Montreal Conference: 2015
Table of Contents
Ephesians 1:1-3
Reading
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141.
2019.
All the northern art where it makes it a higher spin.
HIGHLAND, CA.
I have got some grass in a great sailor.
How far did we get Bob?
I suggest they start with verse four. I know we have made comments in four and five that we don't have to spend too much time there, but.
Ephesians, chapter 14.
According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. To Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted. In the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.
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Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things.
After the counsel of his own will that we should be to the praise of his glory.
Who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation? In whom also after that you believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory. Wherefore I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus.
And love unto all the Saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power.
To us who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which he wrought in Christ.
When He raised him from the dead, and set him at His own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And have put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him.
That filleth All in all.
As we were mentioning this morning, this chapter gives what God does. It's all his work in this chapter, and I think that's important to see. It's God's sovereign working man is responsible, He as well. But we don't get that in this chapter. Somebody has said that it's like the two rails of a railway track that runs side by side.
People constantly try to reconcile them, and in Scripture you find it presented. God is sovereign, man is responsible, and it runs side by side all through Scripture. And when we try to reconcile those things, sometimes we err, Brethren, let's leave the Scripture where they are. God is sovereign. At the same time, man is responsible.
And God is in this chapter is working. I'd like to point out something in verses four and five that I.
Have found helpful that in verse four when it's talking about choosing.
Or election we are talking about our persons he chooses persons but when we talk about predestination in in verse five we're talking about a position that he is when he chose us he had in mind for us to fill and as was brought out this morning it is says in the King James to the adoption of children. It's really.
To be brought into the position of sonship, remember.
In the story of the prodigal son, when the.
Younger son came back from the far country.
And he was going to say, Make me as one of thy hired servants.
God doesn't need any more hired servants, brethren. He's got millions of angels to do his will what he wants. His sons that can come into his house, that can sit down at his table, that can share his thoughts. That's the thought in sonship. That's where we've been brought. And so he's chosen us in verse four, and He's predestinated us to fulfill this position.
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Brethren, to be brought into all God's thoughts is wonderful and none of us get very far. But oh brethren, this is the place we have been brought to the older.
Son, who was also prodigal really, because he didn't want to come into the house when his father begged him to, wanted to make Mary with his friends. She didn't want to have anything to do really with his father. He was in his heart. He was as far away as his younger brother and was.
Really, even though he didn't outwardly transgress like his younger brother did. And that's where we are in nature. But just another thought here in verse four, brethren, that I've so thoroughly enjoyed.
He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. You know everything connected with the Church is heavenly, brethren.
So God first thought about us as being brought into sonship has no connection whatsoever with this world. It took place before there was any world in existence. I love what brother Eric Smith used to say about an old Indian, Bolivian Indian that explained it this way, he says.
Before God ever dropped a stone in place, He was thinking about this Indian Oh brother, and isn't that wonderful? He chose us in him, and it was that we should be wholly and without blame before Him in love. We're talking about position here. This is where we the place we occupy in Christ holy.
And this is complete holiness, positional, and we've been brought into it. It's not something we struggle to attain. This is where God has brought us in the work of Christ. And if we are brought into the enjoyment of it, it will give us power to walk in holiness of life practically.
Sometimes they give the illustration of a young lady who is going to be married and she puts on this beautiful white gown.
Beautiful. She goes out into the street to go to wherever it is. She's going to be married and out on the street there's a lot of dirty stuff. There's dirty cars. You think she's going to be careful how she walks down that street? She sure is. Why is she so careful? Because of that beautiful spotless gown she has on. And brethren, if we realize that's the position he's put us into.
It's not something I struggle to attain, but I've been brought into this and if we enjoy that, it will give us power to walk in holiness of life to not bring any.
Stain on that precious name that is named upon us.
That's because we have a divine nature that loves holiness. It's not something that we struggle to obtain. We we have.
That nature now that loves the things of God, has the capacity to enjoy the very same things that God himself enjoys. But we do have the old nature with us until the end of the story. So we have to walk with our brother Bob is beautifully brought before us, carefully, circumspectly, or else we, uh, can become.
Spotted.
With the world like the young lady that was going through a collary in Scotland with a beautiful white dress. The guide was taking them around through the coal mine and she said, Sir, is there anything wrong with me going down into the mine with this white dress on? Well, he said the young lady, lassie, it's there's nothing wrong in you going down, but I can't guarantee that you'll come up with a white dress.
So we are called upon to the unspotted from the world.
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Mention two, that there is nothing in this chapter which is at variance with man's responsibility. Paul brings it in here in verse 12 and verses 12 and 13, how that he and others had first trusted in Christ, and that it was necessary for.
Them, of course, and they had trusted in Christ the same man whom the Spirit of God used to pen this epistle.
It's recorded of them in the 14th chapter of Acts that he and his company went into the synagogue in Iconium and so fake that a great multitude turned to the Lord. I'm sure when they spoke in that synagogue, it was not merely as was mentioned in the open meeting, going through the motions and saying it doesn't really matter what we say. No, they're no doubt was a real earnestness.
Why? Because they shared in the heart of God. But as Bob was mentioning, the emphasis here is on God and what He does.
I'd just like to mention the thought of adoption in a practical way.
Our brethren in uh, Ottawa have a young family of two children and they were adopted.
And the first time I saw them I would never connect.
He shouldered with the parents because one little girl was Ethiopian and I believe the young lad was from Africa. If I'm right now, just looking at the family situation, I would never guess in 1000 years that that was one family. I, I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't have known at that point. It wasn't until I talked to them.
And talk to the parents and to the brethren in that assembly, that that was a family now the children.
Believe fully that they were part of that family.
And I could see it, and others could see it. They love the parents and the parents love them. They were adopted even though they were totally different in nationality. And yet.
It was one.
Beautiful to have that adoption that we belong, uh, to a family and to the Lord Jesus Christ.
There's an Old Testament account that helps illustrate verse five. I could turn to it in Genesis.
Genesis chapter 48.
And verse 5.
This is when Joseph.
Brought his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
Before his father Jacob, these boys were Jacob's grandsons.
And he brings them to his Father to be blessed.
Verse five. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine as Reuben and Simeon. They shall be mine, and thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in there.
Inheritance. So there's an inheritance in view.
And.
Joseph brings these boys to his father, and his father says, as it were, they're not yours, they're mine. Well, they were Josephs.
They were born to Joseph. That's how they got into Jacob's family. They were born into it.
So what is Jacob saying?
When he says they're mine.
He qualifies it even as.
Reuben and Simeon.
Ruben and Simeon were these boys uncles.
And of the 12 sons of Jacob, they would all share in the inheritance that their father left them.
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And now Jacob is elevating his two grandsons to the very same position of their uncles. And he said they're not going to get an inheritance through Joseph so much, but they're going to get an equal inheritance with their uncles. I'm bringing them to the same level and relationship to me as their uncles have. Well, their uncles were.
Jacob's sons, he says. These aren't my grandsons.
They're my sons and they're going to share in the inheritance equally and the purposes of God.
Levi was not going to get an inheritance.
That developed later and so God is providing in another side of things, splitting Joseph you might say, into two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh, that there would be 12 tribes, all dividing the inheritance. Levi himself not having a portion. God was his portion.
And the and that was developed later. But here these two boys are brought to the same place as their uncles. That's the scriptural.
Doctrine of adoption.
You and I entered the family of God when by the will and word of God, we were born again.
There is only one way into God's family, and that is by birth.
But we have a status within that family of sons and there is a sharing of the inheritance with Christ. He's elevated us to that place to share the inheritance with his own son. And so we've been predestinated and the the word adoption really in Mr. Darby's translation is not there. It's sun ship.
Sun's place. He's brought us as near as could possibly be.
To the place of his own Son, to share that inheritance with his Son for all eternity. We've been predestinated. To that relationship of sons in the family of God. Again, you got into the family of God by His sovereign choice. You were born again.
But you have been given a status in that family, as close as could possibly be to that of his own. Son predestinated to sonship. Son's place.
Is often misunderstood, umm, it's not to receiving, uh, the divine life and being quickened, but it's really an upgrade into that position, uh, of the Lord Himself.
The Old Testament Saints were quickened, but they didn't have the adoption of sons.
I think that Steve has explained it very well.
Taking a person, uh, bringing a person into the family is not necessarily adoption in the scriptural sense of the word. Is that right, Bob?
Alright, question. Is it the same thought, brother Steve, uh, as we have in Romans 8IN connection with uh, uh, adoption there and then it adds the term joint air.
Is that the same thought there? Can I read the verses in Romans 8 and verse 15?
For ye have not received the spirit of ******* again to fear.
So you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry ABBA. Father, the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children.
Then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. I understand an illegal way is that joint heirs means to share equally.
Is this the same thought as you were bringing out?
I believe that is.
The same thought.
Perhaps.
The emphasis is more strongly.
On the place of being equal as heirs, then it is exactly the dividing of the inheritance and equal portions. In other words, it's the emphasis is more on the status to which we've been elevated than saying that Everett the Pi is divided in exactly 8 pieces, so to speak.
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Maybe if we turn to Galatians we get a little more help with that.
Chapter 4.
And verse one.
Now I say that the air, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all that is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we when we were children, were in ******* under the elements of the world.
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them, that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, ABBA father. So we have children who are elevated to the position of sonship Son's place. And so in the Old Testament, those who were truly of faith were born of God, but they didn't know that they were children of God. They didn't enjoy that relationship as children of God. Why?
Because God was testing the 1St man.
Adams race and Adams race, the 1St man still had a standing before God until that test was completed. And so as long as the first man had a standing before God, that relationship of children could not be enjoyed or known.
But once that was done, then that could be brought out. And that's what the emphasis is in the Gospel of John. He gave them the right to be called the children of God, to know and enjoy that relationship as God's children and with one another as children of God.
And so the Jews, Paul says we Speaking of himself and the Jews.
In the Old Testament we're under, governors and tutors were any different than servants. So in a large, wealthy home, when the children are little, they might play with all the children of the servants that serve that home, and they all run around together and play games. And there are just no different. They're schooled together, they wrestle together, they play together. They're all just all on the same level. But the time comes.
When there's going to be a difference made?
They're no different than the servants, children when they were little. But the time comes when there's going to be a difference made. And that time came, the fullness of time. God sent his son, and he has brought them out from under that ******* of the law into liberty, into the place of sons. And then he says, And because ye are sons, Gentiles, we were never under the ******* of the law, never in that place, but we too have been brought into the place of sons because ye are sons.
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son and your hearts crying ABBA Father to enjoy that relationship of.
Sons, I find it helpful, brethren, to distinguish between John's ministry which speaks of new birth into God's family by the will of God, and Paul's ministry speaks more of adoption and being brought into.
The position of sonship like has been explained, and I think it is helpful in natural things. You cannot be born into a family and adopted at the same time. But in the two aspects that we have in the ministry of John and the ministry of Paul, we have both that apply to us. So it's nice to take him as Scripture presents him, and that's simplicity.
Addiction and dignity.
Children, which is not really the, uh, correct translation. Here is relationship and nature which is developed in the future.
Questionnaire.
Uh, umm, wondering about Romans and Galatians and Ephesians here. If it's not the individual versus the, the collective, we know it's individual enrollments. We know it's the individual in, umm, in Galatians, but in Ephesians, it seems to me raises a question only so speaking about two groups and there, there's three examples of it. In the second chapter, we have the, the middle wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles.
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Coming down to two groups.
In the first chapter verse 12 That we should be that appraised of his glory who first trusted or pre trusted in Christ the Jews and they of Pentecost and on those afterwards Enuma. He also trusted and he also trusted as we in need. See after that he heard the word of truth, the gospel your salvation. That's acts after 10 the Gentiles coming in.
As we see it purposely gonna be brought together in one perfect union in verse 10, a day coming, both groups are gonna be both. Those that are in in heaven, those are on earth. Is it not the collective here in Ephesians rather than the individual? Nothing makes a difference, I suppose.
I suggest that the emphasis in the first chapter is on individual privilege and then in the second chapter of the Spirit of God widens the spirit of collective privilege. So the collective privilege is not in any way left out here in the first chapter, because I believe Bob mentioned it in the reading meeting this morning, that at the end of the chapter, or maybe it was in the opening, I forget. But anyway, he mentioned that at the end of the chapter the collective aspect is brought in and of course in the.
Original ratings of the scripture. It wasn't divided into chapters and so.
What's at the end of chapter one as we have chapters divided?
Lead.
Excuse me, leads into the collective aspect. So it's just a matter of emphasis to show us. I believe that God deals first with individuals to give them the realization of their heavenly blessings and then brings in the collective part.
Going on in our chapter, uh, verse six says to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved or taken us into favor in the beloved. Here's another spiritual blessing, brethren, we stand before God in all the favor that he looks at his own beloved Son.
In that incredibly wonderful.
It's something we need to meditate on. Sometimes I see younger, young people and they don't feel accepted. They feel like they're the lone man out. They sit in a crowd like we are today, but they still feel alone.
Just let me say to you, if that's where you feel that you have been accepted in the highest level possible before God in Christ and you need to learn to enjoy that. Oh, the blessedness of it.
Taken into favor in the beloved.
Often enjoy the story of a. I'm sure many of you have heard it at Buckingham Palace in England. One morning a little boy appeared from the countryside. When he presented himself at the gate, he said, I want to see the Queen. And of course the guard said, no way, get out of here. And he stood off to the side. He'd come evidently from a distance and.
He didn't know what to do.
Down the street here comes another boy running towards the gate. And as he comes to the gate, the guards stand at attention. In your run straight in was the Prince of Wales. But as he gets into the gate he stopped. He had seen that little boy crying and he asked the guards what's what's wrong? Why is he crying? He wanted to see the Queen. He can't go in.
So the little Prince or the Prince says to the little boy, you come with me.
And he went right in to the queen with the Prince. He was accepted in the beloved. Oh brethren, do we understand that place of privilege and supreme favor that we occupy before God in Christ? If any question can be put on you in your position as a believer in the Lord Jesus, that question mark has to be laid on the Lord Jesus as.
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At the same time, because we are accepted in the beloved. How beautiful, how wonderful, brethren.
HA Iron Side gave an illustration. He'd been on a farm years ago. It was a sheep farm. And he saw this creature running across the field and it looked like it had six legs and was tattered. And he asked one of the, uh, farmhands what that was. And the man ran and grabbed it and brought it back and it was a lamb and, uh, tied around it was a, a, another lambskin. And he asked him why.
He said, well, during birthing time we had a you that gave birth to a lamb, but it died. And we had another you that gave birth to a lamb and the you died. And so we thought, well, we'll put the orphan lamb with the living mother and let it nurse it and raise it. And they brought the lamb to it and she refused it. She sniffed it over. It wasn't hers, pushed it away, he said. So we skinned out the lamb that had died.
And we tied its fleece around the living one, and she smelled that and she accepted it and nursed it. And there was a happy little creature running across that field, well fed, accepted in the beloved.
And we said chapter one is what we are as children to the father, and chapter 5, what we are the spouse of the of the bridegroom, the what we are surprised.
Christ is the fact that we are going to share.
With the Lord, all this glory that he will have as Son of man, he's not going to take it alone. He's going to take it in His Saints. I don't know whether I'm answering your question or not, but.
What was your question again?
Chapter one is what we we are to the Father as children and chapter 5 what we are.
The the the bride of Christ to Christ.
What we are to Christ and what we are to the following, well, our position, uh, will be, uh, as the consort, the, uh, the queen of the uh.
Bedroom In that coming day, uh, there will be a complete, uh, new, uh, government in Ottawa. This, uh, where I live this week there was the inauguration of a completely new government.
New Prime Minister, uh, new cabinet. Everything was changed in Ottawa this week, 3000. People witnessed it. Well, when we are with Christ, there's going to be a complete change of the whole administration of this world. We're going to reign as, as with Christ as we drive, is going to share that inheritance which has connection with the earth.
Umm, with his bride, he's not going to reign alone. We are going to reign with him. I think that's the thought in verse 10, but I don't know if I've answered our brother's question or not.
Perhaps this doesn't answer the question, but it's along the same line. Umm, I've been listening to a tape in the car and I was with another brother and uh, I think that whoever was his brother sitting on the tape set, uh, there's not going to be one person in heaven any nearer to the Lord Jesus than you are. And the fellow riding on the car with me said, well, what about the person sitting on the left hand and the right hand?
Well, if you're reading a revelation in chapter 3, I, I suppose that's the overcoming of such a thing that overcome. I will give them, uh, I will get to him to sit with me in my phone and, uh, in any way that we can possibly imagine will be an all nearness in the closeness of correct.
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We do get our relationship to God the Father.
Established and settled in the first chapter. Later on there's the development of the mystery and our relationship to Christ. But it's important in the order because first we're settled in our position before God. There's no question of as to our being there in any wise contrary to his nature. We're ex. We're before him without blame, holy and in love.
Life of Samuel
Address—Bill Prost
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Not too long before this meeting.
Two little girls were chatting with me.
And I was rather flattered that they would do so.
And one of them asked me what my favorite hymn was.
I said that's a hard question. There are so many good ones.
But I told her a number of him that I really liked.
Maybe we'll sing part of it.
#64.
#64 and because the meeting isn't as long as some, and because time, because the hymn is long, let's start at verse 5 #64 beginning at verse 5.
Our God.
Nsnoise.
Let's ask the Lord's help.
Yesterday evening.
A younger brother reminded me.
Of something that I had spoken upon probably several years ago at this conference.
Well, I'd like to talk a little bit this afternoon about another Old Testament character that has been on my heart lately, a man by the name of Samuel Samuel. And so would you turn with me, please, to the book of First Samuel?
First Samuel, Chapter One.
Samuel's life.
Covers quite a significant portion of the history of Israel.
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And we will have time only to consider certain highlights in his life.
But let's read a couple of verses and then we'll talk a little about them.
First Samuel, Chapter One.
And verse 9.
Here is a godly woman by the name of Hannah who is in very sad straights because she has no child.
Verse 9. So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat by a seat, no, upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and Remember Me, and not forget thine handmaid.
But will give unto thine handmaid a manchild.
Then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
Verse 17 Then Eli answered and said, go in peace.
And the God of Israel grant thee thy petition, that thou hast asked of him.
Verse 19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord.
And returned and came to their house, to Rhema and Alcan knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name, Samuel say.
Because I have asked him of the Lord.
This is a meeting for young people, but I would like, if I may, to speak.
To young couples and young families also for a moment, I think you also rate as being young people.
And I would heartily encourage you to take upon yourselves the attitude and spirit of Hannah.
She was a woman who had a great deal of sorrow in her life because her husband had two wives. And we won't go into the reasons for that. God didn't particularly.
Shall we say, institute that at the beginning? But he allowed it in the Old Testament, before the full light of these Christian times had come upon the world.
And she had no children, whereas the other wife, Panina, had children.
But the Lord eventually listens to Hannah's prayer, and Hannah's desire was that she would have a child.
Who would be devoted to the Lord?
May we have that desire as Christian parents.
Anna asked for this child, and the Lord answered her prayer.
And she calls him Samuel, which means asked of God.
Here was this little baby, born into a very difficult time in Israel's history.
There was considerable failure all around.
The people had failed.
The priesthood had failed.
And as we are to find out, as history goes on.
The first king whom God allowed Samuel to anoint over Israel proved to be a big failure. He proved to be a man of this world, not a man after God's own heart.
But God had in his purposes to put his King on the throne, David, a man after God's own heart, a man who prefigures.
None other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're going to talk about David as being a type of Christ.
But here between the tremendous failure of Israel under God on the one hand.
The tremendous failure of everything to do with Israel, including that priesthood that was supposed to lead the people in the worship of the Lord and in walking in His ways. Between that tremendous failure and the anointing of God's rightful king and the time that that rightful king would take his place over all Israel, there was.
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A gap. There was a gap, and God was going to fill that gap.
With what? And some will recognize the source of this expression.
God was going to fill that gap.
By what one of our good writers calls us, calls us God's emergency man. God's emergency man. And here we find Samuel being brought into this world under these circumstances as God's emergency man.
I believe I'm looking at a number of Samuels here this afternoon, and just because his gender happens to be male doesn't mean it doesn't apply to young sisters too. I am looking at a lot of boys and girls and young men and women here who have grown up in Christian homes, who have grown up under the sound of the word of God, who have grown up in the place where the full truth of God has been made available to you.
Samuel was not old enough to know what was going on here. He merely followed the faith of his parents.
But here was a young man whom God was going to use in a time when there was a great deal of failure, but prefiguring that wonderful time when God's rightful king was going to sit upon the throne. And you and I are living in difficult days. The church has been, if I can say it, an even bigger failure than Israel. Why do I say that? Yes, Israel failed.
Terribly under.
The blessings and the promises that God had given them.
But the church has failed under much greater blessings as we had in the reading this morning, under much greater promises, under tremendous blessing that far surpasses anything that even the godliest one in the Old Testament ever knew. And you and I are living at the end of God's dispensation of grace. We're living right on the eve of the time when God is going, first of all, to call us home.
But then bring forth his rightful king as head over all things, as we had in Ephesians one and verse 10.
Are you willing to fill the gap?
In that time, as Samuel did.
Let's look for a moment or two at Samuel's early life, and then we'll look at what he did as a mature man, because our time is limited.
Verse 24 of First Samuel 1.
And when she had weaned him, she, that is, Hannah, took him up with her with three bullocks, and one hee of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the House of the Lord in Shiloh.
And the child was young, and they slew a Bullock and brought the child to Eli.
And she said, O my Lord, as thy soul liveth.
My Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here.
Praying unto the Lord For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition, which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he liveth, he should be lent to the Lord.
And notice the language here.
Does it say and she worshiped the Lord there?
Hmm, striking isn't it? And he worshipped the Lord there. That's not a mistake in the translation.
Hannah brings Samuel up to that temple as a very young boy.
And we won't dwell on it, but if we were to go into the next chapter, we would find out that Eli had failed seriously as God's high priest.
00:15:05
He was, in one sense.
A godly man, and he had a heart for the Lord and for the things of the Lord.
But there was, if we could say it, a streak of the flesh in Eli that he had not dealt with, and as a result, he had never disciplined his sons properly or restrained them from their evil ways.
Rather, he seemed to enjoy the good food that was provided for him. Scripture records that as an old man, he was heavy.
And it also records that his sons were men of Belial or Belial, whoever you want to pronounce it, and that they were not only wickedly immoral, but that they also profaned the sacrifices of the Lord.
And you can well imagine.
How Hannah must have prayed, and what an exercise of soul it must have been to her to bring that little boy up to the temple and commit him to the care of that man Eli, who had been such a signal failure as a father.
And for that poor boy to be brought up, I say poor in the human sense of the word, to be brought up under that man's guidance and in the company and being witnessed to the bad behavior of Eli's sons. But she trusted the Lord. And again, I would say to you young parents, don't hesitate to bring your children to where you know the Lord is gathering to himself in the midst. There is much failure there.
I hope it's OK to mention it, but a brother and I were talking early this morning.
And he quoted an old brother that I knew very well.
Who said?
Wherever the Lord is gathering to himself in the midst, Satan will do the utmost to make trouble, and he does. But let's trust the Lord for our children, as Hannah did. She brought him up there, and Samuel, no doubt.
Had to witness some of those things that were very difficult for him.
But let me digress for a moment, I said. I'm looking at some Samuels here.
I know that there are those of you here who have grown up in difficult environments.
And I know that despite the fact that you may have, at least outwardly, have been brought up in a Christian whole, sometimes things don't always go very smoothly. The enemy comes in, difficulties and problems arise.
And it is very easy to become upset with our background and what we have been brought up in. And it's rather fashionable today to blame everyone but ourselves for the difficulties in our lives. And to say that it was my parents and the way they brought me up, or it was the background in which I lived, or the culture in which I grew up, or some such thing as that, To blame the shortcomings in our Christian lives.
I only say to you that God gives us an example in Samuel here of one young man whose mother had faith, and who as a very young boy had gotten hold of it, because it says here when he was taken up to Eli, he worshipped the Lord.
Well, let's go on here. Verse 18 of the next chapter, First Samuel 2 and verse 18.
But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child girded with a lean and ephod.
Moreover, his mother made him a little coat and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Oh, his mother didn't forget that little boy, and every year she went up and she provided for him what she was able to do. She brought in that coat, and that coat no doubt had to be enlarged every year as Samuel grew.
But what happened?
What happened? Let's go on now to Chapter 3.
Chapter 3.
Verse 7.
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
Oh, you'll see. Now wait a minute, Bill. Don't tell me how that fits in. How does that work when it says he worship the Lord at the end of chapter one and here in chapter 3 it says he did not yet know the Lord. Oh, I believe Samuel there.
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Under his mother's influence knew in that sense who the Lord was. But there came a time in his life when there had to be a personal relationship with the Lord. You and I can ride, as it were, on the coattails of others. You and I can ride on the spirituality and godliness of our parents and perhaps others within the assembly in which we grow up, and perhaps even at conferences like this.
But there comes a time when the Lord comes into your life and mine and wants to speak to you and me individually.
Samuel here was no doubt quite young. You don't know exactly how old. But I say to you, if the Lord comes and speaks to you in your life, let's have Samuel's heart. Notice what happens. Verse eight. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time, and he arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down.
And it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, speak for thy servant hearer.
Speak, Lord, for thy servant here. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood and called, as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak for thy servant hearer.
You'll notice he doesn't say speak Lord because he didn't yet know the Lord. But he's willing to know. He's willing to listen.
Again, I say to you, there will come a crucial time in your life as a young person.
When the Lord will want to get your ear.
May God give you the grace to say, speak, Lord.
We don't have time to take it up, but what Samuel had to listen to?
Did not seem on the surface to be very encouraging. It was the worst possible message, you would say, for a young boy to have to hear that God was going to bring very solemn judgment down on the House of Eli and ultimately on Israel too.
For the wickedness that was going on.
Very solemn and sometimes what you will hear.
And what you will be told is not always very comfortable, because things are in a bad way in this world, and even among the people of God. But oh, all this was only preparatory to showing Samuel that which God had in his purposes.
Everything wasn't going to crumble and fall apart. God was going to see to it that His purpose was carried out.
Verse 20 of chapter 3.
Verse 19 I should say.
And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
And all Israel knew from Dan even to Beersheba.
MMM, sorry. And all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord, chapter 4, And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
If you and I are willing to listen to the Lord's voice, we will find, number one, that the Lord will reveal Himself to us and give us more truth #2 That there will be an opportunity for us to do something for the Lord. I don't say that everyone is going to have the prominence and the position of a Samuel. No, but your godliness and your desire to please the Lord will get the attention of others.
Not that we look for that. I don't think Samuel did.
Some time ago, some years ago, a young person made a remark which run in my years. It was remarked, you know, those among the gathered Saints don't always.
Uh, I I.
How shall I say? I think the word was empower young people the way they should.
Ouch, I thought to myself, is that really true?
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And we have failed, some of us who are older perhaps, and tapping into the strength and energy of young people. I hope not, but it can happen.
But I say to you as young people, the first thing is to listen to the Lord's voice.
And then to walk in the good of what the Lord has given you. We have to know Him before we conserve Him. We have to give Him His rightful place to enjoy Christ as individuals. Worship comes before service, and I believe that's why it says that Samuel worshipped before the Lord.
Then he had to listen to the Lord.
But then there was no problem.
For the Lord to give him a place of being, a blessing to the people of God.
So then there's a bit of a gap in Samuel's history.
And about 20 years goes by when it seems as if Samuel was relegated to the background. He was active, no doubt. But we know the story how that Israel went out to battle against the Philistines in their own strength, somehow thinking that if they took the ark of the Lord out to the battle, that that would automatically allow them to win. And as a result, the ark of God was taken and it was away from its rightful place for 20 years.
What happened to Samuel during those years? There isn't much said about him.
And sometimes there will be a period of time in our lives when we just walk with the Lord. But with most of the servants of the Lord in both Old and New Testaments, there was that time.
Abraham had to spend time apart. Moses had to spend 40 years in the backside of the desert. Abraham. David had to learn the Lord by being in rejection for quite a number of years before he became king. The Apostle Paul had to be in the background to hear the word of the Lord before he came out once and for all and was mightily used of the Lord.
Let's turn on a few chapters.
Chapter 7.
And verse 5.
And Samuel said, gather all Israel to misbehave, and I will pray for you.
Unto.
The Lord verse eight. And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hands of the Philistines. Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering holy unto the Lord. And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.
What had Israel been doing those 20 years while the ark of God had been taken away? Now granted, it came back almost immediately, but it was there in the House of an individual for a long time.
What had they been doing?
Look at verse four of Chapter 7. Then the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Ashtaroth and serve the Lord only. Oh, idolatry had come in and they'd been going on with that all that time. Samuel might have thrown up his hands and said, what's the use? They're just not listening. I'm supposed to be a prophet of the Lord, and the word of the Lord came out from Samuel. But here they're just going after idols.
Young people, don't give up. Don't give up first of all on yourself.
And don't give up on the people of God. Samuel never did, and that's one thing that characterized his whole life. He never gave up on the people of God.
In fact, if we went on and we're not going to dwell on it, he had a hard time even giving up on Saul, even when the Lord said, Samuel, how long will you mourn for Saul?
I've chosen another king, I've rejected Saul, but Samuel lamented for him 'cause he had a heart for the people of God.
And you know, today there's a sad attitude at large in the world of seeking self, and it creeps into Christianity where it's what I want and what pleases me and what will serve my interest and what will make me happy. No wrong attitude for a Christian. The right attitude is what will please the Lord and honor him, and what will be for the blessing and help of others. And that was Samuel's heart.
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And the Lord hears them. And I believe Samuel offered a sucking lamb here for two reasons. Number one, in principle, it took them back to the cross. It took them back to that Passover, which was the only means of their deliverance when they were powerless. And the fact that it was a sucking lamb showed entire helplessness, entire dependence on the Lord. And that is the secret of victory today. We don't have any strength of our own. We don't have any power.
But to the extent that you and I walk with the Lord and seek to honor Him, as I have often said, and pardon my repeating it.
If you were in the pathway of the Lord's will for your life, all the power of God is behind you.
Verse 15 of Chapter 7.
And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life, and he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal, and Misbah, and judged Israel in all those places. But notice this. And his return was to Rhema, for there was his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto the Lord.
Do you remember where Samuel's parents lived?
Ram.
Samuel goes back there.
You know Rhema, I believe means.
A hill, or in simple terms, high places.
And during his lifetime of service to the Lord, Samuel had to go down to these other places.
And he had to judge Israel, he had to be occupied with, as we say in English, the nitty gritty of life down here and the problems and difficulties of the people.
A necessary thing. And you and I and our Christian lives have to be involved in things to do with everyday life. We have to make a living. We have to mix with this world. We have to go out and do our daily duties. And that's only right and proper.
But where's home? Where's home? It ought to be an arraignment. It ought to be in what we had before us in the reading this morning on those high places. It ought to be enjoying those heavenly blessings that are ours.
We ought to be able to go back after all of those things and even service to the Lord.
Our late brother John Breton, whose?
Ancestral home was here in Montreal, said one time. He said if you want to be happy, preach the gospel, but if you want to shed a lot of tears, serve the Saints.
He was right, and Samuel shed tears in serving his brethren, but he ended up back in Rhema. Young people, you can do that too. Don't let the condition of things, either in the world or among the people of God get you down.
God is working out His purposes in this world. Don't worry about all the purposes and ideas and plans and ambitions of man. They're all going to accomplish God's purposes anyway.
Be burdened about what's going on among the people of God, but don't don't ever be discouraged by it.
Well, let's go on.
What happens in Samuel's life as time goes on? Let's turn to what I like to call.
The crowning time of Samuel's life. Now we're passing over an awful lot here, but.
We don't have time to go into everything.
Turn on to the chapter here.
Chapter 16 First Samuel 16 What is the crowning?
Shall we say joy? And ultimately the crown of Samuel's life in what the Lord used him to do.
Verse One. And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul?
Seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel, fill thine horn with oil and go.
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I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me a king.
Among his sons.
Now going down a little further.
Verse 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hit her. And he sat, and brought him in. Now he was ready, and with all of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him for this.
Is he?
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brother, And the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Rhema.
As we mentioned earlier, the king of Oregon, the people of Israel, had insisted on a king. And because they insisted on a king for all the wrong reasons, God, we might say, said, all right, I'm going to give you a king, but I'll give you the kind of a king you're asking for.
So that you can have your fill of them.
And for 40 years they had Saul, who was not a man of God, but a man of the world, a man who in an outward way acknowledged the Lord, but there was no reality in his heart, and a man who ended his life in the saddest possible way.
By consulting none other than a witch, one who was there as an emissary of Satan because he couldn't get any answers from the Lord.
Terrible and and he perished on Mount Gilboa because there was no repentance in his heart.
But now God says to Samuel.
Stop mourning for Saul.
Can I say this to my own heart as much as to everyone of you?
Samuel mourned for Saul, and he mourned in one sense for the right reasons, because he felt sorry for that man and he hoped that he could be recovered.
But could I make a different application?
You and I have a hard time turning away from that which speaks of the energy of nature and the things of this world in order to have our hearts directed to God's rightful King.
You and I sometimes have to be told How long are you going to mourn for the things of this world? How long are you going to have a hard time giving them up?
There are a lot of good things in this world as far as the world goes.
And don't think that I haven't had the hankering for them as much as any of you.
You know what hit me in the eye one time?
One time when I was reading in our written ministry and a brother said something like this, he said the things of this world can get a hold on us and if you knew how little it takes.
To get that hold and to spoil your enjoyment of Christ, he said you would be alarmed.
I thought, Oh my. And then he said something that went into my heart, and I don't mind telling you it went right into my heart like a knife.
He said.
The better anything of the world is, the more likely it is to be a snare.
Because something good can have so many good things about it that we think, oh, that's not a snare, that's just something good.
But if my heart is occupied with it, it's a bigger snare than anything.
The moment I have my heart set on anything that God does not have His heart set on.
To that extent, I'm out of communion with Christ.
Samuel had to get over Saul. He had to say, Lord, yes, I submit. He goes out there to Bethlehem and what does he find? He finds there a David who was in the backside looking after the sheep, so that Jesse didn't even think it was worthwhile calling him.
But the Lord tells Samuel to Passover all of those brothers of David in order to anoint David.
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Love it young people, you and I have the privilege.
Of honoring God's rightful king before he sits on the throne in spirit. You and I, as a Samuel, as God's emergency men, have a privilege of anointing that rightful king. It took courage for Samuel to do that. He said to the Lord in a dialogue, Oh, how can I go there? If Saul finds out about it, he'll kill me.
And so Samuel went under the guise of offering a sacrifice.
But at the same time.
I say to you, the world is going to be against you, but God will make a way for you to anoint that rightful king. And as we know the history, David was rejected and had to flee from Saul, and all kinds of things happened before David came to the throne.
And our time is gone.
But I want you to notice a couple of other things about Samuel that to me are most wonderful. And they show us, I believe, how that Samuel was used in a mighty way. First of all, as being an encouragement to the people of God in a day when they were in much need and much distress, in a day when there was willfulness among them and wickedness and sin. But he never gave up on them because God gave him the look ahead to the time when there was going to be blessing.
Let's turn to First Chronicles chapter nine in the two minutes that are remaining.
First Chronicles, Chapter 9.
Something that Samuel did that's hidden here in this chapter if you like, but very instructive here. David is on the throne.
But it's kind of going back to what was happening and what was going on.
And notice what it says here.
And this, of course, is in the time of David as king.
First Samuel 9 and verse 22.
Referring to the Levites.
All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were 212.
They were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages.
Whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set offices.
Isn't that remarkable?
By the time David got to the throne, Samuel had died. So this did not occur while David was on the throne or Samuel and Samuel being around. David and Samuel had communed about all this long before David ever sat on the throne. When David was in rejection, Samuel and David had no doubt about God's purposes.
David would sit on the throne.
And they were looking ahead. So what would happen when he sat on the throne and they were ordering the Levites and ultimately the priesthood according to God's thoughts?
When Saul was still king.
Oh, what I say to myself. What a what a wonderful thing for that man to be involved in.
Now, transferring that to New Testament terms, I don't believe that you and I are going to sit down with the Lord and start planning the Millennium. That isn't a thought.
But the point is, God gave them the look above the circumstances, to look ahead, to be faithful in a time when the rightful king was rejected. But there's more. Turn to First Chronicles 22.
I love this verse.
First Chronicles 22 and just give me a moment to find the verse here.
Yes, but that isn't exactly what I wanted.
Uh.
Maybe it's second Chronicles 22. Just a moment here.
But I don't think so, no. I think I've got the right uh.
The right one here.
Well, that's what happens when you don't look up a verse before you, uh, stand up and speak.
00:45:06
Sorry, I thought it was in First Chronicles 22.
Anyway.
We'll just speak it. Tell me what, tell I'll say what's on my heart and someone will find the verse for me afterward. But.
Let's just read it here in verse three of First Sam or First Chronicles 22.
And David prepared iron and abundance for the nails, for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings and brass in abundance without weight.
And cedar also cedar trees in abundance for the Zidonians and they of tire brought much cedar wood to David.
And David said, Solomon, my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical of fame and of glory throughout all countries. I therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
Now we'll just check something here. I see a cross reference here and we'll see if it's in.
Well, that'll be good for you young people to find. That's a good challenge for you. You find the verse. There is a verse that says that Samuel was involved in the preparation for the temple.
Samuel was involved in the preparation for the temple.
Isn't that wonderful?
Not only did he help David to set up the courses of the Levites and the priests, but he actually made a contribution for the temple. Others did too, and we'll leave it at that. You young people can find that verse that I can't put my finger on right now. But the point is, he looked ahead to a day of glory and the secret of a faithful Christian life down here.
Is to have your eyes up ahead, have your eyes on what is ahead, when Christ is going to be exalted there in glory. Head over all things you and I, enjoying all those blessings in heaven.
That's the secret, and you can you and I can have it in the day of our Lord's rejection. Let's sing a couple of verses of a hymn in closing.
I know we've gone a minute or two overtime. Let's sing together the last two verses of #168.
#168 And to save time, we'll just sing verses four and five. And let's sing it together as a prayer. Let's sing it together as a prayer. 168 just versus 4:00 and 5:00.
Nsnoise.
Nsnoise.
Open 1A
Truth Getting From the Head to the Heart
God Foreknowing Everything
Ephesians 1:4-6
Reading
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.
Could we also sing #330?
330 What raised the wondrous thought, Or who did it suggest that we the Church glory brought, should whip the sun be blessed? 330.
Woodrise the Wanderer.
'S your glory.
00:05:40
Ephesians one starting at verse 7.
A lot of ground to cover here.
In whom we have redemption through his blood.
Forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made all known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He had purposed in Himself, not in the dispensation of the fullness of times. He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth, even in Him, Him in whom we have obtained an inheritance.
Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things, after the counsel of His own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory. Who first trusted in Christ, and whom ye also trusted. After that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
And whom also after that ye believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, and to the praise of His glory before. I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the Saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the same.
What is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward, who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and have put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body.
The fullness of him that filleth All in all.
We discussed our position and the responsibility of it and the balance that needs to be maintained.
We've been given God's richest blessings, heavenly blessings.
Blessings which he considers more precious than anything else that He can give us because they have been given to us in His Son and Biden through His Son. These have eternal value in God's eyes, whereas material blessings and possessions had no value in God's eyes as far as eternity is concerned. This has been given to us for His glory. And it was mentioned two things which touched my heart. One was in a prayer. That is God's desire to bless us as far greater than our desire to receive those blessings.
And the other comment that was mentioned yesterday was the importance of taking possession of our possession, what we have in Christ.
And the Lord is so practical, His approach to us as far as maintaining that balance. How do we take possession of that prized possession, a most important possession that the Lord has entrusted to us? We remember that when Israel entered the Promised Land, it was theirs. It had been given to them by promise of God. But to take possession of it, they needed to walk in obedience and under the Lord's direction. And we remember we read in Judges that that obedience was incomplete.
And that restraint restrained the fullness of the blessings that God had promised to His people.
How important it is for us to take possession.
Of our possessions, they're ours. They've been given to us and entrusted to us to use for his glory. May we lay hold on eternal life. I'd just like to read 2 verses in first Timothy chapter 6 because it was also mentioned how we are to use them. How the God the the the glory of God is to be re revealed in and in and through us in these possessions. That they be real to us. That we lay hold on them. That the world can see in us the glory of God, his love and his grace shining through us.
00:10:25
First Timothy, chapter 6.
Let's start just verse 17 through 19.
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
One of the things that was very important to Alex when they entered the land was to stop at Gilgal and circumcise themselves with sharp knives. Remember that comes out clearly in Joshua chapter 5. So there's a condition there of them entering in and possessing their inheritance. Uh, there was self judgment necessary before they used swords upon the inhabitants of the land. They were to use sharp knives upon themselves and that brings before us. That was circumcision, but it brings before us.
The need for self judgment in our lives if we are not careful and, uh, we allow things that are contrary to the will of God, we're not going to, uh, possess our inheritance and enjoy these, uh, possessions that, uh, we have presented to us as a state of soul that is required. Uh, so, umm, you have Gilgal, which speaks of the self judgment circumplace of circumcision. And then you have eating the old corn of the land, which is a, a picture of our heavenly blessings. They were now out of the wilderness.
We're never out of the wilderness, so we partake of the manna and the old corn of the land at the same time, and the Passover. But the point was there had to be a judge, a self judgment there in their own lives before they.
Proceeded into the conflict with the Canaanites.
And they had to return to Gilgal after their victories, didn't they? And sometimes we may get inflated after a victory, thinking that it is something of our own doing. But that's when we need to use the knives, like you say, John.
Another unrelated aspect of that thought is that they, uh, were told that they had to put the sole of their feet on the land before.
It was theirs, although it was promised and that involved as we, as they found out that involved conflict. And so it's the walk of the Christian that, uh, that makes the truth we possess good to us.
In this chapter we're meditating verse 7 deals with some more of our spiritual blessings. Notice it says in whom we have here's something that is present possession. We have redemption through his blood and as a result of that redemption, we have the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace.
Wonderful truth to think about before a holy God. I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. And it's interesting, brethren, before the Lord Jesus accomplished redemption at the cross, He taught his disciples to pray, forgive us our sins as we also forgive our debtors.
That was proper, but if you look carefully, after the Lord accomplished redemption, never again are we told to ask God for the forgiveness of sins. It is a gift that God is offering to us freely because the price of redemption has been paid, and it is a matter of simply accepting what He offers us. Wonderful truth. I say that because.
I find in Christian circles so many that continue to ask for the forgiveness of their sins and in a certain way do not have the assurance that they have it. But it's very clear here, brother, and it's something that is present possession. Remember preaching the gospel in the penitentiary in the state in the United States. And an older man was sitting in the back of the group as we spoke about the forgiveness of sins and insisted that it was not a matter of asking any longer. God was freely offering it. And all you have to do is.
00:15:23
Accept it and say thank you to God for that wonderful gift. And he came up afterwards. This older man, I don't know what he was in for.
But he said, so many years I've been asking God for the forgiveness of sins.
Today I accept it, thank God for it. Wonderful reality brethren to enjoy. Sometimes it's so simple. We kind of Passover it, but before a holy God that cannot stand one sin in his presence. I can say because of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, that price that was paid on the cross by his precious blood, I have the forgiveness of all my sins.
I think yesterday brother Steve was mentioning too and Romans chapter 3.
It says, uh, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So there's another result of redemption, not only forgiveness of sins, but something that really goes beyond that is that we are declared to be righteous in the sight of God, justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Could we say Brother Bob too, that at the end of the verse it says?
According to the riches of his grace.
That is, the redemption is, shall we say, according to the grace of God. Well, if it is according to the grace of God, surely it is enough for you and for me. How often? As you say, there are those who don't enjoy the forgiveness of sins or somehow have the idea that, well, when I got saved, God forgave all my sins up to that point, but what if I sin again?
Well, there is such a thing as governmental forgiveness. Yes, we understand that first, John, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But that's restoring communion, isn't it? But here it's once and for all that those sins are taken away according to the riches of His grace. Can you and I measure the grace of God? No, and so you have so much said about grace in this chapter. So the praise of the glory of His grace, according to the riches of His grace, and so on. The appreciation of forgiveness of sin is something that does affect us practically, as we find in chapter 4.
I thought that in the Lord's Prayer.
The forgiveness that the Lord refers to is a governmental forgiveness because He forgives us according to how we forgiven others and we find out in God's administration too. But Ephesians 4 and 32, it says that the end of the verse, it says forgiving one another even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you. So in the measure that we're appreciating the forgiveness of God towards us, then we have a model, a pattern for us to forgive others that have done us wrong. It was very practical. We enjoy it then it can be shown in our life how we forgive others.
And when we sin as believers, I think it is important. Like that verse you quoted, Brother Bill. It doesn't say if we ask for the forgiveness of our sins, but it says if we confess our sins. And that is far deeper than merely asking for the forgiveness of sins. If I do something against you, Brother Bill.
Then sin always breaks fellowship, doesn't it? And I see that you are a little bit wary of me, and I may look at you and say, well, I'm going to ask him to forgive me. But if I say forgive me, I'm not really thinking about the bad thing I did.
I'm thinking about your attitude toward me, and I'd like to be friends with you again. But what God wants from us, brethren, is not to say forgive us, but He wants us to recognize the thing that we've done wrong and to say so that's confession. And that's what's important in restoration is to recognize what we've done wrong and to say so then he can, like he's been brought out, forgive us governmentally and his family.
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That's very important, but it's not asking for forgiveness. He's disposed to forgive us, but to confess. And that goes deeper because in confession I have to judge myself.
Are you going to say, John, I'm just going to say the glory of God's grace here brings before us that position that we've been brought into.
Uh.
In heavenly places with Christ, the riches of his grace is the depth to which his grace reached down to to meet us in our, uh, misery and our deep need. So in both cases, it's all the grace of God. Marvelous.
I think of what uh David said in Psalm 32.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth, not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. But we know that David certainly failed. And.
And then he orchestrated the murder of the husband of the one with whom he committed adultery. So things seemed to go from bad to worse. But, you know, David appreciated the mercy of God and the forgiveness of God. And so he could write, I believe blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
These things add up to set us in a place and position without any anxiety as to the place that we have before God. All has been taken care of. We had no resource in ourselves. We were undone. But He has a resource in himself. He has the richest of His grace, and every block, every stain has been completely effaced. And now in that position, as sons, as blessed.
And in the enjoyment of it, now he says, now I want to tell you what I'm going to do. Now I want to tell you what I've been thinking about from a past eternity. Now I want to tell you where I am moving everything towards. Now I want to tell you what is the center of everything I'm doing. And he begins to unfold that mystery of His will.
What a shall we say? It's not a good word, but what an.
Shall we say in addition, if we could use the term that is to the truth of as it has in verse seven, redemption and forgiveness. He's abounded toward us in what all wisdom and prudence or could read intelligence.
What's he doing? He's saying I'm going to tell you what it's all about, where it's all coming from, what I'm going to do. It's marvelous, isn't it? No Old Testament saying ever knew what we have here. It was a secret, a mystery hidden in God. That's why it's so serious. That doctrine that I believe you mentioned yesterday, Brother Bob, covenant theology that really tries to equalize the the nation of Israel in the Old Testament with the church in the New Testament, No.
God is doing something entirely new by revealing the secret of His will that was.
As we could say, brought out way back in the past eternity, long before the world was made. But now he says, I've forgiven you, I've saved you. But let me tell you the whole story. Let me tell you what I really have in mind. Because if you could put it this way, it's not really all about you. Yes, this book is all about.
What the church is to Christ, and it's about the highest blessings that we receive.
But in order to enjoy and see those blessings, we have to realize everything from God's side. We have to see what he's doing that if we could say it in one sense didn't really directly involve us in the 1St place. We're brought in, you might say, into the blessing that God has and into the glory that he is purpose for his son. But now he says, I want you to be intelligent as to all that. I want you to know it all. I think this phrase the good pleasure of his will is is.
Maybe I'll give it a a week's paraphrase. I'm really excited about this.
I, I just love to think that the Lord is looking forward to this. This is the ultimate. This is what he's been wanting. This is what he's been desiring. He is looking forward to that time that we will be with him and that we will be exalted with him and we will bring forth the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. You know, it's just we can look at that in his in his excitement, his joy, his pleasure in bringing us into the whole revelation of who he is and, and the glory of his person.
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In all of creation, so we can so we can enjoy it now, can't we? And that is the purpose of it. He's abounded in all wisdom and prudence. You know, brethren, there is a gift in expounding Scripture for that. There in chapter four, we have teachers who teach the Scriptures. There is no special gift to learn what He has put out for us. That belongs to all of us.
And so there is no impediment for us to learn. If there is an impediment, it's on our part. It's not on his part. He says, I want you to understand the full scope of all my purposes and counsels from all eternity in relation to my son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, brethren, we can enjoy that. That belongs to sisters as well as brothers. Frankly, I must say, there's areas where I go and.
Sometimes I find sisters more alert as to these things than us brothers. I'm not sure why, but when you look at what happened with the Lord Jesus when he was here in this world and so many times.
He said we're going to go up to Jerusalem and I'm going to be delivered to the chief priests and the authorities there and the crucified and die and rise again. The third day. They didn't get it, but I think there was one person that seemed to understand and it was Mary of Bethany. It seems like she got it because she sat at his feet and heard his word. She brought the anointment for his, the ointment for his burial beforehand an anointed his feet.
With that ointment so that he could enjoy it, too. I think it's so amazingly beautiful. Brethren, let's be encouraged to learn these things. He's abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, and that belongs to everyone of us. Don't look at a certain class of people and say they must understand that. I don't. You have the capacity just as much as anybody else. Isn't that what we're doing now, Bob, right now? We've been over the Word of God these 2 1/2 days.
And we have this before us and brought before us, and it is for us to learn from it and to abide by it. And this is to everyone.
I pray that each one here, from the youngest to the oldest, will go back with something of these beautiful Nuggets from God's Word that will enrich our lives and bring honor and glory to Him. That's why we're here.
I was thinking there might be an impediment to uh enjoying these things.
And umm, we may have the, we had David brought up, we might look at David in second Samuel chapter 12 to see that there was an impediment before David could be brought back, as it were, into the good graces. When you get in the Chapter 11 with the execution of Uriah, we already recognized David in that chapter as being the David, uh, first Samuel with the lion and the bear and the, and Goliath and so on. But I think there's probably three things at least that has come into his life in chapter 10 in early 11.
That might reflect that and we won't bring the details simply in chapter 10, he's rebuffed by a neighbor. He's showing kindness to a neighbor who rebuffs his kindness and he reacts to it. And then in Chapter 11, the first verse, it says, see, I believe a message. There is a time it says when, when kings go forth to battle and David sent Joab, I believe the Spirit of God is telling us that he failed there a little bit. He didn't go forth the battle. He sent Joe Ave. and he stayed at home.
And then he got his eye on his neighbor's wife.
Three things I believe they relate to lust of the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life. And so.
We find that in chapter 12, the, uh, the Lord has to tell them that he has to bring in judgment. It's going to start at his own home. Something has happened to David, so he's going to turn them around. But notice that verse 15 says of chapter 12, the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bear unto David and it was very sick.
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I was thinking of this that umm notice it says there David besought the child that God for the child and then it uh in verse 18 the 7th day the child dies. Why did the Lord take the child in day one?
So I believe David has a pass through a lot. He has get before the Lord and now we can ask for the child's life every day. He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep, he doesn't seem like he's occupied with what has taken place. We wanted to find out listening in on his prayer. I believe we might go to Psalm 38 and 51 and so on. Just turn to 38 for a moment and get an idea of what listen in as a word to what David is saying. And I believe it's part of the restoration of his soul.
He has realized he's departed from the Lord. He's not into the enjoyment anymore. He says, O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me with thy hot displeasure.
For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There's no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger.
It is resting my bones because of my sin and so on. I believe we're listening in to David's prayers. He passes through these seven days and then the Lord takes the child. But what does David do in verse 20? Then David arose from the earth and wasp and enlightened himself and changed his apparel and came into the House of the Lord and worshipped.
Turning point, I believe for now we can enjoy those things because he had missed the path here. There was an impediment. He was enjoying the things that got at for him, and that's true of me too. He wasn't even aware of it. If you go back to the 11Th chapter, when Nathan comes and says it's the rich man and the poor man, rich man and all this, David is incensed. He's going to punish him. He doesn't realize that he's the rich man.
He lost sight of who he was.
Until the Lord had to show him that who he was, and then he forced out his heart and the restoration begins and he gained in joy as the things of the Lord and these things that were looking at right now.
Well, He is abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known these verses go together, verse 9 unto us the mystery of His will. It's already been spoken of something from that past eternity, but now made known to us according to His good pleasure, which He has purposed in Himself. And then verse 10, I think your brother John mentioned yesterday, is the key to the whole Bible, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, that's the millennial day.
He might gather together in one all things in Christ which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him. So God's eternal purpose is to gather everything directly under the authority of the Lord Jesus. And that's what's going to happen in the future day. We're getting down to the end of what is called man's day, when man dominates the scene, and it's getting increasingly.
Confusing and chaotic and awful when you look around the world. What's going on? Oh, brethren, it should make us long for that day that it's spoken of here in verse 10. When the Lord Jesus is going to reign supreme over this world. All things not only in this world but in heaven to are going to be brought into his direct control. Oh, what a day is ahead.
Sometimes like to say major changes.
Are ahead in this world.
Yes, it will not be democracy. And sometimes I stop to think, brother, and if the Lord would come this afternoon.
In 10 years we could be in that millennial day easily. Isn't that amazing to think about? It will not be democracy, it will be theocracy. The Lord Jesus reigning supreme for 1000 years.
Will now be a change of government like you've had here in Canada recently every so often. No, it will be 1000 years of his righteous reign. And you know, the Old Testament is full of it, brethren. But here we have the added part of those things which are in heaven and on earth, and sometimes they stop to think of earthly glory. You know, we tend to be occupied with things of earth. Of course, here we live. I guess that's the way we are.
Made-up, but we're told, brethren, distinctly told to set our minds on things above. Sometimes at the end of the day, I have to stop and say, what percentage of the time today did I have my thoughts on things above? Brethren? It's a pretty small percentage, I have to confess. But look, what is greater, heavenly glory or earthly glory?
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What would you say, Burrell, on that one?
Well, there's not much doubt, is there?
Oh, you mean, uh, in connection with the Christ position in this verse?
Well, scripture doesn't say, but it's it's going to be a wonderful display, isn't it?
And I often think.
Brethren, of what time when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with his Saints? I I really believe it's right to say it will be the grandest display of power and glory this world has ever or will ever see when the Lord Jesus is introduced with his Saints. The end of the of the tribulation when he comes back.
As we have in so many parts of Scripture with his Saints.
We know that from Revelation 19 that the beast and his armies, the 10 Kings, are going to be.
Raid against him as he comes out of heaven. But just think of it, brethren, when he comes out of heaven with his Saints, how many of the Saints are there from times, All times, brethren? I don't know. I think we could easily talk about billions.
Of His redeemed ones, but it's not only His redeemed ones, but it's the angels of His strength, of His power. As it says in Second Thessalonians chapter one, How many angels are there that will be accompanying him in that moment? Myriads 10,000 * 10,000. It will be a major invasion from outer space. It's when God is going to vindicate.
The glory of his beloved Son. The last time they saw him, he was hanging dead on a cross.
As a malefactor, he was never vindicated in this life, but he's going to be vindicated, fully vindicated, in that coming day of glory when he comes to reign supreme. And you and I are going to be intimately connected with that display of glory. We're going to see it. We're going to be eyewitnesses of it. We should live in view of that day, brother. And there's nothing down here that can compare with it.
Wanted to ask if this tenth verse has a connection with the Jacob's Ladder.
The angels of God I send and descend on the Son of Man.
Yes, I believe it does. It's, uh, it's millennial there and God looks on to that day when there's going to be ultimate blessing. Uh, you might say for that people of whom Jacob was the ancestor. And you get the same thing, of course, in, uh, John's gospel where it says, uh, at the end of the second chapter, thou shalt see the angels of God and ascending and descending and so on, which is a picture of the restoration of Israel. So I believe it is millennial there and it's a picture of the.
Uh, among other things, we don't wanna take time to go into it, but it's a picture, among other things, of the restored, shall we say, communion between heaven and earth. It's not enlarged upon because the truth of the Church hadn't come out yet. But we know from Revelation 21 and other scriptures that the Church will be involved with the earth and be visible from the earth and the glory will be seen. So there will be, it'll be a wonderful scene, won't it, when that revelation of Christ takes place in that glorious day.
There will be, uh, communion that has not been seen.
Before, since going back to the Garden of Eden between heaven and earth. And yet that was really in the picture there with Jacob prophesied up. Joel, I believe, takes it up as well. But here's a mystery of his will, something that was not revealed. And so one aspect of that take up something that Jacob's ladder speaks of a communion there, but all the prophecies in connection with the coming king only spoke of him as reigning over the earthly scene.
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They spoke of a communion between heaven and earth that was going to come, that this earth has not seen since the garden. But they never spoke of that coming King, who was the Messiah, who was going to reign over this earthly scene as being over the heavenly as well. And so he brings out here the mystery of his own. What is a mystery? This word is used.
Really in, in the same way, and I don't mean there's a, a connection with idolatry, but in the Chaldean, uh, pagans, idolatries, they had a priesthood and those who were initiated into their right knew all the secret things that they did. They were called mysteries. The only ones who knew them were those who were initiated into that. And that's what this word has come to mean. It means a secret that only is known to those who have been brought in to that circle, that sphere.
That that mystery has been made known to, we've been brought there and that is the verses up to this point. We've been brought into that sphere and now he's made out. It's not a mystery to us. It's not like a mystery book, not mystery in that way, but a secret that's now unfolded to us. And what is it? Something that was not part of prophecy, that all things, not only in earth but in heaven as well would be headed up in the Christ. This is Speaking of it.
The mystery and its future aspect, we're still waiting for that day, but everything is going to be headed up in Christ, both in heaven and on earth. There is an earthly present side of the mystery taken up later on, and that's the fact that we're presently united to Christ by the Spirit of God. The mystery of Christ in the church, that's the other aspect of it that's not taken up right here in this verse. That comes later in the book.
The efforts of believers over the years.
To speak in the Scriptures, a unifying theme, a unifying principle. To be able to understand the ways of God.
Have led them.
In a particular case, to look at the covenant that God has made through the scriptures as being the unifying theme.
The covenant that God has made with man.
Being the unifying theme for scriptures and that each covenant is a development of the revelation of God and of the position of the faithful over time and the revelation gets bigger and bigger. And finally the top of the list of covenants is the covenant of grace, which they look at the covenant to be made with Israel, the House of Judah and the House of Israel in the coming days, a new covenant and the covenant of grace.
And all who are saved are under the covenant of grace, and that that's God's unifying them. This is the grand purpose of God that runs through the whole scriptures, the salvation of man. And in essence, it puts man at the center of God's purposes.
And seeing this, as they say, covenant of grace, salvation of man.
But that has led to the thought that it is through the efforts of man and proclaiming the gospel.
And spreading the gospel and its effects through this world, that this world is going to be transformed and the Kingdom is going to be brought in and all will be brought under the covenant of grace, but that is to bring the Kingdom to humanity efforts.
But in this verse we find what is the true unifying principle of the word of God of all that he is about. He is purpose to head up all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth. Even in him. God has one purpose, that is to glorify himself in Christ Jesus in two spheres, heaven and earth, one purpose and a brother who didn't hold that. And he said, you're making it a God has two purposes. No, he has one.
To glorify Himself in his Son, in heaven and in earth. And that is the unifying principle around which everything else in all the ways of God revolved. It's like the hub on a wagon wheel from which all the spokes radiate out and support the rim. It all rests on that center principle that by the purpose to glorify Himself in his Son in heaven and in earth and everything else hangs on that. I want to read a verse in Second Corinthians, chapter one.
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And verse 20.
2nd Corinthians 120 For all the promises of God, in him are ye, and in him Amen to the glory of God by us. Isaiah and the 22nd chapter speaks of the Lord prophetically, of the nail fastened in a short place upon which all the glory of His Father's house hangs. Everything rests on. He is not only the one in whom God has centered His purpose and counsel, but He is the one that's going to bring it to pass. That's what it means. He's the yay and the Amen. It centers in Him. It rests on Him and He is going to bring us past. He is going to bring the Kingdom in. It's not man's efforts.
He is going to do and it's for God's glory, and that is the true unifying principle of the Word of God, and that's why this verse is the key to all of Scripture.
That's very, very good, brother Steve. So that just simply then the mystery that is spoken of, that Paul talks about so often is given to us right here, isn't it? And if we could put it this way, in verse 10, we have the mystery of God that God has in his purposes the exaltation of his beloved son as head over all things his brother Steve has mentioned. There's also the second part, if you could put it to that mystery.
The mystery of Christ, the mystery of Christ in the church, and that's alluded to in verse 11, although not developed, it's mentioned later in chapter 3 and developed more there. And so the mystery has two parts, God's purposes in Christ, the mystery of God, and then the mystery of Christ, that God in Christ is going to have you and me associated with His beloved Son throughout all eternity as His bride.
Beautiful. I was thinking of the those two verses in Romans 16 verse 25. Now to him.
That is of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began. So it was not revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures. There may have been types and shadows, but no revelation of this wondrous purpose of God. But now He's made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets.
Those are the New Testament prophets, not the Old Testament prophets. We don't get to any revelation in the Old Testament of this marvelous purpose of God to exalt his son and, and, and for the believers, the Church of God to be associated with the the Lord in that coming millennial scene in the Kingdom according to the commandment of the everlasting God made no one to all nations for the obedience of faith. But I just asked a question here, brethren, the inheritance that we're looking at here is that not in connection with the the earth.
Uh, umm, where it speaks of, umm, the purchased possession, uh, is that not, uh, in connection with the earthly inheritance?
Going on to uh.
Verse 14, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory, Is that not umm, the Lord putting forth his power to uh, bring the earthly inheritance into uh on?
He bought the whole field, didn't he? He purchased the whole field, but it's not redeemed yet. It's not been delivered from the power of the enemy yet. And that's why, as you mentioned in verse 14, the earnest of the inheritance is until the redemption of the purchase possession. So he bought that. He paid the price that it could be.
Brought back to God fully. But when you have the inheritance in verses 10 and 11 Connected there, I don't think you can limit it to earth. It's all creation, don't you think, Brother Bill? It's all creation is our inheritance. And I'd just like to say that I think it's important to distinguish our blessings, which we've been talking about in the first verses.
From verses 3 down through verse 9 perhaps?
Those are present possessions. You can't say that you've inherited the inheritance yet because Christ hasn't taken it. The time is going to come, and maybe it'd be good just to mention it in Psalm 2, when the Lord Jesus is going to take his inheritance and we are coheirs with him. Notice in Psalm 2.
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Verse.
Seven. I will declare the decree the Lord that Jehovah has said unto me, Thou art my Son.
This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. That's going to happen at the end of the tribulation. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potter's vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings, be instructed and.
Or you judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling, kiss the sun, lest he be angry. And he perished from the way when his wrath is kindled. But a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him. So the time is going to come when the Lord Jesus is going to ask for the his inheritance and God is going to give it to them him, and we are going to inherit it with him. That's why it says in the beginning of verse eleven of our chapter.
In whom we also have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Wonderful brethren, to think about our inheritance. And I say, I think if we would enter into it more, it would deliver us from the materialism of our age. Why struggle so hard to earn so much stuff?
When you're going to inherit it all anyhow.
When the Lord comes back again, does that make sense?
Member of brother in the Dominican Republic that we've gotten away into materialism and was overly occupied with it so that he couldn't be at the meetings and he was just neglecting the spiritual side and that exhortation was given to him. Brother, you're gonna inherited all in a few brief years when the Lord comes. Why are you killing yourself to have so much?
Right now, all we need is enough to get through as pilgrims and strangers, that's all.
That's very, very good.
There is a difference, isn't there, between the thought of the Kingdom and the thought of the inheritance. Yes, Christ is going to reign over all things in the millennial day, and as Bob has brought out, he's going to be vindicated in that day in the world that cast him out and crucified him. In that sense, the Millennium is necessary for the public vindication of God's holy character, but the inherit the Kingdom will have.
A time frame of 1000 years and then at the end he delivers it up.
To God, even the Father. But the inheritance is eternal according to Hebrews 9. Isn't it eternal inheritance? And as Bob has mentioned, it consists of all creative things. Christ died not only to put your sins and mine away, but also to remove sin from the entire universe. We might say, how is sin defiling the universe? Well.
Man is already starting to litter the planets with things that he has made, and for hundreds and maybe thousands of years he has used the stars as figures of demonic things in the Zodiac and predicted people's fortunes and lives and all the rest of it. By these various signs and whatever you were born under and so on, Man has defiled not only this world, this earth, but the whole universe. But Christ, by his work is going to remove sin from the entire universe.
And God gives it to him all as his inheritance all created things.
What would be the thought in connection with his inheritance in the Saints?
There's umm.
18.
Going to take his inheritance until he has his people with him until, like in the Old Testament, the nations of Israel.
He took the inheritance through the nation. And so the Lord is not going to actually take the possession of the, all these things that his inheritance until he has the church with him. He's going to take it in, in the church. But I was wondering, brethren, in the, uh, Mr. Darby says there's the can be looked at in, uh, in two ways, the heavenly aspect and the earthly aspect. So you have the inheritance, uh, in first, uh, Peter chapter one, incorruptible, undefiled, that fate is not awake. Isn't that a heavenly inheritance?
00:55:34
Umm, is that a different character to what we have in Ephesians 1?
For you, that means you and I inherited on the heavenly side in Christ because our portion is heavenly, but the inheritance is not properly heaven. And so, uh, I don't believe in that sense that.
I speak subject to correction, but I don't believe the scripture speaks of inheritance being heaven itself or the things that are in heaven. It's all created things. Now if you say the heavens as we get in scripture, yes, it includes all that.
But it's not strictly speaking heaven itself or being in heaven, but it's all created things. I believe that God is committed unto Christ.
How would you say it, Brother Steve? Is that correct? I enjoy that thought. I'm thinking it includes the angels, too. Yes. It's not merely material things. Yes, that's good. When the Son of Man come up with all those holy angels, they're his. What's his?
I have a question. So what is the internal inheritance mentioned in Hebrews 9 the end of verse 15?
Just what we've been saying, brother, all creative things. And when God gives Christ an inheritance, He doesn't take it away. Again, it's His for all eternity. The Kingdom is 1000 years, but the inheritance, Christ has it in that sense for all eternity. It's just that when Christ reigns in the Millennium, as we get in First Corinthians 15, at the end of the Millennium, when He's put down, as it says, all rule and all power and all authority, He delivers up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.
And it says that God may be All in all, but there it's not God the Father may be All in all. I believe it's God in Trinity.
And so Christ will in that sense, retain his inheritance for all eternity. And, uh, in that way it's an eternal inheritance.
28 It says for the law maketh men high priest, which have infirmity, but the word of oath, which was since the law maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
And, uh, friendship, uh, in the Darby translation in French, it says consumed forever, born as a, as a believer. I, I don't know if that makes sense, but I, I like to think that just enjoying the presence of the Lord is.
I'd like to make a comment on the practical side that Brother Alex brought up about UMM in the beginning there about in enjoying the laying on the eternal life.
Umm, Brother Dave mentioned this too. I believe the first meeting about knowing these truths won't keep us.
Because all these things were delivered to the Ephesians assembly and we know what happened to the Ephesians assembly. And I will come down to the thought about being. So allow me to share what I enjoyed a little time back on Ephesians. That's a three act play.
As Marie, I'll be as brief as possible. First act is here.
Written to the assembly, all these truths we have for everyone, we can enjoy these things. And that's Act chapter one, and that's act one. In act two, we go to, uh, book of Acts chapter 20, which is referred to before. And we turn to for one, one moment. And, uh, in that portion there, it talks about not the assembly, but overseers. So 3 axis one is to the assembly and two is to the overseers, and that three is to the individual. And so to the overseers in X20.
01:00:08
We have the warnings about therefore watch and so on. Why? Because those beautiful heavenly things, these truths have been delivered to the assembly are going to be taken away. They're going to be robbed and they work. And was the overseers who's given this instruction here? They came out to the Apostle Paul's book with them. But if you go to the first part of Acts chapter 20, you'll notice that in the fourth verse, up to seven people that went with Paul, one must take a kiss. And I believe he was there and heard.
The the message that was given and so we go to our 6th chapter of Ephesians. Now you pick up tiki kiss who I believe was an Ephesian or a Colossian and here's the rub. I believe he made it personal. He was the one that centered in on these things was just noticed what it says in chapter 6 and verse 21. It says but they that ye also may know my affairs. Now I do ticky kiss a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord.
Shall make known to all things whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. Now just notice Colossians as well as I believe thinking has brought brought both letters efforts. Ephesians and the Colossians letter at the same time and Paul references in in both letters in chapter 4 of Colossians and verse.
Seven, all my state shall ticky kiss declare unto you.
Who is a beloved brother and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, whom I have said unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate and comfort your hearts. In the last letter that Timothy Paul said all day of Asia forsaken me. That's Ephesus. In all those churches they also fall. But here was one who stayed with the apostle Paul and invited those things and took it to heart. He lived those things. They became and he became.
And and trust it with them. And now he's delivering him these letters and the the comfort to the Saints. So that's the message I got out of it. It's not the knowing the truth as a word.
As beautiful as they are by this making them our own, it's the willingness to go on to old fasting them. And so I will turn again or turn to that second Timothy, second Timothy chapter one, because there's another one mentioned there as well. I believe that it's like a ticky kiss and that.
Have you noticed verse 15, chapter one this Thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me. And then a little further down he says, the Lord give mercy on to the House of Buenos Aires, for he off refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain.
And then verse 17, keyword. But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently and found me. I believe Vicki just did that too, sought the Apostle Paul out and found them Paul's ministry. So we've enjoyed these things this weekend, all these beautiful truths. But now it's the seeking out and finding it also falling, going on owning these things. I thought I would mention that because it's encouraging to my heart.
That's nice. Uh, let's go back to verse 12 now because like to finish up the at least the verse 14 rather than before we finish, uh, verse 15 forward is the prayer that the apostle gives here for the Ephesians believers. But notice verse 12. He says that we should be to the praise of his glory who first or pre trusted in Christ.
The nation had rejected the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul says.
Those believers, those Jewish believers that trusted first trusted or pre trusted before the nation comes into a blessing, they pre trusted in Christ. And then he says in verse 13, in whom ye that's the Gentiles. Ephesians were Gentiles in large measure.
Ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believe.
Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Brother Henry is speaking about that and I think Brother Steve yesterday as well. The seal is for security. And so when a person believes the gospel of our salvation, I think is beautiful, brethren, because it includes, when it says the gospel, it includes the work of Christ. Our faith rests on the person of Christ, but the work of Christ is necessary to bring peace.
01:05:06
Sometimes, they say faith in the person of Christ gives life. Faith in the work of Christ gives peace.
When you realize that the work has been finished and you say, OK, I accept that because God has accepted that God says the work of salvation is finished in that soul and he puts his seal on them. When he rests where God rests in the not only the the person of Christ, but the work of Christ. It's so important that that be so I I've noticed that there are souls and Christendom.
That seemed to have a real faith in the person of Christ, but they don't understand that the work of Christ completely forever settled the question of sin with God. And when they understand that and accept that, however simply that is, God puts His seal upon that soul.
Yes, God values faith in the person of His beloved Son. And if we think of all the good gospel verses that we might quote in the New Testament, by far the vast majority connect faith and belief with the person of Christ. There are only a handful that connected with the work of Christ. And So what? God values His faith in His person even if there is a limited or even in some cases a wrong understanding of the work of Christ.
God honors the faith in the person of His beloved Son. But as you say, Bob, what a, what a piece it gives to have a, an understanding of the work of Christ and to be established in what he has done. What a, what a wonderful piece it gives. Then you say, when we believe fully in that and in what Christ has done, then the Spirit seals us and we are spoken of as being saved.
And the cleansing of the leper when they applied the oil, it was applied on where the blood had been applied before. That's the type of the applications of blood of Christ on us, the gospel of our salvation. It's not the gospel of salvation, it's the gospel of our salvation. It's applied to individuals. Once the blood is applied, then the oil was placed where the blood has been applied. So the Spirit of God can come and dwell and failing creatures as we are because the efficacy of the blood of Christ, I believe.
This is connected with the assurance of salvation, isn't it? It's a, a person is not really saved in the scriptural sense unless they have intelligence of what the work of Christ has done for them. Uh, souls are quickened, uh, but you couldn't say they're really in the enjoyment of the finished work of Christ. So the Spirit of God, uh, is the seal, uh, of faith in that finished work. And he's also the earnest.
Fortress of the Glory before we get there.
It's a, umm, we haven't uh, entered into the fullness of our blessings yet, but we have a foretaste, uh, in the, uh, the Spirit of God, uh, indwelling the believer. Now that was not so in the Old Testament, not Even so when the Lord was on earth, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit on the ground of the work of Christ, as our brother Michelle brought out the, the oil was put on the blood, so we have the Spirit of God only.
On the ground of the work of Christ the Lord. When he was anointed, he didn't need any blood.
So we have these wonderful blessings, the seal, the earnest umm of the coming glory.
He wants us to enjoy these things right here and now. Brother, I remember Brother Gordon Hale given an illustration that I thought was very appropriate in connection with the earnest since the buzzing. Somebody has a piece of property and they're asking $100,000 for it. And so I'm certain man wants to buy that property and says, uh, I'm so interested in that property.
Says to the owner. I'm gonna put a down payment of $1 million.
So the price is only 100,000. But rather compare the inheritance with the Spirit of God that God gives us, which is a great. Necessarily the furnace is greater than the inheritance.
The Spirit of God isn't that amazing to think. The Spirit of God I I just don't think we truly grasp the import of the fact that the Spirit of God is given to dwell in us now, to bring us into the enjoyment of all these things ahead of time.
01:10:11
665 just before we sing, I'd like to just conclude with this, uh, little thought We started for seven. And that, in a way, is a look faster at the worst price for redemption.
And forgiveness and that's somewhat something like what we did this morning. We look back at what the Lord Jesus has done for us and it every time we do that is it is marvelous equipment for turning around 180 and looking ahead at what the glory of Christ is and will be when he receives his inheritance. So now it's kind of an open-ended view beyond that that we can't ever get to the end of and we'll until we actually see it with our own eyes and glory.
It, it expands as we go along and, uh.
But every time we go back to what the Lord Jesus accomplished and completed at Calvary, it leads us directly into the thought of these things that we've been discussing this afternoon.
Do I have a thought to that brother? Or in chapter 3 verse 18 and 19?
The apostle here Speaking of all that had been unfolded before, he gets to the practical part of the epistle.
He looks back and his prayer is at the Saints. Verse 18 May be able to comprehend with All Saints and the enjoyment of the whole body of Christ with All Saints. What is the breadth and length and depth and height of the mystery that was hidden God and all its fullness and all that we've been brought into.
Its length is immeasurable. It's infinite. Its breath is without measure. Its height is without measure. Depth is without measure nonetheless.
The terms length, breadth, depth and height convey measure.
But he says no, there's one more thing.
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, brethren, we have one portion, like Jacob said to Joseph, one portion of I given thee above all I breath. We have one portion that's above all the rest. And to know the love of Christ, which has a knowledge, there is no bound, no description in connection with any measurement.
To the and to no the love of Christ, which passes knowledge.
What time was that?
To take away from the beautiful hymn that could be sing also 260 just the fifth verse. 260 just the fifth verse.
Lord Jesus.
God.
I lost her here. Our souls made our eyes and.
Our Lord.
And Lord, his Lord was blessed and.
Nsnoise.
Gospel 1
Gospel—Richard Mackewich
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 welcome everybody again.
It's a privilege to be able to be here.
I have something that I wanna give away.
It's $3 in the United States money and the restaurant we're in yesterday, it's a 26% change ratio. So you get an extra 26% for each dollar.
So before we ask what I want you to do, let's sing the first verse of #10.
Have a little hem sheet that you received as you came in.
There is a Savior on high in the glory, Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree.
Saviors willing to save now as ever. His arm is almighty, His love great and free. Just saying. The first verse of #10 Perhaps someone would start it please.
Ask for the Lord's help.
Is any of you? Some of you?
Received an invitation to come.
And we welcome you. How many have you ever been to somebody's house? And there's a welcome mat.
Yeah, people have those on the door, but you know, you're, you're really not welcome.
You have to knock on the door and if they think you're worthy or if they know you, then you can come into their home. But it's nice to have that thought that you're welcome.
On this invitation there are a couple of verses. I'd like to read them.
What must I do to be saved?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Acts 163031. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 316.
Let's see #27.
First verse of 27.
My God, I have found the thrice blessed ground where life, joy, true comfort abound. Hallelujah, thine the glory #27 the first verse.
My God, I.
Uh, Riley's 11 Jones where the Lord is driving, where the door is all about the truth of the world.
And his eyes are glowing.
Also, there's a number of children here, so let's sing wide. Wide is the ocean, OK?
Why do I know?
00:05:26
Wow, that was terrific. Thank you.
I'd like to try to present to you tonight the heart of God. God so loved the world.
Who wants to earn $3? Anybody wanna earn $3?
I fell in the back. You could use $3 you guys up here. Here's the question.
Everyone in this room walked through that door.
There were three scenes on the poster.
I want somebody to stand up and tell me not the verses, but what those three scenes are, and I would like to look at them as three stages of your life.
Does anybody remember what they were?
Anybody. Let's start with 10 and under.
How about 18 to 10?
30 to 20.
So we walk through the door, we're not paying attention, and I want you to pay attention tonight because I don't want you to leave this room.
As you came in, if you're still in your sin.
The gospel message.
Does anybody remember one of the scenes?
You must have seen the one with my wife and that. Yeah, the sunset. Very good. Here's your dollar.
Yes, I'm gonna go for three in a row.
Well, you're close. OK, who said the?
Sunset.
You said sunset, didn't you? Somebody over here said sunset. Oh, you said all three.
Sunset. Who said the ocean?
That's actually Lake Huron.
You're you're close enough. And what was the 3rd? What was the third one?
Yeah, Waterfall, waterfall, waterfall.
Well, now if I would have said I'll give you $20, how many of you would have know what the three were?
They sometimes we we value things differently if it's more value.
And the gospel is a such a value to God because it cost him a lot. I'm going to look at 2 verses in the Old Testament to start with. And then we're going to look at the apostle John. He has a number of things he wants to say to us. First verse is an Ecclesiastes Chapter 7.
If you come in with a response to the invitation and you don't have a Bible, just bear with me.
It's real. It's the word of God.
Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7.
That's the first phrase of the verse.
Consider the work of God.
Consider the work of God.
Let's turn over to Deuteronomy.
That's a big word.
Deuteronomy 32.
29.
Oh, that they were wise.
They understood this.
That they would consider.
Their latter end.
00:10:02
So tonight my friends were going to consider these two things, the work of God and your latter end.
On a Fast forward a little year, as you are right now, and you've got plans, you've got ideas. We're gonna jump ahead 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, depending on how old you are. And I want you to think about.
Not the hockey game this afternoon or evening, or the ice skating. Put your ladder in.
Your pathway of life. There was a waterfall out there.
And you're on that river.
And you're in a rowboat, you're in a yacht, you're in whatever kind of boat you like, and you don't realize there's that waterfall.
And tonight, my friend, I want you to realize that the waterfall that you're going to experience is of such a solemn thing.
We're gonna go over this Cliff.
And the gates of hell are gonna open up for you. So that's why we're here. That's why the brethren in Montreal have invited you here. They want you to realize that there is a God in heaven.
Who doesn't want you to end the rocks below?
The other one with Lake Huron slamming into the Lexington, MI.
You're going to go through trials and difficulties in your life, and the waves seem like they're just gonna overtake you, and you're gonna turn to something. You're gonna turn to something that's gonna try to give you peace. You're gonna turn to something that's gonna try to give you some measure of joy and happiness.
There's no joy.
Outside of knowing your sins are gone, your sins are forgiven.
And the most solemn picture out there.
Is the sunset of your life.
My friend, you're going to die.
One out of one, people die.
Maybe you tonight.
Here, in the sunset of your life, the sun is setting.
Just consider.
Your letter in Think about it.
And in order to consider your ladder in, you need to consider the work of God.
Because the work of God.
Was performed so that you could consider your ladder in.
Well, if I'm going to consider the work of God.
I have to know what it is.
A lot of people want to work their way to heaven.
Well, I trust you don't take this in the wrong sense, but I'm going to show you a verse that shows very clearly.
You have to work to get there.
There is a verse that says it's in John chapter 6.
John, 628.
Ask the Lord Jesus, what shall we do that we might work the works of God?
This is amazing.
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God.
The only work that God is going to accept from you.
What does it say? This is the work of God that you believe on Him.
Whom he has sent.
Wow, you wanna work your way to heaven? This is the only way you can do it. You believe on him whom he hath sent. Brings up three questions. Who's the whom? Who's the He? And why was he sent? That's why we're gonna turn the John's Epistle.
For reverse.
Thistle of John.
4th chapter.
I realize that this may be.
Not new to some, but there may be somebody in this room who's never heard this before.
00:15:06
First John 4/14.
We have seen and do testify.
That the father.
Let me know who the he is.
Sent the son.
We know who the whom is and why was he sent.
The savior of the world.
Environment and your work, your job assignment, if you would just to believe that that's all just simply believe.
Free gift offer salvation, whosoever will may come believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that thou shalt be saved. Let me ask you another question just to show how observant we are as people there's.
Signs on the wall here versus.
Raise your hand if you've seen those verses before, other than in the Bible.
Raise your hand if you've seen these verses anywhere.
Brother verse Think where'd you see him?
Yeah, Gospel message anywhere. Did you see it?
Yeah, there's a signs out there. Isn't that amazing?
God realized I believe in an ordained that he realized that you wouldn't even pay attention when you walked in and so now he puts it right on the screen so you can see it. These are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and the believing you might have life through his name.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and then you may believe in the name of the Son of God. Let's turn over to John 5 the Gospel of John.
John 5.
John 5/24.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, believeth on him the Father.
God that sent me.
Half everlasting life shall not come into condemnation for this past. From death unto life.
So far it sounds pretty.
Easy. Simple, doesn't it Just simply believe?
But in order for you and I, my friend.
To believe.
Lord Jesus had to buy the field.
And he sold everything that he had and bought it.
I'm gonna read a verse in Isaiah.
And I think it's one of the most solemn verses in the Scriptures.
Isaiah.
50.
Isaiah 51.
This is a verse.
If our eyes are open to see it, it's going to show you.
How much you mean to God?
But the verse isn't about you.
It's about God's Son.
And this is what he did, so that you can simply believe these things. Have I written unto you that believe? Have you believed tonight? Isaiah 51?
Verse 22.
Thus saith the Lord.
The Lord and thy God.
The latest the cause of his people.
Listen to this Behold.
I have taken out of my hand.
A cup of trembling.
Even the dregs of the cup of my fury.
00:20:00
No more drinking again.
I personally believe this is what the father said to the son when he send it on high. He cried out in the garden three times. Oh my father. Oh, and tonight I want you to impress it upon your heart. Oh my father, if it be possible, he's crying out because.
He loves you and this is what God says.
I have taken out thy hand, the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury.
During three hours there on the cross, this verse was fulfilled.
Imagine that, the dregs of a cup.
Of my fury.
Wow, see the picture out there? Lake Huron slamming into the rocks? That's nothing. And yet God through his word would say.
All thy ways and thy billows.
Rolled over me. Why? Because he loves you. And the point I wanna try to get across to you, my friend, is it was.
Yeah.
You know, sometimes you hear parents losing it when they spank their kid and they get a belt and they, you know, kid has welts on it. This is the Lord Jesus and his father is over this slam slammed for three hours.
The drinks and the cup is furious for you. For you because he knew the consequences of where sin is going to land you.
Consider your ladder in Here's the Lord Jesus. He's in the garden and he's considering.
This letter and.
Oh, but that's not the end of the story. Everything up from the grave. He arose, he did. He lives.
These things are written that you might believe, Oh, tonight are you going to believe? Are you going to believe the message that God, soul of the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life?
John 17 for reverse.
John 17. Well known verse for those of us who know the Savior. Verse 4.
I have glorified thee on the earth.
I have finished the work.
Thou gave us me to do. That's why we can now consider the work of God. It's all finished, it's done. It is finished right on the cross. And so now you and I can consider as marvelous work and it was for you, it was for me. The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanseth us from all sin. This is a marvelous verse here we know the Son of God is coming hath given us an understanding that we may know him.
We might know God. God knows you. He's long-suffering, not willing to. Then he should perish.
Pass the eternity ruined into a sinner's hell.
Are you considering your latter? And that waterfall? That precipice in your life may be a lot closer than you think. The storm slamming into those rocks.
You might be at the breaking point. What's the point of going on? Nobody loves me, nobody cares. No matter what I do, it falls apart. Life just seems to be against me.
And then you have those dear older ones settings on the sun is sinking in the West.
My friend the Lord Jesus, if I can say it reverently.
Sank in the West for you.
He died for you. He bore the judgment of God for you. He went over that waterfall.
I think it was red. I think, brother, hey ho here, Reddit, who has measured the water in the hollow of his hand? Think of that tremendous judgment. He went for you.
Why? Because he loves you, He cares about you, you're valuable, you're precious, but you've got this genetic disease called sin, and it needs to be dealt with. And God dealt with that sin, put it on his Son.
00:25:04
You believe the blood of Jesus Christ, God, Son, cleanseth us from all sin that we sang. My God, I have found. Have you found Jesus?
So I'm gonna ask someone.
Have you found Jesus?
Or as Jesus found you, I forget exactly how it goes. And his comment was, I didn't know he was looking for me. And that may be you tonight. You may not even realize that you're on that waterfall and you're going into a lost eternity. God of this world has blinded your eyes lest the light of the glorious gospel which shines in the face of Jesus Christ.
All that face that was so barred, we spit on it, we buffet it, we laughed at it, and yet the gospel of the glorious God, isn't that faith for you?
Does he have a smile on it for you tonight? Yes, he does. He loves you. Oh, he loves you so much. He went into death, destroyed him. That had power of the death.
It might be free that you might have life have it more abundantly.
The verses just keep recycling. How many times is it gonna take before you realize?
And that's talking about me. That's talking about me if I believe.
That's all I have to do. Wow.
I believe.
Three young children over here, He's got a dollar.
They worked for it. They had to answer questions.
We don't have to do anything, but if you insist on working, that's the only work you can do. This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He have sent. Why is it important to believe on Him?
2nd Thessalonians.
2nd Thessalonians, chapter one.
I want you to stop and realize.
That you can indeed walk out of this room and you can reject the verses here and you can disbelieve.
But what this verses are going to tell us is really going to happen.
And I trust there's nobody in this room who's gonna come under it.
2nd Thessalonians, chapter one.
Verse 7.
To you who are troubled, Are you troubled this evening? Are things bothering you?
Someone who said there's three things that affect old people.
Fear. Worry.
Loneliness.
Are you traveling tonight? Are you lonely? Are you worried? Are you in fear?
My friend.
This being fearful, being worrying, being lonely, there's nothing compared to this.
The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels and flaming fire, taking vengeance on them. That no, not God.
How is that possible?
He's given us the standing. We may know Him. That is true. We are in Him. That is true even in Jesus Christ. This is the true God.
Jesus is telling you tonight that you can know God.
And if you don't, the Lord Jesus is coming to take vengeance on you, says right here, the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels taking vengeance of them. No, no, not God. And that obey not the gospel.
The gospel is simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, that thou shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus. Believe in your heart.
God raised him from the dead. You're saved. Do you believe it?
Let's talk about today about head knowledge versus heart. Believe, put your faith and trust in Jesus.
00:30:01
Have you done that?
Think of the press if it's going into death, think of all the troubles and difficulties you have.
My friend, if you come under the judgment of God.
Because it's your own choice.
You chose to. Here you have the opportunity to consider your latter end. Let's think about it.
There was a prayer meeting and some of the prayers touched my heart. There may be somebody in this room. Don't even realize you're lost.
Don't even realize you're lost.
You are. You're dead in trespasses and sin.
So the Lord Jesus took the penalty of sin, the judgment of God. We can't comprehend what would be to take the righteous judgment of a holy God compressed in the three hours.
This is a terrific judgment there. Let you know that wasn't crowding blow.
Crowning blow.
The Lord Jesus Christ out.
Thank God. Thank God.
And you may be gonna say that in the coming day when you realize that you're in hell.
People say that very glibly. Oh my God.
It's only one God.
True God, the everlasting God, Isaiah said. There is no God beside me.
The redeeming God we think sometimes in Richmond. He loves you, He wants you, He died to redeem you. Only believe His Word. How many of you know that little course? Let's just sing it. He loves you, He wants you, He died to redeem you. Only feeling His word.
There's nothing to do.
There nothing to buy, remember to us for you. He left his blessing in the sky. Now he's ready, He's willing. He's able to save you only mainly his word.
What's holding you back?
Why aren't you saved?
If we were really on that Le uh river going over that waterfall and we realized that we do everything we could, couldn't we either jump out and swim or row or whatever? We would be in panic. We would be terror stricken. And yet here God is, open as it were, the canopy of hell, weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, and yet you still go on in your sins. There's pleasure in sin.
God of this world.
Blinded your eye? What's gonna open your eye?
The love of Christ.
Son of God, who loved me, gave himself for me, John 317.
3rd chapter of John's Gospel.
Verse 17 for God.
Sent not his son into the world.
To condemn the world.
Didn't come to condemn.
That the world through him.
Might be saved.
Are you safe tonight?
One of the songs we sing with the children is If you saved and you know it, clap your hands, Your face will surely show it.
Or your life will show up, depending on what version you're gonna use. But there's going to be an outward display of an inward work. You can't keep it in. You can't keep it out. It goes. God. Think of it. God the Creator loved you so much.
That he was speaking reverently would whip his son to death.
Another solemn verse.
Isaiah 53 says.
00:35:01
Yes, please, the Lord.
At least the Lord to do that.
God knew that was the only way.
If his son would have a bride.
You would have an opportunity to come to the Savior.
Jesus could say, I am the man that hath seen affliction of the rod of his wrath.
And if you reject the Lord Jesus, my friend, that same judgment is going to fall on you.
Pass into water darkness.
Very last face, you'll see.
That's the Lord Jesus sitting on that white throne, and he's gonna look In this book called The Book of Life, He's not gonna ask you, what did you do, what did you do, what did you do, Why didn't you do? He's just gonna simply look.
For your day.
You're gonna stay. What's your name? Peter Blair. You look. Oh, there you are. Peter. His name is there. Is your name gonna be there? My name starts with an M, so if, well, at least I'm not an A, we'll have to wait until they get to the M. Oh, he's gonna see if your name is there.
Redeemed with the blood of Christ.
Jesus could say I finished the work. That's why you can't work your way to heaven, because the work is already finished.
The work is already finished. There's nothing for you to do It's done. Jesus paid it all. Paid it all.
Oh, what a savior is Jesus. The Lord well made his name by his Saints, Theodore.
He has redeemed them. Hell save them forever.
She may know that you have eternal life.
Oh, what a marvelous thing. And it was brought out today, my friends. Not only is salvation so precious, but it's the stepping stone. It's the stepping stone and everything else.
Justification, Redemption. Sanctification.
The whole realm of Christianity, the Father's house, everything's based on.
You have to be saved.
I gave $3 away because somebody worked for it. I'm gonna give $3 away just for grace, just to give it away. And that's what God does. You can't buy it. You can't buy salvation.
It's already been told about a lady who wants to see a doctor, doctor, Sprite medication. She was cured and the lady said how much is the bill? The doctor said, oh, it's free. I love you so much. I've been taking care of your family.
That's for free. Oh, I gotta pay something. No, it's free. Oh, I insist. Alright, it's $3,000,000.
That was she. Well, she couldn't pay it. She wanted somehow she got the idea you have to do something. So I'm gonna give $3 away just to give it away.
God, you want it all right.
There you go. Maybe you can buy your daddy a ice cream cone somewhere.
Yeah.
He didn't have to do anything.
All he really said was I want it, I want it.
And that's the gospel message. Do you want it? God offers it to you free. You want it. Don't walk out of this room still lost in your sins.
Those 3 pictures out there, real places, real events.
Once you go over the waterfall.
You ain't coming back.
You're not a salmon. You're not gonna jump up again. You're gone, lost forever.
Put your faith and trust in Jesus tonight. Please don't walk out of this room lost in your sins. I got 3 minutes according to the sticker up here.
Put your heart over your ticker. All you have is a heartbeat. You're just a heartbeat away from hell if you don't know the Lord Jesus.
00:40:01
Rather than here love you, they want you to realize that there is a loving God.
They want you to come to Jesus.
Have your sins forgiven into the Father's house, joy unspeakable and full of glory.
You want it, it's free for the asking, it's free for taking the offers, and that's the Lord Jesus is here offering it to you. You got nail prints in his hands. How much you paid for it? How much he paid for it?
Neither one of these.
Paid anything for it, they worked for it.
Pure grace.
Pure grace.
Invitation says.
This is a message for you that is sent.
From God's loving heart.
Don't despise it, don't reject them. Believe. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Repentance. Turn to God from idols. Trust in the living God. Believe. Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus.
You ever done that? Confess the Lord.
Somebody in this room stand up and say, Lord Jesus. You confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and you believe in your heart what you believe in the cross.
God raised him from the dead. He died to save you, shed his blood.
Yeah, one more minute.
How much time do you have?
How much time do you have?
Well, you've been so gracious. Let's sing another song 42.
Little child of seven or even 34.
They enter into heaven through Christ, the open door.
Tonight, my friend, those doors are closed.
There is a day coming when the gospel door will be closed. You'll never have an opportunity to walk through the door. But tonight Jesus said I am the door #42.
A little child of seven, or even 3 or 4.
May enter into hell.
Oh Christ, they opened.
Door for when the heart may leave on Christ the Son of God.
Tis them a story save salvation.
Through his.
Uh, let's send it one more time into grasping around. So how simple it is to get saved? How simple?
A little child of seven.
Or even 3 or 4.
May enter into.
Heaven through Christ, the open door.
Or when my heart may leave us on priceless.
Salvation.
To him belong.
So we ask the Lord to bless His word.
Excuses
Children—Wally Dear
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.
So nice to see you boys and girls come to the Sunday school and I see a number sitting on the front row. We don't even have to ask you to come to the front. That's good.
Would there be anybody else sitting toward the back that would like to come to the front?
You know, I'm really happy.
But I think I might be even happier if there were more people sitting on the front row.
Thank you very much.
Anybody else? Well, perhaps while we sing.
Somebody else will come to the front, so we're going to sing some songs and here's the girl already has her hand up. What number?
Why? Why did the ocean? Well, I don't believe that's on our hymn sheet, but we sang it last night. And I don't get tired of singing that song. And I noticed that most everybody knew it, so that's good. You know, maybe we should stand up. And so it's not to harm our neighbor. We could turn sideways.
45109.
Well, we're off to a good start. Anybody else have a number? How about a boy? Yes.
#30.
And by the way, if you know a song that's not on the hymn sheet.
Feel free to tell us what it is, and if we know it, perhaps we can sing it.
Even though it's not on the hymn sheet. All right, let's do #30 now let's sing the first and last verses, OK, of the songs on the hymn sheet.
That way we'll have time to sing more songs.
#30.
4/18/12.
Years winking will not take me.
Drinks like a long time. Barney dreams Palace on the third of the dream.
05093301 can stand me?
Jason Chrysler.
In the grandparents.
Nsnoise.
39.
Nsnoise.
00:05:13
Nsnoise.
Yes, Ellie #5 all right #5 so we're gonna sing the first verse and the last verse.
#5.
Oh, happy day.
I was looking around the room as we sang that song and I saw some who seemed very happy and they so much enjoy singing the song. But I saw some others that didn't seem very happy and I wonder why that is. Could it be that you still are in your sins? Is it that you have a weight of sins upon you?
I don't know exactly why it is that maybe you're not happy, but I know one thing. Jesus wants to make you happy. And we sing a song like that, don't we? Jesus loves me when I'm sad.
And he waits to make me glad. So he wants us to be happy.
And he wants us to be praising him and this is good thing, it really is. Anybody else have a number?
00:10:09
I think it's a boy's turn, yes.
44 All right #44.
This, perhaps, will be the last song off the hymn sheet #44 the first and last verse.
Into what, 10?
$2000.
I am gonna have something to me. Flowers again. Tell me again.
Salvation Army.
And children's hunter? No idea.
And it would also have worked out in France at 10:00 PM to the plowing of them.
Los Angeles, CA Ohio restaurant.
No, there's a verse that's not printed on this hymn sheet, and it tells about how the little gypsy boy looked.
Even while he was dying.
Does anybody know how he looked? We sing it in a verse. It's not on this hymn sheet.
Happy, it says. He was smiling.
As his last sigh was spent.
How can somebody be smiling when they're dying?
Many people don't understand how that could be, but you know, that's right. He was on his way to heaven. He was going to be with Jesus and he knows Jesus is his best friend and Jesus died for him and he's going to spend.
Forever.
In God's happy home with the Lord Jesus. Well, I hope everybody here today has the assurance of going to be with the Lord Jesus when you die. Now there's another song I'm thinking about. It goes like this. Come and go with me to my father's house. How many know this song? I see some hands. Very good. I see a few hands. OK, We need all the help we can get.
Because I didn't see too many hands. But it's a song that's easy to learn, so let's give it a try. And it starts with the word come.
Come and go with me.
To my father.
Do my father. I love you, my father's child. I'm gonna go with me to my father's house. Where is your joy and joy? Jesus is somewhere you, my father's house.
2500 thousand in my father's house. In my father's house. Will I be there in my father's house?
And his job. And his daughter. And John.
Not forcing girls.
Let's, uh, set these hem sheets aside.
And we're gonna take time to pray. It's very important to look to the Lord for his help and direction, especially when we're talking with children and somebody said one time.
00:15:17
We need to talk to the Lord about the children.
Before we talk to the children about the Lord.
And I think that's a very good.
Ways to do it? It's a good sequence, so let's pray.
Now, today.
I brought something.
I brought more than one table.
But I bought a pair of these.
Now does anybody?
No what these are?
Yes.
These are a pair of ears and I'm wondering does anybody here?
Today need years. I see you boys got ears. OK, You don't need.
You don't need gears.
You got ears?
You gotta hear, Shelly.
Your hair is currently, but you still got them. OK, You got yours too. That's good. Everybody over here have ears. That's good. Nobody needs these, do they? Because you already got a pair of ears. Well, you know, I got a pair of ears too.
And I put these up like this.
And I didn't really like the way it looked.
So.
I'm not going to be wearing these ears.
But I'd like to start this Sunday school by saying this.
Seven times in the Bible.
In the Gospels.
And I notice, and then you brought the Bibles here today, so that's good.
Because without the Bible, we wouldn't have a Sunday school. And you know, the Bible is the word of God. God speaks to us through this book. Now the question is, are you listening to what God has to say?
And four times over in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke.
The Lord Jesus says this.
He that has ears.
To hear.
Let him hear.
Seven times.
And so I'm gonna.
Finding out if those who have ears today are fearing are listening.
Now you know I turned over the Book of Revelation, and in Revelation chapter two and three I see again seven times it says this. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
You know, boys and girls, when we get saved.
And we get saved, I believe, by hearing the word of God.
Because faith itself comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
But we get saved to become part of the church.
And I believe God speaks to us one at a time, but he also speaks to us in a group as the church or the body of Christ. We've been talking about that. And this is conference and it's been a wonderful portion. But here's the point. You got ears. Are you listening now? Who can tell me how many times in Matthew, Mark, Luke?
Did the Lord Jesus say he that has ears to hear?
Let him hear how many times.
Seven. Very good.
You're using your ears. That's good.
How many times in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3?
00:20:03
Do we read he that hath an ear to hear, Let him hear how many times? 7 Very good. So we've got some listening ears today. That's very good.
You see, God gives us ears to hear His word.
And people listen to many different things. I sat with beside a man.
On the airplane and he had.
Your PLA, uh, phones?
In his ears.
And he had those in his ears for the whole entire trip and I thought it might be nice to say something to him.
You know, I'll try to be friendly and.
But he he had his earphones in.
And it was difficult. And you know, people today, they are listening.
But they're often not listening to what God wants them to hear.
And it's the Bible. It's the word of God, God speaking to us through this book.
That is so important to hear. Well that man, he did take the earphones out and I head opportunity to give him a gospel track and he accepted.
So.
Maybe he'll get saved. Maybe he'll listen to what God is saying.
Through the Bible now.
This morning I was thinking.
About something else that starts with an E.
And I in fact.
This is the other.
Item I brought.
I came across this, uh, bottle.
Does anybody tell me what starts with an E on this bottle here?
Can you can you see something starts with an E?
Just put up your hand if you think you can tell me what it is, Savannah, who excuses. That's what I was thinking about.
This morning excuse.
What is an excuse?
You know, I can't even see that clock. See, light seems to be reflecting off the clock. But I guess we got this one here anyway. We still got some time. What do you think? Uh, Isaac?
Exactly. It's a reason not to do something. Or maybe it might be a reason to do something.
And sometimes these reasons.
Are good reasons to do or not to do something, but often times an excuse is not a good reason.
To do or not to do something?
Now last night I was talking to.
A brother and he said, you know, I won't be able to come to the Sunday school tomorrow because I'm going to pick up.
A lady, she really wants to come to these meetings and she can't come on her own, so I'm going to go and pick her up. You think that was a good reason not to come to Sunday school?
You think so? I think so. I think that was a good excuse. But you know, there are so many people that don't have a good excuse for not coming to Sunday school. Maybe they say, well, I'm just too tired.
And I can't make it to Sunday school. But you know what? If somebody would go to bed a little bit earlier, they could get up a little earlier and they could come to Sunday school. There's so many excuses. Sometimes somebody says, well, I wouldn't want to go to Sunday school because my friends would laugh at me. You think that's a good excuse?
No, I don't think so either. What kind of friends are those that don't want you to hear about Jesus?
00:25:01
The best friend you could ever have, the one who can save your soul As we sing in a little song. You can cleanse your heart, He can make you whole, and He can make you happy for time and for eternity.
So we don't want to listen to friends like that, but often our friends do discourage us from coming.
To Sunday school, or perhaps to the meetings.
But we need to realize that God.
Has in mind what he wants you to do and he always will give you the ability to do it. Now I'm thinking of another excuse.
Now.
Where am I gonna put this?
No excuses.
Recently.
We were.
On an island off the coast of Maine.
And we were looking for the lighthouse.
But we could not find the lighthouse. You might say we lost our way.
We came upon.
Two hikers, I believe it was a man and his wife.
And you know they.
We're up ahead of us.
Walking and they had these huge backpacks.
I mean, the top of the backpack was up here and the bottom was way down here and they were walking.
And my wife and I, we just had little backpacks.
They stopped.
They took off their backpacks.
And while they were stopped.
I take it they were taking a rest or they're going to adjust their backpack. We were able to catch up with them and of course we asked do you know how to get to the lighthouse?
And so the man, he pulled out a map.
He was well prepared to tell us where to go.
He has a map showed the lighthouse and.
He told us how he thought we should go to get to the lighthouse, so that was very kind and we really appreciated that.
And then it came time.
To go our separate ways.
And you know, I had my pocket.
Wanna eat?
Anybody tell me what this is?
Yes.
It's a gospel tract.
So I said.
Sir, you have given us a good steer.
And I would like to leave you one as well.
This is a message of God's love that explains the way of salvation.
And he said no thank you.
And then his wife said something.
Yeah, I could hardly believe that she said this.
And I'm still thinking about it.
She said.
We don't want to carry any extra weight.
Extra weight.
Oh this is so heavy.
Can can you tell is this heavy?
No, you don't think it's heavy, You try. Is this heavy?
What do you think?
See how heavy that is? Is that heavy? No, I don't think so, but I'm sorry to say this man.
He politely refused.
The track and I believe.
Perhaps his wife was trying to be polite, but she seemed very serious.
We don't wanna carry any extra weight. Well, you know, I thought about that. We've got a big problem here.
00:30:07
This little gospel tract.
I believe.
Has in it the word of God?
And it explains how we can be saved and we can be satisfied.
It explains how we can be happy. It explains how we can get.
Rid of the weight of our sins.
And, you know, I believe that that is a weight that those people, they did not feel.
I would like to read a little verse here found in Psalm.
38 Now if you got a Bible, you can look this up. Psalm.
38.
And it's through these people. They had heavy backpacks and I felt sorry for them.
They had those backpacks full of food.
And they had camping gear and they were going to spend 3 days, three nights at a campsite. And so they were all prepared.
To take care of their physical needs over the next few days, but they had a spiritual need.
I don't think they realized. Notice what it tells is Psalm 38, the Psalm of David.
And David says in verse 4, Psalm 38, verse 4, mine iniquities are gone over my head.
As in heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
Well.
What I was gonna say?
Those people, they had a backpack that went over their head.
And that was a heavyweight.
But I believe they had something that went far further over their head, and that is their sins and you and I.
Also.
Have since.
And David, he recognized the fact that sin separated from God.
And I believe.
Nobody can be happy.
Separated from God.
And God wants.
To remove that separation now.
How is it?
You know we sing a song, Oh Happy Day when Jesus washed my sins away and as I looked I saw some with happy faces and just enjoying the fact that.
No doubt their sins, which once separated them from God, forever gone.
And you know, David could say, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
And you know, if that doesn't make a person happy, I don't know what can. To be washed whiter than snow in the precious blood of Jesus, and to be holy and without blame like we had yesterday before God.
It's such a wonderful.
Experience, if I could put it that way, it's so wonderful. Well, the Lord Jesus said, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. I will give you rest.
You know, we read about more excuses in the Bible.
I wonder has anybody here missed school recently?
Like.
You didn't go to school.
On a certain day.
You missed some school, Thomas.
Did did you have a good excuse?
You asked your mom if you could stay home.
And she said yes.
OK.
Maybe I should ask your mom. Well, I should have said that.
00:35:04
I think your mom knows what she's doing.
You know, I read one time about some boys.
And they didn't miss the day of school, but they came late to the school.
Like they got there about 10 in the morning and they were supposed to be there about 8:15 or so.
You know what they said?
He said, well, we had a flat tire on the way to school and so.
That's why we're late.
Well, you know those boys, they had a teacher that was pretty smart.
Because right away, she said, OK, boys.
I want you to sit.
Down.
She had one sitting over here at this desk, one here and another one over here.
She said.
You got 30 seconds.
To put down on the paper.
Which tire?
On the vehicle went flat.
You know the results of that test.
We're quite revealing. The results of that test show those boys are lying.
Because what they had really been doing was fishing.
Yeah.
They've been fishing, so that was not a good excuse, was it? We had a flat tire, but you know, so many.
Have excuses that are bad excuses.
And.
Let's just, uh, look over here in Luke's Gospel chapter 14, here's somebody that has some bad excuses. In Luke chapter 14 and verse 16, it tells us about a certain man. And I believe this certain man represents God himself. And this man, he made a great supper and he paid many. He was a very kind man.
And.
He had great riches, no doubt great resources, and so he could put on a very nice meal and he invited lots of people to come. Well, you know, God in his grace has provided for you and for me.
Salvation.
And not only salvation, but satisfaction.
And you know God offers freely these wonderful.
Things. And so here it tells us that the invitation went out.
The servant said.
To those that were invited, come for all things are now ready. And verse 18 it tells us that they began to make excuse.
The first one said I bought a piece of ground, I must need to go and see it. Is that a good excuse not to come and enjoy this wonderful meal? Is that a good excuse? Of course not. I heard of one time about a man, he bought some property.
Down in Florida.
And he never went to see it. But anyway, he bought it and he took a trip down to see what he had bought. He found out he bought a swamp.
You don't buy something before you see it. It's not a good plan but that's what this person said. Then another said well I bought 5 yoke of oxen and I go to prove that.
We heard about oxygen yesterday, didn't we?
How they go into a yoke.
Two oxen at a time and they pull.
And farmers plow their fields. They do work with the ox. This man, he had bought 5 yoke of oxen and now he was going to go and see if they were good ox. It's almost like somebody pulling into a tractor dealer, maybe a farmer.
Maybe somebody has a big garden, they want a tractor, so they pull into the place where they sell tractors.
00:40:04
And Sir, you got tractors for sale here. Yeah.
Well.
You got green ones or red ones or we got both? I'll take a green one.
Now, these are all used tractors. OK, they've already been used.
End.
So right away, the man, he says, OK, I'll take the green one. Maybe it's a John Deere.
And he pays for the tractor.
Maybe it's $10,000 and he says.
Now I'll come back tomorrow and find out if I bought a good tractor or not.
Now you think that's a good thing to do?
Of course not, you need to test drive something before you buy it. But this man, he didn't do that with his ox and it was a flimsy excuse.
And then finally another said, well I married a wife and therefore I can't come.
Well, that's sad. That's very sad. You know, I look around this hall here today.
And I see husbands and wives, and they're so beautiful. You know, this man, he could have brought his wife and sat down, enjoyed a wonderful meal. But I think what we're learning from this portion is that people, they want to find their own.
Pleasure and satisfaction apart from God and what he has to offer. Very sad. I hope nobody's like that here today, but as we read on.
We see that the the master, he was angry, he wanted his house to be filled, his table full. He said go and bring in the poor command, the halt the blind.
The servant says, Lord, done as you've commanded, there's still room. The Lord said, Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. God wants a full house.
You know what God finds the light in doing? Showing kindness to those who don't deserve it.
And I'm sorry to say, these first people made excuse.
Earthen Vessels
Address—Henry Sikora
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.
It's time for the young.
Peoples meeting can we begin with?
Singing 340.
#340.
Father, we command our sins.
Let's open to the Second Corinthians.
Chapter 4.
I've spent.
More time than I usually do in reading through this the beginning of this book very recently, and I'd like to share.
I trust with profit that which I've enjoyed, that which the Lord has made good to my own soul.
Let's begin by reading a couple verses in the 4th chapter.
Beginning with verse 5.
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord.
And ourselves your servants, for Jesus sake.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness.
Hath shined in our hearts to give the light.
Of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure.
In earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
I'd like to talk this afternoon just a little bit.
About vessels.
We have introduced here.
The thought of an earthen vessel.
An earthen vessel.
I believe we all know what it's talking about.
This earthen vessel.
We don't always look at that it that way. Just an earthen vessel. Reminds me of what the Lord said.
Back in the book of Genesis.
Dost thou art?
And unto dusk shalt thou return.
Oh, we don't tend to look at ourselves that way. I I look around, I look at myself. We dress ourselves up, we try to look good. There's nothing wrong with that.
But it's good to remember that.
00:05:02
What we have is simply what we are living in, is simply an earthen vessel. Everything in the world around us tends us to, tends to build us up as if we were something.
Something important in ourselves.
God's word tells it like it is.
Anderson Vessel.
We.
We'd like to be commended.
We like to be spoken well off.
There was a man of God. His name was John the Baptist.
And he came preaching.
And he was asked some questions long ago.
They asked him.
Who art thou?
Who are you?
You know, a, a an opportunity to build oneself up.
Who are you? They were wondering if he was the Christ.
He said very simply, I am not the Christ. Oh, they asked them some other questions.
You said are you Elias? He said. I am not.
Are you that profit? The profit that was probably prophesied about in the book of Deuteronomy?
No.
He says his answers got shorter and shorter. He didn't make much of himself. There was.
A brother in the Lord about 500 years ago was reading these words, and here's what he wrote.
About John's response and it tells us.
A little bit about how we should look at ourselves.
He wrote. I am not.
O words unwelcome to the lips of men.
I am not.
Oh, words that lead us back to God again.
Words of heaven from wise men hidden unto children taught.
Few the words of that great lesson. Only I am not.
We're nothing in ourselves.
Just simply.
An earthen vessel.
I would like to bring before us this evening by looking at a few scriptures and we've had this subject before us in the meetings.
What God has done to the earth in vessel, in his sovereign will. We've had that in the book of Ephesians.
What he has done according to the good pleasure of his will.
And what is our responsibility with regards to this earthen vessel?
As far as what God has done, look at the 5th chapter.
Perhaps I should?
Save this.
Perhaps we'll just wait on that bit.
It says we have this treasure. It's speaking about the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
We have this treasure in earthen vessels.
Yes, it may be an earthen vessel.
God has put a treasure.
Into the earthen vessel.
There's a sister that.
Wrote about this. I wrote down her words in case I wouldn't remember them.
Because the treasure really has nothing to do with us. Exactly. Listen to the way she put it.
God in heaven hath a treasure.
00:10:03
Rich's none may counter tell. Hath a deep eternal pleasure.
Christ, the Son, he loveth well. God hath here on earth the treasure.
None that he its price may know. Deep, unfathomable pleasure.
Christ revealed in Saints below.
God's treasure. God has a treasure. We sang about it this morning.
I believe the first him given out at the breaking of bread.
We sang these words, and by the one chief treasure thy bosom freely gave.
God gave his chief treasure.
To be sent into this world, our Lord Jesus Christ.
His chief treasurer. I've heard a brother express it this way, he said. God emptied heaven.
And sent his treasure into this world. Maybe not. That's not a correct thought 100%, but it's precious to me. God sent his treasure into this world. And before he came.
Before he came, Mary was told, That holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Oh, God had looked over this world for 40 centuries.
To see if there were any that understood or sought after God or did that which was pleasing.
And.
What does he have to say? No, not one.
And he sent his beloved Son, that holy thing, into this world, and the Lord and Jesus.
Walk through this world for 30 years.
That holy thing.
What did God have to say about Him before He began His ministry? And we read these words this morning as well.
This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, and whom is my delight, His treasure, his pleasure, his delight. And as he went through this scene, we have more than once the father appearing and telling us about the treasure of his dear son and the pleasure, the delight that he brought to him.
The only one.
Who had ever.
Brought pleasure and delight to him.
The only one who could answer the question of sin and be a sacrifice for sin. And he went to the cross of Calvary, and we remember him in his death this morning.
Precious blood was shed there, the only one.
Who could shed precious blood that put away our sins? And I look at your faces.
And we just love to repeat those words, that we have not been redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.
He died. He was buried.
And his father raised him from the dead.
And God caught him up. He was taken up 40 days later into heaven.
And that's why the sister wrote those words. God in heaven hath a treasure.
He's back with the father.
He's there.
But.
There's a wonderful thing that has happened.
As the sister wrote.
God hath here on earth a treasure, none but He its price may know deep unfathomable pleasure. Christ revealed in Saints below. 3. That verse in first and 2nd 2nd Corinthians chapter 5.
00:15:04
Because God has done a wonderful thing.
Verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ.
He is a new creature or there is a new creation.
Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Isn't that wonderful? A new creation? I like to read it that way because what it does is bring to my mind the original creation.
We've all noticed how God took note. We read about each day during the original creation. And what does it say that God said it says?
When the when the dry land appeared, it says at the end of the day God saw that it was good.
And we read again in the 12Th verse of the first chapter of Genesis, and God saw that it was good. And we read this again in the 18th verse, And God saw that it was good. And he worked some more. And it says God saw that it was good. And when he came to the end of the work that he had done.
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
Very good. He delighted in that creation.
But there was a problem. Sin came in.
And in Christ Jesus.
If any man be in Christ, when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and accepted Him as our Savior, God did a wonderful work.
He gave you and me a new life, he says. There's a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And if he took delight in that first creation and said it was very good.
A creation that was committed to man and man has failed in every way but this one. This creation is based on the work of his dear son, and it will never fail.
And God has given you and me and put this treasure in an earthen vessel. This is the work that God did. We've been reading about it in Ephesians. It's been commented on over and over again, the work of God. It is His sovereign will that has done this.
But we need to know it. This is what God has placed into these earthen vessels.
Well, there's something else that God has done, and there's a story in the Old Testament that.
Perhaps brings this out?
In Second Kings.
Chapter 4.
Here we're going to read about oil. Oil often in in the Word of God is a picture of the Spirit of God.
So you wanna keep that in mind as we read through this little story and try to glean something from it?
Now they're crying to certain women of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant, my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord, and the creditor has come to take him, to take unto him my two sons, to be bondsman.
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 save 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 shall pour out into all these vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
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So she went from him.
And shut the door upon her, and upon her sons, and brought the vessels to her, and she poured out.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her, Son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her.
There 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 and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children.
On the rest.
You know, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.
We're told in the book of Ephesians.
After ye believed ye were sealed.
With the Holy Spirit.
That's something else that God has done.
It's his work.
It's his work and this little story where would just make a little app, take a little application from it tells us a little bit about that and it's a wonderful work that God has done with His Holy Spirit if we were to go back to just read a verse.
Again.
In Second Corinthians.
The first chapter.
It tells us a little bit about this.
And this was read by our brother yesterday. Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. And it tells us here a little bit about the value, the operation of the Spirit of God.
We are.
Anointed, anointed with the Spirit. Well, that's one of the operations of the Spirit of God. And in John's epistle, we write, we read about that and he's he's writing to the children and they're anointed with the Spirit to give discernment, to give power that's needed in the pathway.
There's the ceiling of the spirit for our assurance, and our brother spoke about that a little bit and for those who are young.
One little analogy that has done me a lot of good. The ceiling of the Spirit.
Out West, where cattle roam freely.
They go out annually and they gather the cattle in.
And the ones that belong to a certain rancher, they bring them into a corral.
And they heat an iron.
And they make it red hot and they press it into the cows. It burns the hair, leaves a scar, and they're branded. That's a little bit like the ceiling.
And and wonderful and don't you enjoy it? Not all Christians do.
That were sealed with the Spirit. It's for our assurance. God is saying you're mine.
And he puts his brand on us, and He will never let us go. He will never forget us. We're his and His forever. What a wonderful truth to lay hold of from the Word of God. But there's also the earnest of the Spirit.
That's for our enjoyment, isn't it?
After he believed he were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest is connected with our inheritance. He gives us the joy of what is to come and there's a sister wrote in one of the hymns in this little flock and I enjoy just those sweet lines that say and dwell with God through Jesus blood within the veil of heaven.
He's given us, we're his.
He's here.
Not only are we His, but He wants us to enjoy that day by day. He wants us to enjoy what's coming well.
This poor widow had a problem.
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She was in debt and Elisha asks her a question. She says what do you have in the house?
She acted as if she didn't have any resources. Do you ever feel that way? Like you're alone, like there's no resources?
God has given you a new life. Look what she says.
She said.
Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil. In other words, all I have is a pot of oil, as if it was nothing.
Do we despise the Spirit of God that God has given to us? Do we value it? Do we understand?
How the Spirit of God has been given to us.
To comfort us.
To guide us into truth.
What a wonder that is. And so there's a solution given, he says. Go gather pots.
Go borrow these vessels abroad. Even empty vessels borrow not a few.
You know what this says to me? There's an endless resource on the part of God in the Spirit that He has imparted to you and to me. Lord Jesus said this. Out of his belly shall flow rivers.
Not a river, but rivers of living water. This fake he of the Spirit.
A hymn writer.
Wrote Within us dwells that well from heaven, the Spirit.
Of our God, what a tremendous resource that we have and she poured out.
She shut the door upon her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her first. She shut the door, you know.
The Spirit of God isn't going to work in the hustle and bustle of this world.
The Spirit of God is not going to work when you're involved with sports, when you're involved in. We get so tied up with business activity. I know I've been there and you come to the end of the day and there's just so much that presses in upon us, whether it be at work, at the dear wives at home, the children at school.
There's so much that presses on us and I've come to the end of many day and.
I don't know if it's that much that I thought about the Lord.
Just busy, busy.
Set aside time to shut the door.
Shut the door and let the Spirit of God make known to you.
What He wants to, what you've taken in from His Word, what you've enjoyed of Christ.
She had to shut the door.
Just in the quiet.
That's what Elisha experienced.
Wasn't a fire, wasn't an earthquake, wasn't anything tremendous that happened there on Mount Horeb. It was a still, small voice.
Do you have quiet time to listen to the still small voice?
To draw from that well from heaven the Spirit of our God.
She said to her son. She poured out. She said to her son. Bring me a vessel.
He said there's not a vessel more in the oil state. There's enough to satisfy every need. God has imparted to us everything that we need.
She came and told the man of God, and he said, Sell the oil and pay thy debt, and live thou my children of the rest.
All through our life.
We have the spirit of our God to depend on.
But that's not the end.
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Because when the Lord spoke about the Spirit.
She said this, and he shall abide with you.
Forever.
Forever.
To minister to our joys in the coming day.
He'll quicken these bodies by His spirit that's within us. He'll meet our needs not only for time, but for eternity. Let's look at John.
Chapter 2 And these things that I'd like to speak about now have to do with our responsibility.
Let's try to mention a couple things that maybe for our profit.
This is a story that's familiar to all of us.
Beginning with the first verse and the third day there was a marriage in cane of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus was called and his disciples to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. And his mother saith unto the servants.
Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
And they were set 6 water pots of stone or stone water vessels.
After the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece, Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water, and they filled them up to the brim.
And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast, and they bear it.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and knew not whence it was.
But the servants?
Which drew the water knew of it.
The governor of the feast called the bridegroom and.
Commended them for saving the good wine for last.
Often in Scripture, water brings before us the Word of God.
You get that in the book of Ephesians as well, The washing of water by the Word.
The word of God.
This is something that you and I need in our vessels.
These vessels, where there should have been wine, there should have been joy, there wasn't. What was the problem?
The vessels were empty.
They hadn't been filled. They had to be filled with water. And Jesus gives instruction, he says.
Fill the water pots with water.
Are you filling your water pot with water?
The water of the Word of God.
Do you take time to read it every day?
Every day the servants were faithful.
They not only filled the water pots.
There's another note made.
And they filled them up to the brim.
Isn't that wonderful?
You know it's.
Not merely enough to sit down and.
And say, well, you know, mom and dad have told me I should read the Bible and I guess I'll read my chapter today. And now I'm done.
Is there a love for the Word of God?
Are you filling it up to the brim? When something is filled to the brim, there's not room for anything else.
This is the problem with us. There's just so many other things that come in and take the place of the good word of God that we need. We need our.
Vessels filled to the brim with the Word of God read the Word of God.
00:35:06
When I was young.
Go to the library and come home with books.
They weren't Bibles. They weren't ministry.
They were interesting books.
There's nothing bad about them.
My mom would pass by and she would say this, Henry.
Read the Word of God.
It's the only thing that's important.
And I'd hear that again.
And again, and I'll tell it to you, read the Word of God. I'm ashamed that when I was young I didn't read it as much as I should have. I should be able to stand here and quote verses by chapter and verse. I can't do that very well. Of course, I'm not really very good with numbers and remembering those sort of things, but I should know the Word of God better than I should read the Word of God. Read it.
Till it finds its way down into your heart and your understanding.
Think in the language of Scripture. It's what you need.
Fill your vessel to the brim. And then one other thing.
Just a portion of verse five when you read it.
Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
When you read, get instruction from the word of God, Do it. It's the only way you're going to be satisfied and find joy.
Let's look at the Book of Numbers.
Chapter 19.
We have some more instruction about a vessel.
Verse 15.
And every vessel which hath no covering bound upon it.
Is unclean.
What is this talking about?
What kind of instruction is this? I think a sister or whoever wrote the little hymn.
Got it right.
It was written Take my life and let it be closed.
To everything but thee.
Our vessel needs a covering on it.
If it's completely open to everything in this world.
There's a lot of uncleanliness out there. This world is a filthy place. I remember my brother referring to this world when I was a young teenager. I thought it was strong language, he says. This world is a cesspool of iniquity.
It is. I found that out.
And your vessel needs a covering.
It needs to be covered. When I was growing up, I remember the brethren talking about TV. We didn't have one in our house.
Never did.
And how the world was advertising, they said. Bring the world into your home.
Bring the world into your home.
And a brother put a word, a little saying, up on the bulletin board of the meeting room. T the Christian TV turned thine eyes away from beholding vanity.
Well, there's things that are far more influential than TV that have come into our lives, isn't there?
And.
We have our computers and Facebook and iPads and all these things, and there are things that we see and things that we hear. Let this be a warning when you see something and when I see something.
You can't black it out anymore. You've seen it.
It's impressed upon your mind you can't get rid of it.
And what you hear.
Once it finds its way into your ears, you can't get rid of it. You've heard it, it's there, and the music that you listen to and that you learn to love. That may not be godly Christian music.
00:40:19
You will not forget it.
It will come back to you.
These things find a lodging place in our hearts and the vessel.
Every open vessel with no covering bound which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.
Is an unclean vessel fit for God's use?
What happened to the unclean leper? He was put outside the camp, far away from God and his people, and he went around crying, unclean, unclean, lest anyone should come near him.
Completely unfit.
You know, there's more than just what the world has to offer because.
We have a warning in Second Timothy. There's.
Even in Christendom, that which?
Names the name of Christ.
There's that from which we have to purge ourselves.
There's vessels.
Of wood and of earth.
Of gold and silver, some to honor, some to dishonor. And it says, If a man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor. Fit for the master's use. Do you want to be fit for the master's use?
You can't be an open vessel.
There has Care must be taken notice, it says.
Half no covering.
Bound upon it.
Takes up for, takes up for.
It takes steadfastness.
It's not just the covering placed upon it.
Saying perhaps, well, today I'll be careful, tomorrow be careful, this week I'll be careful, but a covering bound upon it.
A decision that we're gonna be a vessel that's fit.
For the master's, use and there's another scripture in.
The Song of Solomon. This to me is very precious.
Because there's a very happy side to this.
Song of Solomon chapter 4 I'll read the 12 verse. A gardening clothes is my sister my spouse.
A spring shut up, a frou, a fountain sealed. And then it talks about the fragrance that flows out from this garden. A fountain of gardens, a well of living water streams and streams from Lebanon. This talks about the delight.
When we're close to everything but the Lord.
And we can appreciate his company.
And walk with him.
It's for his delight.
About 600 years ago there was a sister in the Lord.
She was sitting in a.
A garden, probably a convent garden, but she loved the Lord and she was meditating on the Word and she said.
He told me of the River Bright that flowed from him to me, that I might be for his delight.
A fair and fruitful tree.
It's a beautiful little poem. She was enjoying the presence of her Lord and her Savior. What a wonderful thing this is. Oh, it's not a hard thing to have a vessel that's closed up. It's not a hard thing. It's for his delight, and it's for yours too.
The happiest times I've spent are in the presence of my savior, reading His word, hearing His voice, simply walking with him.
00:45:01
Well, a few minutes that are left, let's go back to.
2nd Corinthians chapter.
4.
And verse seven, we have we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
That the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. And he talked in the previous verse about the shining out.
Let's just read that. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
That the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. And this brings to mind we don't have time to look at it the story of.
Gideon.
They had pictures. They were earthen vessels.
They had a light.
In their earthen vessel.
They were going to meet the enemy.
Something had to happen to that earthen vessel.
In order for there to be a victory, something has to happen to these earthen vessels.
That we have that there will be a victory.
The vessel in Gideon's time had to be broken and the light shine out.
And that's what has to be happen, has to happen in our lives. You know, it's simply the way God works.
It's not just in these the story of Gideon and what we have here where this truth is brought out. Think of the way God has worked in the lives of so many of his people. Think of dear Abraham and Sarah. God could have fulfilled his promise to him and given him a child when he was a young man, but it wasn't until he was 100 years old and his wife.
90 years old.
When it was a seemingly impossible situation that God came in and fulfilled His promise, why?
Why? Because the Excellency of the power must be from God. It has to be evident that it's God that's doing the work. It's not us, we are nothing. It's the treasure that we have in earthen vessels. And this is the way that God works. And think of how that helped dear Abraham when the time came. And God said to him, go offer your son.
Upon the altar.
He had learned to trust God.
And there's further encouragement to Israel. And you read these words in the book of Isaiah. God says, look, look at your father Abraham. Look at the pit.
From which you have been digged.
He was alone, he was one, there was no hope. And from that God multiplied the nation. And we understand that God always keeps His promises, but He puts us through impossible situations, difficult situations, so we will trust Him. When the children of Israel came in, out of the land of Egypt, they took their journey. They could have gone right into the land of Canaan. No, God took them South.
He took them by the way of the Red Sea. It says specifically that they turned. They came face to face with the Red Sea. Sparrow was behind them.
Humanly speaking, you say no hope.
What was God's response? Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
An impossible situation in the case of Gideon. He blew the trumpet. The children of Israel came 32,000 of them.
God says no, this is not good.
00:50:00
Let those that are afraid go home. There were 20,000 left.
God says no, The Excellency of the power.
Man, there's something in us that loves to build ourselves up.
These earthen vessels that are nothing, he whittled them down to 300 That the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. It is His work. He has put a treasure within us.
The previous chapter.
The last verse of the previous chapter. But we all with open face, beholding as 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.
It's not something that we do.
It's something that he does.
It's his work. He has saved us, He was given us his spirit. He has placed the treasure in these vessels.
It says we are troubled on every side. You know, many of us.
I'm getting older and the vessel is breaking down. It's.
Not like it used to be. Oh, I do very well.
For my age but things are not the same and as I look around and I see the older ones.
God is passing us.
Each one through difficulties, the vessel is breaking down.
And we don't have anything to glory in of ourselves.
And God does that. It's part of his work.
That Christ may shine out. But you notice when we talk about Gideon, and I address this mostly to the young people, those of you who are young in the vigor of life.
Those men.
Took their sword and they broke the picture.
They didn't wait for it to break down.
They broke the picture. It's something that they did.
You know it takes real.
Grace from the Lord, and I look at the faces of the young to break the pitcher, to be nothing, to be humble before God.
The word here.
R changed.
I understand it's it could be say are transformed. There's a metamorphosis that takes place. You're familiar with that term, those of you that go to school.
A metamorphosis.
The Caterpillar spins a cocoon.
And it comes out a butterfly.
There's a change that takes place.
It's a work that God has done.
It's a work that's precious to him. The life of his son was precious to him.
He delighted in every step that he took. God delighted in every word that he spoke.
He's gone back to the Father. Jesus is with the Father.
But you and I are down here. We have this treasure.
In earthen vessels.
What are we doing with that treasure? Is Christ shining out?
Oh, that it may be. So let's pray.
Ephesians 1:7-on
God Speaks
Gospel—Robert House
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.
Good evening.
And welcome to the Gospel meeting this evening. I'm glad you are here.
And justice. So we're all aware we're late.
But better to be late for a gospel meeting than late for eternity.
28.
I'd like to, uh, start tonight.
By singing #2 If somebody could start #2 for me, please, that would be wonderful.
My name is Robert House and that really doesn't matter a whole lot who I am because, uh, I don't know if you've been noticing the, uh, the versus cycling, but there's one that's coming by that talks about God speaking. And that's really what I hope you hear tonight is God speaking.
To you.
It's most important that you hear him.
Calling you.
There's a voice that is calling to you and it calls with its tenderest tones.
Whilst it bids me from God's wrath to flee.
Come, I'm a Christian. I have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my own personal Lord and Savior, and that's the background I'm coming from. I believe that this book is the word of God.
And I'm gonna appreciate it tonight by God's grace. And so I want to ask His help in presenting His Son, the Savior of sinners, to you tonight. Let's pray.
Well.
00:05:01
We have up on the wall probably the most famous verse from the Bible.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And that's a wonderful gospel verse. Tonight there'll be a verse that comes up. Job chapter 33.
And verse 14.
Now, I want you to be able to hear God speaking to you. And so if you're good at finding verses in your Bible, please follow along with me. And if you're not, please listen. Don't let trying to find a place distract you from what God's trying to say. So the first verse that I'm looking at is that one right there for God speaketh once. Yeah, twice.
Yet man perceiveth it not.
Job chapter 33, verse 14. And that's my message.
That I'm going to be talking on tonight. God is speaking.
Are you listening?
God is speaking.
Are you listening?
God speaks once, yeah, twice. Yet man perceiveth it not.
That's what I'm gonna talk about. God speaking once. Yes, twice.
And there was a little pamphlet that I saw in the book display this weekend, and it said God exceeds his promises. It's a wonderful thing.
I'm gonna talk about a third way that God speaks more than the one and the two, that I start with the 3rd way and it's an incredible way.
So let me start.
By turning to Psalm chapter 19, the 19th Psalm.
Psalm 19, verse one.
Says the heavens declare the glory of God, the firmament show of his handiwork.
Day on today, other speech, night on tonight showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
This is the first way that God speaks to you.
God speaks to you by the universe.
Around you.
It's an interesting thing to consider. We live in a world that fits around as this building is our size.
But if you consider God.
It's a different scale than we live on.
God told Abraham that he would make his children as the sand of the sea, as the stars of heaven.
Now that's easy to say. Now let me try and put it into a context that you can understand.
I don't know who the youngest person in the room is that can count.
But let's say we took him to the beach in New Jersey.
North Jersey and we set them to task to count the stand starting at the north and going down to the South. How many have been to the beaches in New Jer, New Jersey? Lots of people, so you know they're wide.
There's big sand dunes and they go for miles. I don't know how long the beaches are in New Jersey, but they're long. Maybe 100 miles, maybe more.
God told Abraham there's a standard of the sea. Now let's take a child and let's say they know how to count. They know how to count pretty fast.
And let's set them to counting grains of sand 123456789101112. Let's not let them sleep, let's not let them eat. Let's let them just count stand.
Until they're 100 years old.
They'll have counted probably less than one mile of the sand on the beach in New Jersey.
Now God made a comparison between the sand and the sea shore and the stars of heaven.
So I'm 147.
00:10:01
A very interesting song.
147 and verse four talking about God.
He tell us the number of the stars.
Which means he's counted the mall.
What would take you 100 years to talk to? Just start the job. non-stop counting. God has got it done for all the stars of the universe. It's a huge number, you couldn't possibly count them all.
Many, many years ago some of the wise men in the time of Greece looked up in the stars and counted thousands. In the time of Galileo with the telescopes they moved it up to 10s of thousands of stars and today with radio telescopes.
Billions of stars.
He's counted them all, but what's even more interesting? See, I'm wearing a name tag.
It's not so I can remember it. So when you meet me and you meet me later, you can remember what my name is. I can't remember a lot of people's names.
The rest of verse four says he calleth the mall by their names. God is named all the stars. You and I couldn't possibly count them all, but he named them all and he knows all their names. It's incredible.
Think about a mine.
That can contain that much information.
That should boggle your mind trying to think about it.
And so part of what he's saying is.
Creation.
Is a witness to you, to who I am.
And you can learn about God from creation.
And it's fascinating just to think about some of the things of creation.
The number of stars is incredible, and that's on a huge macro scale.
People tell me that the observable universe is 13 billion light years across.
And these people that are really good at math and astrophysics, they do calculations and they calculate that there's actually probably 91 billion light years across the universe.
Which is an inconceivable number. And I said observable universe, which means we could see only a very small part of it.
In terms of numbering the stars.
And yet the God who created it all has the mall named and numbered and we can't even see all of them yet.
That's an incredible person and that's an incredible mind.
And then you think about him in terms of numbering things. He numbers the hairs of your head. Mine is easy.
Other people, it's a lot harder.
But how many people are there on Earth?
There is over 7 billion people on earth.
And he knows how many hairs are on each head. And just think about what God has done.
With DNA.
He's got in one tiny molecule.
The blueprint for your body.
For 7 billion people, all unique, different at the same time. He's got it there, each one of us unique.
He designed that, he created it. He's got an incredible intellect.
And he put it all there by the word of his power.
And the same thing is absolutely a phenomenal to me to think about a God that put all those stars in space.
And yet here in front of me.
In a little space like this.
God has put.
6022 Now start adding zeros behind that.
Until you have 20 zeros in a row. That's the number.
Of air molecules loosely sitting here in front of me in this tiny little space.
Could you imagine trying to count those?
Exactly. First of all, they're bouncing all over the place.
00:15:04
And then that number is so huge.
More than the sand of the sea, probably in New Jersey shore.
That's gone. He's incredible, whether you look at the big scale, the human scale, the tiny little atomic scale.
And people are still learning more and more about what God put in each one of those little atoms.
And the different little parts in the subatomic particles.
The Lord Jesus created it all, designed it, came with the concept, spoke it, and it was there. Done.
That's the God you see in creation. And now I want to turn to Romans chapter one.
And verse 18.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God. Neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
That is very solid. God has given a testimony to this world in the creation around it.
He's given a testimony to you.
About his power.
About his intelligence.
About his ability to think and remember.
And what conclusion do you come to?
I have a friend who's really the indirect source of this gospel meeting. He's 99% atheist and 1% skeptic.
I sat across the table from him, talked about some of these things.
And he was very passionate. He said, I wish, I wish that God would just set up a great big stone with all the different languages in the world on it.
And exactly what he wanted us to do.
And that anybody who said that that wasn't the message from God, people would just laugh at them.
I think God has set up a very large monument.
To himself.
In the universe, in your body.
In the creation all around us.
And what does the brilliant mind of man conclude?
There is no God.
How are you living your life?
Are you living your life? There is no God.
God has spoken very clearly, and He wants you to know that He's out there. He's left his fingerprints, if I can put it that way, on creation.
God speaks once, yeah, twice. Yet man perceives it not. Are you listening to the message God is sending you?
Let's go back to Psalm 19.
And this time?
We're going to read verses 7:00 and 9:00.
God speaketh once, yeah, twice. Yet man perceiveth it not.
The law of the Lord is perfect. Converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise and simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
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The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
My friend, this is the second way in which God speaks.
God speaks through His Word, the Bible, this book.
You know from creation you don't really understand the full character nature of God. You understand his brilliance, his power, his might.
But you don't really understand his desire for relationship.
And you know what? There was a God that was out there that was that powerful and that mighty and that smart.
So he didn't care about me, then I wouldn't really care about him either.
But our God cares.
And you can see it right from the beginning of this book, Adam and Eve, he came down to the garden to speak with them, left them instructions which they broke.
They had a son named Kane.
Cain had a conversation with God.
God speaks once, ye twice.
After the first conversation with God, Cain went out and murdered his brother. Is that good?
No.
You know, after he murdered Abel, God had a second conversation with King.
He still didn't listen.
Glad to spoke to you through his creation. He speaks to you through his words. Are you listening or are you like Cain?
I encourage you to be like Samuel. We had him earlier in this conference.
Because when God spoke to Samuel, every time God spoke, Samuel was trying to figure out what was being said to him.
And he finally got directed to the right person.
And he responded, Speak, Lord.
He wanted to hear what's your reaction going to be as God tries to speak to you through creation and through His Word.
So I'd like to turn to Psalm 119.
Someone 119 and verse 89.
Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
Turn to Matthew, chapter 5.
Matthew chapter 5 and verse 18.
For verily I say unto you.
Till heaven and earth pass, not one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
It's incredible.
God's word is established in heaven. Doesn't matter how often they burn it, shred it, edit it.
Whatever people can think of to do to this book down here, it's established in heaven and there's nobody on earth.
That can change it. They don't have access.
And the Lord Jesus said every little detail of it is going to come true.
That's incredible to think this way, you know?
My friend wanted something that was written in languages so that people could see it.
You know this whole book has been translated into over 500 different languages 500.
Parts of this book have been translated into an additional 2800 plus languages as of last year, and they're still working on it. Has God made the effort to get His message to everybody in this world?
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I think yes.
I think.
He's made the effort to get it to you.
Have you read it?
You know what's inside here? Or has it stayed closed for you?
So you don't really know what's inside, you just think you know what's inside.
God speaks once.
Yeah, twice, but man perceives it not. Are you listening?
Last night we had brought before us. I walked through those doors back there. I didn't notice the sign.
I couldn't have got those $3 even though I wanted them.
I still wasn't paying attention.
And the message tonight is along the same line. Are you listening? God is speaking. Are you listening? Remember the message in Sunday school this morning? The big ears. Are you using them?
God speaking.
Are you listening? Now? Turn over to First Peter, chapter one and verse 19.
Sorry, Second Peter, chapter one, verse 19.
We have also.
A more sure word of prophecy, where until you do well, that you take heed is unto a light that shine it in a dark place, until the day dawn, the daystar arise in your hearts.
We have a more sure word of prophecy.
You, if you're skeptical or an atheist, might wanna check this aspect of the word of God.
Look at the prophecies.
Look at the prophecies. There's a book that I read by Sir Robert Anderson called The Coming Prince.
And he went through, and he looked at the prophecies by Daniel.
In connection with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah coming.
And he made the connection between the events that Daniel listed that were historical.
And the day in which the Lord Jesus rose into Jerusalem on the donkey.
No, it's interesting to me because I went through and I researched some of the details of that chronology in the time.
And you really can't know for sure whether it turned out exactly right. You know why?
Because there's one king back there that we really don't have good enough historical records.
To know whether he reigned for 10 years or 20 years.
So you can't actually nail it down and prove it because the human records aren't good enough.
Well, you can look at.
Other prophecies in this book.
And measure them, look at them. Did they come true the way God said it? You'll find they did. And it's also amazing to look at this book, you know, the kind of mind that creates a universe where we can only see a very tiny fraction of it, the observable universe, 13 billion light years.
And there's another 77 or 78 billion light years out there that they can't even see the light from yet.
That same God puts prophecies in his book.
They do two things they applied for example.
In the time of John the Baptist.
And they apply again in the future. It's incredible.
What kind of being can make a single prophecy apply?
In 2000 in in 80.
27.
And apply again at some time in the future.
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If somebody that has everything completely inside his control, that's our God and he is trying to reach out to you tonight to communicate to you.
Who he is, and then he cares about you and then he has standards for your behavior and your life.
Now you can see that from the Old Testament.
So read it.
It's a beautiful thing to understand that God is trying to reach out to you. God speaks once through creation, twice through His Word. Are you listening?
I suggest you read the Bible Romans chapter 10.
And verse 17.
It's so easy to say, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
And you know, the younger you are, the easier it is to do that. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
You know, I, I went to engineering school.
And one of my close friends from engineering school went to a conference like this in Ottawa.
Listen to the message. Went home to his apartment with his wife and talked about things. And at the end he said, Robert, it makes sense, but how do I believe? And it stumped me.
But this verse I think is the answer to the question.
Romans 10/17 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. It's a great thing that you're here tonight listening to the word of God, reading these verses. There is neither is there salvation in any other, for there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Think of what's in those verses, that God is reaching out to you, sending you a message that He loved the world and you're part of it. He loves you that there's danger ahead. That's what the word perish means. And instead of perishing, He's offering you everlasting life.
How? Through his son.
That wasn't supposed to come out till later, but I just couldn't stop.
You know Hebrews.
Chapter 4 and verse 12.
You also need to remember because.
From the beginning.
Of mankind's history, there have been forgeries and lies.
The first lie was in the Garden of Eden. The devil pulled a quick one on Eve.
And Adam went right along with it. That introduced sin into the world. But you know, you'll meet your friends and different people in this world.
Maybe you're not an atheist. Maybe your friend's not an atheist. Maybe they're a Muslim.
Maybe they're Buddhists?
Maybe there's some other religious belief in some other God. Maybe they believe in shamanism, spiritism, animism, whatever.
The question is how you tell? How do you know?
No, God says his word.
The rest are to his word, like cha.
To the wheat, but here in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12.
Is something about the Word of God. It says the Word of God is quick, powerful, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. You pick up this book and you start to read it and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Expect it to be uncomfortable.
Because it's a sore and it's sharp and it can get in and touch your conscience.
And I believe that's the reason why people can look at the universe, they can do microbiology, they can study atoms.
And come to the conclusion there is no God.
Because when they open this book and they look at the alternatives to there is no God.
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They know they're accountable and they have to answer for everything in their life.
And so would you.
John chapter 12 and verse 48.
He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him. The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day.
Whether you listen or don't listen, when God speaks, His Word will judge you.
So ignoring him is not a good idea.
God speaks once through creation, twice through his words.
And now the best part of the whole gospel message God exceeds his promises. Hebrews chapter one.
I love it. Hebrews, chapter one.
God, Who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time passed under the Fathers, by the prophets, half in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, Who, being the brightness of His glory, and the expressed image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty.
On high this is 1/3 way God has spoken to us.
By his son.
Think about it, the one who created this universe. Think of the power, the majesty. He sustains it all by the word of his power. Think of the mind that invented atoms.
And bosons.
And created universes, this whole universe and galaxies.
And where do we find him?
The Manger, a little baby newborn.
We see him in the temple, in the arms of an old man.
An old lady thrilled to see him.
Looking totally helpless.
We see him as a 12 year old boy in that same temple. What's he doing?
Asking questions.
And answering them, the glory shines out in that 12 year old boy. Well, what does he do? He goes home.
With Mary his mother, and Joseph stepfather and he's subject to them.
And then we see them out by the banks of the River Jordan, about 30 years old.
And he tells John the Baptist baptized me it's necessary to fulfill all righteousness. What humility.
What humbleness, what loneliness. Think of who he was.
He can answer questions the most brilliant astrophysicist today can only ask. He can answer them. And yet he took that place.
And then we see him walking.
Through Judea and Galilee.
He reached into his pockets. If he had pockets, there wasn't anything to pull out.
He asked for a penny.
He went around, then he healed people, you know, look at his life.
He did one thing after another thing after another thing. You know who walks on water? God walks on water.
Says so in the songs Jesus walks in the water.
Psalms tells us he heals the stick.
Jesus healed the sick.
Time after time after time after time.
And then?
He went to Jerusalem.
Submitted himself.
To the high priest.
Death. They took him to pilot, condemned him to death, and sent him out to be crucified. You know the story.
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He hung up, was hung up on that cross.
And the amazing thing there?
God.
Punished him for sins.
All the judgments that my sins deserved were put on Him.
His blood was shed.
The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
And from this, my friend, you learn something incredible.
For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son.
His son's name is Jesus, and he proved his love because he died in your place.
To believe.
Yeah, greater laws have no man in this. That man lay down his life.
For France.
But Jesus.
Gave his life for you when you considered him an enemy.
It's no greater love than the love of Jesus.
And so God has spoken to us in his creation, and from that creation you can see His Majesty and his brilliance, and He is worthy of worship just for what He created. And He's given us His word and enough evidence in it for us to be able to see by face that indeed He has communicated to us and we have an obligation to Him.
But in the end, he spoke once, he spoke twice, he exceeded.
He spoke to us by his son.
This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.
Hear him.
Come his Jesus, gently call.
Will you come?
Ask the Lord Jesus to wash your sins away while we pray.
Open Mtg. 2
Open—M. Payette, R. Thonney, S. Stewart
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.
166 Lord, Thou hast drawn us after thee. Now let us run and never tire. What in thy love possess we not unchangeable thy gracious love?
166.
I enjoy going to conferences.
And I'm particularly peaceful when I can sit in an open meeting and not have my heart start racing.
And it's racing now and, uh.
I'd just like to ring before you what the Lord has set on my heart.
First Corinthians, chapter one.
Just a few comments on the 1St chapter of both epistles to the Corinthians.
You notice in scriptures that the epistles to the Corinthians are the only epistles addressed to an Assembly of God.
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The Assemblies of Galatia didn't say Assemblies of God. The Assemblies of the Thessalonians doesn't say Assembly of God.
There were some of these that got of course, but the Spirit of God is recorded for us.
Those two books.
For us to consider collectively.
Us two are being together and how we function together.
But in the first chapters of both of these books we have that which establishes our souls individually.
And so we have in First Corinthians chapter one.
Verse 30.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us.
Wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification.
And redemption. Now, if you're familiar with the book of First Corinthians, you find that there's so many things.
In Corinth, it needed to be addressed and corrected and their their state was terrible.
Yes, they were believers in the Lord Jesus, and God had made Jesus and the Lord Jesus to be for them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.
And young people and young believers in the Lord Jesus.
This is what Christ Jesus has been made from, God's part for you.
Is made wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. That's what he is to you. Every believer in the Lord Jesus has these things. They belong to him because Christ has made that for you and for me.
Wisdom.
If you read the first official, you find there's a foolishness of the world because by their wisdom they cannot know the true God. They're hid from them.
But it pleased God, through the foolishness of preaching, and the preaching as the preaching of the cross, to save them that believe.
Righteousness. None of us in ourselves are righteous. We ruined that in the epistle for the Romans. And yet Jesus Christ our Lord is our righteousness before God. We couldn't be more righteous before God. What a privilege. Sanctified.
Set apart. We had that question this morning, but what was the same as saying that someone set apart?
How we set apart. Well, you and I are believers in the Lord Jesus. This afternoon we're seated in heaven, in the Lord Jesus. Momentarily, we're gonna be sitting seated there with him. That's our position. That's how God has sanctified us. And redemption comes last because I believe it. It brings before us the redemption of our bodies. And so when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven, all those that he purchased with his own blood, he's gonna change and take to the Father's house and see we're gonna be sitting in the heavenlies.
With him then, So this first epistle to the Corinthians before the apostle Paul addresses many issues that needed to be brought before them. He brings before us what the Lord Jesus has been made for us by God so we can rest in peace and enjoy and be exercised to carry out in our life to be wise and righteous and sanctified and act as those that were purchased at such a price.
I go to the Second Epistle of Corinthians, chapter one.
2nd Corinthians, chapter one.
Verse 18.
But as God is true, our word toward you is not. Yeah and nay.
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Who was preached among you by us? Even by me and Sylvanus and Timotheus was not yeah, and nay, but in him was yeah, for all the promises of God. In him are yeah, and in him are men unto the glory of God by us.
Now he which establishes us with you in Christ, and that anointed us, is God, who had also sealed us and given us the earnest.
Of the Spirit in our hearts.
Not first chapter. We have these four things, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Here we have 4 things again coming from God again through Christ Jesus. God establishes us together in Christ. He anoints us, He seals us, and He gives us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Again, I believe things that belong to us individually on God's part, to the Lord Jesus.
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It says here our word for Jew is not gay and nay.
It's not yes or no with Christ, it's it's yes.
You can ask someone. Do you know the registered services? Yes. You're going to heaven. I don't know.
You have eternal life. I hope it's not yay and nay with the Lord Jesus Christ. It's yes I'm going to heaven. Yes, I'm a son of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Yes, God is my father. Many things we can affirm not based on us.
On our quality of life, on our well, we followed the pathway, but based on what God has given us in Christ and made us to be in Him. And I believe this. God gives us energy, power, renew, renewed desires to please Him and to carry out that which is pleasing in His sight. All the promises of God in Him are yeah, and in Him are men unto the glory of God by us every time we say Amen to those things that belong to us because of the Lord Jesus.
It gives glory to God.
God is a giving God, and when you say thank you for what he's given, he gets glory. When you tell others what he's given you, he gets glory.
Well, there are four things here that are mentioned in connection with the things that God has given us now, he which establishes us with you in Christ.
And had anointed us.
Is God.
I enjoy the way it Mr. Darby translated it in French, he says.
He that binds us together with you to Christ is God.
God has bound us together through Christ.
Beautiful.
By extension, we can think of the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God came down and baptized all the believers into one body and linked us together, one to another, into our heavenly head, the Lord Jesus Himself.
Bound us together through Christ.
And then it says.
He hath anointed us.
Well, you've given us ability by His Spirit to enter into the very thoughts of God about His Son or what He's made of and His Son, what belongs to His Son and to us by extension.
He's giving us that ability by His spirit, and that's why the natural mind cannot understand these things because they don't have the anointing.
And some Christian circles they make they make something else of anointing. But we read in first John chapter two that is anointing teaches us that's how we can understand someone speaks of the things of the Lord and you receive it. Somebody else speaks of the Lord and.
You're not receiving it because the Lord is not teaching you that. Maybe because you're not ready for that, or maybe it's slightly off and it doesn't fit where the Lord wants you to understand His word. Then it says He hath sealed us.
We have that in first, the first of Ephesians. We read that this morning.
Let's go back to that infusion chapter one.
You've got the earnest there too.
Pieces one and 13. In whom ye also trusted, after that he heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also after that ye believe you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory. Chapter 4 tells us that we've been sealed unto the day of redemption.
That redemption of our body.
We have a little cottage meeting in our home on on Wednesday night and we have believers coming from.
Different backgrounds. We had a man come in last Wednesday.
Been saved I would think.
For 20 years.
Yet you did not have the assurance.
I'm going to have.
He had Matthew 24 and 13, drilled into his mind, into his soul.
He that persevered to the end shall be saved.
And he has salvation connected with perseverance to the end because of misinterpretation of the thoughts and teaching in that chapter.
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Sealed unto the day of redemption. I gave him that verse, and he said, Unless.
It's yes and no, yay and nay. It's not yay and nay, it's yes.
Because it depends on the work of the Lord Jesus and it's finished. It's never going to change.
And it's so complete, it got put his seal on you that you're a son of God through faith in Jesus Christ and you can call him ABBA Father.
And he's never not going to be your father again. He's always going to be your father. That's never going to change. Born of God forever. Wonderful. The seal of the Spirit gives us assurance. We understand and we're assured. And it says in the last part of Second Corinthians, chapter one there that last clause and has given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Verse 22 of chapter one of the Second Corinthians.
Someone has said the Earnest is like a it's like a deposit, you know?
And I use the examples as you're going to buy a car, you give a deposit and the person knows you're going to come and get it because you gave him some money.
But I don't believe that's it really, because after giving the deposit, let's say the car, the car cost $500, you give them $500.00 or $5000, you give me $500, that's 10%.
You haven't paid for the car, you just give him a deposit.
You and I, we've been paid for in full. He paid the whole price to have you in heaven. If you needed to pay more, he would have stayed longer on the cross. He doesn't need to pay more. He's paid it all.
But he hasn't come to take possession of that which he paid.
So what he's done is giving us His spirit as the account, but He's gonna come and take you home for the redemption of the possession. It says in Ephesians chapter one. Let's go back there.
It's not too tiring, the pages are pretty light. Ephesians chapter one.
Verse 14, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession unto the praise of His glory. We are the purchased possession. The price is paid in full, but He hasn't come to get us yet.
He will. He will leave none behind.
One of the children of Israel left Egypt.
It says in my French Bible it didn't leave a fingernail behind.
You're not going to leave any of those that he paid at such a price behind. There's no not such a thing in the scriptures as partial rapture.
Now you and I, brethren, we have a wonderful privilege.
We have the word of God in our hands.
And the Spirit of God has convinced us that this is the word of God.
From cover to cover, we can read it with confidence and learn from it.
And obey, understand, rejoice in what we understand from it by the Spirit of God.
I speak to brother Derek yesterday and the expression he used I brought back to him, he says.
He was thinking a bit outside of the box and I.
Enjoy that thought because you know he wasn't referring to the word of God. Not thinking outside of the word of God, but sometimes since we only know in part.
If all your understanding was what I understood, you would be limiting yourself to me as my box or to another brother here who would know so much more of the Scriptures than I do. But that's still partial knowledge. And so we should be ready to understand from the Word of God, perhaps something that's different. And I'm look not looking to say anything different or to bring anything different before this thing.
But I have exercises of souls, brother.
And I'd like to talk a little bit about.
Geometry.
Now, I know some of you are younger, haven't gone to these, uh, complicated formulas to figure out the circle and.
The pyramids, all these equations and letters, you have to know what they're. I'm gonna keep it pretty simple. And I talk about lines. You know what a line is? You know what a straight line is.
But you and I, we have a straight line to glory.
And ask the Lord Jesus himself.
00:20:00
You have a straight line to glory. I have a straight line to glory.
And God, who has bound us together to Christ, we have together a straight line to glory.
But it says bound together to Christ.
And that's a person. That's not doctrine.
That's not scripture, that's a person.
We are not to worship the book.
But the book needs us to worship the Father and the Son.
If I worship the book, you could call me an idolater because I'm worshipping. That's it.
Now if you have a straight line.
And you have another straight line right beside it, not too far. That's called a parallel line.
You know, sometimes our lines of thoughts are parallel lines.
And good parallel lines, I think we could call orthodoxy perfectly right. We can say things that are right and things that are just say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
But the only thing is when we've finished going down that line.
I'm not any closer to Christ than when I started. I know more up here.
But I haven't done anything down here.
It's a parallel line. I'm listening to you. Yeah. Hey, man. Yeah, that's a parallel line.
It's good to have parallel lines.
But you know, it's printing a a track with your sister yesterday on my printer and it had two sides to it. So I'm not too familiar with my friend. I don't use it often enough. So I I put the sheet in and I printed one side and then I thought it needed to be turned around to go through a second time to print the best. And umm, when it came out it was pretty good. It was only printed on one side and the same page was exactly over it, but it wasn't perfect lineup.
You can see there's a little bit of a spill there. The letters weren't perfectly lined up.
They're pretty close.
Now I know I'm not perfectly lined up.
Things in my life need to be realized. Sometimes you get your car realigned. But we need our lives realigned all the time, every day.
And as close as God can make us. But it's close. Not parallel over here, but parallel really close. Maybe, you know, to consider 2 lines that can happen. God can conform you to the image of His Son. So somebody that meets up with you is meeting up with a reflection of the Lord Jesus. That'd be wonderful. Well, let's not be parallel lines.
Let's be we can smear a bit, but I mean, let's be really close to the original.
The other one bothers me a lot.
Is the tangent.
You see the tangent? It starts at the same place.
But it's kind of gets away from the first line, you know? And in the beginning you can barely notice there's a distance there.
But when time goes by.
Well, there's quite a distance.
You know, they says in Second Timothy of the.
5 leaders I believe it says in my French Bible. He went away from the truth.
I think the word enriched means he swerved. That's more than a tangent, it's just like.
You kinda get complete the resurrection already happened.
And I'm sure none of us here with the knowledge of Scripture that we have, we say something like that. So the enemy does things he cannot bring among us.
She's gonna try something more subtle.
I wanna bring it before you, brother, because it's on my heart. I had this, my heart racing. What can I say? I don't wanna bring it up, but I'm gonna bring it up.
I was in a couple of years ago.
And some of the Saints gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ had come from a group of believers.
They're around in America also. I think they publish Echoes of Truth.
And one of.
Their main teaching.
Is predestination.
00:25:01
That's all they interpret Ephesians chapter one and verse 4.
And verse four yes, according has he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that he we should be holding him without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure.
Of his will.
Now.
We met with uh.
A leader of that group because we had an entrance to him and we we shared the scriptures with him and.
Wanted to bring before him the balance in scripture that we find responsibility.
And so he wouldn't receive it, of course.
And his way of seeing the gospel is this way.
God has chosen people to be saved ahead of time.
And so when you preach the gospel, you're just going through the motions.
Because it's all been settled before the foundation of the world.
God chose some, and too bad for the ones he didn't choose.
And I can't live with that, brethren.
Because it's not honoring to my God.
A God of love who wants all men to be saved, achieving the book in so many pages. You cannot change the words. It pleases him to save those that believe, not those that he chose.
No, this is not a review, brethren, but please, I have often heard among us.
Chosen before the foundation of the world.
I don't find that in my Bible.
I found Chosen in him before the foundation of the world.
God's counsels are not centered on me or on you. They're centered on Christ.
The mystery, the wonder is how it happened in my life, I don't know.
I heard the gospel and God worked miracles by His word and His Spirit, and He produced life there.
Because if he did that before the foundation of the world, which is going through the motions in the gospel.
And I believe there are ones that if we think that like they do, they just preach the gospel. Whoever was chosen before the foundation was going to come tonight and he's going to believe.
It's all settled ahead of time.
I think it's serious, brethren, because.
It's the glory of God that's involved, not a matter of you think this and I think that.
I said it before you because I believe it's a tangent.
And it's a tangent that shows up in.
Our burning desire for souls.
Because if God has already determined ahead of time, I mean.
They're all gonna get saved anyway, whether you preach alright, alright, somebody else does. You don't give them a track, somebody else will. Because God has written his name in the book of life before the foundation of the world.
I believe there's other ways of reading these scriptures.
Accordingly, He had chosen us in him.
It's all about him. That's what this chapter is all about. Him, us and him, of course.
Because you wanted us to be holding without blame before him in love.
It was through him.
God and his love had a counsel of bringing sinners to glory. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That's why he came.
But you want all men to be said. He does.
You share with him the earnest for souls.
Well, verse 5, having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself.
That election that we find in Christ had her purpose to bring many sons to the glory.
And when you and I believe the gospel, we become children of God. We're pedestrian for adoption, and you're gonna come from heaven because he purchased us. We belong to him. Well, you're once I don't want to provoke anything, but I do want to set it before you that if every time you read Ephesians 3, you including him, I don't have a problem. When you forget about the in him, it reminds me.
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That some believers have done away with responsibility.
And I believe doing away with responsibility makes God a respecter of persons. And I believe it's dangerous ground for us because I don't believe God is a respecter of persons. How do the scripture says he wants all men to be saved, not desire. It's not. He desires all men to be saved. The same word as what Lord Jesus says. I will that thou be clean, Father, I will that Thou given me to be with me where I am. John 17 and 24. Anyone saw a man to be safe, So dear ones.
Perhaps we're not on a tangent. I'm I'm happy.
Let's be careful, but we don't go on tangents and receive things.
Say things, promote things that the Scriptures would not promote. And leaving out a word or adding a word sometimes suggests to us something that's really not really in line with the heart of God our Father, with the heart of our Lord Jesus who died for the world to be saved, not for a part of the world to be saved. He's a savior of the world and he wants all men to be saved, not just those that some would say were chosen.
Before they were born.
I'd like to go to Ephesians 4. This morning it was mentioned that the 1St 3 chapters of Ephesians are the teaching of the epistle, and when we get to chapter four we get something of the practical exhortations that follow.
I would like to point out that in chapter four we do have doctrine as well from verse four through 16. It's not exhortation, it's Speaking of what is. Notice verse four. There is one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling. Interesting, but I think it is.
Important to notice that, but my desire this afternoon is not to focus on that, as it is to give some of the practical exhortations in view of the preciousness of the truth that we were meditating on this morning.
Oh brethren, God grant that these things would sink into our souls. Takes meditation sometimes to let it happen.
You know, we tend it's North Americans to try to comprehend something in the mind and sometimes we think once we understood it, we've got it.
You really don't have it until you have it in your heart. That's the proper dwelling place of the truth of God. And to get down into the heart, it takes meditation and it has to pass through the conscience. In other words, I reflect on whether I'm walking in it. Is this real with me or is this just had knowledge?
And I must say, rather than I have been challenged by my dear brother and in Bolivia, where we spent a number of years.
Amongst them.
You know, if you'd ask them a specific question, sometimes I don't know that they could give you a very good answer.
But it was so evident to me that.
In practice they knew it and it was a challenge to me because I came along. Maybe I could explain a little better than others, but was my walk in line with my talk?
The Lord knows, and I leave that judgment with Him, but I'd just like to read especially the 1St 3 verses of chapter 4 because they have spoken to me tremendously in connection with this truth. There is one body.
And it was mentioned this morning.
It in chapter one, it's our individual position with the Lord, but it does go on to mention the body at the end of the chapter, the Lord Jesus in his position of exaltation and glory.
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His head over all things to the Body, which is his church.
So there you have the body in chapter 2, you have the church as more of the house aspect. It's the dwelling of God through the Spirit. So there you have two aspects of the church and which are true.
But here are these first three verses. Let me read them. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord.
Beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
With all loneliness and meekness.
With long-suffering forbearing one another in love.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Oh brother, in these verses have searched me and I want to present it to you because of the reality of these things. You know, verse four says there is one body. You'll notice that there is there's an italics you could read it 1 body. It's the truth. Brother. Here we are living in 2015.
Quite a few years after the day of Pentecost.
Still the truth. One body.
And there is no more than just one body, even today, when the public testimony would suggest otherwise. One body.
Precious, precious truth. Remember when, when we first went to Bolivia, we lived in Montero, which is in the Amazon basin, for about 10 years and then we moved to Cochabamba.
Which is in the valleys of the Andes Mountains, about 8000 feet altitude. And in that area there's a lot of missionaries. And so I would often get asked, what did you come here to Cochabamba for? It must be you're gonna start a new church.
I said.
No, not gonna start any new church.
If I do meet together with Christians, it will be recognizing the only church that scripture talks about, the church that began on the day of Pentecost by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
That's my desire to recognize only that one church and God, it continues to build that church. Wonderful, wonderful truth. But that idea of starting something new prevails in a lot of areas. Brethren, it's not the truth. There is one church, and if we're going to build and each one of us are builders, don't be looking at certain ones that are named laboring Brothers.
This is a room full of laboring brothers. You're all laboring in different ways.
In different contexts, but all laboring in the building of this.
Church.
According to First Corinthians chapter 3 that we had read to us, but.
Notice here Paul speaks here as the prisoner of the Lord, and I like that, you know, he might have said because he was a prisoner of the Roman Empire, he might have said, I therefore the prisoner of the Roman Empire.
But he looks beyond the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was just a means that God used.
To bring him as a prisoner.
And I, I find this very interesting because, you know, in today's world, we have emphasized to us that everyone has their rights and that you need to respect other people's rights.
OK.
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Let's go to the prison.
Do those prisoners have their rights that they cannot be denied? Can they say to the jailer, excuse me, I'm gonna go out to get a sandwich outside there?
You know that he does not have such rights. And brethren, if we're gonna walk in the truth of one body, we're gonna have to understand that we.
Have given up our rights and that the Lord Jesus is the only one that has the right. Think of it, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only one that never sinned in all his life.
When it came down to the end of his life down here.
He stood before Pilate, and Pilate unjustly condemned him to the death of the Cross.
You know.
Pilate said to Jesus, don't you answer me. Don't you know that I have power, the right to condemn you, to crucify you, or to release you? The Lord Jesus said, Thou couldst have no rights or power against me, except it were given thee from above. In other words, the Lord Jesus in that moment realized.
That there was a hand of his Father that was allowing it all, and the Lord Jesus submitted to the Supreme.
Injustice of crucifixion.
But oh, the blessing that has resulted. Brethren, do we know what it means to lay down our rights for God, for the Lord Jesus?
For his people do you have rights? When I look at the Lord Jesus on that cross suffering for me, brethren, I cannot say anything else, but this heart of mine is a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
He won my.
I can no longer insist on my rights is what's done. This is what's said about me, right? I can leave that with God. He is going to rectify everything in its right time.
Do we know what it means, brethren, to be prisoner of Jesus Christ? I suggest that if we don't know what that means, we are not going to be able to walk worthily of the vocation we have been called in one body.
Notice verse 2.
With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.
What interesting words, brethren.
Loneliness. Meekness.
Long-suffering.
Forbearance.
Love.
Loneliness.
You know the Lord Jesus said, take my yoke upon you and learn of me.
Meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls.
Am I meek and lolly?
I would like to learn those traits, yes.
But it says here, with all loneliness and meekness, anybody want to volunteer and say I've got it all, brethren? I don't think so.
Now we all are learning and no pace better to learn it than.
In the yolk with the Lord Jesus. And it's a personal invitation to each one of us. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.
You know what a yoke is?
It still is yolks of oxen, sometimes yolks of Burrows in Bolivia, and it's interesting to watch.
We've often seen a man plowing a field with a yoke of oxen.
One time when we were hiking through the countryside came upon kind of a local fair and there was a man training a new ox for the yoke. It was very interesting and instructive and I watched it for quite a while. They take an old ox, it was well accustomed to the oak one side, and then they put the new ox that has never been in a Yup.
00:45:31
On the other side.
And of course, it's tied to their horns on their head, and then they just merely let them go.
Wow, what instruction it was that new Ox did not like that constraint on his head and threw that up and down and shook his head and rushed forward and went backwards.
And I watched that old ox just suffer for so long. I don't know how long it was half an hour or so. Finally that new ox just got so terribly tired of it all. They just bowed his head and accepted you. I said, Lord Jesus.
Is that the way I make you suffer in this yoke? You've invited this?
To take on us, O brethren, do we know what it means?
To learn loneliness and meekness. Meekness, you know, Moses is called in the Old Testament the meekest man in all the earth. I think it's in Numbers chapter 12.
And it's that chapter where.
Miriam and Aaron were complaining about him because of the wife he had taken. They said it's only the Lord spoken by Moses. Hasn't he spoken by us? Do.
Evidently we're upset at him.
Do people get upset at you? How do you handle it?
There's the test of meekness.
What did Moses do?
Doesn't say he reacted at all at first.
But the Lord defended his servant.
And evidently it was Miriam. She was the oldest of the family of those three children.
And she might have started the murmuring against Moses.
And the Lord smote her with leprosy.
Pretty severe for speaking.
Against Moses.
Moses, what are you going to say about it? You know what he said.
Lord, heal her now, isn't that beautiful? Doesn't seem to be any resentment on his part for what she had said against him.
Do people speak against you?
How do you handle it?
Rather than these are important things if we're gonna walk together as members of one body.
Very important.
Oh, loneliness and meekness.
Then it says with long-suffering.
I'm sure many of you remember.
Dear brother **** Gorgeous, he used to say. We don't pronounce that word right.
It's long-suffering.
Yeah, that's true, brother.
We maybe have learned something that cost us, uh, 1020 years to really properly learn, and then we want somebody else to learn it in a few minutes.
Brother, how long-suffering has our God been with us? Should not we use those same principles of long-suffering with each other?
How it searches my heart, brethren.
Another one forbearing.
What does that mean?
It means that when there's something in my brother that just rubs me the wrong way.
Instead of acting to try to put him in order.
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I simply bear with it. That's for bearing.
You know, we like to talk about discipline of other people sometimes. How about discipline our discipline ourselves? That's what it really comes down to, Forbearing one another and then in love.
Oh, brother. And this is something that really.
Really searches me too. How much do we know what love is? This is the agape love. This is the love that loves not because of the object, but because of the source. He loves us. Why does he love us? He loves all the world. Why does he love the whole world? Because of who he is in his own glorious person.
God is love.
Oh, it's wonderful.
You know when we go into the prison where we are there in Lawrenceville, IL, I like to ask the men sometimes, why does God love us?
First answer, General, is because we're his children. I say, well, if you're not born into God's family, you're not his children, but he still loves you.
You have to receive the Lord Jesus to be one of his children.
So the next answer they give me because we're His creatures, Yes, that's true, and I'm sure He loves us. But there's a better answer. God loves us because God is love. Now that's the same love that's in you and me if we are born into God's family, brethren.
And so our attitude toward one another is love, How important that is. Sometimes you can't show love outwardly, but love should even then be felt.
Oh, how important that it be in love.
Then notice verse 3.
Endeavoring that.
Involves some effort.
To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
You and I are exhorted to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body formed by 1 spirit.
There is a unity.
And you and I, if we walk in the Spirit, are going to keep that unity in the bond of peace. But if I let my flesh get.
Out of out in the open and acting, I'm not going to keep the unity of the Spirit.
Remember some time ago I was speaking in a reading meeting, I think it was, and I made this statement. I said we need to be careful not to break the unity of the Spirit.
Brother came up to me afterwards and said we don't break the unity of the spirit.
What in the world does he need?
It's like you were saying brother, sometimes it just didn't get across to us. At the moment it was 3 weeks later in a meeting in a totally different part of the country, the brother made a comment that made it all come to light. What he meant. Either we keep the unity of the spirit or we don't keep it. But the unity of the spirit is never broken. It is a unity maintained by the Spirit of God.
And either I keep it.
Or I don't keep it. May the Lord help us, brethren. May the Lord keep us.
Endeavoring means putting energy into this question. We have an enemy that wants to cause problems and ruptures amongst his people. Don't let yourself be an instrument in that.
Yes, the truth is the truth. That's the standard. We cannot compromise it. But let's.
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Walk in such a way that we are keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. What I had on my heart. Brother like to leave some time for somebody else.
I'd like to read a verse in Amos.
3rd chapter.
I guess 3 verses.
Amos chapter 3, verse one.
Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against your children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, sang You only have I known of all the families of the earth. Therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities can to walk together.
Except they be agreed.
And another verse in First Peter.
First Peter chapter one.
Speaking of Christ, well, it's reverse 19.
And 20.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, who barely was foreordained or should be translated. Mr. Darby translates it for known before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
Romans.
Chapter 8.
Verse 28.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.
To them who are the called according to His purpose, for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom He called them He also justified, and whom He justified them He also.
Glorified.
I'd like to talk a little bit about this word.
4044.
God is omniscient.
He knows everything.
Nothing, but he does not know.
God is, and here's a word that perhaps we're not quite familiar as much with omniscience, prescient. He knows all beforehand that is going to take place.
This little word for no is neither omniscience, God knowing all things, nor prescience that he knows all ahead of time.
Because of that was the case, it says whom he did *****.
He predestinated for blessing, and if it just means all that he knew ahead of time and all that he knows altogether, he knew all men, and therefore all men would be predestinated to glory. It's not true.
For we know there are those who are going to a lost eternity. What is this word for known mean?
We read an Amos.
You have I known of all the families in the earth. It's the same word, but in Hebrew.
You only have I known.
Does that mean he didn't really know anybody in this world but Israel?
Of course not.
It means a class of persons.
Israel called of God, He said you only.
Of all nations have I know he called them for blessing. What about Peter?
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He speaks of Christ, that lamb foreknown from before the foundation of the earth.
This foreknown just mean that God looked down the long Ave. of time.
And so that Christ would decide, the Son of God would decide to come to be the Lamb of God.
Or does it mean it was determined from a past eternity?
That the eternal Son of God would come into this world to be that Lamb to give himself.
A sacrifice for sin on Calvary's cross. It was all determined from a past eternity. And when we come to Romans 8 when it says whom he did foreknow, it doesn't mean God just looked down the long Ave. of time and saw who would believe. It's a class of persons that he set his love upon. He foreknew you.
And me.
From before this world was ever founded.
And in time he called us by the gospel.
Whom he did foreknow, he also did.
Predestinate.
To be conformed to the image of his son.
We read in our chapter in the readings chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world.
God's sovereign choice of His elect.
And then he says predestinated.
Unto Sonship.
Election is God's sovereign choice. Predestination is His purpose to bring us into a particular relationship with Himself.
But he called us in time.
By the Gospel, Why?
Because as we were born into this world with a nature lost in sin, not one of us would come to God.
Chapter 9 of Romans.
Verse 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy, on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion.
Upon whom I will have compassion, so that it is not of him that willeth.
No inward determination of human nature, no matter how strong. It's not of him that willeth.
Nor of whom that runneth no outward efforts on the part of man in any way.
Not of him that runneth.
But of God.
That showeth mercy.
It's just because He said His sovereign love upon you and me.
We would not have come otherwise.
Gospel of John.
Chapter One.
Verse 10 And he was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
And he came unto his own, and his own received him not.
But as many as received him to them gave he power.
To become the sons of God or the children of God, The right, it really should say, or the privilege.
To become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name.
In believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, He has given the right, the privilege for those that believe to know themselves in a relationship with God as His children and to one another, something unknown in the Old Testament.
But now that Christ is coming, he's brought in something new, a relationship for those who have faith that was not known in the Old Testament.
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Verse 13 which?
Were born.
Not of blood.
Look at the emphasis which were born those who came, those who believed were those who were born of God Going to hold our place here and read one verse in James chapter one.
Verse 18.
For of His own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Of his own will.
Life was imparted and those who were, were born of God.
Were those who came by faith. They had a life given to them.
That they might have ears to hear.
Faith to receive and when they did believe on his name, they were brought into a relationship that they had never had before.
John's Gospel chapter one again, which were born not of blood, not by natural descent, not by any human or earthly relationship of any kind.
Not by blood.
Nor of the will of the flesh. Again, not of any inward purpose or desire on my part. As I was born into this world, I had no thought for God. He came into this world, and the world knew Him not, and I was among them, and you were too.
Not by the will of the flesh.
Nor of the will of man, nor of the purpose of any other person acting upon you.
Nor of the will of man.
Thought of God.
Whom he did for now.
Then he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son.
That little portion in Romans goes from eternity to eternity, for it ends then he also glorified, for which we are waiting.
Sing #2.
#2.
Father twas my love and good luck.
On the day, come on before.
I came up to Jesus, I prayed to come back by his breathing. I praying for my life and wealthy.
98 10-4 10-4 10-4 080 10-4 10-4 10-4 oh 10-4 10-4 oh 10-4 10-4 10-4 820-120-0000 oh oh oh oh oh oh oh 59004 10-4 10-4 oh 10-4 oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Glow praise grey.
Ephesians 1:1-6