Open—R. Boulard, R. Klassen
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Shall we sing 169.
169.
Lord we.
Live in a process that I don't have to continue.
Whenever God shall drive native life.
Glory everywhere.
Uh-huh.
And there to go.
Where I.
Surrounded.
No, I've never met her.
Always from all the years.
No more. I feel great.
By the world one slaying all the way. He didn't want to be troubled.
No more, just go on and get.
It right in my gun.
And so God our father, we're thankful reminder of his hand that, uh, we have truly a very bright prospect before our souls, not just glory, not just heaven, but thyself, Lord Jesus, uh, to be with, never to leave thy side again, thy bride and bridegroom together forever. So we thank thee that it's a purifying hope, one that encourages our hearts amidst, uh, ever darkening scene. And, uh, so we thank you for that, uh, hope before our souls and, and, uh, we just trusted and might cheer our hearts, uh, to realize that the best is yet to come and that they remain at the rest for the people of God. But now we are still in the scene and we need thy help and encouragement and, and the food for our souls and, uh, instruction for the past. And so there's many, uh, needs in this room tonight.
And so we just pray that thou would guide and direct, but I spirit to give us that which would, uh, encourage our hearts and, and uh, to be a help for each one here. So we would be in much dependence and much waiting upon myself as we would, uh, look to thee for guidance and help now. And that much glory might be God to thyself, Lord Jesus, and much blessing for thy people. So we ask this as we pray in thy worthy and precious name, Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Just like to turn to a few scriptures in connection with the coming of the Lord.
In First Thessalonians chapter 4, we'll read that first. I just want to, uh, perhaps expand a little bit on something that our brother Bob Tony took up last night. He took up the coming of the Lord, but in connection perhaps more with judgment. But, you know, the times of the Lord's coming that are mentioned in the Word of God in the New Testament, uh, are particularly designed by the Lord himself to stir our affections and to stir us up.
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Into some sort of response in our hearts.
And the very first, uh, scripture that usually comes to our minds when we think of the coming of the Lord is this one in First, uh, Thessalonians chapter 4. And I'll read it and then we'll just make a few comments on it. And, uh, perhaps, uh, we'll look at some of the Old Testament Scriptures too, that might correspond and might give us a little picture of some of these things. And so it says in, umm, First Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 13. I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren.
Concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow, Nah, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so them also which sleep in Jesus God will bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel.
And with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Well, the very first response of our hearts should be in connection with this scripture that we've read here is that the Lord Jesus has told us that He will come again.
And, uh, he's given us details, the apostle Paul was used to give us details of how that coming is going to take place. And we were, some of us were speaking a little bit about the coming of the Lord just after lunch. And, umm, just to mentioning of how it is that, umm, the calendar is not, uh, very clear as to what exactly the year is that we're in. Perhaps, umm, you know, the Lord is allowed that the calendar isn't accurate because he wanted us to be found watching and waiting for him.
When He came. But the very first response here is that our hearts are comforted as we think that the Lord Jesus is just about to come for us and we long to see Him face to face. We long to be where He is and to be safely home in the glory. And umm, there were Saints here that umm, at the beginning of the Christian era. And some of their relatives, some of those that they knew that were of faith, had gone home to be with the Lord and they didn't know what would take place afterwards. And the Lord delights to have his people brought into the intelligence of his thoughts.
And hear the response of our hearts would be that they would be comforted as we go through a scene of trial, of sorrow that's a day of tragedy. And as we experience something of what sin has brought into God's creation. And there's a separation for a time. And God allows the separation. And he tells us that there's going to be a reunion very shortly with those of light, precious faith that we've known and that are safe at home with the Lord, absent from the body. And they're present with the Lord. And yet our feelings are still.
Umm, you know, my father went home to be with the Lord about six years ago and umm, I still have feelings. I still sometimes think about some of the things that he said. I still think about some of the things in the scriptures that he read to me when I was a boy. I still think of some of his mannerisms. And it comforts my heart to think of this scripture that, uh, there's going to be a reunion with those that have gone on before. Or aren't you thankful that the Lord gave us this light, gives us this little opening in the scriptures that tells us what comes afterwards?
Well, that's our side of it, if I could put it that way. If we turn to John's Gospel chapter 14, we'll read the Savior's side.
It says there in John 14 and verse one, Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Well, you know these disciples had accompanied with the Lord Jesus for those 3 1/2 years. They had known Him well, and we know that there was a pretender among them that company with the Lord for those 3 1/2 years. He was not real, and his heart was never attracted to that Blessed One.
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And he went out and he's in lost eternity tonight or this afternoon. But you know, those disciples, the Lord Jesus was going to go away and they were going to feel it. It wasn't going to be the same when He was in the glory. And they were going to have to walk by faith. And the Lord Jesus, as he was about to leave them, wanted to tell them that there was going to be a reunion. They would be reunited with him. They would be reunited.
And while they didn't see him physically, and they would have to walk by faith in a world that had crucified him, and they would have to, as it were, huddling that upper room after the crucifixion and on the resurrection day, the first day of the weekend, for fear of the Jews. Why, they could have something in the comfort of these words after the church was formed on the day of Pentecost. No doubt they thought of his words in this way that they would be very soon reunited with the Lord.
And you and I have known something, perhaps by faith, of what it is to walk with the Lord Jesus and to experience something of the rejection of this world into that says, uh, let us go forth therefore unto him.
Without the camp bearing his reproach, we understand something of that by grace, and we feel the absence of the Lord while we walk through the scene. But we're very soon going to be reunited with Him. But he's going to be reunited.
There's going to be a union in the glory. There's going to be a wedding reception in the glory. There's going to be a reception. The bride of Christ is going to be received and she's going to receive a reception that no bride has ever received before, nor has any bride will ever receive ever again. She's going to be received into that glorious scene and there provided for by the Savior. Now let's turn to umm Philippians.
Chapter 3 where we've been reading.
Just at the end of the chapter there it says.
In umm verse 20.
Chapter 3 of Philippians verse 20.
For our conversation, for our associations in life are in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, for the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, or our body of humiliation, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working, whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved, and longed for my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord.
My dearly beloved, I beseech Yodius and beseech Santiki that they be of the same mind.
Well, we have the coming of the Lord here brought before us in this last part of, uh, Philippians chapter 3. And we know that we're going to have changed bodies. The very same body that you have is going to be changed and it's going to be changed into a glorious fashion just like the Lord Jesus. And you will be morally and physically like the Lord. You'll have the body that's changed, very same body. And it says in 110 Psalm that she, he shall be in the dew of his youth. You're going to have.
A youthful body. Some of you are youth here and you look young and strong and umm, some of us are a little older. Some of us don't have hair, some of us have Gray hair. But umm, in very shortly we're going to see one another in the presence of the Lord. You're going to look young. You're going to look as handsome or as pretty as you were as a young person in this scene. But without the body of sin, without the body of humiliation, it's not going to be a body of humiliation there. It's going to be a body of glory because it's going to be changed like his.
But He tells us this and He gives us a motivation here in chapter 4. It tells us to stand fast, dearly beloved and umm, the Lord just desires us just to stand for himself in a scene that would desire us to sit down to rest or to lie down, to fall asleep, to be asleep to the fact that he's coming again and that He has a claim over this world and that He has a claim over us. The enemy would desire to have to sit down under the yokes of this world, or perhaps lie down and just rest a little while and let down our guard and to forget that we are in the enemy's land.
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We are in the enemy's land. You and I in this country realize that a little more now with this new administration and government, we realize a little more that we are in the enemy's land. And don't forget, I look at you, dear young people. The world looks like a wonderful place, but we live in the enemy's land. He's the God and the Prince of it, and he's a destroyer who seeks to destroy life. But here he desires us to stand fast. And then we find that there's.
Two sisters that were not getting along with together. I beseech Yodius and beseech Sintiki that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And so he just tells us here. I believe as a motivation for us to help us to get along together is to connect. Just to remember in the view of the fact that the Lord Jesus is coming again, that all those little petty differences make no difference at all. Let's set those things aside. Let's judge our spirits in connection with how we think of one another and how we get along together. And umm.
Just in view of the fact that the Lord Jesus is coming, let's desire to set those stripes aside and to desire to go on together, to stand fast together. And there was a beseeching here of the apostle Paul as he reminded them that the Lord was coming. Won't you get along well now? Won't you get along together? Won't you just set aside those differences? I'd just like to look at an Old Testament Scripture in that connection in umm.
I think it's, uh, Second Samuel chapter 17.
That's chapter a little earlier than that. No, it's a little later. I'm sorry.
Chapter 19.
Second Samuel chapter 19 and verse 24.
In Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day that the king departed until the day he came again in peace. And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore went hast thou not thou with me, Mephibosheth? And he answered, My Lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For thy servant said, I will saddle me, and ask that I may ride thereon and go to the king, because thy servant is lame.
And he has slandered thy servant unto my Lord the King. But my Lord the King is as an Angel of God. Do therefore what is good in thine eyes. For all my father's house were but dead men before my Lord the King. Yet didst thou set? Didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table? What right therefore have I yet to cry anymore under the King? And the King said unto him, Why speakest thou anymore of thy matters? I have said thou inside, but divine the land.
And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yeah, let him take all.
For as much as my Lord the king has come again in peace unto his own house, you know, this man, Mephibosheth, really did love David. And he's been picked up out of the ditches, sin as it were, in a situation that was hopeless. And, uh, among the relatives of Saul and, umm, he had come to sit at David's table and he'd come to value the fellowship at David's table. He'd come to know the heart of David. He'd come to know.
What it was to sit with David and enjoy the fellowship that was sweet of that man that had a heart after God's own heart, and that's what he really valued. And, uh, you know, when he came into the King's presence the first time, the King David gave them all the inheritance of his father Saul. And Zaiba was a servant and was to till the property and to produce the fruit. And that, uh, Mephibosheth and his servants might have something of the provision and the wealth of that land.
And, uh, we find that, uh, he was slandered. Things were said about Mitsubishi that weren't true. And umm, David had, uh, made an arrangement for Zyba to take over that property. And, uh, so there's a couple of lessons here. One lesson is this, and it's for the fathers. And that is that, umm, Methodist father Jonathan did not follow his David in his rejection.
He didn't follow David in his rejection. And so when Mephibosheth grew, as it were, he wasn't capable of following David in his rejection. We need to follow David in his rejection. We need to walk in a path of separation and obedience to the Word of God that our children might go on in a path of faithfulness to David. Well, that's one lesson, but the other lesson here is this, that Mephibosheth, his heart had been won by David. And you know, David had.
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To come back again. He, Mephibosheth had been looking for David to come back. What effect did it have on his heart?
You know what the effect it had on Mitsubishi's heart is? The things that he had, the house that he had, the things that he had were of no value to him whatsoever. He didn't want any of it. He just wanted David. He wanted the person of days. Isn't that a lovely picture for us in connection with how the Lord weans us from this world? We're just about to hear His voice and be caught up out of this scene of filth and sin, rebellion and disobedience to Him. And, uh, all of those things that we have, all the cars, the possessions that we have are valueless.
That's how Mephibosheth took these things up. He didn't care about those things at all. He wanted the person of David. And so that's the effect that this, uh, coming of the Lord should have upon us in this way in connection with Sintiki and, and, uh, Yodius and Sintiki, all those differences and all the things that come in, in between the stripes and difficulties, why we should have our eyes upon Christ and that object bright and fair to fill and to satisfy our hearts.
Well, let's turn back to the New Testament, to Luke's Gospel, chapter 12.
We'll find here, in connection with the coming of the Lord, something else.
It says umm, let's read in Luke 12 and verse 34.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about in your lights burning, and ye yourselves, like in the man, wait as that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding.
So when he cometh and knock us, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meet.
And we'll come forth and serve them, and if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them, so blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the good men of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through. He therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when you think not. No one take this up, particularly in connection with the coming of the Lord for His own. We know that.
In Luke's gospel, perhaps even in this portion, the Son of Man is, uh, in connection with his coming at umm, and is appearing, but you know, in connection with the coming of the Lord Jesus for his own, the rapture. There's two things I want to point out here and that is that we're to wait and we're to watch. And I would have thought, you know, in the word of God that there would be two men. There be a lot of other scriptures that would be have those two words waiting and watching, but there are not very many scriptures.
That we have those two words very closely connected, but it's in verse 36 that we're to wait. And it says in verse 37, blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find watching. Well, this I believe is particularly in connection with our service that were to be found and watching and waiting for the Lord Jesus and occupying till he comes. And umm, it motivates us as we think if we're awake and we're watching and we're waiting.
It motivates us to do a little service for himself. It ought to motivate us to do something for His glory. In this scene, are you doing something for himself? Has the Lord's coming attracted you? Has it attracted your heart?
To think that the Lord Jesus is about to come, and what have I done for Him? He's done so much for me. What have I done for him? Am I occupied in something that would be pleasing to Him when He comes? If he were to come this afternoon, would I have been found occupying in some small work in the vineyard because I was attracted to him? Well, if we turn back to the Old Testament again in Second Samuel.
Chapter 17.
We'll look there in verse 27.
It says it came to pass when David was come to mayhem that showed why the son of Nehash a Raba, of the children of Ammon and Makeir of the son, the son of Amule of Lotobar and Barzillai, the Gileadite of Rogelium, brought beds and basins and earthen vessels and wheat and barley and flour and parched corn and beans and lentils and parched pulse and honey and butter and sheep and cheese of kind for David and for the people that were with him to eat for, they said.
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The people is hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness. And then just turn over again to chapter 19 and verse 31.
David had come back again here in verse 31, and it says, Bars lay I the Gileadite came down from Rogelium and went over to Jordan with the king to conduct him over Jordan. Now Varsley I was a very aged man, even fourscore years old, and he had provided the king with of sustenance while he lay at me and am for he was a very great man. And the king said unto Barzilay, I, come thou over with me.
And I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem while I just point this out in connection with this Old Testament picture that we have these, uh, three men in chapter 17, uh, joined forces, if you will, three men that love David. And, uh, one of them was, uh, the, of the children of Ammon. And one of them was, umm, uh, from, uh, the, uh.
From Lotabar and Barzillai was a Gileadite from Rogelim. And so here you have these men that, uh, lived on the other side, Jordan in the place where Gad and Ruben and the half tribe of Manasseh lived. And umm, these men came to David and they rendered a service to him in his rejection when he was rejected. But they knew that David would come back again into the land. They had faith that the God would raise him back again. And uh, they recognized David as the rightful heir and king.
You and I, as we wait for the Lord to come, we can recognize the Lord Jesus as the rightful heir of all and the proper anointed king over all heaven and earth. Two spheres that God has desired to glorify his Son in, one in heaven and one in the earth. That those two spheres, God is going to be the God. The Lord Jesus is going to be the King over all. He's going to be the King over the entire universe. He's going to rule over all and these men identified with.
Uh, King David and I like this list here. We don't have time to comment on this whole list, but I just want to say this, that in their service to the Lord, the Lord mentioned what they brought. And you and I, if we had ever written, if we had to write this portion of Scripture, I don't want to speak irreverently, but if we had to write this portion of Scripture, we probably would have said that these three men brought a lot of stuff to David.
But you know, the Lord Jesus valued everything that was done.
And he gives a list, I don't think there's anything missing here of what these men brought to David. And David's heart was touched, it was affected. And so he lists these things, the Spirit of God. And then there was a reward, a time of reward and varsity. I met David at the time that he crossed Jordan was going to come over into the land and be take the Kingdom again. And you know, the Lord Jesus is going to delight to have us.
Recognize with him by his side as he comes in the glory, in glory and great honour into this world and was mentioned this morning that he left this world with shame and dishonor and was treated like a criminal by those that he came to love.
And came to save, but the Lord Jesus is going to come again and, umm, when he comes, he's going to receive his own into the glory. And then after the tribulation, after, uh, that, uh, period of time, there's going to be the appearing of Christ and he's going to come with those that love him. It says you shall come with 10 thousands of the Saints. Not one of them is going to be missing. Those that identified with him in the time of his rejection will come and will be identified with him.
In that time, well, I just want to turn to two more scriptures, one in Luke and, uh, Revelation chapter 22.
And we'll just read a couple of verses, verse 7.
Revelation chapter 22, Verse 7. Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And in verse 12, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man, according as his work shall be. And then verse 17. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely. And then verse 20.
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He which testify at these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Well, I just want to say this, that in connection with this particular passage in Revelation chapter 22, there's an effect as we think about the Lord's coming and it stirs the bridle affections in your heart and mind. We're going to see the bridegroom. And it just stirs our hearts to think that, uh, we're going to be reunited. We're going to be united with that blessed man in the glory. And, uh, he gives us this, uh, uh, assurance. I come quickly.
I come quickly and then there's that response, the Spirit and the bride say come, let him that heareth say come, let him that is athirst come whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely. So we have the gospel of the grace of God being brought forth to this world and the bride is the one in this day and age, those that are part of the church system, the not the system, but the church are those that are saved and members of the body of Christ are currently calling out to this world and.
Using the gospel of the grace of God to call others, whosoever will into the fold and to begin to look for the coming of the Lord. Well, you know, I just thought we could just look at these particular passages of Scripture. They coming of the Lord is not something that is to be taken up as a factual event by the believers. It is a fact. It's going to occur. But God here desired us to remember and to have our affection stirred for our Savior as we remember the coming of the Lord. The first one that we read in First Thessalonians chapter 4 has to do.
With our remembering that we can be comforted. We're going to be reunited with those that have gone on before. And then in John's Gospel chapter 14, we're going to see the Lord Jesus. He's going to be reunited as it were. There's going to be a reunion and the Lord Jesus is going to have those that company with him in this scene. And then in connection with our service, we need to remember that we need to have the Lord Jesus and his coming in view that we might desire to serve him.
In the little time that's left to us here, and then to have the forest to the importance of seeing only Christ as of any value in this world. And umm, you, uh, Yodius and Santiki were desired, that Paul desired them to get along, that there might be a proper testimony while the Lord Jesus was waiting and, uh, while he wasn't here, but when he would come that there would be affections for him.
In that there would be a getting along and so they were would be a setting aside of those differences. And so we have that little picture in the Old Testament of how Mitsubishi just wanted David.
That's all he wanted. And dear, beloved brethren, that's all we're gonna leave this scene with. That's all we're gonna leave with. For we brought nothing into this world is certain we can carry nothing out. The only thing that you and I are going to carry out of this scene is that which we have Christ. Well, it's a wonderful thing that there's nothing of sin going to be in that glorious scene above. Are we keeping His coming before us all? We need to keep it before us.
We can improve on what has been before us, but perhaps Robert won't mind if we add a little bit to that.
Uh, yesterday.
He had the third chapter of Philippians and brought before us how that book of Philippians speaks of joy and rejoicing. Uh, the rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.
And one brother, uh, brought before us, uh, the formula for happiness. And that is that, uh, it's uh, JOY. Joy, right?
Jesus first, others next, yourselves last.
We know that the Lord Jesus Christ was.
The ex Umm.
The the.
Unique and, uh, total example of that.
Not that we're, he would say, well, Jesus first, that that's not what we're talking about. He wouldn't say that Jesus first, but he could come into this world and, and say, uh, I do always those things that please my father.
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It was his Father. He came to do the will of God the Father, and he was he came to accomplish that work. That was the work that the Lord Jesus came to accomplish and he accomplished it fully to the glory of God.
And then?
He thought of you and me.
Isn't that precious?
When he was nailed through that cross, the very first utterance out of his mouth.
Was Father forgive them?
For they know not what they do.
When he was hanging on that cross and extreme suffering there.
He took time out to think about his mother.
There she was, watching him suffer.
Her own beloved son that she had brought up in this world.
Even.
Hanging upon a cross.
Suffering.
He commits his mother to John.
John.
Texas mother home with him.
There were others there standing upon by the cross of the Lord Jesus.
And I believe there is a special blessing that's connected with standing by the cross of Jesus.
When we think of John.
And Mary, the mother of Jesus.
What unique communications they would have.
Mary could tell John of those first 30 years of his life, no different things that she remembered.
That would be so interesting and so heartwarming to hear about the Lord Jesus. What? How from Mary's side of it.
On the other hand, we see that John could communicate with Mary those things that took place in those last 3 1/2 years of the Lord Jesus life.
Tremendous communication.
In Luke 24 we read there were two on the way to Emmaus, and we know that, uh, the wife of Cleophus was standing by the cross of the Lord Jesus.
Was there a blessing when the Lord Jesus went along and walked with those two on the road to Emmaus?
We know there was there. He came along and became one of them, one of their company and he.
Made as though he didn't know what happened the last three days.
What things he could say to them?
To why we had thought that this was uh, uh, Jesus of Nazareth. We thought that this was he who would redeem Israel.
But now if he's dead.
Well, he went along and expounded the scriptures to them.
All the Old Testament scriptures.
Uh, the Moses and Psalms and prophets and, and, uh, he opened up the scriptures too. Wasn't that a, wasn't that a wonderful thing to hear that an exposition of the scriptures by the Lord Jesus himself? I just, it thrills me to think about it.
And then, uh.
Uh, he made himself known unto them. In that same hour they went back to Jerusalem. Was there a blessing in that? Oh, there was. Then there was Mary Magdalene, that she stood by the cross of the Lord Jesus.
And you know the Lord Jesus gave her.
The greatest message that was ever delivered to mankind, I believe.
Mary's heart was so taken up with the Lord Jesus.
She wanted to.
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Be where the Lord Jesus was. She was so sorrowful to think that he was now dead when Jesus reveals himself onto her.
And she says, she tells him, tell me, are you, uh, she thought he was the gardener. And she said, well tell me if you are where, where did you lay him? And I will take him and carry him away. But she couldn't do that.
But he says I am he.
And he says to her.
Uh, don't touch me. We touched on that yesterday, but she wanted this, this the, the, the Jesus that she had known.
Uh, up until that point. But now he was alive and resurrected a man without any blood. His blood was shed and he was a man of flesh and bones.
And, uh, so the message that, uh.
He gave to Mary, he says, but you go to my brethren and tell them, I ascend unto my father and to your father to my God and your God. Isn't that nice? Just that now we can be identified in the same position that the Lord Jesus is. We can share the same things with him. Isn't that a grandest message that you ever heard? Well, uh, I had it on my heart and I wanted to.
Enlarge a little bit about it, but uh.
Sometimes we learn by examples in the scriptures better than just, uh, simply talking about.
But I was thinking of of three different men that uh, uh.
Looking at David as the picture of the Lord Jesus.
Uh, we see that there was three different men.
One was.
Our father, our uh, uh, a grandfather, a father and a father and A and a son.
Well, uh, let's turn now to uh.
First Samuel 16.
Uh, and it's right after.
Uh, Samuel had anointed David as the king of Israel.
And uh.
In verse 14 it says, But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul's servant said unto him, Behold now an evil spirit from God troubles him out, troubles thee. Let our Lord now command thy servant, which our servants which are before thee, to seek out a man who is.
A cunning player on the harp. And it shall come to pass that the evil spirit from the Lord, when the evil spirit is from the God, is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. And Saul said unto his servant, 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, a son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, that is coming and playing.
And a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, imprudent in matters, then comely and comely person. And the Lord said unto him, Wherefore uh, Saul sent messengers on to Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. And uh, this dropped down for the sake of time here. And David uh verse 21. And David came to solve, and stood before him, and he loved him greatly.
And he became his armor bearer.
Here was a man that uh.
Just really was attracted to David and uh, and he loved him greatly.
But you know, what I see here is the fact that, uh, sometimes, uh, the Lord Jesus, people are attracted to the Lord Jesus, but uh, they, they want to have that first place. They, it's all right. If he can be your armor bearer, you can love him as long as he takes that place as a helper, but you're not going to let him have first place.
Well, we know the end of the story is that, uh, David slays Goliath a giant and, uh.
00:45:09
It doesn't seem like Saul even knows who he is. He says to Abner, he says, go find out who this stripling is. And they found out it was, was David. Well, uh, so, uh, really was not all that impressed, I don't think. But, uh, the daughters of Jerusalem were impressed and, and, and, uh, Jonathan was impressed, uh, but, uh.
So.
Says to uh.
Uh, when the daughters of Israel sang Saul has killed his, uh, thousands that David have killed his 10,000, Saul was really angry. He said, well, they only described thousand to me, but 10,000 to David, That's not right.
Well, if he was honest with himself, he'd have to admit that that was right. But he didn't. And then he sought to, uh, uh, slay others.
And, uh, uh, our uh, uh, display David to kill him and to get him out of the way because David was getting more attention than him. He was very self-centered. So, and you know, uh, earlier we read about him that in, uh, when he would, did not obey the Lord, uh, of the God in destroying all the, the, the Amalekites.
Uh, a a gag and all as she, as he was told to do, he, he says, uh, uh, Samuel comes to him and and he says the Lord has removed thee from being king.
Well, you know what he said, He said, honor me this once in front of the people, to all the people who at least not look down on well that he shows his self centeredness, but he didn't know how to spell joy. Uh, it's uh, uh, myself first.
Others next and David last.
Well, the next one is Jonathan.
And we see how that in the 18th chapter, we won't take time to read it because most of you know the story, you don't read it. And, uh, uh, when David had come back from the slaying of the giant, uh, the heart of Jonathan was knit with a heart of David. He was so impressed with David and he loved him as his own soul. And he stripped himself of everything.
I think that's beautiful.
We see how that, uh, Jonathan being, uh, the next in line to be king would stripped himself of everything and give it to David.
Well, uh, to make a Long story short, uh, we see that, uh, David, I mean, Jonathan didn't know how to spell, uh, joy either.
Uh, he put, uh, David first, myself next, and others last.
Well, the reason we know that is because, uh, Jonathan says to David. Since I know that the Kingdom is yours, but I'm going to be next to you.
But, uh, then we see that, uh, uh.
Both Saul and Jonathan died on Mount Gilboa. They lost their lives for not putting David 1St and getting that formula for happiness right.
But I love the way Robert pointed out to us. And with a fibbage, Yes, and let's just turn to that once more.
In uh 19th chapter, second Samuel.
We won't have to enlarge on it because it's already been talked to us about how that, uh, uh.
David was returning because he was fleeing from.
Uh, Absalom his son, but now he was returning back to uh, take the throne. And uh, he says, uh, wherefore when is thou not with Mephibosheth? And uh.
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You will remember that beforehand the zyde told a lie and he said, uh, today, uh, he, he said the message it today he, he said that, uh, House of Israel is going to return the throne to, uh, my father's house to the House of all. Well, that was the furthest thing from, from a fibre chef's heart, wasn't it?
Here he, as Robert pointed out, he was so attracted to the person that David that he didn't shave or change his clothes or anything, which was approved. How he missed David.
And when David says, uh, uh, you and Zyber divide the land, uh, you know, when looking at it from a natural standpoint, uh, it kind of makes you a little upset with David, doesn't it? It, It always did me. Why didn't he look into it and, and be fair about it? But the point is we're not looking at David per SE, uh, but we're looking at Mephibosheth now.
It's what was Shiva Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth thought of David.
Do you remember when, uh, the David asked, uh, if there was any of left of the household of, uh, Saul that he could show kindness, the kindness of God, uh, for Jonathan's sake. And he said, well, there's one man, he's, he's lame on both his feet. Bring him here. He said, that's just the kind of man I want. And there he sat with his feet under the table eating.
From David's bounty, was he gonna lack anything as long as he was at the King's table? Why, He wouldn't like a single thing, would he?
He would. He would have more than enough.
And so these things that, uh, uh.
That were given to him of the household assault were only uh.
Uh, weights and, and, uh, unnecessary things, as far as he was concerned, he didn't need them as long as he was eating that at David's table. Forget about those. I can just be occupied with David and appreciate David. That's the way he thought. Well, I'm, I want to tell you something, uh, my fibrous chef was, it wasn't in a position to go out and kill 800 enemy at one time.
He couldn't kill a lion in a on a snowy day.
And uh, uh, he couldn't do any of these things, but he could sit at David's table, couldn't he?
You know, beloved, that's one thing we can do.
And it really honors the Lord Jesus to sit at his table.
And we'd be totally blessed just to appreciate and value the fact.
Here we are, poor, lame, insignificant.
Worms of a destined mind, you.
But uh-huh, we were sinners worthy to die, we and that the Mephibosheth took that place, and he he didn't know it was in the heart of David when he was called.
Uh, to go to David, but most you could think of was most of the kings when they get on the throne and they just kill everybody of the last dynasty or whatever, because that's the last thing you thought that they was going to show kindness.
And the kindness of God. But he did. And we see in the what Robert wrote to us there in the 19th chapter how he appreciated David and he made it known.
There and right now that that's a position that I believe that you and I can take. Uh, we're waiting for our David to take his rightful place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Meanwhile, while we're here, we can sit at this table and enjoy this company, and I think he values that more than anything else I can think of.
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286.
286.
Thanks.
Lord Jesus, we would truly desire to find our joy.
Or what?
Gives joy to thy own heart.
And we truly rejoice with Thee, Lord Jesus.
That it is the joy of thine heart.
To have us with myself.
And so we do look forward with anticipation to the moment when thy heart will find its satisfaction.
Having us with the and we thank thee, Lord Jesus, as we await that moment that.
It is the express desire and joy of thine own heart to have us around Thyself here, and so we thank Thee Thou hast made provision that this too we may sit at my table, and to give Thee the joy of looking upon those that Thou hast redeemed with faith.
We give thanks, my precious name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Amen.