Address—C. Buchanan
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.
To learn something in type.
From the Old Testament.
This is a wonderful book we have in our hands.
The whole of it reveals Christ, although we sometimes say that Christ is concealed in the Old and revealed in the New. But when we get the revelation of the New shining back on the pages of the Old Testament, we then see Christ in all the pages of the Old Testament too. That is really what it means in Corinthians where it says, where the Spirit of the Lord there is liberty, that is liberty.
By the Spirit of the Lord to understand the Old Testament.
It's talking about the Old Testament there in that passage in Corinthians.
And so we will look in John 10 at one verse very specially, and it is the 16th verse, and speak a little bit from the chapter to introduce the subject.
John 1016 then and other sheep I have which are not of this world.
Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice.
And there shall be one fold or one flock.
And one shepherd. Now this verse is very concise.
We know who the Shepherd is.
And if we go back and consider the beginning of the chapter.
Thinking of the Lord Jesus talking in that day.
To those who were Jews.
Israelites.
And remembering that in the 100th and Psalm. The 100th Psalm.
But God speaks of Israel there as.
His people, the sheep of his pasture.
So we are warranted tonight to use this term sheep as it is used in Scripture.
To refer to the people of God, not only I believe.
In the past dispensation but that God has a people today.
Who are his sheep?
Reminds me of what happened down in Bolivia.
Many years ago, some of you.
Have heard of the name of Avelino Chavez who lives in Montero, where?
Our brother Bob lives now.
When the work began in that city of Montero.
It is over on the eastern side of Bolivia in a low altitude region, the plains which drain into the Amazon and go clear cross.
Brazil north and then east through Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean.
Whereas most of our brethren in Bolivia before this time of something like.
16 or 17 years ago, lived up in the mountain region, and perhaps the bulk of them still live up in the Andes at an elevation between, we'll say 9 and 15,000 feet. The highest assembly in the world is called Santa Barbara.
They like to think of themselves as the highest assembly in the world, you know?
Of course they can't claim that as a state of soul or anything like that.
But they are up there at 15,000 feet elevation at least, and the town is called Santa Barbara. And in kind of a humorous way, they, these dear Indian brethren, will say, do you think that when the Lord comes, we'll be just a little bit ahead of the rest of you? We'll have a head start.
Well, it was interesting, you know. And so the work began over on the eastern side in Montero. Avelino Chavez was one of the first of our brethren who moved there. A few others moved there and the work was progressing rather well amongst young people.
Oh, it's always nice, you know, when young people are saved and get a hold of the truth. When I went there perhaps 16 years ago.
I remember that there were, oh, at least a dozen young men of perhaps.
1415 or 16 years of age that had been saved and were coming to meeting. Really a happy thing to see you know.
00:05:03
Well, whenever the Spirit of God is busy.
The enemy gets busy too.
And a little assembly was established there.
And Avellino is rather clever.
At meeting up with souls individually and speaking to them, he became known.
In the town which is rather small then smaller yet I would guess it may be.
8 or 10,000 people at that time. So he became known and.
There was a sectarian preacher there who was a little bit jealous of Avellino coming there. He had his work there. So is Avelino's. Walking down the street one day he met this sectarian clergyman and he walked up to Havoline on, he says, What you doing here? Stealing some of my sheep.
Whose sheep? Avelino said. I thought they belonged to the Lord. Where'd you get your sheep?
Well, of course the man got the point. You see, she belonged to the Lord. They are his sheep.
We are his sheep and this verse we have read says.
Other Sheep and we have read the 16th verse of the 10th chapter. Other Sheep.
I have which are not of this fold, and them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice.
And there shall be one fold and one shepherd, that is.
The Lord Jesus speaking then talked about the future when he was going to.
Have a flock rather in contrast to what he had had.
In the beginning of the chapter where it says in the first verse sheep fooled to introduce that portion at the beginning, the Lord came into that sheepfold.
Of that people of God, the Israelites that use, and He came in through the door, was presented to them for their Messiah. He came in at a proper way, and of course they would not have him. They rejected Him.
And so well, in John's gospel, he's rejected from the very first chapter.
So he begins to teach a new truth in this chapter, and he says he went in in order to lead them out. That's very astonishing when you consider that third verse. We'll read it to him. The Porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice. That's true sheep.
And he calleth his own sheep by name. Isn't that a wonderful thing?
That the Lord Jesus knows everyone of his sheep by name.
I have meant, I suppose, thousands of Bradford.
Both of the Spanish speaking and the English and I have great difficulty when I come to a place after a year or two and remembering names.
Maybe you haven't experienced that, but I just love to think of the Lord Jesus.
He knows everyone by name, and he never forgets a single one, even little boys and girls who are his sheep, who are the people of God. He calls his own sheep by name, and then what does he do? He leads them out. Well, that's what the Lord Jesus was teaching here. He was going to lead his people out of that old fold, which was like a corral with a fence around it.
Into the liberty of grace.
Well, he develops that.
Then he comes down and says other sheep. This to us who are here tonight, I'm sure is most.
Precious.
Nationality really doesn't mean anything now, but I doubt if by birth there are.
Any or many Israelites or Jews here?
Well, thank God that the other sheep are being collected by that one shepherd, and he would always gather into that one flock. Well, going on then to look for another verse.
The 12Th chapter of Luke or.
Back to Luke, I should say.
Back to Luke 12.
If you should some on some occasion drive down to visit us down at Saint Francisville from here, you might.
00:10:01
That's in Illinois, southern Illinois. You might go to Terre Haute IN and go South on Route 41 to Vincennes and come over across well, if so, if you were noticing as you drove South.
From Terre Haute.
A few miles you would see a sign up and it says Little Flock.
Little flock, Now let's read this verse.
1232 Luke 1232 Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
Well, you may have guessed what that little flock sign stands for. It's a cemetery.
One kind of enjoys that title for a cemetery though, and one just wonders if the Lord comes tonight, how many graves will be empty out there in that little flock cemetery? Surely some. And all over the world there is a little flock. But this is the living ones here that He's speaking to. It's to us. Fear not, little flock. He doesn't say big flock.
It may be a.
Diminutive endearing term like we would say of.
A dear little child. They use it more in Spanish and.
Using the name Mary, a diminutive endearing term would be.
For Little Mary would be Marita. We would say Little Mary.
As an endearing term, well, it may be that, and it may be true too, that it's just few in numbers. And I think perhaps.
That fits with what we're going to find a little later.
Let's.
Then go back to the Old Testament, to the book of First Samuel.
To develop a few.
Thoughts and connection with King David. If I asked the boys and girls here to give me a resume or an outline of chapter 17 of First Samuel, they could probably do it. But doubtless if I asked the 1St chapter 16, they wouldn't quite remember. And maybe some of us were older. So I think we ought to read chapter 16 of First Samuel.
It fits so nicely with chapter 17.
We'll draw from a few expressions in both chapters of First Samuel, but we want to read First Samuel chapter 1623 verses.
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. I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite.
For I have provided me a king among his sons.
Samuel said How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.
And the Lord said, Take in half her with thee.
And say I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do.
And thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem.
And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
He said peaceably, I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord.
Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons.
And call them to the sacrifice.
Came to pass when they were come that he looked on Eliah and said.
Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. And the Lord said unto Samuel.
He looked not on his countenance or on the height of his stature.
Because I have refused him. For the Lord seeth not as man seeth.
For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel.
And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
Then Jesse made Shama to pass by, and he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. Again Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel.
00:15:10
And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
Samuel said unto Jesse, Or hear all thy children. And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest. And behold, he keepeth the sheep. Now just keep in mind this expression, 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 sent and brought him in. Now he was Ruddy, and with all the 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 brethren.
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.
So Samuel rose up and went to Raema. But.
Or what a changer, but the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.
And an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him, and Saul's servants said unto him.
Behold, now an evil spirit from God troubles thee.
Let our Lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man who is a cunning player on an harp.
And it shall come to pass when the evil spirit from God is upon thee.
That he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.
Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.
Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said.
Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. Now take note of this statement.
With the sheep.
And Jesse took an *** laden with bread.
And a bottle of wine. And a kid.
And sent them by David his son unto Saul. And so and David came to Saul, and stood before him.
And he loved him greatly and he became his armor bearer.
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me.
For he hath found favor in my sight. And it came to pass when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul.
That David took in harp and played with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
First, I would like to give a little outline to introduce this chapter, not so much in connection with.
The shepherd, the one who was the keeper of the sheep and with the sheep.
But another line of truth which comes in this chapter as well.
And that is King.
In the first chapter.
Of Samuel.
We encounter Elkina.
The father of Samuel, who had two wives.
Banana and Hannah.
There is a good deal of meaning in those names.
I understand the name Elkanah means God is possessing.
And Penina means earthly glory, but Hannah means grace. And that beautiful story of the birth of Samuel asked of God, that little boy given to Hannah, meaning grace, asked of God, a prophet to be there to take up the link with the people of God. Now God always has a people.
And he always maintains a link with that people.
00:20:01
And up to that time of First Samuel, the link, chief link with the people of God was the priesthood.
But in the early chapters of Samuel.
Eli's sons are wicked men. The priesthood breaks down.
He lie, an old man didn't restrain his sons. The link was breaking.
So God brings the prophet on the scene.
Asked of God Samuel, but still for another purpose.
To have this last link, we may say with the people of God, which was the king. Now would would you turn back to the first chapter and get an expression out of Hannah's song, which means a good deal in the second chapter?
A wonderful.
Truth, wonderful prayer or song which came out of Hannah's mouth. In her joy she prayed. But we'll just go down to.
Verse 7.
And read 7:00 and 8:00.
Two verse Samuel 27. The Lord.
Maketh poor and maketh rich. He bringeth low and lifteth up.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill.
To set them among Princess and to make them inherit.
The throne of Glory for the pillars of the earth are the Lords.
And he has set the world upon them.
And I hope we can keep this.
Eight verse partly in mind. Notice that.
Expression the throne of glory.
I believe it is God's thought which is established here.
In his plan to have Christ exalted.
You know the 2nd Psalm says, Behold, I have set my son upon my holy hill of Zion.
God looks at that as past and still future.
So there had to be an introduction to that throne.
And when the line of the priest broke down, the prophet was there.
To anoint a king.
But the first king that was anointed was the People's Choice.
Oh God is so patient to teach us and all the way through Scripture.
We will find.
That one of the things that's hard for us to learn, perhaps difficult for God to get us to learn, it is that the flesh profiteth nothing. The flesh profiteth nothing. You'll find that in Genesis 6, God says the end of all flesh has come before me and he's still testing it after 6000 years. The patients have gone and showing that in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.
And this lesson comes out.
Over and over again, we may say continuously.
The people choose a king, and he was head and shoulders above the rest.
Probably bigger than less Vandenberg.
A real man and a choice man.
And he begins well.
But likewise, he breaks down the People's Choice, the best of the flesh.
Breaks down and in the 15th chapter we didn't read it but.
If you want to look at the 15th chapter to see.
What God says.
First Samuel 15.
Verse 17 Samuel said he comes to Saul.
When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou?
Not made the head of the tribes of Israel and the Lord anointed the king over Israel.
And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners of the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but did fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord? And Saul said unto Samuel, Yeah, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord.
00:25:06
And have gone the way.
Which the Lord sent me, and have brought a gag the king of the of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil sheep and oxen the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed to sacrifice under the Lord thy God in Gilgal and Samuel said.
Hath the Lord has great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of Rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
So we see that the best of the flesh as the People's Choice in soul is disobedient and rejected by the Lord.
But I really think we ought to back up and bring in another thought there, because the Amalekites were in the land and God said.
That they were to be utterly destroyed now if we were to go back to.
Earlier in the Books of Moses.
This chapter doesn't come right now to mind, but perhaps you'll remember it.
In Exodus somewhere.
Where God said that.
He would have war with Amalek from Generation.
To generation, we believe that the type there in Amalek.
Is the flesh really has taken over by the enemy?
And God says I'm going to have war with that old flesh.
That lets the enemy operate from generation to generation. My generation, my children's generation, my grandchildren's generation.
And all the way back, the generations don't improve it. The only trouble with you young people is that you're just like your parents.
And that's it, Amalek from generation to generation.
So God says the flesh profiteth nothing, and he told this king the People's Choice. Now you go, and you smite everyone of those.
And he left Agag the king. Then we have the thoughts of man.
In worship brought out here and Saul blamed it on the people.
And they brought those best of the animals to make a sacrifice to the Lord.
Oh, these wonderful verses in answer to that hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of Rams.
There is nothing.
More to be valued by God, I believe, than obedience, which suggests dependence at the same time.
That's two things that God always wants from man Obedience.
And dependence.
Saul was disobedient and.
Used an excuse in a religious way to change and bring in a sacrifice which.
God, of course, could not accept.
So we have the breakdown of the kings coming early in the very first one, the one chosen by the people. So now we come to our chapter and.
Samuel is sent.
To anoint.
God's choice.
David, a man after God's own heart.
And there again when Samuel arrives there.
The first born is brought out.
And.
It's verse 8, but we read verse number verse 6.
It's Eliab and it came to pass.
When they were come that he looked on alive.
And said, Surely the Lords anointed us before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel.
Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature.
Because I have refused him.
Lord seeth not as man see it, for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
00:30:00
This is both instructive and searching.
We are prone to judge by outward appearance.
And of course, we cannot see the heart.
But out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. When we get acquainted with people a little bit more, we know them better.
And have a better discernment as to who and what they are.
But God knows he looks right into the heart.
Well, here was doubtless the first born coming right on down the line through seven of them.
Choice men they were.
In the next chapter, this Eliab rather mocks David.
The first barn mocking God's choice.
Well, he is. He's not chosen.
He's passed by and abinadab and right down through the Severn.
But where does God find the man of his choice?
We come now down to this eleventh verse. And Samuel said unto Jesse.
Are here all thy children? That was all he had, right there. Where?
In the house with him.
But there was one more the youngest.
Where was he? He keepeth the sheep.
The father's sheep.
David was out serving his father. He was keeping his father's sheep.
Oh, how typical this is of the Lord Jesus. He keeps his sheep.
Always serving, keeping the sheep.
This is for us too. This was where he was found, so he is brought in.
And he is anointed king.
This is he verse 12 at the end. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren.
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.
Wonderful truth here, anointed King, and the Spirit of God coming upon him.
Christ, that name really means anointed.
The anointed of the Lord.
Of the Lord Jesus came.
And the oil would speak of the Spirit.
When the Lord Jesus came up out of the waters of baptism.
The Spirit of God came and abode upon him a full testimony at that moment of who was in the midst of His people there in the early chapters of Matthew and Luke.
A typical of the Lord Jesus is this here.
And.
So Christ is anointed, but here David is anointed and.
The Spirit of the Lord is with him from that day.
But.
We find the rejection.
Of saw complete in verse 14. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. God had tested that man, the People's Choice, and he had given up on him.
And I'll say this, that when we get the Spirit of God, he's never taken away the Spirit of God visited in the Old Testament, but he can't. He can't has come to this earth now and he abides here. And when we are sealed and anointed and have the earnest of the Spirit, we always have the Spirit. That is what really brings us into the family of God and makes us the sheep of his pasture today.
To be sealed with the Spirit of God.
Well, we go on down and we pick up another expression here and it's in verse 19.
Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.
1St in verse 11 he was keeping the sheep.
Of the Lord Jesus. It reminds us of Him. He always keeps his sheep.
Could we say he's always with his sheep?
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. We have that promise in Hebrews 13.
Our Good Shepherd, He's always with us. He keeps us all the comfort of the Scriptures.
In type we find this in David with the sheep, so he is sent for.
He comes and he's with the king.
Well, we're going to speak about the next chapter a little to bring in some more thoughts as to David.
00:35:06
Without reading it because I believe it's so well known.
How that Israel was there tested?
By this Philistine, this giant Goliath of Gath, and the suggestion that a champion be chosen in Israel to fight with this giant, this Philistine. And they were all scared and weren't they? And Eliab was too. He was down there, Jesse's son.
And perhaps some of the other brethren.
But.
We find David is not afraid and.
We'll read now from verse 12.
To get the thought, First Samuel 1712. Now David.
Was the son of that Ephratheid of Bethlehem, Judah, whose name was Jesse.
He had eight sons, and the man was among men for an old man in the days of Saul, and the three eldest sons of Jesse. Now tells us the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle.
And the names of the three sons that went to the battle were alive, the first born.
We find out he's first born next Abinadab and the third Shama. We've already read their names.
And David was the youngest, and the three eldest followed Saul.
Soldiers in the battle.
But David went and returned from Seoul.
To feed His Father's sheep at Bethlehem. Here we have another expression that we want to call attention to. To feed his Father's sheep. How? This reminds us of the Lord Jesus too.
He always is there to feed his father sheep.
What a faithful shepherd we have.
Keeps the sheep with the sheep and feeds the sheep.
How we need this, all of us, this complete.
Exercise of the Shepherd that we have read about to this point kept.
And with him personally, with him and fed by him.
Oh, what a shepherd we have. Well, David is typical of these things in our Good Shepherd, our Great Shepherd, our Chief Shepherd.
Well, the test goes on in 40 days that giant presented himself.
And you know what took place.
Verse 20.
And David rose up early in the morning.
And left the sheep with a keeper. Well, here's something a little bit different too.
As to the sheep.
David was now going to go to do battle with the Giants.
And he goes down there to visit his brethren and see how they're getting along. But the battle is coming up.
So he leaves those sheep with a keeper.
Verse 20 David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper.
Perhaps this indicates the Lord Jesus in his.
Compassion.
To his Jewish sheep that he had gathered around him.
When he was walking the earth.
I could get it in John 17, beginning with Really chapter 13.
On through 17, the Lord getting ready to leave.
He was going away and as soon as he says a going away, he says I'll come again.
Well, the disciples in those chapters were concerned about that.
Think of this, those disciples had been kept by the Lord.
Those 3 1/2 years they had been with the Lord.
And he had fed them, He had fed them, hadn't they miraculously fed them? And now he is going away. And not only did they feel it, but the Lord felt it. So He talks to them about a comforter, the Holy Spirit.
00:40:02
And he says it's expedient that I go away, for if I go not away, the comforter will not come.
Is that the other keeper? He left the sheep with a keeper.
Possibly so, but there seems to be a kind of a double being kept.
For those disciples, and for us too, all through this dispensation.
And this comes out in that 17th of John 11 verse where the Lord says.
Praise the Father.
And says Holy Father.
Keep through thine own name those that thou hast given me.
He asked the father.
Now you keep them through your name.
Oh, what a protection it is to know God as Father.
He is the almighty God our Father is.
So we have this double way of being kept by the Lord Jesus.
Through his intercession, through sending the Spirit of God and praying to the Father.
All the time that he's gone away, he's really up there.
Our Great Shepherd is up there, but he's left us in the care of the comforter.
And the father and the father's name in particular. So this.
This expression is very precious. He left the sheep with a keeper.
Well, he goes down there to the battlefield, and he meets his older brother in verse 28.
Perhaps the older brother again would speak of the strength of the first man. The 1St man is of the earth, earthy. A first born is typical of the strength of nature.
And.
The strength of nature was afraid to do battle with that giant, wasn't it?
Eliab wouldn't go against that giant.
So Eliab, his eldest brother, verse 28, heard when he spake unto the men.
Well, I'd like to go back and read just what David's question was.
So let's begin back a little further.
Verse 26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel?
For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should deny the army, defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after this manner, saying, so shall it be done to the man that killeth him? Well, we didn't read the reward. It's back in verse 25. He was going to get the King's daughter, perhaps the type of the church as belonging to God-given to the Son.
Through conquering the enemy, the devil.
Taking over the Sword of Death.
All this comes out in the battle with Goliath. David meets him.
He conquers him with just one of those stones out of the brook, typical of the Lord Jesus meeting Satan the first time in the wilderness and conquering the enemy through the Word of God using only the book of Deuteronomy, but the enemy still had his.
Armor wherein he trusted. So David went on and took the armor.
From Goliath and cut off Goliath's own head. Typical. So preciously and accurately.
Of Hebrews 2 For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to *******.
So the Lord Jesus came.
And he not only defeated the enemy in the wilderness, but he went on to the cross.
And he worked out redemption to save us.
And he gained.
The enemy's sword. He arose victorious.
And so in Revelation he says, I am he that was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more, and Amen and have the keys of hell and of death. That all belongs to the man. Now. It isn't the enemy's Armory armor for the believer. So this all is typical of the Lord Jesus and the work that He accomplished on the cross of Calvary.
00:45:05
But going on here in verse 28, Eliab rather mocking his.
Youngest brother says.
Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spake unto the men, and Alive's anger was kindled against Dave, and he said.
Why kemest thou down hit her? With whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?
Well, that's enough to read there this expression, those few sheep in the wilderness.
Well, we've already explained with whom the few sheep are left as it applies to us.
But it comes out lovely.
We read there in Luke 12. Fear not little long.
It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
Verses apply to us the few sheep. We don't claim to be numerous.
Although I like to think that there are millions of real Christians.
I really think myself more.
Than of any other group.
Well, it's not necessary to know that.
But.
Christians are looked at as few in number.
They in testimony are few in number.
And we feel that if we seek to be faithful.
To the Lord Jesus.
Christ is the rejected 1 now.
If we are faithful to Christ, it says the servant is not greater than his Lord.
They that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Perhaps you and I feel this fewness, this smallness, this littleness.
It's a good thing to feel it, it says when.
Ye are weak, then are ye strong?
Strength is not in numbers.
I like to think of an expression the way poles evident put it.
When he was visiting in a very small assembly.
Two or three is the smallest number, isn't it? As we get it in the testimony and Matthew 1820. Sometimes we break bread that those small numbers.
But.
Suppose there's 20 or 30 instead of two or three.
That's still few, isn't it?
I'm speaking now of a real testimony that there is one body or one flock. As we headed in John 10, there is one flock, there's only one. And when we have that one loaf on the table, it is an expression of every believer. Yes, it is. It represents everyone as the one flock, but more particularly.
The one body.
And for instance, here in Toledo, there would be hundreds and hundreds of real Christians that we don't know the hearts are, but God does. But giving expression to that, it's very small, isn't it? And it may be discouraging, but God would encourage us. And so with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? We feel that this is a wilderness.
That's what the children of Israel found out when they were redeemed and crushed the.
Red Sea that they were not in Canaan, they were in the wilderness.
And that's where we, you and I are practically every day of our lives in the wilderness. It's a good thing to feel this funess, yet to be encouraged by the scriptures that fear not. Little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. The Kingdom is coming. The King has been rejected. He has gone up on high to receive His Kingdom. He's going to get it from the Father.
Not from Satan. He was offered that he would not take it. He could not take it. He did not take it. He waits to reign, and so do we.
But the reigning is just as sure.
As the suffering is now and so we would be encouraged to go on in spite of fewness and smallest of numbers. Now there's one more expression that we want to draw out of this chapter down in verse 34.
And David said unto Saul, thy servant.
00:50:03
Kept his father's sheep.
Oh yes, he did that.
The perfect servant, he kept his Father's sheep so that the Lord Jesus in John's gospel he could say.
Of those whom thou hast given me.
I have lost none.
Little earlier the son of Perdition was there, but later on he wasn't there.
Because he really wasn't a sheep. He looked like one.
He walked with the Lord, but he was an impostor.
But every sheep that the Father gives to the Lord Jesus.
He keeps, so he says, thy servant kept his father's sheep.
He will keep you, He will keep me right until a time when He comes for us. Just a couple of practical exhortations based on this little talk in Acts 20 and in First Peter, which are readily understood.
Pull in Acts 20.
Visiting with the elders of Ephesus that Ephesians church.
To whom he writes the book. Later on, John also writing to.
The Ephesians, but Paul now visiting not in the place, but calling the elders.
Together notice in John 20 verse 17 and from my leaders he Paul.
Sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church.
Oh, he gives them lots of good instruction here, but we will only read from verse 28 a little.
Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, O we who are elders.
That is, there are elders in assemblies.
Take heed unto yourselves. This is always true, Peter said. I mean, Paul said that to Timothy.
Take heed unto thyself and to the doctrine, our own personal walk.
Comes first and then what we do and say.
To others the doctrine, Take He therefore unto yourself, and to all the flock, O he goes on.
All the flock, those few sheep that are left in the care of the elders.
What over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers? What a privilege overseers. What for? To feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Oh, he's paid the full price. They're they're dear to him.
What a reward there is to being an under shepherd, under that great Shepherd.
Peter, as he learned that lesson so well in the end of John, passes it on to us.
In One Peter chapter 5.
And verse one. We read a couple of verses here.
We read 4 verses first Peter 51.
The elders which are among you. Likewise Peter speaking to the elders.
I exhort.
Who I am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ.
Yes. Peter walked right up there to the cross. He saw it.
Oh, to get a glimpse of that on a Lord's Day as we remember the Lord and his death.
What a wonderful thing it is by faith, and also a partaker of the glory. You and I get some of that glimpse as we read the Scriptures, the glories of Christ that shine out in a moral way to day. But I hear it's the glory that shall be revealed. Peter saw it.
Now what does he say to you?
Feed the flock of God which is among you. They are here.
We're with the sheep, aren't we? With the sheep? The Lord's gone up on high. He's left them in the care.
We say of the Spirit of God that He's given us the Spirit of God. Now He has under shepherds.
This is clear. Isn't feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof?
Not by constraint, but willingly.
Not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock. And when, when, when, when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that feedeth not away. The rewards will be great. Let's sing in closing.
00:55:08
203.
The second stanza of 203 says.
Most merciful high Priest, our Savior, shepherd friend.
In thy love alone we trust until then.
What?