Open—P. Geveden, J. Brereton, W. Smith
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General Meetings. Wheaton, August 1973. Open meeting.
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John's Gospel chapter one.
Verse 18.
No man has seen God at anytime.
The only begotten Son.
Which is in the bosom of the Father.
He hath declared him.
John 17.
Verse 5.
And now, oh Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.
And verse six particularly.
I have manifested thy name unto the man which thou gavest me out of the world.
Fine, they were.
And thou gavest them me.
And they have kept thy word.
Repeating.
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gave us me.
John 20.
And verse 13.
Woman, why weepest thou?
Verse 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not.
For I am not yet ascended to my father.
But go to my brethren.
And say unto them, I ascend unto my father.
And your father?
To my God.
And your God.
Now let us call attention to the three scriptures.
There to use the expression.
That we sing together in hymn 21.
ABBA Father.
And Mark's gospel.
We have one of the three scriptures.
And it's along toward the.
In the 14th chapter.
And he taketh with him. Verse 33. Peter and James and John.
And begin to be so amazed.
And to be very heavy.
He saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death.
Tarry ye here and watch.
And he went forward a little and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, that the hour might pass from him.
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And he said.
ABBA Father.
All things are possible unto thee.
Take away this cup from me, nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.
There was number other that could utter this expression at this time.
For this was before the cross.
Redemption's work had not yet been accomplished.
And so the disciples were unable to order.
This crying of adoption and relationship to a Father God.
But the Lord Jesus could do so.
It was perfectly normal for him.
Having come down from above, and being in the bosom of the Father, although he was here in this world.
It was ever the same.
ABBA Father.
Forsaken of God, He was on the cross.
Whatever the dead light of the Father, even in those very hours of darkness, when our sins were being borne by Him to the glory of God.
Here he could say, in the darkness of the Garden of Gethsemane.
ABBA Father.
Now we'll turn to.
To the two other scriptures.
Galatians.
And chapter.
Four. Perhaps it is.
Verse 4 But when the fullness of time was come.
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons.
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts.
Crying ABBA father.
A man not long ago was distressed.
He expressed a concern.
Because he did not have the liberty to refer.
To God in this way as being ABBA father.
Here we have this in Galatians.
And they were turning back to that order of things connected with the law.
Where there was a lack of liberty.
And no freedom of deliverance.
People in those positions in Christendom today that is so greatly affected by that order of things legal.
Do not have.
That joy of heart, that freedom of expression.
They only know.
The divine being as someone that's great.
And severe.
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An old master.
Or a good architect of the universe.
The Almighty.
God.
But very little liberty and the freedom to take up the language of adoption.
And being able to express themselves under this favor that God has given to us.
As his children.
The spirit of adoption that has come to us.
Because of the work accomplished, the cross. And do you wonder that the Lord was anxious for Mary to take that message right away to the brethren, and say unto them, I sinned under my Father, and your Father under my God, and your God.
Well, there's still another scripture, and that is in Romans 8.
We'll turn to it next.
A father.
Is the head of the family.
Is the most responsible one in the household.
He has plans for his family, for his children, he has purposes concerning them and what he expects to do.
And his wish is to do his descendants good.
Now in the Epistle of the Romans we have quite a bit of God's purposes and councils, perhaps more so in the vision in Ephesians.
But here in this chapter, we'll read.
And verse 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
For if we live after the flesh, ye shall die.
That's the end of the course.
But if you, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons, our children of God.
Sometimes, you know, we want to know what the will of the Lord is.
Well, there's possibly three or four suggestions that can be made.
And the first is this.
Is it according to the word?
If it's not according to the testimony of the word.
It's not the will of the Lord.
And you young people can be very.
Simple about that.
And the.
This thing required the thing that would be proper is so beyond so rather than sacrifice.
This is the will of the Lord for me. Is it according to the word? That will be a test.
If it's not according to the word, it's wrong.
And you might pray about it, but prayer never changes the word, although we say it changes things.
The word of God stands.
And we need absolute obedience to God's Word.
It was just as important for those that were moving the Tabernacle.
And particularly those that were carrying the tent pegs.
To do so as it was for those who had the responsibility of bearing the Candlestick alone.
And to have done otherwise it would have been disobedience.
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And whatever the Lord gives us to do.
That we should do.
And we'll have his blessing in doing it.
Another test might be such as this.
That I plan to do grieve the Holy Spirit.
There are certain things that agree the Holy Spirit.
And you read about those things in the word.
And that's a test.
And still there's a third one, and perhaps the 4th 1:00.
The third we shall say is this.
Do I have a good conscience?
Now purged conscience is connected with our salvation and the fact that the Lord has borne our sins on the cross and that there shall never be brought up against us anymore.
That's settled.
But as to the pathway, the wilderness journey, we're constantly exposed to those things that try and test us. And do we examine ourselves before the Lord and determine if we have a good conscience?
In the light of the word.
So is it according to the word? Would it grieve the Spirit? Do I have a good conscience? And finally.
Have I waited sufficiently upon the Lord?
To discern.
Whether or not my will is working.
Or is it his will for me?
There's a way of knowing.
Till we.
Seem to pause a little bit or digress.
And verse 15 For ye have not received the spirit of ******* again to fear.
But you have received the spirit of adoption.
Whereby you cry.
ABBA Father.
We're God's children by birth, by faith in Christ. We're his children by adoption, because he wanted us.
Now isn't it amazing?
That we rebels of the dust.
Sinners.
Going on in high treason against all authority.
Are brought into this great favor.
And it's our privilege to look up to heaven and say ABBA, Father.
For a few minutes at the Book of Nehemiah.
The 8th chapter of the book of Nehemiah.
Beginning with verse one.
And all the people gathered themselves together as one man.
Into the street that was before the Watergate.
And they spake unto Ezra the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses.
Which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women.
All that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the 7th month.
And he read therein before the street that was before the Watergate, from the morning until midday, before the men and the women and those that could understand, and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the Book of the Law.
And Ezra the scribes stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose.
And beside him stood Mattifier and Shema and Anaya and Urijah and Hilkiah and Mazya, on his right hand, and on his left hand Podaya and Michele and Malcolm and Hashem and Hash Padana, Zachariah and Mashallah.
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And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people.
For he was above all the people, and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
And Ezra blessed the Lord the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen with lifting up their hands.
And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Also Joshua and Vani and Sherebaya Jamen, Aqab Shabbat AI Hodija, Messiah Kalita Azariah, Josephad Hanum Pelea and the Levites.
'Cause the people to understand the law and the people stood in their place.
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading.
And Nehemiah, which is the Tershata, and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people.
Said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God, Mourn not, nor weep for. All the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them, for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy unto our Lord.
Neither be sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. So the Levites stilled, all the people saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy, neither be grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
We find here, brethren.
A portion that I'm sure is well known to many of us.
But one was thinking of it this afternoon as our brother was speaking.
About obedience to the Word of God.
We find here that these ones did not have the indwelling of the Spirit of God that you and I have. They did not know what it was to be able to address God with such terms as ABBA Father, but they had the book of the Law and we see here, at least on this occasion.
Of reverence and a respect for the Word of God that commends itself, I'm sure, to our hearts this afternoon.
We find in the.
First verse that they spake unto Ezra described to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. So we find that first of all there was a desire to hear the word of God to hear it.
You know, one has been so thankful. I'm sure many of us have shared that same thankfulness to the Lord that He has preserved these occasions to us.
When we can come together to be over the word of God together. But one has also been greatly impressed in ones own soul with the way in which the Lord has kept for His people the desire to be together. The desire to come in the heat to come and be together where they can hear the word of the Lord. We find that Ezra brought the law before the congregation both of men and women.
And all that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the month.
All those who were old enough to hear, to understand were there, and they all were there. You notice in the third verse.
And the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. Oh, brethren, how one covets this for one's own soul. An earnest desire to be where the Word of God is ministered.
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Where it is given to us, as it tells us, and those that could understand, and the ears of all the people were attentive. But you notice it also says he read therein before the street that was before the Watergate from the morning until midday. Brethren, I believe, I'm sure, that this brings before our souls the desire that they had, that they would stand there.
For half a day.
Listening to what the word of God had to say to them. But then it goes on to say, Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood. Now this is what has been really impressed upon one's own soul. If we can picture this scene. They have all stood there for half a day. They have had the word of God read to them. Now on this occasion, when the word of God was brought out.
When the Word of God, when Ezra brought the Word of God out, we find that on the pulpit that day there was a long list of dignitaries. There were a list of important people. We read about them in the fourth verse, the names that we went through that showed that there was a list of people there on the pulpit, on the right hand and on the left hand. But it tells us in the fifth verse that Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people.
And when he opened it, all the people stood up. Oh, brethren, this has really, as I say, been a voice to one's own soul. We have just had occasion in Canada to have a visit of the Queen and all the rules and all the regulations that are imposed in order to safeguard the Queen both from danger and from any kind of indignities. The attitude, and rightly so, is that in her position.
She is entitled to this kind of respect, but we find, beloved brethren, that it was when the book.
Of the law of the Lord was opened, that all the people stood up. It wasn't for Ezra, it wasn't for Nehemiah, it wasn't for all the company of important people that were there. It was for the book of the law of the Lord, for the precious word of God, that they all stood up.
We have been here, and we enjoyed yesterday the precious ministry of the Word of God.
We've heard it given out in the gospel, a portion sent to those for whom nothing was prepared. We have been in the presence of the Lord this morning to remember him in his death and heard the Word of God read again. We have undoubtedly read it for ourselves this last couple of days. We have read it with our families. We have read it for our own food, for our own souls. But all beloved brethren, what again one seeks for one's own soul is to approach this precious Word of God.
With this attitude, this attitude of soul, that would as it were, when I pick up this book.
Caused me to stand up, to stand up. I am listening to the voice of the Lord. Well, we find that Ezra in the sixth verse, bless the Lord, the great God and all the people answered Amen, Amen. With lifting up their hands, and they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. This reading of the law, this reading of the word of God, this respect, brethren, this reverence.
That was given to the word of God, resulted in worship to the one who had written it, worship to the author, worship to the one who had given them the law. Not a worship for Moses. No, not worship for Ezra. But it tells us distinctly, they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. With their faces to the ground. The word of the law had brought before them, no doubt.
How far short they had come of what was becoming as the people of God. And beloved brethren, I'm sure there isn't one of us that will not admit that when we read this precious book, our hearts too are reminded of how far short we come of being what we should be as Saints of God. Being what we should be as those of our beloved brother was bringing before us, have been brought into such a relationship with God as our Father.
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That we have had a very message delivered to us from the Lord Himself. I ascend unto my Father, and your father.
Unto my God and your God and brethren, our hearts are reminded. We can't come together for three days like this without having our hearts reminded that we have and we do come far short of what is becoming the Saints of God, becoming those to whom so much precious truth has been committed that we have no and enjoy this precious relationship with God as our Father that we can address Him.
With the child's cry of ABBA father. But notice what it goes on to say.
The people stood in their place, so they read in the book in the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading again. I'm sure this is what we have been enjoying this last day. And what if the Lord tarries? We will enjoy again for the next couple of days.
To be together over the word of God and where we can thank God truly. Beloved President, praise the Lord that the word of God is read and whereas it says here the Lord has given us those who will bring before us the sense.
Give us to understand by the Spirit of God what the Lord has for us in this precious book, and we find that while the Word of God does exercise the conscience, there is never an excuse for minimizing or taking the sharp edge off of Scripture. We need all the truth. We need those beloved brethren whom the Lord has raised up as it tells us here, to read in the book of the Law distinctly.
Give the sense and cause them to understand the reading the Scripture speaks about. Those in professing Christendom who will heed to themselves. Teachers having itching ears. My beloved brethren, may the Lord keep you an eye from seeking after in any way those who would tell us what we want to hear rather than what the Lord wants us to know, that would in any way modify the Word of God to make it more comfortable.
To make it so that it doesn't reach my conscience the way it should, perhaps won't hurt my feelings. No, here it tells us that these ones, they read in the book of the law, they gave the red distinctly gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. We have the Spirit of God, We have an unction from the Holy One. He delights to take of the things of Christ and reveal them to us. But beloved brethren, if those whom the Lord uses to minister to our hearts.
Delivers us a message from the Lord that reaches the conscience, that touches our conscience and exercises as to how the Word of God is not being honored in our lives. May the Lord give to you, and I myself particularly, to listen. To listen and acknowledge that it isn't the servant, it's the Lord that is speaking to me from His precious Word and that same reverence for this blessed book that would cause me, as it were, to stand up in its presence.
What caused me also to listen and admit that it's the voice of God to my soul. But we find it goes on to say, Nehemiah, which was is the Tershata, and Ezra the priest described, and the Levites taught the people, and said unto all the people, this day is holy unto the Lord your God, mourn not, nor weep for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Brethren, again, I trust I can say this as speaking to one's own soul.
But we hear so much conversation today, we hear so much discussion even amongst the Saints of God, that would discourage our hearts, that would occupy us with our failures, that would occupy us with our shortcomings. Now, as one has said, we don't want at least trust. We don't want in any way to blunt the sharp edge of the Word of God, that when the Lord has something that He seeks to speak to us about, that we might listen and accept it with that same reference. Respect.
For the Word of God as coming from Himself. But nevertheless the Lord has written this precious book.
In order that you and I might be happy and fruitful children of God. It tells us here that when they read it, they wept, they mourned, they were occupied, as it were, with their failures, with how far short they had come, with how little they were, what the Lord would have them to be.
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But the message that comes from the Lord is more not nor weak.
For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet. Oh, brethren, we were doing that yesterday. We were eating the fat and drinking the sweet. If the Word of God brings something to the conscience, may we bow to it. May our consciences be tender, ready to receive what the Lord has to speak to us of. But He would fill our souls. He would give us to eat the fat and drink the sweet to rejoice.
Beloved brethren, as we found in that portion in Philippians, rejoice in the Lord always. I had a brother just say to me this morning and I I wholeheartedly concur in what he said. He made the comment. He said he felt that for today, right now, he know of no more suitable portion for the Saints of God than Philippians. A time to rejoice rather not to be occupied with our failures to judge them. Yes, if the Lord brings them before us to acknowledge that we are come so far short of what we should be.
To rejoice in what the Lord has for us, to eat the fat and drink the sweet, to take a portion like our brother just brought before us, and to rejoice that in spite of our failures, in spite of our weakness, in spite of what the Word of God shows us is the inconsistencies in my life. I have a father to whom I can address myself, ABBA Father. I have a relationship to know and enjoy that it cannot be changed and cannot be altered.
This can never be used to excuse disobedience. And, brethren, the respect, as once said, that would cause us to stand up in the presence of the Word of God, would not cause us, as it were, to go on carelessly. But the Lord would have us, beloved brethren, young and old alike, and may I say, particularly for the young.
The failures, the inconsistencies that you see in those of us who are older might very well discourage your heart.
And you might read in the Word of God and find that the Saints of God aren't what it says they should be in the Word of God. But the Lord would have you to rejoice in him. The Lord would have you to rejoice in the Lord, and to eat the fat and drink the sweet, to take the precious things that the Lord has for you in His word.
Relationship with himself in the fact that you've been made a member of the body of Christ.
That you're going to be with him, that his coming is near, that we look for him at any time.
That God is now our Father. All these precious things, to make them your own, to eat them, to drink them, to make them your own, that you and I might go on, brethren, go on rejoicing in the Lord. And then it says, and sending portions to them for whom nothing was prepared.
One, at least for one's own soul, has connected this with the gospel of sending out portions for those for whom nothing has been prepared to be here. Last night, when that precious message of the gospel was given out again, and if the Lord tarries, it would be given out again tonight. All, beloved brethren, God would have us send portions. You know, the devil would have us so discouraged, so discouraged, so occupied with our failures, so occupied with our inconsistencies, that we forget that we have a glory, a wonderful message.
For those who need Christ, we have a portion that we're responsible to deliver. One has noticed in the third chapter of Second Timothy how it was at the very time when Paul says to Timothy that they will turn away from their their ears, from the truth. When the word Paul says, you know they won't listen.
But it's at that very point he says, Preach the Word, be instant, and season out of season it is. If it is a day, brethren, when there seems little interest, may you and I have the grace to send portions nevertheless to them for whom nothing has been prepared. And then finally you notice, it says.
For this day is holy unto our Lord. Neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Oh, I'm sure many of us here have rejoiced in that precious word before. You know, sometimes it is given as if it's said, your joy in the Lord is your strength. But that's not what it says at all. It says the joy of the Lord is your strength. Brethren, here was a little company.
A little remnant, as a matter of fact. A remnant of a remnant, really. A little company that had come back.
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And here they were. They had the word of God, and they reverence that precious word of God. They wanted to hear what the Lord had for them, and they had a reference and a respect for that precious word of God. They valued it. But was that their joy? Was that their strength? No, brethren, it was not.
And the fact that there was much that had to be corrected didn't take away from the fact that the Lord found joy in that little company that were there on the ground of the truth, in the very place where they should be as the people of God.
Beloved brethren, the Lord took joy in that little remnant. He found His joy. And the Saints there, the people of God, they could find their strength not in themselves, not in their own joy, even though they were told to eat the fat and drink the sweet.
They were to find their strength in the Lord's joy in His people. And so it is, beloved brethren, the Lord Jesus Christ in His wondrous grace, has made himself the center to which he would have his people gathered. And the Spirit of God gathers to Christ, gathers to him, and the Lord finds joy, finds his joy in a testimony gathered to his preciousness.
Beloved brethren, the Lord says, Let this be your strength, not to be occupied with the brethren, not to be occupied with the failures and the inconsistencies, not to be occupied with those but eating the fat and drinking the sweet, sending portions to them for whom nothing is prepared and going on. Beloved brethren, in the confidence that the Lord finds his joy in a company content to be gathered simply to his precious name, a little remnant claiming no great numbers.
Claiming no great spirituality of any kind, but just the precious truth of God has revealed in His Word where we have the Word of God that we can read, understand by the Spirit of God what is His mind for His people. And to find, beloved brethren, that that blessed One to whom we're gathered finds His joy, his joy in seeing company of His own.
Thus gathered to his precious name.
Would you turn with me, please, to John's Gospel?
Chapter 15.
Verse one.
I am the true vine.
And my father is a husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, He purchased it, that it may bring forth more fruit. But ye are clean to the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except to abide in the vine. No more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches.
He that abideth in me, and I in him the same, bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done under you.
Verse 16.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye shall go forth and bring should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.
I'm sure that we all have enjoyed this portion as that which brings before us.
Abiding in Christ.
That blessed privilege which we have of communion with our Lord Jesus.
And through through Communion intelligence.
In the Word of God, Intelligence in the mind of God.
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How else can we gain intelligence in the mind of God, except we are occupied in Him and with Him?
In our daily walk here in the scene.
And so the early verses which we have so many times taken up in our reading meetings, how we enjoy the fact that the Lord speaks of abiding in Him.
Going on in fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ and with God our Father.
Too, how good it is to be able to come into the presence of God. Our fathers, we've been reminded that He is the one whom we may address in that relationship into which we have been brought.
As his children and he our father.
And how much we can enjoy the Word of God has been reminded to that. The word of God speaks to our conscience.
And we find that if we are going on in that path of faithfulness.
In obedience to the Word of God.
There is that joy of the Lord over his people. We remember that.
There were those of of old.
Were spoken of that they walked with God.
And if Enoch in particular, that he had this testimony, he had the witness in himself that he pleased God.
What I have in mind, particularly before me at this particular moment, is what we have in the seventh verse and again in the 16th verse.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.
God, as it were, has given us the inexhaustible resources of His own nature, His own person, that we may draw upon.
What a wonderful thing it is to know that that the resources of God are inexhaustible. There is no limit to what God can and desire to do for His people.
Some of us have been reading of late.
In the Epistle of James and how, there are those who ask, and they ask a myth.
Because they desire to consume what they ask for upon their own lusts.
But if we have intelligence in the word of God.
If by His grace, we are in communion with Him.
If our word, if his words, abide in a.
Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Is that the spirit in which we go to the Lord when we bend our knees?
Whether it be collectively or whether it be as individuals.
Or in our families? Is that the way in which we go to our Lord and to God our Father?
And ask for that which we know is according to his own will.
If we do, we have the promise of our Lord Jesus.
That it shall be done unto you.
Do we have the faith of when we lay our petitions before the Lord?
To count upon him to do that which is of his own will.
Oh, how many times when we pray, we say, If it be thy will. But is that the Spirit in which we ask it?
Do we ask the Lord? Do we give ascent to our desire?
Do we ask for that which would be for His glory, or because it is something which we wish for ourselves?
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Oh, you know, that's a good test.
Of what we asked what we go to our Lord about that It may be that which will be for His glory.
That it may be for the good of His people, that it may be that we ourselves may be found going on in the path that is played into Him. That we may have the witness in ourselves that we are pleasing.
So our the blessed Lord Jesus.
Or when we think that he pleased not himself, He came down here into this world. We've been, we've been thinking of it this morning, how He came down here. He humbled himself. He became a beaten unto death, and at that, the death of the cross.
Oh, he pleased not himself.
Diggers say to his father or my father would be possible.
Let this cup pass from me, but nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
What was it for?
All that he might have you and me for himself.
That we might be given that privilege, that liberty of becoming the children of God.
Those of us who believe on his name.
Now He desires that we go on in the path that is consistent with what He has done for us and the place into which we've been brought. We are children of God. Dear fellow believers, we are children of God.
May be gone, as those who are children of God. May it be the desire of our heart to be found pleasing to Him. And we will find, if we are in that path, if we in communion with Him, have the mind of God, that we will ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us.
And so in the 16th verse he said, I have not chosen you, have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.
Oh, our wonderful it is that God by His grace sent the Lord Jesus down here, that he might choose out of this world those who would become his own, purchased with his own blood, become the children of God.
I have chosen you an ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, that your fruit should remain, oh, where there's communion with our Lord Jesus Christ.
There will be fruit. There must be fruit.
We heard it this morning in the address to the children.
That is a good dream.
Brings forth fruit, and by their future shall know them.
But your future remains, that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Oh, we have that blessed privilege of going to God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And the Father himself, the Lord tells us, will give us our request.
How blessed are the dears. And so the inexhaustible resources of God are ours. We can draw upon them as we will. God has given us speaking respectfully, reverently. God has given us a blank check.
That He will give us our desires when we are going on abiding in Him.
May return to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3.
To get the connection with what one has in mind, we might start from the first verse.
Do we begin again to commend ourselves, or indeed we, as some of these epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. For as much as your manifesto declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
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And such trust.
Gone through Christ at Godward. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves.
But our sufficiency is of God, who also have made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter killeth, for the Spirit giveth life.
But of the administration of death, written and engraven, and stoned with glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, where the glory of his countenance.
Which glory was to be done away? Shall not rather the administration of the Spirit be rather?
Glorious for the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth administration of righteousness exceed in glory.
Down to go down to the 15th verse.
But even unto this day, when Moses had read, the veil is upon their heart.
Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
I'd like to speak in connection with this of the contrast with what took place in the days of Moses at Mount Sinai.
And the privilege we have now of knowing that we are not under law, but that our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is, by whom grace and truth came.
Is now a glorified man in the glory, the work of salvation completed, and he is seated up on high.
At the right hand of God.
We know that in the days of Moses.
That the Lord appeared upon Mount Sinai.
The Lord came down upon that mountain.
And his glory was manifested. It's true that he was there in thick darkness.
The mountain was all on fire.
And Moses was taken up to the top of the mountain, and there he spoke with God.
What a wonderful sight it must have been.
Moses spoke there with God, and God gave Moses.
Those 10 commandments.
Written on tables of stone. Written with a finger of God.
It must have been a wonderful writing upon those tables of stone.
All this manifested the glory of God in His Holiness.
We know that Children of Israel failed.
And Moses was sent down from the mountain because the children of Israel had already disobeyed the commandments of God. And death came in because of the holiness of God proclaimed upon those 10 tables the 10 commandments upon the tables of stone.
Oh, what a time it must have been. Judgment came in.
God appearing there in his glory.
And yet God again called Moses up to the mountain.
And there Moses was privileged to behold the back parts of God.
The Lord hid him in the cleft of the rock.
And he hid Moses there with his hand until he had passed by, and Moses with privilege.
See God.
In His Holiness, but also as one who is merciful.
But all this was for the proclamation of God as one.
Who?
Was murdered who was holy, and who would not at all acquit the wicked.
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With all When Moses came down from the mountain the second time, his face was shining with the glory of God.
And the people were afraid when they saw Moses, and he had to put a veil upon his face so that they would not fear when they spoke to him.
Moses face was veiled.
Yes, we have it here.
The glory was countenance shown out then it brought terror to the heart of the people.
Administration of death of judgment.
But, dear fellow believer, you and I do not belong to that time.
Our Lord Jesus has come into this world.
He has manifested gone.
No man has seen God at anytime. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
God has been manifested as a God of love, the work of the Lord Jesus at Calvary's cross.
The sacrifice right there has revealed that God is love.
Our Lord Jesus had gone back up on high now.
He's gone back up there.
But you and I have the blessed privilege.
Of looking up.
And by faith, beholding our Lord Jesus in the glory.
The Lord is the one who is the object of his own.
Or should be, maybe so with each one of us, that the Lord Himself.
Be the object of our hearts.
So the 18th verse we all.
With open faith.
Beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image.
From glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Occupation with Christ.
I'm sure.
Makes us more like himself.
But how wonderful it is that we have this glory to gaze upon.
If we have the inexhaustible resources have gone to draw upon, we have the glory of our Lord Jesus to gaze upon.
We can behold him.
I'm sure that this morning there was in the hearts of many.
The beholding of the glory of our Lord Jesus.
And glorious due to him.
He has glorified God upon the earth. He finished the work which He gave him to do.
And now?
The glory.
Not only which He had with the Father before the world was, not only is that glory restored to Him.
But also.
Redemption, glory and all our wonderful ideas to behold and to be occupied with that redemption glory of our Lord Jesus.
To behold him.
And now that's shown.
We're going to see him. It'll be face to face in that day.
But even now we can by faith turn our eyes upon Him.
By just one more scripture in numbers.
21 I believe it is #21.
See, our time is going, but we know very well in the beginning of the chapter we have the sad failure of the children of Israel.
And how there was a wonderful type given to them of the brazen serpent lifted up on the pole.
Children of Israel, by grace, are restored through that type.
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Of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We find them now taking their journey on to Canaan.
They restored people.
We find the meeting the enemy. We find victories are theirs.
And then we come, They come to the border of the Lamb. Verse 15.
And at the stream of the brooks that goes down to the dwelling of our, and lies upon the border of Moab. And from since they went to beer, that is the well whereof the Lord, Speaking of Moses, gather the people together, and I would give them water.
Then Israel sang this song Spring up. Oh well, singing unto it the Princess dig the well. The nobles of the people digged it by the direction of the lawgiver with their staves.
And from the wilderness they went to maternity.
They come to the place where they can look over into the land which have been promised to them.
Well, by faith, we too look onward to that time when we're going to be in that place which God has promised to you and me.
Not a place down here in this scene, but in the glory to be with and like our Lord Jesus.
But they're not there yet. They need refreshing. They need supplements along the way.
And so they come to the place and.
The Lord points out to Moses.
That which would be for their refreshing.
The world that beard. And he says to Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
We are gathered together here now.
For three days of meetings.
And as they believe, we can count upon the Lord to give refreshing.
To give water.
But.
They sing the song and all this is a wonderful song. Spring up. Oh well.
Singing unto it, Oh yes, where there is the refreshing water of the well.
All this joy that comes with it, singing comes along with it.
And how we can go away from places like this with rejoicing that we have been in the place where the Lord has been honored, where His Word has been ministered to us.
And may we by grace carry that which has been rejoicing our own hearts. Carry it home with us to our own meetings, that others may be rejoiced to.
But it tells us the Princess dig the wells.
Oh God, and his grace has given us those.
Who have been leaders?
Those whom God and His gracious set over us.
And we have their ministry.
God has allowed it to be recorded for our benefit that we may find refreshing in it, and maybe avail ourselves of the ministry, the precious ministry that is recorded for our benefit and for our youth. And may it be independence upon the Lord that we do.
Avail ourselves of the ministry.
In connection with the Word of God, the Princess dig the well.
The nobles are the people digged it by the direction of the lawgiver, all that one.
Who has recorded the Word of God?
Those who by grace, have been inspired by God to write the Word.
Yeah, they have given us the mind of God, just as the nobles were given direction by Moses as to what they should do. God has in His Word given us instruction for our pathway right on till the day that we hear the voice of our Lord Jesus.
Calling us home.
But how did they dig it all with their staves?
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The star was to help them out in their journey.
There was that upon which they depended to keep them from stumbling, to keep them from falling.
It aided them in their pathways, as though here we find that with their staves.
They dig the wells dependence upon God in feeding upon His Word and finding refreshing there. Oh, how wonderful it is that we can do it. Independence. And I'm sure that there's no other way that we can really.
Have any blessing from the Word of God, except as we feed upon it, independence upon Him.
And through the guidance of the Spirit of God.
Well, here we find, I believe, that we have.
The refreshing that the deep things have gone for our refreshing to feed upon, to refresh us in our way down here in this world until the Lord Lord comes and may we be preserved as we go on in these three things.
That by dependence upon God we may be preserved until the Lord governs.
But we say 139.
As well as the ordered and complied, we have nothing to see.
We have both.
In the middle of the house.