Open—D. So, R. Boulard, D. Mollon
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76.
Almighty me.
Right on me.
As long as you're done, He canceled. No more to be.
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They lion songs.
And restrict.
They have no training.
Strange real time.
Before someone.
You need to restrain him.
First Corinthians chapter 14, verse 29.
Let the Prophet speak two or three.
And let the other judge.
I'll read the 1St 7 words again. Let the prophet speak two or three.
Like to turn to the book of Jeremiah.
This this first chapter of the book of Jeremiah came before my heart this morning. We've been enjoying many references to the book of Isaiah in the last few days, and how much more so we find that there's similar characteristics between the book of Isaiah and Jeremiah and here in this book of Jeremiah, I thought of how.
How much it is similar to the days that we are in.
Jeremiah.
Lived in the day that he saw a good time, and then of course he saw a terrible time. And perhaps we'll go any further. Let's just read a few verses together just to get the thought on this. A Jeremiah chapter one, the words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah of the priest that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the 5th, in the 13th year of his reign.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, until the end of the 11Th year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the 5th month.
I'm just going to stop there for now.
It's interesting when we read through the Word of God to see how.
Most folks, if not all, the beginning verse introduces a lot about the thought of the book, or it tells us a lot about things in regard to the book here the very first.
Word mentioned here is the words of Jeremiah. Jeremiah, the name of Jeremiah itself means the exaltation of the Lord. So it tells us perhaps quite a bit now about this book, the exaltation of the Lord. Now he is mentioned here that he is the son of of Hilkiah.
Hilkiah Hilkiah means that God is my portion or is it interesting to see that once the father with the full knowledge that God is his portion and that his son was raised to be the exaltation for God and then we see other names too. That's interesting. Here it says that he Hilkiah of the priest that were in endotheled in the land.
Of the Benjamin.
Well, this name Anosoph, I believe it means a place where it has answers, a place where there are songs. But I also believe it also means a place with poverty. And also hear that it talked about that being in the land of Benjamin. And we know that band in Scripture means the sun and Jermaine is the right hand.
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The son of the right hand. Here's the place. And perhaps this introduced us a little bit about Jeremiah himself. Now this book was written around 600 and 36129 of BC. At that time we knew that he said here he served Josiah and then his sons. We know that Josiah was one of the better kings. Good. We went to class with that. But then it mentioned about his sons.
Zedekiah and Jehoiakim where we know those last. If you were to look at the last book of Chronicles and go through the last five kings of Judah, and you'll find that the last four being Josiah's sons and grandsons, they were not good before God at all. So it give us the conditions as if it were of what? Jeremiah being the one who his whose name is the exaltation of the Lord.
He has to work with people as such, people like Josiah that he worked under a good time, strong time, faithful time on the surface.
And then he has the face, the dreadful time to come. Now we know the history of Scriptures. 630 BC is not very long before 606 BC. A 606 BC was the time that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came in and took Israel captive. Man, like Daniel of all were taken away captive.
So here is the man who has to proclaim what is to happen.
Knowing that there were terrible times ahead of them, knowing that the conditions.
That caused the terrible time. We know that the word of God said Nebuchadnezzar was his servant. He actually used that phrase in there. My servant Nebuchadnezzar, he was used as a rod of chastening for his people. So let's read on a little bit. Verse four. Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee, and before thou camest forth, I love the womb, I sanctify thee. And I ordained thee a prophet and unto the nation's.
And said, I are Lord God, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not I am a child, For thou shall go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of the faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee, sayeth the Lord.
So we see here that a commissions was given to Jeremiah and we see here Jeremiah is like many of us are we not afraid to speak for the Lord. And we know especially prophets of old when a prophet is saying with a message more often than not that message is not well received. The reason a message needs to be delivered is because the people did did not do what was right before God.
So we see here the Lord has encouraged him to let him know that he knew him even before he was born. He was sanctified. Oh, does it not remind us how we have been? We too have been predestinated to be conforming to the image of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to be like him. We know that from the book of Romans chapter 8. And it tells us that how we have been justified, we have been sanctified.
In fact, we learn more about that and we shall be glorified. So here he was encouraged to speak for the Lord and you know we find even today when a message is from the Lord, there are often oppositions. There are things that people do not want to hear and perhaps even as a gathering as this with 600 and some odd who we are supposed to be of one mind. We are to follow what the word of God have to say.
And I'm sure there are certain things if we want to cause problems, we can raise certain issues and we would be divided on. But do we go by what the word of God tells us? And how sad, How sad. I had a brother approached me because I made a comment. The comment I made was that we need to walk the path of separation. And this brother believed that he should be with all Christians. Oh, how sad. And then he said to me, he said, you know, we're told if we, if we by eating meat, we offend a brother. You shouldn't eat meat. So you shouldn't talk about things that could offend someone.
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And I begged a difference here, that if the Lord hath on our heart to speak from his word, we're not to be afraid of the people if we are to speak from the Lord. Let's go on to verse nine. And then the Lord put forth his hand and touched his mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See this, see I have this day, said the over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy.
And you're thrown down, throw down to build and to plant. Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what see us thou? Well, the Lord has told him that when he will speak for him, he will help him. And what a change of a person he become after that. But now, as a test, the Lord wanted him to see what? See us thou. And perhaps that too should be a question for us.
As we look around us, what seeth thou? Let's read on on this in verse 11, as Jeremiah looked, he said, and I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
Then set the Lord unto me. Thou hast seen well, for I will hasten my word to perform it.
What see us thou? What do you see, brethren? Do we see what Jeremiah all seen? He sees problems and difficulties around him. There is no doubt about that. As we look at one another, we can easily find fault. As we look around us, they're not there. There are many things that can discourage us, but here the Lord told him to to look around. What see us thou? What did he see? He said, I see a rod.
A rod of an almond tree. Do we see that rod? What does rod remind us of? Often as children, we would think of that rod as a rod of correction, is it not? I suppose we look we we can feel that. But another thought I have on that rod. I was thinking of the rod, the rod that errand had.
They were to choose from those 12 rods. Do you remember that? And the next morning, what did they see on that rod? Oh, it was budded with almonds.
Is it not a beautiful picture as we see that rod? The rod, a picture of our high priest on high, you know, almond tree in another passage? I can think of it for now, but it speaks also of a tree that was being despised.
A tree that as if we look at would be something like a turn all white, as if it was old and be despised.
But here we are looking at this almond tree, or rather this rod from the almond tree.
And we had that before us the other day. Let's turn to that Hebrews chapter and we'll keep our finger. In our chapter, Hebrews chapter 3, we have a picture and be reminded of the High priest, Hebrews chapter 4.
Verse 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession, for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly into the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. How precious it is to as we see, as we look around us, what see us thou? We see our High Priest interceding for us. We see Jesus the Son of God, the one that we can say here, let us hold fast of our professions. We know we have that One who knows how we feel.
We remind attempted at all points, like as we were, like as we are, yet without sin. How precious. Now what else did he? Let's go back to our chapter here. And I do not wish to take too much more time here, like to make room for others.
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Verse 12.
Verse 13 And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What? See us thou? And I said, I see a seething pot, and the face thereof is toward the north.
This time he sees something differently. He sees there's a boiling, a pot, this seething pot.
His face.
It says the phase thereof is toward the north.
Oh, he see trouble, doesn't he? He sees judgment coming. He sees the fact that the enemies, the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, are coming down from the north.
Do we see that two brethren, as we look around us? Do we see the enemy seems to be so strong, so great?
What are we to do? Do we give up?
Let's see what Jeremiah have to do. Verse 14 Then the Lord said unto me, out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. For lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord, And they shall come, and they shall set everyone his throne at the entering of the gate of Jerusalem, and against all the wars there are roundabout, and against all the cities of Judah.
And I will utter my judgments against them, touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. Oh, those judgment not because of these terrible people that have power over the people of Israel. It is rather from the hand of that righteous God for His people that has to be had been defiant to His word.
For they have worshiped other gods.
I trust that.
There should be lessons enough for us.
Lessons enough for us that we do have the righteous God, a God who loved and delights.
To see us worshiping Him.
In truth, in spirit, and in truth.
You know, you may say we are not like them, we don't have other gods. But do we have that undivided heart we ought to do? We see no man save Jesus only.
Is there other things in our hearts that divide?
Our enjoyment that what deferred his coming.
You know, often we will look around, we will address the young people, warning the young people how easily we can be divided, our hearts be divided from things of this world. But you know, as I look around this room.
Speaking, perhaps?
As an older one now.
How much more so we know that our hearts are no different than the young people's hearts.
Perhaps outwardly we can hide it well.
Is there anything in our hearts?
That take us away from the enjoyment of our blessed Lord.
I believe it was at this conference that we mentioned about prayer meeting. Is it not the proof?
Right there when we see.
The low attendance at a prayer meeting.
I say it with shame.
There's always something and we have good reasons for things, but the result is we are not where the Lord would like us to be.
We can justify it.
There was a young man, he's here, I won't mention his name. There were just a few minutes ago actually, after the first, after breaking of bread, I said to him.
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I forget exactly how. I said I didn't see you sitting with your folks and he started defending why he was in the last Rd. I said you don't have to defend to me why you weren't sitting where you ought to be. You don't have to answer to me. But do we have that?
Conscience that bothers us. Oh, we need to turn to the Lord, do we not, and spend our time we ought to verse 17 in our chapter.
Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee Be not dismay at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For behold, I have made thee this day.
City, and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole land, against the king of Judah, against the Princess thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee.
So I am with the saith, the Lord to deliver thee.
How precious it is.
That Jeremiah did not. He was not told to give up the fight. Oh, here he was to gird up his lawn.
He was to arise and speak unto them as the Lord has commanded him to do, and he was told not to be dismayed at their faces.
The Lord is with him in doing so.
We know from the life of Jeremiah he was not a popular person, was he?
He had to walk that path, truly, that path of separation.
He had to follow what the Lord had him to do.
He knew the enemies were coming in.
He had to face that the enemies from without.
And more so.
He had the face.
And endure the problems and difficulties from within.
But he at the stand.
He has to stand for what the Lord would have him to do.
He had to suffer with his people.
Still not lessons in therefore, as to brethren, what we stand for the Lord.
We're told to hold fast to the things that we have.
Is there anything you have that it can hold fast to?
What is there to hold fast to?
In the Book of Revelation for the seven churches, I was thinking of the Church of Philadelphia. We know that well. They were commanded with two things.
Says, For Thou hast kept my word, and has not denied my name. They were told that they have but a little strength, but they kept his word and denied his name, and they were told to hold fast.
And I trust that the Lord will helped us to hold fast, that we would keep His word and not deny His name despite of all the problems and difficulties around us. That we would look to the Lord and arise and rise above it all, knowing that He's the One, the only One able to keep and preserved us.
Encouragement this afternoon, if we just turn to First Samuel chapter 30, I just want to read a verse of Scripture that often comes to mind and one that our brother Gordon Hale used to often quote in First Samuel chapter 30. It's speaks.
Of the sorrow because of Ziklag. Ziklag had been burned. Let's read the first verse first Samuel chapter 30 and verse one. And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites and had invaded the South and Ziklag and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire, and had taken the women captives. And there were therein, and were therein they slew, not any, neither great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. And then just verse 5.
And David's two wives were taken captives, the Hinnuum, the Jezreelitis, and Abigail, the wife of Nabel the Carmelite. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters, But David encouraged himself in the Lord. Then let's just turn over to Malachi chapter 3 and read that portion of Scripture that's so familiar to us.
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In Malachi chapter 3 and verse 16.
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, And the Lord hearkened and heard it in a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts. And that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son, and that service him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.
And then one other verse in Hebrews chapter 10.
Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 24.
Well, let's read verse 23.
Hebrews 10 and verse 23. Let us hold fast the profession or the confession of faith, without wavering. Free is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love, and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some, is but exhorting one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching.
Well, you know, brethren, we live in a day of discouragement and this world is filled with tragedy and sorrow.
And heartache and oftentimes one and another experience tragedy and sorrow in the life, perhaps in the family, perhaps in the workplace, and those things that might bring in discouragement. And so David experienced us. The Lord Jesus came into this scene, into his creation, and he saw what sin had brought into his creation. And he sought to comfort those that had experienced the sin, what sin had brought into his creation. Healed the leper quickly. He would bless, dispense, blessing to his creation, heal the one that was blind that we read of this afternoon.
And he would delight to just bring blessing into this creation. So we find that the people were greatly distressed. David was greatly distressed and the people spake of stoning him. But now we find in Malachi, you know, the Lord had a word to the people. It says in chapter one of Malachi in verse one, the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. And this is what he gives them right at the end of the dispensation, as it were just before the Lord Jesus was going to come. He has a word of encouragement for them.
And he says then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And so, you know, if we have a fear of God, that is that we have a delight to please the Lord. And as it were, we're afraid to displease the Lord. And there are others that want to fear that fear God, that delight to please the Lord. And what do we find? That was the characteristic of the day as they spake 1 to another. And I would just like to encourage every one of us here this afternoon.
That the work of encouragement is an individual work.
The work of encouragement is an individual work. Everyone of us needs to be involved in that work of encouragement to encourage one another. And so this is what the Spirit of God records, especially that it says that he hearkened Mr. Darby's translation. He uses the word observed. The Lord observed this activity. He said here are those that fear the Lord.
They delight in my name. And he hearkened, says he observed, and he heard it. He heard the words of encouragement, the words of strengthening one another, and he wrote a book of remembrance for them.
He wasn't going to forget those words of refreshment and encouragement. They might forget, but he was going to write a book of remembrance for them and they were going to, perhaps I'd like to think of it this way. The Lord was going to remind them a little bit later on. He was going to say, you know, I remember those words of encouragement, those that feared the Lord and perhaps had suffered something in this scene of tragedy and sin and sorrow, Why I remember how you sought to encourage them.
And we find that, you know, in Matthew 25, that little picture of the Lord Jesus and how of those that were of the remnant. And they were encouraged. They were given a cup of cold water even. And so it says in verse 17, They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I might make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. And so there was that relationship that they were going to enjoy that communion with himself and dear brethren.
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If we'll encourage one another, those that belong to Christ, whether gather to the Lord's name.
Or not. Why? There's going to be communion with the Lord as we conduct ourselves in this way.
And so he's going to remember, and there's going to be discernment, there's going to be that communion with the Lord and to discern between those that are righteous and wicked. Well, let's just turn over to Hebrews and we'll comment on those verses very briefly.
Here it says that there was. The Lord says let us hold fast. And in Christianity there isn't a command. It doesn't say thou shalt hold fast. No, the word goes out to the heart, to the affections of the believer. Will he have a value for the same things that God has a value for? Will he hold fast or will he release the grip? Will he become so weakened and discouraged that he just releases the grip? And beloved brethren.
Isn't it true that oftentimes we see those that are just weakening and they need the strengthening of the Word of God, They need something, some view of Christ to encourage them. And it's our privilege, indeed our responsibility if we fear God, just to strengthen them, to be able to strengthen the grip, as it were, on the things of God and to hold fast their confession of faith without wavering. For He's faithful that promised and LED us.
Consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. And so here we were given this instruction to provoke, to have affection one for another, provoke to love and to good works. And we live in a day filled and characterized by hatred and strife and rebellion, civil disobedience. And sometimes it has an effect, perhaps even on the assembly and perhaps even on our individual lives, when we see what is characterized by this wicked world.
All around us. But the Lord Jesus loved us, gave himself for us. Oh, he would delight that we would provoke one another to love and to good works. And it's an individual thing that says here, let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. And so there isn't a broad brush approach as it were. It's an individual thing to provoke one another to love and to good works, an individual work. And so none of us in this room can say that's the work of the older brethren or the work of the older sisters.
No, everyone of us in this room has the responsibility, and the heart is engaged with Christ. It says, let us God isn't going to command you or I to provoke unto love and good works. Oh brethren, we need to encourage one another to love one another and to provoke unto good works. But it says here as well, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting or encouraging one another.
And so much the more as you see today approaching. And so, beloved brethren, the coming of the Lord draws 9 We have a sense of the coming of the Lord that he's almost here and just at the end of the age in Malachi, the Lord would just write that book of remembrance for them because.
They had a fear of God and they spake often one to another to encourage one another. And now at the end of the age, as it were, he says in this day of grace, why won't you just encourage one another? And so much the more as you see the day approaching. And so we live in a day of weakness and we need to recognize that it is a day of small things, but we have individual responsibility to just encourage one another, not to release the grip on those things that are such value to the heart of God.
And, you know, we have the truth that was delivered to us, and we need to earnestly contend for that truth and encourage one another to hold that truth. I want to read one more verse.
In Luke's Gospel chapter 24.
Just an example of how the Lord Jesus did this.
Maybe worried a couple of verses but Luke Jaffer 24 and verse 15.
And it came to pass that while they communed together in reason, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. And then we'll read just verse 36.
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Well, let's read.
Verse 33, Luke 24, and verse 33. And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the 11 gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in the breaking of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Well, I just love this little portion.
You know, the Lord Jesus saw two that were discouraged, 2 That were speaking one with another of these things and didn't have a perfect, a perfect understanding of what had taken place. And the Lord had divine purpose in what he had done and how he had gone to the cross to bear the judgment for their sins. And here these two were walking downhill from Jerusalem down to Emmaus, and He had his eye upon them and He delighted to bless. You know, He drew near to them and we know that.
Their hearts were stirred, he spoke to them of during that little walk.
Of Himself. But you know, what strikes me in this little passage is that he wouldn't appear.
To the 11 in verse 36, He wouldn't appear there until they walked back and were there found with the 11. We've encouraged them and strengthened them and they walked back. They were strengthened and they desired to be where the 11 were. And when they arrived, why the Lord appeared and they received a blessing for their souls as a result of His patience with them all. We need to be patient with one another and just to provoke unto love and to good works, and to encourage one another to hold fast and to wait for the coming of the Lord.
And what a blessing would be if each one of us had that individual exercise to encourage one another. What may it be? So if you have been to Newfoundland, we'll we'll know that it's very difficult to understand the Newfoundlander. Normally along with a cold, it's almost impossible. But I'll speak really slow.
The main question I've been asked over and over since I've been here last day and a half is what did you say?
So I'll really speak slow. I felt this before, maybe before the Lord. I went back to my room and I prayed about this topic that the Lord had given me in Chicago on the way down.
And I prayed about it, and the verse that came to me was that the prophets speak two or three. And so when my brother read that, I said, well.
I missed my first flight in Chicago because I put my watch back two hours instead of 1.
And so I sat in the place and my plane came in and my playing field, and they called everybody and they called me my name. I never heard a thing. I was reading this. I never heard a thing. And.
They went and took my bag off the plane and I sat and missed that plate and didn't get the den for that snowstorm. Got the next flight right here to LA and sat by a girl from Holland who really, I thought was off the Lord. We talked for three hours along the way of the Lord's things. He makes no mistakes.
But I'd like to speak on.
On the well beloved Gaius.
And some of the things that came up already this afternoon and earlier has encouraged me to get up and speak about his brother is found in Sir John First, first need and go there, the elder unto the well beloved Gaius. And I thought about that as I'm like an epitaph for me, you know, maybe each one of us.
What will they, what will they want have said about me?
Later on, you know.
I love to have that commendation that he's, well beloved.
How did Gaius get that title? I think it's encouraging to see how he got that, and it's really encouraging for the young people, I believe. So let's go back to.
Book of Acts.
Chapter 20.
The book of Acts, chapter 20.
And Paul is going on a missionary journey.
And verse four says, And they're accompanied him into Asia, Sapiter of Berea and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derby and Timotheus, and of Asia, Takikas and Traphamas. It struck me one day about these seven people. This is not my topic, but I just want to mention this because Gaius is one of those. The topic is much too big, but I'm like brother David, so would like to look at the meanings of words.
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And this is almost like anyone who will go out into the field, missionary field or what have you.
Prerequisites attributes you might say, that would be good to take along. For example, the first one we have 1 from 1 from Berea, 2 from Thessalonica, 2 from Asia and two from Derby.
And the meaning of Berea is a well.
If you turn back chapter 17.
It says in verse 11, the Bereans that says they were more noble than it has, like those that doesn't like you in that they received a word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so Brethren, we need that.
It's a well, we have a well, but we need to search the scriptures daily to see if those things are solved.
I love the comment that Brother Dave Burns made last year at the conference down in West Palm Beach. Is it? He says. And he's talking about the speed of things these days. As you can. We can read fast and we can pray fast, but we cannot meditate fast.
Is becoming a lost art. How important it is that we get into this well, we drink deeply often, we meditate on it, and so we have a sovereign here who drinks deeply of this well.
Then we have Aristarchus and Secundus, Offes of the Nightgown and Tesla. Nightgown really means victory over falsity especially.
The the rolling of.
Judaism, I guess, is the law. The law. It's the victory over falsity.
And that so and I have no thought right now on Aristarchus, who is best ruler and secondus who is second. So we have the second best ruler there. The Lord is far, by far the best. But that's when we thought of that one. The next we have Gaius and Timothy Timotheus from Derby. Derby speaks of skins, tanning, covering in skins and that would remind us of the the skin.
That almost the robe of righteousness from Genesis, that when we go forth, we're going forth, you know, as servants of the Lord, and we go forth like those two together.
Gaius is on Earth and.
Timotheus is honoring God.
So put them together, honoring God on earth, going forth, honoring God on earth.
And the last two we have out of Asia and Asia means the slime pits, the mire. And that reminds us of our beginnings, where we came from, never to forget that to go forth. And tropomus means fortunate and or psoriaticus means fortunate and prophamous means nourishment. I just tossed that out for your consideration as I think that.
Paul, as it were, was it where it was equipped with these, these attributes, your man with them, along with Luke and himself, of course, but one of them was Gaius. I want to focus on him. If you turn to 1St Corinthians chapter one.
We get this.
In verse 14, he says, I thank God that I baptized none of you but Christmas and Gaius. And I want to mention this, that it's clear from this verse that Gaius was associated with the apostle Paul from the very beginning.
From his earliest conversion, he was baptized by the apostle Paul.
Go back in chapter Romans 16, verse 23, Gaius mine host. Gaius mine host. Do I know this means that Paul stayed with Gaius when he wrote to the Romans heirs where he was staying? So he's still with Paul. But I like to elaborate a little on that, my thought on Paul, my host, and that's to do with Paul's doctrine, you know, the recovery of the truth.
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Came with the recovery of Paul's doctrine. Principally the reason for that is Paul was cut up to the 3rd heaven and it was there he was given this heavenly ministry. You and I are heavenly people. We're not earthly people. We need Paul's ministry. And if we lose that ministry.
We tend to become earthly minded.
So we were recovered, but you know what the attack is today. The attack today is to remove again the doctrine of Paul. We know of some.
Very fundamental groups back home, you know, I've departed from that. They brought in, they got rid of the head coverings. That's gone. They got rid of that, brought in female preachers and things like that. It's going that way. So little by little, the enemy is going to rob us in these last days of those things that are principally for us that we are. We need that heavenly food. We are heavenly people, not earthly people. But the enemy wants to bring us down to earth, wants this.
Focus down there and build our babels down here and not look to him, not look toward the Lord's coming and our our heavenly glory and our Everly character. He wants to bring us down. So Gaius was Pauls host and I want to just toss that out as we go along. And you'll see, I believe that Gaius remained that way. He remained as it were Paul's host. He kept Paul's doctrine and that's what we need. We need to be, I need to be a host.
For this and that's the challenge that's going to be for you young people, especially as time goes on or every every group every era has its challenges and yours will be to preserve these doctrines, especially Paul's. I'm not getting into that. You know what they are Romans Corinthian, you know the truth of the Lord's coming, the one body and and all these different things we we enjoy. That's something I thought anyway, let's go back to our chapter 20 again and you'll notice in chapter 19 he's mentioned again in verse 29.
And 29 is and the whole city was filled with confusion and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Pauls companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater. This wasn't the first time that that gayest had gone with Paul and so here we find their companions with Paul, but also.
Coming under the.
The discipline, you might say, from the enemy. They're taught and.
Persecuted in some way. Anyway, let's go over to chapter 20 again, and what I want to look at is this.
A couple of things that gayest witness he part took off with Paul. He was with Paul. And there's the first one and verse seven, it says the first day of the week when disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the Morrow and continue to speech until midnight.
Anyway, a little further down we find that verse 11, he talked a long while even till break of day. Well, wouldn't you like to have the MP of that 1A and P3 of that meeting all night? But you know what's interesting here?
The Spirit of God doesn't record this fantastic meeting that Paul had. Nothing is said about what he said to these people. What does the Spirit of God record? It records an incident.
About Eudicus.
An incident about Eudicus, nothing but Paul said to these people recorded. Why is that? Well, look at it. And there sat in the window, a certain young man named Eudicus being fallen into a deep sleep. And as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down asleep. And then he falls in that window. Brother, like I, I can see this young man, can you? Eudicus means well off, well off. And I think maybe he was that a well off young man and curious, probably hanging around. And so he's not really in, he's in the third loft and he's sitting in the window, one leg in, one leg out.
Not committed.
Young man not committed.
Interested coming out but not committed.
To Paul's doctrine. And if we're not committed to Paul's doctrine, we're going to take a fall. And that's what he did. He took a fall.
And now he went. And of course it's Paul. Paul moved a little faster. Paul comes and recovers him. It's a danger. I want to hold your place there and go to 3rd John.
00:55:04
In 3rd John.
Only got 2 minutes left so.
We'll keep those two places. It's all going to go.
In 3rd John we have this verse, the elder unto the well, beloved Gaius, whom I love, and the truth beloved. I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Gaius was there when this occurred to Eudicus.
Gaius himself was a young man then, probably not long baptized, not long into work, and it made an impression on them when he went down, when this young man went down. And this is much later, this is now the apostle John writing to Gaius, who's now a much older man, an old man, and he has done on in the pathway and the commendation that John gives him. Here is a friend of John. He says I wish not above all things, but it says, according to Chapter Brown, I believe it is my beloved, I wish in all things.
May us prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth. What a contrast that is to the world situation in the world. We want prosperity and we want health and how much money is spent on elf. You know that's amazing. These two things are put first. But he says here, even as thy soul prosperous, other words, don't let the first two outrun the last one.
That can be a tendency among us being become carnal Christians and the tendency would be to run after.
The first two prosperity and health and spend all of our energies and time on that. But he says even as thy soul prospereth, don't get ahead of that.
Don't get ahead of that. And so here at the end of, let's say, the end of it, but later on in Gaius's life, this young man.
Is commended by the apostle John for having a soul that is prospered. That's one thing. So I think he learned from mute against this man who was well off and went down.
And I think he became a depository of the of Paul's doctrine. He became a host of Paul, remained a host of Paul.
Go on, our time has been up, so let's just go to the next one. In the next they go to Ephesus. And in Ephesus we have no incident mentioned, but we have what Paul said to the people and we can't do much here, but let's just look at a couple of verses.
Verse 24, for example, Gaius is in the audience now listen to this and he's listening to Paul speak to these people for the last time. He says, but none of these things move me, neither count my my life dear unto myself.
So that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
And then he goes on. He hears this verse here. 28 Take heed, therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock. Take heed to the flock of God, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
This was spoken to the Ephesians.
I think Gaius.
Received that message because you go back to our third John and finish there. Notice that it says here.
His soul is prospering. Then John says in verse three, I rejoice greatly over what two things I rejoice greatly 1.
When their brethren came and testified off the truth that is in thee.
The truth, The doctrine. Read it before Brother Chuck was talking about that. The truth. And secondly, and probably more importantly, even as thou walkest in the truth.
And that's Our Calling is to know the truth. That's why we're here in these meetings. We get this wonderful ministry that you've enjoyed. And then we go back while I was going to, let's go back to the 20th chapter again. Sorry, it's one more verse along the two referred to. It's in the 21St chapter.
Verse five And when they had accomplished those days, we departed when our way.
And.
If you go down next verse and when we had taken our leave one off another, we took ship and they they returned home again. You know, we got to go home again in a couple of days.
Just lay gas and they got back, all 7 dispersed and went back to their own homes. And it's one thing to go on nicely with the apostle Paul. And to hear these, these wonderful messages, you know, all night long, it must have been very encouraging. And it is here, same thing. We go away, we're bringing courage. But then we got to go home. But what do we do?
01:00:06
There, that's the test, isn't it? That's the test, you know, that's going on. And here we know that Gaius did that. Gaius says walked in the truth and he, he, he knew the truth and he walked in it. And then Paul John says here, I have no greater joy to hear that my children walk in the truth. And there's a couple more things about Gaius, beloved.
They'll do us faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers. There he was. Feed the flock. He took it to heart. That's something you and I can do, you know, is help one another. We've had that before, since recently in that last message. Feed the flock different ways. Well, here it was, it says.
It is taking care of their brethren and the strangers, and these strangers are not unsaved people. These are people that went around in their journeys. I think next verse clarifies that which have borne witness of thy love. So not only did he have truth, this is a very important aspect. Not only did He have truth, not only did He walk in the truth, but it was sprinkled with love.
And look at someone that said before you know, truth is wonderful. That's like ice. It can be like ice. You can be clear and just as cold. But you need that love as well.
And so Gaius had that that charity born witness of thy charity before the Church, which if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well.
Well, I thought.
It encouraged me to when I was directed there in Chicago, this little abortion.
I said, well, maybe there's different reasons by the Lord, have you missed that plane? When I was into this little portion here, looking at that and the others, I got to speak to this girl from Amsterdam and and it was a wonderful opening, I must say. Name is Helen Esky and she's.
Private detective almost, but very opened. So I just it just blurs amazing and we come here, we get this refreshment, this food and now we go on our way very soon. You know I want like demons, Mary Paul says. I think it's in our chapters in in Philippians 4 Dimas hath forsaken me and that's our test. Think of it as Paul's doctrine. Demons had given it up. He was gone.
Into the world but Gaius.
My well beloved.
My well beloved, he kept.
Paul's doctrine. He was remained a host of Paul. He fed the flock and he walked. He learned the truth and he walked in the truth, and he loved the flock of God.
Hard O'Keefe is gliding.
Praise the same.
Old man, for every time you're glad, you're at me.
Holy man and all the Lords.
01:05:26
I.
Daniel chapter one and verse 8.
Just phrase.
Daniel, Purpose.
Verse 21.
Daniel.
Continues.
Minute or so, yeah.