Open—C. Lunden, G. Hayhoe, P. Glading
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General Meetings. Toledo, November 1971. Open meeting.
When you turn this knee to the 12Th chapter of John, please.
00:05:10
I.
The 23rd verse.
And Jesus answered them, saying, the hours come, that the Son of Man should be glorified.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die. It abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be.
If any man serve me, him will my father honor.
The chapters that go along with the 17th chapter, which are sometimes spoken of as the Upper Room ministry.
Bring the person of the Lord Jesus before us.
Now this chapter really is the ending.
Perhaps of his public ministry.
And it's the it's the Greeks or Gentiles that come and inquire that they would like to see Jesus.
Jesus.
Oh, what a precious thought, dear brethren, to see Jesus. And so we find that the Lord instructs them that when he's gone, they will see him, but in a different way when the Spirit comes.
And that's been our privilege in these meetings to see Jesus.
It's been expressed in the heap in the book of Hebrews, the second chapter, but we see Jesus.
Made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. Crowned with glory and honor. That's where he is now.
Our brother has been speaking to us about new creation. We have that here.
The corn of wheat falling into the ground and dying.
But it does not abide alone.
And the kind of fruit that's brought forth is just like itself, just like himself.
And how was this? We've had it before us in the meetings.
There's no corruption there.
No, it's all new creation.
It's like himself. The fruit is just like the seed that was planted.
And so he speaks here of glory.
Glory.
Well, in this passage, we're not taken back to our sins.
We're not taken back to our history, but the believer is seen identified with one who has gone down into death and has come up like a corn of wheat that fell into the ground and died.
And so we have new, new creation, We have resurrection life here to start with, and I'd like to associate that with discipleship in the next few verses.
Now we find that the Lord Jesus gave himself.
He spent everything that he had, we learned.
In the 13th of Matthew for that Pearl of great price.
And he appeals to our hearts in these scriptures.
Is there going to be a return to him? And so he says.
He that loveth his life, this life.
Shall lose it.
Lose it.
I remember a young man who began by.
Preaching the gospel in the street, attending the meetings.
Taking part.
In various activities connected with the Saints.
But gradually he began to take up with things outside.
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And now he's an old man, he has a family.
Growing up in the world, you can't speak to them of the things of Christ.
He lost his life.
He lost it.
But not in the sense of this.
No, it says here.
He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
He loved his life in this world.
But he lost it, and it says here he that hateth it.
She'll keep it until life eternal.
The Lord Jesus gave himself for us.
Now what is the natural?
Thing for one, who has that new nature to do to respond?
Well, to forfeit this present life and all that nature would suggest to us for the one who gave everything for us.
I'm going to Dutch just on a few points this afternoon in these various chapters.
And this is the first one.
The first one is.
That new creation and discipleship in response to it, if you'll turn with me to Luke.
To a verse in connection with this in the 9th chapter.
The 57th verse.
And it came to pass.
That as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man have not where to lay his head.
And he said unto another, Follow me. And he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my Father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou, and preach the Kingdom of God. Another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, his fit.
For the Kingdom of God. Now it seems to be that what we have here is fitness for the Kingdom of God.
Fitness for the Kingdom of God.
I suppose this passage, this last verse, is taken from the history of Elijah and Elijah.
As Elijah comes out of the country, he finds Elijah plowing.
Now that act speaks typically of repentance. Valleys, ditches, trenches, plowing, all speak of repentance, state of soul ready for the water and the blessing that God has.
He cast his mantle upon him, and he runs the following.
But.
He says let me go.
Bid my mother and father farewell, or kiss my father and mother. Which is the real the same meaning?
He says, go back again, what have I done to thee?
He went back.
Nor did he do.
He slew the oxen with which he had been plowing.
He brings death, beloved, upon everything that belonged to his former corpse.
Why There's a new life, new creation?
And now what does he do? He takes the oxen, and he takes the instruments of the oxen, and he makes a fire, and he.
Prepares the flesh for meat for the people of God. That's the ministry of grace.
That's what you and I should be occupied with, beloved. The Ministry of Grace. As has been suggested in these meetings, we're sent here.
We're not just left here. And what is our ministry, Grace?
Grace And so we find then that as soon as he does all this, he turns his back on his father and mother.
Now of course Scripture doesn't suggest that we dishonor our Father, Mother, but the point is that the issues of the Kingdom of God come first.
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First, oh how we need to learn this beloved first.
Are we occupied with that which belongs to the present, or that which belongs to that eternal day that lies ahead that we've heard so much about in these meetings?
I'm not going to say anymore about that, but we'll turn now to John 13.
These chapters have often been opened up to us and I only want to point to a verse or two in each of these chapters.
In this chapter we have cleansing. First we have new creation, and then we have discipleship, and now we have cleansing.
And so.
It says in this chapter.
The fourth verse will not read only a part. He rises from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself.
After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel or with he was girded.
Then cometh he to Simon Peter, and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, that thou shalt know hereafter.
Peter said unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus said unto him, He that is washed needeth not saved to wash his feet, but is clean every width and year clean, but not all.
Verse 13.
Ye call me Master and Lord, and you say, well, for so I am.
If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet.
Ye also ought to wash one another's feet, for I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.
Now, Peter.
Thought the Lord was Speaking of cleansing him in another way.
He was thinking of the literal side of things, of washing his feet and the Lord to stoop to do this. He wouldn't have it.
But when he tells them that he won't have any part with him if he doesn't, then perhaps the light is beginning to breakthrough to Peter.
Oh yes, we have to have our ways cleansed down here. Now how are our ways cleansed?
Well, I'll read a verse in the next chapter that will tell us.
In the in the no. The 15th chapter and the.
15th chapter.
And the third verse.
Now you're clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Now I know that applies to salvation too, but it applies to the cleansing of our ways.
The word which I have spoken unto you.
And so we find then, that the means of cleansing our ways is the Word of God.
We find the exercises, the disciples, that they do this to one another, that they wash one anothers feet.
Now, this wasn't a literal washing of the feet, necessarily.
There's certainly nothing wrong with that.
To stooping down and taking a low place. But the point here is.
That which we learn for our souls. Blessing.
Oh, how good it is that we are taught to love one another, but we are also taught to wash one another's feet.
The way of correction is the way of life.
And beloved, do I resist correction?
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Oh, you say? Well, I'd take it from an older brother.
I heard a brother say not long ago, he's not going to correct me, I'm older than he is.
Is that the Spirit of Christ, beloved?
No.
No.
Way of life, the way of correction, the way of life.
Oh, how blessed the end that's in view.
And so.
You call me Master and Lord 13 first you say, well, for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet.
You also ought to wash one another's feet, for I have given you an example that she should do as I've done unto you.
Now read the 17th verse.
If you know these things.
Happy are you if you do them.
Now we turn to the next chapter.
In this chapter we have communion.
The person himself leading us into the Father's house.
Oh, how blessed this is.
Now I'm not going to read much in this chapter, I'm just going to read the start with the 21St verse.
He that hath my commandments and keepeth them.
Here it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest.
Myself to him.
Judas saith unto him, Not a scary at Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loved me.
He will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.
Blessed abode this is.
Experienced in the first chapter of John, when the disciples say, Master, we're dwellest thou. And he says, come and see. Have you ever come to see?
Have you ever had the experience of the first chapter of John's Gospel? Come and see.
Oh, what a what a privilege. Now I know it's individual in John.
Primarily.
What a privilege we've had this morning together.
But there must first be the individual.
Enjoyment of Christ in the soul.
And so in the first chapter of John.
They, their hearts, have been drawn to the person, just as in this chapter.
And they said, Master, where dwellest thou? Where do you live? He says, Come and see. And they abode with him that day, it says.
Bless a day, precious day.
To have the person of Christ before us.
In Communion Fellowship.
Oh, it's his desire that we might have this as our continual experience.
Not just for an hour.
And you, dear young people, we're not speaking especially to young people this afternoon.
Have you ever tried when you come home from school or from the job and you older ones do slip in your room and get down your knees just for a minute, Just for a minute? Have you done it to keep in touch, to keep happy in your souls? Have you done it?
This is the secret, beloved, and fellowship and communion.
Awful.
Remember the Prophet.
Who came to the great woman in the 4th chapter of Second Kings? He came once, and then pretty soon, it says, as often as he came, as often as he came.
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Is it so with us?
Well, we have then Communion.
Here and is connected with the Father's house.
Now we notice the order here first. There's a new life in the 12Th chapter.
Then there's discipleship.
Then there's cleansing.
And what is the cleansing do? Well, it was a custom in that land and perhaps still is, that if you went to visit someone, they would wash your feet.
Why? To cleanse all the defilement from the road that you've traveled.
But that wasn't all. To refresh you. To refresh you.
Now we'll go back just for a moment to that thought of refreshment.
Do you think a sheep is happy if it's defiled?
No.
A pig might be, but not a sheep.
But all when the sheep is cleansed, it's happy.
Refreshment. Is there something, beloved on my conscience this afternoon? On your conscience?
That hasn't been judged.
Has someone spoken to you and you won't have it?
Well, you can't go on refreshed in your spirit to enjoy the things of the Father's house.
That are spoken of in the 17th of John. You can't do it.
Why, oh Holy Father, we have in the 17th of John.
Keep to thine own name, those that thou hast given me.
Holy Father.
There is no communion outside of holiness, beloved.
And it's reversed due there's no holiness outside of communion.
Again, we speak of that new creation.
And what belongs to it, its character is that, and it was manifested in the person of the Lord Jesus when he was here.
Not His glory, as will be exhibited in that coming day, but His nature.
In his character.
Oh, how beautiful to trace these things.
These moral glories in the Gospels as well as in the types of the Old Testament.
Well then we've spoken of communion and it says.
We'll make our abode with him.
You know we're going to make our abode up there in the coming day with him.
We're going to be with Christ in glory. We're going to be in the Father's house.
Are we going to wait until then to enjoy that fellowship and communion? No, he says.
Keep my commandments.
And this will be the result.
The Walking in obedience and dependence. Then He comes down and the Father comes down to make their abode with us down here. Until that day when we go up there. Is that going to be your experience in mind?
Now we go to the 15th chapter.
Verse 3.
Now we have the subject of fruit bearing, because, you know, beloved, fruit bearing follows communion.
Just as it does in this order.
A new life discipleship.
Cleansing Communion.
Fruit bearing. Fruit bearing.
Verse four, I should have said.
Now we have 3 abides here. The first one is in the fourth verse, Abide in me.
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And I in you O what nearness He's not talking about when we get to glory, he's talking about now.
Abide in me and I and you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself.
Except to abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. Now they're in communion. Nice. As you abide there, you abide there.
No fruit unless you abide there.
Oh, precious fruitberry, the result of communion.
Not abide in this doctrine or those set of rules. Abide in me. Oh how sweet this is.
A precious abide in me.
Aren't we in Christ? All right? Abide in the sense of it now, in your soul, by faith.
Read the scriptures prayer.
Abide in me.
Now in the.
Seventh verse. Well, we read the 6th.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. This is solemn, isn't it?
It doesn't say if ye, it says if a man.
If a man.
You know.
In a day like this, when?
Things are getting lighter and lighter in a spiritual way. Sometimes there are those who slip in among the Saints.
And pretend to be real, Judas did.
I remember 1 morning after the breaking of bread.
I noticed a young man who was not in the assembly where we were, but he was visiting with his parents.
And I knew that that there was something wrong with this young man.
I didn't know what it was.
But I know that the word of God has power.
And so at the close of the meeting, he tried to get out.
Before anyone could reach him and I reached him before he got away.
And this is what I said to him.
If you live after the flesh, he shall die, and this is eternal death.
He broke down and he confessed the life of sin.
But he's still gone. He's still living a life of sin.
But he was breaking bread for a good many years.
If you live after the flesh, ye shall die.
Eternal death. Oh, how solemn.
Here's the branch.
The man abide not in me is cast forth as a branch. Now I'm not going to pass judgment on this young man.
But it's an example, a picture to us.
Of one.
Who manifest by his ways that he's not real never come back as far as I know.
He's still living in that kind of a life. Wickedness.
It is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
That's the final end of that course. There are steps here, but there's a final end to it.
So it was with Judas.
But you know, there are also things that come into our lives that.
Where we may slip away and have to be brought back through.
Through this gracious.
Washing of the feet.
The flying of the Word of God to our consciences.
And we should be able to admonish one another. We should be in that state of soul.
So that we might continue in communion, we might be restored to communion and continuing communion.
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That there might be fruit. Now this chapter speaks of fruit.
More fruit.
And much fruit.
Fruit. More fruit, Much fruit. How is it with us?
Well, now we have if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Do we have our prayers answered, or is it because we ask amiss to consume it upon our lusts, as James says?
Do we have the happy, the joy in our souls?
I'm seeing our prayers answered. Do we, beloved?
Well, here's the order, isn't it? Oh blessed, the word of God is how perfect the order. New life, discipleship, cleansing, communion, fruit bearing prayers answered.
Living in the good of Christianity, shall we say? I know the fullness of Christianity isn't brought out in John. It's the beginnings, though, And that's what we need, isn't it? To be exercised about these beginnings.
Here it is, my father glorified that she bare much fruit. How? Well, now we're asking. And now we're bearing much fruit asking, and our prayers are answered.
So shall ye be my disciples.
Now the ninth verse.
That little word continue is the same word there as abide.
You get the IT referred to in the following verse.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you.
Abide ye in my love. Abide ye in my love.
And now how are we going to abide in His love?
Well, it explains it then in the next verse.
Our perfect How beautiful, how simple Scripture is for the heart that wants to learn.
The truth of God.
If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. Now. Is there anything simpler than that for our souls this afternoon?
And he tells us, as his commandments are not grievous.
So to abide then in his love.
Now, whether you think of it in the sense of being loved yourself by Christ, or whether you think of the love as that very love, that with which He loved Christ as He went through this world, they're both beautiful to think of. He loves us, but the Father loves us just as He loved Christ as he went through this world. They're both true.
Both true.
How do we have this happiness in our souls, as the next verse says, this joy?
Keeping his commandments.
Oh, you say. Well, I don't have a definite commandment for this, and I don't have a definite command for that. No, you don't.
But do you love him?
Isn't that enough?
Isn't it strange that we have to resort to scriptures that give us a direct command as to what we should do when we know by being guided by His eye what to do?
Walking so close as this to be guided by his eye.
We're instructed in the scriptures what to do, there's no question about that.
We're instructed in every detail.
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As to our conduct here.
You know, I was Speaking of the practical aspects of these things. I was telling about this young man who had made a profession of Christianity.
I'll speak of something else practical too, because I I have it on my heart to just mention this.
That.
In the day in which we're living, the enemy is coming in. And there's the evidence, beloved, that many of us are not abiding in His love, practically in our souls.
And so I would suggest that.
I won't read these scriptures, but I would suggest.
For the.
Young men and young women and older men and older women to read First Timothy.
The second chapter.
And verses 8-9 and 10.
In the new translation.
And I would suggest also.
That.
Our dear sisters read Isaiah 47 verses 2:00 and 3:00.
There's no mistaking, beloved, that the Word of God covers every part of our conduct.
And we will not abide in Christ if we just slide over these scriptures.
We said we'll keep all these words. Someone said to me, oh, that's in the Old Testament, is it? Whose word is it?
Admit God's word.
Does it have any application to be?
Indeed it does.
Every word of God is pure.
It has its application.
A young couple went into assembly.
A small assembly and they handed their letter to the brother.
And you know what this faithful brother said?
You know, I hate to have to speak of these things, beloved, he said to that couple.
He turned to the young lady. He says to your brother and allow you to break bread dressed like that.
Isn't that solemn?
Isn't that solemn?
Is this abiding in His love? Is this keeping His commandments?
Is this in the enjoyment, beloved of his love?
Bearing fruit, he sent us here.
And it's his desire that we would bear fruit. But how could we bear fruit when the simplest things in our lives are neglected?
That we refuse, absolutely refuse, to bow to the precious holy Word of God.
Oh, it's solemn.
Well.
It says here, if ye 10th verse, if you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Now how is our joy going to be full beloved? By doing our own way.
No, by keeping his commandments.
All that we have in this written word from the beginning to end should command our conscience.
Rightly divided, of course.
Should command our consciences.
Now the 16th chapter.
These things have I spoken unto you, that she should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogue, Jay. The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service.
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And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to Him that sent me. And none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou, but because I've said these things unto you, sorrow that filled your heart.
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, and so on.
13 First I'll be it when he, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all.
The truth, For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come.
We have the Spirit mentioned coming in three different ways in these three chapters, the 14th, 15th and 16th, and in each case he's spoken of as the Spirit of truth. Truth.
The only three times that I know of in Scripture, except in the Epistle of John, where it simply refers to truth contrasted with evil.
He is the spirit of truth.
Now.
In the 14th chapter he was going to leave them orphans.
He was going away, and so the Father would send the Spirit.
And he would bring things to their remembrance. In the 15th chapter we find that.
In the end of the chapter, the Spirit has come coming to bear witness, and they were to bear witness too.
When the spirit of truth has come, it's testimony there, but now in this chapter we find they're under persecution.
He's telling about the time when they're going to be in the very path that he took and they'd be persecuted. Perhaps John was the only one that escaped being a martyr, I don't know. History seems to suggest this, that all the rest were martyred.
Persecuted even unto death.
But.
He's comforting their hearts with things to come. That's what the Spirit of God is doing for those who are under persecution.
But you know, it's only those that will live godly in Christ Jesus that suffer persecution.
So remember the order that we have here.
The new life, the new creation. Discipleship.
The subjection to correction, which is the way of life frenzy, and then that sweet communion.
Bearing fruit.
Now persecution. And how does the chapter end? With that, I'll close.
33rd verse.
These things have I spoken unto you, that in me.
You might have peace.
Peace. Oh, it doesn't matter what your trial is, beloved. Here's something for your heart.
That in me you might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation.
These were his disciples that had set their course to follow him. They're going to have tribulation but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
Just one little passage I'd like to look at, brethren in Matthew chapter 14.
Matthew chapter 14 and verse 15.
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And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying.
This is a desert place, and the time has now passed. Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and by themselves vittles. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but 5 loaves and two fishes. He said, Bring them, hit her to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five laws and the two fishes.
And looking up to heaven, he blasts and break, and gave the laws to his disciples.
And the disciples to the multitude, and they did all eat and were filled.
And they took up of the fragments that remained 12 baskets full, and they that had eaten were about 5000 men beside women and children.
I just enjoyed this little portion of God's Word because there are times when we often feel discouraged. There are times when we feel very much like the disciples did on this occasion says it was evening. They said it was a desert place, and the time has now passed. Surely we can say too, that we're getting to the very end of the day of grace. We feel the weakness coming in.
We feel, too, that it is a desert place now that is there's.
A famine not only for bread or for water, but for hearing of the words of the Lord. And how often we hear it commented. Well, there isn't the freshness in the ministry, there isn't that in the meetings to cheer and encourage our hearts like there should be. And very often we are inclined to look at our feeble resources and say, well, what can we do? What? How can we help out in this situation? It's a desert place and the time is now past.
I wonder what was the suggestion of the disciples on this occasion. Now they said, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and by themselves vittles. Now that is, instead of being exercised, that the Lord was sufficient to feed that great multitude, even though it was a desert place, even though it was toward evening. Even the laws that says here the time is now passed.
The Lord was sufficient for this situation. He loved the people. They had come and had followed him. And no, He wasn't going to send them away. But the hearts of the disciples failed on this occasion. And perhaps as we return to our little meetings and we see the few that come out to the Bible reading the prayer meeting and we might feel just exactly like the disciples. Well, what is the use of continuing? Doesn't seem to be much that is sad.
There's not, perhaps much that ministers to the heart.
I'm reliable to just give up. And what will be the result of this? Well, it tells us here that if they sent them away.
They'd go somewhere else for their food and brother and I feel this is a challenge.
I feel this is a warning to we find that there are Saints of God.
Instead of enjoying the precious ministry of the Word and being faithful at the meetings, how often we find them turning to other sources for refreshment, other sources for encouragement for their souls. I've heard it said, well, what is the use of having a gospel meeting? Only Christians come out, but those very same Christians, if you don't have a gospel meeting, will be listening to the gospel on the radio.
They only listening to someone else preaching the gospel because we didn't give them to eat. And I believe there's a word here to encourage us to go on. I've often said the Saints need the gospel. We need to have our hearts warm with the love of Christ. We need to have our hearts drawn out to Him.
I remember a man who came out to the gospel meeting in Ottawa many years ago, and I wasn't the speaker, but another brother spoke. And this man hadn't come to the gospel before, but it was a very small little meeting and a little hall and there were just, I think eight people there. And sometime afterwards he was brought to the Lord. And I asked him, I said, when were you brought to the Lord, brother?
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Well, he said, the first time the Lord spoke to me, he said, was when I went to the gospel meeting, and there were just eight people there. But he said the brother that spoke spoke with such warms and such love. I don't remember anything he said, but I thought there must be something to it. Well, dear friends, how this ought to be an encouragement to us. The disciples were weary. It had been a difficult day, and as I said, it just seemed that they said it's no use.
And they said, Send a multitude away, let them go other places, and by themselves ventilates. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart, Give ye them to eat. Oh, let me say, and I say to those who are young, as well as those who are older.
What a privilege it is to be gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
What a privilege it is to be where the Saints of God and all their weakness seek to maintain the truth of God. I don't say it with any boasting, brethren, but I say that God's assembly is to be the pillar and ground of the truth.
And I believe that when we leave the path that has been marked out in the word of God.
We may get numbers, we may get crowds, but there will be some departure from truth. There will be something that's given up. And we listen to things, we read things, often very interesting and pleasant to read, but we find that there's some part of the truth that's missing, something that's important that has either been omitted or has been set aside. Well, isn't it lovely here?
The Lord's words that they need not depart and all. If there is anyone here who is discouraged, if you're perhaps like some and say well, I don't find much use in coming to the meetings. There seems so little for my soul there. Remember those words, they need not depart.
And then let us who have any part in trying to help the Saints of God remember these words, give you them to eat, give you them to eat. And one is often an exercise that when the Saints of God come together, the Lord said, feed the flock of God which is among you.
And I feel that when we come to the meeting, there ought to be, when the meeting is over, stepping up from the meeting and starting toward home with a feeling that we had been fed and those who take part should be exercised, that the Saints would be fed.
Sometimes said to the young people at Otter Lake, we can have a lot of discussions about knowledge.
That don't at all edify the soul, but we would seek to minister Christ.
Supposing that we sat down to the meal table and before we started to eat today, one of the brothers got up and he said, now before anyone eats, I'd like to tell you how many pounds of meat there were for this meal today, how much time was taken in preparing it.
How many slices of bread were caught, how many pieces of butter were put out, and how much coffee was used and how much tea? I think we'd all say, well, we're glad that you knew how to prepare it, but we'd like to eat. Well, I believe there's a danger of us getting so much taken up with little details of that. The Saints are not fed. Give ye them to eat. Oh, but you might say.
We haven't got very much to give and that's exactly the way that disciples felt here. They looked on their tiny resources and we're told in another place it was just one boys lunch. That's all. It was one person in 5000, besides men and children that even had a lunch that could be used. And you might say well what am I? I'm just one person. And if you read the account in John you'll see it was just a lad.
There might be someone here who says, well, I'm just one person, what contribute contribution could I make? What could I do?
And I'm young. Besides, they looked at their little resources.
5 loaves, 5 in Scripture figures, weakness and.
Two fishes another place says small fishes all what a little bit they had. What could they do? Feed one person. That's about all was enough to feed one person? Well where the was the Lord able to use this one boys lunch? Could this boy be made a blessing to over 5000 people? Yes he could. He could be made a blessing to over 5000 people. But what was the secret?
01:00:26
The Lord said, bring them, hit her to me, bring them, hit her to me. That is was, how was this boy willing to present what he had to the Lord, and are you and I willing to take the little bit that we have and present it to the Lord? The greatest blessing that we find recorded in the Scripture was when some person presented a very little to the Lord. Think of that woman at the well, how much did she know?
But while she knew that she had met a person who had told her all things that ever she did, she knew that was the Christ. It was a short message. There wasn't there didn't seem to be a great deal said, but it was such a powerful message that there was much blessing and they came out.
And believed. And then the Lord came to that place. And many more believed. But it all began because one person.
Put the little bit that she knew of Christ into use. She just said come see a man that told me all things that ever I did.
A man in the 9th of John, what did he have? He didn't know very much about the Lord, but he said one thing. I know that whereas he was blind, now I see. And he said, I know that his name is Jesus. That's about all he knew. But all what a powerful testimony. What blessing? Well, may we just say, do we come to the meeting with a little enjoyment of Christ? It may not be very much.
But I'm sure that if there's some little enjoyment of Christ in our lives, some little enjoyment that we have had of himself and that is put into the hands of the Lord, we'd be surprised. The blessing that there is, I've often noticed how richly the Saints have enjoyed some young brother who got up and spoke for the first time. He was shaking in his boots, he said. I didn't know how I could even speak for 10 minutes.
But he brought what he had and he gave it to the Lord. And what did the Lord do? He blessed it and he returned it to the disciples. Did he at that moment say, well, here was one line, I've multiplied it to 5000 lunches and now you can start out.
Oh no, I just had the one lunch, 5 loans and two fishes.
And the Lord blessed it and gave it back. And every step in the distribution, I believe, was a step of faith.
I believe as they went along and one person took his share off the plate, there was still more. And as they went along feeding those people, it just continued to multiply and increase. But each step had to be a step of faith. Each step had to be a confidence in God.
And oh, how wonderfully he came in. And it says that when they were all finished, everyone had eaten, everyone was filled, and there was something left. Yes, something left. Because whenever Christ is enjoyed, there's always something left because your heart and mind can't contain it. It says, behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee.
And so whatever is presented of Christ, the heart can never fully contain it. There will always be something left. And so there were five baskets full more than they started with. So it is in the things of God. When we give, we always have more left than what we give. And that's the way it is in spiritual things. And then when they looked at the multitude, they that had eaten were five.
About 5000 men.
Beside women and children. How beautiful this is, how wonderfully the Lord undertook and fed this whole multitude. Well, may this be a voice to you and I in these last days in this desert place. And we look at our own poverty of soul, and we look at what we have, and we say, what can I do? What can I contribute in the little meeting?
01:05:03
If they depended on me, they wouldn't get very much. That's the way the disciples felt, but didn't depend on them. The whole thing depended on whether they were willing to put what they had into the hands of the Lord and have him bless it and return it to them with His blessing. And then when they gave it out, they all that Eden were filled. Oh, may the Lord help us as we go back to the little assemblies where we are.
Realizing it is a desert place, realizing the discouragement of these last days, may He give us grace, brethren, to be willing to put what we have into His hands and realize there is a need, a great need. And in the blessed place where the Lord has gathered His own to His precious name, He wants to see them fed. They need not depart. Give you them to eat.
In connection with what our brothers just brought before us, the scripture came very forcibly before me in the 5th chapter of Marks Gospel.
It's in connection with the daughter of Jairus.
We all know the story very well, but I'll just briefly mention what was before me.
This dear man, Jay Harris came to Jesus and told him that his little daughter was at the point of death and he desired the Lord to come and restore her. Well, we know further down the chapter it tells us that the Lord did He restored this little girl to life. She was of the age of 12 years.
We read of a dear woman in the same chapter who had been slowly dying for 12 years.
But this little girl had been living for 12 years and then died.
But we find here that the Lord came on the scene and restored this little girl to life.
And in the last verse it says, And he charged them straightly, that no man should know it, and commanded that something should be given her to eat. Now Jairus could not impart life to this little girl, but after she had received life, then he could give her something to eat.
And beloved, you and I, as our brother has reminded us, you and I, who have been blessed with divine life.
We need something to eat to sustain our souls.
And we have it in the word of God, particularly in the John 5.
John 657 May we just read it?
N.
John 6.
And 57.
As the living father has sent me, and I live by the father.
So he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. Here we have Christ our food. We have Christ our life in the same chapter. But here it's Christ our food. And you and I who have received divine life, eternal life, as a free gift from our blessed Lord through his work of Calvary. Now we need to be fed day by day.
And so this dear little girl was raised to life. And I take it it was generous who was commanded to give her something to eat? Well, as I said, he could not give her that life, but he could give her something to eat to refresh that life that she had received. And that's just what we each need we find in the Posia.
And the 12Th chapter and verse one says E frame feedeth on wind.
Well.
That's not much of A diet, is it? The frame feedeth on wind.
Israel and Egypt fed on leeks, garlic and onions, things of the earth.
01:10:00
What are we feeding on, beloved?
And we also find Israel fed on ashes in Isaiah 44, I think it is.
And it says in Proverbs, the fool feeds on foolishness.
Tell me where, thou fetus. This is a searching word for us all, isn't it? Tell me where, thou fetus. What do we feed upon, beloved, now that we have received a new life? Do we feed upon the things of this world which are to perish and which can never sustain our souls or strengthen us spiritually? No, we need that divine food. We need to feed upon the Word of God and upon Christ, the living bread.
And so I felt as our brother reminded us.
Of that beautiful story that this came to my mind and reminded me that here we have another example of one who needed something to eat and you and I need something to eat day by day.
Tell me where thou feedest. Well, what have we been feeding on during the last three days? Thank the Lord we've been feeding on the living bread on Christ, haven't we? And all? What a blessing it's been. How refreshing to our hearts and souls.
Has been defeat upon Christ to have the true bread of heaven before us? He could say I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
I'd like to read one of the verses in connection with that in the 6th chapter of John, verse 14.
He says I am that bread of life. Your father's did eat manna in the wilderness.
And are still alive. No, and are dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat there often not die.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eateth this bread, he shall live forever.
And the bread that I will give is my flesh, and I will give, which I will give for the life of the world. Eating and drinking are accents which one cannot perform for another. It's an individual matter, isn't it? You couldn't eat my supper for me. I wouldn't be sustained in that way. I have to eat it myself.
And so, beloved, we do need, as our brother has reminded us from that parable, we need food for our souls after we have received this divine life.
And this dear little girl came before me and just a little girl, 12 years of age and passed away.
The Lord restored her life. The parents couldn't do that, but they could give her something to eat. And it's our responsibility and privilege, too, to give the Saints something to eat from the Word of God. And we need it, beloved friends, we need our souls to be sustained day by day, otherwise we shall faint. By the way, we will not grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So how important it is then that you and I should be fed daily and the feed upon Christ, the living Bread, that Blessed One who has imparted divine life to our souls. We've been reminded that we have the same life as Christ Himself's wonderful thought, and it's true. Well now that life needs to be sustained and strengthened, and it's only done by feeding upon the Word of God.
Upon Christ, the living bread. Well, that's the only thought I had in connection with this that our brother brought before us. Give them something to eat.
Here we have something to eat, the precious Word of God, the living bread. We told the labour, knock on that which perisher, but the that which endureth under life eternal, the feed upon Christ. Oh, how important it is day by day to read His precious Word, to be strengthened and sustained in the inner man, and to have that new spiritual energy day by day to go on, and not to give up.
Because Satan would have us give up and say what's the good of going on? Everything is a failure. But no, friends, we have a divine life. We have the Holy Spirit to indwell us, to bring before us the things of Christ, to teach us, to encourage us to refresh our hearts and souls. And now it's our duty and responsibility after we have fed ourselves to feed others. So our brother says some have stayed away from the meetings. I know that could be a fact too. They say we're getting nothing from the meetings now. There's there's no gift there. There's nothing there will go somewhere else.
01:15:15
Well, it's a very bad sign, isn't it? They've lost their appetite. I remember reading a little dear girl who had TB very severely and her mother thought she she should go to a warmer climate. So she was sent to a warmer climate where her friends live. And there she went and they met her and made a great fuss of her and took her home and provided wonderful meals for her.
And she rode home to her mother, telling her mother what a wonderful.
Meal was provided for her on arrival, but she said Mother, I had no appetite. It did me no good. Mother, I had no appetite. There was a food provided for and beloved friends, as the food provided for our souls is precious word on the Lord Jesus Christ. But do we have the appetite? If not, we shall starve spiritually.
Well, may the Lord help us to have our appetite increased for the Word of God and for the Person of Christ, the true bread from heaven.
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