Open—S. Ruga, D. DeGraaf
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The 5th chapter in the Book of Judges.
Then sang.
Deborah and Barrick, the son of Benoit on that day, sang.
Praise thee, the Lord, for the avenging of Israel.
When the people willingly offered themselves hero, ye kings give ear, O ye Princess.
I even I will sing unto the Lord, I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. Lord, when thou wentest out of seer, when thou marchest out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped. The clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.
In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath. In the days of jail.
The highways were unoccupied and the travelers walked through byways.
The inhabitants of the villages ceased. They ceased in Israel until that I.
Deborah Rose.
That I arose a mother in Israel.
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They chose New Gods.
Then was the war on the gates? Was there a shield or a spear seen among 40,000 in Israel?
My heart is toward the.
Governors of Israel had offered themselves willingly among the people.
Bless you the Lord.
Speak ye that ride on white ***** ye that sit in judgment, and by the way, and walk by the way.
They that are delivered from the noise of The Archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of His villages in Israel. Then shall the people of the Lord.
Go down to the gates.
Awake, Awake, Deborah. Awake. Awake. Utter a song. Arise, Baron and Levi. Captivity, captivity. Captive, thou son of a Benowen. Then he made him. There remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people. The Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.
Add AV frame was their root of them against Amalek after thee Benjamin among thy people, out of Maker came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handled the pen of the Rider and the Princess of Issachar were with Deborah, even Issachar.
And also Barrack. He was sent on foot into the valley.
For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Why boatest thou among the sheep foals, to hear the bleedings of the flocks?
For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of Horn Gilead abode beyond Jordan. And why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the seashore.
And abode in his breeches.
Zebulun and Affili were a people that jeopardized their lives unto the death. In the high places of the field. The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan and Tanakh by the waters of Megiddo. They took no gain of money.
They fought from heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Cicero. The river of Chrysanthemum swept them away with an ancient river, the river of Caishon.
O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
Then with a horse host broken by the means of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones, Percy Murahs.
Said the Angel of the Lord.
The inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
Blessed above women shall jail the wife of Hebrew the teenide be blessed shall she be above women in the tent He asked water, and she gave him milk. She brought forth butter and lordly dish.
She put her hand to the nail and her right hand to the workman's hammer, and with the hammer she smote. Cicero she smote off his head when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
At her feet he bowed, he lay down, he fell, he lay down. At her feet he bowed, he fell where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
Thou might be the whole chapter. The mother of sister looked out at a window and cried through the lattice. Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his Chariots? Her wise ladies, answered Harriet. She returned an answer to herself. As they not speed, have they not divided the prey to every man, a damsel or two, to sister? Of prey, of divers colors, of prey, of diverse colors, of needlework, of diverse colors, of needlework on both sides.
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Meet for the next of them that take the spoil.
So that all thine enemies perish, O Lord, but let them love him be as the Son, when he goeth forth in his might.
The land had rest 40 years.
It's amazing in this book of judges.
Which tells us so much of the.
Failures of God's people, their low state.
But there's a song in it.
Can God's people sing?
When things aren't.
Going just right.
Now if the Lord comes in and blessing.
In restoration in his keeping power.
There can be a song in our hearts, and here we find a.
This uh.
Can't call her sister.
This, uh, St. of God.
Umm, she's singing. She and uh, and and Barrett.
I thought, and that's something here in the book of Judges, just two people are singing when God helped his people.
Some years before that.
Uh, there might have been a million people singing.
Moses sang. Miriam sang. All of Israel sang. Huge multitude.
But now there's just two who take up a song of praise to the Lord, you see?
God is always going to have a testimony, brethren.
And here it's just two, but there was two. And they sang because they had witnessed that God had wrought for them.
And, uh, that's a nice spirit to get into when we realize that God is for us despite our weakness, that we, uh, praise the Lord. And that's the beginning of power, I'm convinced to God's people and that we worship the Lord and we give him his, uh, rightful place in our hearts.
And then he'll have.
The rightful place in our lives and the blessing can continue.
Certain things.
Seem to have come specially before Deborah's heart in this song.
So I must confess I often go over scriptures real quick that I don't understand.
You ever done that? Come to a portion and the word of God and wow, what's the Lord telling us there? And this is one of those chapters.
That this poor man has misused in that way.
Perhaps it's the?
Present circumstances to which the Lord has passed us through.
And brought it.
Before us this afternoon.
And Deborah notices some things after their praising the Lord.
One thing that causes her to praise the Lord is the people willingly offered themselves in verse 2.
Willingly offered themselves.
And it is a beautiful thing when there's work to be done for the Lord, the God's people offer themselves willingly.
They stood up and they were going to fight the enemy.
And it it meant so much to her, she says, I, even though I will sing unto the Lord.
When she thinks of the people willingly offering themselves.
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We can easily sit back, dear ones. And uh.
Let others take the sweat in the brunt of what has to be done for the ward. But are we going to stand up for the truth? Are we gonna willingly offer ourselves? Are we gonna cause joy to the heart of two or three who want to praise and honor the Lord?
It meant something to Deborah and Barrett.
And she remembers the difficult time they had.
See uh in verse uh six it says the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through the byways.
And that was characteristic of the book of Judges. Every man did that which is right in his own eyes. There was no liberty to walk in the path that God had marked out. There was danger there.
The the enemy had the upper hand and.
She reminds the people in song that the highways were unoccupied now. We have even had some conferences canceled.
Because of the difficulties.
And this St. of God.
Remembers that after they had won the battle in the previous chapter.
She mentions it.
In song.
They couldn't have fellowship as they used to in verse 7.
The inhabitants of the villages ceased. They ceased in Israel.
Until that I, Deborah, arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
I used to when I was younger here, great reverend speak of.
So and so being a mother in Israel. And I had the sense in my soul that.
They must be speaking good of that person, of that sister.
And this is where that expression comes from.
I, Deborah Rose, I arose the Mother in Israel.
Now the apostle Paul had to remind his dear brethren in Corinth that.
They didn't have many fathers.
And perhaps, dear brethren, we don't have many mothers.
Now it says that Deborah was the, uh, wife of, uh. I think his name is Lappador. Anyway, it mentions her husband.
But it doesn't mention any children that she had. But yet she calls herself a mother in Israel.
Well, mothers in Scripture.
And naturally speaking, we associate with having.
Children, and we also associate mothers with having care and concern for those children and for the family. Well, here is a Saint of God who had care and concern for the people of God.
And it wasn't till this mother rose up.
That the highways were free of the enemy again, and that folks could return in any measure of safety to their villages.
And half fellowship one with another.
And it has come to my ears, dear brethren.
And the difficulty we're going through that sometimes.
The brother is clear in a matter, but his wife isn't.
Is that a mother in Israel? Is that someone who cares for the good and blessing of God's people?
Ah, my dear brothers and Lord, if you have a wife who's 100% behind you and your desire to walk through the Lord, thank for the Lord for that.
Thanks a lot for that. We need that.
What a a word for those of you who aren't married yet. Don't look at a girl for what she looks like. Look at her for what she is. Is she giving her mother in Israel?
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If it is, your desire to be a father among God's people is the one you're looking at, is she gonna walk with you and the Lord? Or when difficulties come, is she gonna make it hard for you to stand up for the Lord?
Serious business.
And it it it got burned home to this dear St. of God. She recognized that things didn't turn around till she.
Took a stand for the Lord.
Well, sometimes the mothers in Israel don't have their husbands with them. May God give you the grace to still go on for the Lord. There's a place for the sister even under those circumstances. We don't read that her husband came with her when Barrack went to the battle.
There is a place, you know, we need fathers in the assembly.
And we need mothers.
Now, why was there the difficulty in the days of uh?
Shamgar and jail.
She knew this mother in Israel knew why they had trouble. They in verse 8 says they chose New Gods.
Whenever there is a difficulty among God's people, there is a reason for it.
There is a reason.
What was the difficulty here? New Gods? Something had come in between.
Israel and Jehovah.
And, uh, and, and if we examine ourselves, we see that things have come in among us that ought not to be there. Those gods didn't belong there. Did the Lord know they were there? Oh, he knew they were there. And it hurt him. And you read through this book and he sends judges because they go ******* after these things that are against him, that displaced him.
The Lord wants our whole hearts. He doesn't want to have. He doesn't want a peace. He wants our whole hearts. And unless we.
Realize that in the depths of our soul that He wants our whole heart. We're going to let things come in between US and the Lord.
Then was worn the gates she see she she she knew why they had problems. They chose new guards and there was war.
And every affliction that comes among God's people like this, it's because we forsaken the Lord and one thing or another and there's war in the gates. Problems come and how do they confront the problem? They couldn't find a shield or a spear among 40,000 What a what a sad statement that is. Israel had marched out of out of Egypt with their armies.
They can't find.
A shield or a spear and 40,000 people, 40,000 people, unarmed, unable to resist. The enemy couldn't do a thing. Why? Because they chose other 'cause you see how weak we get, dear ones, when we let something come between our souls and the Lord. And Deborah sought, and she recorded it in this song for us.
And she sang it with Barrett.
Our hymns don't like that we sing sometimes. They remind us of the token path in our our failure, and yet the Lord's goodness to us.
And we need to be reminded that we get our eyes off the Lord and that He has to bring us back to Himself.
Well.
She notices something else. There were those who were doing quite well riding on white *****.
They sit in judgment, they walk by the way, and there are those who.
Who benefited from the acts of the others, from those who willingly offered themselves in the beginning of the chapter and.
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She wants him to take notice of it.
There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord speaketh, and that word says is meditate in the margin. Think about it. You know sometimes we take the meetings for granted, but of course, some brethren hours on and east.
Hours in in discussing things together and weighing things before the Lord. Fighting the battles of the Lord.
And we take it for granted.
Ah, she, she, she speaks to those and she says think about it, think about it.
We ought to think about it.
Unless we borrow the truth for ourselves, it's going to slip right away from us.
Well.
It's amazing she notices those who came out to the battle.
Ephraim.
Benjamin.
Zebulon.
Issachar in verse 15.
Embarrassed, he was sent on foot into the valley.
She noticed these folks who.
Who came to the battle?
Do do we take notice of those who are standing up for the Lord? Perhaps some of you come from an assembly where there are those who argued against the truth.
Have you noticed those who stood up for the truth?
Stood firm. Sometimes they're called names. They should have been called even. They stood firm. Deborah thinks of all these folks who came to them. I don't know if it was 10,000 men total. She thinks that these 10,000 people out of all the hundreds of thousands in Israel and it meant something to her heart. Oh, that might mean something to our heart when there are those among us whose.
Stand for the truth, willing to fight the Lord's battles.
As she noticed those who are doing good.
She also notices other things.
And, uh, verse 15 for the divisions of Reuben, there were great thoughts of heart.
Why impotest thou among the sheepfolds? To hear the bleedings of the flock? And she says it again. So the divisions of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart. You know, Reuben could, this tribe could, uh, stay at home and think about it all they want.
The enemy was still going to confront God's people and oppress them unless something was done about the enemy.
And you know, we hear of those who claim they're praying about the situation, all these searchings of the heart that the divisions of Reuben, they're great, but they don't do anything. And that's because they can't. When there's a righteous cause among God's people, there should be no question in our souls about rallying to it. And let us not hide under a covered and said, oh, I'm praying about it. I'm looking to the Lord.
Oh, if you're ignoring God's Word, don't look to the Lord because He's not going to give you any wisdom in the matter. He can't. He never goes beyond His Word, and His Word is the only resource that He's given us today. He wants us to be obedient to His precious Word.
And Debra and Barrick.
They record that in this song, the division, great thoughts of heart. Oh, I'm waiting on the Lord. We hear that too. You're not waiting on the Lord because the Lord is has shown us in his precious word. He's already told us what to do. He's made it clear what we need to do is be subject to the word of God. Be obedient to the word of God. That doesn't come easy because.
We have Adam's nature in US.
We're no better than he was.
All I had to do is obey and they could have stayed in the garden, but they disobeyed and it's no different for us. So a believer if we disobey the word of God, if we ignore, if we treat it lightly is be real difficulty among us. They'll be the searching of heart. You can meditate all you want. These divisions they'll happen again and again because we're not waiting on the Lord Jesus.
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And Gilead, he stayed over there and Dan was in ships and actually he was by the seashore. They were comfortable enough. While I get involved, isn't that a state that we sink into? What others handle it? We speak that way. So there, these other tribes, they were content with their business. Things are going smooth in their assembly. Why should they get occupied?
Well.
She doesn't keep dwelling on that kind of thing.
Her heart is on higher thoughts. Lost you matters, she says. Zebulun. And that's the line where people.
That jeopardy their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. Ah, this is what you really want to dwell on. There was there were two tribes. They really went at it. They put their lives on the table, so to speak.
For the good of God's people.
And we've got to recognize that when Saints of God take a faithful stand, it's for the good of God's people. Otherwise there won't be a testimony.
There wouldn't be one if there weren't those who were faithful.
And I just understand from these next few verses that Deborah and Barack realized.
Where the help really came from, the Lord was helping them.
Uh, they fought from heaven. Stars in their courses.
Fought against Cicero and that's where our help is coming from.
If any of us, by the grace of God, are exercised to make a right decision to stand up for the truth of the word of God, it's the Lord who put those desires in our hearts. And he even used nature. It seems the, uh, this river caisson destroyed some of them. The Lord she recognized though, that it was the Lord working on behalf of his people. And even in this difficulty, we should be able to recognize the Lord working.
On behalf of his people.
And he might have a testimony when he comes.
I don't like to read the 23rd verse.
I don't think it's properly Christian language. We don't speak like that.
Alright, I found the Apostle Paul saying some words like that. If any man loved not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed.
But, uh, hers E Miraz.
Said the Angel of the Lord. The Angel of the Lord is saying that.
Why curse Miros, the inhabitants thereof? Because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
I don't know if we can find this town or this place, Miraz if we look for it, but uh.
I have a sense that it may have been very close to where the battle was.
They could have easily helped. They might have been able to give the soldiers water, food, whatever they needed. They might have been able to tell them where the enemy was fleeing to. But they did nothing.
And the Spirit of God.
Has this song recorded where Deborah and Barrick say Curse ye me Ross?
What a lesson to us, dear brethren. Are we sitting idly by when we can help God's people?
Didn't the question here so much if we're offering ourselves willingly as in the beginning of the chapter, but just sitting still and doing nothing? There are some who even say we're going to see which way it goes. Oh, I'll say it. That is. Curse ye me, Ross.
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You can't find it on the map.
Send.
Uh-huh. She gets so. That's a bad method. Sad meditation, isn't it? She gets over it and barracks, and we have some cheerful words. Blessed above women shall jail. The wife of Hebrew, the key knight be blessed, shall she be above women in the tent now Jail.
Was the wife of Hebrew in the previous chapter plainly tells us that.
He was friendly with the enemy.
Doesn't call her mother in Israel but I suspect she was close to it. Jail. She had a husband.
That was betraying God's people and, and he ought to have been friendly. He was a keen knight. He ought to have been friendly to God's people. But he, he, he changed sides and you know, he's Speaking of the sister's place. Sometimes it's difficult if your husband doesn't want to please the Lord. Well, she was still subject to him, but, uh.
When the opportunity presented itself to her, this woman was faithful, beautiful. Her husband wasn't at home at the time, and the situation presented itself to her. And she killed the chief leader of that army that Israel was fighting. Beautiful.
Barrack was told he wasn't going to to get the credit for the victory.
Well, he was chasing sister on foot and we don't want to look down and unbear because his name made it in the 11Th chapter of Hebrews.
Barrett was a man of faith, but in in times of weakness and declension, maybe men of faith need help by the mothers in Israel. Are there any mothers in Israel? I hope this room is filled with them.
We can search our own hearts in that matter.
And it says Blessed shall.
She be above women in the tent.
I would like to think that it was a difficult thing for Deborah to go with his army. She was a woman out of her place. Today we'd say a sister out of her place.
But if if that's what it took to to encourage Barrett to go ahead and destroy the enemy, she would come.
But she never forgot her place, because here she says, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. Isn't that beautiful? An Old Testament St. realized the truth that we're told in the New Testament, that the sisters should be keepers at home.
Uh, uh, jail was a keeper at home. And, and you said, what, what can you do at home? Well, she killed the general. That's what she did. She stayed home and she won the battle. Oh, you can't beat obedience to the word of God, my dear Brevin. Could that be one of the reasons of our low state? We don't hesitate to send our daughters off to, to, to, to get educations in the universities, to, to give them professions.
But Scripture says that she's gonna be blessed above women in the tent.
How beautiful the word of God is. And there here's this St. of God in the tent. The man comes in. He's thirsty and hungry. She treats him right.
She offers him a nice comfortable spot and then she does when she can.
What had to be done to the Lord's enemies?
Hey God give us grace and encourage us to go on for himself, to stand for the truth. We don't want anyone to save us. Cursed be me, Ross. Maybe some here have come from an assembly. We're just doing nothing.
May the Lord speak to her heart and wake us up and cause us to rally around folks like Deborah and Baron so that we can sing the praises of the Lord for the victory He gives us.
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Could we turn to the book of Isaiah chapter 5 we've heard here this afternoon?
A song. Song of Deborah.
In Barrack.
Like debris, just a couple verses. Take just a few minutes and read some scriptures with just a few comments. Isaiah chapter 5.
In the first verse.
Now I will sing to my well beloved.
A song of my beloved touching his vineyard.
My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill.
And he fenced it.
And gathered out the stones thereof.
And planted it with a choicest vine.
And built a tower in the midst of it.
And also made a winepress therein and he looked that it should bring forth grapes.
And it brought forth wild grapes.
And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, I pray you betix me and my vineyard.
What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it, wherefore when I looked at it, should bring forth grapes?
Brought it forth.
Wild Grapes, a brother of yours gone by, has commented on this verse in Isaiah chapter 5 and verse four. That in the understanding of this verse, is the key to the understanding of all of the Old Testament.
And here there's a song I will sing to my well beloved. A song of my beloved.
Touching His vineyard, you can feel just in the reading of this verse, the affections, the deep affections from the heart for those dear ones. This was God's choices, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah.
And in the understanding of the heart of God.
And then understanding of the thoughts of God towards his people.
It's such a blessing and such a help in our understanding not only of these times, but in the understanding of His Word and of His ways and His desires for each of us.
And how unfortunate the how sad, but yet how true it is that that which is so dear to him.
He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
We can see those seeds of failure and of weakness in our own hearts.
Just thinking as we were reading in John chapter 6.
In our readings yesterday there was a verse. Maybe it was briefly commented on.
John chapter 6 and verse 35 the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. Many here know, I'm sure know that the word I am is used in John seven times. The Lord Jesus speaking just like to read in connection at the very end of the previous chapter.
John chapter 5 and verse 46 For had ye believed Moses?
You would have believed me.
For He wrote of me, but if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words? The Lord Jesus was speaking to His own, His people.
They had Moses, they had the prophets.
Had they believed Moses, you would have believed me. Luke chapter 24.
And whenever this account is read.
We can think of oneself, how often we are troubled. Luke chapter 24.
In verse 13.
And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem, about 3 score furlongs, and they talked together of all these things which had happened, came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned.
Jesus himself.
Drew near.
And went with them, but their eyes were holding that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these? They have one to another, as ye walk.
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And are sad.
Have there been times, dear ones, this year and in years gone by? Do we have communed one with another and we have walked?
And we had talked one with another, and we have been sad.
The things that have passed us by, the sorrows and the failures, the roots of which we can see in our own heart, in our own walk. And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, the other one is not mentioned by name. Answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things they said unto him concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty indeed in Word before God.
And all the people and all the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be crucif, to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it should have been He which should have redeemed Israel. And besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yeah, and certain women also our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre, and they found not his body.
And they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels which said that he was alive.
Here we have again women who are faithful, and we have again a word from an Angel.
And certain of them which are with us went to the sepulchre, and found it Even so, as the woman had said. But Him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, or O foolish ones, and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And again we have in connection with John 5 and 46, and beginning at Moses.
And all the prophets, the five, and the two Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning.
Himself And they drew nigh unto the village whither they went, and he made as though he would have gone further.
He doesn't force himself on us. There are other ones who make choices and take up a different path. He doesn't force himself.
But they constrained him saying.
Abide with us. What a wonderful response. For it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in. We've sung. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand. What a day we have to look forward. But here the day is far spent. And he went into tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meet with them, he took bread and blessed it and break and gave it to them.
And their eyes were opened and he knew, they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another. Did not our heart burn within us? There were those ones of all whose heartburn within them when they had this word and it was delivered to them over 100 years ago. The wonderful truth we can enjoy. Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scripture and they rose up this very same hour.
And returned to Jerusalem and found the 11 gathered together in them that were with him.
They were obedient, and they found it was exactly as He told them. What a wonderful picture. The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon, And they told what things were done in the way, and how He was known of them in the breaking.
Of bread, dear young one, do you want to know the Lord Jesus? Do you really want to know Him? The Apostle Paul could say that I may know Him in the power of his resurrection, in the fellowship of his sufferings.
Do you really wanna know him?
Don't look around in this world. Don't look around in the other places where you can find things to hear in your hearts and in your thoughts. The answers aren't there. I grew up in a day when as a young child we would sit towards the back and there was over 1000 in Chicago and Montreal and in Ottawa and I couldn't even see the people who were speaking. I could just hear their voices. And I thought how wonderful to be with so many.
So many.
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There's only one you really need, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. There's only one He was there. That was all that mattered. And they told what things were done in the way and how He was known of them how.
In the braking.
Brand as time permits, I just like to briefly turn to those IMS. You know, the Lord Jesus.
God revealed himself to Moses in Exodus 3 and verse 14. We don't need to turn to it, He said to Moses through the burning Bush. I am that I am in the Lord Jesus and speaking to his people in the Gospel of John, the gospel of the Son of God.
He said I am. And what do we learn? Well, just briefly touch on these as time permits. John 6 and verse 35.
You know, mankind for ages and for generations and for thousands of years has sought for answers. And now in this last century, some of them think they've found some. They look for answers in outer space. They look for answers in technology. They look for answers in understanding of history.
But all the answers are found in that very one who spoke and commanded.
And it was created as upholding all things by the word of His power. The great I am, they look for sustenance. Where is sustenance? In John 6 and verse 34. They then said, They unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Sustenance Every man you would meet on the street, in your classroom, at school, in your neighborhood, in your workplace.
You'll find he wants sustenance.
Here is sustenance, Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. John Chapter 9.
Or chapter 8.
John, Chapter 8.
Man seeks sustenance doesn't to you. Man also seeks illumination. Man wants to shine on solutions to the darkest and most difficult problems. He seeks illumination.
Verse 12 of John chapter 8. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light.
Of life Chapter 9 and verse 5 verse four as well. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work as long as I am in the world.
I am the light of the world. Man seeks sustenance. He seeks illumination.
We turn to the 10th chapter.
He also thinks if I could use this word entrance.
I live in a country and a city near Toronto where.
Thousands of people come from all over the world in my office. They're people from dozens of countries in Europe and in Asia, and they come to Canada seeking freedom, seeking resources, seeking wealth and comfort. They want entrance into Canada. They want entrance into an opportunity to do what they think would help them, would bless them, would benefit them. Man seeks an entrance. Well, we have one who gives us an entrance or something far better than the United States. This is the birthday of that country. There's something far better than this country.
John, Chapter 10.
In verse 2. But he that entereth by the door is the shepherd of the sheep to him the Porter. The Porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. Verse 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Verse nine. I am the door by me, If any man enter in, ye shall be saved, and shall go in.
And out in fine pasture, you know, young people, younger ones.
They want something that's comfortable, something that will satisfy well, you know the deepest longing of every heart. It has been said there's a God shaped vacuum inside everyone and only those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ will have it satisfied. Only the Lord Jesus can satisfy. The Lord Jesus said he came that he that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.
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I am the door by me there's only one. If any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out.
In fine pasture, man seek sustenance. He seeks illumination, he seeks entrance, and he seeks caring. Everyone wishes to be loved. I have met ones in high school and in college and in my workplace, and you can tell I'm speaking with them and communing with them and spending time.
They want someone who cares. I still remember meeting someone in high school and I talked to him for a while and when I was done, may have just been a study hall. He said I want to know your name. And he wrote down my name. And I said, why do you write down my name? He said I keep a list of friends. He said people who care about me. I want to remember the ones who care about me. And the deep, deepest longing of every human heart is to be loved and to be cared about.
And there is one who cares so deeply, so immeasurably great, whose love was so great. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Verse 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Verse 14 I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, Even so know I the Father.
And I lay down my life.
For the sheep.
The Lord Jesus paid a terrible price. He bore the sins of all. Who would believe that He might have you and I in his home together in the Father's house. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I've said this on a few previous occasions, and I'll say it again.
In six days He created the heavens and the earth. He spoke the stars into existence.
But dear ones, he's been spending 2000 years preparing a home for you and for me. That's our home. We're just passing through, as it were. We're creatures created for eternity, placed into a time.
We've been placed into this moment of time, the very closing days of the day of grace. God would delight to use you to accomplish His purposes in the small area where you are in the school classroom, in the job, in the neighborhood, in the small little way to be a light. The Lord Jesus desires to provide sustenance and illumination and entrance and caring.
And Hope John, Chapter 11 Hope.
Nearly a year ago.
A cousin of mine was taken.
Climbing down a steep embankment.
In his hands let go.
He fell and he was gone into the arms of his savior.
And you know.
There's still an ache in many hearts for that loss. And you know, I truly believe that there are many hearts here tonight who have aches, who have sorrows, who have wounds, who have griefs, loved ones maybe lost their life, maybe gone a far from the fold, from the shepherd, from the Savior, ones who you care deeply about their hurts that I can't touch, their sorrows that I can't reach. But there is one who knows all about them. There's one who knows the very inward deepest sorrows and griefs and difficulties that you and I can face.
And he can answer every question, and he can provide hope. John, Chapter 11.
Verse 21 Here's dear Martha. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus saith unto her, I am.
The resurrection and the life, He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this? She saith unto him. Yeah, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which could should come into the world.
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There were things she didn't understand, but there was one thing she knew this one thing, just like in John 9 where the man who was blind, I couldn't understand many things, but one thing he could understand that once he was blind and now he could see. Jesus told her I am the resurrection. In the life there is one who provides hope. We sorrow not as others who have no hope. The Lord Jesus will soon, any moment, maybe today come.
And take us home to be with Him. The Lord Jesus provides for us sustenance, illumination, entrance, tearing hope.
And he provides answers John chapter 14, John chapter 14, and verse 6.
I'll start with reading in verse five of the Gospel of John, chapter 14.
Thomas Seth and him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No man cometh unto the Father, but.
By me. Here's the one who has all the answers. There's a group of cults called The Way International and they would present a false way. There's many false ways in this world.
But we can open this book. God's Word is forever settled in the heavens.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Joe could say I've esteemed the words of thy mouth more than thy necessary food.
You know we all desire success.
And you know, in 31,000 verses in this book, there's only one verse that I know of.
That has the word success, Joshua one and verse eight, that thou shalt meditate therein day and night.
Day and night, this book has the answers.
Mankind would seek success, mankind would seek all these things that have been mentioned and yet they're found in the person of that one, the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, in John chapter 15, we started by singing a song of my well beloved unto his vineyard. I'll just read a few verses and close John 15 and verse one. I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he take it away, and every branch that beareth fruity purges it.
That it may bear bring forth more fruit. You know, we sometimes wonder why are we allowed to go through this trial? There is no difficulty that the Lord allows us to pass through, but yet there's a needs be on our part, and a purpose of blessing on His part. And so there's purging that goes on, that it may bring forth more fruit. Fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. Now you're clean through the word which I've spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine.
No more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Thankfully we have that companion verse in Philippians 4. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. For here it says, Without me ye can do nothing. The man abide not in me is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.
Do you want things to be done unto you? You have to abide in Him.
And you know, it says in the Psalms, Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Well, how does He do that? Does He give us everything we want? No, if we delight in Him, He changes our heart, that the things in which we delight are the things which also delight his heart. The light thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. I was just thinking on Friday night for those of you who weren't here.
The lights went off and.
The person in charge came over and he turned the switch and turned the lights back on and there was a buzzing. I was thinking a little later, you know, there we had earthly light. The lights failed and so they turned them back on. And so we put up, we went through the prayer meeting and everyone prayed as if nothing had happened. There was a little buzzing and we had to endure that. But you know, today and they're having the gospel or the evening meeting 1/2 an hour early so we can enjoy.
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The light from above.
In the very beginning, God divided the light and the darkness. The Lord Jesus said, while I'm in the world, I'm the light of the world. I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. And you know we can have heavenly light. God can give us heavenly light on our pathway from the great I am from the one in whom is all the source, all the blessings, all the resources that we need in this pathway every moment.
Until we're taking home the glory, it's all found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, that heavenly light. When there was darkness in Egypt during one of the plagues, the children of Israel, they found light in their dwellings.
You know, you choose the earthly light you may find like we found Friday night. There's a buzzing, there's a distraction, there's that, there's that, which will be a harm in seeking to discern the mind of God and seeking to walk in the path which God has given us. That buzzing will continue. If you seek the earthly light, the earthly light is all around you in the universities and the schools and the workplaces and the friends that don't love the Lord Jesus Christ. But God has given us heavenly light, Abide in him, the Lord Jesus.
Is the answer. We all have questions. We all have sorrows, We all have difficulties. Turn to Him. He is our wonderful resource.
39135015670, 10-4.
And our Father, we thank Thee for Thy precious word. We thank Thee that Thou hast told us in my word that the entrance of Thy word giveth light.
And we would just desire that thy word would enter in.
Exercised conscience of each one of us.
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And into our hearts.
That our hearts affections might be engaged with Thyself, blessed Savior, for Thou art worthy. And so we just thank Thee for Thy word. We pray that it might bear fruit for Thy glory, for Thy honor among Thy people, and that we might continue on with Thyself, Lord Jesus, as the object bright and fair before our souls. So we ask this, we commend the rest of this day to Thee. We ask Thee for Thy blessing upon our fellowship together. And that the words.
Of the Lord's people might be to encourage and to strengthen one another. So we just ask it, we give thanks now on the precious and the worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Amen.