Open—M. Payette, R. Bauman, Dave Spence
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He is a.
Desert.
Rice lightning flourishes where the where he's where he's where it is, where he's live, where he's in the where he's in rice gone.
Please praise us. Praise recounting.
Us with him all our Father.
And our Lord.
Salvation.
And.
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It never failing long.
Chapter 7.
Loop 7.
And verse 40.
And Jesus answering, said unto him.
Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.
And he says Master say on Zechariah chapter 10.
In verse 4.
Zachariah, 10, and four out of him came forth.
The corner to read the cornerstone.
And out of him.
The nail.
And out of him the battle Bow.
And out of him every oppressor together.
When the Scriptures speak of the cornerstone, we know who it's referring to, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one from whom everything takes its perspective.
I understand that the cornerstone, when they were building something, they would lay the first cornerstone and put that in position and all the rest of the building was lined up from that stone.
For the Lord Jesus, He is the chief cornerstone.
Also the only foundation that can be laid.
The apostle Paul says that First Corinthians 3 No other foundation can any man lay say that which is laid.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the foundation is what you build on and in the scriptures we have.
The church presented as a building, the House of God, and it's seen there as built on that cheap cornerstone, that foundation, on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And it's it's built up, you might say. So the base is there and we built from there.
But in our verse here we have one who is the chief cornerstone.
And one who is a nail.
And this is what struck me and has been brought before me from Isaiah 22, where we read this morning.
Let me just go back there for a moment. Isaiah chapter 22.
I just like to go over these verses quickly, don't want to take too much time.
Isaiah 22 and 20 And it shall come to pass in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Akaya, and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and will commit thy government into his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the House of Judah. And the key of the House of David will I lay upon his shoulder. So he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open.
And I will fasten him as a nail in a short place, and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Father's house, and he shall hang upon him all the glory of his Father's house, and the offspring, and the issue all the vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups even to the vessels of flagrons.
In that day, saith the Lord of Hosts, shall denial it is fastened in the short place, be removed, and be cut down?
And fall, and the burden is one, as upon it be cut off, for the Lord had spoken it.
Well, I'm not sure I understand all that's in these verses here, but I've understood that the nail that was going to be cut off and removed was Shebna, who spoke enough earlier. Verse 15 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, go thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say any reproaches toward Shevna, and he's removed, and I believe Eliakim replaces him there. And as you've remarked, those remarkable verses.
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And that the Spirit of God brings before us in Revelation chapter 3 connected with that person of Eliakim. His name means God will establish.
And the son of al Qaeda means al Qaeda means the portion of the Lord. I like that the Lord God will establish a portion.
Of the Lord. It's wonderful to consider that you and I, dear ones, were the portion of the Lord. We belong to Him.
And we've been established by the Scriptures on this sure foundation. That's the Lord Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross.
But what I'd like to put before your souls and mine this afternoon is this thought of the nail.
Because the foundation, everything is built on that. It rests on the solidity of that foundation, and nothing's going to move that.
But when you think of a nail, it tells us here, everything is hanging from that nail. It's from the top down. It's not from the from the basement up, it's from the top down. Everything is hanging from that nail.
And that presents to me a thought.
Of dependence.
What was hanging on that nail, you don't know. One that is presented here in type or prophesied of is the Lord Jesus who is nailed to that cross, who had those nails in His hands and in his feet. And He was nailed on the cross for you and me. And because of that, because of his finished work, you and I have been brought into eternal blessing. We have a foundation for our faith, the work of the Lord Jesus. Blessed person, a finished work, wonderful thing. And this very one. He's in the glory right now. He's in the heaven.
And if you can, consider what it says here that he will fasten him as a nail in a sure place.
Well there's no surer place for you and I than heaven, where the Lord Jesus is for you and me. And that's where we're going to be shortly, because He's there. This is a sure place that you and I have.
I remember once I was moving a fridge with someone and.
Couldn't take it out the stairway because the stairway was finished after they brought the fridge into the house.
They plastered the walls and everything and when we went to take the fridge out it wouldn't come out anymore.
And there was number stairs outside. There was just a balcony.
So I decided it wasn't very smart, but I thought if we put a nail into one of the the posts of that balcony there and we could tie the fridge to it, we could probably lower it down and get it to the bottom.
And it was a pretty big nail.
But it wasn't strong enough. It bent and it fell loose. And I thank the Lord to this day because it had that rope around my hand. It just slid off.
And it fell down in the stairs and nobody was there. Nobody got hurt.
But my nail wasn't strong enough. But this nail, this nail, oh, nothing can pull it out and nothing can bend it. Everything hangs on that. The glory of the Father's house, the Lord Jesus, the glory of the Father depends on Him. Did he fail in anything? No. And will he fail in anything? No. Do we fail in many things? Yes. And I believe we fail in many things, Dear ones, I'm the first one because for lack of hanging on Him.
For lack of dependence. Because when we depend on him, will he fail you? If you trust him? Never.
Will He fail us if we trust Him together? Never. When we come together in Bible conferences like this. Will he fail us if we wait on Him? Never. He can't.
So I just enjoyed this portion here and they shall hang upon him.
All the glory of his Father's house. Well, that was Eliakim's father. But we know what it's talking about. Is God our Father. Everything depending on the Lord Jesus. Oh, this is the God our Father wants you today to depend on him and to trust him. I'm sure he does. Well, he wants you to be grounded and looted and know for sure many, many things. But I see your practical life day after day. He wants you to depend on him. You depend on him.
Do you walk with him?
Is he your usual companion? You talk to him and listen to his voice.
When was the last time you heard his voice speak to you through the scriptures?
Let many of us read the Scriptures. When you read the Scriptures, do you hear His voice? Does He speak to you? Is there an obstacle in your life that has marred your fellowship with the Lord Jesus and you're not hearing His voice anymore? You can read the words, you can understand the doctrine, you can preach it, you can tell everybody else about it.
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But are you enjoying his fellowship and you're dependent for your happiness on this one, that God has established the ruler of the world. He's going to come and rule this world. You're going to let Him rule your life. You're going to run it yourself. Well, you know, it says here that all the little things here, all the glorious Father's house, the offspring and the issue. I thought that to mean that the descendants and their offsprings.
We had that in the meeting this morning, the suggestion of passing these things on to our children and that they would be established to well, they're only going to be established if we're established, and we're only going to be established if we depend on the one that has been established for us to depend on.
And the vessels, and the cups and the flagons, all these vessels. You might say that you and I are, that God has.
To use in his house for different things to bring refreshment to bring.
Ointments to bring.
Healing to other ones around you. It's only going to be effective if you're hanging on that one. Who's the Lord Jesus?
Does that nail fixed in a short place that can't be moved?
Just one more thought in Ecclesiastes.
The last chapter of Ecclesiastes.
Chapter 12.
And verse 11.
The words of the wise.
Are as gold.
And as nails fasten by the masters of assemblies.
Which are given from 1 shepherd.
So you have nails here?
You know, if you're going to have a strong nail and you're going to put a heavy load on that nail to hang something from it.
Well, you're probably going to just go and go Wham once and then it's going to go in and be tight. It's not going to be like that because if it goes in that easy, it's probably going to come out just as easy.
So if you've hammered nails as many of us have, you know, you have to repeat, you have to repeat hitting the nails over the head and then they go in and the bigger the nail, the harder the wood, the more hits you have to to give it. But then when it's finished, it's strong and it's well fastened. Well, it tells us here that the words of the wise are as nails fastened. And I just want to encourage each one of us. Oftentimes we, we hear things repeated to us and perhaps we go over things again and again and we say, oh, I've heard that before. Well.
It's necessary for us to hear things over and over again because as we hear them, perhaps they sink in a bit deeper every time and they become our own, and then we become established. I'm sure many of you would remember as young believers. Anyway, it was my case that I knew the Lord is my Savior, but I wasn't sure that I'd never lose my salvation. I was afraid, I was concerned. I didn't have, I hadn't laid old yet of all these wonderful scriptures that assure us that the work of Christ was all that was needed to satisfy the heart of God forever.
But after reading here and reading here and hearing from 1:00 and another as the Word of God was expounded, well, I got grounded and rooted in that truth. And I'm enjoying it today as many other things and I'm sure many here. But this is how it comes to you and me a little bit by little bit, and it gets deeper and deeper till we trust that it's well fastened in your soul.
Now the goats, it's a bit different. The goats, you know, they use the goats to prick the oxen. So they.
They would walk, you know, and we need that we need and the word of God to prick us, they might say, and get us moving and get us out of the situation and get us to to adopt habits and conformity of life to the word of God. But it's the words of the wise given by 1 shepherd. Oh dear ones, this morning we had the privilege of sitting together and having the word of God open before us. And I say many wise men.
In this room, men of God with much history in the things of the Lord and life experience from which we can learn, and I'm sure we do every time.
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But I would just like to remind each one of us that it says here given from 1 shepherd.
That one, who's the nail? Who's that? That firmness for our souls, up in the glory You can trust in everything now, forever. That same one cares for you today, and for each one of us. And He has for us exactly what we need. Each one.
And he will give it to us.
On one condition should I say I might be corrected on this.
That we depend on him.
And you'll give it to us.
I could stay here this afternoon and talk till 5:00.
And I could give way to many more gifted brethren that could come up here and talk till 5:00. But what I desire in my soul, and I trust this is what each one of us desires in our souls, That what we are getting is what is coming from that one Shepherd that will attract our hearts to Him, that our foundation would be Him, and that would be dependent on Him and growing the knowledge of Him and be more like Him. So dear ones, each one of us, those of us who are listening and those of us who are talking.
That we would be in that dependent attitude. Everything is hanging on him. You know, like to be hanging, but it's nice to be hanging on him, to be dependent on him and to trust Him that he is faithful and He will come in for us every time.
Let's see Chapter 5, Song of Songs.
Solomon wrote 1005 songs. The Spirit of God chose one.
To put it right in the heart of the Word of God.
It speaks of the bride.
Could be used, of course, primarily as the Jewish pride, the children of Israel.
But it can also be used as the church today.
But I like to use it as individual ones belonging to Christ.
As Paul said to the Corinthians.
I'd love to remember how he said it. I I present you as chase virgins to the Lord. I believe that's the thought. It's second Corinthians 11 verse two. I won't take time.
Chapter 5 Song of Songs Now one thing to remember.
In the Song of Songs, nothing's mentioned of sin.
Because.
The Lord sees us in all the preciousness.
Of what he's made us by the Holy Spirit. He doesn't see us as sin. There's a mention of failure.
Which is not the thought there of sin. She gets away, she grows cold, like you and I do sometimes.
But the Spirit of God brings Christ right back to our hearts. So chapter five, I think I'll just read a couple verses to start verse two, I sleep this second time she failed. He restored her both times. He loves, you know, he loves to bring us back it. It's really the fourth verse I think of Psalm 23.
He restoreth my soul.
That means he brings me back when wandering.
You know he paid too much for each one of us to let us go too far. He brings us back.
Isn't that nice? Even those we love have our own family. Maybe who have laughed.
We have confidence he'll bring him back. Well, that isn't the thought here. But she this second time she failed. Little sleep, little slumber, little folding of the hands.
And travel.
Will come upon you, Trouble shall come upon you. This is for her. But my heart awakened, my heart wakeneth. It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh open to me. My sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled. Notice that.
That's the word of the Lord, and a term used that's reserved for the time of failure.
You're still his undefiled.
We were talking about that, you know, loving them in spite. That's the Lord. We'll go on my undefiled, for my head is filled with dew. That means blessing. Heavenly blessings for her. That's what he wants for all of us is filled with dew. In my locks, with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat. This is the bride speaking back. How shall I put it on? You know, it's pretty sad.
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When it comes too hard to put on a coat to meet the Lord, that's pretty sad. She's in a bad state of soul, she says.
I have washed my feet. How shall I defile them?
Too much to put on her slippers and go out and meet the Lord. Isn't that something you know? There are some that are that cold in their soul. The only thing that will restore them is what you've got in your hand, the Word of God.
That's all. The Spirit of God will use it and restore. Well, she's in a bad state now. Let's go on. Let's see. My beloved put his hand by the whole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
You know, she's thinking this. I don't know if this actually happened. It doesn't matter. This is what she's thinking. He's getting close and she's beginning to be warmed up in her heart for him. All right. I rose up to open to my beloved and my hands drop with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the locks. Myrrh is bitterness.
You know when we remember the Lord it's with.
Joy and sorrow mingling the sorrow speaks of the murder, the sufferings and death of Christ. And so she was thinking already what He had done for her. He had restored her. That's earlier in this book. But what sweet smelling myrrh? That's a little different, isn't it? That's the result to her.
Of his sufferings and death is lovely. Isn't there a sweetness in the breaking of bread? That's our portion. Of course there is. That isn't the main object, of course. But you can't help but have a sweet, smelly myrrh. I open to my beloved. All right. It was his himself that brought her to this point. You know, it's like the two on the way to Emmaus, the Lord.
Acted as though he would leave. Why?
He was exercising their soul, testing their heart.
And they said, come home with us, you know. So here she says, I open to my beloved. But my beloved had withdrawn himself. Same thing as the two on the way to Emmaus. He was gone. My soul failed when he spake. I sought him. I could not find him. I called him, but he gave me no answer.
She's out of communion, of course.
You know he'll speak once and twice, many times. Whom the Lord loveth, He chasten us.
Never forget that.
He chastened us. Why? He loves you. You're members of his family.
You don't chastise the boy next door, but you do your own children, don't you? You love them. Well, this is a thought. Here he's exercising her soul. He had just wondered about the little foxes that spoil the fruit of the vine. There's no fruit for her now. The first time she failed, she was in the city on the broad road, and he brought her back so beautifully. But here is the second time now, the Watchmen verse seven that went about the city found me.
They smote me.
They wounded me. The keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
You know this time there was damage to her, right? There's always a loss when you get away.
And you know that is not made-up.
There's the years the locusts have eaten from some who've been gone maybe 20 years, 30 years. I've talked to them. When they come back, they don't get it back, but they're on fire for Christ to be back at his table. That's lovely. All right, let's see where I was.
They they wounded me and the keepers of the wall took away my veil. She doesn't have any testimony left. That's what that speaks of. You have no testimony if you move into this world.
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And make your place on the streets in the Broad Rd. That's where she is. No testimony, we'll read on.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, women of the city.
If you find my beloved, tell him that I'm sick of love.
I wish I had that water supply by chair.
Thank you.
I'm sick of love. What does that mean, you know?
We use it this way when the boys and girls are gone.
For a week, sometimes maybe to a nice camp, they get homesick.
All day homesick. And that's a real sickness. But this is different than that. It's the same idea. She was love sick. She was sick from being away from her wars. It's a wonderful thought. I'm sick of love. What is verse nine? What is my beloved? What is thy beloved more than another beloved? The women of the city said, oh, thou fairest among women. What is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou does so charge us.
Wow, you know what? The Lord has given her a chance, an opportunity.
To testify to this world, even though she's gotten away.
I think that's some of the sometimes the way he restores our soul.
Gives you an opportunity.
I've had it happen when I'm in a bad state of soul. And there's something about this, that opportunity puts you on flame again for him. All right, she's got an opportunity. They said what? What is I beloved more than any other beloved we got? Why are you so charging us? And then she said, my beloved 10 is white.
Of course, that's his first son.
Holy.
Pure and Ruddy, that's his work for her.
The blood shed is so beautiful. How she described him right away. Cheapest among 10,000. There's none like him, she said. This is my beloved. There's none like him. Now I'm not going to take time for her descriptions. Whenever the bride describes the groom, she uses 10 features because 10 is the number of responsibility individually to God and she meets her responsibility.
But I'm not going to get into it. But in the 7th chapter he describes her and whenever the groom describes the bride 7 features only because that's the number of heavenly completion she Caesar and all the completeness of himself. But I won't get into that. OK now she describes his eyes and then she says they're they're doves eyes. It's not lovely. I won't get into that. Sounds so beautiful by the rivers of waters.
His cheeks.
And his hands are as gold rings set with a barrel.
You know, she starts that way and let's see. Yeah. His head, verse 11 is as the most fine goal. And now down here it says his hands are as gold. Now at the end, she says 15, his legs fine gold. What is she saying? That my beloved, is righteous from head to foot and throughout. Now, I'm not going to greet the others because there's no time. All right?
Verse 16.
His mouth, that's the word. His word. His mouth is most sweet. Doesn't Peter say taste and see? That's it. Most sweet. Yay. He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved. This is my friend. Oh, daughters of Jerusalem. What a beautiful testimony she gave. Even in a bad state of soul. That's going to restore her.
It's going to restore her, but before she gets restored.
The Lord gives her a rebuke.
I'll read it. Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women?
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Whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with you? They couldn't imagine that she left him describing someone like she did. And if you describe Jesus Christ to your friends and neighbors, they wouldn't even think you'd ever leave him. They didn't think she could ever leave him. He had to leave her. Whither did he go?
Isn't that a rebuke? That's a hard rebuke. Well, it hit her and she began to speak. Wonderful things. My beloved is gone down into his garden. You know what she learned in being away and all the beauties of being brought back.
He has an assembly.
That's where he is to where he loves to be. The garden in the Song of Songs speaks of the assembly.
To the beds of spices to feed in the gardens.
She knows he's got now many assemblies. Isn't that beautiful?
This is I'm Speaking of one like you and I.
The bride of Christ in that sense.
And he's gone down to gather lilies. You know, he told her in the second chapter, if you're a Lily, that's her new name. Once she became his, that's your new name, Your lilies. They're beautiful. I think it is. So he goes down to feed and among the gardens and to gather lilies. I think that Salma 116, I'm not going to take time because someone else can have this podium.
But that says Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints.
When he takes one of you home, that's precious. I know we don't mourn or sorrow as the world does. We miss him, of course, but we know he's taken a Lily for himself. And that's the beauties of death for a believer. I love that part, don't you? So she said. I am my beloved. My beloved is mine. He feedeth among the lilies.
This is a very high note in the song, but if not the highest, I couldn't take it to the highest.
But there's two more steps to reach the highest. But here it is. He feedeth among the lilies. I want to tell you today, tomorrow and Lords Day, he'll be feeding among the lilies and what we say and what we think because he reads the heart. The sisters have a part in this and he feeds that way. I'm going to just finish with the last verse in the Song of Solomon.
All right, I'll read 13 and 14. I'll take my seat. Thou that dwelleth in the gardens. She's learned the height. He dwells among the assemblies and in them, where two or three are gathered together under my name. There am I in the midst. He dwells here in that beautiful Thou that dwelleth in the gardens. The companions hearken to. Thy voice caused me to hear it. I hope that's your desire always.
That became her desire. Caused me to hear thy voice.
Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to the role or to the young heart, for the mountains of spices. So ends the song of Songs. She feverishly looked for her beloved return. And what about you?
That's the thought.
The last verse we read together, brethren, struck a chord.
He dwells in the garden.
Sometimes we've sung that song. I come to the garden alone.
While the dew is still on the roses.
And the voice I hear.
Falling on my ear.
The Son of God discloses.
A wondrous presence.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is indispensable to the believer.
As we go through this life.
Christianity is not.
A legislation of rules and regulations.
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And to condemn us when we get out of the way.
No, it is a person as we know, beloved.
A person to satisfy the longings of our hearts and to be set before us, as our brother brought before us earlier as an object for our hearts.
A foundation for our lives. For no other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
The foundation that this world knows nothing about.
And they live from day-to-day just hoping everything is going to change and everything will cure, everything will get better.
And it gets worse.
Brother reminded us the other day. Evil seducers waxing worse and worse.
Deceiving and being deceived and the enemy is busy deceiving souls today, and even the hearts of God's people.
Suggesting that there is something out there for our hearts, something better than Christ.
In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And that blessed One. Does he not want to dwell in my poor heart?
That has been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
And thinking about that, could we turn to Second Samuel chapter 6, just for a few verses?
Second Samuel chapter 6 and verse 12.
And it was told King David saying.
The Lord hath blessed the House of Obadiah, and all that pertaineth unto him.
Because of the arc.
Of God. Notice that phrase Because of the ark of God, the presence of the Lord, Obadiah had experienced the blessing of the presence of the Lord.
David in his earlier life knew the value and the indispensability of his presence when he was a shepherd boy out on the hills taking care of the sheep.
That is what prepared him as he slew the lion and the bear.
Because of the presence and strength and the glory of the Lord in his life, that is what prepared him to go against.
An enemy of Israel, the giant Goliath, and he was nothing in his eye because of the presence of the Lord.
The Word of God tells us even our faith, which overcometh the world. There is no resource we have, beloved. There is no resource that David had in himself or in this world or because of his abilities.
It was he became enamored, occupied with, filled with the necessity of walking with God in his life. May we as Christians, no matter what age we are, may we have that serious conviction of soul and spirit. There is no way that we can get through this world for the glory of God except to understand and to depend upon and value the blessedness of His presence.
And David, just prior to this, you read the whole chapter, had sought to bring the ark of God.
Back to Jerusalem.
By a method that was not according to the Word of God. He valued the presence of the Lord. He knew that he needed to be in the presence of the throng in Jerusalem. That was his place. He had been in the center of David's heart and life, and he knew that he must be in the center of the throng at Jerusalem. The problem was.
If you turned, I believe it's First Chronicles 13. I I'm not sure of the chapter, but it says that he consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds and the leaders of Israel as to how to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem.
And they brought it back. They sought to bring it back.
But as we read in verse seven of the same chapter.
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Verse six of this same chapter.
The oxen shook the cart, or the ark of the Lord. It was put on an oxen cart.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Azza.
As he sought to stabilize the Earth.
And God smote him there for his error, and he died by the ark of God, and David was displeased.
Because the Lord made a breach upon us.
And so forth. We can understand in all the sincerity of this.
The heart of this king, we can understand how he felt displeased. He sought to do something right in a wrong way. And beloved, we have oftentimes become discouraged, perhaps because we have sought to do something right, but not according to the word. I know I have, and I've gone away very heavy hearted and very burdened.
But David searched the matter out, and he found out the truth, that the ark must be born on the shoulders of the priest. Two things The priests must carry it on their shoulders.
And he went to get the ark from the House of Obadiah.
Verse 12 Again. So David went and brought up the ark from the House of Obadiah into the city of David with gladness.
And we learned that the House of Obadiah prospered. Beloved, if the Lord Jesus Christ is given a place in my poor heart and in your life, he's going to bless your life.
That Christ might dwell in your hearts. Ephesians chapter 3.
That is his desire to dwell there.
Is it yours and is it mine in the power of the Holy Spirit?
To make his love so real, A love that passes understanding.
A love that will fill your heart and mind so that you will not go after the poultry and I will not go after the inferior things of this life.
Or Oban Eden's house prospered. The truth of baptism is that it shuts out the world in our homes.
But the consequences then is, that brings God's man in, when my heart is judged as to the things of this world, and I reckon myself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God.
He has paid too much for his beloved.
He owns that body of yours, young people.
He owns your mind.
And your hands. And your feet.
He has bought you with a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirits, which are His.
He is jealous of that sin in your life.
He is jealous of that wrong relationship. Our brother referred to 2nd Corinthians Chapter 11.
Where it says, I have espoused you unto one husband, as unto a chaste virgin in Christ.
For as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so also your hearts and minds should be corrupted through.
The simplicity or the single eye for Christ, He will seek to rob you not only of your joy, but keeping your eye fastened, fixed upon Him as the object, bright and fair to feel and satisfy our hearts desire. This was David's object.
He corrected the problem. He brought the ark up from the House of Obadiah on the shoulders of the priests.
And to go on verse 13. And it was so.
That when they that bear the ark of the Lord had gone 6 paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
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And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was girded.
With a linen ephod. And I know there are some in Christianity Today who say that.
It's appropriate to dance because David danced. But, beloved, we know better, do we not?
The true hours come when the hours come when true worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Not in dance, or by the sultry and by the symbol and by musical instruments. It's true we may have a heart that dances.
The bride and the Song of Solomon that we referred to. Her heart danced, no doubt, when she was restored to him.
And he said to her, Thou art beautiful. He did not say, shame on you.
Look where you went, look what you did. Is it not the same with Jesus when he looked upon Peter? When Peter failed so miserably, he looked upon him?
With a broken heart.
Wounded love.
And Peter wept bitterly.
He remembered how much he was loved and when we failed. Beloved, there is nothing that will restore our hearts.
Like that sense or feeling how much he loves me and look what I did to contribute to his suffering upon the cross.
David danced with all of his might and beloved, you know the answer why?
Young people, do you know why he danced with all of his might?
And he even had on a linen ephod. He had set aside his kingly robes and all of that honor that was his.
Because as the ark moved closer to the center of the throng.
It was like the Lord Jesus Christ being all to our hearts.
And we lay down those things which have brought shame and dishonor upon his name. As he moved closer to Jerusalem, David danced.
He took upon him that priestly character, and it says in the word We know the Scripture. Hebrews 13. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise.
Continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name, and as he moved closer to the throng, it caused David to sacrifice.
As He moves more towards the center of your life and mine, it will cause us in view of His coming for us. Beloved, we belong to Him. He owns us, we're His. He's jealous of our love, He's jealous of that sin, but it will cause us.
To see how.
Wretched those things were that I have been occupied with.
That made me feel so empty that I thought would make me happy.
And they didn't, not only did it dishonor Him, and He's so patient with us, the longer that we live, the more we realize how much He loves us. Whom the Lord loveth, He chastens only out of love, to bring us back, to fill us with Himself. Looking diligently, it says in Hebrews chapter 12. Lest any man fail of the grace of God, may we look diligently during these meetings. Beloved, I speak this to my own heart because I am so vulnerable. The enemy is a powerful folk.
And he will not stop with one tactic, He will continue with tactic after tactic in order to rob your soul of that joy. Jesus said these things. Have I spoken unto you?
That my joy, my joy serving the Father, walking with the Father in the will of God.
That my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. When you have that fullness of joy, Let me tell you, beloved, what it will do to you.
Everything that you go after in this life, once you've tasted of that wondrous wine, of the joy of His love.
You will count everything inferior and secondary and loss compared to His blessed person. It will cause you to sacrifice. It's not a matter. Christianity is a matter of giving up this and giving up that and doing this and doing that, and maybe then pretty soon you will arrive at having His fellowship.
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Jesus said, As the Father hath loved me.
Even so have I loved you. Continue he in my love.
As I have kept my father's commandments.
Even so, keep my commandments. He that keepeth my commandments will abide. Abide in my love. That's normal Christianity, and I allow things to come in to destroy and to affect the joy of His love.
May we be as David and take this example, beloved.
To move him more to the center of our lives, to see Him as the center or in the midst in the assembly.
And rejoice in the grace that has brought us to that place in our lives.
To give him that place of sitting on the throne of our hearts.