Address—C. Hendricks
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Turn with me to Ecclesiastes 12, please.
Ecclesiastes 12, the last chapter, the preacher sought to find out acceptable words.
And that which was written was upright.
Even words of truth.
The words of the wise.
Are as goods.
And as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from 1 shepherd.
Mr. Darby renders that 11Th verse.
The words of the wiser as golds.
And the collections of them as nails fastened in.
I just wanted to make a comment and two.
On that verse we've had as our brother has just been bringing before us.
Many words of the wise.
And if you as it was his case, and it's the case with each one of us.
When we first began coming to conference meetings such as this, there was much that we didn't grasp.
We didn't take in.
But we've heard words of the wise. We've heard the word of God.
And as you collect these wise words, they're like nails.
Fasten.
By the masters of assemblies or the collections of them as nails fastened in something that you can you can hang on, something that you can hold to.
The words of the wiser is goats. They stir to action.
And I trust that the ministry of the word that we've had before us in these days of conference.
Will steer us to action.
We should not go out.
The same as we came in.
It should never be that way when the word of God is presented to us.
You don't have to have its effect in our lives.
And if we got as we came in, if we say, well, it was a lovely conference.
Happy days, it was nice to have been there.
But there's no lasting effect in our lives, no change.
No correction of our ways, no goading to.
To walk in the path of truth.
And something is.
Something's missing.
Words of the wives are its goads, collections of them nails fashioned in. We may just have collected a few gems.
At this conference, much of it may have been, as our brother has been telling us, over our heads.
But we collected something.
We were stirred in some areas of our lives.
And as we collect these precious truths of God, they're like nails fastened in something that you can.
Hang on something that is permanent and abiding and stable in our lives.
That's the word of God.
The Golding effect of the words of the wise to stir us to walk.
Differently.
Walk in the path.
Of the truth.
I just want to read a verse or two from Jeremiah 6.
We hear, we certainly have the words of the wise.
In fact, it's the Word of God.
It's the Lord speaking verse 16.
Thus saith the Lord.
Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths.
We're living in a day of change. The word of God says we should not meddle with them that are given to change.
Ask for the old paths.
Where is the good way?
And walk therein.
And you shall find rest unto your souls.
I wish the verse ended there.
That it goes on to say, but they said we will not walk therein.
You cannot be under the sound of the word of God. None of us can. And the least to the oldest.
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Without responding to it, without having it having some effect in our lives.
These are either going to be a change for the better.
For the worst, we don't stand still.
And the things of God, you're either going to grow.
In the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
Or there's going to be a retrograde movement in our pathway?
Ruth rejected bringeth night.
This is the This is the way Christendom is going.
So if you're going to go in the direction of the truth of God, you're going to have to oppose the current of things.
Going to have to take a stand.
We're going to have to collect.
These precious things from God hold them fast.
I think of the word to the Philadelphian overcomer. Hold fast what thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
These precious things.
That we have heard, that we have then privileged to sit under the sound of the truth and the precious truth of God ought to collect these words of the wise and.
Hold them fast.
And to be content.
With the old pass.
Not be constantly.
Trying to search for something new.
God has given us.
Precious true.
We love it. There is no company on the face of the earth, and I'm not saying this with any pride.
It's a truth. It's a fact.
That has such a legacy of truth, God's truth.
As we.
Such precious ministry that has been left to us.
Written Ministry, Oral Ministry have been privileged to sit under the sound of it.
These days of confidence.
Your past, the old truths of God, the word of God does not change.
And it never grows old.
Or to abide in that we had that in first John, abide in that which was from the beginning, to abide in it, to remain in it, to stand permanent.
And to enjoy it.
Are you in a meeting?
That is weak and feeble.
Do you often get discouraged?
Well, if you're in the word yourself.
You can bring into that meeting.
Something that will be vibrant whether you're a brother or a sister. You may be a sister who never opens her mouth.
But I believe that the tone of an assembly is often set by the sisters.
Will never say anything but their very presence there.
Their godliness.
Their devotedness, their desire to have the Lord before us.
Their prayers mingled.
In a silent way.
With the brothers, what a difference, what a difference that makes.
In an assembly.
So whether you have an audible part or not makes no difference. Your presence is needed there.
Needed there in the way of being a contributor in a positive way.
For the good of the assembly.
And if you have collected these words of the wise, if the words of the wise have voted, you want to.
Through action if you've been one that's been missing meetings.
Or just a bread breaker.
If the one effect that this conference had in your life was that you would make a purpose commitment, I will not miss a meeting, but I can be at there are sometimes.
Legitimate reasons where due to sickness or other things we can't be there but.
When you can be there to be there.
And to make it positive contribution.
For the help of the Assembly, brethren, we need everyone of us.
In these last dark days of the clenching.
We've had 1000 here, but this thousand will go back in just to the twos and threes.
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Maybe the 20s or 30s.
Fairly good sized meeting nowadays.
Well, May God help us.
To encourage one another to belong together in the past of faith.
When the Lord comes.
Who sang at the outset of this meeting about the Lord's coming?
Shall we see thy face?
Hear thy heavenly voice, beloved, just about there.
Maybe ere we leave this conference, we'll be ushered into the glory.
Be where he is.
Or what a prospect.
How sad that any of us should be lagging behind.
Not giving our all of Him. He was given his all for us.