Open—R. Thonney, J. Hyland
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I'd like to read a few verses in Hebrews 13.
Perhaps versus that sometimes they're not understood real well, but come to mean.
Quite a bit to me, my soul.
What Doug spoke about yesterday as something he's learned from those that have gone before, I must say.
I too have learned, probably from a different source than you, Doug, but the same precious things, and I find being gathered to the Lord's name.
Is something that comes to me, has something I treasure and my soul more and more.
I was 15 years old when I first broke bread and of course I didn't understand everything I do now but.
Little by little.
The treasure of truth that.
I keep in my heart becomes more and more precious. I'd like to share some of the things that I enjoy here. In Hebrews chapter 13, Hebrews was written to the Jewish people.
Saying that Peter addresses and James addresses.
But it's interesting because it does seem, although his name is never mentioned, that the apostle Paul was probably the author of this epistle. And I suppose because he was the apostle to the Gentiles, there was a bias against his person so that he doesn't mention his name. There is an apostle mentioned, but it is not Paul.
It's in chapter 3, verse one.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the apostle that's mentioned in the book of Hebrews, but I'd like to read from verse 10 down a few verses. It says here we have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle for the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin.
Are barred without the Cam. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise.
To God continually.
That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
So here we have some verses that.
Are understood well if we understand that Paul is addressing people, that we're connected with the Jewish system. We have an altar.
What is our alter?
And it says they who serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat of that altar. What is he talking about? What altar is this?
If you go down to verse 15, you'll find out what the altar is.
By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. What is our altar?
Our altar is Christ. He's the sacrifice, He's the priest, and he's the altar. By him we offer to God the sacrifice of praise to God continually. But what does this mean? That they have no right to eat of that altar that serve the Tabernacle? Because going back to the Jewish system of religions denies completely the position that we occupy as Christians in this era.
00:05:05
And so that's why he says they have no right to eat of this altar. Who served the Tabernacle. There are two distinct systems. The jury system was an earthly religion ordained by God, no doubt about it. But.
Christianity is not an extension of Judaism. That's the way it has taken in many sectors of Christendom today that.
Christianity is just an extension of Judaism. That is not the case. It is some people have said, some of our older brother and said it's really the opposite of Judaism.
So to understand where Judaism is focused on man and the way he could approach to God on his own merits.
God laid it all out so that they could do it and then has completely failed. In fact, the Lord Jesus came to those people.
Those privileged people.
And in effect they said to Jesus, we don't have any place for you in our religion. Out they took him outside the city and they nailed him to a cross. That's the place Judaism gave to the Lord Jesus.
And that's the reason why in verse 13 we are called to go forth unto him without the camp. Camp is Judaism.
It's that system of religion that the Lord Jesus presented himself to.
And they had no place for him. Perfect goodness in the Lord Jesus. And they said we will not have this man.
Crucify him and they awarded him the most awful death possible on the cross.
Is there a place then in that system somewhere where we can fit as Christians? No, we are called outside the camp.
You know, sometimes people relate that the camp is Christendom, but we're not called to leave Christendom. We are called to separate in the great House of Christendom from vessels to dishonour. Yes, but we cannot leave Christendom without becoming apostates.
We are part of Christendom. We are called out of the camp, and that is Judaism. But what we want to recognize here that many parts of the Christian profession have introduced and are using Judaistic principles from which we have been called out. And I think this is where we need to distinguish this clearly as possible. It's important for you young people to understand.
The difference between.
The camp and Christendom we are called to go outside. The camp we are not called to go outside. And Christendom we are called to separate from the evil in Christmas. But here notice in verse 13 there is 13 words in verse 13.
There are 6 words at the beginning and there are 6 words at the end, and the word that is in the direct middle is him.
The Lord Jesus, unto him, not unto a group of brethren, no, it's unto him, his person. That's the attractive thing, and that's what should attract our souls. You know, sometimes young people think, what in the world are these people doing here? They're just not that many, really. That's true. We're not that many. It's not a question of how many we are or how few we are.
It's a question of the center, the point of attraction. Why are you here? Are you here because of Jesus? Him? That's the attractive thing. So we're here to go outside the camp.
00:10:10
Bearing his reproach.
Yeah, it's not very popular thing to do.
In Christian circles today outside the camp. But I want to.
Highlight a few of the principles of the camp that have been introduced into Christian circles. And as I do so, brethren, I hope that what I say will not make us complacent in the position that we occupy. My heart's desire is that we might be exercised about these things, because even those of us who gather to the Lord's name on the ground of the one body.
Are in danger sometimes of adopting some of these principles of the camp and that's why I presented my trust for our exercise. I hope you young people can get a hold of that because that's my desires to communicate these things to you.
And it does me good to see those who have real interest in getting a hold of these principles that were shared with me.
In earlier years, and I'd like to go on, what are these principles? We've talked about the one already, the altar, many Christian circles, you will find a place towards the front of the church that they call the altar.
And I suppose people go there to dedicate themselves sometimes to get saved. We don't want to criticize brethren. Sometimes there's not the light that we have had, and we shouldn't be critical of brethren that don't have that light. I trust that that will not be our attitude toward those believers. Let's seek to be a help to them in whatever measure we can. Not critical.
But.
To recognize that the altar, if we say that that is the altar, we are really in effect denying that we all have an altar that is completely different. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, and by him we offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.
Do we have an altar? Yes, we have an altar, but that altar is not in any place down here. I'd love to think of the fact that you go back to the 9th chapter. You find where we enter when we worship and when we pray. Let me just read the verse so you can get it because I think it is exceedingly precious. Verse 24 of Chapter 9 says Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands.
Which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us.
So when we worship, when we pray, where do we go?
Oh, we were in this meeting, like Don said this morning, Physically, we're here in this room.
But in spirit we go into heaven itself. To me it is extremely precious to think about.
There before the throne, we come in spirit, not physically, but in spirit.
There, before that throne, are those millions and millions of angels.
You and I, what right do we have there?
A precious blood of Jesus, and we can come before that throne and spirit into the very presence of God. Do we appreciate this privilege like we should? I must say, brethren, we get sometimes sidetracked in our thinking. We look around and we start thinking about our brothers and sisters. Thank God for them. And oh brethren, the tremendous privilege.
It is to come into the very presence of God as Don Hussein. We don't come just to the brazen altar, the labor, the golden altar. We go right into the holiest of all there the veil has been rent and it's hanging on both sides. And we go into the very presence of God, the mercy seat. What a tremendous privilege. I don't really think there is a greater privilege this side of heaven.
00:15:26
Than what we enjoyed this morning in the breaking of bread and what we enjoy when we come to God in prayer, not only when we come collectively, but even individually, we come before that mercy seat. Wonderful, wonderful privilege. So we have an altar, but it is not the altar that has been adapted into Christian circles.
Based on Jewish.
Instruction from the Old Testament, another point that I'd like to share that I think is very important.
And this will have a practical.
Reflection on each one of us is that in the Old Testament, under the Jewish order of things, God separated one tribe of the 12 tribes to do his service. The tribe of Levi was separated.
And of that tribe, only one family were. The priestly family was the family of Aaron. Aaron was the great high priest, and his sons were the priests. To be a priest in the Old Testament, you had to be born into Aaron's family. That was necessary. All the rest, sorry, you can't come near. No, you're not chosen by God to come near.
That principle has been adopted into Christian circles in what is called the clergy today. There are those who have certain privileges because of fulfilling certain requisites, whether it's schooling or whatever it might be, according to the denominational structure that they are in, but they're the ones that can direct.
A congregation.
The rest, sorry, you haven't fulfilled those requisites, so you'll have to sit back there and and listen.
That is Judaism. It is not Christianity. It's interesting that sometimes overhearing some preachers, they have actually referred to the Old Testament and said this comes from the book, this is the way it should be done. And so they justify that practice of the clergy in Christian circles. But in the New Testament we find.
In the book of First Peter chapter 2, let's look at it just so you can get it from scripture.
First Peter chapter 2 and verse five, it says ye also as lively or living stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. He's speaking to the leavers there and there. We learn, as in other scriptures as well, that every true believer is a priest.
You sisters, Your priests too. Do you know that?
And what does the priest do?
Offers sacrifice the praise to God continually. Oh, you say we can't speak in public meetings?
But when it comes to singing hymns of praise, you're singing along just as much as the brothers. You are presenting the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That's important to understand. It belongs to all God's people. The question of priesthood, we're not talking here about gift. Gift is another matter. And we have gifts in Scripture, and some have gifts and some don't have particular gifts.
One thing is true that every believer does have a gift of some some sort, but the point is that we want to focus here is that every true believer is a priest.
Your sisters as well as the brothers.
And the point I want to bring to exercise our hearts, especially you younger brothers.
Sometimes you think your mouth is closed in the meetings, public meetings. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, you too are a priest and I want to encourage you to be exercised about taking part in the prayer meeting.
00:20:18
Taking part in the, uh, Lord's Day morning meeting where we worship the Lord, where we remember him in his death. Do you ever take part? If you say, Oh no, that's for those brothers up front. They take part and I back here, I'm just gonna be quiet. You're going back to Judaistic principles. Careful, you're going back to the camp.
Don't do that.
Let's be exercised. I don't say that you're gonna take part every time.
What I say is important.
He exercised. I remember what it was as a young person to take part when I first went to Oak Park, IL.
Brother Ed Herzman and Howard Earsman's grandfather was there, and he was.
Quite a stern old brother and I was frankly quite afraid of him and I wasn't going to take part very easily.
But I remember one time, and I have to confess your young brothers, that I too quench the spirit one time.
I was, uh, sitting probably over here and Brother Ersman was sitting where Don was sitting and.
It came time to break the bread, and it was as if the Lord laid it on my heart to break the bread.
Lord, not my brother Ayresman is there. It's just too scary. You know what? There was a long pause.
And all of a sudden, Brother Heirsman leaned forward and looked straight at me as if. Are you the one that's holding things up here?
I was really petrified and I must say I quench the spirit that day. I didn't get up, I was too scared.
Why do we get scared? You know why we get scared? Because we're thinking about ourselves.
You would think about the worthiness of that glorious person that's in our midst.
You would find that your fears would dissolve to a large measure. So that's one of the things that we need to be exercised about. Let's not go back to the Judaistic thing in thinking that certain brother will take part and the arrest will just sit here quiet.
Again, I say it's not that everybody is going to take part all the time, no.
But what I want to say to you younger brothers especially, you are sitting back their ways.
The exercise.
Come to the Lord's presence with this attitude, Lord, here I am. If you want to use me, I want to be ready as a vessel for your use in pronouncing the praises of the Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn't take a whole lot. I remember a brother.
I was told about I didn't, wasn't there, but he wasn't a brother. That said a whole lot.
But this one breaking abroad meeting, he got up.
And with quite a bit of emotion, he said.
Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen, that was it. You don't have to be long winded, just express the gratitude of your heart as the Spirit of God leads you to. That's what's so important. The Lord help us to be exercised.
Another point of the camp is that they had an actual temple of stones that was built in Jerusalem.
It was a magnificent building, Solomon's temple first, then later on in the time of the Lord Jesus it was Herod's temple and Herod had embellished it quite a bit.
And, uh, it was something that they really centered around.
Going into that tempo, you were in God's presence.
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Where is the temple in the New Testament in church times?
It's very clear, and we read it here in first Peter chapter 2, that we are the spiritual house.
We are the temple of the living God.
How many days of the week are we in the temple? I sometimes ask the brethren in South America. Well, we have meetings on Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday.
So you're only in the temple on Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday. If you are the temple, think it over again, I say.
Now, if we are the temple, we are in the temple seven days a week, the 24 hours of the day. So it's not when we come together in public meetings that we should behave. When you're out all by yourself, you should behave. When you're at school, you should behave. When you're at home, you should behave. Why? Because we are the temple of the living God, and God dwells in us by his Spirit.
Oh, wonderful. It's a wonderful truth. But you see how Judaism, if we go back and think only when we go into that temple over there, we should behave. You see, though, that takes away from the enjoyment of Christian privileges. Let's not go back in that way into the camp. Let's enjoy where God has brought us to be his temple.
Another point I want to mention about.
The Judaistic system that was very attractive in its time was the musical instruments that were used in the Old Testament, very much a part of the Jewish system of worship.
You read Psalm 150 says praise the Lord with every.
Instrument of music.
And so David was the inventor of many of those musical instruments.
I like music. My wife plays the piano pretty good and I love to listen to her singing. But when it comes to our place in the church, in worshipping the Lord, you don't find anything about musical instruments in the church. In the New Testament, you never find the Lord Jesus or his disciples carrying around a guitar or anything they might have had in those days.
To assist them in their worship. It is a figure it says in John chapter four. We worship God in spirit and in truth, and spirit is the highest part of our being. We worship God in spirit because God is the spirit. We worship him in truth because it's according to the knowledge that we have in Christianity of God.
So it's in spirit and in truth.
I must say, brethren, that even though I like music when I'm meditating the Word, even at home.
My wife sits down the piano and starts playing. I get totally distracted. I cannot meditate while music is going. It's a distraction.
And even though there are people who sincerely use music and what they say is their worship, it is what is characteristic of the Jewish system of things. We are called out of it. What pleases God is not the pleasant sounds of music that pleases me. And if we were here to please our own ears, we could bring in a nice band or a nice organ or a nice piano or whatever.
You want to bring in if we want to please our ears, but are we here to please ourselves, or are we here to please His ear? And what pleases Him is not musical instrument, it is worship and spirit. And in truth, I sometimes tell the story and maybe not all have heard it, but of two different situations I.
Had in.
00:30:00
Different parts of Latin America. One was in the Dominican Republic. One time we went to visit with Doug's father, uh, brother in the Lord. He wasn't together, but he had a young daughter. She was eight years old at the time, but with a beautiful singing voice. Beautiful singing voice.
And when we were there in their home, he called the little girl over and said, Will you sing for these brothers? No one ever cared for me like Jesus. Let me tell you, it was tremendously beautiful. It moved me to tears to listen to that little girl sing that hymn.
But, you know, little girl's mother wasn't a believer, and I don't know if the little girl was. She was being trained to sing for the world and worldly songs. And so I don't know if what she's saying was in spirit and in truth. The Lord knows, I don't seek to judge that. The other case was a brother that I got to know up in the High Plains of Bolivia, Peru.
In a little town called Atacocha. It was a mining town and there were a few believers there, and I went to visit this particular brother in his home. He was in the full joy of his first love for the Lord. And as I sat down in his home, he picked up his handbook and said, Brother, I want to sing to the Lord. Will you teach me to sing?
And so we got our hymns out. But you know what? He didn't really wait for me to teach him to sing. He just started singing. And I don't know what tone it was because it wasn't very nice to my ear, but if you look at his face, it was coming right out of his heart. I.
I have no question. That gratitude that he expressed was in spirit and in truth. So let's keep that in mind. You young people, we don't come together to please our own ears. We come to please God's ear. And He's looking at you. Sometimes. You know you can sit there in your seat singing, but your mind is way off in the distance. Don't you think that the Lord is watching you and He knows if there is true gratitude in your heart?
He wants worship in spirit and in truth. Well, that's another way where Christianity is distinguished from Judaism.
One other point I wanna make, it's maybe a brief point, but in the Old Testament God commanded that there should be for the maintaining of His people that were doing His service, a tithe that was levied in Israel. 10% is what tithing means. 10% of everything that was earned was to be given to God. So an Israelite could say well.
I earned $100 on this job, 10 per $10.00 for God, 90 per $90.00 for me.
And, you know, sometimes that principle is tried to be applied. It's used in application to Christian circles, and it really is a denial of the truth of Christianity because in Christianity it's not 10% that's God. That's 100% of all that we are, of all that we have, belongs to God.
I sometimes say the people who try to apply the tithing principle, if you practice tithing, you are robbing God 90% be careful what you're doing. Everything belongs to Him. I'm just a dispenser of what He's put into my pocket. And so it is in Christianity. Everything is His. He has bought us with His precious blood.
All that we are, all that we have belongs to him. So that's another part of this. What is the camp? It is the Judaistic system. And if in any measure we start in those kind of thinking, start importing those kind of thoughts.
Oh brethren, may the Lord help us, because I really believe when we are exercised about these scriptures is when we really enjoy the presence of the Lord with us. It is real.
00:35:03
But he said to me today he could just feel the Lord there with us this morning. Yes, I said. But you know what? I don't trust my feelings too much. Sometimes I feel like the Lord is with us, sometimes I might not.
But I trust His word more than I feelings. We might have those feelings, but you can't trust your feelings. You can trust His word, and when He says it, He means it. May the Lord help us. May the Lord exercise us to walk in the light of His precious Word. Want to?
Encourage us to in verse 15. Just one other detail here.
By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice to God, a praise to God on Lord's Day morning. Is that what it says?
No, continually, you know, I found it a blessing to take time in our home life to sing the phrases of our God. There's a lot of nice hymns we have.
Like what our friend we have in Jesus. What a beautiful song.
And I don't discourage singing those songs, but stop and think of a hymn that directs praise to God.
Continually access every day, brethren. And I think if we were more practiced in praising God continually when we come together, it wouldn't be long pauses in our meetings either.
And I sometimes say to our brethren up here and our brethren in Latin America often have a different problem than we have. They stumble over each other getting up to praise the Lord or giving out a hymn. And they need to learn the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the offering of praise to God continually, because the Spirit of God is not going to guide us to stumble over each other. But I wonder sometimes which error is worse rather than the ones they have down there or the one we have up here.
The point is, I want to leave with you to be exercised in the presence of our God, to praise God continually. Verse 16, there's another sacrifice, the sacrifice of giving, and that's why.
The collection is taking at the same time it's right together.
There, it's the sacrifice of giving. That's not the only way we can give. Our lives should be giving all over the place.
We can give here, but oh, there's so much need in the world today.
Brethren, with money that's going to fail one of these days, are we going to lay up our.
Treasures down here. Are we gonna lay up our treasures up there?
Here it's encouraging us to do good and to communicate, for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased.
Just one scripture to cap what our brother has said in a very practical way. A well known portion in First Corinthians Chapter 11.
Just a very simple thought or two. First Corinthians Chapter 11 and verse 26.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he comes. We've had much before us in these meetings and today in connection with the privilege of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if we were to go back in the 10th and 11Th chapters of First Corinthians, we would find that at some length the apostle Paul directed by the Spirit of God.
Had taken up the subject of the Lord's table and the Lord's Supper in the chapter before. It's more specifically the Lord's table. And that's why when he talks about the loaf and the cup, it's the cup 1St and then the loaf. Because the cup speaks to us of the precious blood of Christ. The cup is the ground speaks to us of the ground of our blessings and our title to be at the Lord's table. And we sometimes sing our title to glory. We read in thy blood.
00:40:17
And what is it that makes us fit, makes us worthy to be at the Lord's Table? It is nothing but the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The loaf in connection with the Lords Table speaks to us unbroken of every member of the Body of Christ.
And brethren, I believe it is most important that we keep this in view. This morning we didn't have way first. We didn't have more than one loaf on the table. We had one loaf. And I trust that in our hearts every one of us saw in that one loaf every believer alive on the face of the earth. This morning, God says there's one body He views in that unbroken loaf, every believer.
Not just those who were here on the occasion this morning in this room, not just those who remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread express the truth of the one body of the Lords table this morning. No, God saw every believer and we need to too, lest we become narrower sectarian in our view. But we find we didn't read here, but if we find here when he takes up the question.
Of the subject of the Lord's Supper, it's reversed, and this is the way the Lord instituted it in Luke 22 in the upper room, and it's the way we always celebrate it. We find first of all the loaf, and that loaf speak when it's broken, speaks to us of the Lord's body given in death for us. Then the cup speaks to us of His blood. It's given separate. It's not combined in one, because the separation of the blood from the body was the proof of death.
But what I want to point out for my own soul, and perhaps for yours this afternoon is this. That everything that has gone before in connection with the Lords Table and the Lords Supper, to my own heart at least, is summed up in this precious verse that we often read and meditate on. For as often I want our hearts to meditate on this little expression, as often I think this is one of the most precious things about being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And that is that we have the privilege of remembering the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, not just once a month, or twice a year, or on a special occasion. But if we were to go back through the acts in the early history of the Lord's people and Christianity, we would find that it very quickly became the exercise and the joy of the early believers to come together on the first day of the week to break bread.
In Acts chapter 20, in that dark heathen city of Troas, they came together for that specific purpose. If you read the account there carefully, we find they didn't come together to enjoy happy fellowship with one another, although they did have that privilege on that occasion.
They didn't come together to see those who were visiting or listen to the ministry of the apostle Paul on that particular Lord's Day, although they had that privilege as well. They didn't come together to partake of a meal together, although I suggest they had that privilege. Also know the Spirit of God is very careful to tell us. They came together to break bread and I just picture those dear Saints of God.
After their duties were performed that day, winding through the dark streets of Troas with one object in view, an upper room where they were going to sit down together and remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, they were going to have the privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper at the Lord's Table. As often We need this reminder, and we need it often. The Lord not only knew what the hearts of His disciples were like on the occasion when He gathered them in the upper room.
But he anticipated what my heart would be like. He knew I was going to need to be reminded of the work of Calvary and that I was going to be reminded. Not need to be reminded, not just once in a while, but I was going to need it often. And then he says as often. And I want you to notice this as you eat and as often as you drink.
00:45:06
Some of the young people have heard me say this before, but I'll repeat it. I wish sometimes that the word eat and drink were printed in capital letters in our English Bible. It is so vital. It is so important because I have talked to so many who are young and some who are not so young, and they've said to me, well, I can remember the Lord in my heart. Oh brethren, it's true, we need to remember the Lord Jesus in our hearts every day, but there is something physical that He has asked us to do.
To give expression to what is in our hearts. God always gives us a way that we can give testimony or expression to what is in our hearts. And so it says as often as you eat and as often as you drink. I am so saddened, so saddened on occasions like we had this morning, to sometimes look around the room as the loaf in the cupboard passed from one to another and to find those.
That I know love the Lord Jesus, that I know are washed in the blood of Christ and members of his body.
And they do not eat and they do not drink of the loaf in the way that the Lord has asked them to do. You know, the privilege of remembering the Lord Jesus and the breaking of bread is something that is only given to us for this life. If the rapture takes place before another Lord's Day, we will not need a loaf and a cup on a table in the Father's house. We're going to see the Lord Jesus face to face.
We're going to see the wounds in His hands and in His feet and in His sides, that which He is going to retain for all eternity, as a fresh reminder of what He accomplished to the glory of God and for our eternal blessing at Calvary Cross. We're not going to need the reminder of a loaf and a cup, the remembrance of the Lord Jesus. The eating and drinking of those emblems are something that is only given to us for this life.
And when you look into the face.
Of the Lord Jesus another day.
And you didn't eat. You didn't drink.
What are you gonna tell the Lord Jesus?
What excuse are you going to give him in that day when he says I made it so simple? A loaf of bread, Fruit of the vine? I have had the privilege, the precious privilege, of sitting down with those gathered to the Lord's name in various corners of this world.
Over 2000 years or so since the Lord Jesus took a loaf and a cup in the Upper room in Jerusalem.
And there on the table in some form and at very little cost is a loaf of bread. And fruit of the vine isn't always in quite the form we had it this morning. But he has, he chose emblems that were so simple things that he knew would be obtainable in any part of the world at very little cost as long as we were left here in this world.
And I know it's slightly out of context, but I often think of that question raised by Naomi's servant so long ago. They said to their master, if he had asked me to do some hard thing, would thou not have done it? Brethren, has he asked us to do some hard thing? Has he asked us to obtain emblems that are costly or hard to find? No, he's made it so very simple and available.
And he says as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death. We give testimony that we seek to honor the one who was cast out of this world. How long, brethren, till he come? And he wouldn't say till he come if he wasn't going to provide and maintain a scriptural basis on which to do it. Sometimes people say, well, it doesn't matter anymore.
Things are in such ruin, it doesn't matter where we remember the Lord or how. But I say again, He would not ask us to do something until He comes if He wasn't going to maintain a scriptural ground, a scriptural basis on which to do it. And as was brought before us the other day, Matthew 18 and 20 still stands. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I.
00:50:05
In the midst of Him, and don't you think in a coming day, when you look into his face?
And he looks into yours. Don't you think there will be a joy, a little understanding, a special something between you and the Lord Jesus?
That while you were here in this world that spit in his face and cast him out, you sought to honor that request, to remember him, to eat and to drink of the loaf and the cup. Until that day when you see him face to face. I say for my own soul, like Brother Bob, it thrills my soul every time I sit down at Lord's Table. We can't keep ourselves. It's only grace that brings us there.
If we find ourselves gathered to the Lord's name of the Lord Jesus Christ at His table to partake of the Lord's Supper in the breaking the break, it's only grace, brethren. It is only grace, and it's only grace that preserves us there. But that grace is sufficient to keep us until that day when every believer is around himself to praise him unhindered. What a day that's going to be.
May we seek to honor him until he comes.