Montreal Conference: 2012
Table of Contents
1 John 3:1-7
The Christian and the Law
Address—Tim Ruga
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Can we start the meeting by singing #254?
#254 reading from the last verse, Jesus died and we died with him.
Buried in his grave we lay one with him in resurrection now in him in heaven's bright day #254.
Death and judgment.
All.
Our beginnings.
Nsnoise.
It's tremendous truth expressed in that hymn.
And we get a hold of it. It'll help a lot in the subject I have in my heart today.
Let's start with prayer.
Amen. Let's turn for a verse in Romans Chapter 7.
Romans 7 and verse 12.
It says.
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.
Now I want to say a few words this afternoon about the law.
And Christ.
And when I do this, I'm going to be saying some things that are against the way the law has been used. And I want to make the point at the beginning of the meeting that I'm not speaking against the law itself.
This verse is clear.
The commandment 10 commandments. The law.
It's holy, it's just and good, and we don't speak against that. It came from God.
Now I wanna stop right here.
I can easily imagine myself as I was not that long ago, a young person sitting in a room like this and hearing someone get off and say I'm going to talk about the law and then Christ. And I could imagine my eyes glazing over and saying, OK, well I hope I get something out of this meeting.
It's possible, especially if you're a young person like I was at that time, that that the thought that just went through your mind.
And if so, I just wanted to ask you to consider a few things right at the beginning of the meeting here.
The law is a very vast subject. Much of the New Testament deals with it in one form or another.
And this afternoon I am not going to give a treatise on the law, but instead I want to speak about six things, the first five being the Law and the six going on to Christ.
And so these are the six things. I'll just go through them briefly and then we'll start with them.
Consider what they are before you turn off, please.
And the first is that Gentiles are not now and never were under the law.
You say what? How does that have relevance to me today? Because for this reason, if you and I understand that and we see it from the word of God, we won't struggle with a whole lot of the rest of what we're going to be talking about in the meeting today.
So that's the first point #2.
It is often said the law is their schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.
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That's in Galatians chapter 3 quote out of my Bible.
And the gospel is often preached that way, and that's fine. It's good to do that. And yet we are told by many that the law is given with the purpose of being our schoolmaster so that it can bring us to Christ. And so we must preach the law in the gospel. And that isn't true. In fact, that's not even what that verse means. So I want to look at that number two. Number three.
The law is not the greatest light to show.
What sin is?
The law is not. It's often spoken of as if it is, but it isn't.
So we wanna look at that as well.
There are those who get up and preach the gospel in meetings like these. Someone will tonight. And I have often heard the gospel preached in the gospel, and the law never mentioned once. Were they wrong to do that? I don't believe so. There's a greater light that is always preached in meetings like these. Hey #4 I want to speak a little bit about the imputed righteousness of Christ.
Have you ever heard that term?
You won't hear it very often in the Assembly, but it's often spoken about and I'll tell you right now, it has something to do with the law.
#5.
As Christians, we are not under the law in any way.
So why is that important?
Well, I had a young man tell me in all seriousness in in Malawi, a very earnest young believer. He said this.
It was a question he was asking if.
We don't have the law to tell us how we should please God in house. Would we know?
He was absolutely convinced that the law was a measure by which we please God today and that we're under it so that we will know how to do that.
And there was a survey taken not long ago.
Uh, quite a large number of people professing to be Christians. As to this question, are we as Christians under the law?
And 88% of them said yes, 3% said they didn't know, 9% said no.
So it's a relevant question.
Because one of the things I would like coming from this meeting.
Is not only that these things can be a help to us in our own life. We can come to know the word of God a little bit better, I hope, if we're new to any part of this.
But I would encourage, especially the young people to go out and talk to other believers.
Go out and get involved with other people that don't necessarily agree and think exactly the same way you do in the assembly.
And talk to them about their faith.
You're going to find that the vast majority of them believe that in some way or another we're under the law. And so these things are very relevant, important for us to understand, not only for our own life, but so that the Lord may use us to help others.
And point number six about the Lord is simply what is the Christian's will of life? Now, if you've been in meetings like these very often, you've heard the answer over and over again. Christ is the rule of the Christian's life.
And so now you go out and you talk to somebody about what it is that we're under as our rule of life as Christians, and they say it's the law. And you say no, it's Christ. And they say, where is that in the Bible? What do you tell them?
And that could be hard.
We just heard some of the best verses in the last meeting. I don't know if you caught them.
But it's good to have some of that right in your mind and know where you're coming from. So I want to talk about those five things, and we don't have a lot of time. We'll have to go, I should say, those six things. We'll have to go through them quickly. The first one, let's go over to Deuteronomy chapter 4, that the Gentiles are not now and never were under the law.
Deuteronomy.
Chapter 4.
Verse 8.
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Says, in what nation is there so great that has statutes and judgments, so righteous is all the law, which I said before you this day, Moses speaking to the children of Israel and talking about the law. And if you read through these chapters, you'll see it goes right through what the law is and what God had done for his people. But the law, he says, is something that God had given to them.
And the other nations?
Had other statutes and other judgments that they didn't have these. God gave the law to his own people.
And it's important that we understand that. Now let's go to Romans chapter 2. I'm only going to mention a few of the many verses.
Romans, chapter 2.
And.
Verse 12 Says, For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.
Verse 14 For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are law unto themselves. And so this speaks about the Gentiles which don't have a law, and it speaks about others who do have a law. We just saw from Deuteronomy chapter 4 that it was the Jews that had the law. And here we reversed. It plainly tells us that Gentiles do not have the law. Let's go to chapter 3.
Romans 3.
Verse 19.
Now we know that what things however the law says, it says to them that are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. This verse is plainly telling us that there are some under the law. You may say, well that means everybody, but no. If you go back through the prior 3 chapters, you see very clearly that the Spirit of God through the apostle Paul is taking up So you just think proofs first the Gentiles, the heathen, and then he's taking up the moralists and then he goes on to.
The Jews and the Jews are those that were under the law, and so the law speaks to those that are under the law.
Like I said, if we get that, clearly it'll help a lot. And you can go to many other places and find this, such as Acts chapter 15, where the apostles say, why should we take these ones and put them under that yoke that we know our fathers were ever able to bear and someone out from among them, and we're telling others that they had to keep the law.
And it says there in the next chapter that these were those who went and perverted.
The truth.
So as Gentiles.
I assume most of us in this room are gentiles. We were never under the law.
Go to 1St Corinthians Chapter 9. The same thing Paul speaks about those who are under the law and those who weren't under the law.
And he says for himself, who is a Jew?
As Christians, we're not under the law either, but I'm starting here because I want to go on to the next point, which is that the law is not our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. There are those who go and preach and say that is the only way we should preach. If any of you heard of Ray Comfort.
Health best kept secret. Kirk Cameron. Have you heard of that name? I'm sure a lot of the young people.
And these ones go out and preach the gospel and thank God for it. And a lot have gotten saved hearing what they've preached.
We should pray for men like that.
But one of the problems is that these ones go out and say that the only way we should preach the gospel is that we should preach It is that which will bring people to I. I should say we should preach. The law is that which will bring people to Christ. And they use this first. Let's go over to that Galatians chapter 3.
Galatians 3, verse 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.
That we might be justified by faith. And so he's speaking about this schoolmaster. It teaches us what we are. And when we come to see what we are, it drives us to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if you're going to go preach the gospel that way, that's fine.
In First Timothy chapter one, it tells us that the law has a legitimate purpose, and that is for those who are wicked and lawless and disobedient. And so it's perfectly right to take the law and use it in the gospel in this way. But to go and say that this is the only way we are to preach the law is wrong. These verses actually aren't saying that at all. They're saying something completely different.
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Now those men would tell you they speak after, uh, John Wesley saying that when you preach the gospel, you preach 90% law and 10% grace.
I hope by the end of the meeting today we'll see that that's not right. And those ones who have stood up in meetings like these and proclaimed the gospel and not even brought in the law one time, we're not wrong for doing that.
What are these verses saying?
You know, we often talk about dispensational truth.
And it's important. We need to get a hold of it and understand what it is. And if we go all the way back to the beginning of the history of man in the Garden, we find that.
God gave man a commandment. There's fruit in this tree, don't eat it. And before long, if I believe man disobey, God took that fruit, ate it, became a Sinner. And as Romans chapter 5 tells us, then wherefore is by one that sins so.
Death passed upon all men. This is in death by sin. And so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. And so following Adam, we have all become sinners. We inherited that sin nature.
And God always knew what was in man, she says of the Lord Jesus and John two. There was no question there. But man did not know what was in man. And so God took up man on the basis of man's responsibility in the Old Testament. And this is what we call dispensational truth. And God tested man following the fall. Man had a conscience. He knew it was right and wrong.
It didn't require the law to tell him that. Her brother Bruce is springing that out in the verses from Romans 5 this morning.
Up until the law sin within the world, man knew.
And so in the law.
We find something else out. Brother Bruce is saying it. Some of the other brothers are mentioning here that the law shows what God demands and when somebody goes past a known command and then becomes a transgression. But even without that, we know what's right and wrong. And so sin exists without the law. That's why we have that verse. Sin is lawlessness. It isn't transgression of the law.
But after?
God, I should say, after man had fallen, God tested him. And that test comes out perhaps very clearly after the flood, when?
God gave Noah government and so.
Man at that point began again on the earth.
And God gave Noah this command that if anybody sheds man's blood, that financial is blood be shed. And the evil heart of man was sent to be restrained. Man then went on from that point having the knowledge of God, having a conscience, having government, and what happened before long complete failure. And the moral history of that is recorded in Romans chapter one, where we see first of all that man was not thankful and then before long he gives up the knowledge of God.
Gives up God, and by the end of that chapter we have God giving up man.
And so God does not give up on man. He says, fine, I'll make a higher test. And he goes, and he takes one man, himself, an idolater, from out of the midst of all of that, and brings him into special relationship with himself, and takes up his children and brings them into covenant and gives them the law.
The history of that is described maybe most distinctly in Isaiah chapter 5, the 1St 4 verses where it speaks about a song of a vineyard, and it says that in that vineyard God did everything he could. He built a wall around it and put a tower in it. He dug it up, did everything to make it good.
And in the end, he says, when I looked for it to bring forth fruit.
Her grapes had brought forth wild grapes. There was nothing there for God.
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So much so.
That later on God sent his son.
Then it says in John chapter one, He came unto his own, and his own received him not, but instead what did they do? They took him and put him on the cross, and so in the history.
Of man, there's nothing but failure, but that's where the law comes in, because the law is what God gave to man in this special relationship with himself, so that he might know exactly what God expected of him. And it did no good at all because man completely failed under that.
And so the Lord Jesus said those verses that we looked at this morning. Now have they both seen and rejected both my Father and me. Now they have no excuse, no cloak for their sin.
The test is over. Man is corrupt and there's nothing more that can be done for him. John chapter 12, The Lord Jesus is now is the judgment of this world. It's not a future day. It was then the world was judged then. Man in the flesh was judged then and set aside. It's over.
And the law was part of the greatest test that God gave to men.
Here in Galatians chapter 3.
It says in verse 23 before faith came, we are kept under the law.
Which shut up unto the faith which had afterward been revealed.
And so that was the Jewish people. When he says we here, he's talking about we Jews. That wasn't the gentiles.
And he says we were shut up, we were kept separate from the nations around us and we were kept there for that one who was coming, the one who should afterwards or it's the faith which should have to be revealed, but it shows that that's the Lord Jesus. Verse 24 wherefore the law was our schoolmaster. Darby has tutor or a strict governess, someone who is watching over the child.
The law was our schoolmaster should be up until Christ, not to bring us to Christ. It's not the idea, but in point of time, until Christ came, the law was there serving that function of keeping Israel separate from the nation.
He says that we might be justified by faith.
That's why the Lord Jesus came.
He says in verse 25 after that faith is come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster that's we we choose. It's over the Lord Jesus Christ has come. We're no longer under that Apostle Paul would say of himself, he says I'm not under the law. First Corinthians Chapter 9 not as though I'm lawless, he says, but I'm legitimately now subject to Christ.
He's in a new position, a new relationship, and so are we.
And so he says.
Verse 26 and I want you to notice the change in pronoun for ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ up to that point it was we we our we. Now he says yeah, the Galatians were Jew and Gentile and they had been changed now brought into this new position as what children of God, how by faith in Jesus Christ and so.
We wanna be careful about what we say the law is for. We can use it in the gospel.
It's a good thing to do.
But to say that's how the law has to be used is absolutely wrong. And I want to go then on to my Third Point, to say that the law is not the greatest light.
For exposing sin, let's go to John chapter one.
John, Chapter one.
1St 4.
Speaking of the Lord, Jesus says in him was life, and the life was the light of man, and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God. His name was John. The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light.
That all men through him might believe.
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He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness in that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Like I said, we have people who come up and preach the gospel.
And often times they won't even preach the law. Why? Because they'll go right on to a greater life. And the law is good because it can be used. It shows us the mind of God with regard to sin. It shows us much about that. And the gospel preacher can use that with all liberty. But ultimately, what do we do? We go on to a light that is greater, and that light is Christ.
There is nothing.
And I should say no one, whoever came into this world who exposed things for what they were and what they are as the Lord Jesus Christ did and as the light, it wasn't just for sin. He came and he showed us all of the positive things too. He showed out perfectly all that God was and is. He showed the Father. But when it came to sin, the Lord Jesus Christ also is the light of the world. Put it John three. We know these verses well.
But perhaps just for reminder.
John three and verse 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.
For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light. Bless. His siege should be reproved. And so here it is, the Lord Jesus, the light of the world, shining out the darkness, not comprehending it, understanding it in any way, and not appreciating it either.
And the Lord Jesus is that one that we preach as being all that God is.
Being all that is right, and being that which is the ultimate of conviction of sin and the Sinner.
And ultimately.
It isn't the conviction of how bad we are.
But the question is what we ourselves will do with Christ.
And that is what the Holy Spirit is doing in the world to convict men.
You ever thought about that?
Part of why these men speak this way is because they look at that the gospel, they even preach and they say, well, people go out and speak easy believeth, and you just come and you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and fine, everything's settled for time and eternity and then you can just go and do whatever you want. And so they say very few conversions are real. Something's wrong. And they said we know what's wrong. People aren't preaching the law.
But they're wrong.
And they're wrong to say that.
What's wrong is people don't believe in Christ. They don't truly believe in Christ. They don't come to Him and see themselves as sinners in the light of all that he is.
And so they don't actually get saved and they don't actually go on.
As believers, because perhaps they have never come in true repentance to that One who himself is the light of the world.
I just said the Holy Spirit convicts. Let's look at that John chapter 16.
Lord Jesus is speaking about the Holy Spirit here. He says the Comforter and verse 7.
And you go back to Chapter 14, you see that that's.
The comforter verse.
Chapter 14 and verse.
26 is the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, and so we know that who is being spoken up here. And the Lord Jesus says in verse 8, when he has come, he will reprove or convict the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment.
How does the Holy Spirit convict the world of sin?
Verse nine of sin.
Because what does it say?
They don't listen to the law no of sin because they don't believe on me.
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They don't believe on me.
That's the great test in the world.
I think it was John Newton who said what? Thank you of Christ as a test to try both your state and your scheme. You cannot be right in the rest unless you have right thoughts of Him. And so that question is put out before the world.
Pilot said. What should we do?
With Jesus, who is called Christ.
Good question.
What are we gonna do with that one who's called Christ? And that is the question.
And every single one who is in heaven is going to be there because they believed on him. And every single one in hell will be there because they didn't believe on him.
And so Christ is the one that we preach in the gospel, and he is sufficient.
Whatever else the Holy Spirit may lead the Gospel preacher to use in the conviction of men and their sins.
Well, I just want to say a few other things too. If you go through and you look and see how the Lord Jesus Christ preached in the Gospels, he does take up the law, but he uses it to answer the law and those who came with the law. And the same with the apostles. When you go and you look in in the book of Acts and you find when they speak to the Jews, they bring up the law and they answer questions of the law.
But generally speaking, you don't find the gospel preached that way. And when the apostle Paul preaches the gospel saying Acts chapter 14 or Acts chapter 17 other places chapter 13, you'll find he's not even talking the law at all, except maybe to say that you can't be justified by the law of Moses.
H He's speaking to men and their sins, and he's speaking to them about Christ. He's preaching the death, the blood, the resurrection of Christ, and men are coming to the Lord Jesus Christ because they're convicted by the Spirit of God as to that. And so that's my Third Point. The 4th point, I want to go on to this thought of the imputed righteousness of Christ. And again I say, have you heard that term?
I heard it many years ago and I've heard it many times since. And when I was younger, when I used to hear it, I would think, oh, that's a little different from how I usually hear of the righteousness of God, but I just accepted it that way. You know, it's talking about what I always heard about in the assembly from Romans chapter 3 and chapter 4 about the righteousness of God being counted to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
As it says in, for example, Romans 4 and verse 5. Now to him that believeth not, I'm sorry, To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
OK, that's God justifying ungodly persons, counting them righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. But is that what is meant by this term? The imputed righteousness of Christ?
No, it's not.
That's not what you're talking about. It's good if that's what you think and you hear it, but that's not what people talk about. And I just want to explain that for a few minutes because if you go out and talk to other Christians, it may not be long before you get involved in some of these very discussions that I'm trying to bring up here this afternoon. Let's go to Romans chapter.
5.
Verse 19.
I must say this is a major battleground.
With those who are in the the Reformed tradition or Reformed part of Christianity.
Not all of them believe some of these things that I'm saying, but I would say great majority do men like John Piper preach it continuously today, written books on it. And this is one of the main verses that they use. Romans chapter 5 and verse 19. It says for us by one man's disobedience many were made sinners. So by the obedience of one, so many be made righteous and so they say.
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We're talking about one man's disobedience. We can all agree what that is. That's Adam and what he did in the fall in the garden. But.
When we talk about one man's obedience, many being made righteous, what do we mean? And they say that is speaking about the life of the Lord Jesus Christ all the way up until his death.
Now why do they speak that way?
I'll explain it in a minute, but hopefully right away in your mind centering verses to say no, it's the death of our Lord Jesus Christ that has to do with my justification, and it's the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that has to do with me being made righteous before God.
Let's go to First Peter chapter 2.
One of those verses.
Verse 24 Whose own self there are sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness. By whose stripes you were healed.
He bore our sins in his own body on the tree.
Now you go and look and you see.
Umm, in his own body on the tree. There's a little footnote in most of our Bibles.
And if you go read that in the margin says to the tree and many of them will say you bore our sins up to the tree.
They say that our life, the Lord Jesus life was vicarious for us and this is another verse that shows us, but it isn't. That is not the meaning of this verse and that is not what the original Greek says here. There are many other verses that show the same thing. I'm just pointing out these two verses, Romans 5 and here in first Peter 2 so that you know some of the main ones that are used.
By one offering he's perfect forever. Them that are that are sanctified. Hebrews chapter 10 tells us it's one offering himself offered on the cross. And that obedience, while it may speak about the obedience in his life, is specifically talking about his obedience unto death as we have in Philippians chapter 2. And so there was a need that someone should come into the world, and God asked who would go for us and the Lord Jesus.
And hopefully have it in Isaiah chapter 6 saying I will go. You see it in Hebrews chapter 10. And so the Lord Jesus came into the world. He says the body is now prepared, nay lo, I come to do thy will, O God. And he was obedient to giving up everything.
And that obedience is the obedience primarily being spoken of in Romans chapter 5, and it is that.
On which our righteousness is based. Now why do they speak this way? Because if you look at the law, you see that the law has two parts of it. There's a part of the law that says.
If you disobey.
You will die, you're cursed. And then there's another part that says if you obey, you will live.
And so they say both parts of that law have to be met. And now that we have broken it, the only way we can live in relationship with God under covenant, which is important to them, is that we have to come and have both parts of the law fulfilled on our behalf. And since we've already failed, we can never do it. And so the Lord Jesus Christ has to be the one who did it for us.
And because he did it perfectly in his life, that is imputed to us. How does that work?
Well, the Lord Jesus died on the cross.
And because he died, he bore the penalty of our sins, He bore the curse, and that took up the side of the law that had to do with the curse. Well and good. And so they preach atonement in the cross. Thank God for that.
But they say that doesn't do anything about getting us to heaven because in order to have eternal life and go to heaven in order to live.
You have to have kept the law.
No.
Hopefully you understand. The law didn't say that either, did it? The law says nothing about eternal life. It doesn't say anything about going to heaven. It says you do this and you live. And so anybody who kept the law perfectly back in those days would still be alive today and anybody who does it today.
00:40:13
Who's under it?
Will live on on earth, but this all gets changed to mean something to do with eternal life and it doesn't.
What they say it's important that part of the law has to be met for eternal life. And so this is how it works. The Lord Jesus in his life as a man on earth perfectly kept the law fulfilling all of its demands and.
Now, when we believe in him, God takes his righteousness and puts it on us. That's what they mean by the imputed righteousness of Christ. They're talking.
About the law so that we now live before God is those who have kept the law perfectly in our life.
Which sounds very good. There's consistency of thought in it.
But it's not true. The Bible doesn't say anything like that. Instead, the Bible talks in the way that we sang together to Him and to Him in the beginning of our meeting.
The law has its claims for men who are alive on earth, but what about the Christian? What is our position?
We are not people who are alive on Earth.
So that sounds strange. Aren't I living? Am I not on Earth? Yes, I'm living and I'm here on Earth. But.
Before God, we're not.
When you trusted in Jesus Christ, the word of God says we were crucified together with him. This is all taken up in Romans chapter 6. The next one after we were just reading and we were buried with him by baptism unto death. So that life is crazy. Price was raised up from the dead. Even so, we also should walk in newness of life.
And so when we believe in Jesus Christ.
We die out of this old position that we're in. We're no longer under Adam.
And that one whose sin that we inherited, our sin nature from God has condemned all of that and said that those who are in the flesh had to die. Everything that the law said that he had to die, God says fine, yes indeed.
Those who are born in the flesh have to die, and so when you believe in Jesus Christ, you die with Christ.
Your old standing is completely gone. It's over, and instead you're raised up with him in a new position altogether.
Which forsake of time, I can't put it any more briefly than what we have in Galatians 2 and verse 20. I am crucified with Christ, and nevertheless I live. And yet not I, but Christ lives 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. And so our position is entirely different. We're brought now out of that old position.
By death into a new one where the law doesn't even speak. And now we are alive before God in the Lord Jesus Christ and no longer have anything to do with that old life. Well, there's many other things we could say about this point, but let's go on to the next point. The Christian is not under the law in any way. And let's go to Romans chapter 6.
And I just wanna.
Thesis simply.
Romans 6 and just verses.
Well, just just read verse 14.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under the law, but under grace. Next verse repeats that we're not under the law.
We're done with the law. We're not under it at all.
This is important because there are those who say, fine, we know we're not justified by the law, but a long discussion with the 7th Day Adventist teacher one time about that.
And she says, I understand I'm not under the law for justification, but when it comes to living a holy life before God, I perfectly well, I am under the law. They say we don't come to we come to Mount Calvary for justification, but for sanctification, for a holy life. We come to Mount Sinai.
00:45:09
And that's wrong. We come to Calvary, We come to Christ not only for our justification before God, but for our sanctification before him as well. Let's go on to Romans chapter 10.
See another verse in this regard.
Romans 10 verse four. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.
The law is over.
Christ is the end of it. He's not the point of it, not the object of it. People like to say that, no.
He put an end to it entirely. That's what we saw in Galatians chapter 3. When it comes to righteousness, whether it's for justification or whether it's for living a life, a holy life before God, Christ is the end of it.
And now we live in an entirely new position, an entirely new way before God. Let's go to Romans Chapter 7. Continue. Consider one last thing in this regard.
You get into an argument about the law.
Don't spend too long at it. People who take up with the law are very convinced in their position.
But here are some good verses.
That lay it all out that as clearly as you can. Romans 7 verses one through 4. We'll just read them. No you're not, brethren, for I speak to them that know the law. How does the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?
For the woman which hath and husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as 11. But if the husband be dead, she is loose from the law of her husband. So then if while her husband let us, she'd be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, she is free from that law, so that if she is no longer so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Now notice this first. Well, wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead.
Stop there for now, we're dead to the law and it's by the body of Christ.
We no longer live under that.
They say, well, how do you know how to please God? How can you bring forth fruit for God? We're gonna look at that more in a minute, but first we need to see that it's actually by being dead to the law if we were under it to begin with.
The rest of the verse that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Apostle Paul saying to those who know the law, those who are under it, we've become dead to it for the purpose of bringing forth fruit to God.
You can't go on in law keeping.
And bring forth fruit to God. This is what this person's saying.
You're going about it the wrong way.
Brings about the wrong thought, the wrong object, the wrong desires in a person. I'm not saying there can be no fruit at all in it. There is, and thank God for it. But God has changed our position so that we might bring forth fruit to Him. He didn't leave us in the law to bring forth that fruit. And it's His position of death again, no longer living in that system of things, but now alive in a new place.
Altogether beyond that.
A place where we are in Christ, a place where sin can't even touch. A place that doesn't have to answer by Christ having His righteousness imputed to us because why? We have his life now we are put in Him. We're in a new creation where sin has nothing to do with it. And one day very soon, when we get home to heaven, we're going to leave this flash, just old nature behind us, and there'll be nothing there except that which is in all of the perfection of Christ Himself.
No need to have the righteousness of Christ life imputed to us.
Now I just want to illustrate something quickly. Our time is very short and say how does this really work and I use this illustration.
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Sorry if you've heard it before, but I can't think of a clearer one. It's like as if you had a pig and you took this pig and you told the pig, say, OK, I'm gonna clean you up, make you nice and clean here and there's some mud over there. Now I'm just gonna give you 1 Commandment. Don't go in the mud. And so you put the pig down. The pig's all happy now he's clean. And he says I just have one thing.
To focus on don't go in the mud, he said. I'm gonna do that. I'm not gonna go into the mud.
I'm gonna stay away from that mud and I'm not gonna go into that mud. The mud. Oh, yes, the mud. The mud. And off the pig goes right, right into the mud because he can't get it off his mind. And that's how the law is. It can't help us. There's nothing that we can do.
To avoid what the law tells us it's all we are is under the law.
We only are attracted by those things. And so the Scripture tells us many things about this. The law taking occasion by the commandments flew me. Sin becomes exceeding sinful. That's what it does. It's the ministry of condemnation. It says in Second Corinthians chapter 3. And so it doesn't help. But now let's take another example. We still have the mud, but now we're gonna take a sheep, and this sheep is nice and clean.
We take this sheep and we put them here and we tell the sheep don't go in the mud.
Now what is the sheep too?
OK, I don't wanna go there anyway.
Alright, doesn't think about the mud. There's no problem. Why? Because the sheep has a higher law working in himself.
We're out of time. We can go over that in Romans chapter eight, first four verses, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is what works inside of us as believers. It's a higher law. It doesn't want that. And so when you get to the end of Romans 8 and verse four, it says to them that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And so we have all of what we need to walk in the power of that new life. You couldn't do anything with that pig.
You can't go tell him, look, you gotta keep the law better and you can't add something to the law.
The only thing you could do to help is to put the pig to death and give him a new life, the life of the sheep. And that's exactly what God has done with us.
And that's where the power of Christianity is.
To live in that new life by the power of the Spirit of God. Well, that brings me on to my last point.
What is the rule of life for the Christian?
We already saw in Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20 the life that I now live. I live by the faith of the Son of God. That doesn't mean it's the faith that the Lord Jesus has his faith. He's talking about that faith which has the Lord Jesus Christ as His object.
And so that is what we have is the rule of our life as Christians. It's not the law.
The law is not the way that we know how God wants us to live.
But what we're given as a role of life as Christians is Christ himself. He is a rule of life.
There are many verses on this and I'm only going to mention.
Maybe two. Our time is up.
But this would be a good exercise later on if some of the young people or others want to get together and look for other verses.
Christ is our life. That's one, isn't it, Philippians?
Colossians 3 Christ, who is our life?
We have him as our object. He is the one that we live for. Let's just look at maybe just a few of them.
Uh, one of them was mentioned this morning in Second Corinthians chapter 4. Find the verse.
2nd Corinthians.
Chapter 5 is the one I had in mind right now.
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Verse 14.
For the love of Christ constrains us. And the brother was saying very beautifully how there's a motive, a desire, and what is it, the love of Christ.
That's powerful.
You know, we don't time, time's gone. But he took up the study of the law. It all comes down to this anyway, love.
It's all summed up in that one thing, and the law didn't even get power for that one thing.
Love. But the Lord Jesus Christ does in the apostle Paul says the love of Christ constrains us. And he goes on to say, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, all then we're all dead.
Verse 15 And that he died for all that they which lived should not henceforth live unto themselves.
But unto him which died for them, and rose again.
There it is.
Living for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Learning of Him. There's another one. Matthew 11 verse 29, right? Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. What does He say? You'll find rest for your souls.
Let's just go to my favorite one, also mentioned this morning actually.
One page back.
2nd Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18.
I think Brother Michelle mentioned this one.
But we all with hope and faith, beholding is in a glass the glory of the Lord.
Are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Here we have the Spirit of the Lord taking us and taking our eyes away from everything else and putting them on one person, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And what does that do to us?
It changes us from glory to glory, going on one level after another, becoming more and more like Him. He is our rule of life. He is our object. He is the power for our life. And as we see that and understand more of that in the position that we have before God in Him, it brings all the liberty that God intends for us to have as His children.
Right now, while we're still here on earth. And so the apostle Paul says in Galatians, he says, stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ as made us free.
Well, brothers and sisters, let's stand in that liberty.
And that's also if I could encourage go out and engage other believers.
About the faith that we have, about those things that we know.
And it'll be good for us.
When you talk with people that don't agree with you, you always come away being helped. Maybe you won't convince them of anything, but the Lord will use that to help you. It'll be a blessing to you. It'll make you stronger. Well, may the Lord bless His word to us. Just close the prayer.
Be of Good Cheer; It Is I; Be Not Afraid
The Name of the Lord — The 4 Towers of Nehemiah 3
Gospel 1
Gospel—Robert House
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Good evening and welcome to the gospel meeting. I'd like to begin this evening by singing number six.
God in mercy sent his Son to a world by sin undone. Jesus Christ was crucified, was for sinners. Jesus died, O the glory of the grace shining in the Savior's face, telling sinners from above that God is light, that God is love. Somebody could start number six, please.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
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I'd like to ask God for his help tonight.
For those of you who live in Canada, you're aware that this is Remembrance Day weekend.
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And so you're probably not surprised to see a poppy on my lapel. I see a number of you are wearing poppies.
For those of you who are from other countries, you may not be aware of the fact that we have in Canada a tradition because of a poem written by Colonel John Mccrae in Flanders Fields.
The Poppies grow. Written by a soldier from World War One.
As he watched on a battlefield, the birds fly over his head thought about his falling comrades.
And at the end of the Great War.
On November the 11Th at 11:00.
There was an Armistice, the peace treaty signed at Versailles.
That, uh, declared peace and ended the Great War.
The war to end all wars.
1919, November 11Th, 11:00.
And tomorrow this country remembers on that day.
For over 90 years, Canada has been remembering soldiers, not just from the Great War.
But from the Crimean War, the wars before that, the wars of Canada's history, the wars in which Canada went after as a peacekeeper to help keep the peace.
And so tomorrow in Canada is Remembrance Day, and there will be different ceremonies in the large cities, in the small towns, in the villages.
People will remember.
They're dead.
Those who went at the call of Canada and her Queen to defend our freedom and our way of life.
That's a very interesting thing, very good thing for our country to do.
One of the things that is very interesting about Canada's military history, and there's a similar thing I believe in the United States and that there is a metal that is given.
For bravery.
On the field of battle in the face of the enemy.
That metal was first created by Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria lived in the 1800s.
Created this medal for the Crimean War.
To reward and to recognize those who showed incredible valor, bravery, who did acts of self sacrifice.
At great risk in fulfilling their duty and helping their fellow soldiers.
And throughout the years, these have been given.
Time and time again.
But over those many wars that Canada has participated in, there's less than 100 that have been given this medal.
The Victoria Cross.
It's an interesting medal.
When it was first created.
In order to keep that metal, people's lives had to stay of exemplary behavior.
And so there were some men.
Who?
Transgressed in some way. One man married a second wife and they took away his Victoria Cross.
Another man stole one of his comrades medals. They took away his Victoria Cross.
But, you know, in the 1920s, after the Great War, King George the Fifth was thinking about this and he thought about it and he said.
It's not right that somebody that's been that brave should lose their medal.
And so, in his words, this is what he said. The king feels so strongly that no matter the crime committed by anyone on whom the VC has been conferred, the decoration should not be forfeited. Even where AVC to be sentenced to be hanged for murder, he should be allowed to wear his Victoria Cross on the scaffold. You know, it's an incredible thing to think about that.
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Earlier this week I went into Canadian Tire in Smiths Falls.
There is a gentleman standing there in a Navy blue coat.
Gray dress pants and he had two rows of badges.
On his jacket.
And when I think about that man, you know, if he had even this highest of all medals, the Victoria Cross pinned to him, do you imagine if that man committed a murder?
King George would say he should keep his Victoria Cross.
And yet, if he stood on that scaffold to be hanged by his neck until dead, he would hang there.
With the Victoria Cross.
On.
His jacket.
Now I'd like to make a very simple point with this.
And that is?
It doesn't matter who you are. It does not matter.
What great deeds you've done in your life.
If you have so much as one sin.
God will recognize all the good things that you have done, but that one sin will condemn you to hell.
And so yes, on your record will be all the money that you gave away.
All the kindnesses that you showed.
All the charity.
The sweetness and generosity to your family.
But overruled.
By one sin.
The wages of sin is death.
So pointed on demand wants to die and after this the judgment and you know, keep that in mind.
Once in.
Now go back to the Victoria Cross, go back to Remembrance Day in your mind and think.
About this question Why is there war?
Why does a country have to call up its strong young men and women?
Why do they have to dress in uniforms with guns over their shoulders?
Line upon line, roll upon roll rank and file.
Their mothers looking at them.
Seeing a fine specimen.
Young, strong specimen of humanity.
And knowing in their heart.
That the next time they come home.
It may be with a Canadian flag.
Draped over their coffin.
Why death?
Why suffering?
It's an interesting thing.
To me.
That war is not unique to this Earth.
I'd like you to turn with me to Revelation.
The 12Th chapter.
And the seven first?
And there was war in heaven.
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought.
Against the dragon.
And the dragon fought, and his angels read the book of Daniel.
You'll see recorded there the Angels fighting.
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Daniel praying for three weeks for an answer and satanic forces stopping them from coming with the answer. For three weeks, 21 days, there's war in heaven.
Why? Why?
Let's turn to Isaiah chapter 14.
We went and read about the dragon.
You read in Revelation.
The dragon has many names. The devil.
Satan.
Napoleon.
Destroyer.
One of his many names is Lucifer.
Isaiah 14, verse 12.
How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the ground which did squeak in the nations? For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount of the Congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell.
I will be like the Most High only by pride cometh contention.
The Devil. Lucifer. Satan.
Aspire to take what belonged to His Creator, Almighty God.
He aspired to take that which was not his to have which was not his.
And that, my friend, is sin.
And so at the bottom of the wars in heaven.
Is sin.
And at the bottom of the wars on Earth.
Is sin, Whence come wars and fightings? Do they not come from your lust?
Think about it.
Sin is at the bottom of that conflict. Genesis chapter 3, verse 15.
In addition to creating angels.
The Earth.
The sun, the moon, the stars also.
The animals, the fish.
Everything.
God created man in his own image. He created them.
And Satan took his war from heaven to earth.
For that very first couple.
And he deceived Eve and Adam chose to disobey God.
He sinned.
And because.
The devil did that, and because Satan.
Let Adam and Eve to transgress God's commandment.
This is what God said.
To the serpent.
I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Enmity.
That's related very closely to the word enemy.
It comes from the same place.
And so there's a war between the seed of the woman.
And Satan.
And it goes on.
It started before Adam and Eve, and it continues to this day in heaven and on earth.
Now let's turn to Colossians chapter one and verse 21.
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And you?
That were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works.
Did you know it?
You have made yourself.
An enemy of God by the things that you have done.
By Wicked Works.
This afternoon we had brought before us that a wicked work can be as simple as.
Plowing your field without respecting the fact that it's God's land.
Now let's turn to.
Romans, chapter 6.
Romans, chapter 6.
And verse 16.
No ye not.
That to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey his servants, ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.
That's exactly how you joined the Devil's army.
When you, as a little child, disobeyed your parents.
You joined the Devil's army.
You made yourself an enemy.
When you stole something.
When you swore.
Whatever it might have been against God.
You joined the ranks of those who were the servants.
Of the devil.
That's a solemn, solemn, solemn place to be.
Because the wrath of God abides on you.
The wrath of God.
Abides on you.
World War One.
The Great War.
The war to end all wars.
What a noble purpose. What a reason to fight.
To bring peace on earth, let's turn to Ezekiel chapter 21.
Ezekiel 21.
And verse 27.
Remember.
The wars on earth reflect the war and the struggle in heaven driven by sin.
And yet, there's more to it.
Here we have Ezekiel 21 verse 27. God says I will overturn.
Overturn, Overturn.
And it shall be no more until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him.
Will there be peace on Earth?
Yes, there will be.
But not arranged by any man other than Jesus Christ the Lord, the eternal Son of God. Let me take you forward in time.
So you can see what the outcome is of this war.
Revelation chapter 19.
Revelation 19, starting with verse 11.
And I saw heaven open, and behold a White Horse, and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true.
Two names for Jesus Christ.
And in righteousness he doesn't judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood. And his name is called the word of God. John, chapter one.
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The armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, and he half on his vesture and on his thigh name written King of kings.
And Lord of Lords.
Chapter 20.
And I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand, And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil and Satan, and bound him 1000 years, cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the 1000 years should be fulfilled, and after that he might be loosed a little season.
Verse 7.
And when the 1000 years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and he shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compass the camp of the Saints about. And the beloved city and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever.
In a little over 1000 years, that will be history.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
The outcome of this battle in heaven is that the devil loses.
Do you want to be on the losing side?
Are you on the losing side?
The Victoria Cross is given to people.
Who show extraordinary bravery.
There was a man by the name of.
Andy Minarski.
Canadian from Winnipeg.
Fighting in World War 2.
The war that was a direct consequence of the War to end all wars.
He was in the Air Force.
Is it gunner?
Was assigned with this pilot to a Lancaster bomber. Huge plane, full bombs.
After D-Day.
He was on his airplane, traveling through the air over France at night in the dark.
And the searchlights shone up from the German gun batteries, anti aircraft guns, and they located his plane.
And there was a Messersmith fighter flying around above him, and while he was illuminated, while that plane, that Lancaster bomber was illuminated, that Messerschmitt came in with its cannons firing.
And he didn't miss.
He hit the engines out on the wing.
And those cannonballs.
Caused the fire on that Lancaster bomber.
That fire spread.
And it spread down the wings and into the fuselage.
And the pilot realized he had no hope.
Of continuing their flight. He would never finish his bombing raid.
He was going to crash and so he gave the order bail out.
The man at the front of the plane.
Open the front hatch and they jumped and they pulled their parachutes and they went down, down into enemy territory.
00:30:03
Landed safely or captured by the Germans and at the rear of the plane. Andy Minarski.
Open the rear escape path.
And as the flames were burning.
He looked back to the rear gun turret where his friend Pat was.
And he looked through those flames, and he watched Pat struggling with the door, because that gun's hurt had rotated far enough.
To not let Pat out.
Pot was trapped.
In the gun turret.
To go down with a plane.
And Andy stood on the edge.
Of the door of that airplane.
And look back at his friend.
If you are Andy, what would you have done?
Andy walked on the narrow catwalk above the bombs.
Through the burning hydraulic fluid.
Back to where his friend was trapped.
And he grabs the fire axe and he put it in the hole and he yanked on the handle, but the turret wouldn't move. And he took his bare hands and he tried to pull it over and he couldn't move it.
And Pat inside was trying to open that turret, but it wouldn't open.
And Pat looked at Andy and he saw his parachute starting to burn, and Andy's clothes on fire for having walked through the burning hydraulic fluids and those infernal flames.
And Pat told them go, go jump.
And Andy went back through the flames.
Wave goodbye to his friend and jumped out the door.
Pulled his shoe and his burning parachute went out behind him. He landed hard on the ground, all on fire.
Some French farmers found him.
They took him to a German field hospital the next day.
And he died.
Of the burns.
When somebody earns a Victoria Cross.
And they're already dead.
They can't give it to them, they give it to them posthumously.
The amazing thing is when that Lancaster crashed into the ground, Pat Brophy was thrown clear of the bomber and survived.
Was captured by the Germans and when he was freed after the war.
He said.
I want that man to be recognized. Andy Minarsky was brave. He went beyond the Call of Duty.
He tried to save me and he didn't succeed.
And the administration agreed and they awarded him.
A Victoria Cross.
I want to turn to Philippians chapter 2.
When a man.
Like Andy done something like that?
They write up a citation and they publish it.
That's part of the reason I know his story.
Because I've read it in his citation.
God had a cross.
And God has a citation.
And I wanna read it to you Philippians chapter 2, the last two words of verse five. Christ Jesus, 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, and 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 cross. Wherefore?
00:35:27
God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name.
That is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
That's God's citation.
And God's man is his son, Jesus Christ.
And he is the hero of that spiritual war that's going on.
And at Calvary's cross.
That poor wise man.
Delivered a city.
That poor wise man, his name is Jesus.
You know, I'm sure that.
Andy Minerski's mother was happy and sad to see him go off to war.
And I'm sure the day that the telegram came.
Said Andy is missing in a action.
Her heart was broken.
She didn't know what was going to happen to Andy.
Let's turn to Isaiah chapter 6.
And verse 8.
I also heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?
When should I hear my send me? Prophetically, the words of Jesus hear my send me.
I volunteer.
For what the military would call a suicide mission.
And God the Father knew exactly what Jesus his Son was going for.
He was going to die on Calvary's cross for me.
The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanses me from all sin. It's the same blood that can cleanse everyone of your sins. Whosoever will may come.
Let's turn to Matthew chapter 26.
Matthew 26, verse 50.
Verse 36.
Then cometh Jesus with them onto a place called Gethsemane, set on the disciples. Sit ye here while I go and pray Yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful.
And very heavy, Then sassy on to them My soul is exceeding sorrowful even on to death. Tarry here and watch with me.
And he went a little further and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.
When Andy got onto that plane to fly over France.
Like everyone else on that plane, he knew it might be his last flight, but he didn't know.
My Lord Jesus Christ, on that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, knew exactly what was before him, the judgment of a holy God.
That would have put me in the lake of fire for eternity, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth awaited him.
Did he want to go there?
What did he say? If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
But he went forward.
He did it.
He went on. Let's turn over to verse 53.
Jesus at his arrest.
Said this, thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall not presently give me more than 12 legions of angels?
00:40:08
Enough angels to kill every person on earth today and one night gone dead.
He had an escape route he didn't have to go.
He could have asked for the angels.
And there would have been no salvation for you or for me.
But he chose.
Knowing what it was going to cost, what he would have to pay turnover to the 27th chapter.
And verse 26.
Then released the Barabbas onto them, and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
They stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe.
When they had plotted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head in a Reed in his right hand, and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews. And they spit upon him, and took the Reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and let him away to crucify him.
Down to verse 45. Now from the 6th hour there was darkness over all the land unto the 9th hour and about the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani, that is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Verse 50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Why? Why did he do it?
John 15, verse 13.
Greater love has no man in this.
That a man lay down his life for his friends. Romans chapter 5.
Romans, chapter 5.
Verse six. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet per adventure. For a good man some would even dare to die. But God commanded his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Christ died for us.
God sent his Son.
Call Nunji.
He loves you.
He wants you. He died to redeem you.
What do you think?
Of Jesus.
God thinks.
That to him every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord.
And tonight, I would urge you to do that tonight.
Decide for Christ tonight.
Accept him as your Lord. Believe in your heart that he died for you, that God raised him from the dead.
Thou shalt be saved.
You'll change allegiance.
From the devil to the Lord Jesus Christ to the winning side.
And as I pray.
I trust that you too would pray.
As you think about the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you, about the God who loved you.
And gave his only begotten Son, that you, believing in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. Let's pray.
Leftovers
Children—Mark Allan
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.
Welcome to Sunday School.
Who has a song they would like to sing? If you have your hymn sheet, the children's songs are the ones on the back from #40 to #47.
If you have one from the front that you really want to sing, let me know, but the ones that the children's teams are the ones in the box number 40 to 47, who has one they would like to sing.
Jordan.
Number one, you know that one.
You're thinking a certain man of whom we read right? Yes. That one's not on the back, I don't think.
You think of another one.
Around the throne of God in heaven. That one is #41 So we'll sing #41 OK?
Around.
It brings them to that world about that heaven, so crying and fair.
Where all this is and joy and love are getting the children.
They're taking glory.
Glory, glory things to God.
10-4 06 Now washed in that little precious one. Behold, and my enemy.
Glory.
Glory, Mr. God.
Upon.
Very good, that song asked a question.
And I'd like to know if somebody can tell me what the answer is, talking about children being around the throne of God in heaven. And it says what brings them to that world above that heaven so bright and fair. How is it that a person can be in heaven? Tell me, Isaac.
By the blood of the Lord Jesus, that is exactly right. Excellent answer. OK, somebody else have another song. Go ahead, Oscar.
#46 OK, glad TIDINGS, that's a nice one. Maybe we can get the girls to sing the line about the girls and the boys to sing the line with the boys in this one, OK.
And he won't go on to be in Hawaii, too.
And he's durability and.
Have all there's been. Now watch the wedding.
Very good. There's a word spelled out in there that I'm gonna talk a little bit about. It's TRUST.
Somebody tell me what that's spelled. TRUST. Go ahead.
Trust. That's right. You know, it's very important. We need to trust the Lord Jesus. OK, somebody else.
Ernie.
Do you want anything to use his last name? OK, that's number 40.
Jesus love.
00:05:02
I want help me, so let's go on to him and I think that he is gone. Yeah, he is not one way. Yeah, he is a lovely.
Yeah, do you love me?
Three Star Club may love me so when I'm excited for you, which has been wrong and shining my heart.
I can watch me where I live.
Yet you have Lovely. Yeah, it's like lots of me.
Yeah.
Please don't love me. He will stay close inside me all my way.
If I trust him, should I know it will Take Me Out of my life?
Yeah, OK.
Let's get it on the last name. The Bible tells me so.
Very good. Maybe we can have one more before.
#44 OK into a 10th where a gypsy boy lay.
Into.
Nobody ever has told them to be.
And again telling back again allocation story. Really. Alright, so.
Nsnoise.
He didn't come back to me out for the little boy and I still need a good sign in that joy.
May I not perish. My hands would only hold nobody ever, The story has told.
That I can't tell them. I can't validation story at all.
Time can stay out of the children of men.
Nobody ever had told me before.
00:10:01
OK.
Answers about the.
God sentence, I'm just November 17.
Then I am sure that he sent him for me.
That again. That's all that again.
I'll patience story read it all right now.
XXXXXXXX.
Umm, very good. Well, maybe before we probably have the Bible stories, if two or three people could say their verse. I don't think we have time for everybody to, but if a couple of people would like to say their verse this morning, I'd be happy to hear them say their verse. Go ahead.
Jake.
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gifts. Second Corinthians, 9/15.
2nd Corinthians 915. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gifts. Second Corinthians 9/15.
Good. Go ahead.
Thanks beyond to God for his unspeakable gifts. Second Corinthians 9/15.
Somebody else. Jordan, do you know that verse? I don't think yours is a different one. Did you want to say it, Isaac? Thanks. Bianca was unspeakable gift 1St Corinthians 115.
OK, well maybe we can pray before we have a little.
In Jesus name, Amen.
What I wanted to talk about this morning.
Was something that I started thinking about in Sunday school in Reno Ferry and that is leftovers.
Leftovers, you know, these leftovers are a little bit different. Often we have a big meal, there's leftovers at the end and they throw them out. Yesterday, I think there was a lot of Putin leftovers and they were thrown out, right. Well, I wanted to talk about leftovers and you know what? I had prayed about what the Lord wanted me to speak about and.
Umm. When I started thinking about the stories about leftovers, I realized that children are in.
Almost everyone that I was thinking about.
So that's what I wanted to talk about.
This morning and these are these are important leftovers. You know, sometimes we think of leftovers as the things we just throw away. But each case the leftovers when given to the Lord did an amazing thing. What I want you boys and girls to do is as I read the story stories.
There's a boy or a girl in each one of the stories who has a problem.
And the Lord uses the leftovers.
To help them. So when I read the stories, you listen and I'm going to ask if you can tell me how the Lord used them to help them. The first one that I'd like to read in First Kings chapter 17.
And this is about a man named Elijah, and he was a prophet.
And he didn't have a very nice well, he did. You got to speak the words of the Lord, but he prayed that it wasn't going to rain and it didn't rain for 3 1/2 years. Now that's not a very.
Nice thing to happen when it doesn't rain for 3 1/2 years, is it?
And he went and lived by a brook and he was fed by birds for a little while. But the story that we're going to pick up starts after that.
And there's going to be a little boy or girl in this story and I want you to tell me what their problem is. OK, so in First Kings chapter 17 and verse 8.
And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongs to Zaiden, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering. 6 And he called her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
Just a quick question, if it doesn't rain for a long, long time, is there lots of water? No, there's almost no water is there? So I'm sure that her getting that water.
It was probably she didn't have a lot of it and as she was going to fetch it, he called her.
00:15:07
And said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand.
OK, listen for the problem. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake.
But a handful of meal.
In a barrel and a little oil in a cruise and behold, I am gathering 2 sticks.
That I may go in and dress it for me and my son. That we may eat it and die.
What was this little boy's problem?
You tell me, Oscar.
Yeah, what was going to happen to the boy if he didn't have food?
He would die. That's a pretty serious thing, isn't it? He was going to die.
You know.
When we're in our sins, we're going to go to hell without the Lord Jesus, right? So every boy and girl here in some ways has that same problem as that little boy. But we're going to find out what happens if they trust and obey.
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not go, do as thou hast said, but make me therefore a little cake 1St and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel. The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruise of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah, and she and he.
In her house did eat many days, and the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruise of oil fail according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
I have here.
So you know what that is?
It's not bread crumbs, no.
Jordan.
Cheerios crumbs? No, it's not Cheerios crumbs. It's a good guess.
Saying no, you know what that is? No, it's cornmeal, it's meal, and she just had a handful. Is that very much?
No.
Could I eat that for a week?
No, I couldn't eat that for a week. Could I eat that for a year?
Could I eat it for two years? No. No. Could I feed everybody in this room for three days? No.
You know what?
This woman and her son, they were going to, she said they were going to die if they didn't have this. But they trusted the Lord and obeyed. And they had. They made Elijah the cake first.
They didn't even make it for them. First they had to do something that they wouldn't naturally want to do. But the Lord had told this lady that she was supposed to do it, and she did it.
And you know what? That little bit of meal, and she had a little bit of oil too, that lasted until the day that rain came on the earth. Isn't that incredible? And you know, that meal is a picture of the Lord Jesus and that oil, the Holy Spirit, you know?
If we put our trust in the Lord Jesus and what he did on the cross, are we going to die and go to hell?
No, Tommy, you're right, we won't. And it's nice the Lord took this little bit of leftovers and he turned it into something incredible for this little boy, didn't he? And you know what? The Lord loves to do that. And you know, I think the Lord cares about little boys and girls.
This boy, I don't think he had a father, says she was a widow, which means that her husband died. You know, we have a father and we read about it in the reading meeting.
Says that we're the children of God, Isn't that nice? And he cares for us. So that's the first story. Now I'm going to read the second story about leftovers and children, and I want you to tell me.
What problem these?
Children had. This is in Second King chapter 4.
And verse one.
You listen, it's at the end of the first verse. What the problem these boys had. Now they're crying, a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elijah, saying, Thy servant, my husband is dead.
00:20:09
And thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord.
And the creditor has come to take him, my two sons, to be bondsmen.
What was the problem with these two little boys?
Yes, one, someone was gonna take them to be Bond. And you know what a bondsman is?
That's not a word that we use very much. Can somebody older tell me what a bondsman is?
Go ahead, Paul. A slave? That's right. Would you like to be a slave?
No, that wouldn't be very nice to be a slave. You know, this woman, her husband died and she owed money and the man she owed the money to was gonna take come and take her boys and make them to be slaves. That is very sad, isn't it?
Very sad. You know what before.
We come to know the Lord Jesus. We're slaves to sin.
You know, we can try and do good things, but can we be good all the time? Are you good all the time? Oh, no, I'm not outside either. You know, we can try as hard as we can to be good, but we're the slaves of sin. You know, we read about that in Romans, chapters 7, without the Holy Spirit were the slaves of sin. So I'm just going to read what happens and you listen. What happens with the leftovers in this story that the Lord uses, OK.
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house.
But a pot of oil?
Then he said, Go borrow the vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and thou shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt make thou shalt set aside thou which is full.
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her, and her two sons, who brought the vessels to her. And she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me out a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more.
And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God, and he said go.
Sell the oil, pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
So did the boys become slaves?
No, what did? There was a question that the Lord asked this lady, He said, What do you have in your house?
You didn't have very much.
She didn't have very much. What did she have?
A pot of oil and you know, I have here, this isn't probably a very good example, but I have some oil.
Does that look like it would do very much? No. Do you think if I wanted to add a big debt and wanted and had to pay for a house or something that that would work very well?
No, I don't think so, you know.
She had a pot of oil, but the man of God, and you know we should go to the Lord with our problems.
And tell him.
About them and ask them for guidance.
Should we keep our problems all to ourselves, Tommy? Should we keep our problems all to ourselves? Who should we tell our problems?
The Lord that's right. Does he like to help us? He does it says the anxious or be careful for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving. Let your request be made known unto God. You know there's another verse that says whoso trusteth the Lord happy and see we can take our our worries to the Lord and he can help us. Well, these boys were going to be slaves and the Lord told them to go collect a whole bunch of things. What were they supposed to collect?
Can you tell me?
No. What were they supposed to?
Yeah, they were supposed to collect jars of oil. That's close.
Jake Empty vessels a whole bunch. You know, when I was out in Edmonton, I did a project where I went to 20 different places where they collected tons and tons of milk containers and juice packs and cans and just about every kind of bottle. And it was kind of stinky. We were trying to figure out how long it was taking to, to collect them and process them. But these boys went out and they collected all these containers and they took that oil and they, they went in and they shut the door and, you know.
00:25:02
Sometimes we need to be careful.
That there's things between US and the Lord that and, and you know, we shouldn't let outside influences cause trouble in our lives. And you know, they, they went in, they shut the door and they did what the man of God told them to do. Is it, is it important to obey? Is it important to obey? It is incredibly important to obey. They did that and they filled up all the pots and you know, the boys were helping them. It says that very clearly because the lady kept on asking for more and more and more containers and they kept pouring the oil in the containers and she asked for one more and she said, they said, what did they say?
Was there any left?
No, there is not enough. And you know, then she went and asked the man of God what to do. We have to ask. And that's a very good thing to do. And he told her to go sell what they had and live on. The rest. You know, the Lord provided what they needed and those boys didn't need to be slaves.
Because the Lord provided from those leftovers. Isn't that nice? I would be very sad if my three boys.
Were going to be slaves, and you know what? The Lord has made a way for us to be free from sin.
After we ask the Lord Jesus to wash our sins away, who comes and lives inside us?
The Holy Spirit comes and lives inside. Isn't that incredible? And he gives us the power to overcome sin in our lives. That's an amazing thing. You know, Romans 8 is a very nice chapter that tells us all about that. Well, that's the second story that I had about leftovers.
And I'd like to turn to a third story. This one's about a girl. There's more boys in this area than there are girls, but this one is about girl, a girl, and it's in.
Matthew.
Chapter 15.
And starting at uh.
21 The last one of the girls here to tell me what problem this girl had, and it was a very, very sad problem. And her mother again cared for and wanted to help her. Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with the devil.
What problem did this girl have?
So yeah, she was vexed with the devil. Is that a nice problem to have? No, that's a pretty terrible problem, and her mom was very, very sad about it.
But the interesting thing is the Lord's response here. You know the Lord came to Israel.
She came to him as the son of David, but you know the Lord was testing her faith. I don't think he was harsh with her at all, but He tested her face and you listened to what he says and he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, send her away, for she crieth after us. Maybe they didn't say like quite that harshly, but He said send her away because she was lying. Did she care a lot? Did this mommy care for her daughter? Do you think this mother cared for her daughter who was very sick?
I think so very much. She wouldn't go away. And what does the Lord says to her? He says, He answered and said, I am not sent unto the lost sheep. Sorry, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord help me.
The nice thing, we can go to the Lord and say, Lord help me.
It is, isn't it? And you know what the Lord, he says to her, He says. But he answered and said, It's not me to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs. She said. Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from the master's table.
She knew that even though Israel was getting the bread, if she got the crumbs, that would be enough to save her daughter.
And you know, she didn't get angry at what the Lord said. She says truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from the Master's table now have.
This is how we are.
Bread crumbs.
You know, that doesn't seem like very much. I don't at lunch here sometimes. Some of the kids don't necessarily like what's there.
I'm not saying that in a bad way, but umm, just the crumbs. You know, this lady was content with the crumbs that you fell from the master, and do you think that was going to be enough to help her?
00:30:08
It was, it's amazing, you know what, the Lord was testing her faith. And he gives her a very nice compliment for her faith in trusting the Lord. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, old woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Did the crumbs help that girl? They certainly did. You know, I'm not gonna read it, but if you read further down this chapter, the Lord he, uh, right after this, we have the feeding of the four, the 4000, which is where there's seven flows and and fishes and the Lord uses it to feed a whole crowd of people. Umm, and they picked up the crumbs after that and the crumbs were more than were there. And that's the next story that I'm gonna read is in, is in Matthew and it just before the story that was spoken about yesterday.
Sorry. And John, it's the feeding of the 5000 and this is in John.
Chapter.
6.
And starting at verse 5. Now this problem is a little bit different, so I want you to listen and tell me if you can figure out what this boy's problem was, OK?
When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw the great company come unto him, he said unto Philip, When shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
And this he said to prove them, for he himself knew what he would do. And Philip said 200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may eat, may take a little. That's like 2/3 of a year's salary.
And one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said unto him, There's a lot here, little boy, which has five barley loaves and two small fishes. But what are they among so many?
So there was 5000 men here, and there was women and children beside, and there was a little boy.
And he had five loaves and two fishes. You know I have.
Here.
What that is?
Oscar.
So sorry, I am very sorry. I'm terrible with names.
Bread. Bread. That's bread. They're little loaves, right? I don't know. His buy, his loaves may have been bigger than that.
But he had five loaves and two small fishes. And what was his problem? Can somebody tell me what his problem was?
Max, I'm sorry, what was his problem? That's not, maybe that's a hard question. He had five loads, but did the other people have any, anything? No. And you know what there was, I don't know exactly how many people were there. There's 5000 men and there was women and children beside which the Lord specifically talked about. And I don't know if there was a woman for every man and a child for every man. That's like 15,000 people. And you know what? Do you think I could take those five loaves and feed everybody in this room?
No. And you know what, there's not even I don't think 500 people here if I multiplied by that by 10.
Ten. I would have 5000 if I multiplied it by three more out of 15,000. Do you think I could I could feed that many people with those?
No, you know what? This boy, he had something that the other people didn't have.
And yet if he gave it to the Lord, could the Lord use it for blessing? Yes, that's right. If we have something, Jake, if we have something that, uh.
The Lord has given us. Do you think it's nice if we share it with other people? It is wonderful if we can share what the Lord has given us for other people. So let's read what happens here.
And this is verse 10. And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down in number about 5000. And Jesus took the loaves. And when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down, and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. And when they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. And they gathered them together.
00:35:00
And filled 12 baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above and to them that had eaten. Then those men which had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth, the prophet that should come into the world.
So he took that and he filled up everybody who was there. That's a pretty amazing miracle. You know what?
The problem was is they really didn't understand.
Who the Lord was, they recognized him as the creator, but not as the son of God as we had yesterday in the open, open meeting. And after this, the Lord had to give them a reminder because they forgot what God had done with the, uh, with the lows. You know what? This is an important story. These are all important stories. You, do you think the Lord wants us to remember these stories every day of our life? Tommy, I think the Lord wants us to remember these every day.
You got, I think that you know, I'm going to go home tomorrow and I'm going to have very hard project work on and I'm going to forget how the Lord can take a little bit and turn it into a whole bunch. And you know, I know Sophia has a project she has to have done for tomorrow morning. And it's easy for us to forget how the Lord can help us. I know that my wife finds sometimes she only has a little bit of energy left at the start of the day, not to mention the end of the day. And yet the Lord.
Loves to take the little bit.
That we give to Him and turn it into a whole bunch. You know what bread speaks up in the Bible?
Can somebody tell me what bread is in the Bible?
The Lord Jesus and I'm just going to read a verse that tells us that it's in the same chapter a little bit further down John 6 verse 35 and it says.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. That's nice, isn't it? You know, if we.
Trust the Lord with what He gives us.
We will never hunger and will never thirst. That's a wonderful thing to realize. And you know, boys and girls.
We should enjoy the Lord a little bit every day and he'll help us. You know, in the Old Testament, the manna came down every day and gave him food, right? You know, what's nice is wherever the Lord is, there's always something for us. You know, in the Garden of Eden, the Lord came down to visit him and there was everything they needed there. There's a river of water that came out.
Umm, in the wilderness there was a rock that was a fountain of water. That was the Lord, says the rock was Christ, and there was bread every day, which was the Lord.
And you know, in the temple that Ezekiel saw, there was a big river that satisfied them that came out of that. In the heavenly Jerusalem in a future day, there's a river that flows out to satisfy, and there's trees with fruits for the healings of the nation. Do you know where the Lord is? He'll always help us. And so one of the most important lessons we can have is to ask the Lord for help. Every day with the little things, every day with the little things. And I hope that you boys and girls can remember this story. And I really hope that if there's a boy or a girl here that hasn't asked the Lord Jesus to wash their sins away.
That you will because that's where it starts. And then the Lord wants to feed and satisfy us every day. And you know, that's not all the stories of how the Lord uses leftovers. I'm just going to mention a few other people that you boys and girls can ask your mom to tell you, Gideon.
The enemy was taking all the food and he just took a little bit of wheat. And you know what? The Lord turned that into a massive victory. And you know, another one was Ruth. She lost everything because she was, she left. Oh, sorry, I wasn't her. It was actually her mother-in-law. But the Lord used just leftovers in the field. And you know what? She got to be in the lineage of the Lord Jesus, which is an incredible thing. And you know, Samson, he sinned horribly.
And he used just his leftover.
Strength. And what did he do with his leftover strength?
First, the building.
And he had more victory in that little bit that he used for the Lord at the end of his life. And he did throughout his whole life. Isn't that amazing? You know, the Lord delights to take the little things in Malachi. When things are terrible, the Lord just looks for a thought on his name. Well, boys and girls, I this is a lesson that is important to me as it is to you.
And I hope when you go home tomorrow that you remember who is the bread, and that if you take the little bit that you have and give it to the Lord, He'll give you blessing from it. Maybe we can just pray.
Stirring Up Your Heart, Soul, and Mind
Address—David Mearns
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.
I'd like to start this afternoon.
I'd like to start this afternoon.
By singing the 1St 4 verses only of 168.
#168 just the 1St 4 verses.
Just what we have here concerning more except they have not been empty from vessel to vessel. Now they're actually going into captivity. Therefore, his taste remaineth in him and his scent is not changed. We understand what it means to be stirred up. How often have we picked up a a ketchup bottle and gone to put ketchup on the.
On the hamburger and it hasn't been stirred up and it comes a stream of water. We find the same thing with mustard. We find the same thing with so many things that we we work with. They need to be stirred up. Those were painters here.
You know, it's, it's interesting the way all these liquids, uh, how there's that, that subtleness that it goes from being stirred up to being unstirred. And so, you know, you look at orange juice and, umm, you can come back two hours later and you look at it and there's a line. All the pulp is below and there's just liquid at the top. And if you were to pour yourself a glass, it wouldn't taste good at all. It needs to be stirred up. It needs to be stirred up. Well, you know, if you're to watch orange juice.
It's very subtle, the way that.
That a separation takes place very slowly and you don't notice it. You know, it's the same in our spiritual life, very same thing in our spiritual lives. We need a constant, very same thing in our spiritual lives. We need a constant stirring up. Otherwise we're just like the orange juice that doesn't taste good at all here, Moab.
He has settled on his leaves. He has not been emptied from vessel to vessel. Let's go over to the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah chapter 64.
I understand the.
The thought here in connection with the remnant, but I'd just like to isolate a verse here. In the seventh verse, Isaiah 64. There is none that calls upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee. Sad commendation, isn't it? There was none that was stirred up.
What would it be?
If everyone of us here in this room was stirred up in our affections for the Lord.
What an impact that would have.
Greater than what we had this morning to stir my own soul up, to sit in the breaking of bread and to sing those wonderful hymns, to have the scriptures brought before us to see the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God, to see him as the man of sorrows, to see him as the Lord of glory. Beautiful to look at that and how it stirs our hearts. Well here there were those none were stirred up. Well, I'd like to look at some that were stirred up. So let's first of all turn to.
Umm, the epistles. We'll look at second Peter.
Epistle of Second Peter. Second Peter, chapter one.
Be nice to go through this chapter, but we won't.
We'll pick up.
In verse eight, this has to do with the things that went on before. Many things there are very good for us.
Taken up many times. For if these things and verse eight. If these things be in you and abound, they shall make you, that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see a far off, and I've forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fall, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly.
00:05:12
Into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always.
In remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yeah, I think it's me, as long as I'm in this Tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that I must put office my Tabernacle, even if it's our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me.
It was the apostles desire here. We spoke of him a little bit yesterday. This is a different time as he writes.
These words we heard them yesterday say, Lord, save me. And now we find Peter. He writes these things in his desire is to stir the Saints up, and it's in connection with fruitfulness. And so he writes here, he says, For if these things be in you in verse 8 and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful.
Now if you notice your marginal reading bar in there says IDLE.
Idleness, you know, it's appalling sometimes, the idleness I see in my Christian life.
Idleness.
And unfruitfulness.
In order for it to be fruit, there has to be some work. There has to be some work.
There are umm.
Turn with me first to umm in connection this to the book of Ezekiel, just for a verse.
Ezekiel, chapter 36.
Here the Prophet is writing in connection with the mountains of Israel.
But he makes this comment.
In verse nine he says, For behold, verse eight, O ye mountains of Israel, verse 9 for behold, I am for you, and I will turn on to you, and ye shall be just. Look at this little expression. Ye shall be tilled and sown, tilled and sown. Turn back to second Peter.
My children don't like these times. I sometimes pick on them.
I have two boys.
Quite some time ago I wanted to do something with them.
They usually like to crawl under their chair at this point.
But my my two boys, I wanted to do something with them. And so and I wanted to do something with each of them one at a time. I didn't want to take them both out and do something. I want to do something special with with each of them. And so I said to my youngest boy, I said, So what would you like to do?
Well, that.
I'd like to go to a car show in Toronto.
So, umm, we bought tickets on the, umm, on the train and we, uh, got up, hopped on the train at 6:00, took the train to Toronto, went through several, I dragged myself through several buildings of cars. Umm, and we had, uh, I learned a little bit about cars. I learned a lot about my son. We had a good time and we did that for several succeeding years, enjoyed the time. But after I did that with my, my youngest boy, I said, uh, to my oldest boy, I said, so umm, uh.
What would you like to do with that?
Well, and my boys are somewhat different.
My oldest boy said.
You know that I'd, umm, I want a garden. I want a garden.
I thought, well, OK, we live in Maple Bush.
It's all trees and we have about this much depth before the rock. So I thought, well, you know, Ross Wills at the time he lived down the road, We can, we can go speak to him and we can get a little parcel of land and we can, we can, we can tell it up and we can put a garden in there. I mentioned that to him. I said, you know, we can do that. Or we have Uncle Paul. He has a piece of property just down the road. I'm sure he'd give us a little piece of land that we could, uh, we could put a garden in. Dad, I want my own garden.
So that means we had to do it on our property. So that means, uh, a bit of work involved in doing this garden. So we cut down these big trees. We gotta pull the stumps out. We gotta bring in loads of fill. We have to bling in loads, loads of topsoil. We.
Spread it around. We put a fence around it because there's all kinds of arts around our property.
00:10:00
It's a lot easier to go to the car show.
But we had a garden and in order to have fruits and vegetables out of the garden, there's a lot of work. There's a lot of work that takes. I'm not a farmer, but we've had a garden now for several years and you have to keep the farm instead. There's lots of them.
Tilde and Somme.
We read here.
For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren or idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yeah, I think it meet as long as I'm in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. So you know that land has to be stirred up, it has to be tilled in order for those seeds to go in. It is easier to go to the store and to buy vegetables, but it is interesting to go through that. And the Lord's desire is that in our own souls that there would be that killing, there would be that sewing, and there would be that fruit for his honor and glory.
You know, I've been challenged by two, two and a brother shared with this me a number of years ago by two, uh, creatures that we find in the word of God. One is the slug and the other is the sloth. 2 creatures that we find in the word of God a number of places.
The slug mentioned 15 times and the sloth mentioned 7.
And yet we don't read.
Of them in exactly that way, we read of them in connection with those of us who are humans. It's the sluggard and it's the slothful.
And they're both very, very different.
The sluggard has a hard time starting a job.
He just cannot get a job started. It's very hard. And so we read about the sluggard. The sluggard says there's a line in the street. Sluggard says it's too cold outside. There's always a reason why a sluggard cannot get a job started. But then the sloth, the slothful person, he has no problem getting a start a a job started. In fact, he gets many of them started, but he has a hard time finishing them. And so we read about the slothful. He roasteth, not that which he takes in hunting. He goes out hunting, he shoots the deer and there it rots. He doesn't do anything with it. He goes fishing and he catches some fish, but he doesn't do anything with it. And so we read of the slug and we read of the sloth.
A number of times the Word of God and I would challenge you to look at those two.
Because it's very instructive. And if we're characterized by what characterizes the sluggard and the slothful, we're gonna be what we find here, idle in our souls, barrenness, unfruitfulness. And the Lord's desire is that there would be fruit for His honor and glory in our lives. Now let's look at some examples of those.
Who were stirred up? The first one we'd like to look at is in the Book of Exodus.
Exodus chapter 35.
This meeting has been designated as a meeting for young people.
Says that on our little card and so I'm gonna.
Make most of my remarks directly to those who are young.
There are going to be some remarks that are gonna be made to those who are my peers.
And so although the comments will be not to be, not to you as young people, it will be for you.
And I'd like to look here in the book of Exodus where we find those who had a stirred up heart.
And I would also like to mention that.
These remarks in connection with the book of Exodus are going to be primarily to those of you who are young sisters. We're going to look at those who are young brothers after, and not just young sisters, but sisters in general. And not just young brothers, but brothers in general. And here we find in this portion of the Word of God, Exodus chapter 35, verse 4, Moses spake unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, this is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying.
Take you from among you an offering unto the Lord. Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it an offering of the Lord. Gold and silver and brass, blue and purple, scarlet, and so on. A great list of things to be brought to the Lord. Verse 10. And every wise hearted among you shall come.
00:15:07
And we read in verse 20 and all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. These were things that were going to be umm, donated so that the the Tabernacle could be, umm, could be constructed. We've looked at that in Rio Ferry a little bit. Well, in verse 20, all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up and everyone whom his Spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the Tabernacle of the congregation.
And for all his service and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted. Just put your finger there for a moment, because we're going to come back to it.
I just love the little.
The little tidbits that I find phrases in the word of God that are such an encouragement to me. I got up this morning knowing I at a time like this I don't have a real good time sleeping the night before.
Umm just seems the burden of seeking to present that which the Lord has laid in my heart, uh, is such that sleep does not come easy. Anyway, I got up early this morning, went to, uh, went to Tim horton's just after the, umm, after they, uh, they opened in the mall. I had my Bible with me and I, I'm reading in Second Chronicles.
Uh, right now my personal reading, and this is what I read, uh, Second Chronicles chapter 17.
I would encourage you young people, you know, when you're going through the word of God, you're going to come upon lists of people, genealogies, read them, read them. There's there's lots of lists of people in the word of God. But it's just been such an encouragement to me to go through a long list and right in the middle of it you find something. There's a little phrase attached to them. Just very instructive here. We find in in this chapter where I was reading this morning.
The portion I had this morning was from was Second Chronicles 17. I read from the 12Th verse to the end. So we read.
Jehoshaphat Wax succeeding great, and he built in Judah's castles and cities of store, and he had much business in the cities of Judah, and men of war, mighty men of valor in Jerusalem. And these are the numbers of them according to the House of their fathers of Judah, the captains of thousands. You know sometimes we pass over these things, but we need to read them. Aiden of the chief, and with him Mighty men of valor. 300,000 And next to him was Jehovah the captain, and with him 204 score thousand were 17.
And of Benjamin Elia, a mighty man of valor, and with him armed men with bow and shield. 200,000 And next to him was Jehoshabad I with him on 104 score 1000 ready prepared for war. These waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fence cities throughout all Judah. Judah. Now you read these names one after another says these little things about them, and you sometimes wonder why they're there. But now look at the verse. We didn't, we didn't read verse 16. And next to him was Amasiah, the son of Zikri, who willingly offered himself unto the Lord.
It's not beautiful.
The only thing we know about him, the only thing about his family.
Don't know how old he was.
But what'd he find? He willingly offered himself to the Lord. Just beautiful. Just enjoy that this morning. Well, here in our chapter, we find there are those who had a willing heart in Exodus chapter 35. And they came everyone whose hearts stirred him up. Now let's look at verse 25 and we're going to make some some comments to those of you who are sisters. I do that humbly because I'm not one. And uh, I don't know.
All the way sisters think although I have a wife and I have some girls, they're very different than brothers. But it says here in verse 20 when and all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats hair.
All the women whose heart stirred them up.
It's, it's, uh, intriguing to me, to, umm.
To consider.
What we have in the Word of God concerning sisters.
There's there's some characteristics that you sisters have.
That those of us are brothers. We we don't have those characteristics.
We just don't have them.
The beautiful characteristics, but they come to you right from the Lord.
00:20:06
Isn't it interesting that there are places in the Word of God where we find the female character brought out in connection with our Lord?
And so we have the red heifer returned to the Book of Numbers, a discourse on the red heifer. No, not a red Bullock, but a red heifer.
We read this morning from Isaiah 53, and we didn't come down to the verse, but we read these words.
As a sheep before her shears is done, so he openeth not his mouth.
Why not? A sheep before his shears is dumb. It's a sheep before her shears is dumb.
And we have that portion in Isaiah 53. It's a picture of the Lord.
You know when the Lord Jesus is is is yearning over Jerusalem, and let's look at it in the book of Matthew.
The Book of Matthew.
The UH-20.
Somebody help me 20. Thank you 23.
The end of chapter 23 of Matthew, the Lord Jesus.
As he weeps over Jerusalem, he says, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killeth the prophets, and stone us them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together? Even this is he he's liking himself towards. A hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and he would not.
That that character.
That that you have as sisters that I know nothing about.
Comes from the Lord Himself.
We have two springs ago. It was interesting to me.
One of my boys, uh, enjoys, uh, having some hens around the, around the house. We have a lot of nothing around the house, but outside and the, umm, we have a, we have a property that's that, that's infested with varmints. Just two weeks ago, my wife, umm, she tried to chase off as she watched running by the front door, a rooster just going as fast as it can. The wing, the wings were going and right on its tail feathers, the fox and she was, she scared it off. And so we have a property that's got boxes. It's got.
It's got, it's got link, it's got fissures, it's got weasels. We've got all kinds of raccoons there. They all love chickens. And two, two springs ago we had three hands that that disappeared.
And as we've had other hands disappear, we figured, Oh well, they got succumbed to whatever garment. 3 weeks later though, these three hens, they come out of the woods, each with a little trail of chicks.
How they can find a place in the woods?
And be spared from all these varmints. It's beyond me. But that's why the Lord uses this, this example here of how a hand is so protective of our little chicks. And he yearns over Jerusalem. He said, oh, just he just yearned over them. How he would have loved to just preserve them as a hen preserves those little chicks. Well, that's a characteristic that you dear sisters have that I know nothing about. Arusa doesn't have that characteristic.
Those of us who are males, yes, we've got characteristics, but they're not the same. They're not the same. And I just wanna look a little bit in connection with what we have here in Exodus 35. All the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom, and it tells the various things that they did well. I would like to look at some examples of women that stirred themselves up.
We we live in Rio Ferry, UMM.
Active assembly, very thankful.
And there's a number in the assembly that are real evangelists. Real evangelists, you know, they're sisters. They're sisters.
Yeah, there's some brothers too that are that way inclined, but it seems that there are those sisters that just have a special way of being able to draw alongside of someone and present the gospel in a way that it's unassuming. And I just, I just love that. It was interesting this past summer, umm, my, my son ran a, umm, ran a painting business and he had some marketing reps and he found out that when it came to door to door.
00:25:12
Knocking on doors and seeking to solicit work that you knock on the door and you've got about 5 seconds before the door gets slammed in your face. But if you have female marketers, they seem to do better than males. Now, why is that? It's just those characteristics that they have that those of us who are males do not have. And I would like to look at two evangelists that we find in the Word of God that were able to do that work.
Just in a marvelous way. A marvelous way. Let's turn to the book of Umm of Joshua for the first one.
The Book of Joshua.
We're gonna pick up a little bit on Rahab.
Let's look at umm.
At Joshua chapter 2.
This is the spies. They come into Jericho. They spend a bit of time here at rehab, says she makes a comment in verse.
9 Joshua chapter 2, verse nine. And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land.
And that your terror has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
And so there's this discourse between them. And in verse 18 we read, Behold, this is the spies, and they're speaking to Rahab. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou hast let us down by. And thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren, and all thy father's household home with thee. And it shall be that whomsoever shall go to the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head.
And we will be guiltless. And whomsoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head.
If any hand be upon him, well you know Rahab was busy, Ahab was busy from this point and let's go over a few chapters where we find they have marched around Jericho, the walls have come down and Joshua sends the spies to Ray Hobbs house.
And we read in verse chapter 6 and verse 23.
And the young men that were spies went in and brought out Rahab.
And her father and her mother and her brethren and all that she had and they brought out, Now notice the marginal reading. They brought out all her families and left them without the camp of Israel. You know, I picture that when those spies got to Rahab's house and they knocked on the door and they opened up the door, that the house was packed with people, packed with people as this evangelist went out. And God, as many of us as her family in as she possibly could into that home.
But oh, what an evangelist she was. Beautiful to see that, you dear sisters.
You can go places that are those of us who are brothers. We haven't got a hope of going. I was just encourage you.
To see, to stir up that characteristic that you have within you. It's so beautiful. That's giving you of the Lord. Let's look at another one in John's Gospel, another evangelist, John chapter 4.
John Chapter 4. The Woman at the Will.
We'll pick up from verse 28.
And the woman left her water pod.
I went her way into the city.
You know, this woman didn't have particularly good characteristics.
But she was a woman. She had those characteristics.
Use of the Lord beautifully.
Went her way into the city, and said to the men, Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did is not just the Christ. Then they went out of the city and came unto him.
And we read in verse 39. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the women which testified. He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would carry with them. And he abode there two days, and many more believed because of his own word, and said unto the woman, Now we believe not because of thy saying, for we have heard of ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.
00:30:06
Just like to encourage you, dear sisters.
Without which the Lord has given you.
That it when it stirred up. Oh, it's a tremendous blessing to those that are lost and tremendous blessing to the people of God. Well, let's turn now to another one.
Let's go to.
To a second, Timothy.
Second Timothy.
I wanted to look a little bit at the at.
The two on the way to a mass, well, we read them saying, did not our heart burn with us in us as the Lord Jesus? He took those Old Testament scriptures and he pointed himself to them. We don't have the time to look at that, though I see our time is going. So we're gonna look now at umm, at second Timothy and the first chapter.
I'm gonna make some remarks to those here who are younger brothers.
Second Timothy, chapter 5, When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwell first, and my grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, And I'm persuaded that in thee also wherefore I put the inner remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee. There's our subject stirring up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting out of my hands.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.
Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.
And so on. You know, if you look at Mr. Darby's translation, it's interesting.
When it says here.
Wherefore I put the In remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, it says that you rekindle that which is drooping.
Rekindle that which is drooping.
I would just like to be.
Encouragement to those here who are my younger brother.
And I'm going to make remarks, some remarks to in connection with.
Those who are your parents, who are my peers?
In connection with oversight.
These are important because.
You younger brethren that are here, you're not in a position of oversight.
But you soon will be.
And So what is the characterize someone that is in oversight?
Turn with me first to umm, I'd like to look at 2 verses 1.
Umm.
In Acts chapter 20.
When the apostle Paul was addressing the elders Ephesus.
He spoke to those in oversight and he made these comments.
So we read in verse 17, and from my latest he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church.
Now, verse 28.
Take heed, therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Feed the Church of God, which he have purchased with his own blood. Turn over now to first Peter.
Where we find Peter addresses those who are in oversight.
And he says in first Peter 5, the Elders.
Which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God, which is among you. So we have Paul, he addresses the elders. He says feed the flock. We have Peter, he addresses the elders, he says feed the flock. I was noticing in our in our reading in in first John 3.
Let's look at that for a moment.
We didn't get to it.
Yesterday.
But we read in verse 11 of first John 3, This is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who is of the wicked one who slew his brother. Now what do we learn about his brother? We don't know a whole lot about his brother. But if we return to Genesis, we would find this comment about his brother. Genesis chapter. Sorry for all these scriptures.
00:35:18
Genesis Chapter.
Genesis chapter 4.
What do we read about his brother?
And Adam knew he and his wife and she conceived and bare Cain and said I've gotten the man from the Lord and she again bare his brother Abel and Abel was now notice the marginal reading was a feeder of sheep. He was a feeder of sheep. He was a man that gave food and I would just like to to make this comment to those of you who are younger.
That the Lord gives you meditations that are sweet.
But just because the Lord gives you a meditation?
That, by no stretch of the imagination, means that you're supposed to put it forth at a time like this, or at a time like we had yesterday in a ministry meeting.
There needs to be a recognition as to where the Saints are and what would be appropriate at the time to present what the Lord has given you. You know, I feel my own soul because often I enjoy things and I put them forth and I realize, you know.
That really shouldn't have gone at that time.
You'll use this illustration. Uh, I've used it before in my home assembly. Umm.
I have my wife's family are wheat farmers and one of my brother in law's. He kept sheep for a number of years.
And uh, he uh.
As a number of shepherds out West, they, they found when they, umm, when they had used that, that dropped twins and dropped triplets, that their, their flock of course, got bigger faster. And so they tend to hang on to the, the use that, that, that, uh, gave twins and gave triplets and, umm, they almost almost always had twins and triplets. Well, in the springtime, it's a, it's a, it's a rather busy time because there's often lambs that, uh.
Are not able to make it. They say that when a lamb's born, the first hour is critical and then the first day is critical and then the first seven days critical, in the first months critical and then after that the land does OK.
This my brother-in-law had this one you and it, it had twins and he got up one morning and one of the twins is dead. So he looked at it and looked looks like it was perfectly normal. Nothing wrong with this lamp. So he thought it's interesting that it died. Umm, I think I'll find a diagnosis on this one. So he calls the vet, the vet comes out and the vet looks at the lamb, looks at the you looks at the other twin. He looks at the lamb and he says uh died of malnutrition. My brother-in-law said I.
I don't think so. I can feel the stomach and it's got something in the stomach like I don't. I don't think that's the diagnosis. So the vet looked at me.
He thought, well, umm, I think that's my diagnosis. So the vet says how about I do an autopsy?
So my brother-in-law said well sure. So the vet gets out his scalpel and he slices the lamb open, opens the lamb up, takes the stomach out, slices the stomach open and it's bursting with fresh green grass. And my brother-in-law smiles and says doesn't look like malnutrition to me. And the vet says just what I thought. This lamb died of malnutrition. So this lamb is not able to assimilate grass.
It's too young for that. And often when there's triplets and there's twins, there's one that's dominant and so the dominant one will push the other away from the milk source so that it can't get to the milk. And finally, the one that's not dominant, it throws in the towel and it doesn't pursue the milk source anymore. And it looks around to see what the other land, what the other sheep are doing, and they're eating grass. So it goes. He needs grass, but it cannot assimilate grass. And often I find.
In my own heart in the assembly that I seek to present that which is perhaps not good for the people of God. There needs to be a recognition of what the people of God need. And so the apostle, he writes to the the the elders at Ephesus and he said they need food, they need food. And Peter does exactly the same thing when he addresses the elders. He said they need food. And I would just suggest to you who are young brother who are not in oversight but soon will be.
00:40:02
That there would be a desire in your heart to present to the Saints of God that which is food for their souls.
It's an absolute necessity.
And I would encourage you to that in your presentation, whether it's on an individual basis, you're trying to share something or whether it's in a collective basis and whether whether you're a brother or whether you're a sister sharing something that you do so with enthusiasm. You know, we had a brother stand up here yesterday.
And he used his hands.
And you know, that's scriptural. If we were to turn to the book of the Acts, we find many times where we read a Peter, we read a we read of Stephen, we read of Philip, we read of James, we read the apostle Paul, it says, and they said stuff and such. But there are times when it says about Peter, right in the beginning of Acts, it says he lifted up his voice. He spoke with enthusiasm. We find them. And it says that he beckoned with his hand. Let's look at one of those places in in Acts chapter 26 says.
The apostle addressed addressed Agrippa.
October 26.
It's just a little thing, but it's so helpful for those of you who are younger seeking to present the word. We read here in in Acts chapter 26, and there's a number of times in the book of the Acts and I would challenge you to look at these times.
It says in Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. What does Paul do? It says He stretched forth his hands.
He stretched forth his hand.
You, younger brother, don't preach the gospel with your hands in your pockets.
Like your heart is stirred up. That's what's gonna have an effect. You know, my heart was really stirred yesterday as our brother Jurgen presented that portion. I was very thankful for it. You know, there needs to be an enthusiasm.
As we present that which the Lord gives us. And so the apostle Paul, he wrote, he spoke to those in Ephesus.
Those elders, he said. The people of God, they need food. Peter did the same thing.
They need food. Able was a feeder of sheep, the only enemy of our souls. He sought to it.
This feeding of sheep is no good. That's not what the enemy of our souls wants for God's people. He doesn't want them to be fed, although we would seek to enjoy the word ourselves and be able to present that which is needful for the peace of the for the people of God. Don't give them grasp when they need milk. Don't give them meat. Apostle wrote to the Corinthians. You know, he desired to give them meat, but they weren't able to give it, so he didn't give him meat anyway.
He gave them milk.
He sought to present that which was appropriate and I would just suggest to you, dear young brother, as the apostle wrote the Timothy. He said neglect not the gift that is in me that the meditations that the Lord gives to you, you dear sisters too, as you presented 1 to another that it would be done with enthusiasm that it would be food for the people of God stirred up gift. Let's look at one more. We're just about done here in our time.
For second, Peter again.
Second Peter the.
The third chapter.
This second epistle, beloved.
And now I'll write on to you.
In both which I stir up.
Your pure minds by way of remembrance, that you might be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first, that there shall come the last time, last days, scoffers wax wax walking after their own lusts. Well, here the Apostle Peter, right at the end of his second epistle, his desire is to stir up their pure minds. So how the enemy of our souls seeks to get to our minds.
Now if we turn to Ephesians, we find the armor there.
The helmet of salvation is armor for the mind. The mind how the enemy of our souls desires to get to our minds in in in Romans chapter 12. Let's just learn. Look at that in closing, I see our time is gone. Romans chapter chapter 12.
00:45:02
Romans chapter 12 and verse one. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God.
That you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect.
Will of God.
One person closing Luke's gospel.
Ruth's Gospel, chapter 23.
The verse that we started with.
23 And the whole multitude of them arose and led him to pilot, and they began to accuse him, verse five. And they were more the fierce saying, He stirreth up the people. Oh, may that Blessed One be found stirring up our hearts, our minds, and our souls this very afternoon, as we would sing the last verse of the hymn that we started.
The last verse.
OK.
We commend ourselves.
Yeah.
1 John 3:7-24
Gospel 2
Gospel—Stan Allan
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I'd like to welcome each one to the Gospel meeting this evening and for responding to the invitation to come. And I wonder if we could just open this evening by singing #2 Come tis Jesus gently calling ye with care and toil, oppressed with your guilt tower. Appalling. Come and I will give you rest.
For your sin he once has suffered on the cross. The work was done, and the word by God now uttered to each weary soul is come. Could we sing #2?
Contest.
Phone bill, I don't know where I'm going. I'm like, oh, I don't know what else to get anywhere in Germany for a while.
OK, I'll add a little bit. We're going to have a little bit of blood and I'm going to get my own and so on.
I don't want to be able to ever get into the house blah blah blah blah blah blah.
May I know how to get you home?
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Restaurant.
Forever, forever, forever.
Umm, so when I have you there may be 100%.
Right down to one hour.
While I wish about.
In the last day and I'm considering, uh, really well. Uh-huh.
00:05:04
Umm, just ask God's blessing.
Maybe you're just saying one more hymn. How about #9 Come every soul by sin oppressed. There's mercy with the Lord, and he will surely give you rest by trusting.
In his word #9.
Amen.
Burned.
OK, yeah. And when I was playing on.
More than heaven, pride on the flood, grain, blood to anything that you're going to be for how long?
10-4 0, 10-4 0. 10-4 029295 15 10-4 20 10-4 0 10-4 075.
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I'd like to look at several scriptures this evening, but not in detail. Really looking at stories that we could spend the whole evening talking about each one.
But I'd like to introduce my subject by looking at Revelation chapter 3.
Revelation, the last book in the Bible.
And the third chapter.
And we'll just read.
Uh, one verse.
00:10:01
For now, at least.
A Revelation chapter 3 and verse 17.
Because thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art rich. I'm sorry that thou art wretched and miserable, and blind and and and poor, and blind and naked. We'll just read another one. I counsel thee to buy of me gold. Tried in the fire.
That thou mayest be rich and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with isaf that thou mayest see. Verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will Sup with him, and he with me.
Well, I know that there are many here in this room tonight who are believers, but this is a gospel meeting and I want to address my remarks mainly to those who do not know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior. You know, this chapter that we're looking at is talking about the very last church that's mentioned in the Book of Revelation, the Church of Laodicea, and the Lord Jesus says to this church.
Uh, because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, You know, I believe it brings before us the day in which we are living. I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of the world.
Uh, that a country has been so prosperous, or I should say the Western world has been so prosperous as it is today. I know that the.
Data the United States is something like $16 trillion and that the debt is a major problem in Europe and many other places, but man is living like a very rich person, even richer than perhaps that's kings lived 500 years ago and the Lord says here, because I know he says because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods.
Has there ever been a time when man has had so much? They have their computers, they have their cars, they have their tablets, they have their cell phones. They're not lacking in anything. But, you know, none of this brings happiness. You know, I went into a gift store just the other day to buy something, and I saw this plaque on the wall and it said, you know, the best things in life are not materials.
And yet, you know, this world has become very materialistic, going after things to make them happy. But I want to tell you there is no true happiness outside the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord here says that even though Laodicea is rich and increased with goods and says I have need of nothing. And isn't that the world today? We don't need God. We don't need God in the schools. We don't need them in the in the courthouse.
We can do without him. And what does the Lord say? He says you know not that you are miserable and poor and blind and naked. And what I would like to do tonight is to take a look at stories about someone who was wretched, someone who was miserable, someone who was poor and someone who was blind and someone who was naked, and to see how the Lord came in for each one of those souls.
And before we look at those, I'd just like to read one other verse in Luke chapter 4. This is when the Lord Jesus was in the city of Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee. He was in the.
Synagogue. And he picked up the Bible, or at least the Scriptures, and he read from the Old Testament. And I want to look at verse 18 of chapter 4 because I think it links very nicely with the verse we read in Revelation.
00:15:00
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blinds, to set at liberty them that are are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Well, let's take a look now at some of the people.
First of all, Mark Chapter 5. These are stories that we're all very familiar with.
At least most of us here are, and I'm not going to read the stories right through.
But in March, Chapter 5, we have brought before us a man who was possessed by demons. You know, it's a great concern to me that the Western world today, they've given up belief in God. But, you know, man by nature is religious. And often we find today that people are searching for something that will satisfy them spiritually. Where do they go? They often go to the occult. Well, here was a man who knew all about that.
He was from the country of the Gadarenes and it tells us here in the second verse, he, when he was come out of the ship and the Lord Jesus immediately there met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit. So here comes this man. He lived in a graveyard. Can you imagine? You know, people make a great deal out of, uh, graveyards at Halloween, but here was a man that knew what it was to really live in a graveyard.
Possessed by demons. And you know, in a certain sense, this world is one vast graveyard, is it not? I often remember, and I've said it many times, I remember driving through Brooklyn, NY, a few years ago when my son lived there. We passed a graveyard, and it must have been at least one mile long. I never saw such a huge graveyard, but I just impressed upon me that that is what this world really is. We know the psalmist could say in Psalm 23.
He says, yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Well, here is this man that lived in the valley of the shadow of death. And what does it say about him in verse three who had his dwelling among the tombs and no man could bind him? No, not with chains. So this man was Ratchet, just as we had in Revelation chapter 3. Know us now not that thou art wretched. Here was a man that was wretched.
He went around.
And, uh, he was completely wild. They tried to chain him and he just broke the chains free and, uh, nothing could restrain him. And you know, does that not bring before us the man in his natural state? You know, man, they set up laws, Umm, and what happens? Man breaks those laws. He tells us that the speed limit should be 110 kilometers an hour and he goes 150 kilometers an hour. It said they make laws that say you can't steal and they steal.
These kind of things are going on today.
Because man cannot be restrained. And we know that God gave Israel the 10 commandments, and yet what happened? They broke those 10 commandments. And so man by nature is unrestrained. Well, you might say, well, I'm not like this man.
But you know, the Lord says of our hearts, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? And you know I might be able to hide from you.
What's in my heart? But God sees the heart, and He sees what's there.
And what does he said? He has said all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Well, like I say, I'm not here to go into all the details of this story, but the wonderful thing is that this poor wretched man indwelt by these legion of demons, he comes to Jesus and what does the Lord Jesus do? He delivers him. And it says they're so wonderfully in the 15th verse. And when they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion sitting and clothed and in his right mind.
They were all afraid what a change took place in this man, the one who was, umm, going up to the mountains and down to the valleys and, uh, was totally unders cons, umm, unrestrained. The Lord delivered him. And oh, dear friend, tonight I want to tell you that the Lord wants to bring blessing into your life. You might say, well, I'm not wretched, but you know, if you're not saved, you're in a wretched spiritual condition.
00:20:26
And the only one who can bring blessing into your life can bring joy and happiness.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ, and as we had on our little hymn tonight, the Lord says come.
Since Jesus gently calling ye with terror and toil oppressed all the Lord wants you to come to Him tonight. Well, as I say, the Lord was able to deliver this man who was wretched. Let's look at a man now who was miserable as we've had before us. And I might just say one other thing before we turn to the next one. It says there in Luke chapter 4 and verse 18 when the Lord is reading from the book of Isaiah.
He says I have come to deliver the captive, and isn't that what the Lord did with that man?
He had been taken captive by Satan and the Lord was able to deliver him and oh, tonight he can deliver you. You know Satan is going around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. But you know, the only one who can deliver is the Lord Jesus. Just as he delivered this captive, he wants to deliver you tonight. Well, we going out to someone who was miserable this time the book of Job, umm.
We'll just look at the 1St chapter.
And as I said, most of us here are familiar with these stories, so there's no need to read the whole thing.
But here was a man.
That, you might say, had everything going for him at first.
He had a wonderful family, he had crops, he had animals, he had everything. But you know, the day came when all those things were taken away from him. He lost his animals, he lost his family, he lost his health, umm, everything. And he came to the points Notice in the second verse, in the second chapter, it says there in the seventh verse.
So when Satan?
So when Satan force from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils.
From the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a Apache to scrape himself withal, And he sat down among the ashes, then set his wife unto him. Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Cursed dog God, and die. Cursed God and die. And he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh What Shall we receive Good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?
In all this, did not Job sin with his lips?
Well, here was this poor man.
He lost, as I said, his family and in everything that he had. And then he got these boils from head to foot. And, you know, he was just sitting there with a piece of pottery and he was just scraping the sores off his arms and his legs and his body. And, you know, his wife said, why don't you just curse God and die? And, you know, sometimes we run into very difficult circumstances in our life. And we might say, why is God allowed this to happen to me?
And uh.
You might feel like Job here, you just want to blame God for your situation and umm, and yet you know here was his wife that said curse God and die.
Well, we know that he had three friends and we don't have time to go into this whole book, But they started thinking about why this has happened to him. And they started to say, well, Job, you must have done something terrible. And they began to accuse him. In fact, notice what he says in the 16th chapter for a moment. And the second verse or the first verse.
Job chapter 16 and verse one.
Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things. Miserable comforters. Are you all you know? He just wanted a little bit of comfort to come from those friends of his, but all they could do was accuse him, and so he calls them miserable comforters. He was feeling terribly sorry for himself.
00:25:04
Look at the 10th chapter for a moment. This is just a couple of verses.
Uh, and the first verse again, notice what he says. My soul is weary of my life. I will leave my complaints upon myself. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. And so, you know, it just seemed that things got worse and worse for Joe. But you know, the day came when God spoke to Job and all of a sudden Job realized.
That he wasn't the good person that he thought he was. You know, he thought he was above reproach. And then he didn't do anything right or didn't do anything wrong. But, you know, when he got into the Lord's presence, he realized that he was a Sinner. And, you know, you might be here tonight and you might say, well, you know, I'm not such a bad person. But, you know, if we get into the presence of God, we really feel our lost condition. And that's what happened to Job. Notice what it says there in the 42nd chapter.
Uh, this is near the end of the book.
After God had spoken to him.
What does he say?
Uh, verse five of chapter 42, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job got to the end of himself. He realized that he had a lot of pride in his heart. And now he gets to the point where he says, I repent and dust and ashes.
I wonder, dear friend, have you ever got to that point? You know, we had quoted to us today that verse in Acts chapter 20, I believe it is where it says it speaks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, the first step for blessing is to realize that you're a lost, guilty Sinner on your way to hell.
And that whatever God says about us is true. Well, you know, that's where Job came. He got to the point where he realized that he was nothing. And he had to say, I abhor myself and repent and dust and ashes. Are you willing to do that tonight, dear friend? Are you willing to say that there's nothing good in me at all?
Well, Joel did, and it was the beginning of his blessing, even though all these terrible things happened to him.
Uh, still, when God heard Job get to the end of himself and acknowledged that God was far greater than what Job was, and the Job was willing to confess his sin, then there was blessing. Notice what happened at the end of his life, uh, just a little further on in that 42nd chapter.
It says Umm in the 12Th verse. The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than the beginning, for he had 14,000 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 yoke of oxen, 1000 she *****. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemima Jemima, and the name of the 2nd Kesia, and the name of the third UH, Karen Hapeck. And in all the lands where no women found so fair as the daughters of Job.
And their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. Just imagine God gave Job twice as much as he had before. And I want to say tonight, if you're willing to come to Jesus, acknowledging your sins and believing that he died on the cross and took that judgment that you deserve, God can bring blessing. I don't mean that your blessing might be twice as much material goods as you have now.
But you're promised a home in the glory. You're promised things that this world could never possibly give you, and happiness for all eternity. Well, here was this man who was miserable, and yet the Lord brought blessing. Well, our little verse in Revelation said, no, it's not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor. Let's take a look at a man who was poor.
This time in Acts Chapter 3.
00:30:02
And again, I just, uh, well, we won't say any more. Acts chapter 3. And here we have a man who was poor. We'll just read a couple of verses.
From the beginning now Peter and John went up to gather into the temple at the hour of prayer.
Being the 9th hour. And a certain uh man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they lay daily at the gate of the temple, which he called beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked alms and alms. And Peter fastening his eyes upon him with John.
Said Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto thee.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took them by the right hand and lifted them up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength, and He, leaping up, stood and walked, and entered into entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
What a wonderful story. Here's this man at the gate of the temple. You know, I remember many, many years ago, probably 43 years ago, I was walking through the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, and I remember seeing all these beggars sitting around with their hands going like this, asking for something. You know, back in those days, this would be back in the late 60s, they didn't have social programs for people who were disabled.
And the only way they could make a living for themselves was to sit there at the gate of the city, Oregon, the gate of the temple.
Asking for an arms. Well, here was this man and that's what he was doing. And he no doubt tried to get Peter's attention and said, please give me something. And what does Peter say? He says silver and gold. Have I not none, but such as I have, I give unto thee. What did Peter have? Peter didn't have anything in himself, but you know, he was the representative of the God of glory. He had come there to Jerusalem to tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ.
And how he had died to put away sin. And so he says to this man.
He says In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and watch.
And immediately he leaped up and it says he went into the temple praising God. What a change.
Well, this man was poor. And you know, when our little verse there in, uh, Revelation that says, no, it's not that thou art miserable, wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Well, you might say, well, I'm not poor like this blind man. I have a house to live in. I have a car and so on. But you know, God says that you're poor towards him. If you, when you were born into this world, you had nothing. And when you leave this world, you'll have nothing.
Uh, it says naked came I into the world and naked I will go out. There's nothing that we can take from this world into eternity. And so the only true riches are found in the Lord Jesus Christ. How often we have sung that little hymn, haven't we? Yes, Oh yes, there's something more, something more than gold. To know your sins are all forgiven is something more than gold.
I'm so thankful that even though, umm, I might not have much in this world, I'm thankful that I have all my riches and all my joy in the Lord Jesus. He came down here, he who was rich, yet for my sake became poor, that I through his poverty might be made rich. And oh, tonight he wants to make you rich. He wants to put away your sins. He wants to give you a a home in the glory for all eternity.
You know, did you ever think that everyone of us are going to have to give an account of ourselves to God?
Life is not just a matter of being born here and getting a job and living until I retire and then having a few short years and then dying. That's not what life was about. God placed us here and He expects us to live to honor Him. And we know that all of us have failed.
In many respects, and the day is coming when everyone of us, saved and unsaved, are going to have to give us an account of ourselves to Him. Are you ready to stand before Him someday and to give an account of how you have lived your life? Have you lived it just for yourself or have you lived that to please Him? We have a responsibility towards our Creator. Well, we know that God is holy and He cannot let one sin into heaven.
00:35:31
And if you do not take Jesus as your Savior, if you do not realize that he died on the cross to put away your sins and you reject him, then there's nothing for you but a lost eternity. How solemn. You know, I was just thinking of a story about a man named Alfred Lake. He lived in New Zealand. He was a young man, had quite a bit of capability, and it was doing well in business. And there was this man who.
Was a Christian and he was handing out these little booklets. You've probably seen them. They're called the reason why. And he gave one of these to uh, Alfred Lake and he said, I'd like you to read this. And umm, Albert went home and he read it. And at the back of the little booklet there was a little sign, a little space where it said, I have and it said in brackets accepted or rejected. Jesus Christ is my personal savior. Well, Alfred Lake after reading the pamphlets and thinking about it.
He signed it. He said, I have decided after careful, uh, thought to reject Jesus Christ as my savior. And when the man came back the next day to see him, he handed him the book and said, look at the back of this book. And he looked at it and he read what he had, what Alfred Lake had written well.
You know, Alfred didn't realize that his life was only going to be 9 hours more that night he went home.
He went to a party and spent the night having a good time, and it was late, I suppose, maybe midnight. When he left. The party was on his way home in a car. He was speeding down the road and it was quite dark and all of a sudden an object appeared in front of him and he hit it square on and he was ushered into eternity. He had a cow. He had no idea that he only had nine hours left to live when he signed that little booklet.
And dear friend, you don't know how long you're gonna be in this world. Your life could come to an end before the end of this meeting. We know that there have been cases of people who have just had a heart attack and died instantly. We don't know how long we're left to be here. Are you ready to meet your Creator? Are you ready to meet the Lord Jesus, the one who gave his life, that you might live well? This man here.
Uh, he believed and he received healing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, it says in Acts chapter four, we know the verse so well. Neither is there salvation than any other or there's none another name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Well, this man here, he was healed and he went into the temple praising God. You know, it's such a wonderful thing when a person comes to know the Lord and Savior to see them praising the Lord, telling others.
I remember a girl in Stellerton many years ago who accepted the Lord and she just had to tell everybody. She brought her friends into the meeting room to hear the gospel. What a wonderful thing thing it is when someone is saying, well, here was this poor man who had nothing, and he received the riches that the Lord was going to give him and did give him. Well, we have not verse wretched, miserable, poor, blind.
Let's take a look for a moment at John Nine. Our time is running away on us, so we're going to have to be very quick.
But in John Chapter 9 we have the story of the blind man.
It tells us that he was blind from his birth.
And he was. His parents said he was of age, so he must have been at least 25 or so. In other words, he had spent 25 of his years blind.
You notice no one here has lost their sights. Maybe we have a little bit of a taste of it when the power goes out. We all know about what happened a couple of weeks ago when you Hurricane Sandy came and went through New Jersey and New York and the lights went out. In fact, there are still people there in New Jersey and in New York who do not have their power. My son is there right now trying to get the power back for many people, two weeks.
00:40:13
No light, you know, There was one man so desperate. He pulled up his car in front of the the gate where the power trucks are kept, and he said, I'm not leaving my, my, uh, car here. I'm starting to leave my car right here and block your entrance until you come and put the power on in my house. That's the way he felt.
Well, you know, we take life for granted, but you know, sad to say, Satan has blinded men spiritually. So they don't understand their lost condition. They don't understand that they're going to a lost eternity, except they accept Jesus as their savior. It says in Second Corinthians chapter 4, the God of this world has blinded the minds of them.
That believe not how many young people are today That say there's no gods?
Why do they say it? Because Satan has blinded their minds.
Oh, dear friend, tonight we don't want to see you go to a lost eternity. You know what tells us of a man there in Matthew 21, I think it is. He didn't have on the wedding garments and it says they cast them out and he was, and he was thrown into outer darkness. Can you imagine what outer darkness is like? I remember a long time ago I went into a cave.
As a young person and went down and they turned off the lights and I never felt darkness like that before. It was just incredible. Well, Hal was referred to as outer darkness.
But you know the Lord Jesus doesn't want you to be in outer darkness for eternity. He says I am the light of the world.
He wants to shine the light of His glory into your heart. He wants to give you salvation tonight.
And he has paid the price. He's not asking you to pay anything. He's just asking you to believe that He died and suffered for you when those three hours of darkness on the cross to put away your sin.
Well, this blind man, he received his sight, and isn't it wonderful what it says there in the 35th verse, Jesus heard that they had cast him out. That's the blind man. And when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
And he said, Lord, I believe and he worshipped him. Are you willing to say that tonight, Lord I believe? Oh, if you do, your eyes will be opened. The Lord Jesus came to recover the the sight of those who are blind and he wants to give you spiritual eyesight tonight. Will you not come to him? Well, we have just one more and our time is really up.
But in Luke chapter 10, we all know the story of the Good Samaritan.
And again, we don't count. I haven't got time to read it, but here is this man on his way down to Jericho.
Very desolate walk.
I drove along that very Rd. just a few months ago and.
It's barren and lots of very poor people down there. No doubt there are thieves and robbers and that's the way it was here and there. He was going down and umm, what happens?
He was taken and he was stripped of his raiment and, uh, in other words, he, they not only took his money, they not only took his property, but they took the very clothes that he had. And he was just left there in the ditch. Well, a priest when it came along and he passed by. A Levi came along and he passed by. But then it says the Samaritan came to where he was. And, uh, so it says there in.
In umm the 33rd verse, a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.
And when he saw him, he had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an end and took care of him. Ah, the Samaritan, that one who was despised, that one who was rejected, no doubt a picture of the Lord Jesus. He came right to where that man was. And all I want to say that the Lord Jesus, he left his home in the glory, He came down to this world.
00:45:15
Born of that a baby in Bethlehem's Manger. And why did he do it? Because he wanted to bring blessing to your soul, and to bring blessing to my soul. And all it says there in Philippians, who being in the form of God, and thought of not robbery to be equal with God, but took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became beating unto death, even the death of the cross.
Yes, he came right to where we were. Why?
Might be clothed with the garments of salvation. You know I love that verse in Isaiah chapter 61 and we all know it, but just read it to get it correct. Isaiah 61 and verse 10. He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.
You know, it tells us that all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. You know, Adam, he tried to hide himself, uh, with fig leaves, but God could see right through that. Everything was exposed and open to him. We can't hide from God. He knows the very thoughts that we think.
It's often been said, you know, if I could just, if, if God could just right across this wall here, everything that I have thought in the last week, I would probably want to leave the room and get out of here as fast as possible. God sees my heart. He sees your heart. He knows what you're thinking. We cannot hide from him.
Well, we find here that this poor man, he was given the garments of salvation, and that's what the Lord wants to give you tonight.
He wants to give you a new life, a life that even though your life has been characterized by sin, He wants to give you a new life that wants to please him. And so it says here He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with a robe of righteousness. Always that true of you tonight. Have you come to know Him? You know we don't have time, but back there in Revelation again, it says, behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If any man hear my voice.
And open the door. I will come in to him and Sup with him, and he with me. Are you hearing his voice tonight? Are you willing to say, Lord, I want to be saved. I want to know that my sins are forgiven. I want to know that I'm on my way to glory. You know, the apostle John could write these things that I written unto you, that ye might know that ye have eternal life. Oh, friend, tonight don't leave this room.
Until this question of your sins is settled, come to Jesus tonight.
Take him as your Savior and go on your way rejoicing. Well, our time is up. Let's just look to the Lord in prayer.
Open Mtg. 3
Open—J. Schneider, M. Payette
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Lord, Thou hast drawn us after thee. Now let us run and never tire. Thy present shall our comfort be of Thyself, our hope, our soul desire. 166.
Oh, that's amazing.
I want to talk about.
I want to buy.
A more expensive one. Hearts red brown, A lot of wine too near our grilled glands and stands. Oh, it's raining but I'm a ****.
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And everything. Ah I am nevermind it's all the time. I ordered it to me.
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I was wondering if we could read one scripture before we.
Pray, umm, it's a scripture that was read this morning. It Psalm 81, verse 10. I was thinking of the latter part of the verse and a little different application that we had before we were talking about.
Our our desire to have an appetite for the word God, the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to read it now. I am the Lord thy God which brought the out of the land of Egypt.
Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it. Well, this is going to be a beating. As in umm, ministry as the Lord may lead. And if there's some here, uh, this afternoon and normally don't partake in the meeting, umm.
That if you feel that Lord, to get up and speak.
That he'll fill your mouth. Let's pray.
Your sisters and brothers, I'm not a native of your language, but I hope you will understand my very easy sentence I want to give out. We would like to read a short passage from Gospel of Matthew chapter 14.
00:05:11
We start with verse 22.
And straight away, Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship.
And he go before him unto the other side, while he sends the multitudes away.
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray.
And then the evening was come. He was there below.
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with the waves, for the wind was contrary.
And in the 4th watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking onto the sea.
And when the decider saw him walking on the sea.
They were troubled, saying it is a spirit, and they cried out for fear.
But straight away Jesus speak unto them, saying.
View of good cheer it is. I be not afraid.
And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, hit me, come unto thee on the water.
And he said come.
And when Peter was calmed down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind, boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink. He cried, saying, Lord, save me.
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, Although of little faith, Wherefore didst thou doubt?
And when they were coming to the ship, the wind ceased.
Then there is that wherein the ship came and worshipped him, saying of a truce, Thou art the Son of God.
Dear, they laughed. I think, and I guess everybody knows this story very well, and there is a very nice prophetical picture in it about that, the largest in our time, where we live, upstanding heaven and praying for us.
And this is really very nice picture what the Lord's scripture gives before us. But in this afternoon we would like to make some practical words and helps for everyday steps in the following of the Lord.
So there comes the moment where the Lord said to the disciples, go into the ship.
And there was a special reason why the Lord said this, because.
Before they start, there was a very nice time to be together with the Lord.
There are thousands of people.
And there was a place, It was a desert place.
And when the time was gone, everybody was hungry.
And the disciples are talking to the Lord and saying you have to send them home because they must eat something.
And the Lord said, no, that's not necessary because you can't give them food. And then they're talking to the Lord. They have only a little bit. It's not enough.
Really, it's every time in our life the same. We never have enough to.
Give others, but the Lord's blessings could make from very little, very much, and what is very interesting a place, what is desert? The Lord said next moment.
Here is crass.
They must recognize the disciples. The Lord had prepared a place in this desert.
Where they can sit down, where they can rest, where they are able to get food.
And what is very interesting is they could minister, minister give service for the Lord and to give food to thousands of people.
And after this the Lord said.
Pick up every single one what you will find on the ground, in the grass and on the end there are 12 baskets full of bread.
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Really, that was a nice place.
That was a wonderful experience with the Lord, to be together with him at this moment.
And next moment the Lord said it's done.
Change the blades go into the ship.
Go over the seat straightaway to the other side.
Leave this place.
I remember in my company when I say to my son and to Timothy counsel and another one who is working in my company, so these are that and they don't like it.
I must say some minutes later, hey guys, do it.
They don't like it, so they walk slowly.
And that's the reason why the Lord said in his scripture, he constrained him. The disciples, they were not interested really to leave this wonderful place of the 12 baskets.
They know very well it could be dangerous to Passover the sea now.
But the Lord said this is my plan.
Across the sea.
And the next book, the Lord said, is You have to go without my breath.
I will stay here, I do not need longer your service for the multitudes cross the sea. I will do the rest by myself.
Look, dear sister, dear brother, this is the hard word for Cyril to to listen to the words of the Lord. Now I don't need you.
Have you ever been in such a situation that the Lord said.
Just no, I don't need you.
Across the sea go straight away to another place.
This moment is a moment of obedience.
To listen carefully what the Lord is expecting from me and from you when he is saying cross the sea.
All the disciples.
They know what could could come, so they go slowly, but they go into the ship.
And they start.
This moment the Lord's Scripture give our view to the Lord Himself and the Scripture tells us.
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray, and when the evening was calm he was there alone.
Look, dear sister. Dear brother, maybe.
There's a moment in your life I know not so very much.
So I feel very free to free to speak, very practical.
There could be a moment in your life where the Lord said.
Cross the sea.
Change the place where you are now, or change your service or whatever it is in your life.
And it could be that you don't feel really good to do it because you could know it can be very, very hard for your soul and for your heart to move the place.
But the Lord still is looking upon you.
Maybe not in this way how you thought, but He every time is for you, working by prayer.
At God's right hand.
Look, they doesn't know the disciples what the Lord is doing. They only knows that the Lord had said, I will send the multitudes away without you.
To do your work and your service, walk your way. I do mine way and my work.
And so we went up to a special place in the mountains to pray.
Look the ship on the sea.
Dangerous time is coming.
They doesn't know that the Lord is praying because the Lord doesn't say it to the disciples. They are still working in what they know very well because they were fishermen. They know to lead the ship. They know the sea. They know all the things who are necessary to come to the other side of the sea.
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What they doesn't know?
Is the strength and the power of this creation.
Look, dear sister, dear brother, you are on the way. The Lord gives before you.
And it becomes even.
We read it's not every time, sunshine. It's not every time, every day, a nice day.
There are also times in our life where it is dark.
Where you don't see the next step, the next chip, the next way.
Where you maybe don't see anything.
Then only your drop you see not only your drop.
But remember, there is one who is praying for you, and you are still on the right way. Maybe the disciples ask himself, is it right that we go by the ship to the other side by this terrible wind?
But they are still on the right way.
Maybe you are on the right way and there's a lot of wind against you.
That could be.
And everybody from us knows it's not the easy time.
It's a time of trusting the Lord.
Look when the wind is against us.
We normally start to work hard in this ship.
Remember to the story of Jonah.
There was also a very big storm and they are working hard against the wind. No chance.
So it could be in your life that your heart working but no change.
What is to do?
When you are with a ship on a sea, there are rules.
The first watch, the 2nd watch every time. 3 hours.
I can imagine that they are still waiting in the first watch first three hours.
Did the Lord forget us?
What is he doing now? Where is he?
Time is over, 3-3 hours. Next watch is coming, the second one still waiting for the Lord.
Did you forget that?
He'll never forget you. He'll never forget me. How hard the wind may be and how big the waves could be. He never forget you and me.
The third watch.
Still waiting?
For the help of this one they knows very well, but there is nothing.
Sometimes, dear sister, dear brother, we have to wait longer than we expect that the Lord is coming and change our situations and circumstances.
But it is very good to know in this time the Lord is still there.
I can't see him, but he is still there. He never changed.
Look, there comes the 4th watch.
Is this the hours are gone, the sunrise up?
Then you must not look for a foreign light or a help light. Then you can see with your own eyes. But in this time of watching the 4th one, the Lord comes.
Over the sea he comes in a way nobody from the disciples expect.
Why, when they saw the Lord, they thought that the Spirit, and they started to cry. They were afraid.
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Do you know such a situation in your life? Big trouble. You knows very well I'm on the right way because the Lord gives me the instruction to walk this way, to crossover the sea.
And it is so hard and I'm still waiting for him.
Breathe day and night, I can tell you.
Hours could be in the night like days in Vic.
Stilway.
And there comes a moment where the Lord steps into your life, into your travel, in the way you didn't expect.
We are so smart, often we are so much ideas how we can help ourselves.
And what the Lord should do. We had so many solutions.
But often we must learn that the Lord comes with His solution. We are more than astonished because it is out of our hearts and soul and our minds. What He is doing we never expect. And that was what these disciples never expected. They didn't expect that the Lord comes walking on the water.
There is still storm.
It doesn't stop. Maybe it is also in your life. Storm doesn't stop. Difficulties doesn't end.
Soros doesn't stop, but the Lord is coming, and your eyes have him in his, in your view. So what is now?
That the things changed when they start to cry because they they don't understand that it is the Lord who is coming.
He have to tell them.
Don't be afraid.
That's.
That moment.
Where the disciples listened to this known voice.
Of the law.
Circumstances doesn't change.
But her hearts and souls changed. They know this is the wonderful voice of the Lord be heard by ears. It's not a fair, not a foreign voice. It is a well known voice for the soul. We say it again, circumstances doesn't change in this moment.
But the voice is well known.
Look, now comes a very interesting picture before us. It's a picture from me, maybe from you, and that is a story in this story with Peter.
Peter says.
Lord, if thou it.
Then say to me, come to me, walk on the water.
And the Lord said, come, Peter, why did you ask this?
The order of the Lord wants to grow the sea by ship, not by sea.
That's what we are doing. We get an order from the Lord, and if we see the Lord in her, hearing his voice and the trouble, he starts to do things the Lord never wants. Let me do it. The order was to cross by ship, not to walk with the fields.
It is not standing here, but dear sister, dear brother, I can't imagine that that Peter doesn't expect that the Lord said come.
He was in the ship. He knows the ship very well, and it was a good place in the ship to hear the Lord's voice because that was an experience of his life. He often leads a ship where the Lord was in and preaching and hearing his voice.
Look when the Lord said Peter come.
He was in a very big trouble.
If he doesn't leave the ship.
The other disciples will never see a very serious Simon Peter in him.
So what has he do? Do you must do this step? That's it. Do you know this from your life? I know it from my life. To talk very loud, special things, you know. And the Lord said, OK, come on.
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And then you have to make this that.
Yeah.
Peter stepped out of the ship.
And is walking on the water. How great, how faithful is the Lord? He let him walk over the water.
Do you know this from your life, that there comes moments where the Lord said come because you have not so very good idea to do?
As you start and it works very well.
But then you start to look around you.
And if Peter hear the voice of the storm, not of the voice of the Lord.
And saw the waves on all. How big the trouble is in the sea?
He starts to sing.
Maybe there is a time where the Lord must give out a lesson in our lives that we start to sing because we talk too loud to Him.
A question especially for young people here.
To walk out of a ship.
To walk over water, look through the circumstances and sink. Does it make sense?
I can't tell you no, because if the sun is shining, you also can't wall over water.
That's the big lesson that the Lord gives his disciples and Peter.
It's not a question to look about circumstances in your life.
It's not a question how good you can walk with your feet.
It's a question of faith.
To do this because nobody can walk over water, you know that. Try it, it will never works.
That Peter could walk over was what? Because the Lord is the Creator and He gives Peter the possibility to walk in this way.
He is, He was very faithful against Peter because he wants to give him a very, very important lesson.
Peter, it's not a question to talk very loud in the presence of your brethren of the other designers.
It's not a question that you understand my voice very well.
That you could walk over water.
The only reason is how long you have the faith to do it. Because you trust in me and you know how great I am. You can look.
Remember.
The circumstances haven't changed. It is still stormy.
He is still on the way to the Lord, but then he starts to sing.
'Cause his faith was very small and there was doubt from one moment to the next in his heart that the Lord may be not help him and he will die and sink to the pram.
Look.
To all the way with the Lord. And then circumstances make a lot of trouble and you start to sing.
Do you really believe that the Lord will go? You will have that you go down under in the water?
Could you imagine that the Lord give his life for you his plan? And then he said, oh, I'm sorry, Zinc.
Do you really believe that? No.
But he cried.
Lord, safely.
I can tell you the creator who created the year, he is that one who really listen to the cry of his own.
Look, in Germany we have a lot of, umm, Christian sorts of, umm, associations, and they all have something. I think you don't have it here. Prayer books, you can open it. Very nice words.
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Very serious words.
But if you are in trouble in your life and the Lord starts to teach you how to pray, you will learn what it will be to cry.
This is a moment of very big trouble where you know there is only the last chance.
Do you know this in your life?
Big trouble. You'll never see a help.
They will reach this point down on your knees crying Lord Satan.
Look.
Peter stopped, and his small faith make it impossible that he could reach the Lord. He starts to sing.
That's me. Maybe that's you.
But the Lord every time reach you at me.
Here is Aldi's hand.
Bring him out of the water.
And bring him in the ship where he was before.
How faithful is the Lord?
In our lives.
How faithful is the Lord against Peter? How great is his help? How different are his ways? But he never change, and it is great to see that moment where Peter learned the lesson.
They are not crying.
They are not scared, they are not afraid.
They are looking to a wonderful purse.
That they have in her ship.
They start to worship the Lord.
They have seen him run. Those baskets were filled.
Really. Here's the creator.
And his hand is every time full of pleasant.
From small and literally can make big underneath.
This is very interesting to learn.
But they had something more to learn. He is not only a creator.
He is the Son of God.
The end of that lesson was for Peter and the disciples. We have to worship only this one person, the Son of God.
On the end of my very easy Bird's question.
What is this person in your life, Your heart and your soul and your spirit? How great is this Son of God for me and you? This is the answer of all questions in your life.
How more he is, How less I am.
How greater He is, How smaller I am, How more I say his power. See I see his power and strength. How more I know I am nothing.
034.
6.
Bid thus come his voice we know, and boldly on the water. Joe 171.
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The book of Nehemiah, the third chapter. Hold your place there. I'd just like to read one verse before from Proverbs 18, Proverbs 18, and verse 10.
The name of the Lord.
Is a strong tower.
The writers run it into it.
And is safe.
Is 84 Psalm. It says that to go around Jerusalem and consider its towers, and we have an Nehemiah chapter 4.
As he restored that wall and put the doors back, we have 4 towers there.
I'd just like to speak briefly.
Some thoughts from that first verse. Nehemiah chapter 3.
Nehemiah 3 verse one. Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priest, and they builded the sheep gate.
They sanctified it and set up the doors of it, even into the Tower of Mia. They sanctified it unto the Tower of.
There are two towers here.
And call Mia one called Anaheim.
So that was in verse 11, the third one, verse 11.
Matchesa, the son of Harem and Asher, the son of.
Repaired the other piece and the tower.
Of the furnaces.
And then we have in verse 25.
Palo Alto.
Over against the turning of the wall and the tower which light out from the King's high house.
I have the standing out tower, the high standing out tower in my French Bible.
And in verse 27 and we use the same tower, and then take away prepared another place over against the great tower that lay it out even unto the wall of Bothell.
Four towers, and I enjoyed that verse in connection with that, that the name of the Lord is a strong tower, and each of these towers perhaps present to us a thought in connection with the name of the Lord, the tower of Mia. Mia means 100.
Sheep Gate 100.
Brings to us the part of the Great Shepherd, the shepherd who is not going to lose.
One sheep and I'd like to think of the name of the Lord as the God.
About salvation.
The salvation that we speak about in the gospel, the salvation of our lives as Peter could call out and say, Lord, save me, save my life through these circumstances that I'm going through, and the final salvation, the salvation of our body when it comes from heaven.
Doesn't depend on me and my greatness.
But the greatness of the God.
Of my salvation. Of your salvation. A salvation that glorifies Him doesn't glorify me. He's going to glorify us with Himself, but it's to his glory. Because of his work, none of his own will ever be lost. The God of my salvation.
The Tower of Anaheim means.
The grace of God write those verses in first Peter chapter 5.
First Peter, chapter 5.
Pretend by the God.
Of all Greece.
Which had called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus. After you've suffered a while and make you perfect, establish strength and settled you him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Verse 12 by Sylvanus, the faithful brother unto you, as I suppose I have written, briefly exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein we stand.
The God of all grace.
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Whatever they need, whatever the condition, whatever the problem, one we can come to.
And find ways to help.
In time of need.
And when you're the object of His grace, not only in salvation but in your pathway, it is to His glory, making you thankful and knowing that this God of your salvation is the God of all grace.
You cannot come to the throne of grace and find an answer that there is none available. There is grace available. Let's avail ourselves of the grace of God, the God of all grace.
Then we had mAh Chapter 3 we had.
The tower of the furnaces.
Times of testing.
Times of suffering.
Of intensity.
And I don't know too much about that, but I have in Second Corinthians chapter one.
The name of God.
As the God of all comfort, the God of all comfort sufficient.
To comfort His people in whatever circumstance they find themselves in. And there is a purpose in the comfort of God.
But by the comfort we're with, we are comforted. We may comfort those that need comfort with the comfort wherewith we are comforted, the comfort of God. What a resource we have the God of our salvation, the God of all grace, the God.
Of all comfort.
Then this last hour we read about.
Mention in verse 27.
The Great Tower.
Well, let's look at that name. Philippians Chapter 2.
Well known verse.
Philippians, Chapter 2.
Verse 9.
Wherefore God also had highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.
That's the name of Jesus. Every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The name above every name.
We can rejoice and rest in the fact it is the God of our salvation, a perfect salvation. We can rest and rejoice on the faculty of the God of all grace, rejoice and rest on the faculty, the God of all comfort.
But beyond his salvation, His grace and His comfort, there is more.
There is him himself.
The name above every name. He is the Son of God. His title is Lord.
But his name is Jesus.
The lonely Jesus, the Jesus that wants you to come to him. The Jesus wants to be your shepherd, your comforter, your salvation.
Your supply of grease and your friend. Oh dear ones.
God takes pleasure and are calling upon Him.
In salvation for our souls, for our lives, He takes pleasure in US calling upon Him and coming to Him for grace, and He takes pleasure in our coming to Him for comfort.
But I tell you, I think he takes great pleasure and you and I coming to him just because it's him.
And we say #165.
1St 2/3 Why in a section fairness and passing through the fire now Love we praise, we strive our ways 165.
00:55:49
We live in our Father's Day in my.
Just before we pray, but in Genesis Chapter 11.
Genesis Chapter 11 and we'll just read.
Verse four, as they said, go to let us build us a city.
As an hour.
Whose heart may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the face of the whole earth.
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language, And this they begin to do.
And now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do. Go to let us go down, and there confound their languages, their language. They may not understand one another's speech.
So the Lord scattered them abroad.
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Just an adverse that was read earlier in Proverbs 11.
Proverbs 11 I'm sorry, 18 I should say.
And uh, first hand, the name of the Lord is a strong tower.
A righteous runeth into it and is safe.
Just commend ourselves.
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