Open—C. Lunden, C. Andersen
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Mr. Lido, November 1981 open meeting.
46 In the back of the book have I an object, Lord be love, which would divide my heart with thee, which would divert it's even slow in answer to thy constancy. Oh, teach me quickly to return and cause my heart a fresh to burn. 46 The back of the book.
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Joy.
When you turn with me, please, to Ephesians 3.
We'll read from the verse.
16 A part of the Apostles prayer, the second prayer in Ephesians.
That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory.
To be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love.
May be able.
To comprehend rather apprehend.
With all things, what is the breath?
Length, depth and height.
And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that she might be filled.
With all the fullness.
Of God.
Now when you turn with me to the.
Song of Solomon, please.
Chapter One.
I do not intend to read the book.
Or very much of it, but simply to point out a verse here.
And they are in connection with the subject that we read in Ephesians.
The love of Christ.
I believe rather than this subject has been before us.
And I I believe we have a little pattern here that I'd like to call attention to.
You know the Song of Solomon.
Is sort of a conversation between 2:00.
That is, the bridegroom and the bride.
The only thing is He's in heaven and the Bride is on earth.
And so is something like your pathway in mind as we go through this world?
As flavors in communion.
In communion.
We don't have anything much about sin or failure here.
But just Communion.
In this conversation, we know very well that the original intention was for Israel.
But the same principles apply to us.
Because there's only one love of Christ.
And there's only one object for the soul, whether it be for Israel or for the Church.
It's true that our portion is heavenly, our portions of the Father's house.
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But still the subject is much the same.
But we're going to speak this afternoon just briefly about that which applies to us as believers, that side of the application, shall we say, rather than the the real interpretation of the passage which might be for Israel.
So we'll read.
The first two verses of the Song of Solomon.
The Song of Songs, which is Solomon.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better.
Then why?
Solomon wrote possibly 3000 Proverbs and many, many songs.
But this is the song of songs.
This is a special song.
And the Spirit of God has given it to us, I believe.
To draw our hearts out to Christ.
And in a pattern that will progressively do so.
Can cause the flavor to grow.
In the enjoyment of communion and love.
For the Savior.
Now a kiss. And Scripture suggests assurance of love.
And that's the first thing, dear ones, that there must be if we're going to go on with God.
If we're going on with our blessed Savior, there has to be the assurance in our souls of His love for us.
And here we see the bride. She's a long way off with, say, he's up there, she's down here, and she wants this assurance of his love.
We have the truth in the New Testament that the believer is in Christ.
The Jew doesn't have that, nor did he in the Old Testament.
But you and I already know that we've been accepted in the beloved.
But we have here experience, the experience of the bride. But she wants to know.
For sure, that assurance before the path began that blessed path.
That ends in his presence.
And she says thy love is better than wine.
Now wine speaks of all earthly joys.
And may I ask my own heart this afternoon as I address you?
Is this true with you With me?
I believe that's the real subject, isn't it?
Is his love better than anything I can find in this world?
Am I going to believe this from the start or am I going to have to prove it by experience?
No doubt the believer will learn it in the end. He may try to prove it, but no doubt he'll learn it.
That his love is better than any earthly joy.
And because of thy good savor, and the savior of thy good ointment, thy name is as ointment poured. For therefore, therefore do the virgins lovely.
Not our precious name of Jesus.
Because of its character.
Is our ointment no as ointment for for?
4/4.
And so, how precious it is to carry that name as we go through this world. We may not always realize this as we go on, but just to carry that precious name is this ointment poured forth a sweet savour that follows the flavor through this world. If he's in communion.
And now she says, draw me.
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Draw me. Is that the desire of your heart this afternoon?
Draw me.
We notice the plural.
And as soon as you decide, like Ruth or Naomi, who had gone astray, as soon as she decided to return to the land, she finds she has a companion.
We.
And you are beloved. When you and I take a step that's wrong, we're going to find that we'll draw this away. But.
When we take a step, that's right, be sure this You're going to draw someone with you. That's the principle of the word of God.
And wouldn't you like to be a blessing to others?
The King hath brought me into his chambers.
And here we have gladness and rejoicing.
And now we have the remembering of that love.
But now go to the fifth verse, who won't linger.
I am black.
Oh, it's so important for us to realize this.
Will never appreciate that love that he speaks of here until we realize what we are in His presence.
And so, so she brings out here.
In this short and 5th verse I am black but comely.
How could this be?
Well, it says.
O daughters Jerusalem as the tents of Tedar.
No, I suppose what is referred to are those tents of the children of Ishmael who live in the desert, and they use the black goatskin for their tent cover. And as others who have seen it have said, it looks like a sea, a Black Sea out over the desert.
And so she describes herself in this way.
Blackness.
Nothing but blackness. Is this the way you see yourself as you realize what you are in the presence of God?
The total depravity of man. There's nothing good in US whatsoever. This is the beginning of the path of blessing, is it not?
But she had something.
Firmly as the curtains of Solomon. Think of that beautiful temple in the curtains.
Now she likened herself to what Grace is brought to her, but she doesn't hesitate to speak of it either.
You.
Now the seventh verse.
The seventh verse we have dependence.
And.
7th and 8th courses we have dependence and in the ninth verse.
We have obedience.
The two important basic principles of Christianity.
Tell me, O thou who my soul love us without.
Fetus, where thou make us thy flock to lie down.
To rest at noon.
For why should I be as one? Now I'm going to use another translation.
As one roving.
Roving.
Did you ever Rove about not knowing where to go?
Oh, there's a great deal of this today.
Going here and going there trying to find.
Something to feed on for your soul.
She says. Why should I be like such as one who's roving?
I believe this is a very important point for us to notice, especially dear young people.
I know of some who have just recently decided that they would leave the Lord's table roaming.
And there's a reason for this.
The eye is off of Christ.
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She doesn't want to take this course, So she says to him. Tell me, oh, thou whom my soul love us.
Oh, how precious it is to go on in first love, no matter how little we know to go on in first love.
To have the object and the person before our souls.
Where thou fetish, where thou makeest thy flock to rest at noon. For why should I be as one that turneth aside but the flocks of thy companions, or one that Rove?
Wanderer.
What a terrible place to be in for a Christian wandering here and there when we have a direct, absolute path laid out for us which is known in communion with a sense of Islam. And that's the only way it's known.
Now thou knowest not.
O thou fairest among women.
I want you to notice as we go on that he continually gives her to see his thoughts about her and that's what's important.
Not what our thoughts are about him, but what his thoughts are about the bride. She's not yet the bride in their full sense, but she's on her way.
Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock.
And feed thy kids beside the shepherds pants.
Well, you'll never find a place in this world, dear parents.
Or you can bring your child, your children, in safety, like you will at the Lord state.
Among the Saints.
Where his shepherds are that feed the flocks.
That's where.
She's to go.
Definite instructions here.
And immediately, he says, I've compared it.
He doesn't say I want you to be obedient to me. No, no, we don't get that in the Song of Solomon.
Because the flavor of his rightly lead, he's led by his heart, not by a whip.
It was once said you know that.
That the Lord never used his dogs for sheep.
Driver.
Some may send their sheep with dogs, but the Lord never does.
No, he says. I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses and Pharaoh's Chariots. Do you suppose that one of those horses would be out of step? Not in Pharaoh's chariot.
No, they've been trained how they've been trained.
Well, Barrow Sauce has seen to it that he has those that will train these horses.
And the believer who's in communion will be in the stride, as we have in the Old Testament those who knew how to keep rank.
Because they were in communion with the one who was leading.
Keeping it stuck. Oh how good this is.
Now that's obedience, and he doesn't say you have to do this, he says. I've compared me like this. I've compared this.
I want you to know this is the way I regard you as one who is walking in obedience.
And now we have.
The table 12Th verse, the king setting out his table.
And as a result of the walk of communion.
A walk of dependence and obedience we find despite nor flowing out.
At the table.
You know spike there are very costly and very hard to get.
It's produced from a plant that grows on the sides of the seed banks of the Indus River in India.
That's one of the places that's found and also in a certain place in Palestine.
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And those who go after it will take.
Will be let down on a rope and they'll have a sharp knife and they'll cut into this plant and they'll catch the SAP or nectar as you please.
And this is what forms this spike nard or nard that is brought in the sole valuable.
And so it says here.
While the king setteth at his table my spike, nor extended forth the smell thereof.
And so worship, then, is the result of one taking this path that we've followed so far.
If something is a result, of course, the enjoyment of the person of Christ and his love.
We won't take all these verses but it says in the 14th verse.
My beloved is unto me as a cluster of I believe it should read Henna Flowers.
Area.
A part of a.
A flower that blossoms like the snow flowing out.
I know the margin reached Cyprus, but.
I believe it's likened to a henna flower.
And in the.
Vineyards event.
The other vineyards, the Venkatar, was the place where David.
Would flee when he was haunted by Saul.
We have a picture all the way through of trials, but they don't come to the surface very much.
And you know they won't in your life either, beloved, if you're really walking in communion.
Those trials will be covered with that love.
Of Christ you'll be able to go through them triumphant.
But here we have a picture, because actually the picture before us in this book is the Great Tribulation.
If we don't see much of that here, do we?
No, it's a little remnant in the enjoyment of his love as they pass through the deep trials.
And the picture before us here in this verse.
Is like David and his men hundreds of Saul, And at the bottom of this?
Side of the mountain were the vineyards going almost down to the sea.
And at the top of the caves, the rocks of the wild go.
And that's where David was haunted by Saul. That's where he hit.
That's the picture we have here.
In the midst of trial.
The beloved was like this.
My beloved is unto me as a cluster of comfort in the vineyards of an Gita.
Right in the midst of trial, Christ was precious in this way.
Who's the one who who sustained the one who was being tried?
Under these circumstances.
And what the result?
15 first.
His answer, my beloved.
Behold, art there, my love, Behold, art there thou hast dove's eyes.
That is, guys that will look all the way home. That's the character of the Dove.
They have eyes that can see afar off.
That has other characteristics too, as we might notice. But eyes you can see all the way home, as it were, by faith.
That's the way he looks at her.
Thou art dear my love, Behold art fear. Thou art Stubbs eyes.
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Now she answers in the second chapter that she says.
I am the Rose of Sheriff. Really A Lily.
And the Lily of the city? No, the Lily of the valley.
Oh, what a difference.
No, you and I don't belong in the city. These people belong to the valley outside of the city, away from.
Contamination of this world. We belong outside in the valleys.
She recognizes this as a result of being in his presence.
And she's not in hesitate to say what he's already told her that she is. She doesn't have the faith.
Cool. And so he answers and he says as the Lily among thorns. Oh, she's going through trials.
So is my love among the daughters.
He answers.
She answers again.
As the apple tree.
Or a certain tree that's in that place, that is.
Has a special fruit that's most precious, she likens him, in contrast to the ordinary trees.
To this, and then she sets down under his shadow, under his shadow with great delight.
And the fruit was sweet to her taste.
Now we have She has his support in the sixth verse.
The support of his affections.
And as a result of all this.
We find in the eighth verse.
The voice of my beloved, Behold, he cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
My beloved is like a roar, a young heart. Behold his standards. Behind our wall he looked forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice.
Not a clearer view yet.
No, she's down here and he's up there. But just a little glimpse of his person down there. Oh, our precious as we go through this wilderness.
And now he's speaking to her.
And what he's talking about, notice?
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Is it not that which is constantly before us as our hope to get that in Ephesians, the 4th chapter? One hope. And that's the Lord's coming. And He would constantly remind us of this because we won't be here long.
Tell me to take us home.
And you know, when the little remnant of Israel oftentimes you'll find in Isaiah, they don't give up.
They say How long?
That's the remnant. How long?
How long, O Lord? It will be long, and he will be here.
14 First has been commented on today.
Oh, my God. Bowed in the clefts of the rock. But oh, how often we need this assurance, not only of that precious blood and that fierce inside, but the constant sense that we're in His hands. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
In the most trying circumstances, this is true. There's never a moment and you can say he's not near me. Oh, there might be a time when you'll feel that he's far off, that you can never say he's not near me.
Is that my right hand? I cannot be moved.
What Scripture says.
The 15 first has been commented on.
The foxes. Oh, how the slightest little thing will break communion.
The slightest little thing will break communion.
And then the joy goes with it.
And now, she says, my beloved is mine.
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How many things in this world do you this afternoon say, well, this is mine, or that is mine, or the other thing is mine?
But the point is.
Do you put anything, any of these things ahead of the Lord Jesus or you say no, I wouldn't do that, but now just just check up for a moment and see whether you would or not.
You know all of us here were just singing that little hymn have iron object Lord below that would divide my heart with thee. But I asked was I singing it from my heart for you?
Have I an object, Lord, for law, that would divide my heart with thee?
Is this real with me?
The ride is being tested. As far as Israel is concerned, so are you, and so am I.
And then we have.
My beloved is mine and I am his defeated. Among where? In the city? No, among the lilies. In the valley, of course. That's his people.
That's his people.
If you want to find him, you'll find him with his people.
So you'll find it.
He loves his people.
And then she says, until the Daybreak and the shadows flee away. Turn my beloved or return my beloved.
Just keep returning. Just keep coming back all the time. I don't want you to leave me. That's the spirit of you this afternoon.
You know, this is what we need and have to have, because otherwise we'd get lost, wouldn't we, if he didn't return?
We can never keep ourselves.
Return my beloved towards you. Come back again soon.
By night, on my bed, I saw him.
Have you ever grown dark in your soul as to the spiritual things?
A little later we find her going to sleep, but here are things have just grown dark by night.
And your path gets sort of hard because everything is so dark and you don't know what to do.
And besides, you get mixed up on scripture. All these things come in at once in your soul.
I know young people like that right now.
I've had several young people breaking bread and said to me, brother London, I'm not saved.
Not saying.
The world.
Darkness came in.
They're upset. Why?
Oh, that bright, precious object wasn't before their soul, the love of Christ.
Something else came in.
The foxes had been to work.
Something grown dark, never experienced that.
Now where did she go?
Just where she shouldn't go.
Oh, I've got it here sometime just to stand still.
As God tells his people in Isaiah.
Stand still and see the salvation of God. But no, she goes to the city.
And that's the last place you should go to the city.
She couldn't find him there. The pool she find in the city. The watchman.
Thank God for the Watchmen, because the watch will stop you from going any further.
And if the watchman stops, you'll be sure and thank God for it.
Thank God for the Watchmen.
He may employ anyone who pleases to be a watchman, but thank God for the watchman.
She fides in.
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Now in the 4th chapter.
Behold our fear, my love, Behold our fear, thou hast doves eyes.
Within thy locks.
We have two things here.
Dove's eyes would speak to us further.
Not only of eyes that would see all the way home as in the first chapter, but.
The eyes that would always keep her keep on their mate wherever he goes.
Follow him. That's keeping the eye upon Christ.
But coupled with that, we have the eyes looking through the locks.
That's modesty.
And that's what becomes the child of God.
Modestly the locks.
You couldn't do that if you didn't have locks, did you? Could you?
And you know, we have here the one who's the bride of Christ.
And now I just say this, that when God made man, He made man and woman. And each one is supposed to keep their own character.
Because it's a picture of Christ in the church.
And you know, just as the woman was necessary for the first creation, the woman is necessary for the new creation.
That's why we have this book.
Oh, what a day was coming.
When Christ with his companion will go out over the whole scene of the inheritance.
In companionship.
What a day that will be.
Thou hast dove's eyes within thy locks.
Than thy locks.
Now I don't want to take too much more time but.
In the sixth verse.
We have the Daybreak again.
In view, looking on, of course, to the blessed hope.
Until the Daybreak and the shadows flee away. The shadows, you know, buddy of shadows, that they're going to flee away.
The Lord says here, bridegroom, I will get me to the mountain of Myrrh.
To the hill of frankincense. What's that? Well, I take it to be beloved.
As we may be privileged to gather around our blessed Savior in Lord's Day morning.
He regards it as a hill of frankincense and that's where he's going to be. Are you going to be there?
Are you going to be there?
I'll tell you what, if you're there, this is what you're going to hear from his lips.
Let's read it.
As a result of that, our presence of worship myrrh and frankincense.
He's going to say to you.
Thou art fair. No, no, no. Thou art all fair, my love. There's no spot in me.
No spot. Oh, he loves to come to that, to that place, until the shadows flee away.
So on I will get me to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense, and there he's going to tell his pride.
Thou art all fair, my love.
There's no spot in there.
But now they're dangerous along the road.
And that great Mount Hermon, with its various peaks, suggest to us the great things of this world that attract the heart of the believer as he passes through it.
But we have.
We have the spirit of God showing us here how love draws the heart from such things. And so it says here on the part of the bridegroom, come with me from Lebanon from Lebanon. Come with me from Lebanon.
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He doesn't go. It's come with me from Lebanon. He's drawing our hearts away from that which would otherwise be a danger to us.
From the lion's den and from the mountains of the leopards.
How many things there are in this world that would attract the natural heart because we have a nature, you know. Still, it can be attractive.
We suppose that there is communion.
But if the will goes to work, if the eye goes after an object like that, there's danger of being turned aside. That's all, he says. Come with me from.
Lebanon my spouse.
And then he says, Thou ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse, thus ravished my heart, with thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck, and so on.
Value gives a description of his bride as he.
A fuller description than we have elsewhere of his thoughts of his pride.
And if we went on, which we won't, you'll find that she gives a description of what she thinks about him.
But only after she's been aroused after a sleep.
And with the daughters of Jerusalem, awaken her to realization of.
What he is to her until she finally answers.
In the 16th verse of the of the 5th chapter.
She says.
His mouth is most sweet. Yay, he is altogether lovely.
All the other lovely.
This is my beloved and this is my friend.
All Daughters of Jerusalem.
And so we see in these few thoughts how that.
The Lord Jesus is drawing us to heaven.
Not with a whip, but with our hearts.
Destroying our hearts.
In companionship down through this world of shadows as we have it here.
Until the Daybreak.
He's drawing us by our hearts.
Home to the father's house.
In companionship with himself.
Ephesians chapter 4.
Our brother referred to keeping ranked connection with Pharaoh's Chariots.
And I believe this is.
What we have in Ephesians 4 the subject of keeping rank.
I therefore the prisoner of the Lord.
Beseech you that you walk worthy of the location where with your calls.
With loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering.
Bearing one another in love.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit.
In the bond of peace.
The unity of the spirit.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit.
It will take endeavor, it will take exercise of soul.
To keep the unity of the spirit.
The apostle speaks of our vocation here.
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And exhorting us to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we're called, well, what is that vocation?
Many people have vocations.
They have different occupations, different things that they're occupied with, responsible for.
Each one has a kind of a job or work, and they speak of it as a vocation. Whatever they're doing, whatever is their responsibility in life.
What's the main object in their life?
But we've been called into one body. We read that in Colossians A1, body calling is what we have.
And the Lord expects us to walk worthy of that calling.
And everyone who is saved is a member of the body of Christ.
And he has the same calling.
We're all responsible to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit.
In the uniting bonds of peace.
Now there is one body we read here.
And we have nothing to do with forming the one body.
That's the work of God by the Holy Spirit for by 1.
Spirit he baptized all into one body.
But how do we act in light of that?
Now, what is the center of this unity that's spoken of here?
We've had much of that before us today.
Being centered on Christ.
Cleaving to Christ, Looking to Christ.
Having him as the object of our hearts, that's how we started out this meeting.
A vine object, Lord below, which would divide my heart with thee.
That's a very solemn question, an important question.
And everyone of us.
Fraught with weakness.
And it's so easy for us to be diverted from the Lord Jesus Christ as the center of our life.
As the main attraction for our living.
When we were in England we saw some signs along the road which said diversion.
Over here we might see the word detour.
And their forces at work in our Christian lives to divert us.
Or to detour us, to get us away from that one object, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We don't want any diversions in our lives. We don't want any detours.
Perhaps we've had detours, more or less all of us.
Minor or major? But it's always a sad time when we're on a detour.
How we need grace to keep our eye upon the Lord Jesus Christ because she is the center of this unity that we're speaking about here.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit.
What the Holy Spirit doing?
He's pointing us to Christ.
He's occupying us with Christ.
You could not have gotten saved unless the Holy Spirit pointed you to the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
He was the one that was at work. God find his spirit was working.
Point you to the Lord Jesus Christ to save showing you that He you are a Sinner.
Because the Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and he must show you that you're a Sinner, that you're unholy.
And the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and He must show you.
That you've gone astray like a sheep gone astray, away from God, away from the truth.
The Spirit of God reminds the Sinner of these things.
And sets before him the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, his only hope, his only salvation.
Well, I'd like to turn to the book of the Acts.
And see what they did in the beginning.
We must remember that the Church in the beginning did not have these epistles of the Apostle Paul.
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They had no word like this put into their hands.
Well, how did it workout did the endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the beginning of the Church as we read of it in the book of the Acts?
Well, let's go over to the book of Acts then.
And see what they were doing.
If they didn't have the word.
The revelation that's given to the Apostle Paul, What did they do?
Well, they had the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost and formed the assembly.
United all of those believers there in the upper room into one body.
Later on, a few more, several more, several thousand were saved. The number came to be about 3000 that were saved, and we read of that in the second chapter of Acts.
And how did they behave themselves?
Well, they had been acted upon by the Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit was in command using those men to preach the gospel, and souls were saved.
And he didn't leave them there, but brought them together.
Brought them together according to what had happened, that they were all.
Members of one body.
And so that's what we find here in the second chapter of Acts.
We read in verse 44 and all that believed were together.
All that believed were together.
Now I don't know what kind of prejudices existed amongst those Jews and those days.
There could have been those things that would have caused them to form shepherd groups.
But no, they were so under the power of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God, so occupying them with the Lord Jesus Christ, the center of that unity, that they were together.
Spirit of God was holding them together by occupying them all with the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it says they have all things common.
They had all things common. What? What a power was prevailing that day, The Spirit of God at work to keep them all together and to lead them on.
In a way that they have all things common.
They didn't have a special word from the apostle Paul's. Exhort them to this.
But the Spirit of God was there.
And they were acting according to the principal put before them by the Holy Spirit.
But there is one Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, because you can see that they were very much occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ.
But we might Passover this.
And say, well, they were all Jews and they would surely be together because they were all one race of people.
But now we find later on that there are others that are coming in.
If we go over to.
A little further in the book of Acts.
We read in the 4th chapter. We'll just look at this a little further because they were still all Jews in the church, in the assembly, in the body of Christ.
In the 4th chapter of Acts.
In verse 31.
It says. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together.
They were assembled together. They continued on that way, assembling together.
Not forming divisions or parties.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.
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And they speak the word of God with boldness.
So they have the Holy Spirit, and they hide the word of God too.
Now they didn't have the word of God as we have it, but they had the Old Testament scriptures, and there were many principles of God set forth in the Old Testament, and the Spirit of God would guide them by those scriptures.
And it says they speak the word of God with boldness. Well, they had been given the word of God on the day of Pentecost, the gospel that should be preached.
So that is what they were speaking with wholeness too.
But notice they were assembled together. They were still going on together.
Let us go over to the 8th chapter.
Persecution sets in.
And Saul of Tarsus is leading the persecution against the believers.
Says in verse one, and Saul was consenting unto his death, that is, to the death of Stephen. Stephen had been stowed.
And what was Stephen being stoned for? Because in his message he was pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And they wouldn't have it.
The last witness, really, to those unbelieving Jews.
Here was Stephen's testimony, and they didn't want it.
And they were really saying to this messenger that God had sent.
That the Spirit of God had raised up because he was a man full of the Holy Ghost and faith.
And he spoke in the power of the Spirit of God, and it was really the Holy Spirit speaking through Stephen.
To these people and they wouldn't have it.
They stoned him. We will say we will not have this man that is Jesus to reign over us.
So they did away with Stephen, and Saul of conscious was right there witnessing the whole thing, and it looked like he was a sort of a captain over the thing.
But he went on, and Saul was consenting to the death of Stephen.
And then there was a great persecution that arose against the assembly.
Now the assembly was going to find out what persecution was.
And there were those that were taken, and it says in verse three. As for Saul, he made havoc of the assembly, entering into every house and hailing men and women committed them to prison. A real testing time. What? What would they do now?
All they would cleave to Christ. They would cleave to himself and trust him to take care of them.
But the Lord had a purpose of love and grace in this persecution.
You couldn't frustrate God's purpose by persecuting the church because they were scattered here and there when they were persecuted. And it says here in verse five, Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ on to them.
To Samaria.
The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritan.
This would pose a problem, surely it would. But remember God was over this and the Spirit of God was at work. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit was hovering over the whole scene, just like in the beginning.
The Spirit of God grew upon the waters.
Because it was not only God.
And the Son, the Creator of the Holy Spirit, was there too in the beginning of creation.
And the restoration of this whole seed.
So the Holy Spirit was now brooding over the assembly and watching everything.
Philip went down and preached Christ to those of Samaria.
What happened? Well, there were some that were saved.
And it says verse 12, that when the Glee Philip preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women.
01:10:08
Verse 14.
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem.
Heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John, who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost, for yet he was falling upon none of them. Only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then laid, there's their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost.
This must have been an amazing thing to Philip.
And Peter and John.
But the Spirit of God was at work, keeping in control of everything.
And the apostles sent down Peter and John.
The Spirit of God leads them, guided them, kept all in control.
There were subjects guided by the Spirit of God.
And then?
They laid their hands on them.
And they received the Holy Ghost.
Now, you might ask, Well, why should they lay their hands on them?
This must have been very necessary.
For these Jewish men, these Jewish brethren.
To lay their hands on them as a sign of identification with them.
This was a sign that these believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Were the same as those at Jerusalem.
There was an identifying there of those of Jerusalem. Were those believers in Samaria?
And it's really a precious thing to see how the spirit of God was in control here.
To avoid.
A division because it could have been very possible.
That there might have been a Jewish church and a Samaritan church, but this was not according to the mind of God.
All one body.
That's what God wanted. One body. Not several bodies. Just one body.
I believe if we read the book of Acts more in the light of this, if Christendom would read it in this light.
They would be convicted about all the different divisions. There are sex and denominations.
What a side side travesty.
Tragic thing to see.
The Saints of God divided up, they sent divide the body of Christ.
We're still all one.
But outwardly divided.
And the spirit of God was sowing control and at work here to avoid it, to avert this, this kind of sad thing.
Remember they didn't have this course of scriptures that we read in Ephesians 4 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, but the Spirit of God was just leading them in this.
To make them sense is to make them understand this, that this was God's mind.
That all believers should be one in Christ Jesus.
Well, we might say, well, that wasn't such such a serious thing, a difficult thing. But when we come to Chapter 10 of Acts, then the Gentiles are brought in and what's going to happen? What's going to happen now when the Gentiles start to come in?
We have a lot said in connection with the conversion of the Gentiles.
And we have the Lord dealing with Peter in a very special way in this matter.
We notice about Cornelius.
Verse one of chapter 10 there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much arms to the people and prayed to God always.
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But he didn't know the Lord Jesus Christ. He hadn't heard the gospel.
He saw in a vision, evidently about the 9th hour of the day an Angel of God coming into him, saying unto him, Cornelius.
And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine arms are come up for memorial before God.
And now send men to Joppa. Call for one Simon whose surname is Peter. He lodges with one Simon of China, whose house is by the seaside. He shall tell thee what thou Artest to do.
And when the Angel who spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually. And when he declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
And while they were on their way.
The Lord was dealing with Peter to prepare him for this. Peter needed to be prepared for this.
Because it would be a real test for Peter. It would be a real test for any Jew who had anything to do with this.
And so they were on their journey.
And Peter in verse 9 says went to the up to the housetop to pray.
And became very hungry and would have eaten.
But while they were making ready, fell into a trance.
And he saw heaven open.
And a certain vessel descending unto him, as had been a great sheet knit at the four corners.
And let down to the earth. I remember this sheet came from heaven.
Down to the earth.
Wherein were all manner 4 footed beasts of the earth, wild beasts, and creeping things and fowls of the air?
And there came a voice to him.
Peter rise, Peter kill and eat, but Peter said not so, Lord.
Not so long either. A lesson to learn. God was speaking to him. He was getting the word of God.
But he says not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.
And the voice speak unto him again the second time, what God hath cleansed that call not thou common?
This was what he was to learn.
That he was not to call.
The gentile who had believed?
Common or unclear, you had to learn this lesson.
That if God had cleansed him, he was not unclean.
This was done twice. Why three times? Peter needed it because he needed to be completely convinced by God.
And he did submit to what God showed him.
The Spirit of God was still at work.
The vessel was received up again into heaven.
Well, while Peter doubted.
About all of this, well, these emissaries from Cornelius came.
And.
Peter went along with them.
So we come down further in the chapter.
And after they launched the night.
Peter went away with them. We read in verse 23.
And certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. Now remember that.
Peter was not alone here.
Two were sent down to Samaria, the mouth of two or three witnesses. Shall everything be established here? There were certain brethren that went with Peter, and we need to remember this, because it's very important when this whole thing comes, comes to the attention of the assembly at Jerusalem.
And tomorrow after they entered the intercessory.
And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen, dear friends.
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And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him. The.
Peter. Peter took them up saying stand up. I myself also my man. And as you talked with him, you went in and found many that were come together.
And now he just opens his heart to them.
He said unto them, Ye know how that it is unlawful thing for a man, that is it you to keep company, or come in unto one of another nation. But God has showed me, that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you, without gain shape.
Well, and cornices tell us about the experience that he had.
In verse 33 says, now, therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded to see of God, many preaches the gospel right there in the House of Cornelius.
And he preaches the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He preaches the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he preaches forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth.
In him shall receive remission of sins, and what happens?
As soon as they hear the message.
Of forgiveness of sins through the death, the shedding of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And believe it, the Spirit of God comes upon them.
They receive the Spirit of God.
And.
Then which heard the word, fell on all of them that heard the word there.
And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished. As many as came with Peter, Yes, they were astonished.
These were gentiles that this was happening to.
And it was a new thing.
But God, by his Spirit was in control of this.
And he just overruled in it all.
There were stunning as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
Now the next chapter tells about.
What goes on at Jerusalem?
And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles have also received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him.
They contended with him.
Trouble. Now there's a problem here. Is there going to be a division, A Jewish church and a Gentile church?
They say thou wentest into men uncircumcised, and did eat with them. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saved, and explained how God dealt with him, giving them what God told him, the word of God.
And telling how the Spirit of God was at work.
Further down the chapter.
Verse 12 And the spirit bad me go with them.
Nothing doubting. Moreover, these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house.
7.
Why 7?
Because this was such an important matter.
That God by his spirit saw to it that there was not only Peter.
But six other brethren with him Jews to witness this whole thing?
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God was in control. God was in command by his Spirit.
And they were being carried along by the Spirit, and they, under the power of the Spirit of God, were keeping the unity of the Spirit.
And he showed us how he had seen an Angel in his house.
Which stood and said unto him, cement a job, and called for Simon, whose surname is Peter.
Well, he tells them the whole thing, and they listen. And they accepted verse 18. When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying then as God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Oh, lovely to see this. How God was caring for his assembly.
To keep it all together. To keep all these believers going on together as one body, members of one body. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the uniting bond of peace.
This and this a pattern for us here.
Did certainly for something for us to look at and learn from.
I said at the beginning, the Lord Jesus Christ is the center of this unity.
Because the Holy Spirit is always pointing to Christ.
And we need to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is what we might call. In one sense, he's the hub around whom all the Saints are gathered. He's the one centered to whom all the Saints cleave, and if we're cleaving to him.
Really exercised about this.
Brought by the spiritual keepers together.
But if the flesh begins to work.
And instead of having Christ before us.
We become fleshly minded and act in the flesh.
We're going to have problems.
All that God find his grace.
May enable us to keep our eye upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
I've used this illustration quite often we've.
Might imagine that we have a large wheel laid down in this room, and there's room for us all to sit on that wheel, Some perhaps sitting out on the rim of the wheel, most sitting on the spokes. But there's the hub in the middle, which represents the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, if we want to get closer together, what should we do?
Move down the sports.
Toward the hub and we'll get closer together.
The closer we all get to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The closer we'll be together, and isn't this the mind of the Spirit of God, that we should be close to Christ so that we might be close together all, may we pray for grace, that this might be so along us.