Address—C.E. Lunden
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I'd like to speak of a few examples.
In the Old Testament.
We might discover.
Just what the Christian life might be.
And what it might not be too.
The first passage we'll read is in Luke.
Likewise also, as it was in the days of law, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built it. But the same day that lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
I believe it should read Just all Destroy all.
Well, at the beginning of this, then we as in considering a lot.
The end of his course does not sound very good.
And you know, you dear young people, some of you are just starting out in life and you'll have to consider the end of the course.
How it's going to turn out.
Because God wants to do us good in our latter end.
And we might notice a few things the way that Lot starts his lifeout in the 13th chapter of Genesis.
We're not going to read all of it, but just notice.
A part starting with the seventh verse.
There was a strike between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle.
Now that's the way that Lot starts his lifeout when he separates from Abraham.
Abraham was a man of God who lived.
Up in the plains, away from all that would defile him. Down here he lived in separation and Lot had that privilege.
But we find there was strife there.
And it wasn't on the part of Abraham.
Because we learned that Abraham told Lot, now he said Lot. You just choose what you want.
And I'll take the rest. Isn't that a lovely spirit?
You know the man of God can afford to do that because.
God goes before him and orders his way. He doesn't have to fight for anything down here.
But poor LOC.
Notice what else it says of him.
Ten first Lot lifted up his eyes.
And he held all the plain of Jordan that was well watered everywhere.
Before the Lord destroyed Sodom, Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as our come as desor.
Well, Lot sees something with his natural eyes.
Well, we've already had the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes.
Before us here.
That which would satisfy the natural man.
And the wisdom that comes simply from the natural senses.
And so we see that lot is on the wrong course at the very start.
He was in a bad state of soul where he wouldn't have allowed his herdsmen to strive with a herdman of Abraham.
And so he sets his course.
The 11Th verse.
And lot chose.
All the plain of Jordan.
And life journeyed east.
And they separated themselves.
One from the other. Isn't that sad?
All dear young people, you know the only blessing you're going to get for your soul is to go on with those.
With whom God has placed you.
This was a fatal mistake for Lot.
He separated from Abraham, the man of God.
Abraham had been made the depositary of God's counsels in connection with the blessing of man on the earth.
And Lots separated himself from him. But Lot made the choice, and he made it according to the dictates of the natural heart.
The 12Th verse.
Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent towards Sodom.
But we're not going to say too much about a lot. It won't be too profitable for us, perhaps.
But when we look down at the end of his life.
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There's a long gap between. Nothing is said about that life, he goes on in Sodom until finally we learned that he lives there, He has a house there.
And then we learned that he has a place in the gate of the city.
There's the pride of life.
Lot succumbs to all three. He finds himself under the power of the enemy.
And what is the end of it all, as we read in Luke's Gospel?
The judgment of God comes and destroys it all.
Well, dear young people, is this the pattern of the life you'd like to live as a Christian down here?
The only place we actually learned that lot was a Christian, and that is that he was a believer.
Is in Peter where he's spoken of as righteous or just?
There is a slight indication in the Old Testament he had unleavened bread.
But he doesn't live the life Abraham does. And when Lot ends up, it says.
Of his life and everything, all the efforts that he put forth.
Destroyed all.
How sad that is. But what did it say of Abraham?
Abraham was old and well stricken in years, and the Lord had blessed him in all things.
What a great difference between these two, all that we have in connection with these two men that started out together.
But now turn with me to the Book of Kings.
And we'll see if we can find something better in the way of a life of faith.
First Kings, the 18th chapter.
And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying.
Go show thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab, and there was a sore famine in Samaria.
And AAB called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, for it was so. And Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took 100 prophets, and hid them by 50 in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. An AB said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, unto all brooks for adventure. We may find grass to save the horses and mules alive.
That we lose not all the beasts.
So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it. Ahab went out, went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he knew him, and he fell on his face, and said, Art thou that, my Lord Elijah? And he answered him, I am Go tell thy Lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
And he said, What have I sinned, that thou which delivered thy servant in the hand of Ahab to slay me as the Lord thy God liveth, There is no nation or Kingdom.
Within my Lord has not sent to seek thee, when they said he is not there.
He took an oath of the Kingdom and nation, that they found me not. And now thou sayest go tell thy Lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
It shall come to pass as soon as I'm gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord should carry thee whither I know not. And so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me.
But I, thy servant, fear the Lord from my youth.
Was it not told my Lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord?
How I hidden hundred men of the Lord's prophets by 50 in a cave, and fed them with bread and water, and thou sayest go, tell the Lord, thy Lord, Behold, Elijah is here, and he shall slay me.
And Elijah said, as the Lord of hosts, liveth, before whom I stand.
I will surely show myself unto him today. So Obadiah went to meet.
Ahab and told him and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
Now, I'm not sure that this is a young man at this time, but I believe he was a man who had faith.
Obadiah.
But we noticed that this faith was.
I suppose a little picture of the 7000 that hadn't bowed the knee to bail.
This man was not rendering a positive testimony publicly like Elijah was.
But he feared the Lord greatly and from his youth.
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Well, shall we inquire, is this the kind of a Christian life we'd like to live?
A life that's hidden in our own hearts, trusting the Lord, but a life that's hidden so that no one knows it outside.
What was it that what caused him to to hide his testimony?
The fear of Ahab.
And the fear of man brings a snare.
Why did he fear Ahab?
Because he had a good job in Ahab's house, that's why.
He had a good job at Ahab's house.
But he was afraid to open his mouth.
Isn't that solemn?
You know, there are two things that stand out quite prominently in Luke's gospel, and one of them is.
That is, as to the path of the believer and the snares.
Our associations.
Our connections.
And then also our habits.
Are we going to allow our associations and our habits to hinder a clear testimony for the Lord Jesus down here? Is this the kind of a life we want to live like Obadiah?
So that there won't be one bit of testimony for our blessed Savior publicly.
Yes, it's true. He knows our hearts and you have heard Christians say that.
Well, he knows. He knows what goes on in my heart. Of course he does. He knows that. He knows all these things that Obadiah is trying to tell Elijah.
And, you know, we wouldn't have to try to tell about what we did.
If we confess Christ publicly, would we?
Obadiah had to. Was it not told you what I did? Haven't anybody told you? Of course not. Who would know it? Who would know it?
His testimony was hidden.
There's no question what he was real.
Surely he was real and he was considering the servants.
The prophets, and he was bringing them bread and water, things they needed when they were being persecuted. And what a wonderful thing that is. What a privilege. Now we must have looked down on Obadiah this afternoon.
Because we've come a step further than with Lot, I'm sure.
Lot had lost his testimony completely in utter worldliness down here.
But here's the man that had a testimony, but it was a hidden one.
And God.
Reminds us of that, in fact.
Elijah's reminded by the Lord himself.
When he spoke of himself being the only witness, oh God says I have 7000.
And dear young people, don't forget God values your testimony, whatever it may be. Even though it may be in weakness, God values it.
But.
How much better to be out and out for Christ?
And to then render a testimony down here.
For the Lord Jesus.
I believe it tells us in the last chapter of Revelation of that coming day.
In the Kingdom.
When we'll have that blessed name of Jesus written on our forehead.
Oh, how good that will be.
But we'll never have the privilege up there that we have here.
Of having it written on our foreheads in rejection.
Oh, how the world hates that name of Jesus, but we have the happy privilege of carrying that name on our foreheads down here in this Dark World.
They know how much better it would have been if they had but had just a little support from Obadiah, or I should have said Elijah had had a little support from Obadiah.
Yes, Elijah had to carry that testimony alone, that outward positive testimony.
But now let's notice something in connection with it too.
We find that they were going to all fountains of water.
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All fountains of water. Is that the way that you and I should be doing as Christians?
A fountain here and a fountain there.
You know what? Boaz told those told Ruth? Going out to glean in other fields.
No, he doesn't want us to go to all the fountains of water. We have provision for our souls in Christ.
And in the place where he has appointed, where he might find our souls refreshed and encouraged and built up.
And fortified against this Dark World through which we're passing.
Yes, gathered to his precious name.
But we notice also in the sixth verse they divided the land between them to pass through. AI went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself. Is there any happiness in this kind of a path?
Oh dear fellow Christian, dear young people, is this your choice of the Christian path?
Or you say it's better than locks path. I grant that.
But is this your choice of a path to go through this world?
Well, we know that.
Something took place with Obadiah and I think we should notice it.
16 first.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab. Oh, I thought he wasn't going to do it. I thought he was afraid of his life.
He was.
Why he said he will slay me if I go and tell him that you are here.
But under the powerful presence of a man of God.
He breaks down the Spirit of God working through Elijah.
He breaks down and he does exactly the thing that he said he wouldn't do.
Isn't that nice to see that?
Yes, repentance isn't simply an action. Oh.
It's the state of soul. And it should. It should be that which characterizes us, at least sobriety, self judgment.
Considering our ways all through our life down here.
And when the Word of God has spoken to us, we should take notice of it and act upon it.
And I don't know about the subsequent history of Obadiah, but I'm sure if there was real repentance with him.
There was a coming out in public confession for Christ.
So we say again.
Would this be your pattern for the Christian life? Are you satisfied with this?
Now we'll turn to Hebrews.
And see if we can look a little further whether there is anything in the scriptures.
In the way of example that would help us.
Hebrews 11.
On the 24th verse.
By faith Moses, when he was come to years.
Or I believe it might read When he Became Great.
By faith Moses, when he became great.
Refused.
To be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Now the word here that I'd like to press home is refused.
We have seven points here I'd like to call attention to in connection with this man's life.
The first thing he refuses.
You know, all of us, at least most of us here, have been brought up in some kind of connections in a religious way.
And.
I'm sure that in the providential ways of God, in many cases it's been a blessing.
I know in my own case it has.
Although I've had to, by grace act upon this verse.
Refused.
Oh, how many things there are in the natural life in a religious way.
That have to be refused if we're going to walk with God.
You know, tradition is one of the strongest things that can tie us down.
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And some never lose it, some are always tied to it, even though they may be the children of God.
And so the first step here with Moses was that he refused something.
And that is, he refused to live a lie.
He wasn't the.
Son of Pharaoh's daughter was he?
No, he belonged to something far better than that.
He belonged to the people of God.
And so when he became great, he refused to take that title.
But what was he doing? He was giving up everything.
That was of worth in this world.
As far as this world is concerned.
Yes, he was giving up everything.
Here was a man who was in the line to become one of the Pharaohs. Perhaps we don't know.
But that term might indicate it when he became great.
What a possession he must have occupied in the House of Pharaoh.
He had come in in a very special way.
He belonged to that daughter of Pharaoh, but he refused to maintain that connection.
He refused it.
Now I suppose he could have reasoned and said here I'm in this special place, I'll be a help to God's people.
I can do things in this position that I have.
For their good that no one else can do.
He might have reasoned that way. You know how many children of God reason their path through this world?
But not Moses.
And you know, there's something remarkable about this.
Now that the Spirit of God calls our attention to.
23rd verse.
By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hit three months of his parents.
Because they saw he was a proper child.
And they were not afraid of the King's commandment.
In connection with Moses, we have a background.
And I like to refer to this.
Because I can think back in my own days to my mother and her particular interest in setting before me the things of God.
Yes, what a privilege Moses had, and what a privilege you, dear young people, have to be brought up in the things of God.
Yes, he had a background. He knew it wasn't right for him to take his place in that palace.
He knew it wasn't right for him to go on in that position when the people of God were suffering.
Down here. And so he takes his place right alongside with them. He refused.
To be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
The next verse choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin per season.
Well, we have now is choosing.
How different this choice is from lots?
Lot chose just the opposite way.
Lot shows out which his eyes could see.
There's nothing said about a mother behind it either, but that doesn't excuse him.
No, because he had all the instruction from Abraham.
But here is a man who chooses. He weighs things.
And he decides in favor.
Of the people of God, what could He have had otherwise? The pleasures of sin.
But dear young people, notice that word for a season? Just a season, and then it's all over.
You know, in the eighth, in the eighth chapter of Romans.
We're told about.
If you live after the flesh.
Ye shall die.
And that's eternal death.
If you live after the flesh, you shall die if your life is according to that.
Pattern. If that's your life, the flesh, you'll die, and that's eternal death.
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Choosing rather.
To suffer affliction along with the people of God.
Than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Well, that was his choice.
That's the second point we have here.
Does this kind of a Christian life and interest you at all?
But would you rather be like Lost or would you rather be like Obadiah?
One thing we notice here is that.
We have brought before us the energy of faith.
It takes it takes energy to take a path like this. But what kind of energy? The flesh? Surely not.
Behind all this, there must have been something in the life of Moses that enabled him to take these steps. 1 by 1.
There must have been purpose of heart to follow the Lord, for He never could have taken these steps.
There must have been that communion in the presence of God.
Or he never could have taken those steps.
Can you imagine Moses in his own room in the palace, dropping to his knees?
And crying to his God.
And those moments when he was deciding what he was going to do.
Because he must make a decision.
The end of his life would prove either blessing.
Or sorrow, one of the two.
And I'm sure there are many sessions in that palace on his knees before his God, before he made that decision.
But he made the decision.
And he didn't make it in his own strength either.
Esteeming the reproach of Christ Greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
Yes, there were treasures in Egypt.
But the reproach of Christ was greater riches.
We learned a minute why there were greater to Moses.
And then it says.
Now I'd like to press home that word of steaming as steaming.
That is, I could just picture him weighing these things.
Carefully.
What are they worth to me?
Am I going to take up the present as everything or am I going to look ahead?
To the end of the path.
Esteeming. Regarding.
The reproach of Christ.
Greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
Now one of the reasons that he had this before him, it tells us and the rest of this verse.
For you have respect unto the recompense.
That word reward may be a little confusing. I don't think it's an original. But he had respect unto the recompense. What are you going to get out of it, dear young people?
We've already noticed in connection with the life that Lot lived when he got out of it.
He was saved, so is by fire, but his whole life efforts were left in Sodom.
And even some of his children were left there.
All the price to pay.
It's one thing to have your house burned up.
It's another thing to have everything that you've gained down here to be lost.
To be burned up.
But it's quite another thing to lose those dear children.
And that's the end of a path like that.
Lot passed by phase. He first took Egypt.
That's the next step for Shift Egypt.
He wasn't going to stay around Egypt either.
He wasn't going to allow Egypt to be the attraction for his life. He forsook it completely.
Oh, how many would would separate from this evil and that evil and still leave themselves available?
For other things.
And all how we have to judge our own hearts continually, lest it be so. But here is a man.
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That God used for blessing to his people. He forsook Egypt completely.
He hasn't. Were Bernie's bridges behind him? You know it took space to do that.
Because he was left without resource out in the wilderness, there was number resource for God. And I believe this is a lovely picture of what it means to be a man of God.
A man of God is one who is willing to burn all his bridges behind him, to cut the thread, the rope that ties him with his former position.
That's the man of God, just for Christ's sake.
One is willing to put his whole truck for his whole path.
In the hands of his blessed faith.
That's a man of God.
Thy faith he forsook Egypt.
Not fearing the wrath of the king.
Now what is the rest of the birds say?
For he endured.
Or he persevered.
But how did he persevere? We're told plainly how it was that he persevered.
As seeing him who is invisible.
Yes, Moses had a.
He had a view of something as far off.
He looked down to the end of his path.
He could see the end of the road.
And through all that was around him that the enemy would put up before him, he looked straight through it all, and he could see him who was invisible.
It was by faith.
You know, faith is something you can pass through everything.
And can lead the soul right into the very presence of God.
Nothing else cares.
But faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
And Moses had faith, God-given faith.
But you know, these hearts of ours are so made that they have to have an object.
And here we see the secret in the life of Moses.
He had an object for his heart.
Yes, he could look through it all and he could see one ahead of him.
There was Christ.
He didn't see Christ with his visible eyes, but he saw him by face.
He saw the one of whom the Prophet spoke.
He saw the one of whom was spoken at the very beginning of Genesis.
The woman's seed that would bruise the serpent's head.
Moses by faith he can look down through the ages, and he could see one who was going to take his place.
And bringing them to blessings that he would get in no other way. And when everything down here was gone, burned.
Destroyed Moses would still have something.
Recompense.
And so he has his eyes fixed on an object.
But you, dear young people, have that today which would bring you into a fuller, more blessed knowledge of the Lord Jesus than Moses ever had.
Because you have the completed scriptures that set before us, the mystery Christ in the church, all the blessedness that will come through association with our head, the Lord Jesus. And so we have set before us in the New Testament.
In detail way that which has to do with the recompense and all the blessings.
That is found in Christ as a result of the work on Calvary's cross. He endured. He persevered of seeing him who was invisible.
Well, he has an object for his heart.
And that's the only way we can persevere or endure.
Is to keep that heart fixed on the object.
We know soon after the flood.
The whole world turned to demon worship and Abraham was called out of it.
And he was called out of an object. God was his object.
Well, we know the history of Abraham, how blessed it was, but he had an object.
And here we have Moses. He has an object.
We're to look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are unseen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal. And yet how apartment we are, how ready to turn our eyes to the present things to be taken up with present things as objects.
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I thought you know about the vessel and each one of us are seen as a vessel.
Something to be filled the vessels in the second chapter.
John's gospel were to be filled with the water, nothing else.
And if we fill our lives with this thing and that thing, there won't be much room left for Christ, will it?
But how good it is to have them filled with strife?
And then to have that pure object for our soul.
To look ahead, occupied with those things that are not seen, which are eternal.
Which we find in and with Christ.
Now the last point we have here is in the 28th verse.
We've noticed first of all that he refused in the 24th verse.
That he chose in the 25th verse.
He esteemed the reproach of Christ, greater riches, and the 26th verse.
And he had respect under the recompense.
And he forsook Egypt. He endured a seeing him, Him who was invisible.
And now, through faith, he kept the Passover.
And the sprinkling of blood as he that destroyed the first born should touch them.
Well, you know, this usually comes first.
Especially in the feast in the 23rd Leviticus, the Passover is first.
And that's the basis of all blessings.
But I suppose we have here something that the Spirit of God would remind us.
Of where Moses rested his soul.
First he tells us about the energy Moses had.
In his life of faith down here. But this is where he rests his soul.
It's the precious blood of Christ.
He doesn't simply speak, you know, of the the Passover itself.
But he adds the sprinkling.
That is, there was the actual application of that truth practically in the light.
It's one thing, you know, for the animal, the lamb to be slain and the blood to be poured in the basin.
Yes, it's the precious blood, all right.
But each one had to take that and had to apply it to his own doorpost.
That faith.
That's individual faith that would lay hold of the truth of God and how beautiful it is to bring this in at the at the end of the history here of Moses as a man of faith.
The Spirit of God would leave us with this thought that everything depends.
Upon that precious blood.
And the application of it to my individual heart and conscience.
Dear young people, are you resting on that precious blood of Christ?
What does it do for you? Notice.
Lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them.
Here is the man that is going to be sure that there won't be any judgment.
Poor lot, his whole life came into judgment.
It's true, he was saved so as by fire.
Here's the man who's going to be sure that everything is covered up.
Because, you know, atonement, God only suggests the thought of giving God complete satisfaction.
But it also speaks of covering.
Another wonderful thing to have it all covered up in the precious blood of Christ.
Everything.
Yes, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses from all sins. If there any of you dear young people here this afternoon that are not sheltered in that precious blood.
Remember Moses?
It's the basis of all that we have before him, before us here in his life.
Now, dear young people, which kind of a Christian life would you like to live?
Any of these three are available to you as to the principles of them, Would you like to live like Lot did?
Like Obadiah.
Or like Moses.
Oh, how blessed at the end of the road.
To be in the enjoyment we see Moses on that mount of Transfiguration.
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In that glory, a little picture of what's coming.
We don't have Obadiah's name written in Hebrews 11.
All you say there's many names not there. Yes that's true. But Obadiah's name is not there.
That Moses.
Yeah.
And God wants us then to be in the full enjoyment of the blessing He has for us.
And was Obadiah happier than Moses? I'm sure he wasn't. He was under the constant threat of death all the time.
That is after his mind. But Moses walked through this world superior to the circumstances because he endured is seeing him who's invisible.