Open—H. Brinkmann, J. Hyland
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The Lord who would delight in thee.
And on thy care depends.
To thee in every trouble sleep.
Our safe, unfailing Friends 243.
So we.
Where indeed.
Cast each care upon thee, Lord Jesus, we know that others care for us.
And that is loved by people.
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And so as we are together here this afternoon.
Exactly that we can look to Thee, blessed Savior, Thou who art.
The head of the Church to give that which is needed for us.
We let us know each need for thee tonight, this afternoon.
And we just pray to open to us thy present word that the portions before us.
May be from myself, and that each one of us may be encouraged to go on to the end of the while those leave us here, and that our concern may indeed be to give thee the praise and the worship and the glory that is to thee.
Due to the Blessed Savior, the other one that has done some art, the other one that has come from the highest glory down to Calvary depths of the world. We thank thee, blessed Savior, that thou art the one that will have the glory.
Completely in that coming scene of glory, when thou will be All in all, so we just praise it. And with thy blessing as we are together, as our direct by thy spirit, and we commit us to thee. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
We've been singing.
Of a safe, unfailing friend that the Lord Jesus is.
For us but.
I wonder what we are for him.
What I have in my heart is to look at.
Some of the people.
In the life of David.
And there were those who were real friends to David.
But there were also those who.
We're not at all friends of David.
And some even.
At one time were and then turned against him.
But.
The first person that I thought we look at is First Samuel.
Chapter 18.
Verse one.
Came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul.
That the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.
And Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home.
To his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the rope that was upon him, and gave it to David and his garments, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle.
I believe beloved.
If you want to be a real friend.
To our David, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what is to be desired, to be the state of our hearts.
Jonathan was the son of Saul.
He was in line to the throne.
But he had witnessed a wonderful deliverance.
By this young man, David.
Overcoming Goliath, destroying the power of the enemy.
Great victory was wrought for the people of God, a picture of the Lord Jesus when he went to the cross.
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The Lord Jesus did not only go to that cross to bear our sins.
He did.
And more than that, he was made thin, who knew no sin, but he also overthrew the power of the enemy.
He set us free.
And we have a picture of that in the overthrow of Pharaoh and his host, but we also have it here when he defeated Goliath.
Jonathan witnessed that none could stand up against that mighty foe.
But here this lad came with the five stone and the slings.
This link But the Lord was with him. He came in the name of the Lord, not in his own strength.
And he destroyed that enemy. What a wonderful truth that is, beloved.
That the Lord Jesus set us free from the power of the enemy. That's what you and I need for a life of victory.
Not just that he died for our sins, but that he overthrew the power.
We no longer slaves. We set free, and Jonathan's heart was drawn to that, David.
And he genuinely loved David. And he sends This is the man that is to be the head of God's people, not me, the son of Saul.
And when he stripped himself, when he gave his rope to David, this is what he indicated.
I'm happily surrender all that naturally might be my claim to that one who delivered us from the power of the enemy.
And if there's anything that I have a sword or a spear or whatever, I want to use it in the service of David.
You know, it's a wonderful study in itself to read the history of these two men, the genuine love and affection that Jonathan had for David. The painful thing is that we find at the end.
When it became evident.
That saw was bent and destroying the deliverer of Israel.
That he stayed with Saul.
And he found.
His aunt.
With Saul on the mount of Gilboa.
But who would question the genuine love and affection that Jonathan had for David? And David himself laments Jonathans death and he said his love was more to him than the love of women.
He never forgot the genuine love that Jonathan had for him, but beloved.
What the Lord is looking for, and you in my life, is not only that we have the start that this man had.
What a beautiful start.
And even endangering his own life in speaking relative.
You know his father threw the spear at him, trying to kill him.
But the Lord Jesus wants us to share his rejection.
He wants us, as it were, to go with him to The Cave of Adalam.
Share in that rejection. It's a privilege, those mighty men.
Of whom we read later on.
I'm sure many of them did not have the love and affection for David that Jonathan had, but they nevertheless shared his rejection, and therefore they're listed among the mighty men of David. Not Jonathan, not Jonathan.
But now let's look at another man.
That.
We read off. I think it's in the Second Samuel. We also read of it in Chronicles 11.
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Second Samuel.
Five or six?
The king and his men went to Jerusalem, unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in. Hit her, thinking David cannot come in, hit her Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. The same is the city of David and David said.
On that day whosoever getteth up.
To the gutter, and smite at the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that I hated of David soul, he shall be chief and captain. Therefore they said, the blind and delayed shall not come into the house.
Where we find at Joab.
Is the one.
That went up. You read it, I believe, in Chronicles 11.
What kind of a man was Joak?
He was an opportunist.
He was related to David.
David's sister's son David, remember, was the youngest of.
Jesse's sons.
And several times we read that, he says. What am I to do with you, the Santa Zira?
They were cruel men, hard men. But this joy especially was a man that was seeking his own advancement, his own glory.
In connection with David, I'm sure that David was unwise in making this rash statement.
And he must have often, I'm sure, regretted that statement. He wanted to replace Joab.
You know, about twice, I believe this man slew meant better than himself.
This is David's judgment later when he turns the reign over to.
His son.
And he instructs his son that he should not forget what this man has done.
Love it? Is it possible that among God's people today?
There might be Joabs.
Who are where they are for their own advantage, for their own advancement?
Are they really there because of David to speak in Thai?
Are they dare because their hearts are attracted like that of Jonathan?
To David, do they seek David's glory and honor?
Beloved, I trust this is the motive of our hearts in any way, in anything that we seek to do for the Lord.
There's always the danger of self entering in and we have to judge it severely. But beloved, the proper motive for service is love for the Lord Jesus.
This is what was put before Peter when he was restored in the midst of the brethren lovers down me.
Love is the motive for service, not reward.
Reward is mentioned in times of difficulties to encourage, but reward is never the motive for service. The motive for service is genuine love and affection for our Lord Jesus Christ.
But now turn to the 9th chapter.
Here we have another man.
Who is honored to be in the presence of David, to be at his table as one of Davidde sons? Who is he one lame on both of his feet?
Playing when the nurse dropped him, fleeing from David, not recognizing the kindness and goodness of David. How many people have become lame, running away from the Lord Jesus?
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But here Jonathan's son Mephibosheth is brought into Davidde household as one of Davidde sons.
Oh, and how he appreciated that position.
How he loved David.
You know when it comes out more beautifully than at any other time.
He said David returns after fleeing from Absalom.
And here he comes.
He hadn't shaved himself.
He had mourned for David.
And it becomes evident that Zybar had deceived him, had deceived David. David says, half goes to Zybar, half to you, he said. Let him have it all. As long as David had returned, as long as he had again that privilege of being at David's table. Do we love beloved?
This privileged position of being where the Lord Jesus is in the midst more than anything.
Else in life.
That is still possible for us today. To be where he is in the midst, to be around him, he has to be the attraction, not brethren, you know.
You know earthly friends will fail and leave us one day, shoot the next. They grieve us. But this friend will never deceive us. And how wonderful our David will never be deceived.
Thiaziba, He'll never be deceived, you know. When David had to flee, he wanted to flee with David. He wasn't able to flee. His servant deceived him.
And even misrepresented him. I believe there might be those among God's people who in a similar who are in a similar position, perhaps because of marriage, who would rather be with a rejected Christ.
But are hindered to be there.
And it will become manifest when the Lord Jesus comes back.
That they have been misled, they have been deceived. I'm just making an application.
But you know.
When we look at David, we do not only look at him as the picture and type of the Lord Jesus, we also see that David is a picture of a believer.
And we see that David sinned.
Very grievously.
And in the government of God he had to reap what he sowed. He spoke his own judgment when he said he shall restore fourfold four of his sons.
Died, I believe, as a result of his sin.
And then we know of their shameful history.
That happened in his family with Tema and David's son.
What do we learn now?
David did not judge evil that occurred in his family the way it should have been judged.
He passed it over. He was very angry when he heard what had happened.
But he did not take the right measures of punishing that wicked son. What happened? Even evil escalates. It spreads in his family. Absalom plans the murder of his brother.
And he slays him.
And any fleas.
I'm referring to these because I believe that to most of us, to history is familiar and we only have so much time. But he flees. Here Joab shows his character again.
When he realizes that David mourned over his son, he missed his son. He loved epsilon and he takes advantage.
Of David's love and affection for Absalom.
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There was number City of refuge for a man like Absalom.
But just like his brother should have been slain for what he did to Tima.
Joette manipulates.
Absalom to come back without being judged.
Why did he do that? He wanted to strengthen his position with David. That's why he did that.
I believe it's correct to say.
But Absalom was not satisfied.
To be permitted to be back in that land without being.
Able to be in the presence of the king.
I think it is Macintosh.
That says, deal lightly with evil and it will rise and crush your head.
Deal lightly with evil and it will rise and crush your head.
You know, we know the story.
He was permitted to be fully reinstalled without ever having been repentant. And what a bold language, he says. If there's any cause of death, claiming there was a cause of death.
But he knew his father was weak. You know, he was a good king, but he was a poor father.
So he gets back. What does he do?
He prepared Chariots for himself.
Verse Chapter 15, Verse one.
These are all people in the life of David, and this in his own family, came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him Chariots and horses and 50 men to run before him.
And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate, and was so that when a man, when any man that had a controversy, came to the king for judgment.
Then Absalom called unto him, and said, Oh, what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said unto him, Seed, I Matters are good and right, but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom set, moreover, oh that I remade judge in the land, that every man which has a suit.
Or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice.
For so that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. I think that sounds very familiar.
If you want to start rebellion against any authority attacked.
Those in authority.
Convey that there is no justice.
No fair judgment.
I'm going to be a fair judge, really. What he was after was not just to be a judge, he was after the Crown.
As the history shows.
You know, I'm reminded of numbers.
All the people are holy. You take too much upon yourself. Doesn't it sound familiar? Haven't we witnessed that?
Are we in any way giving 8?
To those.
To under who undermine God-given.
Authority.
Well, we have, I'm happy to say some people that had different character and that comes out in connection with David having to flee.
And in this chapter here we find some of those men, and again beloved.
Would you not like to be characterized by what characterized ETI?
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Would you not like to be characterized by what characterized Zeddock and Abayata and their two sons?
Beautiful, Beautiful to see how these men stood faithfully besides David and even endangered themselves.
Into obedience to David? What about this man?
Who shei?
Hoshi, what kind of counsel do we give?
Beloved, do we give counsel that will contribute to the downfall of the one whom God has put into place of authority? Ultimately, every rebellion is really against the Lord himself. You know, there was a man.
That must have been a great pain to David.
He at one time.
Was apparently a counselor of David Ahither felt.
I think it was Brother Dawn that at a recent conference made the statement that that might be the one that we read of in the Psalms. You know, that is a picture of Judas.
And what a grief it must have been to the heart of the Lord.
To have a Judas in the midst of the 12, what a grief it must have been to David.
To have this Ahithophel, the one who had been his counselor, side with his son. But I believe there's a reason why that happened when you look at it from the side of the government of God.
He was a relative.
Of the wife that he had stolen.
He was a relative with the Blessed Lord. There was number such cause when we come to Judas.
But in Davidde case, it was all part of the government of God. Now Hoshiya goes back to Jerusalem. And of course, Needless to say, we don't recommend dishonest statements in the day of Christianity, as David told Hushii to make.
That was tolerable and was tolerated in the day of this dispensation, but not in Christianity. We have to speak truth one with another. We cannot expect that we will do anything for the glory of God by being dishonest. There is no such a thing as situation ethics in Christianity, but here it was acceptable.
But oh, I want to elaborate elaborate a lot on these things, but just read it for yourself. It TI was not even a Jew and he had only recently come.
Yet what a faithful man, What a faithful man. David entrusted 1/3 of the army to this man when it came to confronting Absalom and the army that was with him.
You know, it's really a joy to my heart to see how many have been preserved to only have been recently gathered.
And they have been preserved.
I believe their hearts were attached, maybe in new.
Love, first love. They were preserved. Didn't have to have a lot of understanding.
Of truth. But the hearts were right like that of iti beloved, I'm sure we want to be idiots. We want to stand on the side of the Lord Jesus. We want to do all that we can to uphold his authority. We don't want to give any counsel that might lead to the tearing down.
Of the man of God's choice.
But what about?
Even the fact that the Ark was sent back.
To Jerusalem.
This is beautiful. Here again, I don't think David is a picture of the Lord Jesus as much as it is a picture of one who realizes that he is under the government of God and that he has to flee from his Son is God's government and that did not affect the divine center. The arc belongs at the divine center. I'm the one that has to leave because of my sin.
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But oh, he is hoping that the day would come, that God would bring him back, that he would be forgiven, but oh beloved.
Do we think that we can take the Ark with us?
When we feel.
That things don't go among God's people. That we would like to see it go.
The arc belongs.
That which speaks of the divine presence in the people of God belongs where he has set his name. I think that's a beautiful manifestation of.
David's character. No wonder God loved David.
And that he was a man according to God's heart. But we also find that there were those.
Turn to Chapter 17.
Verse 27.
Came to pass.
When David was come to Mahanayam, that Shobi the son of Nehesh, of rebar of the children of Ammon, again not a Jew, and make here the son of Emiel of Laudiba. That's where Mephibosheth had been.
And Brazilian the Gileadite of the Golem, brought bets, and basins and earthen vessels, and wheat and barley and flour, and parched corn and beans and lentils, and parched pulse.
And honey and butter and sheep and cheese of kind for David.
And for the people that were with him to eat. For they said the people is hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.
Well, here we have again something that we could desire that this man was especially that Brazilian was a rich man and he as much as he's saying all that I have, is at the disposal of David.
David Neatz and I had. I'm going to supply.
You know, when David comes back.
Refined.
That.
This man again comes, he's a very ancient man.
You know, he was an ancient man when David fled.
But.
He did all that he could to aid David.
And those with David, what he did was not only for David, but he did was.
For those also who were with David who shared in David's.
Rejection.
And he comes.
And meets David goes with David over Jordan. David wants to take him to Jerusalem. He said no, I'm an old man, take take this one in my stead. And David did. But Mephibosheth also comes and we see. I think what is especially on my heart, is not so much to occupy ourselves with those unfaithful men, those wicked men, even in David's own family.
But to occupy our hearts with those who at this time, probably the most difficult time in David's life, far more difficult than when he was fleeing from Saul.
There were those who proved their genuine love and affection and faithfulness for David. The Lord Jesus will value very much if we in our day, in days of difficulties where the authority of the Lord is questioned and sought to be overthrown.
If we stand behind our David, when we do all that we can.
To uphold his authority and to aid those who are with the rejected.
Christ, David, But I'm sure if our affections are not in the right place.
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We will not survive, spiritually speaking. What will preserve us in the path?
Is genuine affection for our David and communion with him.
And not seeking in any way our own glory, but the glory of the one who stood in the breach, who delivered us from the penalty and power of sin, so that we can stand for him. And in those members, with those members with which we once served sin, we can now serve the Lord.
Remain. Perhaps we could look at 3 scriptures to follow on a little bit of what our brother has been bringing before us. The first one is in Luke chapter 10.
Luke chapter 10 and verse 38. Now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha received him into her home and she had a sister called Mary which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his words. And then in the 11Th of John.
John Chapter 11 and verse 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him, But Mary sat still in the house. Verse 32 And when and when Mary was come, where Jesus was.
And saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. And then one more scripture in the 12Th of John and verse 3. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of Spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Well, I just thought of.
Mary of Bethany, as our brother was speaking.
We have had before us this afternoon some whose affections were drawn out to David, and who followed David in his rejection, because their hearts desired to be with David. And as has been brought before us, David is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here in the Gospels we have the precious Savior as he comes into this world as a man, and he walks through this world, and from the very beginning he was the rejected one. There was no love, generally speaking, in the hearts of Israel.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not from the very beginning he was rejected. There was number room for him in the inn. On another occasion they came and sought to cast him over the brow of a hill. And the Lord Jesus had to say too, that the foxes had holes, and the birds of the air had nests, but the Son of Man had not where to lay his head. But here was a home in Bethany, where the Lord Jesus was welcome as he walked in his pathway down here.
And what a comfort and a cheer it must have been to the heart of the Lord Jesus, as he experienced the rejection all around him, to be able to retire to this home in Bethany and to be surrounded by those that loved Him. We have Mary brought before us in these three scriptures, and I think it's instructive and remarkable that the three times Mary of Bethany is mentioned specifically a picture of the woman in Scripture often brings before us the affections and devotions.
You find there were three women who are mentioned, who followed the Lord in his pathway and minister to Him of their substance and their name. There for us in Scripture, Joanna, Susanna and Mary Magdalene. It was mentioned yesterday, I believe, concerning Mary Magdalene and how she wasn't intelligent in divine things, but she had a heart that was attracted to the person of Christ, and she received a wonderful revelation from the Lord Jesus after he had risen from the dead.
And here we find Mary at the feet of the Lord Jesus and justice. Very briefly, in the first instance, we find the Lord Jesus comes to this home where He feels welcome. And I believe that when he came to this home, both Martha and Mary were busy preparing the meal. It's important. We're thankful for sisters who have worked diligently this weekend to prepare the meals and to look after the temporal needs of the Saints, and I believe there'll be a rich reward for those who perform those little hidden tasks that no one knows about.
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But there's one, as we were reminded this morning, who's writing up the people. He's writing a book of remembrance, and even those cups of cold water that the sisters have given in his name will be rewarded in that day. But here are these two ladies, and they're both busy. But as the Lord Jesus enters that home, it's just as if Mary would say, here's an opportunity that can't be missed. I'm going to let the work go now. I'm going to sit down and sit at the feet of Jesus.
And here what he has to say. I say they were both busy, because if you notice carefully, it says, when Martha complaints to the Lord, carest thou not that Mary hath left me to serve alone. They were both there together in their service, preparing the meal. But Mary said, I'm going to sit down and hear what Jesus has to say. And the Lord Jesus had to say to Martha that Mary had chosen that good part that would not be taken away from her.
There was a lasting blessing from sitting down and hearing what Jesus had to say. And oh, what a privilege it is to be at meetings like this, to hear the voice of God speak to us, the voice of the Lord Jesus, as we open and read His word. Do we hear it in that way? But, you know, wonderful as it is to be at meetings like this, brethren, we need the word of God before us on a daily basis. And I know that those of my generation are perhaps not the readers that our fathers and our grandfathers were.
But you know, the performance of an engine is measured by its RPMS.
And you know, someone has put it this way. We need to keep up. Our RPMS. Reading, prayer and meditation was mentioned this morning. That meditation is a lost art. People don't have time. Satan is so busy today to crowd everything into our minds. When you go to work, it takes everything. You have to run that computer. It takes everything you have to survive in business. You've got to keep your mind on what you're doing. You drive down the freeway and you've got to keep your mind on the traffic.
Because Satan is, I believe, busy today to crowd our minds and rob us of our enjoyment of Christ.
You know, when the children of Israel went out to gather the manna, they had to gather it. But, says some gathered more and some less. It wasn't the amount they gathered that was important, but there was something they had to do with it. They had to meet it into their Omer. And I believe it would perhaps speak to us of taking the word of God and not just eating it initially, but meditating on it, fitting it into the needs of the day. And it says he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack. David said, oh, how I love thy law. It is my meditation.
All the day. And so we need God's word, and not just in the morning or when we come home at night.
But we need to meditate on the precious truth that he has given given to us. And so the first thing here was that Mary sat and she heard the words of Jesus. And then we find in the 11Th chapter a difficulty arises in the home. You know, there were two great institutions set up by God. The first one was the home and the second was the assembly. And I believe that Satan has been busy since the institution of those things.
To tear down what God has established, because Satan is opposed to everything that God has established. And we see the breakdown of everything around us in the home, in the world and sad to say sometimes in the assembly. But here was a difficulty that had arisen in the home. There's many difficulties in the home today, trials and problems where perhaps those of us who have families, sometimes we just don't know how to act. But here was 1 Mary and she knew where to turn in the difficulty. It was a very severe trial that had been allowed in this home.
Martha and Mary loved their brother Lazarus. They had a real affection for him, and now he was taken from them. But was Mary overwhelmed by the difficulty? You know, Martha is one that seemed to seems to me, was always busy. She always had to be active, perhaps trying to straighten things out. If there was a problem, perhaps Martha felt, well, we've got to straighten out this difficulty and this problem because, you know, when the Lord Jesus was approaching Bethany, we find that Martha runs to meet him. But I love what it says about Mary.
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It says, And Mary sat still in the house. How could Mary do such a thing? How could she sit there? Was it indifference to the problem? No, She loved her brother just as much as Martha did. But I believe Mary had a real confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. She had a real trust that in the midst of the difficulty in the situation, she could sit still, knowing that there was one in control and one who was going to come in his own time.
And in his own way, and not only come in his own time and way, but she knew there was one.
Who was sufficient for the situation when he did come? And so Mary sits still in the house you find with Peter. Just before it seemed like he was going to be martyred. He's sleeping between 2 guards. Was he indifferent to the situation? No. He had a confidence that while he had no might for the situation, there was one who was above all. You know, I would just say to each of our hearts when something arises in our personal lives or something in the family.
Or something in the local assembly. Is there a sense with us that there's one in control?
He still had over all things to the church, which is his body. One time I went to see a brother as we were going through a real difficulty in our area and as I sat down in the presence of this older brother, he said to me, Jim, sometimes things seem out of hand, but they're never out of the Lords hand.
What a calm, what a peace it gave to my soul. I believe Mary had a sense of that year. She had this calm, this peace that there was one who was fully able and one who was in control. It's true that when they told her that the master called, there was an immediate obedience, and we need to have that.
We find with the children of Israel on occasion. They're told to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, because God was going to deliver them from the enemy in a remarkable way. But a few verses later, they're told to go forth. They had to act in obedience, and Mary acts in obedience when she's told that the Master calls. And where does she run? She runs, and she falls down at the Savior's feet. She knew where to turn in her extremity. She'd sat there and heard his words.
Those words had sunk into her soul and she valued them. And now when the difficulty arises, she knows where we to turn. Have we sat at Jesus feet and listened to his words? If we have, then when the difficulties do arise, and I believe there's going to be no shortage of difficulties until we get home to the glory. Sometimes we think if we can just get one situation behind us that everything is going to be fine. But if you read through the book of the acts you find with the early church.
It's true that there wasn't a time when it says the churches had rest and were edified, but as one problem was dealt with and taken care of, then another would arise and the enemy attacked in various ways. All through the book, we're never going to be beyond the difficulties in the trials until we reached the Father's house, but all are we like Mary with this confidence, and she comes and she falls down in intercession for her brother. She'd heard his words, she'd listen to him speak. Now she comes and she speaks to him. And was the Lord able for the situation?
Of course he was. He had allowed this situation so that there would be glory brought to God.
And glory brought to himself. You know, we were Speaking of chastisement this morning. And sometimes God allows things to in his chastisement in his government, but sometimes he allows things in his in in his schooling. We're in the school of God. He has lessons for us to learn, and sometimes he allows things so that he will be glorified. That's what they said to the Lord Jesus in connection with the blind man, they said who hath sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind.
The Lord said neither this man nor his parents, but that the works of God might be glorified. There was going to be glory and honor brought to God and to the Lord Jesus through the situation. That's what he had in view here. But just notice before we very briefly go on to the 12Th chapter, notice verse 45 of the 11Th chapter of John. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did believed on him. You know, Scripture is tremendously accurate.
And in the verse we began with the 19th verse, we find that it was the Jews that came to Martha and Mary. But here, those that believe are those that came to marry. Why will I just pass on a simple thought? I believe that as they saw Mary's quiet testimony, as they saw that confidence that she had in her Lord, it was a tremendous blessing to these ones. And so those that believed were those that had come to marry.
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And as I have seen my dear brethren, many of them go through real times of tests and trial.
It's been a tremendous blessing to my own soul to see their confidence, to see the peace that they exhibit. Perhaps year after year in those difficulties and those trials, There were those who saw that in Mary, and what a blessing they received. Well then we find in the 12Th chapter that again the Lord Jesus comes to that house in Bethany. He's on his way to the cross. And here, for the last time, he visits this home where he was welcome.
He, as it were, desires to be surrounded by those whose hearts are drawn out in affection.
And brethren, that's what he wants. He wants our hearts affections. He died to win our hearts affections.
He says, My son, give me thine heart and all with Calvary before the Lord Jesus.
And all that it was going to mean to his holy soul to go under those waters of judgment.
And to be made sin, the one who knew no sin, the one who was wholly harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, as he anticipates, that he finds, as it were, comfort and refuge once again in this home in Bethany. And there he surrounded by those who love him. It's beautiful to see here that Martha served. I think it was mentioned the other day. But there's nothing about the service being cumbersome here, because I believe that Martha learned the lesson that the Lord had spoken to her in Luke's gospel where we began.
She'd learned that true service sprung from sitting at Jesus feet, and now her heart is drawn out in affection and she serves. But it's not a cumbersome service, it's a service of love. When the Queen of Sheba observed Solomon's men that his servants, she said, happy, are these thy servants? Why? Because a few verses earlier she had noticed the sitting of his servants. They were in the presence of Solomon, occupied with his beauty, with his person.
And they went out as happy servants. Martha learned that. We find that Lazarus learned a great lesson too, because he sits at the table with Jesus. He's there in communion and fellowship. I believe he'd seen in Mary that learned from Mary that lesson as well. He'd seen her sit at the feet of Jesus.
And what about dear Mary? She comes with a heart overflowing with the person of Christ, a heart attracted to himself, and she pours out her ointment that was very costly in worship and a response to himself. Oh brethren, is there that response in our hearts? Are we walking with him? Are we listening to his words? Are we enjoying communion and fellowship? Do we come to him in prayer and intercession?
As we walk with him and were occupied with His blessed person, all our hearts will indeed be drawn out in praise and worship. Did the Lord value the response of Mary's heart? You know all the disciples spoke up against her.
That the Lord placed a proper value on that response, that's what He wanted. As he said to the woman in the well At the well he was seeking worshippers for the Father seeketh such to worship him. And what is true worship? It's a hard overflowing with the person of Christ. As we're occupied with Him, there will be that due response until we see Him in a coming day, and there unhindered, we will be at His feet. We will worship Him and praise Him for all eternity. What a day that will be. But until that day, brethren, may we seek like dear Mary to be at Jesus feet, that our hearts might be overflowing.
With his person.
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And what Christ has our.
Little day of the day, let's lay hearts.
I.
Most of all for the gift of the Lord Jesus and the shed blood of Calvary Christ.
The Lord we just pray that the things we learn here at these meetings might not be just acknowledge what the point to put the practical use in our life.
Now we just commend this meeting into my hands and ask you to for the rest of the day and that precious name, my game thing.