Open—R. Ruga, B. Imbeau, K. Harman
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Rainbow.
Always.
Around to give it to follow your breath and all of life.
What are you?
Saying.
Snow Sunday School verse, which we've memorized as children.
Seasons 210.
We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them.
Good works that we have for each believer in credits. To that end, I'd like to.
Turn to the 19th chapter of Luke's Gospel.
Luke, chapter 19.
Verse 12.
And not to give so much an interpretation of this passage, but an application. So you need not come to me afterwards and say, group, that's not what that verse means, because we're going to apply it. Luke 19, verse 12. He said, therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a Kingdom and to return. And he called his 10 servants and delivered them 10 lbs.
And said unto them, Occupy.
Till I come.
Verse 15 And came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the Kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him to whom he had given the money. But he might know how much each van had gained by trading.
Then came the 1St the saying Lord 5 lbs. Have gained 10 lbs.
You said I'm saying well the good servant, because thou has been faithful and the very little have thou authority over 10 cities, and the second came saying, Lord, thy bound have gained 5 lbs. He said likewise to him be thou also over 5 settings.
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And another came saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up on a napkin.
There are works that the Lord wants a believer to perform. He's created us unto good works.
On the Damascus Rd. When the Lord met the apostle Paul.
The first thing Paul said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
And the Lord told him, you know, you go to that street, call straight and and Nias was to meet him and tell him what things he was to do. Paul was to suffer much to the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul commenced right at the beginning of his ministry in works for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you ever wondered, dear Saints of God, what the Lord would have you to do?
It's quite an exercise of mine, I know.
Sometimes it's hard to know what the Lord would have you to do.
I thought I had a certain line of things I wanted to do, but the Lord changed my plans complete. That was going to go to college. I wanted a scholarship and all this Lord laid me low. That was not the Lorde plan for me at all.
Lord, what wilt thou have him to do?
No, dear young people, there are a lot of young people here at the conference.
Have you ever asked the Lord what He would have you to do for Him? He tells us in First Corinthians 7 that the time is short. There's very little time left. Dear brethren, I figured a circle. Look, there's not much time left.
You say, well, I'm just a young person. What, what can I possibly do?
You know there are many things that a young person can do for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Be a help to older ones.
I know in our assembly it was an exercise to look around and help other young people in the assembly.
Encourage them in the way of the Lord.
Perhaps have young people's meetings with them.
Maybe a little older. You're now married, you have a little family. That's a tremendous responsibility for a young mother to bring up those children for the Lord.
Time goes by so quickly, and before you know it, those children are out from your jurisdiction. They're out of the home.
And what influence have you left on your children?
Sometimes you hear parents say, well, I certainly didn't bring up my children the way they turned out.
It's not so. It's not so whatsoever. Man reapeth that. Shall he also, if that's how he also reap? We reap what we sow in our individual lives and our family lives.
Nationally, as a country as well, reap what we sow.
What about the men in the assembly?
We hear complaints about, well, you know, my assembly, it's kind of dead there. We don't have any gifted teachers. Do you contribute anything in the assembly where you go? Do you have an exercise to be a help to the Brennan and the assembly where you go to show up the meetings where you are? Are you faithful? All you can do is be that faithful coming out to all the meetings. What is encouragement that is to others in the meeting when you're there faithfully?
At the meetings.
What about nights that you don't have meters? I know of his brother who has all the young people to his house. Every night that we do not have meeting, 40 young people congregate at his house. Enjoy happy time of fellowship together. That's a work for the Lord. Have you ever been exercised as to what work the Lord may have for you to do?
We just read here in Luke 19 about.
This man who had been given one talent and he gained 10 other talents, tremendous activity to accumulate that much with what the Lord had given him. Sometimes, you know, I read the accounts, not so much of Brother John Kemp, but I read the account. When he gets back as to where he's been, all he's done, I get exhausted just reading all that he's done to the Lord.
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Do we do anything to the Lord? Maybe we don't have to do that much, but the Lord has given you at least one talent to use for Himself.
And then there are other brethren who?
They even go beyond their home assemblies and they reach out to other countries. I'm so glad Bob goes down South America. Another brethren here who knows Spanish. They get very few visitors down there, brethren. Very few. And to think that they pray for us. They pray for the Des Moines Conference.
I wonder how much we pray for them and their continuance and spiritual things and spiritual exercise.
Requires no gift for prayer. No such thing in the Word of God is the gift of prayer. You can pray for one another, can't we? You know, if you don't know what to do, what you possibly can do, You can speak to some of the brothers here. I'm sure your brothers and sisters here. You can help them out in so many things. There's so much to do if you really be full of the Lord.
As to how you can use your talent?
Turn to a verse in Titus.
3rd chapter of Titus.
Chapter 3.
In verse 14.
And let ours also learn to maintain good works.
There we are, come right back to good works again.
Let ours also learn to maintain good works.
For necessary uses or necessary wants.
There are some things, brethren, that it's not profitable to be engaged in.
I couldn't have a liquor store. That's not necessary use. You may have another line of business in mind that you would like to go into, but it would take you from the meetings.
Would involve.
Evening work weekends and you would not be at the meetings.
Real exercise, you know, sometimes you may be limited as to what you can do. What about the unequal yoke? Sometimes it's hard to get a job because of unionism. You wouldn't want to join a union, be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And often a Christian is limited as to what he can do. And you really have to be in prayer before the Lord. Lord, what will thou have need to do?
You want to be careful. I've seen more dear young people.
Get away from the Lord as a result of the profession which they chose for one thing that involved the compromise of conscience, Another thing that involved they're missing the meetings and perhaps relocating far away from where there was any meeting, no meeting. And little by little they drifted away from the Lord and his people.
Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? What an exercise that is. Oh, well, this is what I'll do. I really have no job. I know what I'll do. I'll go out in the Lord's work. You ever hear that?
Oh God, in Lord's word.
That's not the way. That's not the scriptural principle.
Turn to 1St Kings.
Chapter 19.
The Lord is going to call Elijah to her work.
And so he tells Elijah and 1St Kings.
Chapter 19.
In verse 16 we may pick up there. Do you hear the sound of Nimshi? I shout, Thou anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat, of Abel Mahola, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. It shall come to pass. And so forth, and so on. Verse 19. So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who is plowing with A12 yoke of oxen before him, and he with the 12.
And Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him, And he left the ox, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee. He kissed my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee.
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The Lord was calling Elisha to work for himself.
Was he doing nothing? Was he unemployed? He was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen. He was a busy man. That's whom the Lord calls.
To serve him those who are busily engaged. If we would have turned over to the first chapter of Mark's gospel when the Lord called.
Peter, James, John, what were they doing? They were mending Nets. They were fishermen. They were busy with their occupation. But the Lord called them from a busy occupation and said, well, leave that, follow me, I'll make you fishers of men. They were not unemployed. No, it wasn't that they had nothing else to do. They were busy. But the Lord said, look, I want to give you something else to do. Instead of that, you come follow me.
I'll make you fishers of men.
The Lord quotes this verse of Scripture in the New Testament. I think he's referring to Elijah here. He says no man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.
You know, if you're plowing, you better keep your eye at the end of the Pharaoh, the end of the row. Are you going to plow crooked, especially if you plow in the 12 yoke of oxen?
And I don't think that Eliza was quite ready to follow the Lord at this time and says suffer me to go back to kiss my father and mother, and then I'll follow them, no.
No, if we call him Lord, he has to be Lord of all, not Lord first. Let me do something else.
If he's not Lord of all, he's not Lord at all.
You have to give the Lord.
1St place, not other things first.
Thankfully, afterwards Elijah did follow and he served the Lord in an admirable way.
The Lord calls us. I'm sure brethren will be occupying with something that will be profitable.
We get older in life.
And I know a lot of fellows about my age. They're getting close to 70 and.
Say, well, what are you looking forward to? I'm looking forward to retirement.
Well, you know, sometimes when I think of that Reverend.
A verse in Hebrews comes to mind. There remaineth therefore rest for the people of God.
Retire here below.
When the Lord had no rest.
The Apostle Paul Enjoy retirement here below.
Did he not serve the Lord faithfully till the end?
Did he do?
There remains a rest. We'll have plenty of time to rest and relax when we get to glory. You don't have to do that. Here. Our time is short. Here below, our journey's almost over. What did the Lord tell these servants of His ten of them?
4 words occupy till I come.
Occupy.
Till I come look at the Apostle Paul's at the end of his journey in the third chapter of Philippians.
Philippians, Chapter 3.
In verse 13, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
I press toward the mark.
I press toward the mark.
I enjoy Christopher Willis translation of that verse down to the goal I press.
Few years back.
I used to train with another brother in the assembly.
I would ride by bicycle.
And he would jog alongside me 8 miles.
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The last 100 yards we had to go before we reached our house. He said OK, pour on all the steam and I would ride my bicycle as hard as I could ride a bike and he would run. He would put on a spurt and I could not catch him. He was so fast. I never saw him lose.
But he kept his eye on the gold. We were racing towards home.
Dear brethren.
We're going home, you can slack up the pace, we're going to kick. You familiar with that expression kicking at the down and final stretch.
Down to the goal of life Press, the Apostle Paul had that goal before him.
Time is short.
Our older brethren are going to be with the Lord.
Your younger ones, you fill up the place.
What's it mean? First Corinthians chapter 15 being baptized for the dead?
But we filling up the ranks of those whom the Lord is taking home, are we exercised as to.
Our part in amongst the young people, in our families, in our assemblies.
As to what the Lord would have us to do?
Or.
When we come to the end of the journey, are we going to say Lord?
Here's the napkin, and here's the talent.
I never used the talent he gave me.
Let's turn to a verse and James.
James Chapter 4.
And midway through Part 14.
What is your life?
It is even a vapor.
That appears for a little time and then banisheth.
Away.
Two of us in this room have not considered this verse.
Recently.
An infant.
An illness.
And instability of life.
Just in consideration of Nolan can return to Matthew chapter 18.
Matthew 18.
In verse 10, partway through.
That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father, which is in heaven.
For the Son of Man is come to save.
That which was lost.
A truck.
A trail.
And a tree.
2 verses that came to me. Connection with Andrew returned to Mark.
Gospel of Mark.
Mark Chapter 11 and justice an expression.
From verse 3.
The Lord hath need of him.
And then in Luke chapter 19, a similar verse but different.
And the one in Matthew.
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For the Son of Man has come to seek in verse 10, Luke 1910. For the Son of Man has come to seek.
And to say that which was lost.
We added 20 years.
Shall we add another 20 years?
Country Highway.
Cell phone and a coming car.
Turn with me, please, to 1St Corinthians.
Chapter 15.
First Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 57.
But thanks.
Be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know.
At your labor.
Is not in vain.
Lyle's Laborers.
Are not in vain.
Shall we add another 30 years?
The verse that came to mind.
Connection with Mr. Bill Osalis in Hebrews.
But a few words that came to mind.
For these cancer.
Courage and a coma.
But that's from our point of view, isn't it?
Hebrews.
Chapter.
11.
And verse 39.
All these.
Having obtained a good report through faith.
You know, we can speak of those who have passed away.
They're now in the Presence. The Lord Jesus Christ loved them.
There they are enjoying His presence. There they are seeing His face, the Savior who died for them.
So we speak of them.
But we speak to each other.
It may be that we would speak for edification, for exhortation, for comfort.
That we might grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And with me please to.
Second Peter.
Second Peter, chapter 3.
And verse 11.
Seeing then.
That all these things shall be dissolved. What manner?
Of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation.
And godliness.
First, Peter.
First Peter, chapter 4.
For as much then, as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh.
Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind, For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that.
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He no longer should live the rest of his time.
In the flesh to the lusts of men.
But to the will.
Of God.
And in One Corinthians Chapter 7.
Portion of verse that was quoted.
Just a few minutes ago.
Verse 29 of First Corinthians 7.
But this I say, brethren.
The time is short.
It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none.
And they that weep as though they wept not.
And they that rejoice as though they rejoice not. And they that buy as though they possess not.
And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world. Passive away.
But I would have you without carefulness.
That means to be full of care about things.
He that is unmarried carer for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
And he that is married cares for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
In my thoughts, verse 32 is a helpful.
Key to some of these other expressions. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord. Are you single? This verse is about you.
I have thought that perhaps this is in reference to three time.
Spare time.
What we might do with what?
We consider as belonging to ourselves.
And this is God's view of our normal use of free time.
God's use, God's view of our use of what we consider our free time.
And even when you're married, there is free time.
I think that's why in verse 29 the time is short. It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none.
That same principle of the use of free time.
Romans, chapter 15.
In verse 2.
Let everyone of us.
Please his neighbor.
For his good to edification.
For even Christ, please not.
Himself.
I have one other verse that I want to read.
In just a couple minutes, kind of in line with these other verses of.
Time. The rest of our time.
Manner of persons we ought to be, and perhaps our thoughts have gone in different directions by.
The direction of the Spirit of God.
I would like to take a little diversion to one thought that has been of exercise, I believe, among us and in these meetings here.
First John, chapter 3.
I believe this verse was quoted in prayer meeting yesterday.
Remember right first John chapter 3 and verse 14.
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We know.
And we have passed from death unto light.
Because we love the brethren.
And verse 16.
A verse.
Not to say that all verses are not profound, but this?
My heart is a verse that gives real pause for consideration.
Verse 16. Hereby.
Perceive we the love.
Hereby perceive we the love, because he laid down his life.
For us.
And we are.
To lay down our lives.
For the brethren.
Now for the last verse that I had in mind, Psalm 90.
Psalm 90, verse 12.
So teach us.
So teach us.
To number our days.
That we.
Apply our hearts.
Under Wisdom.
I turn to is.
2nd Corinthians.
Chapter 5.
And verse 10, well, let's read from verse 9. Wherefore we labor.
That, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
But we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in His body according to that He has done, whether it be good or bad.
Then turn with me to the 24th chapter of Proverbs.
Proverbs, chapter 24.
And verse.
30.
I went by the field of the slothful.
And by the vineyard of the man, void of understanding.
And Lord was all grown over with thorns and nettles that covered the face thereof.
And the Stonewall thereof was broken down.
When I saw and considered it well.
I looked upon it and received instruction.
In a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.
So shall I poverty come as one that travel and I want as an armed man.
And then in second Peter chapter one.
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And verse 5.
And beside this, giving all diligence.
Add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge.
And a knowledge temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness.
And to brotherly kindness, charity, for if these things be in you and abound.
They make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath purged forgotten that he has, that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling an election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fall, for soul, and entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly.
Into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
Yeah, I think it's me, as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in.
Remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me.
Moreover, I will endeavor that you may be able after my deceased to have these things.
Always in remembrance, for we have not followed cunningly devised fables.
When we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, But were eyewitnesses of His Majesty. Well, that's as far as I'm going to read.
There's been so much said that I sometimes wonder whether what I'm about to say would be redundant.
But Peter says, you know these things already, I'm going to put you in remembrance of them.
And I was thinking primarily of the little illustration we have in the 25th, 24th of Proverbs, if you want to turn back to that.
We've had much to do with our.
With that which God has given us. And I was thinking of those verses too that were read in.
Luke chapter 19 about that which God has given to His servants.
And before we go on with this, let's just hold your finger there and we'll turn to another verse. I thought of Indiana, Luke's gospel again.
Chapter 16.
And verse nine and I say unto you, make to yourselves, and I'm going to read this in the better translation.
Make to yourselves friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it fails, you may be received into the everlasting abode.
He that is faithful in that which is least, as faithful also in much. And he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if he have not been faithful in that which is another man, who shall give you that which is your own? No man can. No servant can serve 2 masters.
Where either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot.
And manner.
Now back to Proverbs.
Get a little picture here of a man.
Who has a vineyard?
And.
I don't think it would be a very good farmer if he were to, to have this vineyard and let it go to nettles and to break and have the walls broken down, the fences broken down. You would go by, you know, you can go down the highways of in Iowa here and there's some pretty nice yards. And as you see how they are kept up, you have a little bit of little picture of of the owner of that place.
That he's diligent, he's resourceful. He he has.
He takes a certain amount of pride in keeping that up. Not that I use that word pretty loosely.
But nevertheless he has a responsibility to maintain that which which he has taken upon himself to to own or perhaps has been left to him, but nevertheless he must maintain it if he's going to get any profit from it.
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And you and I, brethren, have a.
We work in a vineyard. Each one of us here, shall we say, has a vineyard in which we are responsible to maintain.
And God has given it to us.
And so here we get this little illustration of this man. You walk down, you go through the field of the vineyard, and you, what do you see?
I looked upon it and says it was grown over with thorns.
Reforms. Sign of the curse?
Metals that cover the face thereof.
Not a very pleasant sight. Metals aren't very pleasant to walk through either.
But they're a sign of disrepair and a sign of neglect.
And not only that, he had a wall.
And the wall speaks of in this case, it was a wall perhaps where he would keep the predators out.
But the wall was broken down.
And so the predators could come in, there was number more protection for his vineyard.
I've known a man. I knew a man.
Very well.
And he was a big help to me in my younger years.
I can think of two, in fact three. Perhaps we could think of many. There were big helps to us in our younger years.
Some that you looked up to that you felt were spiritual men and you could go to them for for advice and instruction and help.
But you know this one man I'm thinking of in particular? He's with the Lord now.
He I used to ask him once in a while, brother.
You going to the conference this year?
Well, he'd smile at me and he'd say no, brother.
I just have too much work.
And so consequently, he wouldn't go. Neither would his family.
The time came when he his family grew up and.
He still didn't go to the conferences.
He still didn't. In fact, it began, the family began to drift into the world.
And the world grew him their direction. They bought a cottage way up.
Over 100 miles away from the home assembly.
And there they spent their summer holidays.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong in a cottage, but it is a snare.
Some of those things that we've been hearing about here.
And it drew him away, the family away. They began to neglect the meetings.
And eventually he would show up for the meetings by himself.
And a poor man.
Before he went home to be with the Lord, a brother was visiting him in the hospital.
And he was talking to him and the man, this dear brother, says the one visiting him. I have spent all my years working.
And I've lost my family.
You see, he neglected his own vineyard.
But a verse that he would use was that if he, if he if he does not provide for his own, he is worse than an infidel has to deny the faith. That's what he used to support himself and he had to be working all the time.
And so the family is no more in the assembly.
And you know, my clothes being brought out here to mention that the most important thing in the world.
Is to God is he assembly?
You go to a little weak assembly, shall we say weak.
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In numbers.
And you wonder sometimes why I'm here.
You wonder sometimes whether I should persevere, whether I should go someplace else.
Maybe down the street there's more activity done.
This meeting is still quiet.
That don't want to go overtime.
And so you wonder, and there's that temptation to give up.
I want you to be to remember the important thing is to get God's thoughts about where you are.
If you look around and you compare.
Yourself with this group and that group and another group.
You'll be thoroughly discouraged, and you'll be thoroughly.
And you will not find the truth that way.
You must get God's thoughts.
And the only way to do that is to look at it from his point of view.
And so to realize when the Lord Jesus came into this world.
Where was he born? To whom did the message go? To Herod?
You go to Jerusalem. Did it go to the seat of authority in that land?
Did the Lord say I've got to bring this message by my angels to those that are in authority? No, no.
Came to the shepherds in the field.
Team Two Simeon.
The Simians and the Anas and the Josephs and Ameris and the Elizabeths, Zacharias and those that were faithful, that we're looking for redemption in Israel.
And so the God's thoughts were not in Jerusalem, they were in the little flock.
That was going to receive him.
And he was born in a Manger, as we've been meant, has been mentioned here today at one time in the Sunday school. I believe he was born in a Manger.
In such simple surroundings.
He made himself in his lifetime of null reputation.
He wasn't one who presented himself for glory, they said. The devil said throw yourself down from this mountain, it makes something of you. No, he didn't have the word from his father. Dependence.
His own brethren said, Show thyself to the world.
But he didn't. He would go, perhaps, instead.
With his disciples across the sea in a boat.
Or up into the mountain.
To pray.
Where were God's thoughts at that time?
In Jerusalem, I say no.
Where's thoughts in the government of that world? Did the Lord Jesus come to set things straight?
Did he come?
In order to divide this man's inheritance with his brother and said that straight.
No, He had a purpose and he came to do his Father's will. He did nothing. We just had that verse. Even Christ, please, not himself. He didn't do those things to please himself. He did everything to please his Father. He had a purpose. He had a vineyard.
And he was faithful in that vineyard.
He never turned back once.
But he set his face as a Flint to go all the way.
And he went to the cross, and there he laid down his life.
Very good. Say it's finished.
I do always those things that please him.
Lord, come to do thy will, O my God.
That is finished.
And then he went back to the father's house.
There he is received in glory.
There he sits at this moment, and he has.
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He has given you and me responsibilities down here. He's made us stewards.
Of his vineyard.
And so in a sense, you and I, each one as we live our life down here, is that little vineyard.
A little life that you begin to live down here in.
Faithfulness and before God.
And he is going to require of you and me as he is.
Our time, our money.
Our every endeavor, our faithfulness to our brother.
In every aspect of life, we cannot separate it at all our time we just read that verse that every that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. That's not the white great white throne. Thank God, but at that scene where God is going to review your life and mine.
We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that we may receive the things done in the body, whether it be good or whether it be bad.
I should make this very careful, shouldn't it?
Before I do something, before I go someplace, before I say something, Before I think something.
I'm going to have to give a count of that.
Before.
Him.
And he judges righteously.
And so it should make us very careful how we live our life down here. Again, I refer to the verse that was just read to us.
I can't quote it, but you know what? You know which one it was.
How we should live God in this in this world?
And so we get we get this vineyard.
We get this wall.
The wall there all was broken down.
The wall, you know.
Sometimes speaks of that which the wall of separation.
And sometimes.
A brother or sister or family may start out.
Well.
And they gather their children around them, and they seek to go on for the Lord.
And they build this wall so that the world cannot come in and their children do not go out to the world. And their desire is to keep them from the predators that are going to scatter them and they're going to affect them. And they want them to go on for the Lord. And sometimes, you know.
As time goes on.
Something comes in the heart perhaps is attracted by some of these things we've been hearing about here that like our brother mentioned over in Peru.
It wasn't quite satisfied with the dirt floor.
And there's those.
Little.
Ifs that come in there.
And so the heart gets cold and begins to get away from the Lord. And the first thing you know, the children sometimes even influence the parents and they and they allow the wall to break down a bit. There's a hole in the wall.
And the world comes in.
So The upshot of the whole thing here is that the wall was broken down and his field was a was a disaster. His whole vineyard was unfruitful, unprofitable.
And it showed that he was an unfaithful steward.
What caused this?
Here's the man now he looks at it, He says I saw this.
I looked at it and you know, if you and I, if my life is not what it should be.
Consider my life, will you?
And don't go the same way.
You look at someone, perhaps in their life is no longer the walls broken down.
The field is beginning to show signs of disrepair. There's neglect, and that's his little vineyard, little family, whatever it might be, his little life that he sought to live for the Lord, and it's beginning to to fall into disrepair.
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So this man looks at, He says I saw and I considered it. Well, I looked.
Upon it and I received instruction. Oh do we? Do we receive instruction when we see what happens to someone who has, who has fallen and gotten away from the Lord and has lost?
All that shall we say that which was such, so, so.
It's so fruitful and so.
There was so much hope. So we see.
That here was some fruit for the Lord in his life. The enemy is out there.
And he's right there, waiting to pounce.
And so we receive instruction I trust.
We receive instruction and what? What did we see? What was the cause of it?
You know, sometimes it's easier for us to see what caused it than somebody else's life, than in our own.
And we don't always see it happening in our own life.
They would keep short accounts with our Savior.
So that we don't fall into disrepair ourselves. May God keep us.
So what was the cause? Verse 33 Get a little sleep.
Little slumber.
A little folding of the hands to sleep.
Well, today I think I just as soon.
I won't go outside and work in my field, I just just too tired.
I'll give it another day.
So the farmer folds his hands and he goes back to sleep.
Meanwhile, the other farmers are out there putting their seed in.
You know, just on the side. A brother mentioned here about plowing a straight furrow and it reminded me of brother back home who said you know something.
When I was young and I was working in my father's field, he said. Many times I fell asleep on the tractor.
I said, what kind of referral did you plow?
He's not a very straight one.
And you know what had what he had to do, He had to take the time to go back over that same.
Row and straighten that field before his father's side.
And sometimes that's the way we are, is it not? We have to go back again and again, perhaps over that same piece of land that we have let go.
Become unprofitable. Well, I can think of things times in my life, many of them, where I regret I thought I was.
Going along well, but I look back and I know that it was only for myself.
And those are areas that times that are lost.
And sometimes I have to go back over the same road again and correct the Pearl, undo that which was already done. But it's time lost for the Lord. Unprofitable.
And so laziness comes in.
And the farmer says maybe next week I'll go out.
You know, it's kind of little too cold for to do this or that. And so he he excuses himself and we do that.
When we should be putting in seed ourselves.
Where in here?
Paul told Timothy, Take heed unto thyself.
And to the doctor.
For doing this thou shall both save thyself and them that hear thee.
So we look after this person first in this regard. When it comes to sowing the seed, we saw it right here in our own hearts. Take heed to thyself in this respect.
It's a little different than doing everything for ourselves in the other aspect is not, but that's one time we need to take care of ourselves first.
And in doing so, we'll save ourselves and then let hear thee you're going to you're going to lead someone else on the right path.
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You'll help support those weak knees and those hands that hang down and make straight paths for your own feet that they which are lame might be turned not to be turned out of the way, but love it rather be healed.
And so we need to sow that seed, but we sometimes are so neglectful. And I want to tell you, young people and young men especially, that now is the time that you sow the seed in your own heart.
We read those verses in one Corinthians.
Well, maybe we stopped before that verse, stopped with the man who was single. But how about the man who is who is married? What does he care for the things that pleases his wife?
And there isn't always the time as there was.
When we're younger.
I remember things in my own heart now. I remember things that I learned before I was married.
That were the seed plot of my life.
I also remember things before I was married that I wouldn't want to speak about.
But thank God, His eye was upon me, and His eye is upon you too, and He wants you to go on for Him in this world, and He wants you to have your vineyard profitable.
He wants fruit for you, from you, and you'll only get it as you are occupied with Christ, because the only fruit that comes.
In our hearts is through him abiding them the.
And I don't want to say that the sister shouldn't read the word of God either, you young sisters.
If you want to, if you want to be blessed in your life.
And if you want the Lord to give you someone in your life, that will be a blessing and a help to you.
You can get the word, get it right from this book and he will tell you how to walk the path for him so that you will be a spiritual young sister and you will be able to know when there is a spiritual young brother come along.
That the Lord may give to you.
So you have a vineyard too. Don't let it go into disrepair.
Don't allow yourself to fall asleep and to hold your hands and say there's lots of time.
That's what that's what happens to the.
To the man who hides his his light under a bushel, or he hides it under a bend.
Under a bushel might represent hiding it under your business. And you say just like the man I was telling you about, his business became that which he hit his light under.
And it didn't shine and he lost his family. Or might hide it under a bed, which could speak of laziness.
And you just don't take the time. You have time to open a magazine. You have time to look at a perhaps a television.
Or listen to the radio. Or you might have time to read a novel. You have time to read the word of God. Do we? We've heard a little bit about that too. I'm, I'm going over some of the things that we've already heard, but how important it is that we get it right down to the fact that you and I have a responsibility individually. We have a field to take care of and that God is going to require it of us.
At that judgment seat of Christ.
Now let's turn to those verses in Luke's gospel chapter.
16.
I say unto you, I'm going to read it again. I say unto you.
Make to yourselves friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it fails, you may be received in the everlasting habitations or abodes. He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much. He that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If, therefore, ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
And if ye have not been faithful now which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
What does that mean?
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Make to yourselves friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness.
It's those riches that God has given.
It's those things. It might not necessarily be money, but it's that which which represents.
That which God has has given to your trust to use for Him.
And quite often it is money, it is riches, it is those things that that we've been hearing about.
The love of money is the root of all or every evil, and it can become that. And so we acquire these things, and the tendency is to use them for ourselves.
But what he is telling us here is to be faithful with these things. You can send it on a head.
Send it up there. How do you do that?
Use it for the Lord.
You know, in the coming days.
There's going to be.
When the Lord Jesus reigned in this world.
This might be a little sign.
But when he reigns in this world.
When he comes, when he comes to judge this world commerce.
Will be done away with that is the ships you know in Revelation where it speaks of the destruction of all that is represents commerce and trade and so forth and but you know it's going to be recovered again.
And it's interesting to to read this I I'm I've been enjoying some of these thoughts in in on prophecy from her brother Bruce Anstey.
And is mentioned there how that there will be the recovery or the reconstruction, shall we say, of tire, which represents commerce and there?
Everything that is there, there will be trades carried on, there will be things made, it says, for goodly clothing.
People in this world that live on this earth and the Millennium will have to have clothes and somehow they have to be made so. But the fact is that everything that is done in this world for people here, everything that people will be doing will be done not for themselves like it is now. It will be for the Lord. I believe that's an Isaiah.
It's for the Lord and for goodly clothing. Interesting.
And so the thought, my thought was in connection with that, is that we can do that now. Everything that the Lord has given us, we can use it for the Lord. And you know what? When we get home there.
It will meet us. There'll be a Ledger there, if I may put it that way, you'll write down the account.
And he will not forget one little work that you and I have done for him.
That's sending it on ahead.
Don't make to yourself, it says make to yourselves, friends with the mammon of unrighteousness. That which God has given you, use it for him. That which has given me. It's my responsibility to use it for him. And he will take note of it and He will. And so we send it on ahead. Now let's go on a little further here. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also. A month, a brother Reuben was telling us about encouraging us. You know, Lord, wilt thou have me to do?
It should be. That's a good, wholesome, healthy question to ask before the Lord.
And sometimes we're not satisfied with doing that, which is least.
We want to do something great. We want to do something that might be noticed.
Or am I wrong?
I think if we were to examine our hearts, we would find that that little seed is there.
But the Lord says he that's faithful now, which is least.
His faithful also, and that which is much.
So be satisfied here you are young people, young person.
1:00 And you're a little assembly and be an encouragement.
Your young brothers don't try and be.
Ajay and Darby, if I may use that right away.
Be satisfied to be a young faithful brother in the in the assembly, Tim Paul said to Timothy, be thou an example of the believer, not just to him, but of him. When he they see your walk, Timothy, let them know that that is the walk of a believer.
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And B.
And you set that out before and everyone of us now, don't look at Pete over here or don't look at Mary over here and see how they're walking. And I'll just keep in line with them. And I, you know, I wouldn't want to show them up. I wouldn't want them to show me.
These awful thoughts can come through, but no. What does that thee follow Thou me, the Lord said to people. And so we follow him, and we look around, and there's somebody following us.
And let us encourage one another in the Lord.
So then it says if it and if you have not been faithful now, which is another man's?
What is another man? You might look at this and at your, your, all your accumulations and you say, whose car is that over there? That's mine. Whose house are you living? What's my house?
Anonymous, that's not right.
That's some another man that belongs to another man.
Doesn't it?
That other man is the Lord himself. He's given it to you.
And you use it for him.
So that.
If we haven't been faithful in that which is another man who shall commit to your trust the true riches which are what right here?
Who's going to commit to us the two riches? Someone mentioned here too that the.
The measure in which we allow the world to come in is the measure in which.
We do not lay hold of the things of God.
It robs us.
Of influence, shall we say to others. It robs us of our portion that we can enjoy with Christ. That's why I read those verses in Peter. Let's before we close, let's go back to Peter.
Second Peter chapter.
1.
And beside this, giving all diligence.
The man who had that broken down field did not give all diligence, did he?
Beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith. Virtue. What's that?
What is virtue? Well, it's that moral courage or energy?
That will that causes you to go forward energy with your eye on the goal.
Don't just sit back and hold your hands like the man in Proverbs.
And expect your field to produce.
Moral courage to go on. You add it to your faith.
And then?
To your faith, virtue unto virtue, knowledge. You see, the knowledge comes as we go forward.
Cease to do evil, learn to do well.
Into knowledge, temperance and to temperance, patience and to patience godliness. I'm just going to read over these. I'm not going to comment on them, but you can follow them and read them yourself. And I believe you see that they're the spirit of God has put them in a proper order and as we progress in our souls.
And then it says, For if these things be in you and abound they make you, that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, Your field will not be barren. And when the end comes, when it's time to for your, shall we say, for the crops to be gathered.
And the time for us to to meet the master that has given us these, there will be fruit.
And then it says, For so an entrance shall be administered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is.
Not our desire, but when we leave the scene we'd be talking about those who have gone on.
They passed this point.
And they've gone on and they're abundant. Entrance deserves. That's what we want, isn't it?
We don't want to look back and say.
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That have been different.
Could have been different, but all I think of the papers in that brother.
When he said.
I've spent my whole life working and I've lost my family.
We don't want to do that, do we?
Let's go on for His glory.
168 Or Kindle within us a holy desire like that which was found by people of all 168.
In this world.
Where I'm there really.
Now love my daughter and father.
It hurts me all the time.
Lord, Lord, Lord.
Our sun and heart you.
Roll on fire under the sun.
A hard boldness right there.
For everyone to stand.