Open—A. Barry, G. Hayhoe, C. Lunden
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General Meetings, Toledo, November 1976. Open meeting.
Number 76.
Drive my soul by God directly. Stranger hands no more.
I.
For I mindful my God directly.
Stranger.
In the morning, strike my heart.
Around here Bridge.
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They were reading the First Epistle of John.
And Chapter 4.
Reading from the eighth verse.
First Epistle of John.
Chapter 4.
And verse 8.
He that loveth not knoweth not God.
For God is love.
And this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world.
That we might live.
Room here in his love, not that we love God.
But that he loved us, and said his son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us.
Also to love one another.
No man hath seen God at anytime if we love one another.
God dwelleth in US.
And his love is perfect, said in US.
Thereby know we that we dwell in him.
And be enough, because he hath given us of his spirit.
And we have seeds and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him.
And E in God.
And we have known and believed the love that God asked to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Therein is our love, Margin says. Love with us made perfect.
That we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment, because as he is.
So are we in this world.
There is No Fear in love.
The perfect love casts about fear.
Because here have torment be that spirit is not made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us.
The man say I love God and hate us his brother. He is a liar.
For he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen.
How can he love God, whom he hath not seen? And this is his commandment that.
His commandment have we from him that he who loveth God loveth his brother also.
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We often hear this stated.
God is light and God is love.
Refine both the Amnesty pistol, but they're not put together as is often stated and often heard. But we have.
Between these two statements.
We have.
The 2nd, 3rd till we get to the 4th chapter.
That is, between the two wonderful statements that God is like and God is love, we have that distance because before the soul can enter into the wonderful marvelous.
Love of God. We have to know that God is light and that everything about us is exposed and brought into relief in His presence. And when we have found that, we are entirely supposed that nothing is hidden from him, just like fear when he was in the boat on the lake.
And he gets that great draft of fishes. He realized that he was in the presence of the very Creator who made all things. And he falls down at his feet saying, Depart from me, for I'm a sinful man, oh Lord, that is he. I discovered what God is in life, and then he learns how God is in love.
And when we found out that we have to do with a thin hating God, and everything is manifested and made naked and open in the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. And still, in spite of all our nothingness and all our sins and guilt and failure, that God loves us. That's what breaks down by every opposition and brings us to know that wonderful love, that God will love the world.
That he gave his only begotten Son the truth. Whoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Now in these verses I've read where we have the word love mentioned so many times, you'll notice where I began.
In the ninth verse, and this was manifested the love of God toward us.
That's the first thought, the love of God toward us. And then we get in the the 12Th verse. God dwelleth in US and his love is perfected in US. There we got God's love in it, and then we get in the in the.
The 17th verse here in his.
I'll read that as it is in the margin. Here is love with us made perfect? So we have the love of God toward us. We have the love of God in us, and we have the love of God with us. How his love towards us.
Takes us back before we came into existence. For it tells us in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because of God sent His only begotten Son into the world.
That is, God has displayed that love toward us when we were lost, and before we were lost anticipating.
Now the time when we would be in need and he spent his his son in that love toward us and then we get his love in it. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us. That's the 12Th verse. And his love is perfect, dead in us.
The love of God in it. Now that's what is chosen day one, that wonderful thought. The love of God in a poor Sinner down here just because he has accepted Christ as his own personal Savior. And then we get in that 17th verse here in yes, love toward us. Love with us, rather.
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Made perfect.
So you have, you see, the whole exception, our whole existence brought before when God sent his Son, and now it's the presence that love in US. And then we get it. We are carried on till the judgment day and then we get the love of God with us. So what a full display we have of the love of God.
The ward, sinful man.
Well, in the ninth verse, and this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.
Now the first thought is life, because in our natural state we're dead in trespasses. And in Sweden song thought, isn't it just as dead as someone that's lying in the cemetery?
No desire, no heart, no thought, no interest in divine things, no concern about hereafter. But it's a marvelous thing that we're told this in the 5th chapter of John.
That the hour cometh in now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.
Well, beloved friends, you might say, then if I'm a dead Sinner, there's no hope for me. Ah, there is. It's just to tell the dead man to get out of his grave and go to work, isn't it? Can't do anything. It's all over. Death has taken him away.
That for a Sinner that is as morally and spiritually.
Instead, there's one thing that's possible, and that is that he can hear the voice of the Son of God. Or are they any here that have never listened to the voice of the Son of God? Think of how he's speaking at this moment. Listen to his gracious word.
As he says, Come unto me for ye thee.
That labor and our heavy labor and that will give you rest.
So you see, the first thing is that we might live. That is the first thing the soul needs is life, that we like to live through him. Well, then we get here in his love, not that we love God, but that he loved us.
And sent his friends to be the propagation for our sins. Here we get the love of God displayed in its holiness.
And we need to remember, friends, that God is a holy God.
And so, because of the holiness, we needed one that would take our place to bear the judgment. And that's where propitiation is brought in.
That we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
You notice in these verses there's a very opposite of the demands of the law.
The law said, Thou shall love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all our minds, and with all life strength. And then it says, And by neighbors thyself.
This verse kills me. It's not that we love God. Well, here's the love that goes out in the very opposite way. Not because there was a love in my heart to the God to whom I was responsible. It was when there was hatred in the heart toward him that God proved and manifested his love.
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Not that we love God, but that he loved us.
Beloved friends, stop and meditate on those few words that he left us and sent his son to be the pro 58 for our sins. That takes us to the cross that tells us how he he has suffered there, but just for the unjust that he might bring us to God the propitiation for our sins.
Then we get in the 11Th verse. If God so loved us, we ought to love one another. What a difference from the command of the law. First you see us to ourselves that we're to love God, our soul, mind, and strength. And then after the neighbor, the law said thy neighbors thyself. Now here's the principle of grace, if God so loved us.
There is a motive for it, Not a demand of the law, but a gracious appeal to the heart. If God so loved us, we ought to love one another.
I was thinking about the love of God in us. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in US and his love is perfected in US. In the first chapter, the Gospel of John, we have the same difficulty that's raised. I'll just turn to John one.
And the verse 18 for a moment John one and 18.
No man has been God at any time. The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
We're told that God dwelleth in thick darkness, in light, unapproachable, whom no man hath been nor can see. That is, we are just shut out from the present of a holy God of majesty and power.
But oh, how lovely the verse comes in, The very verse that tells us that no man has been God tells us how we can see God.
The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Think of that one who came from the bosom of the Father, all the love that's expressed in that gift of all gifts, when God gave the front of his left and sent him into this world of spending sorrow to live here below among men, until the world put him out of this team by the cross.
Buried him and sealed his grave, and so they would never have him again among him. Well, that's the poor heart of man in this world. But that's the one friend that has revealed the unseen God, whom it is impossible for you and me to see her to behold.
How we find the same difficulty raised in this chapter before us?
No man has seen God at anytime. If we will love one another, God dwelleth in US and his love is perfected in US.
Wonderful. Isn't that the very way or the very time when God seems to be shut out, and the sun has manifested that love in this being? Now those whether His can have the very love of that one in their hearts.
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And manifest that love in their love for one another. Now that's a pure love, beloved friends, and it's a love that seeks all. Is the good or the one that the opposite of that love and care they wouldn't be then guilty of in any way, encouraging another to go on in the wrong course. And if we can.
Give them to speak.
That the course they're following is a mistaken that wrong course. Well, when there is restoration for restoration, but love can be shown out and displayed. Just like when Peter came back, I'm sure, after the Lord and visited him and had a controversy with him alone. You know, we find Peter with his brethren there in the 24th chapter of Luke.
For we're told that when the child from he may have came back to Jerusalem, they found the 11 gathered together, saying the Lord is risen and have appeared on the silence. For Simon, after denying the Lord and the Lord looked at him, he got up there and went out. He left the country of those enemies of Christ, never to associate with him again. But there was something more and something more precise.
And that was when the Lord restored Peter's soul.
And he went back to his brethren, and there was a full traffic restoration. And then in the we find them the 21St of John. How his publicly restored to his ministry when he asked judge the root of his failure. When the Lord has said, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me all. What a test it was, Peter. And you know how his reply was.
He said, Lord, thou N just as much as to say, Lord, I know that no one else can see any love in my heart for you after the way I feel, but I know that you can see that love, and when Peter has taken that humble.
Confession.
Of how he had dishonored his his Lord. By then he is happily restored.
Among his brethren, and the Lord tells Peter that he's going to honor him in the very way that he had dishonored him by denying him when he was being condemned to be here crucified.
You know, we might think, beloved friends, that communion is something that's beyond the rank and file among God's people. That is, for those who have gone on for years.
In a devoted and consistent way, but I like to read this.
It says in the 15th, 1St whosoever can tell, confess that Jesus is the Son of God. God dwelleth in him and he and God well there we have an expression of communion. It's just the owning the confessions.
Of who he is.
That gives that precious happy communion with himself.
Now I'll just go on to the last thought I had before me.
And the 17th verse here in his love with us made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment of all times that we can think of the the before the judgment seek and all our past history to come there before the judge.
Would be the last decade. And we can think of where we'd have boldness. Well, we think, oh, what shame, what a humiliating thing I feel that time. And now it's come up here at this have this judgment seat. But in that marvelous beloved friend that we can have boldness even in the day of judgment. And what is the reason given us that we can have that?
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Holy Bones.
At a time when everything will be manifested. In that case it says because as he is.
So are we. Not when we get to heaven, but in this world? Don't say as He was, knowing the Lord was here. He was on his way to judgment on the cross. Now he's beyond the cross, He's beyond the other side of the judgment, and it's just as He is.
And that being where he is now seated that we can view ourselves as he is just like the very one who is seated there. And that's why in view of all the coming judgment that we're set free from any thought of fear about, because as he is, so are we in this world.
Have a few thoughts on my heart brethren in connection with David. Could we turn to First Samuel?
Chapter 17.
First Samuel, Chapter 17.
The 32nd verse.
And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him, and because of Goliath thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, thou are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou art body youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, thy servant kept his father's sheep. And there came a lion and a bear.
And took a lamb out of the block. And I went after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smiled him, and flew him. Thy servants flew both the lion and the bear, And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them being he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said, Moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw the lion, and out of the pawn the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this suicide.
And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
Now can we turn over to the?
Body 6. Capture First Samuel, Chapter 26.
Verse 25.
Sandy, it's all said to David. Blessed be thou my son David, and thou shalt both do great things, and also shall still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should as speedily escape into the land of the Philistines, and Saul will despair of me, and seek to seek me anymore in any.
Coast of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hands.
Until we turn over to First Chronicles.
First Chronicles, Chapter 29.
Verse 10 Wherefore, David blessed the Lord before all the congregation. And David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty.
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For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine, thine is the Kingdom hall. Lord, and thou art exalted its head above all, both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reign us over all, And in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand it is to make great.
And to give strength unto all. Now therefore our God we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
But who am I, And what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee, for we are strangers before thee and sojourners, as were all our fathers. Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding, Oh Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee in house, For thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
While I was particularly thinking, dear friends of these two passages, at the first, especially in First Samuel and one, we see David counting upon God, leaning upon him in the face of a great difficulty. In the second we see him.
The very same man, but all how weak he was when he was not depending upon the Lord. And so surely the Lord teaches us the necessity of constant dependence upon Him. He teaches us the lesson that we must all learn, as it was remarked in the.
The Bible is the history of two men, the first man, an utter failure in anything and everything that he puts his hand to. But the second man, the last Adam triumphant, and you and I through grace are in him, and as we count upon him and lean upon him.
Oh, how he can in some little way use us for his own honor and glory here. We're so slow to learn that Christ is all and in all, but it's God's purpose that we should learn this. And we know he's all for salvation. Not one of us who was saved this afternoon would doubt for one moment that there is no salvation through ourselves. That as it says in Ephesians chapter 2.
By grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Either by our work, nor even by any faith that we could produce but all of himself. But isn't it strange that we are often slow to learn, and that he is also the only one who can supply the strength that we need for every step of our Christian pathway?
And all, how blessed two, to know that He is All in all as our gathering center, that he and He alone is the one around whom we gather. Well, in this first instance we find David, and he has been sent by his father to bring these things down to his brothers who are in the army, and he sees this great giant Goliath. Now, of course, we know that this represents Satan, and the chapter brings before us, undoubtedly.
Trade of the Lord Jesus has won over all the power of Satan and brought deliverance for us, but I would like to apply it in a practical way. David had learned some things in his own souls experience. When had he learned these things?
Well, as it tells us, it was when he was little in his own eyes, when he seemed to be an almost unnoticed member of the family. Because you'll remember that when Samuel came to the House of Jesse to choose the one who would be God King, it is rather noticeable that Jesse, his father, didn't even call David in. He called in the other members of the family. And when the day when Samuel had looked over all the others, he said, is there no other?
As he said, there's one other He's out minding the sheep. He was perhaps unnoticed. He and I sometimes feel unnoticed, unimportant that nobody cares, perhaps even sort of left out in the family. Well, perhaps God allows a circumstance like this in order to make us learn to lean upon him to realize that he is everything. And so David when he was left to perhaps out in the family life.
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When he was perhaps considered so unimportant, he was learning in the ways of God.
To lean and count upon God. And when the lion came, why there we find that in the strength of the Lord he slays that lion and delivers one of the chiefs that had about was about to be taken. Then there comes a bear, and again there is that confidence in God.
And God is teaching him to lean upon him. Oh, for great to accept the circumstances that God allows in our lives as the means by which he is teaching us dependence upon him. I have wondered if the lion would bring before us that mighty strength that would tear in pieces. But I understand the way a bear kills a person is by hugging him. That is kind of squeezing him to death.
Until you're in all the enemy uses different tactics.
He may come to seemingly destroy, but sometimes the world too may try and bring us into friendships and things that would also be harmful. But dependence upon the Lord enables us to be victorious. Now we find, as I said, He is sent down by his Father's down into the army of Israel, and even at this point his father didn't seem to consider it necessary.
Send him as one to be a soldier in the army. He wasn't important enough for that. But he's learning in the school of God and he comes down and he's slighted even on this occasion by his brothers who falsely accused him and say what did you come down for just to see the battle. It's just pride. No? He had been sent of his father's and through these things I say he must learn and he is learning.
That confidence in God. And then Paul says to him, your body, youth, you cannot do anything. But we find that there was a quiet peace in Davidde heart. And what was the cause of this? Well, because as it tells us here in the 36th verse.
My servants slew both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised suicide shall be as one of them being. He has defied the armies of the living God. He didn't look upon this giant merely as one who has seen stronger and was stronger than the armies of Israel, but he rather looked upon him as defying the armies of the living God. Were God's people in the state that they should be. No, they weren't.
They had asked for a king, and God had given them a king according to their own choice. Could he still recognize them as those who were God's people, those armies as the armies of the living God? Oh, isn't it lovely how faith always identifies itself with the people of God? And so here we find David identifying himself with the people of God. God owned them, and he sought to own them too.
And he said in the 37th verse, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw, the lion, and out of the paws a bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of his Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
Where was his confidence? It wasn't in himself. Certainly he didn't say I was able to do this, but the Lord delivered me out of the paw, the lion. The Lord delivered me out of the paw, the bear. He didn't allow the feeling that his brothers had to him and what they had said to sour his heart. And we have to be careful, you know, when things are said to us that we don't allow any bitterness to arise in our hearts, because the Lord loves his people.
And having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. He sought the deliverance of the people of God. This was a great desire of his heart. And he overcame these personal thoughts, and he was willing to go out, counting upon God. What for? To gain some notoriety for himself. Now that God's people might be delivered, he loved them. He wanted them to be blessed. He couldn't see them brought into subjection under this Philistine.
Because he saw God's people from God's viewpoint, and here he was seeking their blessing and deliverance when we ought to know the story very well, and how he first of all put on Sauls armor and then he said no. So I haven't proved this. In other words, it hadn't been the custom of his life to lean upon an arm of flesh, and good for us if in some measure we have learned.
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That is no use to lean upon an arm of flesh, and that when an occasion arises where it seems that there's a good armed lean upon some person that really we can trust and count upon, we say, well, I think I can lean upon that person all. Let us learn. He that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. And we see this with David. Now he said, no, I don't care, I'm not going to wear Saul's armor.
Saying goes down to the brook, He chooses those stones of the brook. He goes in dependence upon the Lord. And the Lord brought a great victory. Well, this was a marvelous experience. There were wonderful points of progress, shall I say, in the life of David.
You know, dear friends, we can't lean on past experience. We can't say, well, because I've learned certain things. I I now wouldn't think of leaning on an arm of flesh again. No matter how many times the Lord seems to teach this thing, we have to keep learning them over and over and over and over again. The tendency of our natural heart is always in a time that arises in trouble to go back.
And lean upon some arm of flesh instead of upon the living God.
And so we would think, I would say, that David had learned something through all this. But when we come over to the end of the 26th chapter, after all those experiences that God had granted to him, ways that he had delivered him from Saul and everything.
At last, he says, as it were. Well, this is just about all I can stand. I just can't take it any longer. Perhaps you might have come to that point too. And perhaps you might say how well I tried to follow the Lord. I really did feel that I was leaning upon him about. It just seems that every time something goes wrong and it just seems that nothing seems to straighten around and get right.
And all this time we find such beautiful instances in the life of David is counting upon God as we have noticed his kindness shown the soul when he haunted him, cut off the piece of his garment, and showed him that he had spared his life. He took his sword from beside him, the sword with which one of his friends suggested that he kill him. And he brought it and said, here, saw, here's your sword.
I didn't kill you when I had the opportunity. All this is most admirable. All this was purely the Spirit of Christ manifesting itself in David. But as another has said, when difficulties arise, it seems that experience is of little value if we're not leaning on God, And I believe that's something for us to remember, Experiences of little value if we're not leaning upon God.
For there is no circumstance in life that is exactly the same even the second time David learned this. On a later occasion he went out against the Philistines and the Lord told him how to do it, and it was a great victory. The Philistines came back the second time.
Didn't say. Well, I know how to meet the situation. I'll just follow a president. This is what I did before. This is what I'm going to do again now. He asked the Lord, and the Lord gave him fresh direction for a new situation. There are no two situations in life that are exactly the same. We need fresh direction. We need the Lord. We need dependence upon him in every situation. And so if I had read the 26th chapter, you would have noticed this kindness that was shown by.
David to Saul, and how Saul actually himself had to say in the 21St verse of the 26th chapter, Behold, I have played the fools. I have earned exceedingly David. It's all recognized that he was wrong in the things that he had done to David. He told David that he was right and that he was going to prevail. But this was only an assurance of man. And after all this, after these experiences.
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Now notice the way the 27th chapter begins.
David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul, that is, after all this. He didn't turn and lean upon the Lord and count upon him, he says. I just can't stand up under this pressure any longer. All we can in our own strength. We can't meet the circumstances of tomorrow, And many of us know when we come to an occasion like this and we sit under the sound of God's word for three days.
There is perhaps a tendency in us to say, well, I think I can handle the situations tomorrow, but we can handle them tomorrow without the Lord. The one who has administered to our hearts here in these meetings is the only one who can give us the strength and experiences.
Even happy occasions in life are not enough to supply the strength, as the Lord said after they came down from the mountains and couldn't cast out the demon, he said. This kind doeth not out but by prayer and fasting. And so here we find David.
Nothing better. I'll have to go and escape and run to the country of the Philistines. I'll just have to get away from all this pressure. Where did he go to get away from it? Oh, he didn't get on his knees. He didn't go down to the brook like he did when he was going to meet the giant Goliath.
No, he went down to the Philistines. He went down to those who were God's enemies in the land and sold Austin. Is that in order to escape pressure? The world says, oh, there's an easy way out. You don't have to face up to these things all the time. And so there's the learning of the world to draw the hearts of the people of God into what seems like an easier path. But oh, what a denial it was of all of David stood for.
And isn't it true that when we depart from the path of faith, it's a denial of all that we properly stand for? As Christians, we have acknowledged the fact that salvation is by grace through faith. We have acknowledged to the world that we have no strength of our own. And yet when we.
To them, or lean upon some arm of flesh. We are forgetting that we have that fresh need of himself. And perhaps there is one more thing, too, that I could say in connection with this. It was part of the school of God with David. And sometimes, if we're not watchful, the Lord has to pass us through certain things that we have to learn through experience what we could have learned in communion with Him.
Isn't it true that we so often have to learn some lesson through a hard experience? How that we should have learned in communion, but God allows it so that no flesh should glory in His presence? You know, David had been faithful for so long.
That if God had given him the throne without this little indication of failure, David might have looked back on his past life and said, well, you know, I was so faithful, I put the Lord first, I honored him, and now see what he's done for me. He's delivered me and he's given me the throne. But as David looked back on his past life, he'd have to say when the time came that the Lord was going to give me the throne of Israel.
I had lost heart, and I was down among the Philistines. No credit to myself that I got it All. The glory must go to him, because if he hadn't intervened, I would have just ended my days there down among the Philistines. But God had his eye upon him.
No flash shall glory in his presence. He will always allow something in our most momentous and happy times in life to make us realize that we're nothing but we have no strength of our own, and that if it wasn't for his goodness and grace, we would never get to the end of the journey.
As we were, as it was brought before us last night. It's that work that's going to carry us through that priestly work, as it tells us in Peters epistle, where we have the wilderness brought before us. If the righteous with difficulty be saved, why does it say with difficulty? All because we're so prone to lean upon the flesh that if it wasn't for that one whose arms upstretched for us in sympathy and love, interceding, supplying grace to health.
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And then that other hand of advocacy that restores us when we have failed, We never get through.
We never could. We never would. But it's nice to see here at the end where we turned in First Chronicles.
First Chronicles, Chapter 29.
Isn't it lonely here to see the syrup that David displays?
Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregations. And David said, Blessed be Thou, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Thine, oh Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory and the majesty. For all that is in heaven and in the earth is thine. Thine is the Kingdom, Oh Lord, and our exalted as head above all.
Here is the same man, the one who, when faced with the giant Goliath, was able to say that this man has defied the armies of the living God. He's not going to be able to win because the Lord is going to give the victory, the same man who in a time of weakness said.
I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There's nothing better for me but to go down to the Philistine. God is passing him through things, and He's passing us through things. Brethren in our souls experience. What is it for that Christ might be all?
That we might give him the rightful place, the place that is his and his alone. As most beautiful as I read these things, to see the response at the end of David's life that he is now recognizing that everything comes from the Lord and he wants to give everything back to him, well, I think this is so lovely. He had gone out in so many battles. He had won so much.
He takes absolutely no credit to himself now.
Either for the victories he won, or for the exceeding amount of wealth that he had gathered to present to the Lord to be used for the building of the temple. He takes absolutely no credit to himself at all, everything, if he was able to give notice what he says in the.
13th verse Now therefore our God we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I? And what is my people, that we should be able so willingly to offer so willingly after this short For all things come of these and of thine home have we given thee? Isn't this the most lovely expression of thine own have we given thee? What can we return to the Lord?
Only what He gave to us all. Let us never look back upon our lives to congratulate ourselves, to think that anything that we have done has been of ourselves, or anything which for which we should take glory for ourselves. But let us trace in all His ways with us that he is seeking to teach us this, this most important lesson, this lesson that none of us could say we have learned, but I hope we can say we're learning.
And that is that we are nothing, and that we need the Lord in every situation, whatever it may be.
Whether it's the power from without, like Goliath, Goliath, or whether it's Saul from within, whether it's his own family situation, whether it's the enemies around, whatever it might be, It was all of the Lord. And if he had gained something through his life and had a desire to give it to the Lord, he said Even that he said I I'm just thankful that I'm able to give it to the Lord. He gave it to me and he gives me now the privilege.
Of returning it to him.
Where we are strangers before the insurgenters as we're all our fathers. Our days on the earth There is a shadow and there is none abiding. May we not forget this because one mentioned before all that we have is the rest of our time. Our days on earth are as a shadow. There's nothing abiding in your suite. Perhaps look forward to years to come, but as we get older we begin to realize how short time really is.
But with the Lord's coming so near, whether you're young or whether we're older, it's still true. I believe the rest of our time is short. I believe the rest of our time is soon to pass. And it says there is none abiding. Oh, Lord, our God always store that we have prepared to build the in House of nine. Holy name cometh of thee, cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. May the Lord give us grace to realize this in some measure.
01:00:22
And then there will be that which will abide in the coming day. There's nothing abides down here.
The things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal. But it tells us the world passes away, and the luster of and he that doeth the will of God abideth forever well. And brother, may the Lord help us in these experiences that he passes us through to see His purpose in them, and that we may be able to count upon him for grace for every situation.
Sometimes situations that we wonder why they're allowed, they seem so impossible and sometimes they just seem so prolonged that we say, oh, there's just no end to it. And I'm sure that was the point that David felt when he decided to go to the Philistines.
And it might be that there are some, some young people perhaps have come here and who have been disappointed or discouraged by things that have been said, things that have been gotten. Oh, may the Lord give you grace to see that he's working out his own purpose in your life, and that purpose is that you might learn.
All things come of him, and that all we can do is return to him. Now that which he gives of himself to us, we can return to Him in praise and worship and Thanksgiving. May it be so as we think of the nearness of our Lords, return.
Luke's Gospel.
This dog was a 35th verse.
Just a few thoughts bearing upon what has already been said by both speakers.
But but wisdom is justified of all her children.
And one of the Pharisees desired him, that he would eat with him, and he went into the Pharisees house and sat down to meet.
And the older woman in the city, which was a Sinner.
When she knew that Jesus sat at me in the Pharisees house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him, weeping.
And began to wash his feet with tears.
And did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet.
And anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him, for she is a Sinner.
And Jesus answering said on the end. Simon.
I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he says, Master, stay on.
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors. The one owed 500 cents and the other 50.
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.
Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
The diamond answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most.
And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon.
See if thou this woman I entered into thine house.
Thou gave us me no water for my feet.
But she has washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Thou gave us me no kiss, but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
01:05:00
My head with oil now did not annoy but this woman.
Have anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loveth much.
But to whom little is forgiven, the same lovest little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
And they that sat at need with him began to stay within themselves.
Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
And he said to the woman, Thy faith has saved thee. Go in thee.
I believe we have a picture here.
Of the kind of material that forms the Church of God.
And that is the thinner saved by grace.
And added to that, we have this center in the presence of Jesus.
Now we've noticed here.
That.
There was love of God toward her, as has been expressed in the Epistle of God.
That love of God came down in Jesus. He.
Express it.
As a man, although he is.
This woman would never have dared Andrew Simons House.
Had she not known?
Something.
Of that love.
We find this woman saying nothing.
And yet there was a direct communication between this woman and the Lord.
Our brother expressed the thought of the love of God towards us in that.
Christ died or God gave his Son for us.
Imagine after the love of God in US.
Having given us his own spirit, I realize the Spirit of God is not given until Pentecost.
That I believe we have in pictures here that which that's before us.
Something that has to do with the ways of the Kingdom of God, as we have expressed in Luke's Gospel.
And if the Spirit of God is pleased before the Spirit is given to bring these precious truths together all in one picture, we should benefit by it.
Here's a woman.
Who is a Sinner? He knows he's a Sinner.
He knows, except for Jesus, he does not belong in that house. He was not an invited guest.
But you know, she was free.
Where Jesus was.
She was free.
And decide.
There was a love of God.
In her.
There is No Fear of that judgment. She realized who he was.
He realized, I believe, that she was in the presence of God.
And you know.
God judges sin.
But this woman was at ease in his presence.
Shall I say at ease more than at ease.
She was busy with what should characterize everyone of us.
Who by nature and practice are sinners and now redeemed to God?
Her attentions were directed upon Jesus.
Diamonds attentions were directed towards the woman.
He couldn't find out all about her fault.
He knew all about this.
He knew what kind of a woman she was.
That this woman's thoughts were directed.
Jesus.
Now we find this was true.
01:10:01
And remarks were made about David.
We find David was a man after God's own heart.
And we find as we read those lovely psalms, 6 Psalm 119, for instance.
How? His heart.
Was directed.
Lord the Lord to read with Jesus.
We find that this woman was one of wisdom. Children, what does this mean?
Well, she belongs to that company who knew something about dependence upon God.
Now we're not here this afternoon to condemn Simon.
Only God knew his heart.
Perhaps Simon had realized something in his life we don't know. He invited Jesus to his house. That was something.
The motive we don't know.
He was there.
And so let's take for the moment the fact that both diamonds.
And the woman represented here this afternoon.
And the Lord says to Simon.
You know that.
40th birth.
He said.
I have somewhat to say.
Unto thee and he says, Master Seon.
All beloved.
Does the Lord have somewhat to say to us this afternoon?
I might be a diamond. You might be like the woman who could pay your attention to Jesus.
But remember this.
Lord hath something to say to Simon?
And he says master stay on.
Diamond.
Paid no attention to the Lord as to the common courtesies of that land.
And the Lord reminds him of this.
And possibly.
We have been reminded in these meetings.
Of some things that good exercise our souls.
Her beloved you and I have been called.
In the highest calling that God should ever call any of his species.
And to be together in a company like this with so many.
And have such a happy time as one thing.
But Monday morning is another thing.
And you know, the disciples are on the Mount of Transfiguration.
And everything was wonderful, and the glories were there before him.
That when they got to the bottom of the mountain, they couldn't even cast out the demons that they had the authority and power to do.
Rather than the sense of being together in these practice meetings will never give us power.
For Monday morning.
There has to be something.
Of what we see.
In this woman.
And her attention.
Only upon these.
Diamond.
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors. The one owed 500 cents.
And the other 50?
That's the largest giving Diamond the credit.
For this fifty, I don't know.
We know who owed the 500.
And as we get older, some must learn who owes a 502.
And when they had nothing to say. And that includes us all.
01:15:07
Well, they had nothing to pay.
He frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him both?
That's what we had in the Epistle of John.
Which will love him most?
Well, the one who has the sense of this and their soul.
And who is it that has a sense in their souls of loving Him most?
Is it Diamond who's occupied with the woman and her failure, or is it the woman who's occupied with only Christ?
And.
Discovering how much he's been forgiven.
Because, beloved, as we are occupied with Christ and I'll be practical in reading the gospel.
We will discover how much we owe.
Oh, how much wheel?
And he frankly forgiven it all.
And praise.
If it's right.
Will be that which rises from a heart and have a sense of this.
Of how much we owe.
The woman says nothing.
And now what did she do?
And he turned it with the woman and noticed he turned to the woman.
And he said unto Simon, See if thou this woman?
Right, that's all Simon was occupied with. And yet the Lord says, see if thou this woman.
What is he Speaking of?
Not what Simon was occupied with.
He wanted Simon to see what the woman was occupied with.
See if thou this woman.
Picture of the church now remember.
A moral picture of the church.
I entered into thine house. Thou gave us me no water from my feet.
If he has washed my feet with tears.
Wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Our brothers spoke of David, realizing that there was nothing that he could offer whatsoever of thine own have we given me?
As I known, have we given this?
And here we find this woman.
She takes all her glory.
He white his precious feet.
He couldn't walk like he walked.
Not in the measure, although we're told to walk as he walks. You know, John.
He couldn't walk in the measure in which he walks. In fact, her walk had not been good.
But you could be occupied with those fleets that had walked all the way.
To meet her.
And she could realize the value of her own soul, what he had done for her.
And so he said. He said.
Thou gave us me no kiss the seed.
Of affection.
The seal of affections.
As a little hymn says And we love thee, blessed Lord.
A return? Does he want a return of affection from his people? Indeed he does.
But this woman, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss.
My feet to kiss my feet.
My head with oil now. It's not annoying.
But this woman has anointed my feet.
With ice cream.
01:20:01
Wherefore I stay under thee hurt, then which are many are forgiven?
For she loves much.
But to whom little is forgiven? The same lovers little.
Is that the end of the story? No, beloved, because we have here a Sinner in the presence of Jesus and he's speaking directly to her at the close.
It's speaking directly to her.
And he says to her.
Thy sin.
Our forgiveness.
You know, when I was first knew the Lord, I didn't realize this.
And I prayed every night that my sins might be forgiven me.
Until I realized it all. Didn't forget.
That all been forgiven.
I knew the Lord before that, but I didn't know all my sins were forgiven.
But all our practice to be in His presence and to have him say beloved.
I speak this for some of the younger ones here.
Because I've had some gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus several.
Come to me and say I didn't know. I don't know whether I'm really saved or not.
I don't know.
Not solemn.
But in the presence of Jesus, he says to you.
Thy sins are forgiven.
#256.
Praise beside.
We also think.