeping prophet was announcing to them the judgment of God it was going to fall. But in that 31St chapter it says, Yeah, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.
And then to through their wilderness journey, we find that the end of the wilderness journey. We read these words. Yeah, he loved the people. All his Saints are in my hand that we turn over to Malachi. And there was a little remnant that had come back from the captivity. And it burdened the heart of Malachi the things that were going on and how they had departed. But he opened the letter, the word to them by saying.
The burden of the word of the Lord to Malachi. I have loved you, saith the Lord. I think this is very wonderful, because there might be some thought in our mind that the Lord loves us because we are going on with Him. But we see here that he loved us when we were dead in trespasses and sins, and he continues to love us, not because of anything that we are in ourselves, but rather, as our brother remarked, if there is a time when we perhaps have got away and we might doubt His love.
He wants to assure us that he hasn't changed, though we have, and that there's a way to come back and to.
Enjoy that long and I think it's lovely in the 15th of John, where the Lord speaks of this, he said. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in my love, And then the next verse says.
I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His law, and if you keep my commandments, she shall abide in my love.
Now that is, he loves us perfectly, but the enjoyment of it is according as we walk in obedience to him. The Lord walked in that path perfectly, so he always perfectly enjoyed His Father's love. There was never a moment when there was a shadow between him, he could say, at the grave of Lazarus. I knew that thou hearest me always. There was always perfect uninterrupted communion between him and the Father, and he walked in that path of.
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Obedience. Now He tells us that in the path of obedience we can enjoy that law, and if we have lost a sense of it, perhaps there's something that's come between. It isn't that He has changed, but when it's on we find that He is the same and we can enjoy it the same as before.
We had it brought out in a reading. In LL is a city of three and a half million souls.
And during winter, it's winter time. There, it's covered with a blanket of fog.
We were never warm, beloved until we got in bed with a hot bottle. It was so bitterly cold, the coldest winter on record.
But we were reminded that behind that fall bank, the sun was still shining. Well, it's wonderful to remember that there may come between your soul and the Lord Jesus form bank.
How is that dispelled communion, to dwell on his love? The sun still shines, although the glass skies a Gray one, and behind that blanket of fall.
The sun was shining beautifully when we got up into the plane at 35,000 feet, there wasn't a cloud.
His love never changed. I like that what you said, brother, concerning Israel. I have loved you.
Can we have? We can't find words to express the doubt. Have loved thee with an everlasting love. What a wonderful love And everlasting love never ends.
Well, we do well to dwell on this. And don't forget, beloved, there will be fog banks in your life and mine, but behind them his love shines for just the same, just the same.
All the objects diversity. I think it was brother GV Wigman and wrote those lines. Nothing but mercy will do for me. Nothing but mercy full and free of sinners. Sheep, what put the blood to calm my soul before my God. And yet as to his awkward life, he he lived a very conceptive life even before he was saved.
Robbie mothers fence that he was living but an object of mercy.
Now, I'm willing to be corrected in this, but Curtis said something like this that Grace is being brought into what we don't deserve.
Mercy is being spared what we do deserve.
Is that right?
So that brother, we need, don't we grace to sustain us along this Pilgrim way and mercy to restore us to communion? Well, those are not my words. Mr. Kelly mentioned that that we need grace to sustain us and mercy to restore us to communion. I like that statement. And so to the individual, its grace, mercy and peace.
But not so to the assembly. Mercy how we need it individually, especially so, beloved in these days of declension and untold problems that confront God's dear people. Oh how we need mercy to restore us.
To happy communion with his heart of love, now at the end of the of the Lord Jesus High Priestly Prayer, John 17.
There's a word there of excitation to us. From his own blessed lips he says that the love were with thou hast loved me be in them, and I in them.
Well, can we fathom that the love wherewith the Father loved him being us?
01:05:08
We are to love one another too, with the pure heart fervently, and some render that at white heat, which may be a fairly good translation of it.
But that high priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus, knowing that while we're in the world and we're not of it.
Said, I pray thee not to take these out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. And then he ends that high priestly prayer, such a wonderful prayer that the love were with Thou hast loved me being them, and I in them.
So we get in the first chapter in the seventh verse according to the riches of His grace. And here in the verse we're considering the fourth verse of the second chapter. God is rich in mercy.
So he's rich both in grace and rich in mercy too.
Now we shut it down as an active, that is.
Anytime the word God follows the blood we have blessings. But man follows and man pain follows the perspective. He introduced the sin and wickedness. I think of First Kings 11 where it says what Solomon lost many lives and so on. He gives us sin and degradation.
If we think of the second change of the flag of the Navy and it speaks of Navy and that is a plot, he was a level. Not only that, if we took as many of these references, we could see that where May and James followed what we're going to get saved and degradation.
And the failure rule. What if it's God's name College. But then we're going to get richness with mercy and blessings. But God commended this talk to us. And while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. How blessed them to see in this fourth verse but God wishing mercy?
And then at the end of it, where it says, ah, who loved us, we've had brought before us and verse two in time past the Gentiles in verse three, among whom also we Jews. And then we have a combined verse four. What God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, were written wrong off centers of the Gentiles, Jewish sinners, He loved God. One other thing in Acts 15.
Look at the grace of God that was operative in the soul of this man Peter, when he said that that council on the 15th of Acts.
Speaking about the Gentile verse 10. Now therefore, why can't he God to put a goat upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? And here's the verse I had in my verse 11. While we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and how lovely this is, we do shall be saved even the same Gentiles, he doesn't put it the other way around. A Gentile shall be saved as we but we we sinners.
Of Jewish people that had a place of nearness and closeness with the oracles of God, it says that we shall be saved, even if they how blessed to see this grace of God that was offered in the soul of the Apostle Peter, who expressed such words of those.
Raises back Not it doesn't only go on through eternity, but it reaches back into eternity. And the fourth verse of the first chapter We have according as he have chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. I was thinking of that in contrast to.
The star of the earthly people is since the foundation of the world.
But the believer today has been brought into a circle that we say that had no beginning. We have a beginning here, and it was a sad one. But the grace of God now has come in to his mercy. We're saved, but we were loved.
01:10:03
Before the foundation of the world. And we were to be brought into that circle of love which is in large upon in the third chapter, where you get the inner man spoken of and that line of things to know the love of Christ.
There's the there's the end of the path that is it's to be brought into that sphere where only love is known forever and ever, but it's in God's counsel.
We were brought into it before the world began, now in the fifth verse.
He brings Jew and Gentile together, does he not, and.
Together with Christ.
So that I believe he's referring, is he not to both June Gentile brought together in one.
But in Christ.
So that it's one body, but it's in Christ.
I suppose all understand here that the word quickening simply means to give life for the words the new birth, but in this phrase it's not simply.
In connection with an individual being born of God and receiving life, divine life. But it's quickening together as soon as there's life, while then we find ourselves associated.
With all the people of God, and then it's all in Christ. So it's a wonderful view of life and connection with that wide circle, bringing in both you and Gentiles, all believers, in association with Christ himself.
We get love every chapter in this epistle, don't we? Thinking again, referring back to that verse that our brother has referred to in the fourth verse of the first chapter, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.
That we should be avoiding and without blame before him in law. This is a purpose, wasn't it?
He chose us that we might be before him in love. And then in our chapter in the fourth verse, God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, He continues this fame, doesn't he? It seems like a a golden thread that goes through this epistle. And isn't that? Won't that be the eternal theme unto him who loves us and washed us from our sins in His love?
Precious this is and then in the third chapter and.
Verse 17 Then we have the prayer of the of the Apostle here that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that he being rooted and grounded in love. This is his desire for it, isn't it?
Well then in the 4th chapter.
We find also in the 15th first were to speak the truth in love, and grow up into him in all things. And this is the the purpose, isn't it? The whole body in the 16 first fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplier, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes an increase of the body under the edifying of itself in love.
Well then in the 5th chapter in a second verse he says the followers or imitators of God and dear children and walk in love. This is the theme of this whole purpose of God in love, isn't it? And then in the 25th verse, that precious verse there God of Christ love the church and gave himself.
For it nothing greater than this this love of his. And then he ends the epistle in the 6th chapter and the 23rd verse. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. What a fullness.
01:15:11
There is this lovely epistle begins with his choosing us for the purpose of love and in a past eternity, and it will continue, as our brother said, for all eternity, to another comments on that diverse that you refer to a brother in the third chapter, I think is important.
In connection with what we have before us this morning, and that is.
17 verse of the third chapter that Christ.
May dwell in your hearts now. This is not merely receiving him as our savior. This goes on.
That Christ may dwell, make us about live in your hearts.
By faith that she being rooted and grounded in law, that's the result may be able to really apprehend with All Saints. So I I believe the reason that so many of us are so slow to lay hold of the truth of God is because.
This is not really true of us in the fullest sense, that there are so many things that.
Come into our hearts and replace this.
But the Apostle here in his prayer desires that Christ might dwell in our hearts.
By faith, then, the result is that we will lay hold of that which pertains to the love of Christ, so on. So we'll throw in our souls, be enlarged in heavenly things, because in in love is our eternal portion.
I was wondering if we could connect this fifth verse with what we have in John 20, where it says that the Lord Jesus in resurrection breathed on them. He took his place as the head of new creation and imparted in that sense resurrection life saw that what we have here is life quickened us together with Christ. I believe that there is a position that we're brought into now in Christianity.
In the Old Testament, undoubtedly there were souls that possessed new life. In fact, there could be no blessing apart from that. And also we're told in the coming day that God will take away the Stony heart out of their flesh and give them an heart of flesh. New birth will take place. But there is something distinctive and peculiar to this present dispensation, and that is that we possess life in a risen Christ which we can now enjoy by the Spirit.
And enter into and enjoy the very thoughts of God. And so we have here quickened us together with Christ. And the sixth verse has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ. Now this life that we possess now is a life in Christ risen. In the 4th chapter of Galatians we see that in the Old Testament they were in the position of a child under tutors and governors.
Not in the liberty of sonship, but when the fullness of the time would come. And then God sent forth his Son, and now consequent upon the work of Christ, and that he has risen and glorified, now we are brought just like that boy who was once under tutors and governors. Now he's in the full liberty of his position. He's declared as a son. He's an heir to the throne. Well, isn't it a wonderful thing that now?
We can sit here and possess the light and by the Spirit of God enter into and enjoy what is in the heart of God in a relationship that could not be enjoyed in this way in the Old Testament and will not be enjoyed in the same way. Even in the millennial time. There is a very special privilege that is ours now and God sees us, is already in the heavenlies in Christ and able to enter into and enjoy these wonderful things that we've been talking about.
I agree with you, Brother Hale. And then it's Dad. For by grace all you saved best we should in any way exhaust fell for a single self or a very superior to Israel. He reminds us it's holy of grace, not a merit in favor that you're brought into all this.
01:20:58
Oh.
My father.
Ephesians 2:7
Reading
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General meetings, Montreal, October 1973 Second reading meeting.
We're right at the Long Island.
Captain of first.
Verse verse 7. The Cat Seasons, chapter 2.
Verse 7.
And in the age of the count.
He might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us.
Through Christ Jesus or by grace are you saved? True faith, and that's not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.
Not a word that any man should vote for. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus and the good work.
That God has before ordained that we should walk in that wherefore remember.
That he being in time past Gentiles in the place, who were called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision on the sash made by him.
At that time you were without Christ.
The aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel.
Rangers from the Covenant, having no hope and without God in the world, But now?
In Christ Jesus.
Ye who sometimes were far off, or made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace was made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in the flesh.
The enmities and the law of commandments contained in ordinances, or to make them himself a plain. 1 Newman, for making peace.
Now it might reconcile both under God and one body.
And thereby and came and preached peace to you, which were afar off, and to them were not. For through him we both have access by 1 Spirit under the Father.
Now, therefore, you're no more strangers and foreigners.
A. Fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God.
And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets.
Jesus Christ Himself, being the chief cornerstone in whom all the buildings fitly framed together, grow up unto unholy capital in the Lord.
In whom yells, who are building together for inhabitation of God through the spirit.
He didn't comment on being seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so we really should go back to the sixth verse.
We did have reasons up together then we have made to sit together in heavenly places, not with Christ Jesus. Notice that they're reading carefully, but in Christ Jesus. To be seated with Christ Jesus's future. And someday that will be true.
00:10:10
Or will be not only down here in the scene, but we'll be up there.
And we'll be seated on his throne. We'll be seated with him. But now the believer is seen as in Christ before God, as you get in First Corinthians, one and 30 of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification.
And redemption. Now that's a present truth. And as to our standing, God sees us already as seated up there, because we're in Christ. And since Christ is there, we're seen as seated there in Him.
Words heavenly.
Places where period five times in this epistle. Notice please in verse three of chapter one.
Blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
In Christ, that's one. Then where we are in verse 6 and made us sit together in heavenly places.
In Christ Jesus. But in verse 20 of the same chapter one we have the words again.
And set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.
That's three times mentioned and over in chapter 3 in verse 10 to the intent that not to the principalities and powers and heavenly places might be known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God.
Now in chapter six we have the same words.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, that's verse 12, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places or in heavenly places. As you notice, beloved, these are demons here in chapter 6, but in chapter 3.
And verse 10. They're good angels there. I'm sure you've noticed that. They're good angels. They're not demons there. And it is wonderful to notice that these reading in the Church, the manifold wisdom of God.
Now in the translation of this, we've put this way, they read in US the many colours.
Wisdom of God, like the rainbow. And these are angels that read in the Church, read in US the many colored wisdom of God. Someone suggested that they sing. But angels, as you know, don't sing, they say.
They say, but what do they say?
I just don't know when they see a believer walking badly.
One who is away from the Lord, a backsliding Christian. What do they say?
Or a disobedient believer. What do they say? I don't know. They understand one thing That's absolute obedience. But what do they say?
When those who belong to Christ are walking in dissension.
It's a very sad condition to be in, Beloved. What do they say? I wonder. But they read in the church.
The many colored wisdom of God will five times over in this one epistle these words appear, and I'm sure you've noticed that.
When I asked a question that if we are seen seated in heaven in the heavenlies that's we we think of Christ at the right hand of God and the heavenly glories. Why is there the necessity for the armor and conflict if we are in the heavenlies?
00:15:11
Wouldn't that give us another view of Joshua be said, which is?
Ephesians is that Joshua the New Testament? When and Joshua is the Ephesians of the Old Testament, and we find the children of Israel on their wilderness journey, and when they cross the Jordan, they're in the Promised Land.
But did they find rest or did they find warfare?
And conflict.
Canaan is often taken as a figure of our heavenly home and crossing the Jordan as Death taking us into the Father's house. But strictly speaking, Canaan.
As a picture of what we get in Ephesians as the heavenly places, that is where our blessings are found. The wilderness is the pathway from Egypt.
Where we learn what we are and we learn what God is for his people. But in Ephesians we have special we have the the subject we have in Josh Williams, a type.
And we find that as soon as they have crossed the Jordan that they are told that whatever they put their foot on, that was their position.
But they had to take that position out of the hand of the enemy, for there were seven nations. They are ready to oppose their progress. And so we're getting a spiritual view of our present blessings in Christ. They're not down here, they're up in the heavenly scene and.
Those.
Blessings are outside of this world.
They're all ours, oh what blessings we have. And as Ephesians starts out, blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
The beloved Saints of God, Satan, would rob us of every one of those blessings.
That is as to our eternal relationship with Christ.
Having eternal life that we can never lose, and as to the hope of his coming.
And as you are not belonging to this scene, but belonging to a heavenly scene, our heavenly calling.
All those wonderful truths that separate us from a world that's ruled by the Prince and God of this scene, Satan, would rob us and have us to go home in compromising way over this lost world.
So we are there in spirit already to enjoy those blessings, and you can't think of any more perfect way of expressing or being in possession of those blessings than being seated there to enjoy them, to enter into them, and to make them good in our souls. But there is the enemy seen in the 6th chapter, and so we find that no sooner has.
Joshua passed over Jordan. Then he meets the man with a drawn sword. That is that he was going to find conflict.
They must oppose the enemies.
And interim rule they took.
In the wilderness, Israel did have some conflict with Amalek, the flesh Speaking of the flesh. But the wilderness was not the proper place of conflict, as you pointed out. It's when the Lord introduced them into, shall we say, the area of the fullness of their blessing that the opposition comes. Now Satan doesn't mind well, he he would hinder us believing in Christ that if we're Christians.
00:20:04
Keep us worldly minded. He's accomplished his purpose and God would have us occupied with those glories of Christ in heavenly places where we are seen in association with Him. But if we do not have the armor we are not going on with those things. Then the enemy will gain the advantage as happened to Joshua and his armies at the city of AI where there was not the proper self judgment they they failed.
God brought in mercy later, but judgment fell too, and so I believe it's important to see that heavenly places. It brings before us the area of proper Christian conflict with Satan. Not flesh and blood, but spiritual wickedness.
We need to be in the enjoyment of the fact that it's already ours, because before they started that conflict at all, God outlined the limits of the land and told them that it was all theirs. Then what they their soles of their feet rested upon became theirs in actual possession. But they must know that it was all theirs before the conflict would be worthwhile.
And so how wonderful it is that we start out with the knowledge that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ. But more than this, we're already seated there. Now that is in God's purposes. He sees us already in the possession of these things. The enemy doesn't want us to enjoy them now, as we shall in the future day enjoy them without any hindrance. Just as in the reign of Solomon, Israel enjoyed the land without conflict.
Because that was a picture of the rest that God will bring in for his earthly people. And so we look forward to the time when conflict will be over. We'll enjoy those things without any conflict. But now to enjoy them requires a conflict, because the enemy doesn't want us to enter into these things by faith. And I, as we remarked before, I believe that's why he's called the Prince of the power of the air.
And a spiritual conflict in the heavenlies. That is, he doesn't want us to lift our eyes above this scene and be in be in the enjoyment of those things. And that's where it comes in. But let us be clearly settled about this to start with, that they're all ours, and that God sees us already there and no matter what failures they may be along the way, now that God is going to bring each one of his own safely through to enjoy it.
What a loss both to our own souls and in testimony when we're not enjoying them down here. That's why we've been left here, the Lord Jesus, in his prayer said. I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil.
I'd just like to say in connection with the so-called Lord's Prayer. And when the Lord taught the disciples to pray, they were praying for the Kingdom. Thy Kingdom come. But the king has been rejected and the Kingdom has been postponed. And saw the 17th of John when the Lord prayed, he didn't pray thy Kingdom come, Instead he prayed. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me out of the world.
For they are thine. In other words, He didn't ask for the Kingdom then. He wastes the Father's time for that. But all brethren, He prays for us that we might be in the enjoyment of our portion now, that we might be preserved from a world that would hinder us from enjoying these things as we pass through. And the enemy doesn't care what he uses from within or without, if he can only keep us from the enjoyment of these things.
But the Spirit of God would lead our souls to enter into them and enjoy them today.
I was thinking of your comment on Joshua brother.
When they crossed over Jordan.
There they were met by one with a drawn sword in his hand.
The Lord Jesus met him there, and he goes up to him. He says, Art thou for us or for our adversaries? And the answer is very wonderful. Nay, as captain of the host of the Lord and I come, and we read the Joshua, Phil, on his face, And the word from the Lord there was take those shoes, Walk your feet. The place on which thou standest is holy ground.
00:25:20
Well.
It's just like it's individual as well as collective belong. The Lord Jesus would teach us that he is supreme.
There he is supreme in the Assembly.
As he desires to be supreme in each life.
And there is Joshua. Just as if the Lord would say to Joshua you're a pretty good general. But I'm boss here, and there's nothing more unseemly for a soldier to have bare feet. He was Joshua with bare feet.
Well, there he was, without any shoes. He was just a soldier.
In the ring, the Lord Jesus was chief there, supreme there, and it's a nice lesson for us now. Later on, of course, the children of Israel are driven out of those pastures, and they reach a place called bokim, which means place of tears, and there they weep before Jehovah.
Well, I've often thought of it, brethren, in connection with.
The division among our dear people there is mercy invoking, but what about the wasted years?
Came to my mind was this. There was a rent among us 20 years ago in one of the main meetings in Bolivia through a leader, one who posed to be a leader to take the supreme place. He was well to do. He had minds, antimony mind, he had a big business and he took over with the result that half went with him.
Now I just got a letter before I came here from one of the laborers saying, Brother Smith, you remember the rent 20 odd years ago.
The leader has been taken away.
He died an unhappy man. And all the others, 15 of them have requested their place at the table again and they've been received, and happily so. Although he he said we don't perceive them in groups, we prefer to receive them individually. But there was a work of grace. Well, there's mercy. Invoke him, beloved. But what about the waste of years?
Oh, that's the sad part of any trouble in the assembly assemblies.
The wasted years. We thank God this mercy there. But the wasted years.
May we be very careful what we do, any decisions we take that are not according to word.
Don't you think? Brother Smith is very striking? The answer?
The man with a drawn sword gave to Joshua. Joshua says, Art thou for us or art thou for our enemies? A a trip on quoting that right, that was the thought. But he didn't say, I'm for you on all occasions, but as captain of the hosts of the Lord and my sins.
Now as long as Israel where the acting in the spirit of the hosts of the Lord and it was only as obedient men, they could be the hosts of the Lord. Their victories were sure when they went to Jericho they were acting and obedience to the command of the Lord to surround the city 7 times.
With Ram's horns blowing preceding the Ark and so on the when he went to AI, was the was he there the captain of the host of Israel? He was not. He let them go down in defeat. So it is we're going to be victorious in connection with the attacks of the enemy. It must be in walking in the path of obedience.
For the Lord may allow us to realize how we have missed His mind, how we're acting in the spirit of independence, seeking to have our own wills to please ourselves in some way instead of seeking only the mind of the Lord.
00:30:19
Our brother Smith made reference to both him and I remember there on that passage in Judges is a very striking statement there.
It says the Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Vulcan. The children of Israel had left Gilgal. They left the place that spoke of self judgment and humiliation before God, that we should speak of their confessed weakness and nothingness. And they had gone up from there. They had gotten into a higher position. And so it says the Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal. If Israel were going on as they should have, they would have been remaining at Gilgal, as it were. They would have been going there themselves.
In self judgment. And so was it was God's grace. The brothers pointed out that he sends the Angel up from Gilgal to go after them and give them the message that brings the tears. But again there was there was those lost years. They they lost much blessing through their disobedience. But I believe Gilgal is the secret of it, that that's what the failure was when they went up to AII believe.
If there are not some years of self judgment, there will be the tears for lost victories, because the Lord has to deal with us. He loves us too well to leave us to our own self will, but it surely cast us upon him that we might be humble before him. Because I thought of Joshua saying that art thou for us or for our adversaries, we would think that such a spiritual man of Joshua would have recognized who this was.
But doesn't it show how? We can't trust our own hearts, and we may not see the Lord's hand in a circumstance that he may be sending, and that ought to have been a time of blessing Instead of this, there was a time when even Joshua had to be humbled. But I feel that there's a real lesson in the fact that such a wonderful man is Joshua didn't realize and had to say, art thou for us or for our adversaries?
We ought to see the Lord's hand in every situation that comes because he has allowed it for some purpose. And what they were or should have been learning Mayor at Gilgal was going to be necessary for them, not only then, but in every future occasion and every future victory. If there was such a thing as victory, if they neglected Gilgal, it would be defeat. There would be tears, but they would be tears for what was lost instead of tears of self judgment.
Well, when we get to the seventh verse where our brother began to read.
Were carried into the coming ages, to be revealed that he might show the exceeding riches of his grace.
Any kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Brother Albert Taylor, I've heard you give a contrast with what Satan said to the Lord in the temptation. Would you give that?
Well, I think it's mentioned that when he was taken up to an exceeding high mountain, he was shown all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and the scripture says in a moment of time.
That apparently is all the time it took to show to the Lord all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. But it seemed an interesting contrast here that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. That is what we have before us as compared to what the world has to offer is just not worthy of comparison, and it just seems to be so beautiful in linking the two verses together.
To see what we already possess, where we already stand, and what it gets before us.
Dust seems to me to be no doubt at all that if this were real to us, all of the world has to offer would certainly be something to be turned away from. The Lord found it no claim. A song. Where had he come from? He had come from all the glory of heaven itself. What did the glory of this world look like to one who had come to this world from the glory of heaven?
00:35:20
Though we are already, by the grace of God, possessors of all those spiritual blessings.
Seated together in heavenly places in Christ. And we're soon going to be there, I'm sure of that.
I imagine this morning in the.
The riches of his grace. And then in the fourth verse God who is rich in mercy.
Lovely to see the way the Spirit of God advances in giving us this thought of riches. For in this verse it's not only the riches of his grace, but the exceeding riches of his grace.
Sometimes we need to just go through Ephesians.
And justice seek to discover how rich we are.
Now the third chapter, you get the the riches of his glory, don't you? That takes us to another thought. That's beautiful. The unsearchable riches of Christ too, in chapter 3 and 8.
Would this be perhaps the picture intended in that verse? You know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich.
Yet for your safety became poor, that he through his poverty might be risk. I remember a long time ago meditating on that verse and thinking of the literal actual poverty that the Lord sees us experienced when He was here from his birth onward. But I really felt eventually that that was not the thought, because his material poverty has not resulted in a promise for our material riches.
But rather the riches that we possess are those which are spoken out here. And perhaps that which he endured stands out in, to me, very beautiful contrast to the richness that we possess.
I don't know whether I should elaborate on it, but it is so wonderful to me. I hope you'll forgive me, but it seems to me that every rich blessing that we enjoy so much has in Scripture as a contrast that which the Lord Jesus endured in order that we might possess it. I've never come to the end of it, but perhaps just a few that would start us thinking that is.
The Lord Jesus Christ, my God, my God, by hast thou forsaken me.
He turns to us, and says, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. He says, I look for some to take pity, and there were none like the father pity of his children. So the Lord pity of them, and fear him. I look for comforters, and I found none. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. They parted my raiment among them, and cast lost upon my vesture. Bring forth the best robe and put it on him.
They pierced my hands and my feet, put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. They planted a crown, thorns, and put it upon His head, whose crowns thee with loving kindness and tender mercy, away with Him, Crucify Him, Let us draw near with a true heart. It's just the beginning, but there really is no ending. The very blessing that should mean so much to us, if taken in relation to that which he endured, seemed to become that much more beautiful to us.
We find, too, that it's a subject that will never wear out.
Ages and ages before us, and the seeding riches of His grace will be just as precious, just as wonderful, just as much delighting our hearts as we can enjoy them now. So beloved, are we not enjoying something very wonderful.
00:40:01
Something amazing, this grace of God. This God is rich in grace and rich in mercy. To think that.
We're considering the subject that will fill all heaven with a theme that never, never wears out.
What he wants us to realize too, is that it's all of grace, that we didn't deserve it. Under the law, man was to gain something if he could this do and thou shalt live, but he couldn't get any blessing on that ground. But how marvelous that God starts out here with us dead and trespasses and sins. He's rich in mercy. He has great love. And then this grace has been shown to us, and there's no end to it.
And all were so reliable to think about. Well, I am a poor failing thing. I don't deserve this or that. Oh, brethren, let us not forget it's all of grace. It's not at all because we deserved it, even the very faith to believe, as we see here as a gift.
Saw that God acts from himself, He acts for himself in blessing us. And if we get hold of this then we can, just as it were, relaxed as they did at the Red Sea, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Then they marched forward into ground that had already been prepared, and they didn't have to push back the waves. They didn't have to swim across the sea. It was open for them. And they walked through it. They just stood still and saw it.
And that's the important thing. Christendom is full of telling people to do this and do that, for the principle of law is very natural to the human heart. We like something that we can take credit for ourselves about. Before we were saved, we wanted to feel we could do something to earn salvation. And after we're saved, we're still able to get occupied with doing this as though it were going to obtain favor from the Lord.
All of us start out with this glorious fact that we have here, that God is acting from Himself and that the blessing that He bestows is not because we deserve it or ever will deserve it for the ages to come. We're going to be continually reminded that it's all of grace, and if we get hold of this of them, this is what gives us power and desire to live to please Him.
To try to please him, to obtain a blessing, or to obtain his favor, is to return to the principle of law. But to realize that all this is ours by sovereign grace, and then to do what we do and how little it is, but just out of gratitude for Him, And that is what is brought before us. That's the kind of return of heart that is precious in His sight, even little as it is, He values any small response there is to His love.
And singing care of that word kindness.
Toward us through Christ Jesus.
That would remind us of the man that was stripped and beaten and left half dead on the roadside.
Seeing the priests and the Levi pass and go on the other side, and then the kindness of that stranger to go there and bind up his wounds and pour in all the wine, set him on his own beast.
Taking to an inn and take care of it. I'm sorry to a young man one time that was in the war.
And he told me that he was shocked and fell into a shell hole. And he said there was a wounded Germans down in that shell hole. And he said he let up a scream and a groan. And he said I shook him. And then he said I lay down and he said, what did that German do? He said he took off his coat and put it on me and covered me up. And he said when I woke up.
That German was dead without his coat.
There I was.
Blessed by the kindness.
Of that soldier that I treated so unkindly when I fell into the shell hole. Well, I don't know if the man was a Christian or not, but we can certainly say this.
00:45:01
That there was something Christ like, wasn't it? Instead of showing resentment toward an enemy who was fighting and who treated him so, so without any mercy?
To show nothing but kindness to him in his trouble.
The prodigal would have been satisfied to be made a servant, but I was thinking of the kindness of the Father's heart. If the Father had received the prodigal back as a servant, it would have been a permanent testimony to the prodigal sin. Why is he a servant? Oh, he went off. That would never, never have satisfied the father's heart. The father eradicates every feeling or or doubt as to the acceptance of the prodigal.
And he doesn't allow him to save and make me as a servant. He's brought there as a son. What kindness, what mercy that he should be brought. And so here we have seen in this high and exalted position, together with Christ, and God is going to unfold the glorious person of Christ to us through all eternity. Is there going to be gold in heaven? Wonderful trappings? I don't know. But if Christ is going to be there, he's the center of the scene and it's he is He's the one.
That will fill our hearts with joy, and they ought to be filling them with joy and satisfaction now if we will allow it.
He deserved death and will. Ordinarily, when a man becomes a king is David, Then under those circumstances he would do away with everyone else who challenges right to to the throne. But instead David showed the kindness of God to him and brought him to his own table out of the servant.
But as one of the King's songs and as he sat at that table.
His his disability was under the table. He was lame on both his feet, out of sight and to look around the table, you wouldn't know that he had anything wrong with it. There he was sitting as one of the King's son at Davis table and that position that we're in by grace.
I like the translation of the Romish Bible concerning Ephesians 2 and five.
For by Greece are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, purely natural.
Lest any man should vote.
Well, purely natural. Yet how difficult it is for that system to not charge for everything that they do?
Wanted to speak, disparaging of them. But that's the rendering of the Roman Catholic Bible. Purely natural.
No, there's nothing we can do to merit. It's all of grace, dear brother. Jackson used to always say brother, it's pure sovereign grace. Always used to say that it's pure sovereign grace all the way through.
Lovely in our little hymn book A little flock that it should begin with. Of all the gifts thy love be stole, thou giver of all good, not heaven itself. A richer nose than the redeemers. Blood faith to that trust, that blood through grace from that same love we gave as sweetly as it suits our case. The gift had been in vain.
So not only are we indebted to God for his grace in giving Christ.
As a Savior for our sins, but for the faith that enables us to trust in the value of His precious blood.
That was one of copper's him. But it seems remarkable that that should be the beginning of all those beautiful hymns.
Faces the response to that grace, is it not? And there wouldn't be salvation without faith, but it's the response of the heart to the grace that show. And so the soul answers in that way because the righteousness of God that's given to man is on the principle of faith. It's God's righteousness, but it's true faith, and so without faith it's impossible to please him.
00:50:16
It isn't simply that we take up with a certain line of doctrines.
But the soul sees himself as a guilty Sinner, and the apostle Paul said that he he ceased not wherever he went to preach repentance.
In connection with this faith, we get that in the 20th of Acts I believe, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. So those two things go together.
And I think that today there's a great deal of stress laid upon simply.
Ascending to a doctor but.
We find in this chapter that first of all the condition of man's soul. He's dead and trespass and sins, and there is such a thing as repentance connected with salvation. So I believe that here where it says faith, it embraces. That faith includes the owning of what we are in ourselves and accepting what God gives as the remedy.
Otherwise there would be no need of a remedy.
This subject is really a family secret, isn't it? We don't preach this to the world.
But we can enjoy it after we're saved to see that the very faith that has enabled us to accept Christ and to trust in Him was just as much a gift as the Savior himself.
Our brother, Clifford Brown, has put it in this way.
That if my faith was.
Dependent on myself or then I would say, well, I know I was just as bad as my neighbors. But there's one thing I had better judgment than my neighbors because I believe the gospel. He didn't. And so I'd have something to boast of after all. So the very faith that accepts the Savior is the gift of God.
Divine work in the soul.
It could be shined to a verse in Romans 8 to relate to this.
Romans 8.
And.
Verse 7.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God.
Lord is not subject to the law of God. Neither, indeed can be. This verse, I believe, settles for us.
Three things.
Man's total depravity, his inability to come to God at all. Next, it establishes the need which God foresaw of exercising his sovereign grace and choosing us in Christ before the foundation of the world.
Then if God has chosen the in Christ, the third thing is I've got to be eternally secure. So man's depravity, eternal security, and God's sovereignty and salvation all go together. This verse in Romans 8 shows that it's impossible for me by any natural ability of my own to lay hold of this salvation which God offers in grace. I'm responsible. I don't. I don't want to do away with man's responsibility. I'm responsible to receive it.
I'd like to repeat I got in under the tail end of Brother Potter's ministry. I was quite a young man. He was right at the end of his days, but he summed this up. I've been 6 words.
All.
May none will, and some shall remember that, and I believe that gives us the whole picture up. But Romans 8 gives us the key to the need of this faith being given to us.
See, when we consider the sovereignty of God, we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
So God had us already marked out, and when the time came in His grace, He gave us the faith to believe, so that we have nothing whatever to boast of. It's all of himself.
00:55:12
With our brother remark, God must bring us to the end of ourselves, and so that it isn't repentance, and then faith it is. Repentance is of faith. The very fact that a man repents or a change of mind, is because God has wrought in him that confidence.
In his Word that tells him of his true state. And then when one has learned from God's Word what his true state is before God.
Now then, God imparts the faith to believe in what Christ has done to meet us in that need. There is a translation of the Bible that sort of gives the sort of denies the thought here that it's faith that is the gift of God. But it's very important for us to see that it's not merely that salvation is a gift, but the faith to receive it as a gift and as that verse in Romans tells us, and also in John One.
Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. So the beginning of the work in the soul is God himself giving light, and when he does, then immediately he gives life, Then there is confidence in him.
And a man like he finds himself in a terrible condition that he doesn't, he didn't realize before.
Perhaps you go to the doctor and you think you're all right, but he discovers something. If you have confidence in the doctor, immediately, you acknowledge that that's your condition and that you need a remedy. And I believe it's important for us to see too, brethren. Now that face cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God, because there's an attempt made today to establish the truth of the Bible through science. Now, if we just believe the Bible because science proves it's true.
Then we actually believe science and not God. Because if you only believe a thing because of someone elses word, then you haven't believed it on the word of the first person who told you. If you told me something today and I said, well I'm going to ask several people if that's true and I come back to you in a week and I say, well, I believe it. Now you'd say, well you didn't believe it because I told you.
You believe that because of what others said. Now if we only believe the Bible because we have some external proof, it's not faith in God, and that kind of thing will be shaken. And that's why it says that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. And so I quote that verse again, have faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And here again it comes what our brother remarked this this morning, the importance of reading the word of God.
People say, well, how do you know it's the word of God? Isn't God able to reveal himself? Every one of us in this room who are saved this afternoon are a proof that God has revealed himself to us through his word, and we need nothing more than the fact that God has revealed himself and given us the faith to believe. We may find many things in science that bear out the truth of the Bible, but that's not why we believe it. We believe it because God has made himself known to us through His words.
Have often said the Thessalonians, when they heard Paul preach, they didn't go and seek some other testimony. It says they received it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the word of God. The result was, they believed, when he preached at Berea.
They listened. They compared it with the word of God. And therefore many of them believe, oh, may the Lord grant, that we'll recognize the authority of the Word of God. And the God is able and still does reveal himself through His word. Our dear brother Miller of Hamilton has just gone to be with the Lord. I can remember how he used to open the Sunday School in Hamilton, and he would mention that verse.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. He pressed on the children the importance of the word of God, the prodigal, when he was in the far off country, and he had spent all.
01:00:00
It says he came to himself.
But what was it that made him come to himself? That's the point. It was.
The Spirit of God brought before him thoughts of the Father's house.
Now in this book that we're considering the first chapter, we have the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the first chapter, and 2nd to have a great deal to do with the subject of God. It's his nature and the judicial side of things. But before we finish the chapter, we'll notice that we have access to the Father now.
That's developed in the third chapter, more so it's the Father that's in view because it's relationship that we enjoy now as children. We've been brought into that place of relationship. But who was it that taught us this? We didn't learn it from anything that was in our own minds. No, the Spirit begins, and when he begins, he begins to teach us about the Father. But it wasn't until he found himself.
In these dreadful circumstances, without resource.
Now that was of God, was it not? And so it isn't the severity of God that brings us to repentance.
He may allow the severity, but he uses it to awaken the soul so that he can speak those things that will bring the soul to repentance. That's the goodness of God. And so on. The prodigal starts home. Now he's going to approach his father on certain grounds of his own. He hasn't yet learned the fullness of the grace that would meet his name. He feels he can go to his father.
But as a servant, but on the way home, he must have learned some more because he never mentions when he gets home.
About being a servant, he just says, Father, I've sinned and I believe that that's that's a beautiful picture for our souls of the Sinner. And if there's one coming to God, if there's one here in the room this afternoon, who has come to himself.
Why? It's the Father's house that's before you. God is offering you salvation. He's offering you deliverance, forgiveness of sin.
And you'll remember them no more if you simply believe in Jesus as your savior. Don't you think, Brother Dundee, that the reason why he didn't add the part that he intended to say when he made-up his little speech in the far country that make me as one of thy hired servants? How could he, when the father's arms were around him and he covered him with kisses? That was the kiss of rank and reconciliation. He'd received him back not as a servant, but as a son. So he just omits that part.
Yes, I I think that's right.
But don't you think that there was some preparation when the woman swept the house? The whole all three are one one parable, it says, the shepherd seeking the sheep, the woman sweeping the house with a coin that was lost, and the father who embraces the prodigal. And so it seems to me that the spirit of God was working on the way home, so that when that moment came, he was ready for it. I believe it will help us to understand the 15th of the move from Nevada and mine.
There could be no exercise. The soul of the sheep, the silver, could show no activity. So if we didn't have the particle sun, we wouldn't have God's side of working in his soul to bring him back. And so as you point out, that it was exercised. The prodigal Son gives us the the crowning part of the parable, showing God's working exercises in his soul, which could not be brought out in the sheep or in the silver.
In John's gospel, I just want to want to ask a question here in connection with this in this 5th chapter of John.
We find in the 39th verse.
In John 5 and verse 39 the Lord Jesus says, search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me, and you will not come to me that you might have life. Well, I take it that these scriptures testified of him, and so they set their wills against us. They searched the scriptures, but it wasn't there. They didn't see the person of Christ.
01:05:19
Then when you come to this, that's man says the Lord Jesus says you will not. That is, man says his will against this doesn't he sets his will against God. But then you go over to the 6th chapter and the 44th verse and the 6th chapter we find the Lord Jesus, the bread of life. And so he says here in the 44th verse of the 6th chapter, no man can come to me.
Except the Father which has sent me draw him. Well, I was wondering if this wouldn't be like the constraining love that was in the Father's heart. We set our wills first against the Lord Jesus. We say we will not, and then then we can't come except the Father draws. There's a there's that drawing, constraining love, the Father that draws us. And so in the end we can't say.
That this fate was something that I acquired myself. I was just wondering if that. But it's the it's the it's only the the drawing heart of God that gives me the faith to believe. It's only his drawing that brings me to Christ.
Just submit that. I wondered if that was all right.
Makes me think rather little of what I was told about Brother close. He was preaching on the street and dressing.
Many years ago. And there was an infidel that was listening who made it his business to try to keep up the Lord's servants or anyone that was a Christian. So he followed Brother close and asked him the question, what does that mean? No man can come on to me except the Father, which has sent me drawing rather close, turned around and he had very piercing eyes. He said, You better listen to that one that's calling that's growing you.
And left him. That was really a shock for his conscience.
I think it's lovely to see the heart of God in all that because although we do realize with Thanksgiving, I hope that the blessings that we enjoy are the result of the sovereign grace of God.
Yet I wonder sometimes if when we get thinking about it, it might seem to affect liberty in preaching the gospel that whosoever will I wonder if there are those who have pondered it and found a little problem in that Well, a very strange picture in Scripture gave me a wonderful relief after that, and it was the Lord Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.
And you know, just to read that, and I hope it's all right, just a picture to oneself. The Lord Jesus standing on the hill overlooking that city with I believe it's right that tears running down his cheeks as he said, oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem is the prophets and kill us then that are sent unto thee. How often would I have gathered thy children together?
As a hen gatherer her brood under her wings, and he would not, And so the sovereignty of God grace that has reached out and picked us up, and redeemed us, will be a cause of eternal Thanksgiving. But I certainly need not hinder the liberty of the Evangelist, who would preach the love of God to whosoever will, for when the Lord Jesus, who had the destiny of souls in his trust, if we might say so.
Wept over the city of Jerusalem. With longing like that, the early week and pride, at least two may have something of that spirit.
Don't you think till we learn a very important lesson from what the Lord says there in the 6th of John, that no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me. Draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day as the Lord the perfect servant.
Independence until the Father drew a poor Sinner to him, and then he saved him and gave him eternal life. There's such danger of wanting to see some evidence of work of results in our gospel preaching that perhaps we don't wait unless the Father bring the souls that he is exercising to a place.
01:10:24
To give us an opportunity.
To point them to the savior of sinners, the Apostle Peter and the 10th of Acts preached to a whole house full of the elect. The Apostle Paul on Mars Hill didn't have quite such a selection. There were a few that heard and believed. Others mocked. Others put it off. So God in this grace will give one servant to reap a large crop.
Evidently so. And others. There may be just a few that seemed, but as long as they're those that the Father has given Christ, it's a wonderful thing to be an instrument in that way to bring them in.
I'll never forget what Brother Clifford Brown said once to me. He says there'll be no more souls in heaven because of my faithfulness, and there'll be no more souls in hell because of my unfaithfulness.
So he says all I can do is to fit in with a Divine plan and if I get to thinking that the Lord can't get along without me, He may give me a vacation. I hope that thought fitting in with the Divine plan is very important for us. That is, if God is going to use any of us as His servants, He is going to use us to just accomplish.
Some of His eternal purposes that He had in Christ. And if we think that we're important that we're doing something, He may let us down and let us realize how we've missed His mind.
Good to notice too that in Second Corinthians chapter 2 it says we are under God a sweet savor of Christ. In them that are saved and in them that perish. To the one we are a saver of death unto death, and to the other the savior of life, unto life.
And who is sufficient for these things?
We must always bear in mind that the gospel is concerning God's beloved Son.
And the first thing in the gospel is the glory of Christ. And so it's for the glory of Christ that the gospel, the message of his love, should be announced to the world, whether they receive it or not. If people were to break into your home and steal, and you offer to pardon them, and they refuse it, when the case comes up in court, your name is brought before the court as one who was willing to pardon these people even though they refused it.
And God delights to honor his Son, and he loves sinners. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And so in telling out the gospel, I believe, rather than that we should have this first thought that it's for the glory of Christ. The gospel is concerning God's Son.
And then the blessing of the Sinner comes in. But it's part of God's plan for the glory of Christ. And so if some receive the pardon, why there's going to be glory brought to Christ because of that wonderful work is going to bear fruit in their blessings. But if they reject it, God is still glorified that he loved the Sinner enough to send his Son to die and to offer salvation to whosoever will.
And I think if we keep in mind that the thought in the gospel is the glory of Christ, that it will help us to tell it out according to his heart. Or it's not just to tell it out, but it's a serious thing and a blessed privilege to be in this world is representatives for Christ to seek to tell out what's in the heart of God, to seek to tell us the love of Christ, the sinners. And unless we have done it in the Spirit in which the Lord wept over Jerusalem, we haven't properly represented his heart.
He loves sinners. He seeks their blessing. But he's not going to be frustrated. And if all refuse, he's going to see to it that summer brought in. That's his sovereign grace.
Well, we read, wasn't it, when Paul and Barnabas were preaching that as many as were ordained to eternal life believed? And yet that didn't.
01:15:07
Make them feel that they shouldn't give out a message to everyone that was.
They're listening to the Word. They certainly must have preached the Word to whosoever, but after all they're they're preaching. The ones that God had marked out for glory were the ones that got saved. But if if we only try to go on and and just talk to those who are the Lords who are going to accept the Lord, we will find ourselves and.
Restricting our work.
There were a brother that said in talking about preaching to the elect, there is a group in all that say they only preach to the elect. Well this brother said if you could put a chalk market, chalk mark on all the electrical, I'll just preach to them.
But who can do that? But that wouldn't be according to the heart of God, would it? Because God wants the message told to even those who reject it, whereas under God a sweet savour of Christ, and then the perish because God delights to have the love of his Son announced.
Even if sinners refuse it. And oh how wonderful the privilege I think of the Lord Jesus.
Going over to the parts of del minutia and they wouldn't receive it. And the Lord Jesus sighed deeply in spirit and returned. Did he make a mistake in going when there was no fruit? Oh no, He was there, and they had the opportunity. They saw that he had crossed there and come there in grace. And so let us not be weary, brethren. God delights to have his son well spoken out. The end of that story is it not?
Rather that when the Lord came back, the man that he had left behind, that he wouldn't take with him, had brought a whole company down to the shore of me, wasn't that right? And so that the results of being left here.
The man who wanted to go with the Lord, he wouldn't permit him to go with him, but when the Lord returns to that place having.
Told them what great things the Lord had done for him, why he has a great company, waiting for the Lord to be blessed when the Lord returns. I was thinking too, and this connection, that in Matthew 13 we have the seat received in four different ways.
Now three of the ways there was no fruit, but were the ground was plowed.
And the seed fell into good ground. It bore fruit varying degrees.
I believe that the one who is sad if he speaks the word faithfully as.
Under the eye of God can expect the word to reach the conscience of those that hear, because in Matthew 13 it says the seed.
Fell into the heart, that is that was fell by the wayside the enemy came, or the birds of the air as the illustration used to ****** those those seats out of the heart.
You'll notice that if you read it, it fell into their heart. Now it wasn't received in the heart, really, unless it went through the conscience, but it reached it. And I believe that if the one who's preaching the gospel.
Preaches, as said of God, to preach the word. Conscious that the Lord sends him. He can count on the fact that it will reach the conscience of those who hear, whether they receive it or not.
And so we got that expression that was read to us in Corinthians, a savior of life unto life, or of death unto death.
I'm glad that side of it has come up. It reminds me of an occasion that I I think Gordon may remember the number of us had been to one of the communities outside Ottawa and returned home on Saturday evening feeling a little cast down, I think because there had been so little, if any interest in the place where we had been trying to preach. And we made known our feelings to father, and he quoted that very first to us.
To encourage us a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that Perry and I remember the illustration he used, he said. Suppose there was a family down the street that was in desperate circumstances. So we make up a basket of groceries and I say to you son, takes this down to that needy neighbor and tell them that we simply send it with love. So after a while you return home again with your clothes rather torn and your nose bleeding. And I I say, son, what happened? Well, as soon as I offered them this basket and mentioned your name.
01:20:33
They pushed me down the steps and said they didn't want anything to do with it.
So I say, well, son, let's wait till tomorrow and we'll try again. So the next day you go back and come back treated the same way every time I send you down to that neighbor, it would simply magnify the love and generosity and kindness that we want them to know about. And every time you present Christ, even if that's the kind of treatment you get, it presents the heart of God to man, and God is delighted to hear it.
Oh, I believe that is an encouragement to those who try to preach the gospel. And I'm glad that side of it came up that it does rejoice the heart of God to hear that lostrom play. And I I remember hearing it remarked even in connection with the verse that was mentioned a moment ago. As many as were ordained to eternal life believe that Acts 13.
Q. Versus further down in the first verse of the 14th chapter, it says they sow space.
They're a great mother to believe. Well, to put those two verses together I think is quite interesting. In the one verse, as many as were ordained to eternal life believe. But this didn't make those who were presenting the message the least bit indifferent as to the reality of that which they were presenting. For a few verses further down it says so spake. Is there a suggestion there that in presenting the message, it's not just simply a take it or leave it message?
They sow, spake. There's something in that little expression that I think should reach our heart. It should be presented as though it were that which had stirred our own heart, and we're anxious that others should know it too.
The thinking of a of a, of an instance of two brothers. One was responsible for a funeral and he was quite exercised about it. And he said to the other brother with him, he said that now if you were responsible for this funeral, what would you tell these people there so many there that were not saved. They know nothing of the Lord Jesus.
But if you were responsible, what would you tell those people at this funeral? Well, he gave him 5 words. Tell them that God loves them.
The message Tell them that God blessed. I thought that was very nice. I remember an incident in Bolivia, brethren that really touched my heart.
One morning a young fellow put in appearance at one of our little centres and I said, what brings you so early?
We said my grandpa sent me to see you and take you back, he said 22 years ago.
Grandpa said you dismounted from a mule and pulled the book out of your pocket and preached in the Inca tongue in a ranch where the priest had said never listen to that fella if he ever comes here.
Never listen. So I do remember that there's not a soul insight.
But he said grandpa wants you to go back because he was listening behind the door and he got saved. And now he says we're 12.
Let us count heads, beloved, you never can't count heads. Well, wasn't that touching? Well, we had a long way. We couldn't go. It was 20 miles and had to climb up 15,000 feet. And I said to Francis, we just can't go. So I asked one of the younger brothers to go and see them. But just just wonderful, isn't it? Grand powers behind the door. He was scared to come out, and one was sold to be seen. But he was listening behind the door.
Well, let us take courage, brother. There's a remarkable verse in the 7th of Jeremiah which.
I take encourage from and you might feel sorry for Jeremiah. You had to go under these circumstances.
01:25:09
27th verse Jeremiah 7.
Therefore thou shall speak all these words unto them, but they will not hearken to thee. Thou shall also fall into them, that they will not answer these.
Jerry have definite words that there would be no results, yet he was told to go anyway.
Well, we have and Timothy first. Timothy 2. God will have all that to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. He sees to it that they hear the message. They get a word from him, and it's God's will that they would hear it, but they have a will too, and their will is not God's will to turn away from it nevertheless.
We can take courage to tell the news has been already pointed out, but I don't think any of us have ever had a word like this. They will not hearken unto thee. We don't know whether they will or not.
That's #302.
Ephesians 2:8-13
Reading
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General meetings, Montreal, October 1973 Third reading meeting.
As well.
57.
Suggest going on the second of Ephesians where we get.
Subject of peace.
I don't think anything was said on the ninth first was there.
Seasons Chapter 2.
Verse 9.
And we read the eighth verse. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of work.
That any man could vote.
For we are for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should park in them.
Wherefore remember.
That he being in time past Gentiles in the flesh were called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by Anne. At that time you were without Christ.
Being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For He is our peace, who have made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for the making himself a plain. 1 Newman.
Soul making peace.
And then they might reconcile both unto God.
For the cross having slain the enemy thereby.
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Who came and preached peace to you, which were far off, and to them there were nine. For through him we both have access by 1 Spirit under the Father. Now, therefore hear no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the same thing of the household of God.
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the buildings certainly framed together growth under one holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit.
I believe there's a special reason why we have this expression, not of works.
We find that the Jew and Gentile are brought together in this chapter.
And the Spirit of God makes it very clear that the old order is set aside.
Out of work.
Now if we turn to the 10th chapter of Romans.
In the first verse it says.
Bread in my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Now that's connected with.
The eighth verse. For by grace are you saved through faith. Then he goes on to say in the fifth verse or the fourth verse.
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
Now that's the righteousness of the law.
And the subject in this chapter is he desires that Israel might be saved. So he goes on, and he quotes from Deuteronomy, and he says, But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down from above.
Or who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead? But what's happened? The Word is 9 Thee even in thy mouth, and in my heart that is the Word of Faith, which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And shall believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.
So then, it's very clear here that the Spirit of God would.
Give us to see that the old order is set aside entirely and there's a there's a new order before us, and that is the peace he's Speaking of. He's brought in through Jesus Christ.
And it's not works.
Lest any man should bowl.
It's a new order of things in which Christ is everything. He's the center, He's the one who has accomplished it all, and.
God has worked here, but it says.
The workmanship We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus, not in works of the flesh.
But in Christ Jesus.
It's important, isn't it, to see how scripture and pointing out that salvation is not of works, yet the Spirit of God insists that there must be good works.
In our Christian life.
I think a helpful way to point this out is this, that we don't work to be saved, we work.
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We are saved, but in Christendom, back to all religions, they put the cart before the horse. That is, they make salvation a matter of good works in order to be saved, instead of seeing that the work is all done, and when the soul is at rest, seeing that Christ on the cross said it is finished.
Now that all the work is done, God is glorified in that work of His Son. Now we begin a new life, and it's a life in which we can honor the one who saved us.
And that was the principle of fun which we find Scripture brought before us.
In fact, in in Titus 3, where you get.
Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercies, saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
Goes right on to say, And this I will let thou affirm constantly that they which have believed might maintain good works, So the Spirit of God will keep us from relaxing and thinking, Well, I'm safe.
It isn't an important matter now how I conduct myself, it's very important how we conduct ourselves.
Because if we're saved at such an infinite cost, surely we owe everything now to live until please the one who saved us by laying down his precious life on the cross as it was read before here, that has thought we should not live unto ourselves, but unto him that died for us.
And rose again.
We have a good illustration of that in the Old Testament.
When Cain approached God with the first fruits of the ground, he was rejected. His first fruits were not acceptable to God because he was seeking to approach God on the on the ground of his own works. But God did expect Israel to bring the first fruits. Why? Because they were a redeemed people brought into the possession, enjoying the fullness of God's blessing.
Having previously rested on the blood down there in Egypt, God and Deuteronomy expects them to bring the first fruits of the ground.
So I believe we see those two things in Cain's case that salvation by works, but with Israel it's the fruit of salvation. They're rejoicing in the Lord, their God, and presenting their baskets of first fruits before him.
Do we see it? Perhaps in 2nd Corinthians 5, two, where we read those words, wherefore we labor. I like that little word. Wherefore? Because we have just read of what wonderful confidence is ours, and of what it costs God that we might have this confidence. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.
Wherefore we labor? Isn't that lovely? God has given us that confidence, and we know something of what it cost him to do so. And then the very next thought is wherefore? Because we possess this, wherefore we labor?
It's not work. I stole the save that my Lord has done, and I would work like any slave. From love to God's dear son is a little falling straight. There are two other texts that we might read in connection with work. One of them is in Hebrew 6.
And verse one it says, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from head works and our faith for God. So there we have dead works. What other texts that call your attention to us in John the 7th chapter and?
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The seventh verse, John's Gospel 7 verse 7.
The Lord Jesus says the world cannot hate you but me. It hateth because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. And so we have evil works here that is a product of the ungodly and the unsafe. In the 6th chapter of Hebrews we have it works that which is the fruit and the product of the religionists around us.
To the law of the forms and the ceremony.
But the Lord of all says their skin works. So there are evil works, there are dead works. And then in our chapter here in Ephesians 2, we have created in Christ Jesus unto good works that which is the fruit of the Spirit of God, working upon the new nature, going those things that are pleasing across sight.
Then we have living works. That's Hebrews 9.
How much more, 14914 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God? Praise your conscience From dead works to serve the living God First we have to be perfect from those dead works for those dead works for Israel, where all the ceremonies.
All the ordinances he carried out, which could never save them. Well, for a gentile too, if he's seeking to merit the favor of God by going to church or doing anything and with the hopes of getting saved, it's a dead work works. And when he's prayed from those dead works, then he can serve the living God that is, those are living works because it's the fruit of a new nature.
One born of God.
Now can live to please the one who has saved him and given him a new life.
They're not spoken of as dead works until after the work of Christ, and when the work of Christ was completed, then all that which had to do with the type and shadow became dead works. They were acceptable to God in the Old Testament when they were done out of faith, those very same things, but when redemption was accomplished, to go on with them.
They were then the dead works and I believe that's why in our chapter it says.
Under good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them, and that is now in Christianity. Now there is that which we can do, which God has marked out in His precious word. And how do we know that it is a good work? Well, we have the light and wisdom of the Word of God to show us there are many people today who are doing things which they think of as good works.
How can we test them and know whether they're acceptable to God? Well, we must test by the word of God. Remember those who came to the Lord Jesus and said, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? And the Lords reply, was this is the work of God that she believe on him whom he has sent? That is, they could not produce any good works now if they were still rejecting him.
And there was number value in them if he was rejected. And this is important for us to see, because many people today may be doing things, but if they're rejecting Christ, they have no value in the sight of God.
They're just that which deceives them into thinking how that God can accept the fruit of that which comes from the condemned and rejected fallen nature of man.
I just like to read here in the end of the 12Th chapter of John.
John chapter 12 and verse 49.
Perhaps we should begin from 4:48.
He that rejected me and receiveth not my words hath won the judge of him the word that I have spoken. The same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me. He gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment his life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me.
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So I speak. So we think of the Lord Jesus here in this world. He did everything to please his Father. He could say I do always those things which please him. And now God has given to us a life, the very life of Christ. And that which flows from that new life is acceptable to God. But that's the only thing that is acceptable to God. We're thankful for the kindness.
And all that we see in natural men. But we must remember that while this is very.
Good to see those kinds of things. Those works do not make them acceptable to God. Now they are dead works because they are an attempt to establish their own righteousness or to go on with those ceremonies which God has set aside, because all those types and shadows have been fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I just like to say that if we want to please the Lord.
Let us acquaint ourselves with His word. How are we going to know what is pleasing to Him? His word will show us. And to reject His word is to reject the good works He has set before us. To receive it and act upon these things in faith is pleasing to Him. So it says, Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
It reminds me of what you're saying about.
The passage where the Lord says this is the work of God, that you believe. We had an old neighbor down in Kentucky, Mr. Marine, who had been a rejector of the Gulf War and the truth for many years, and his wife who had gathered.
He had denied her the privilege of coming over to our house to remember the Lord, much sorrow to her soul. But the dear old man, when he was nearly 80 years old, came to a tent meeting and got saved. Oh, it was wonderful to see the change in that hard hearted old man. And I went to his house and he.
Took me out in the yard and we sat down.
And he says, Now he says, I want you to tell me what to do.
Well, I said, Mr. Marine, when that question was asked to the Lord.
His answer was this is the work of the law of God, that he believed on him whom he has sent all, he says, I do believe, I do believe. But he says, you know, I haven't got very, very long to live. And he says I want to know what I can do now.
Since I'm saying, well here the wonderful thing was he lived about 3/4 of a mile from our place, and it was the next Sunday he came trudging across the field with his Bible under his arm to that meeting that he had despised and refused his wife the privilege of attending. Well, the Lord soon taught the old man.
What was pleasing to him?
And in fact, this was the encouraging thing that that faithful godly wife had set him an example through the years as to what was pleasing to the Lord. A year after he was saved. We're having a little gathering, and here in our time, one time, one year old today, this is my birthday. Look back to that time. He was just a babe in Christ.
But all he had swapped during that short time to live for Christ, and he pointed to a verse on the wall that his wife had put there, and he said, I used to look at that, and the word was this. The actors of thy word give us light and give us understanding to the simple, he said. I used to say to myself, what does that mean? I don't see any sense to it.
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Oh, but he says, I understand now. God's word was guiding, but they're all right after all those years. And he said this to her brother. He said, you know, he said, I've been convinced for years that that meeting over there was the right place.
But he said I was too stubborn to yield and to accept it.
I believe the expression here in Christ is very important because it connects the whole epistle, does it not in fact the whole truth of Christianity? In Christ we find that the believers blessings are all in Christ.
There's no such thing as a person having something all by himself that those aren't God's thoughts.
We find that our life is in Christ. And he says in the 14th of John, because I live, ye shall live also. And so there's a man on high living for us, and we are in him. And then it says in Colossians that our life is hid with Christ in God, and when Christ who is our life shall appear.
Then shall we also appear with him in glory. It also says in the epistle of John, as he is, so are we in this world. And so there's an entirely new order of things beginning to show you're already in Ephesians. And so in contrast to what we have in the law where a man is exalts himself like Paul could say of his former life that he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees and so on.
Well, that's man exalting himself. But here we find all our blessings, our life, all our resources are in Christ and it says in this verse.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before ordained or prepared that we should walk in them. I was thinking too in this connection.
Hebrews has been mentioned.
The book of Hebrews was written.
To the Hebrew people, and it was written in a way supposing that the little remnant were going on with God.
In our chapter we have the Gentiles dead in trespasses and sins.
But in Hebrews A remnant is supposed going on with God and it says in the in the 4th chapter of Hebrews.
Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest.
Lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief, I mentioned this because.
It's been said that Satan finds many things for idle hands to do, and we need to be exercised each while that we are occupied with that which is good.
There's so much that we can be occupied with that is good. And the apostle insists in Hebrews that these are the manifestations of real life, and those who will go on to that rest will be occupied with labouring, because they discover in this world all that which is contrary to God. And it's the.
Privilege of the believer now.
To be occupied with good works.
Because that's exactly the path that our savior took down here you're speaking about.
You're speaking about being in Christ Jesus. I think generally speaking, in the Word where we get Christ Jesus, it's the glorified man.
Isn't it? And we're in that glorified man.
All right. And then the fact that it says we are his workmanship gives a very special thought.
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For workmanship speaks of what is the very best that God has produced. He went to a fair You see the various articles that are displayed.
If it's a work of the women to get the best cake, or they don't take an inferior cake, they get the very best that they could make. Everything is the best, isn't it? In other words, just like a picture, even, that is on display from some artists, it's the very best that this painter has produced. So it is in connection with God's grace to you and me.
Why he speaks of that word as his workmanship.
Isn't that wonderful to think of God's grace, that He can speak of the work of grace in our souls as being His workmanship? He couldn't accomplish anything greater and will not accomplish anything greater through all eternities than with special work that's being produced through His grace now.
And sinners saved by grace and brought into all this blessing that we see in Christ Jesus.
Sorry, brother.
Now that we belong to Christ, we have a challenge in this same verse.
We thank God that we're saved from sins, guilt. And we thank God too, that there's one up on high who saves us every moment of the way.
From sins, power and sins, dominion and the slavery of it. And he's coming back again to save us from the very presence of sin.
This is a wonderful fact concerning salvation. But, brethren, there's a challenge here concerning that one word war.
I would like to take you for a moment to the question of Our Calling.
Our old writers link always with this verse, the question of calling.
And may we notice in chapter 4?
Verse one.
I therefore the proof of the Lord beseech you that you walk.
Worthy of the vocation wherewith your call, with all loneliness and meekness and long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, and so on, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, the bond of peace, now this calling.
That has our walk, has to do with this. And what is this vocation, Beloved, this question was asked us in one of our readings in Bolivia. What is this vocation?
Well, I believe that our vocation looks back.
To all God's counsels in grace concerning us.
To be lived out in a practical way by the grace of God.
So it's a holy calling war.
And let us remember, Beloved, that even if we aren't in a low state concerning A testimony, God's standard is never lowered.
No matter how far down we may get spiritually, that doesn't affect one bit.
Who? Not one bit the standard that God has set down in His word. This is a very great comfort for the believer, very great comfort. His standard is never lowered.
Now it's mentions in this verse.
That we should walk.
In them.
What about our walk?
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We are to walk worthy of such a vocation as this.
In close Thessalonians 2 wheel to walk worthy of God.
And also in Colossians which has been quoted where the work worthy of the Lord.
So that alongside with this matchless grace of our God, we mustn't forget the war.
This is not to obtain salvation, but this is the expression of that new birth already take have having taken place.
So here we have for by grace are you saved through faith, to do what you like? No, beloved, to go where you please? No.
To engage in anything at all that would be a bit shady. No, that has this is not in the mess. It's we have to walk worthy of such a high calling. I was noticing that it's a high calling and it's also it's a heavenly calling that we get that in Hebrew.
And in Philippians one we get the the high calling mentioned Again, it has to do with their walk. May we be very careful, brethren, to not make liberty a license.
The only We are kept by the grace of God, We're saved by his grace, and we're kept by the power of God through faith.
And it's wonderful to know that. But here is the war.
How am I walking by His grace?
Before we go on this little expression in Christ, I believe we find that it's there at least 10 times. In these first 3 chapters expressed 10 times. And I believe on Saturday it was noted that in the first three chapters we get our standing in Christ and in the last three chapters we get our state. And yet in Christ is not mentioned.
Three with only ten times on the first three, we are in Christ.
I believe it would be helpful to connect this with the first chapter, because if God has children before himself, he wants them to have the same character that he has. And there are two things said about God in the third verse of the first chapter related to Christ and now related to us. He said in the third verse to be the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he said to me the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He's the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and manhood, and he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of His love. Now notice that in relation to that in verse four we are we are to be before Him. We should be holy and without blame before him in love. That's in connection with God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, when it speaks of God and His nature, His Holiness.
Now he says that in connection with that we should be holy without blame before him in love, but then in relationship to the Father we get verse the next verse, verse 5 having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. So God gives us his character as a war in relation to the One. And then we brought in His children before His face. Now what kind of children?
Does God have? If the world wants to see what kind of children God has, they have to look at us at all believers and see God's character. Do they see that which is holy and without blame? And I believe what we have in the second chapter rests on that relationship that we walk in it.
Wonderful children notice we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, that brings the new creation before us all of a marvelous subject, that is to meditate upon and think that this work is produced in every center except price. As a senior, He becomes a new creation.
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All things are passed away.
All things have become new.
So that we only have to judge every appearance of that old nature that.
Power has deceitful according to the is corrupt according to the deceitfulness, and act and conduct ourselves according to that new nature.
That new creation.
And then these good works, I think our brother Hale is only already commented on that which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
What a marvelous way. The Spirit of God shows that everything is of himself.
Indeed, the book of Ephesians is characterized by God for himself.
God acting for his all glory and the glory of his beloved Son. And so if the work is all of himself. For he has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And it's not of works in any way. The work is all of himself. And then when he brings good works before us.
While those are the works that he himself.
Have before ordained that we should walk in them.
So we find all works in His word. And again, beloved, let's take this to heart, the importance of reading, and not only reading, but meditating upon the word, And then when our rules we find opposed to any.
Proctor Instruction in the Word, to judge what is opposed to it, and to yield ourselves entirely to do the will of the Lord as revealed in His holy Word of truth.
I once had the joy of leading.
A.
Japanese officer to Christ.
It was when I went to Bolivia in 1920. Couldn't get a shift anywhere because of a shipping strike, so I got took a passage on a Japanese freighter and signed on as a jet. Well, when the ship came into San Diego, the capital, of course, the port rather of Los Angeles, I filled my pockets full of Japanese tracks.
And the and some of the Old Testament and and so on, and made a packet out of it, took it back to the ship. Well, this man, he could speak English pretty well, and occasionally he invited me into his cabin. I noticed there that he had.
Obscene pictures on the wall.
And I noticed all three had whiskey in the corners, and he had cards on the table and tobacco and all these things that belonged to the old man. And of course, I never commented. That was my business. And they're very proud fellows, these officers.
But he took an interest in the word of God the 4th week out.
Somewhere off the coast of.
Peru, the South of Peru, those who knock at my door before daylight and I said who is it? He said it's me and he says won't you come up to the cabin? Well I dress hardly went up to the cabin when I got in. I made the comment I said where are the pictures?
He says at 2:30 in the morning, Sir, he said. I got on my knees and confessed Christ as my Savior.
I was a lost Sinner and I felt it, and I got on my knees and confessed Christ as my Savior. And so those pictures went overboard. And what about the whiskey? They also went overboard. And then I said, and the tobacco?
The pipe and the cards, he says. I clean house as who told you to do that? He said. I couldn't bear the sight of those things.
Anymore, and he says I duly dumped them into the sea off the coast.
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Oh, and then I thought to myself, as our brothers just mentioned, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new. I had some happy fellowship when I got off that boat at Arica.
To enter Bolivia in the year 1920. Beloved, that man spoke to me on the way.
Of his love affairs, he was in love with one of the young woman, one of the elite of the of the city of Tokyo. And he said, you know, I propose marriages to her.
And she says never marry a Pagan like you. Never.
She says I belong to Christ.
When I got back, this is his letter, he wrote me to Bolivia. I left my address.
He said. Dear brother Smith.
When I got back, I told this young lady that I have still loved her and I told her how the Lord Jesus saved me on the high seas. And then I said, would you marry me now? And she said sure.
Sure.
A year and a half and and more and 14 months went by and he wrote me a letter saying God has blessed his brother. We have a little son to bless her home now. Isn't this wonderful? The grace of God, brethren.
Is there anything so wonderful in this world?
To see a Sinner.
At the fate of the Lord Jesus, a new creation.
Have we experienced that you dear young people, because your parents are sitting at the table doesn't mean that you are have a right there. You have a right. But have you been born again? Have you had a real experience of the new birth? Well, there was a man. Everything had to go. There was nothing left.
Christ occupied his soul. Oh, I think it's so wonderful. Well, it's been my happy Porsche to lead others, of course, to Christ in this simple way. But I thought of that brother. You know when you mentioned you creation, or indeed how true that is? If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, not merely creature, but creation. All things are passed away.
The whole things are become new. Well, excuse me dwelling on that, but it seemed to fit in with what you said, brother Barry, concerning new creation.
Well, should we go on to the 11Th verse now?
Therefore remember that he were being in time fast Gentiles in the place which are called uncertaincision by that which is called a circumcision, in the place made by hands, that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of the of promise having no hope.
And without God in the world.
I'm sure all understand have to help young people to say that the circumcision is is just simply Israel and that the uncircumcision.
The Gentiles saw especially addressing the Gentiles in these verses, and this was their condition.
And we could say it the same was our position, because I suppose we're all practically and perhaps all Gentiles. And what was our condition? We were without Christ, we were without God, and we were without hope. That was our condition. Then that wonderful little word comes in. But now?
In Christ Jesus.
Again, we're seeing what you're saying, Brother Smith. You've given us an example of that now. A man in Christ Jesus, and here was a poor heathen even. We have at least had lived in a country where there are open Bibles and where there has been the light of Christianity.
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But whatever way you look at it.
The complete change comes in when it reads. But now in Christ Jesus Yahoo sometime were far off our midnight by the blood of Christ. Perhaps we all understand that the word nigh.
And far off.
Are given in a positional way, not as to anything vital. That is the Jew who had a near position to God because he had the articles or the word of God, than a Gentile who had no articles who knew nothing of the true God.
So.
It doesn't mean that they were anymore saved than than the Gentile who was a far off, but now the the Jew the gentile wants a far off has been made now by the blood of Christ.
What a wonderful work of grace it is.
The Precious Blood of Christ.
Will never lose its power.
Till all the ratchet of the Lord are saved to sing them all the precious blood of Christ. Well, in Romans 15 we we have our God. He's the God there of patience and comfort. Meanwhile while we journey home and in verse that's verse 5 and in verse 13 he's the God of hope and in verse 33 he's the God of peace.
Isn't it wonderful to have peace?
I traveled with an old servant whom JG **** led to Christ. He came across the ocean with me and I mentioned this before. And he went to be with the Lord after that journey and he just said peace, peace, Peace was gone. Peace. What a wonderful thing it is. The Lord Jesus has made peace through the blood His cross.
What a savior. Peace.
That's what the disciples went out preaching, was the peace by Jesus Christ, Lord of all.
I think that in this.
11 First, that wherefore would connect it, possibly with what we have before.
And that is that.
When we remember what we were and all that we were occupied with before, it would spur us on the good works, would it not?
So we get the same, I think, in the Old Testament of Israel that they were to remember when they were in their sins and how the Lord had delivered them as a nation from their captivity and all that belonged to the old order, as a little picture of the deliverance of the believer. Now we're really held by Satan's birthday, and now the believer is set free.
Because I believe redemption not only buys us back, but sets us free. And if we're free, doesn't forgiveness of sins isn't it? And all that we was true of us before is gone forever. And so this wherefore would suggest possibly the connection here that now.
There's entirely new order, and there's good works in view for the believer instead of that when she was occupied with before.
When he was without Christ to God.
We perhaps heard this illustration of a sleeve on board a ship being taken into slavery.
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And there was an Englishman that saw this man there with chains on his wrist, Feel sorry for him. So he inquired of the man in charge of him. But praise he would charge, he would have to pay for this slave.
Gave him the price, and when the poor black man.
Realized that what this man was doing was inquiring about the price of him as a slave. He was very indignant and angry, he said. The idea he says of you, an Englishman living in a free country, wanting to buy a poor slave, but he went ahead with a transaction and paid the price.
And then he set him free, and when he set him free, he fell at his feet. He said, I will serve you forever. And isn't that just the effect of the work of grace in one soul, instead of making him feel that now he is at liberty to go on and?
Enjoy our freedom to go on in sinful ways. He wants to live.
And to serve the one who set him free.
Zedrod Galatians means then the 5th chapter.
The 13th verse, our brethren, we have been called into liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion to the flake, but by love serve one another.
Because I am saved and never can perish, should never for a moment suggest to the soul that I can now go on and indulge the flesh and go on in worldly things.
That's that's really, I believe, what Jude means by.
What he speaks of as turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, that is, I'm saying, can never perish and all I can do is I please, I can go on and live in sin. I do not believe that one who really adopts that doctrine can be considered a Christian at all for when Paul deals with that subject in the in the second.
Or the third chapter of Roman's.
His answer is very solemn. When they were accused of lettuce do evil that good may come. And here is what the apostle says.
He says in the eighth verse, and not rather this is Romans 3 and eight, and not rather, as we be slanderously reported and some affirm that we say let us do evil, that good may come.
Whose damnation is just.
I believe one who adopts that as a doctrine that he should realize that God has spoken of nothing but judgment before his soul. He could not be recognized as a Christian at all.
Turning the grace of God into lasciviousness would be.
Seen in the days of.
Belshazzar, I believe, where he took the vessels, the holy vessels, and he used them in his idolatrous feasts.
Now Jude, who speaks of this, speaks of the last days, does he not, of Christendom and apostasy that comes in. And I believe that that is the tendency today among many who make the profession of Christianity and do not have life, and they want now to couple a holy and unholy things, to use the holy to cover up.
The unholy. Well, I believe that's the thought, is it not in turning the grace of God into license or lasciviousness, It's the grace that's been brought by Christianity. And in Timothy, Second Timothy three, we find that Christendom is turning back to the old order. That was true of the heathen, but they cover it.
01:05:14
With.
The outward form of religion the.
So I believe we should be very careful, all of us, that we have nothing to do with this sort of thing in the least way.
Dreadful picture here in these verses of what we were positionally as Gentiles. In the third of Romans we get the picture of what we are individually there, and here we have the Gentiles. I was thinking particularly the expression in the 12Th verse without Christ.
Now on the 15th of Matthew, when the sire Phoenician woman first appealed to the Lord Jesus, she addresses him as Son of David, and he doesn't answer a word. If he answers a son of David, what must he do to the Gentiles? He must bring judgment upon them. And so as Gentiles we had no claim upon Christ on the Messiah, the Son of David. Anything that we'd have to do with him would be in wrath and judgment. What a position.
And each one of these details we had no connection with God's center of blessing on earth. We were not connected with the Commonwealth of Israel. The promises were given to Abraham and to His seed. We had no hope. We, our forefathers, worship idols. I remember hearing a case when.
Benjamin Disraeli, who was of Jewish extraction, someone made a remark in the British Parliament derogatory to the Jews, and he stood up and he reminded his colleagues there that when their ancestors were worshipping stocks and stones, his ancestors had the knowledge of the true God, and that was a true statement. Our ancestors were far off and without God.
The Gentiles who know not God. We read what a position we were in, but all was wonderful grace that has brought us into the place that follows here, as our brother has remarked on that word. But it stands between what we were and now what we are in Christ.
We were having a meeting Beloved in Bolivia and along these lines, these simple lines were on today and very precious and very practical. And the question we were on Galatians 5 from verse 17 on.
The really beginning of the 19th verse and the question was asked. There were 400 of us sitting together of the Saints enjoying three days meetings and this question was asked.
Could a Christian practice this list that we find in verses 19 on?
To the end of 21.
And immediately, a brother in the far corner said.
No.
And then another brother said, Brother, I believe yes. I believe we should say yes.
Oh, he said. Why? He said if if a Christian could practice these, then I would do what I like. But the brother said, if you were born again and if you belong to Christ, you wouldn't like, you wouldn't like.
And that's what it is, the new life we are possesses of divine life.
Which can never sin. It's the old nature that's causing so much trouble. Which never can be reformed, never can be changed. It goes on and on. But sin shall not have dominion over you. You're dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God. Well, that was the little discussion they had together.
A St. could practice these things.
Yes, he could.
Mr. Hey Ho, you always said, and I remember my last chat with him, he said. Eric, we are capable of anything unless the Lord Jesus keep his hands of love upon him. That's my last talk with dear brother Hale. We are capable of anything unless the Lord Jesus keep his hands of love upon us.
01:10:04
Yes, we are capable of anything but.
You wouldn't like, you wouldn't like the new nature, wouldn't would make you like it. You would turn, get on your knees and confess it.
And put it right before God.
I was thinking of the verse in Hebrews 10 that says your sins and iniquities will I remember no more. But here in this 11Th verse it says wherefore remember and God calls to our remembrance what we were in our in our sins as before Him. And I think this is important because as we remember this and think of what we were, it helps to keep us humble, because as you said.
The Christian is capable of anything.
And we still have within us to this very day that very nature, how that did those things that are spoken of and that were in the position that is described here. And so we should always remember this, because if we trust ourselves for one moment, we're liable to fall into something that dishonours the Lord. And so we must never use that verse. Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
To cause us to forget the pit from whence we were digged and the rock from whence we were human, We must always bear this in mind, and this magnifies the grace of God. But it's nice that it doesn't end with the 12Th verse. But now in Christ Jesus you sometimes were far off.
Are made nigh by the blood of Christ. We can rejoice now in our present place of nearness, but even in heaven we will not forget what we were, because the song of the redeemed is as art worthy. For thou was slain, and has redeemed us to God by thy blood.
Out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.
May the Lord be much beloved, may upon me, may the Lord keep us below and.
You know that it was her brother Billet, dear old Mr. Billet, that prayed every day that God wouldn't permit him to die a wicked old man.
Just think of it. A man like that. A man of God.
Whose writings we enjoy to this day.
Bella prayed that he would die a wicked old man. Well, the Lord kept him. The Lord kept him.
The four words is going to mention that might take us from guilt through grace to glory. Here. We have two of them in our verses here without Christ, as we've been reminded of taking our place like it was about the Syrophoenician woman and just a dog and a Gentiles. That's our past position. They were without Christ then we have in Christ athletic position that is ours.
In which there's not a flaw that can be found upon us because of the perfection of the world of the Lord Jesus Christ and the satisfaction of all of God's counsels, and and all this holiness that we're in Christ Jesus and not a charge can be laid to us because of the perfection.
Of his work. But then practically too in Christ Jesus, that place of nearness, so near we could not near be and dear to the heart of God. But then in Second Corinthians chapter 5 it says that we are ambassadors for Christ.
Were to be ambassadors for Christ. And so as we go on left in the scene, we are to be here as one to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in our walk, in our ways, and then finally the end of the pathway in Philippians chapter one. That lovely expression to depart and to be with rights. If death should overtake us as believers, it's going to be with Christ.
But our blessed hope is that he will come and take us to be with himself. So it's going to be with Christ. Oh, here's the whole pathway then from guilt through grace to glory without Christ, in Christ for Christ, and then blessedly with Christ. That's very nice, Brother Philippians 3 is precious, isn't it?
01:15:08
The standing of the believer there is.
In Christ, the object of the believer, there is Christ, and the hope of the believer is to be like Christ. Just think of it, beloved. Some of us are nearing home. These bodies of humiliation are going to be changed, you said any moment.
In the Bodies of Glory.
Like unto his own body of glory. That's the closing teaching, as their brother has mentioned, of Philippians 3.
Change these bodies. Not merely vile bodies, but we put there in the Inca tongue bodies of humiliation. I trust it's the meaning there. Bodies of humiliation are going to be changed, and it could be the day. What a wonderful hope this is.
And we're going to be like him. And oh, I always, when I was just first gathered, I memorized that 64th hymn of of J&D and that verse remains with me. I've forgotten a lot of my English, but it says in one of those verses like Jesus in that place of light and love supreme.
Once man of sorrow.
Full of grace, heavens blessed and endless theme. Well, to write like that surely he was walking by faith.
Through those Courts of Light.
By faith.
To write like that.
I was thinking here in the 15th chapter of Acts, where they went up to Jerusalem to settle this question about the matter of circumcision and putting the Gentiles under law, says in the 15th chapter in the eighth verse. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us.
No difference between US and them purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear, But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they I think this is very lovely. Here was a difficulty that would have split the Jewish and Gentile believers to pieces.
And how is it settled? Well, here we see the spirit of grace. They didn't forget the rock from whence they were young and the pit from whence they were dinged. They didn't forget what they had been, and they didn't put themselves above the Gentiles and this humble spirit on their behalf. This sense of their own nothingness that could even say that they weren't able to keep the law. Why put it on the Gentiles? And then, when Speaking of the grace of God?
He said we needed it even as they needed it. He even put himself and the and the Jewish believers in greater need of that grace than even the Gentiles. And then how lovely the grace of God came in to settle this question. Who would have ever thought that it could have been settled to Jerusalem with so many Judaizing teachers? But when there was that spirit, why? How wonderfully the Lord came in. And I remember reading in the time of a great division in the days of Mr. Darby, how he said.
5 minutes grace would have settled it. But there wasn't that 5 minutes grace to be shown. And if we don't have the remembrance of what we were as sinners and what we have been since He has picked us up will develop a haughty spirit. And there won't be that humility that alone can meet the difficulties. Not only that we have to meet in our life outside, but even with one another in the gatherings.
I'm gonna say the Spirit of God brings the person and the work of Christ before us, Christ Jesus in the 13th verse. There we have the glorified man. And then Speaking of how once so far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ takes us right to the cross, doesn't it?
01:20:11
From the glory where he's seated now find ourselves, as it were with John, seeing that Roman soldier, when he finished his blessed side, that blood flowed there, that cleanses us from all sin, as he later tells us and then.
For he is our peace there. The person of Christ now comes again before us, and I think we will agree that.
Who have made both? One that is the Joe that had a place of positional nearness that the gentile didn't have.
Now the one who was a far off rotten eye.
So he has made both one both you and Jennifer, and have broken down the middle wall of partition between us. See, that wall existed all through the Old Testament dispensation.
We read of Benjamin and Jacob's blessing of his son, that that Noah Joseph is like a war and the branches run over the wall. That is, if for a gentile was to get any blessing, it was by the blessing of Israel going beyond their people, like the Ruth of Mobius or Rehab, getting a little of the truth.
That came over the wall.
But now that wall that's separated and kept Israel in a distinct place from the Gentiles is all broken down, as he tells us here.
Having broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his place the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances says to me again, is very touching, how the the sufferings of Christ on the cross again come before us, for it says in his.
Flesh, for he was a real man.
Filled those hands nailed to the cross. Those feet nailed to the cross. Think of that body wrecked, wrecked with pain, crowned horns upon his brow. There the Lord's suffering untold physical agony.
There. Well, that death.
That he endured there on the cross.
Has been the means of breaking down this middle wall that stood between the Jew and the Gentile. For it abolished the long commandments contained in ordinances that which made Israel distinct from the Gentiles, where they had all those ordinances that you read of in Exodus and Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and so on.
They had sacrifices.
And they had a priesthood, and there they burned incense. There was a whole ritual of ordinances that feel there that people with pride as to their being so far more important than the heathen Gentiles around them. But now that we had separated them, all those ordinances that.
That made them distinct from the surrounding nations. They've been abolished, as he tells us here.
For to making himself a clean, that is Jew and gentile one new man, so making peace.
So the peace here is the the peace between Jew and Gentile. There's no longer that antagonism.
That existed all through the Old Testament dispensation.
It's wonderful to know that we have peace through the blood that's precious. But I believe here we have a person before us as our portion. And although it's it has brought you and Gentile together yet it gives us a little picture of what we have, because what we have is in Christ, and so that it isn't simply that he has made peace.
01:25:10
Precious as that is. But he is our peace in Corinthians. He's made unto us a number of things, but redemption being the last. But here he is. He is our peace. Now this is something that will never be taken from us. This is our eternal portion, and here we can rest. I think it's very sweet.
In Group one and clause in one John's Gospel chapter one. Of times we have brought before us in these portions of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we all time sing that hymn. We praise thee for the glorious word which in thyself we see. We praise thee for that shameful cross endure so patiently. David is oftentimes brought before us as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The other day we heard on First Samuel 18 that Jonathan stripped himself. Well, what was it that captivated him, won Jonathan's heart? He had witnessed a mighty trial. He had witnessed and looked and saw David bring down this mighty giant Goliath, and it had won his heart and he surrendered to dating. But then go on. In First Samuel 25 we read of another.
Advocated.
And this is a mighty work that she witnesses no what she occupied with David this person. And she says, I know that there is a arisen a man to pursue. She don't even call saw king. She says a man has arisen to pursue chase thing. And she says, I know that the God is going to establish you and you're going to be king over all her heart was occupied with David.
So how blessed the illustration for us. We don't have to dissect them and separate but all. We can thank God. And we can praise the Lord Jesus for the glorious work which in himself we see like advocate. And we can praise him for that shameful cross, that mighty victory that he brought. Like Jonathan who witnessed that scene, we can praise you for that shameful cross. And doing so patiently can we sing that all him and her brother Smith dropped the forest number six.
Ephesians 2:14-22
Reading
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General meetings, Montreal, October 1973 Fourth Reading meeting.
14 is it?
Two verse 14.
For he is our peace.
Who have made both one and have broken down the middle wall of partition between us.
Having abolished in His flesh the enmities and the law of commandments contained in ordinances.
Or to making himself a twain 1, Newman saw making peace.
They might reconcile both under God in one body by the cross have inflamed the enemy thereby.
And came and preached peace to you which were far off, and to them there were nine. For through him we both have taxed us by 1, spirit under the Father. Now, therefore you're no more strangers and foreigners, but.
Fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself, being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the buildings that they framed together grows on one holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye all through our building together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit.
00:05:48
In the last meeting that was mentioned that.
It's the person that is brought before us, the person of Christ.
And so, as we find in this little epistle, we find reference to him by the Spirit of God over 100 * 100 times. And so I believe, brother, that it would be an encouragement to us, or should be an encouragement the purpose of the Spirit of God.
That it's he himself that is before us. What encouragement we have as we go through.
Because we're standing in Him and we're complete in him, and all things work through him. And So what a joy it is as we think of that, that one that is brought before us to encourage our hearts and let us to know what it is we really possess in Him.
That's a lovely way that subject is dropped before us Speaking of the person of Christ, for he is our peace.
Then who asked me both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us?
And the verse before but now in Christ Jesus.
That's emphatic. Now the Spirit of God is reminding us that at the present time we are brought into a position.
Of special blessing, and as to the distinction between Jew and Gentile.
That no longer exists in the mind of God.
You find them Zechariah that when God again takes up the Jew after the church period is over.
That the Jew will be holding on to the the quote of him who says he is a Jew. He comes in holding on to the Jew. That is the Jew will have the 1St place on the earth.
They will be the nation through whom God will.
Set up his government as earthly capital will be Jerusalem.
That will be all future, but after the present time it's entirely different.
Now both you and Gentile are brought together.
Into one body.
In Romans there's no difference between the Sinner Jew and the Senate Gentile. There it's all have sinned and is 1 remedy. Here there's no difference between the believing Jew and the believing Gentile. They now are formed into the Church of God and we turn to the third. I was thinking version of the third of Ephesians, which we might just read and notice.
The Apostle speaks of the mystery.
In verse four And he says, which is verse 5, which in other ages was not made known under the sons of man, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body and partakers of his promising Christ. By the gospel my brother has indicated the position of the Gentiles in the Millennium. The Gentiles are going to be blessed.
Under Israel. But if they'll be separate entities, the jewel will be the Jew and the gentile will still be the Gentile.
But in the Church the Jew and the Gentile are brought together in one body.
And this is called a mystery here. What a wonderful thing that is in the purposes of God.
00:10:06
This is a lonely expression to it, for he is our peace. We often speak of peace as a feeling or something that a person finds in their soul resting upon the work of Christ. But I think it's very blessed to see that it's a person. He is our peace, and when we see the one who accomplished redemption.
A glorified man at God's right hand, and more than this that we are seated in him. By then we can say he is our peace. And before a church could be laid against us, it would have to be laid against the one who is there because we're in him before God. What a blessed thing to realize. It's not just having made peace, we have that in Colossians having made peace through the blood of his cross.
Here he is our peace. It's a blessed thing to see. It's a person who is brought before us, and this blessing is for both Jew and Gentile equally today.
Then we get He came and preached peace. Well we see the first message will Lord brought to his disciples. And that upper room after Mary had conveyed his message, I ascend unto my father and your Father. Then we find the disciples together.
With the door shut, for fear of the Jews. And Jesus stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you, He preached peace. How lovely. The first message the Lord presented to his own was that now the work upon which peace can be fully enjoyed and been accomplished, where he shows his hands and his feet, then he says.
To them again.
You, as my Father has sent me, Even so send are you. That is, he sends his disciples out with the message of peace to a lost world, and then we get in the armor where to be shot with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
I was thinking of the passage in in John where we have Nathaniel coming to the Lord.
And he said if there.
Any good thing? Are there any good thing he says. Doctor Phillips come out of Nazareth.
But all Philip says is come and see.
And.
So Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him and said, behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.
Well, it was. The point I would like to bring out is that.
All these questions were resolved. They're all finished when he saw Jesus. Now, permit me to make an application to our chapter in the.
In our chapter, I believe that the last verse would connect with the 4th chapter, where we have the practical application of the truth of the one body that is in practice here.
Now in Philippians 4, there's a little verse.
That may not seem connected, but the principle is.
I beseech the second verse. I beseech the Odious and beseech syndicate that they be of the same mind.
In the Lord Now, dear brethren, why don't we allow these things to reach into our hearts?
If we're the same mind in the Lord, there will be a oneness that will be seen among us and by the world.
If we allow our own thoughts to enter in.
It will only divide among God's people now.
The audience and syndicated there were no doubt serving in a special way. There. It seemed to indicate it, but they weren't of one mind in the Lord.
They have their own thoughts.
Well, we find in our chapter that the Jew and the Gentile were brought together.
00:15:05
In Christ.
And he is the peace.
But how about the practical application for our hearts today? Can we apply this practically now? And if there are those things, brethren, that that would separate us in mind in any way?
Can't we just drop them and let let this truth apply here and apply the truth of God to our own pathway, each one, not our thoughts?
But the truth itself, as we read in The Word of God, isn't that right? Question was asked in one of our meetings in Bolivia. Why does Satan hate so bitterly the truth of the one body?
Well, there was a brother. A laborer gave this answer.
Because it draws us close to Christ.
And consequently closer to one another.
Brethren, the truth of the one body is being neglected, we feel, and it makes ones heart fail.
The truth of the one body we believe is, and we've been taught at all these years.
It is the ground of the assembly.
The truth of the one body, we remark, is the ground of the assembly.
The assemblies? What's it consist of?
Place you have called out people from this world where the Jew Gentile called out.
Born again, believers?
Who's in the midst? The Lord Jesus.
He is the the center where two or three are gown together unto my name. And I like that because that little word in the original is a simple Greek word that means unto.
The fact of being gathered, beloved brethren, unto the name of the Lord Jesus excludes every other name. Now this is something we are urgently desiring to keep before us in South America, as they brethren there are so numerous.
Growing. Just imagine that a group, when they get together, is a group even larger than this group here.
In this city.
And what a responsibility.
This truth of the one body.
Is strictly held by the grace of God.
Satan hates it as he hates Christ.
We have them, the Lord Jesus, authority in the midst.
There am I in the midge.
The power there is the word of God.
The assembly is the.
It is a gathering where the Lord Jesus presence is.
The assembly.
The assembly. And when we speak of the body, we naturally turn over to Timothy, where we get it in the house, as a house, as the house.
And their behaviour there.
But first of all, the power there, beloved.
Is the.
Word of God, now the assembly.
We've offered mentioned it.
In Bolivia that to maintain peace among the Saints, the assembly decision is final.
I don't want to make anybody upset, but beloved, these are principles that we are forgetting.
The assembly.
The power there is.
00:20:03
The word of God now the assembly is not.
The truth. That's where we go wrong sometimes. The word of God is the truth. The assembly is the.
Pillar and ground of it.
It's not the truth.
The Word of God's the truth.
Who the guide There is the Holy Spirit.
So this ecclesia or called out body, the Lord Jesus is in the midst.
A decision taken there has to be acknowledged by the Saints. Oh, someone said Brother Smith, we're not all in agreement with that. Well, the Lord doesn't expect us all to be quite in agreement whether but leave it with the Lord. I want to tell you what happened in Bolivia. Again, there was a rift there.
And the elders decided what to do.
Half the meeting left.
One of all my spiritual children.
Half of them left.
What were the elders to do? These were young, younger.
Friends.
One young man, well, he was a man of 40 years of age. He led them astray and took them away. And so half lived. What did they do?
They read them out in tears, individually.
Of the fellowship they were in this cold world.
Of Satan? How long?
15 years.
All of a sudden.
They're backing fella.
One by one, they've been received back in felt and have taken their place at the table below. What has happened to that meeting?
That's the largest meeting in Bolivia, and the happiest.
There's peace there.
There's a bowing to the word of God.
Bowing to the decision taken.
Now sometimes we see.
Some who drift off and set up another table. There can't be two tables, there's only one table.
And if anything is introduced, beloved, there that is concrete. The word of God is ceases to be. The table of the Lord is man man's table. This is a very serious matter.
And perhaps.
You will pardon me as an old servant of Christ, by his grace, mentioning these things.
There will be peace among us.
As we acknowledge.
His presence.
In our midst, as we acknowledge the decision as final.
That the Spirit of God is the guide there. That the assembly while it is the.
The we call it in Spanish the Apollo, the pillar and ground of the truth. It is not the truth, beloved, because the word of God is the truth.
Well, we feel sad to mention these things, but it's something to pray about if safe.
He can scatter his the Lord's dear people, He certainly will.
That's his business.
And it's only as we adhere to 1St principles are we kept.
I suppose, Brother Smith, you have observed the preceding solve to one you spoke on yesterday, the Hundreds and 33rd Psalm, where you get.
How beautiful, how blessed it is.
00:25:00
I better read it to get it exactly.
That lovely Psalm, 133rd Psalm. Behold, how good.
And how pleasant it is for buildings as well together in Unity.
Blacks that treasure so argument upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even inner beard that went down to the skirts of his garments with the dew carbon.
And as the dew that descended from the mountains, there for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even like forevermore, what is that? Christ is the ascended head in glory, and he received the Holy Spirit.
Father, and has shed this upon his own, so it's gone, clear down, as it were, to the skirts of the garden, but in the preceding Psalm, the 132nd Psalm.
You get David saying.
I will not quote first. I will not give sleep to my eyelids, or slumber to my to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids until I find a place.
For the Lord, and habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
So the the blessing.
Dwelling together bread and dwelling together in unity is the result of finding the place.
For the Lord, and you will find much about Zion in that 132nd Psalm, for it was Zion where David brought the ark. It would seem almost as though David when he was caring for his father's.
Clock in the wilderness when he says Lo. We heard of it in Africa. We found it in the fields of the woods.
He was. He was. God was praying about it and deeply exercise about that arc.
Had been carried captive by the Philistines, and had not been returned to a place where all Israel could gather. And that was the burden of Davide heart as the young man. And as soon as he was raised to be the king of Israel, as one of the first acts was to bring that up to Jerusalem to the city of David Arzan, And while he just pitched a tent for him, yet then and there there was a trace.
Where the Lord, where the Lord's name rested, and that is the connected with brothers willing to gather in unity. It's where the trace is heard, the Lords willing is and just as you brought out.
And we mentioned it again. Where two or three are gathered together under my name, there am I in the midst of them. So if we're gathered in that name alone, or there is a place where children can dwell together in unity, but if they go outside of that and try to mingle with all the different isms, why you depart from the place where brethren can dwelt together in unity?
The next song is beautiful because it's the last of the series, is it not? There are 15 songs of degree.
And I liken it to a staircase, which usually has 15 steps in the first Psalm. They're in distress, but as they go along, there's an enlarging of the heart and brethren. Wouldn't it be nice if right now we were in the?
133rd Psalm in spirit because the next one is praise.
And that's the end of the series. Behold, bless ye the Lord. All these servants of Lord would find out. Stand with the House of Lord. Lift up your hands to a sanctuary, and bless the Lord, the Lord that made heaven and earth. Bless the out of Zion. How beautiful will it be, rather than if those gathered to the Lord's name were one mind and one heart, just as the Lord comes to take the whole.
Believe the moral principle in that 132nd Psalm is important to consider. There are two things there I'd like to call attention to.
00:30:07
Which is the foundation of 133rd Psalm verse 13. We have the place our brother Barry was referring to for the Lord of chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation, but isn't just enough to have the habitation? Who's going to occupy it Verse 17.
There will I make the horn of David the bud I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. What does that tell us? God's king in God's appointed place. And so morally, if we applied it to ourselves, if Christ has his rightful place in our hearts.
And then along with that in the assembly, then the 133rd saw can be fulfilled in a practical way. Now Christ must have his rightful place. David must be in Zion, in God's feather. And then once God's king is in God's center, then the unity comes back. We know prophetically this will not be fulfilled until Ephraim and Judah are reunited. They've never been united since Reubon's days, and that will take place in the later day. But the principle of it is good for us now.
Pardon me a little more brethren, feel kindly pardon me another comment or two.
The assembly, as subsisting on this earth, is the House of God.
Oh, how long we have sought to bring that before our loved Latin breath.
The assembly has subsisting on this earth.
Is the House of God.
And not only that, it's the House of the living God.
The assembly is the House of the living God.
Well.
God dwells in the assembly.
He browsed there.
We sometimes forget that.
And it's God's vessel.
For this world to know really what it stands for.
What does the testimony beloved stand for?
Are we by reason of any other influence?
Apart from the word of God going to allow these principles to be.
Just left out or slipped over.
Now this is not legalism, beloved. This is this is faithfulness to God.
When those deals Saints came back in Bolivia after those those years, they went out in a godly way and the whole of those 40 assemblies were more now.
Were notified to the effect that these were no longer in fellowship. Do we do that today?
And when they were received back again.
It was made known one by one that they were received back and all the assemblies were notified that that decision in that city was final. That means, beloved, that when they went out and were duly read out.
Even in tears. Because to be read out should bring us to an amazing tears. It's the last thing that we ever intend or hope to do. When they were read out, they were all notified, all those meetings. When they were received back again, they were all received individually and all notified.
All the assembly, we believe that this has been a peculiar blessing.
To the work and politics.
Now I mentioned that because.
It has proven.
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So efficacious in maintaining peace.
The man who led them away is dead.
A dear child of God, gifted man.
He's home. God took him off there, some said.
We feel the absence there was parental affection there. They were all mixed up in marriage.
But it made no difference to the decision before God of that assembly.
They acted according to the word of God.
What is the result? There's perfect peace in that assembly, and this perfect peace in the 40 odd assembly because it set a president there and showed them that there was authority there, it was the House of the living God, and that Christ was He was supreme there. The word of God was the authority and the guide was the Holy Spirit himself.
And everything else went was left aside parental affection.
And thought that do come into our minds when we sad things take place.
But it has resulted in perfect peace.
I can go if the law doesn't come to the grave delighted.
That they've understood this.
And it's been in peace, the workers in peace below. Now here's another very trying case for the Eval Dorama I mentioned. This this is a very discernment of Christ to read. His letter will show where Valderrama Lee lives.
It was translated not by me, it was translated by another.
His old son.
Well, a matured man has been in fell into sin.
Poor raw Wilder Emma has shed more tears over that his son should have performed such a thing. What were they to do?
He put he's the first signature to remove him from the table.
He was rebellious at first.
He said. Son, you don't eat at my table anymore.
Understand and no one's going to give their hand to you.
You're a rebellious child of God. What has happened? There's no more humble man anywhere than that man today.
He's not perceived yet, but he's like a lamb.
Instead of being a young lion, he's like a lamb and some of the Spanish can be quite nervous about anything that's done. Indeed they can. He sits there just absolutely quiet.
Poor Al Valderrama.
There will be peace there soon. He'll be back. He'll be a lame priest, of course.
But he'll be back at the table.
Anytime now because of his quietness and adhesion to divine principles.
Well, it's hard for a father. I've never had the joy of any children of my own. I've read a lot of those Latin children.
And LED them to the Savior by His grace.
But here is the secret of peace belonging among us today.
Are we going to abide by the assembly decision, whether we think it's all right or not? Are we going to leave it with the Blessed Lord to fix it to range it? Are we going to those who?
Fulfill almost 16 by forming a party, and that's heresy. Of course, Beloved, that's heresy. It's not merely the denying of any truth that comes in there, but the one who falls a party. Beloved is a heretic.
And that's the meaning of it in the Greek.
A heretic, and we are to depart from such.
Is that cruel? It seems so, but it's God's truth and beloved. One thing and I'm going to stop.
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Truth is only understood, beloved, as it is couched in the language of God.
Truth is only understood as it is couched in the language of God.
And the peace of the assembly is only made possible by its adherence to the truth cost what it may.
The acquiescing by the grace of God in the decision for that which is.
Bound here in earth is bound in heaven no matter what we think.
And when it's loosed here, it's loosed in heaven.
These are principles, beloved, that burden my soul.
For years.
And I'm sure it's burdening your own dear hearts.
Let us be found faithful, no matter what it costs.
Let the breaches be healed. It comes here in the one body truth.
Satan is behind or everything. God is not the author of confusion, beloved, but of peace.
As in all the churches of the same, he's the not the author of confusion, but of peace.
And we long God's dear people.
Oh, how we should be in the dust with their faces in the dust, considering the problems that come to us, the work of Satan.
To scatter the flock. I'm sure we all are feeling it. God wants us to feel it and humble ourselves about it.
We should remember that each local assembly is a local expression of the whole, and any assembly action, if led by the Spirit of God, will be the mind of the Spirit. And so we should be exercised in carrying out any assembly action that it is the mind of the Spirit.
Because.
Now otherwise it would be a spirit of independency, and so they didn't settle the matter at Antioch. When the question of circumcision came up, they settled in a Jerusalem, so that it might be settled in the unity of the spirit, and it would be very happy if when these difficulties arise, each assembly would realize that when their action is going to be binding on other assemblies, it should be in the unity of the spirit, and it should be according to the mind of the spirit.
As felt by brethren elsewhere. Because brethren, it's not just one city, there is one body. And while we must wait on the Lord about many problems, we must remember that assembly action should be carried out always with that thought in view.
That the action should be in keeping with the mind of God.
And in fellowship with our brethren in other places.
With the practical.
Truth of James come in here. I was just wondering, just looking at this third chapter of James.
In connection with this verse, he is our peace.
I just wonder about this thinking of what you said, Brother Smith and going to ask here in James three and verse 13 here it's it's an it's a word to to us individually, isn't it here in James.
313 Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you?
While there is, It's a good question, isn't it? Then it says, let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. Well, I suppose this would be one who is occupied with the one in the midst who is our piece. He's occupied with Christ and he doesn't. He's not. He's not using his own mind, he's he's occupied with the one who is our peace, who is in the midst. And then I was thinking too it said it goes on in this chapter.
Fourth verse 14. If you have bitter, but if you have bitter ending and strife in your heart's glory not, and why not against the truth?
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For we're envying and Christ is there is confusion and every evil work that is its tumult and unquietness. There isn't that quietness and peace, but how lovely to see then the 17th verse. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure. I think this is very important point in this verse because.
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Pure would show that we're occupied with the one who is our peace, the one in the midst who is pure. This is a pure object business, to be occupied with Christ and then peaceable, that is, I take it to be here, not at the expense of of truth or the Lord's honor. But putting the Lord first is first pure, isn't it? Having Christ as the object, the one who is our peace. And then?
Peaceable. Not peaceable at the expense of, of just trying to get along together and allowing evils. That's not it, is it?
So I was thinking of this. I wondered if it wasn't be in connection with being occupied with the one in our midst, who is our peace? And then the end of this, this lovely chapter, it says.
Pure, peaceable, gentle, Easy to be entreated. Well, am I easy to be entreated? That's another thing, isn't it? How do I have forgiving? An unforgiving spirit, full of mercy.
Good and good fruit. Without partiality, without hypocrisy.
And then that lovely 18 verse, the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace. Of them that make peace well, the fruit of righteousness, well, isn't that the result of going on in the right way? The fruit of righteousness. So how is it sown? How is it sown? It's sown in peace of them that makes peace. If I'm a troublemaker, it surely wouldn't apply to me because I caused a lot of confusion.
So I was just wondering if this practical application of James wouldn't come in, and I'm thinking of it in each for each one of us individually. I take it to my own soul.
Brethren, I see the Spirit of God has given us something.
On this subject in Philippians 2.
Two, I realized that we're.
At large and somewhat on this thing, but it's a such an important question, I believe that we could read a few versions.
In Philippians 2 The very burden of the apostle there verse 2.
Or any right fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like minded having the same love.
Of 1 accord of one mind, this is what is his burden here and don't we get wonderful words here that we?
I I speak for myself now that make us a shame. I think of the fact that the Lord was just about to go to the cross when they were the disciples were contending among themselves that these things you know, oh beloved, I believe the Spirit of God would bring us down with this secret.
Are we asking how we can have this unity? Haven't we got a word here for this? Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Kingdom. I believe this touches of everything.
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
But made himself of no reputation.
And took upon him the form of a servant was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the frost. And so on. Wherefore the Lord also has highly absorbed.
He didn't need to exalt himself. He abased himself.
Law has highly exhausted a lot of this has given us in a context isn't it? They were not a one mind. I'm convinced there's already alluded to there was that discordance and.
Here, we're told this is the mind of the this is what we need to learn.
And your comments, brother little. There are two forms of wisdom there, as you notice.
Now there's wisdom.
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That is not from above.
And there is wisdom that is from above.
Well, this is heavenly wisdom in the second place.
And that leads and producers peace.
That word there, gentle, we notice, is also yielding, yielding.
In another place, I just forget the word in English. I think it's moderation. Let your moderation will let yielding this there too.
So here we have that wisdom which is.
Just worldly. There's nothing in it. It's just guided by the thoughts of men. But then there's the heavenly wisdom. And herein is where truth triumphs.
Now we appreciate what you say, dear brother, about it, and I believe you've spoken a good word, but here are 40 odd assemblies in Bolivia that have bowed to that one decision.
Can we say that there's to be no mind, unanimous mind of the Spirit of God? Is it?
Is it possible for 40 odd assemblies with the table spread to be of one mind about this case? It is, it is.
Now all my dear brethren may not see this, but there I'm only quoting that which is dear to his heart, and my own 40 odd assemblies have bowed to it.
No more comments about it.
The word of God has been obeyed.
Wouldn't you sum it up, brother script, in this way that it's bound to the authority of Christ in the midst, And then in the 4th chapter he failed. Where you get the practical side to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and the uniting bond of peace, and with all loneliness and meekness and long-suffering for being one another in love.
Not just continually stirring up things that.
Tell that.
Distress, our brethren, and cause trouble. But to be walking and Lolitas of mine, and letting the Lord have his time and his way to bring in, as it were, the healing ointment. Sometimes you you might be right, but if you keep stirring things up and keep.
Speaking about it and keep the Saints occupied with it. It can cause a lot of dissension and trouble. So the important thing, it seems to me, is to go on quietly with the Lord and humility in our own souls if we think we're anything. The sooner we get down the ladder, see what we are and God's sight, the better for us to be. The brother used to see we're just a lot of nobodies.
To be as take the whole long, humble, lowly place and consider the feelings of our brother, and instead of going around and stirring up strife at the time we could even cause lots of trouble, when Alan and writing letters on the right subject might not be the mind of the Lord at all.
I remember a brother telling me that Wigram makes this remark. He said that they could be a state of things where the truth would be on one side and the Spirit of God on the other side.
Well, I said, how can that be? Well, he said I could take a certain subject and keep agitating it and writing letters about it and keep the things occupied with it till he said I believe I could cause a division. He said the subject would be the truth of God, but he said the Spirit of God wouldn't be with me. So a brother and let's go on quietly and humbly each one independence on the Lord.
And just remember that verse. Follow the things that make for peace and whereby we may identify one another. Thank you for the barriers, one of the oldest servants.
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I think this is a good word.
We are feeling these things before the Lord and we get in, get in with our faces in the dust about it.
Is there not a solution?
We are nothing, beloved.
Poor sinners saved by the grace of God.
And everyone is precious to him. Oh, how precious.
Each St. is to the Lord why the Lord is coming.
The Lord's coming. That should be a break on our actions and our ways.
I remember a case of a brother, I guess he's, I think he's a brother, he's very contentious individual who came to visit another one.
To complain about his brother and this dear brother gave him one word.
After listening, he says.
Brother, go home and act on the principle of Philippians 2. That is all I have to say.
That answer, that was the answer act on the principle of Philippians 2 and I thought that was a very good answer.
It's a very remarkable thing. Our brother Paul Wilson wrote an article on this some time ago when there was a trouble among the Saints and pointed out that in the 18th chapter of Matthew, where we have this verse about binding and losing, that the case which the Lord describes immediately before it involves more than three people. There was a difficulty between two. It was then told two or three more.
Who tried to help? It was then told to the assembly. And then why does the Lord follow?
By Speaking of this authority in the midst of the two or three, isn't there some spiritual lesson? Well, our dear brother Paul Wilson pointed this out to us to show us that there are times when the health of another assembly is needed. Because certainly on a case that involves quite a few people, as we have in the verses before, If you commence at the at the 15th verse of the 18th chapter of Matthew.
You see that there was a case here that involved quite a few people. And how could it be settled by two or three? Well, Brother and I say again, the Church of God on earth is 1, and any assembly action should be in harmony with their brethren. And this shows us that there are times when help is needed, when a thing may not be cleared up by one assembly about others. Acting in the unity of the Spirit could be a blessing and a help.
Saw that the unity of the spirit might be maintained. We're in a low state, brethren.
And God forbid that we should desire anything but to go on together in the unity of the Spirit, in the uniting bond of peace. But has God-given us a remedy when situations arise? I believe He has, and I believe it's clearly outlined in His word. And as our brother wrote and helped us in this situation that came up among us some years ago in Europe. And I believe it would be a blessing for us to understand these principles because.
The enemy attacks us, and the only way that we can meet difficulties is in the light and wisdom of God's precious Word.
Presidents won't do. What has been done in the past is not our direction, but the precious living word of God.
I was wondering, I've enjoyed this Lord in Matthew 18I suggested to my brethren that while the law does speak in the previous verses of additional persons, when it comes to the final composition and and formation of the assembly with His authority in the midst.
Brings it down to the lowest possible number. There may be in some assemblies these other numbers, these additional numbers, but the law says don't count on that because if you've only got two or three, my authority is there in all its power and equality. And so I believe that, as Mr. Darby has put it that.
We bowed on an assembly decision, prima facie, that is on the face of it. Now, as our brother Gordon has pointed out, and it is well put, that other assemblies can be interested as being in the unity of the body. But there must first be the acknowledging of the laws, authority, and the assembly that provided the decision. Otherwise we got spoiled God's order of things. And so I believe that we take the word of God without changing it. The law doesn't even say how these two or three are to be constituted.
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Whether they're two or three sisters or two or three brothers who are related or not related, that isn't in the passage, we we can introduce that in and spoil God's word, but it says we're two or three. I remember Mr. Darby and his letters mentioning that the Lord was in the midst of two or three sisters gathered to his name, but there are other scriptures governing their actions. As to the assembly, I only submit this thought because I I believe that the law brings us down and worse, 20 the lowest possible number, and he doesn't reduce the authority.
Three. And whether 2 or 300, because the authority is the same in the large assembly as it is in the small ones. It's Christ in the mid. And so I submit that thought.
I was wondering if we couldn't get back in our. There's some beautiful thoughts here.
As to the church, he speaks in the in the 15th verse for To Making Himself a Train 1 Newman Soul Making Peace. I think you'll find that in seven ways.
The Church is right before us in these closing verses of this chapter.
You can look it up. I never thought of it before, but I was just looking over the chapter seating the meeting and I discovered there's several ways the churches brought before us.
First have one new man, then the 16th verse? And what about it then as a fellow citizens, and then as Saints, and then the household of God?
And then the temple in the Lord, and then the habitation of God through the Spirit. I believe you'll find the 7th way. The church is brought before us here the letter of wonderful thought that he is 1 new man.
Well, if you think.
All the wrecks that God has taken up in this world and saved through his grace. Someone described seeing all broken up cars that were being taken and melted up.
In a Greek VAT, here are all these cars were going in all wrecks and broken up and I go in there and are melted in this great melting pot and afterwards this material is taken out and changed and and designed until here maybe you see a beautiful Cadillac car coming rolling out of the factory, well made out of the old Ricks.
So God has taken from this poor both you and Gentiles.
And here for all that material only God could do it one new man. And while we have been discussing subjects and connections where the testimony to the Lords name, we want to get the mind of the spirit as to the 4/4 here that we're looking at the Church of God on earth which takes in anyway believer the world over.
They are all dear to Christ, and though they have been divided and subdivided and scattered.
Yet God, in his wonderful pattern, just sees one new man.
As the work of His Grace.
In the 18th verse, Brother Barry, the access there, is that a very general, broad thought or is that related to prayer or just one? How would you bring that in?
Well, it's a precious wonderful truth. Well, when we think of the times when Paul was laboring and the Jew had had such an important position as having the oracles of God, Gentile being just looked at as a dog and outcast without any position or without any privilege.
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And now here both you and Gentile.
Have access.
Now, because one spirit has been sent, we know that on the day of Pentecost, how the Holy Spirit was sent from the Father and that company, about 120 were gathered together and immediately they're formed into one body. Then when you get to the 10th chapter of Acts in the House of Cornelius, we get the compliment of.
That baptism, because there is a gentile company that's all brought in at the same time.
And now these Gentiles and Jews meet together. All have access by 1 spirit. Oh a little. It was yesterday morning as we met here. Think there was 1 spirit.
Guiding in our worship together.
Under the Father.
Contract two is Judaism, isn't it? Because they had to worship at a distance. There was one particularly favored nation and they didn't know God his father. He was revealed as Jehovah God in distinction from holly idols about he was the ever existing covenant keeping God. But the characteristic name of God in Christianity is Father and so how blessed that now Jew and Gentile.
Not only have access to God, but they have access by 1 spirit under the Father, and it's by the Spirit that we address God as Father. What a blessed thing this is. The world likes to talk about the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, but they would have that in man's unregenerate state and they don't see the necessity of new birth that the only way that this can really be brought about is by new birth.
The Lord Jesus had to say to some in his day, hear of your father, the devil and the works of your father you will do. It's true they were of the common race of humanity. It's true that in that sense they were the offspring of God, but they hadn't yet been brought into the family of God, and they couldn't address God his father. And so this is really in contrast with that which we see about us this present idea, the the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
Now this is only brought about by new birth by the inclined from our sins, and the precious blood of Christ by being indwelled by the Spirit. And now we can come and address God as Father.
It's a Trinity there, isn't it? In that 18th verse.
For through him, that is, through Christ, we both have access by 1 Spirit unto the Father. How lovely to know that.
Through him, through Christ, the link is by the Spirit of God, isn't it?
To the Father. This is our link to the Father, the Spirit of God. And someone asked ask one one time what he was. He was in a denomination and he was quite the exercise about these things, and he wanted to know. After coming to the meeting sometime and and vacillating back between the church and the meeting, he wanted to know, he says well, what is the difference between where I go and where you meet?
Well, one didn't know exactly what to say. We look to the Lord about and answer. And what came before me was the fact I said that the Spirit of God is not given his place in that in that division where he went because man was set up.
And so I told him, that's just the fact that as those gathered to the Lord's name, the Spirit of God has given his place in the assembly. Well, I believe he he got he learned something there. He hadn't thought of that before, but I was just thinking of it here. But through through him, that is, through Christ. And our our link and our connection with the Father is by the Spirit, isn't it?
Any effort of man to bring in order is always disorder, isn't it? God's order is through the Spirit.
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And we often go on in much weakness. And perhaps that's why so many turns of system because maybe in some little meeting their long foes that are rather distressing. But far better if you have such evidence of weakness.
Than to be in a position or system where the spirit of God is denied his place. I remember her brother giving me a thought that one time I didn't hesitate to go into a denominational church.
And the brother said to me, he wrote me. He said, He said, when you go into a place like that, you're going into a place where the authority and place of the Holy Spirit is denied. Well, I never went to. I never went to a place like that again. It struck me with such force to think of going to a place where God, the Holy Spirit is denied his rights.
Tonight the first applies into the Ephesians Saints who are Gentiles. Does it not ye?
Ye now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God.
So that now the the gentiles are seen as one.
No longer as a separate company. In this world, there are the Jews, the Gentile, and the Church of God. If you're of the Church of God, you're no longer either Jew or Gentile. So this brings you down to the household of God as it does.
How we become a member of a household is, I think, very interesting. One could become a member of a household in only two ways that I can think of. One is by adoption and the other is by birth. And I suppose we might say that either one has a particular advantage that the other does not have.
An adopted son could look at his father and say that man wanted me.
And chose me, but he couldn't say. And I share the life and nature of this one, whom I call my father.
Because he was adopted, however, a son born into a family could look at his father and say, I share the life and nature of this man whom I call my father, but he couldn't truthfully say and he wanted me and chose me. But I think that right here in Ephesians we perhaps have both or we were brought into this relationship by the wonder of adoption choice. He wanted me.
He chose me and I am part of his household by choice and by adoption. But are we not also quickened together with him? That is, we possess that very light and nature so that we're part of this household? Are we lost by adoption and by birth?
And enjoy the special delights that are particular to eat.
As touching a person but predestination touching a place or a condition.
And there's some difference.
Election touches a person.
Predestination of place.
Well, I just thought of their brother as you spoke.
Observing with adoption.
And are builded upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
I think I've heard you say, Brother Hill, that the apostles.
Were the foundation builders, that is, they brought Christ to the those where they labored. And you have to notice carefully here the order. It isn't profits and apostles.
It's apostles and prophets.
Showing us that the prophets here are not Old Testament prophets.
Its New Testament prophets. So in the these times they had both apostles and prophets.
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That's very clear from the end of the 16th of Roman 2, isn't it? Romans chapter 16 and verse.
Verse 25 Now to him that is the power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest notice here and by the scriptures of the Prophet.
According to the commandment of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. Here we can clearly see that it's speaking about New Testament prophets, because he speaks about a mystery that was kept secret from that since the world began. But now it's made manifest and made known by the scriptures of the prophets. And that's why in this present day the foundation has been laid as we have in First Corinthians 3.
Other foundations and no man lay the knife is laid, which is Jesus Christ. And all those groups that talk about apostles and prophets today are adding to the foundation. You always find that they bring in something that is beyond what's in the written word of God.
They want to have something to it, but when we realize that the foundation has been laid as we have in Colossians 2, the word of God has been completed. Now what is going on is the superstructure. And so in the gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4, we have.
The apostles and prophets, and then the evangelists, pastors, and teachers. You and I would have thought it would have put the evangelist first, but no. The apostles and prophets played the foundation. Now the work goes on with the spreading of the gospel and those who are saved by there to be taught and cared for in the Assembly of God, but no new foundation, and when the fathers are addressed in John Epistle.
Twice mentioned, it is he have known him that is from the beginning. There is no progress beyond revealed truth in the word of God.
And as our brother Smith remarks, he Assembly does not teach. The assembly is not the word of God, but it is the pillar and ground, or the support of the truth. And any Assembly of God to be as an Assembly of God, must stand for the truth of God.
Must be upon that foundation because that is the responsible position of the assembly in the in the world, and so it's a tremendous responsibility that is ours. The truth of God must be the foundation and the authority of the Lord Jesus must be owned.
In Matthew 16 the Lord Jesus said there I will build. So it's instructive to notice in this verse the apostle says an awful showing that the work is now underway and that this building is going up. We've been reminded the apostles and prophets having their place connection with the foundation are built and then in verse 21 in whom all the buildings fitly framed together.
Growers. So the building is going on. Now Price is building his his house, his temple.
The Lord himself is spoken of elsewhere as the foundation stone, school delays and violence foundation stone. And then he's also spoken of as the top stone, but here he is the chief cornerstone.
As the foundation stone, he supports the whole structure.
The top stone, he crowned everything that.
God has erected, and then as the chief cornerstone, he binds all together.
Those different ways that the Lord has spoken of as a stone is rather instructive and interesting.
Then in the 21St verse, in whom all the buildings fitly framed together groweth into an holy temple in the Lord, you'll notice in this verse. And then in the next, the 22nd verse, we get two different views of the assembly.
In the 21St verse is something that's growing. It doesn't yet complete. And the 22nd verse we find it is something looked at as complete in a certain sense. That is, it's a habitation. It's more like the Tabernacle, whereas the 21St verse is more like the temple. So there are those two distinct views of the church whenever poor Sinner accepts Christ.
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The Spirit of God indwells him and unites him to every other believer the world over, so the so the assembly is growing.
And somewhere and so we see it increasing in size all the time.
And as a holy temple, but then as when we're building together.
It's more the thought what you get in the page First Corinthians 3 where you you get man as a builder for God dwells in the assembly that maybe have composed both of the levers and unbelievers.
Brother Berry, would you then say that?
Holy the holy temple, it says. And holy temple would that be in glory? And not until then brother.
And Holy Temple, the Lord, would you say that? I don't know. I never thought of it. Brother Smith, I'm glad to be taught wondering as you mentioned, it looks. The words seem to have that thought, wasn't it? It's something like the Solomon's Temple. The material was all there and at a given moment by every stone and every bit of wood was prepared and was cut to exact measurement. And then the temple.
Began to be billed and kept on until it was finished. Could we notice a voice in connection with that and Ezra? I believe that the verse in Ezra the 5th chapter where we have the Restoration Temple Ezra chapter 5.
And verse 16.
Read about a man by the name of Shesh Bazaar, who was also called the Rubble in other books. Then came the same Shesh Bazaar and laid the foundation of a House of God which is in Jerusalem. And since that time even until now hath it been in buildings. And yet it is not finished now Shesh Bazar of the rubber bullets, it says in the 4th of Zechariah.
That his hand is laid the foundation, and he will finish it. The same one who laid the foundation is going to finish it. So here I believe we have a picture What's going on now? Ever since the foundation was laid, shall we say it, the day of Pentecost, This building is being built and it's not yet finished. But all out of precious thought, when it is finished, when they say grace, grace to that headstone and the building is finished, what will happen? Oh, that's our hope, is it? Is it not So I believe it's a temple growing, growing in that way.
The living souls.
Nice person they Exodus 15 and 13 has always been the the light of God as well, these people. And Moses Stone in the 13th, 1009 Mercy has led forth the people which thou hast redeemed, and has guided them in thy sense unto thy holy habitation. And in the 25th chapter, the eighth verse of this.
Make me a sanctuary that I meet well among them, that is everybody Desire of God to be among His people, both for now and any judge in Millennial day, which nobody is wrong.
I think it's important, as our brother mentioned, that the habitation of God through the Spirit includes the profession. Because we have in First Corinthians 3 the building where man, man is the builder that is a worker together with God, and in that case it speaks of a man who's not saved at all. It says if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy.
Which temple ye are? Well, in that sense, why the professing House of Christendom is the place where the spirit of God dwells, and that's what makes it a great responsibility. I don't believe it would be right to say that those gathered to the Lord's name are the only ones who have the Spirit of God among them. He is in the professing house. We can say the Lord is in the meds, but the Spirit dwells in the house. If it were not stalled, what would be wrong with another group not recognizing His presence?
01:25:24
He wasn't there, but because he is there, they are responsible to recognize his presence, and I believe it. We should be clear as to this now that the Spirit dwells in the house. And the reason it speaks in First Corinthians 3IN that way, because it was a very strong thing to bring in evil doctrine into the place where the Spirit of God dwells, because he's the Holy Spirit, He's, He leads us into all truth and to bring into the very sphere.
Where his name is and where he dwells Now that which denies the glory of Christ or the work of Christ, would indeed be very serious, but that's where the Spirit dwells. And so we should distinguish between the Spirit dwelling in the professing house, and the Lord being in the midst of those gathered to his precious name.
Sing 99.
Ephesians 2:8
2 Kings 4
1 Peter 5