Open—E. Tonn, R. Bauman, R. Ruga
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83 in the offenders.
I'm thinking especially at verses 2 and verse 3, which I'd like to read.
I look to him.
The lamb till sight and do the Savior to my heart.
To him I look who calms my fear.
Nor from himself.
I look until his precious mouth.
My every thought control.
It's fast constraining influence, food or body. Spirit Soul number 83 in the back of the book.
Every person.
Are they in verse 22?
But with all.
Prepare me also a lodging.
And back in Luke.
22.
Verse 9.
And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
First I was read last night in Isaiah.
Isaiah 57.
Verse 15.
For this set the high and lofty one that inhabits it, eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also, that is of a contrite and humble spirit.
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And last verse in Galatians.
Here.
Galatians, chapter 4.
And verse 19.
My little children I whom I travail and birth again until.
Christ before in you.
Let's pray to read from the first Epistle to John.
Word to introduce.
What the Lord has on my heart.
Simple statement from chapter 4.
It's a simple statement, but it's a profound 1.
That's often the way the word of God is addressed to us.
Very simple terms.
Bringing before our hearts.
The deep truth of God.
The apostle says to the Corinthians that.
Quoting from Isaiah's prophecy, I have not seen nor heard, neither entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for them that love him.
And that's all Isaiah could say.
The Apostle Paul goes on to tell us, but God has.
Reveal them unto us by the Spirit. And the Spirit searches the depths of God. God has told out his entire heart.
Sending the Lord Jesus Christ to be the savior of the world. And that's what I'm going to read in one John 4 and 14.
The last part of the verse 14 The Father.
Sent the Son to be the Savior.
Of the world.
The first verse of chapter.
One of John says in the beginning.
That takes us back to this point.
To which John refers in this 4th chapter.
And 14th verse, the deep counsels of love and grace within the Godhead before.
The world was made.
Isaiah's property prophecy gives us a glimpse in chapter 6.
When those councils were being formed.
The Father, as it were, said, Who shall I send?
And we hear those precious words.
Of the son here am I send me.
The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
There's another very simple statement with a great deal of profundity in it in the first Epistle to Timothy.
That is a sequel to the father sending the son.
And it is first Timothy 1.
And verse 15.
Christ Jesus came into the world.
To save sinners.
The Father sent and the Son came.
Within those deep counsels of grace and love and blessing.
Flowing out of the heart of God came.
The marvelous.
Thought that the Lord Jesus Christ would come.
Because these sinners.
And that lets each one of us in, doesn't it?
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We often say in the Gospel.
The more you can prove me the Sinner, the more I can prove Christ is for me.
And so we have these two profound statements.
Expressed in such simple terms.
That the Father sent the Son.
And the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ came. We have had reference to his coming into man's circumstances born.
Into this world by natural birth.
He was supernaturally conceived, the Holy Spirit coming upon the Virgin to begat that holy thing that should be born of the Virgin, and he was the Son of God.
He was naturally preserved from partaking of the sin nature.
During his.
Fetal period.
But it says in God's word that when the fullness of time was come, she brought forth her son.
And so he came. A very man. Reference was made to that second chapter of Philippians, where he was certainly on equality with God within the Godhead, and was not a thing to be grasped at and held on to, so as to not give it up To come into this scene and becoming a man, he became what he never had been, but he never relinquished what he always was.
And what he always shall be now as God and man.
United in one person, he is at God's right hand, as we sometimes say.
Exhausted for a work well done, wherefore God has highly exalted him, and given him a name that which is above every name.
That at the name of Jesus, what did the Lord Jesus? What did the Angel say to the disciples as they gazed up into glory after the Lord Jesus Christ had been engulfed in the clouds? This same Jesus.
And so God has given him a name. And what name is that Jesus? When that infant was born, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.
What was inscribed across the cross? This is Jesus of Nazareth. And so this blessed man, who came into man's circumstances in creation, ordered more than angels in order to die for creatures. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Well, this pretty much.
Sets the.
Basis for what? I would like to just make three connections, one in Galatians chapter one and verse 4.
Excuse me, There's one other statement I would like to make in connection with the Father sending the Son and the and the Christ coming into the world is found in John chapter 10, where it says, therefore does my father love me because that I might I lay down my life that I might take it again.
The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
And he in giving himself, which is the theme of three references.
I want to bring before you gave himself, and the giving of himself.
He, if you can think of it as possibility, gave new springs of affection for the Father, that this the Son would lay down his life, that he might take it again. We said that this takes us back into the councils of God and eternity, and so it is without reference in John Chapter 10, this commandment, this authority.
I received along with the Father.
Consequently.
It was decided that he would lay down his life and take it again.
True. The report in Acts chapter 2 is that by cruel hands, wicked men.
By the determinant counsel of God crucified him.
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But it was by the determinate counsel of God.
What did he say to Pilate? I was to have no authority.
Over me except he was given me of heaven. So we are going to read from Galatians chapter one and verse 4.
Beloved, these are things that we would never.
To think of.
If God hadn't recorded them for us and His word.
We just must be thankful that God has preserved His word for us until now.
And in a language and in a translation that can give us confidence that we are listening to the word of God.
What we read in this precious book is exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ would say to us if He were here.
And what God, if he were to oracularly open heaven and declare, what would he say?
He said it in his precious word.
The Apostle, we were reminded yesterday, was given to complete the word of God.
The entire thought of God in revelation to man was that man should be exalted at God's right hand and sinners.
Would be associated with him there.
We are united to him now by the Spirit, we are told.
When Speaking of the assembly in chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians.
We are soon beloved to be united to him in glory.
Galatians chapter one and verse 4. It's a very precious verse to me.
Because it is the verse God used to bring me into peace with himself.
And it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the activity of grace when he was here.
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God?
God is not willing that any should perish.
And so unwilling was he that any should perish, he sent the Son to be the savior.
And here we see the Lord Jesus Christ giving him self.
One of the distinctive characteristics of Christianity is that when the veil was rent, when the Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross from the top to bottom, that veil that symbolized the whole Judaistic system was rent, and God was no longer clothed in thick darkness.
He came out end to the light.
And we are drawn by tender cords of love out of our nature's darkness. Into His marvelous life the apostle teaches us that we once were darkness, but now are we light in the Lord.
We've been reminded about exhortations. The exhortation that follows the high holy privilege of being Children of Light is Walk is Children of Light.
So the Lord Jesus Christ here.
Gives himself for our sins.
Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture.
And was buried, and rose again.
This is the basis of our peace with God. So I have used this little expression that he gave himself for our sins as the Lord Jesus, giving himself to meet the needs of our hearts.
Our hearts were deceitful and desperately wicked and only known of God. Who can know the.
God says, I try the reins to God that we have to answer.
But here the Lord Jesus Christ gives himself for those sins in order that we might.
Not have to answer to God anymore, the Lord Jesus Christ answered to God for me.
And he is enough.
The heart.
And mind to fill every need of the human heart is met in the Lord Jesus Christ, in his answering to God for my sins and yours. The storm broke on that blessed head we sang this morning. He has been engulfed by the storm of God's judgment for the satisfaction of my sins, so that now.
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I have absolute liberty in the presence of the Holy Ghost.
Gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world. The enemy came in early.
And gained ascendancy in this world. So he is the God of this world.
And now there is a means of deliverance from this present.
Evil world. The world hasn't improved since it crucified Christ. The Princess had been known, the Princess of this world.
They would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. The enemy had blinded their minds.
But so the Lord Jesus gave himself.
For our sins that he might deliver us from this present scene.
We sometimes say when we preach the gospel.
That the death of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.
Settles the penalty of our sins.
It is an issue that has already been settled, that is salvation in its past aspect.
Believing the simple truth of God, that the old man has been crucified, receiving that by faith in the soul.
Delivers you and me from the power of sin in our life.
The Holy Spirit has been given.
And the Spirit wars against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit, in order that we should not do the things that we would.
The principle of flesh is still there. It has been condemned.
I often say it has to be reckoned with. How do we reckon? We reckon it dead because that's how God reckons it. Sin in the flesh has been condemned.
Christ doing what the law could not do because of the impotence of the flesh God is sending his Son.
Has condemned sin in the flesh, in order that we might walk not in the flesh but in the Spirit. So every supply has been furnished, so that we do not have to yield. We have deliverance from the present power of sin in the life.
We are very soon, we believe, to hear the shout that calls us up to glory.
And then, beloved, we will be delivered from the very presence of sin.
We are in the midst of it here we see it on every hand. Darling little children, old men and women and all ages.
But soon.
Arise my love, my fair one, and come away.
Do you look at yourself as a fair one? God does. And so we have the Lord Jesus Christ giving himself for our sins, to meet the needs of our hearts and to deliver us from this wretched scene through which we pass the scene that rejected and crucified the Lord of glory.
Well, in order to allow time for others, I'm going to read another portion in Titus.
Chapter 2.
Titus, chapter 2 and verse 14.
It says.
Who gave himself for us?
Does it speak to your heart, beloved, that he had his heart set upon you?
He gave himself for us.
That he might redeem us.
From all iniquity.
A little 14 year old asked me what is iniquity?
Do you need ask?
God cannot look upon iniquity. There's those things that we perpetrate, those things that we do.
A dishonor God defiled the mind and the body. That's iniquity.
He gave himself that He might redeem us, that He might buy us back from the results of sin that has captivated us until we found Him as our Savior, redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself.
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A peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Purify unto himself the objects of the heart of that blessed warmth, who would lay himself bare to Jehovah's sword, in order that he might have you and me as the prize of his labor.
Doesn't it bow our hearts and worship and adoration to read that when he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied, is it possible that he could be satisfied with the likes of us?
It stunned me on occasion years ago when a brother said to me, God has never been disappointed in you.
You dear young people that are hearing these words, does it sound?
Odd to you that God is never disappointed in you and the brother said because he knew.
What you were when he took you up.
And so we have him giving himself for us that he might.
Purifies unto himself.
Luke 15 We have the shepherd going out into the mountain and seeking the sheep.
That's what the Lord Jesus Christ did when He came into the world to save sinners. The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost. That's those of us who have already.
Had too long an experience in sin and one of the other Gospels, it says he came to save that which was lost, that you dear children.
Who may not have delved into the depths of sin as some of us.
Ah, he is sufficient for every soul. I have enjoyed the thought so much that the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is so vast.
That not one soul must go to hell. But the Pharisees came to the Lord Jesus, and he had to say to them, you would not come to me, that you might have life. The will of man is that which keeps men from blessing.
The work is sufficient, as the apostle Paul writes to the Romans, It is unto all, and it is upon all those who believe. So he gave himself for us, that he might redeem us, and that he might purify us unto himself. A peculiar people, a special treasure for himself. And so I have equated this verse with the expression here.
He gave himself for us to the satisfaction of his own heart.
We heard something about those.
Who sought salvation in their works.
Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy, as He saved us.
But we read that by grace are we saved through faith, and that not of yourselves is a gift of God.
Lest any man should boast, but we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
And so he has purified us unto himself, that he might have us as his special treasurer.
And he says, you and me as the Father has sent me into the world.
Even so have I sent you into the world. He delivered us.
Out of this present world associated us with himself in resurrection and in glory.
And as heavenly citizens, he has sent us back to represent him in this scene.
To beseech men in his stead be reconciled to God. And so we preached the gospel. When we come to meetings like this, when we encounter individuals in the lobby or on the street or in the serving line, we announced the gospel. Because it's the gospel by which God calls What does he say? What does the apostle say to Timothy? He's called you by the gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so we gave. He gave himself.
For us here.
In order that he might purify us.
And have for himself a very special treasure.
When the merchantmen found the Pearl of great price.
He gave him all that he had to secure it for himself, The prize.
Of the labor of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ as you and me.
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Him in glory, in order that he could say, Behold, I and the children of God.
Thou has given me.
And oh, they love it. Not one is lost, he says. And so we will all be in glory with him for the satisfaction of his own heart.
3rd connection is in Ephesians chapter 5.
And verse 2.
Walk in love with Christ. Also hath loved us, and hath given himself.
For us.
An offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
Here we have the Lord Jesus Christ giving himself for us the objects of His love.
The ones he sought and found.
For the satisfaction of God's heart.
We read in the first of the Leviticus of that burnt offering, a sweet savour offering that is ascended up wholly to God. We see in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ that perfect.
Obedience unto death Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified. In him is the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing all that lay before him.
Setting his face as a Flint to go to Jerusalem, not being deterred from the suffering that he knew lay ahead of him for the satisfaction of God's heart.
As a sweet smelling savior that sacrificed on that cruel cross went up to God.
For the satisfaction of His Holiness against sin. Oh, it's a wonderful thing that Christ died for our sins.
The greater aspect of his work is that he satisfied the holy claims of God against sin.
So that the entire universe that had been filed by sin is going to be purged by the perfection of the work of that blessed man at Calvary, for the satisfaction of God's heart. His holy claims have been met. And now the grace can go out indiscriminately to whosoever will can come and take the water of life, freely be brought into God's family as children, be sealed in the place of sonship, made fit to be partakers of the portion of the Saints in light, in order that the Father might have his house filled.
So we have the three references. Christ gave himself for our sins, for the satisfaction of our own heart, of our own needs and our hearts. He gave himself for us to purify unto himself a peculiar people for the satisfaction of his own heart. And he went up as a sweet smelling savour to God, as a sacrifice to the satisfaction of God's heart.
Turn to Job, the book of Job.
Just take the second on chapter one and we'll take the last chapter. Leave all the middle out of it. The Job is a wonderful book.
The Lord said in verse 8, When he's talking to Satan, the Lord said unto Satan, chapter one, hast thou set thine heart, the word consider in the margin set thine heart on my servant Job. There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God and assureth.
Evil and I can add a righteous man.
Job was a St. a Saint of God. He didn't know all these others. Abraham, Moses the different, but he was a St. He believed God. I want to turn to Ezekiel 14, I said. He was a righteous man, and I think it's good to get that settled.
Then I read the last Ezekiel 14.
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Verse 12 The word of the Lord came again.
To me saying, Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out my hand upon it, and I will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send a famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it. Now in this little portion God threatens the four sore judgments that he uses to chastise his people.
Israel later the four sore Judgments. And the first is famine. We have it several times. The Lord called for a famine. The Lord called for a dearth. You'll have that many times. All right. And now 14 of 14. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own soul by their righteousness.
Says the Lord God. And if I cause noisome beasts to come?
Verse 16 Though these three men were in it, as I lived, says the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. Next. The sword, though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
And next of course, the pestilence, and the same thing, the four sword judgments. But the principle I want to get at is Joseph was a righteous man.
Now, I've talked to a lot of preachers, believe it or not, who do not believe Job was real. They say he's a myth made-up by God to illustrate many points, and they're proud of that thought I was in a.
A hearing in court for the commitment of a woman and there was a a Bishop. I don't think it was the Archbishop, but he was there. He was a Catholic Bishop and he was representing the parents of this woman. And so when the judge took a recess, he and I began to talk and I found out that he didn't have life, but he said.
Jordan, at that time of year is always shallow enough to walk through.
No problem. Of course he's got that solved. And then I started to talk to him about joke, and he took that principle. Job isn't real. It's just a fictitious person made-up by God for teaching.
But I said, God says Job is a righteous man, He said, I don't believe that. I said you think Daniel was a St. or a child of God. Oh yes, Daniel was. Well, I said, do you think who was that other one? Noah. Noah was real and a child of God? Oh yes. What about joke? No. So I read that portion in Ezekiel 14 and all I said to that.
That Bishop.
When I see Joel, I'm going to tell him what you said. He's not real.
Well, anyway, this is job. Oh, you can learn a lot from this. But I want to now go back to the last chapter of jokes. So we go click.
And in the last chapter of Joe, by the way.
Job was all that God said he was.
None like him in all the earth. Why did God chastise Job so?
Job didn't know himself. That's it. Everything it says in here, especially, I think, chapter 38.
About Job was true. Everything he did was true. Wonderful man.
But he was happy with Joe.
God was going to work on that until he could be used by Joe. And now in the last chapter, this is God the Lord speaking Jehovah.
And Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do everything.
And that no thought can be withholding from thee took a long time to bring job to that point.
You know, Job once told his three friends, so-called. Oh, I wish there was a book written of the things I've done. I would wear it on my head like a trophy when I face God. That was joke. It was all true what he did. But think about the prize. Well, now he realizes God knows all his thoughts. What does Elsie say? Verse 6. Wherefore I abhor myself.
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And repent in dust and ashes.
Everybody has to get to verse six in their life before they're saved. That's it. And Paul stayed there. You know, Paul had that wonderful thought that I think we have to have every morning and every noon and every night again and again. I know that in me that is my flesh is no good thing. That's it. That's a good verse. I know. But in my flesh, that is in me, that is my flesh is no good thing. So what did God say?
Well now, God said to the three friends so-called.
Job shall pray for you. For him I will accept.
I won't accept you, lest I deal with you after your folly. Well, they thought they were very godly people. They thought they were very religious. They worshipped. But after your folly, in that she have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. What did Job say? So wonderful.
I abhor myself and I repent and dust and ashes, that's what he said.
God loves that God can take him as one of his own and use him to pray for his three friends that so abused him for 30 or some chapters. So Joe prayed for his friends, now 10, and Job turned the captivity and Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had.
Before.
You know.
Job was the richest man in his region or territory. None like him. He had everything.
12 Though the Lord blessed the latter end of job more than his beginning, for he had pardon me, for he had 14,000 sheep.
He had 7000 before.
And he had 6000 camels, he had 3000 before, and he had 1000 yoke of oxen. He had 500 yoke before, and he had 1000 chiases. He had 500 before.
Now you know at this point I'm going to tell you Job's name has a double meaning. Many names in the word of God has double meaning.
Like Bethany and Bob won't go into them all, but they have double job's double meaning.
Is the cry of Let's see the cry.
Of anguish and the other is really not anguish. The cry of woe and the other meaning is I will exclaim and now for 41 Chapters it was the cry of wool. Think of it and starting at verse 13 it's the last meaning I will exclaim. And there's more come out of the verses from 13 to 17 than all the 1St 40 chapters.
Isn't that something? Well, a lot of truth there, but not for Joe daughters. That's exactly what he had at the beginning. Not double here, but you know, it's a beautiful thought to start with.
He had seven sons and three daughters to begin with. Of course 7 is the heavenly number of perfection and that speaks of his sons. And with three daughters you have God the Godhead coming in. 10 of course is the number of responsibility to God and I think that tells us Joel was a responsible St. for God and his children.
Were also or also belong to the Lord that wonderful? No, they were saved. They were saved. And now he said he only got the same amount back as he lost. But that isn't true. He still has the 10 up in heaven.
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Though he's got double Isn't that wonderful? You know when Satan took everything Job had?
And the last thing was left was his ten children, who were very.
Compassionate one to the other. And whenever they ate or had a little time festival together, all of them came together. And the brothers whose heart they were in invited whose house they were in invited all the daughters. And so they were that kind. And so when Job says take his children, Job, I mean Satan wanted to take his children, but you know, although he could do all that to Job's husbandry and to Job himself.
Oils from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, where he had to sit and dump the natches and scrape with with what do you call those things? Broken pieces of pottery scrape his body. Well, Satan did that, but the Lord always sets the limit. He told Satan, do what you want with my servant Joe, but you kind of have him. And so when he wanted to kill his children.
God gave him his wish.
But he wouldn't let him take him. He took them.
You know it, says Nahum, 13. The Lord has his way in the whirlwind and the storm, and so he sent a whirlwind and it hit all four corners of the House of the Elder's son when they were all in there at once. And he took them all home to glory in that life story, I think it is. So now Job's got 10 more.
And this is the beauty. This is, I will explain. Job now can tell you something that is so prophetic.
And he called the name of the first daughter Jemima. And you know what it means.
It really speaks of the person of the Christ. It means handsome as the day. That's what it means.
It has already the son of God in mind here the second daughter he called Acacia, which is really Kashia, the same word.
And this speaks, of course, of the Son of Man, the Person.
As a man which brings in the work of Christ too, and.
Cashier means the sweet perfume of the sanctuary.
Isn't that really what Christ is? Isn't that what we offered up to God just a few hours ago?
I just want to read that in Ephesians. I'll get back quick, Ephesians, because I don't want to say it without the word of God. Ephesians and Chapter 5. I'll be brief here.
Verse two beginning with Christ, Ephesians 5 Two Christ also has loved us and have given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for Cassia for a sweet.
Smelling savour, brethren. That's what went up when breaking of bread. It was a sweet smelling savour to God. That's the person of the Son of God and the Son of Man.
That we remembered him both ways. And the last daughter in the name of the third was Karen Hoppich. What does that speak of his bride? The body of Christ. It means a child of beauty.
In that something, a child of beauty. That's us. That is us. Look around. That's us. When he found one Pearl of great price, he sold all that he had and bought it.
Child of beauty and so, and in all the land where no women found so fair as the daughters of Job, and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
After this, lived job. After this lived job.
It was an old man when this happened.
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140 years.
And saw his sons and his son's sons even 4 generations.
You know 100 is the number of salvation.
Job was saved in the sense of Old Testament scripture. He was the Lord's.
And 40 of course is the complete testing. 40 is the number of complete testing. Job was tested by God fully.
So Job died, being old and full of days. Now I just want to read one verse and I'll get down. James 5, James 5.
Chapter 5.
Verse 7.
Be patient therefore, brethren, under the coming of the Lord.
Behold the husband one waited for the precious fruit. There is patience, brethren, required as we go through this wicked world and this evil world but apart from it. But notice verse 8. Be also patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draws nigh then.
Verse 11 Behold, we count them happy.
Which endure ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.
Pardon me?
I was going to take you to Hebrews 12 and little, whom the Lord loveth He chastises, but I won't get into that.
Really. Clem got up, he said. You're rich.
In which way are we rich?
Many of us in that rich materially, he must have meant in Christ.
What about proof? Was she rich only in her association with Boaz?
What about the position of Rahab?
This sinful woman.
Who became a woman of faith? Only in her association with Salman was she rich.
I don't mean to be an exhorter of the Saints. That's not my line.
That time and again we have the admonition from the Word of God.
Not to be covetous.
And just look at a few scriptures.
The first just after the 5th of Ephesians our brother Yule referred to there.
Continuing on to the next verse.
He read verse 2, Ephesians chapter 2, and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and the sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour the next verse, but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness.
Let it not be once named among you, as becometh Saints.
More direct words of Our Lord in the 12Th chapter. Looks thoughtful.
Luke, Chapter 12.
Verse 15.
Luke 1215 And he said unto them.
Take heed and beware of covetousness.
What is covetousness? That is, the desire to have that which God has not been pleased to give me.
And need not necessarily be material things. It could be.
Gift or ability, although we are enjoined in the word of God in First Corinthians.
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Desire Earnestly the best gifts. Covet the best gifts, that is, to serve one another in love.
This man in this 12Th chapter of Luke desired more than what he had.
And God called him a fool. It's foolish to desire to have an accumulation of that which this world has, because we came and empty handed and we're not going to take anything with us.
In the Word of God we have examples of those who were men of faith, if they were anything but covetous.
You take Abraham.
When there was a strike between his herdmen and lots of herdsmen. Why? Abraham said, You know if you turn to the right, I'll go to the left, If you want to go to the left, I'll go to the right. This man wasn't concerned with accumulating more. God had blessed him abundantly, and he knew that these things came from the Lord.
You may reason and say, well you know, if I get a good job and accumulate a lot of money, I can use that for the Lord.
Is that the way Moses reasoned when he was in line for good position in Egypt? He forsook Egypt, and all the court and all the the privileges that that position would have afforded him. He chose rather to identify himself with the people of God.
Here's a verse in the beginning of Exodus.
Oh, maybe about chapter 18.
Excellent counsel given by his father-in-law.
Next to this chapter 18, he counsels Moses to choose him out. Men. Verse 21. Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as fear, God, men of truth. Notice these next two words hating.
Covetousness.
And place such over them to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of 50s and rulers of 10s.
Hating covetousness. Do we hate covetousness?
You know, sometimes you travel in other countries and the people are so poor they will steal anything. Everything has to be kept locked up. You're so poor and sometimes you hardly blame them. You wish you can give them the shirt off your back. They're so poor.
Here Moses followed the example, because later you remember the rebellion of Korra, Dathan and Abiram. Moses was able to tell them I have not taken a single *** from them. Moses set a good example. He was not a covetous man.
My brother Bob was reading about Job.
If you were to turn, maybe just for a moment, to the 31St chapter of Job, I believe it is.
Well, see if he was a covetous man.
Look how kind and generous and Loving and Job was in the 31St chapter.
Verse 19 I read just a few verses.
I have seen any perish for want of clothing or any poor without covering.
If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep.
If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless when I saw my help negate.
Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade and mine arm be broken from the bone. You see, Job was very generous. He gave of all his substance.
He was a liberal man, is one thing he feared, and that was destruction from God.
And the very thing that he feared came upon him, because God saw some root of pride in Job's life. He attributed his goodness to himself, and God saw that that that had to be judged. And it was brought out whom the Lord loveth. He chasteneth. Our brother Bob was going to speak on that, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Job was a man who.
Is kind and loving, and God rewarded him. Have you ever done anything for the Lord and found that God shortchanged you? Dear young people, why not devote your lives to the Lord? The world is going to teach you otherwise. Go to school, get a good education, a good job, and leave the things of the Lord till later on in your life.
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Lord says just the opposite. He says, Son, give me thine heart. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.
The 30s chapter Proverbs. I think there's another scripture that touches on the same subject.
Proverbs.
Chapter 30.
Verse 7.
Two things have are required of thee. Deny me them, not before I die. Remove far from a vanity and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient for me What a prayer that is day by day, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, who is the Lord you know of. Anyone ever said that? Pharaoh said that Who is the Lord that I should serve him? And that was what became.
Israel the Lord warned them that they would, if they prospered in the land, lest they forget him and Deuteronomy 32 Who is the Lord, unless I be poor and steal and take the name of my God in vain?
How many men can you think of that have fallen through covetousness? They stole, they took the money of the Lord. They ruined their testimony could no longer be used by the Lord. You know, to covet is almost as natural as breathing.
In fact, the Apostle Paul said that concerning the law, he was blameless except one point.
Romans Chapter 7 is it. Let's look at that.
7th chapter of Romans I believe.
Verse 7 Roman 7/7.
That's how we say then, Mr. Lawson, God forbid, nay, I had not known sin, or had conscience of sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except the law had said. Thou shalt not covet and exclude him, because Paul just naturally coveted he desired this, that and the other thing. How can we possibly overcome this terrible sin, dear brethren, that plagues us in our lives, especially in this country in which we live with? There is so much materialism.
When you go to other countries and you see people and starving, they don't have the wherewithal to eat. There's only one way.
Look through the grace of God. Is that what the Apostle Paul did?
The 20th chapter of Acts. Let's see how Paul overcame this if he did.
Paul in chapter 20 and bidding farewell to the Ephesian elders.
Look at verse 32.
Now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
Which is able to build you up and to give you inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Notice this verse. I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Yet you yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me I have showed you all things that soul laboring.
You ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus. How he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. You know you may search through the gospels, and you'll search in vain to find those words of the Lord Jesus. It is more blessed to give than to receive, and yet the whole tenor of the Lord's life was to give.
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, That though he was rich, he became poor. That we through his poverty might be rich? Our brother says we're rich. I tell you something.
My father now with the Lord.
He told me that when he was a boy, he said. I always dreamed of being a rich man when I grew up.
And my dad was poor, he said. When I grew up, I wanted to be rich.
And then he said, One day I found the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. And you know what I found out through the word of God that is far richer than I ever dreamed I would be. He had all things in Christ. Dear brethren, the Lord has granted us so much, May he help us to consider others. Those who have little as the Lord Himself considered us and gave himself for us.
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100 and one 301.
Or else is in there.
And mine should be.
Titles party because I'm like favorite the 2nd 1.
But gorgeous and I can hear you.
And grace and the fall.
Where do you go?
And I'm not flying.
For our God bring I spin on the heart.
Perhaps we could sing 168 with the same penalty, or two 168.
The night is far.
Away. So why do you mean glory? For the heart is the God.
Rejoice Managing.
The Lord of God now bring twice for the God make of Jesus Christ.
To us, today we're going to land three women.
I don't want to welcome you.
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And I'm glad you're here, Cross.
I'm crowning the love of the boys and will be there.
His father and he prays.
Lord.
Everybody.
It is OK. It is going to come tomorrow.
Christmas.
Lights.
Square one time.
While your name is grace and flock.