Open—S. Jacobsen, G. Weaver, G. Cook
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16.
My words and all these far more sweet.
1St Corinthians 14.
The first verse I'd like to read is verse 29.
Let the prophets speak two or three.
And let the other judge.
Back to the third verse of the same chapter, First Corinthians 14, verse 3.
But he that prophesied speaking unto men, to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
Edification. Exhortation.
And comfort.
Last verse of the chapter.
1St Corinthians 14, verse 40.
Let all things be done decently and in order.
Says the Lord for help.
Verse.
And if for some reason.
That is all the time we had.
It would be sufficient.
The last chapter of the Book of Galatians and the ninth verse.
The Book of Galatians, the 6th chapter and the ninth verse.
If as I read, if you think.
That I have something concerning.
Recent past, the present, or what may be in the future? You're probably not wrong.
But I believe that this verse goes far beyond the circumstances that we have found ourselves in individually.
As families and collectively or individual assemblies, because God's ways with us, as we heard in the last meeting, go far more deeply than any of us seem to recognize. And so let's read the verse and.
If the speaker needs it.
You recognize that? That's why by the grace of God, we're reading Galatians 6 and verse nine. And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint. Not now. If I can quickly find it. There's a verse in the last chapter of.
Philippian.
So I can't find it, I'll have to quote it.
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Here it is verse 11.
Now.
If properly.
We're speaking as an Oracle of God and I'm not making that pretense, but remember that the exhortations of Scripture are not necessarily the full experience of the speaker. But verse 11 not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am there with to be content. I believe that the thought of this verse and if I'm not mistaken.
In connection with the new translation, something like this, Paul is saying there is no external circumstance. There is no external stimuli that affects.
My tranquility and my peace within with God.
Let me repeat that. Apostle Paul was saying, it's a little bit like something I saw in a supermarket recently. It had hot and cold. Well, you can't keep hot and cold together, but you can either put hot things in it and they'll stay hot, or you can put cold things in them and they'll stay cold. The Apostle Paul by the grace of God was completely insulated at this point in his life, maybe not before without were trembling.
Within were fears, nevertheless God, but at this time he had come to the point where he could say.
I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. There were no external stimuli, whether good, bad, or indifferent, that affected the joy and the peace he had concerning circumstances.
Back to Galatians.
Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if you faint not.
In the main, the reason we get weary is because we don't understand the circumstances that the God that God has allowed us to go through at the time. Now I hope to go to the Old Testament and pick up stories.
Of individuals who like ourselves.
Were subject to light passions and found themselves in a circumstance.
That was contrary to what they felt they could stand or what God had promised. And so they deviated from the path of faith and.
Took a time to get back. Now let's turn first of all to the book of Genesis. And there we find concerning.
Abraham that he was called out.
In the 12Th chapter of Genesis.
And the ninth verse.
Nothing wrong in the ninth verse Abraham journeyed, going on still towards the South, but now a circumstance comes into his life which was an external circumstance that was contrary to what he felt was the mind of God that he anticipated, and there was a famine in the land.
And Abraham went down into Egypt.
He deviated from what God had ordered, and we find that.
There were consequences.
You'd say, well, we'll turn to the next chapter. And he went on in the third verse, he went on his journeys from the South, even to Bethel, under the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and AI, into the place of the altar which he had made. But.
A man by the name of Lot.
Whom we could hardly say what was in the same class got a taste, a picture of what it was like to have well watered planes. And no doubt Hagar came from that place. And so Abram found that there was an external circumstance that was beyond what he anticipated. And so he he felt that it dictated for him to do.
What was contrary to the mind of God? Be not weary in well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if you faint not. Let's turn to the 42nd chapter of Genesis. And there we pick up one of the stories that if our brother had continued as we really would have liked for him to through the whole story, if they'd taken another hour, most of us, 99.44% of us would have said Amen, go ahead.
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In the 42nd chapter and the 36th verse.
Jacob is brought to a point where he can't understand what God is doing in his life.
They've taken this one, and now they want this one. And So what does he cry out? Well, let's read the whole verse. This is Genesis 42, verse 36. And Jacob their father, said unto them.
May have ye bereaved of my children. Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and he will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.
And let's let's make this statement, which is a true statement, not because I say it, but because of what we know from Scripture was what God had intended for him. Now, I don't know and you don't know about your pathway, but we know concerning the pathway of those that are mentioned in Scripture.
What was going to be a little bit further on, around the corner, over the hill, when the fog lifts, when the sun rises. But at the present moment, Jacob said all these things are against me and they were never more working for his good than at that time.
Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.
I may not be able to find it as readily as I would like, and so I'll just relate it to you.
There was a man by the name of Moses.
It was called out of.
The backside of the desert.
To lead God's people out of.
Egypt. A mixed multitude, to be sure.
And they were in the wilderness.
Water came out of the rock.
And there was a second time when God told him to speak to the rock.
And he felt oppressed. In fact, there's a scripture that says they provoked his spirit. If you and I have an external stimuli that provokes our spirit, we're not under control.
Be not weary in well doing for in due season ye shall reap if you think not. And so he didn't speak to the rock. You know, there's a physically, realistically, he didn't do what God told him to do. But there's something very, very deep about that is that the rock is Christ and Christ is only smitten once. And after that, all you need to do is to speak to the rock and the water comes out.
And he struck the rock and the water didn't come out. No, no, no, no, I'm wrong, I'm wrong. The water came out. But God immediately, I don't know if it was immediate, but there's a, there's a little paragraph Mark almost immediately God says you did wrong.
You're not going to be able to go into the promised land. Well, we know in type the law is perfect for the wilderness but will never get you across the Jordan. That's true, but there's another side to it that he forfeited.
Entrance into the promised land and he begged God, as it were, to change his mind and and God had to tell him, you have said enough, but you know.
Can there possibly be mercy in connection with the law that Moses spoke of?
Who was on the Mount of Transfiguration?
With Elijah and the blessed Lord, it was Moses.
And that beautiful, you know, he was given a view of the land from the mountain. But then in the New Testament we find that the heart of God tells itself out.
So that's Moses.
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Let's turn to First Samuel.
Excuse me for thumbing the pages.
There it is, First Samuel chapter 27 and verse one.
Now remember the circumstances of David at this time. For somewhat 1015 years, I'm not sure he was haunted as a Partridge on the hills up and down and around and in.
External circumstances had been absolutely adverse for David, but there's one thing that should have sustained David through it all.
That Samuel had anointed him king.
Therefore.
I should say David never lifted a finger against the anointed at the time, even though he had been anointed. But he knew that he was anointed king and there was going to be a time, whatever the circumstances through which he had to go, that he was going to be the king in actuality. But now, because of the extremity of the circumstances, this is what David says in First Samuel 27.
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.
Brethren, be not weary in well doing.
For in due season ye shall reap, if you faint not.
Individually, as a couple, as a family, as an assembly. And if you think that I have something especially in mind without saying it, you're probably right.
Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not. We've had Abraham, we've had Jacob.
We've had Moses.
We've had David.
You know, I hardly like to include another man. And from the Old Testament and you say, oh, brother, why do you bring it up?
It's the man that haunted David. At the beginning of his testimony, Samuel told him to wait until he got there.
To offer sacrifice. Well, because of the extremity of the circumstances that Saul found himself in, he felt constrained to do what was not the mind of God. And that's what happens when we're not like the apostle Paul and Shirley. I'm not saying that I am.
And I'm not saying that you are, but that's proper Christianity to not allow external stimuli to affect.
The inward peace and joy that we have in following the blessed Lord. There is a term that it isn't a very big word, but it's.
Not so big it slips me.
Ambient. Ambient, there's the word.
Boil a pan of water.
You say, oh, it burnt me.
Let it sit out without a lid on it for 1/2 an hour, an hour. What is the tendency of that? As long as it's not a great big boiler, but just a little pan, what is the tendency of that, of the temperature of that water sitting out under ambient conditions? What you say, it's very simple. It's going to reach an equilibrium, the temperature of the surrounding circumstances. That's ambient conditions.
And that's why there is protection for hot and for cold, and there was a protection for the Apostle Paul through the circumstances he found himself in.
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Whether adverse or whether stimulus a stimulus to the to to the spirit. He was immune from those external circumstances. Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not but Saul.
A man after the flesh. And that's really what we're acting like when we allow circumstances to.
Change our disposition, change our attitude, change what we think is the mind of the Lord. And we tend to go beyond what is the mind of the Lord because we're weary. Weary.
You know, if you want a fourth floor apartment.
And you're not too good at climbing stairs, Make sure there's an elevator. And so with with the infirmities that come upon each of us for sight, for hearing, for whatever.
We find that we need to accommodate that inability.
But don't allow the circumstances that we find ourselves in to doubt the integrity and the happiness, the joy that God wants for each one of us now.
David.
Let's turn to the New Testament.
And we can find.
Scripture after scripture.
Concerning the blessed Lord, that he went to raise a little girl from from the dead.
And I wouldn't want to.
To talk in the manner that they did or the staccato, but.
They laughed the Lord to scorn. If I did, you'd say, brother, look, you don't need to be so dramatic. Well, that's what they probably said. Well, just read it as it is. And so they made fun of him.
And if it was you and me because of that external stimuli, all right, I came to bring a blessing, but I I'm not going to do it. I'm going to leave. Did the Lord do that? He just quietly put them all out and he did his work. Other circumstances that they, they called him this, they called him that. There wasn't any external circumstance, good or bad, that ever dissuaded the Lord.
From he was never weary in well doing.
The only time and let's turn to it because it's so beautiful that he was weary in the 4th chapter of the Gospel of John.
And the sixth verse.
Now let's be very, very careful. We're weary.
In well doing because of the infirmity of the flesh, but here the blessed Lord.
The blending.
Of the Son of God.
Man, there was a man that no doubt had walked.
From.
Judea, you know.
There's a very interesting verse in both Matthew and Mark in connection with a habit that the Jews had. If they went from north to South or South to north, they never went through Samaria. They went across to Jordan and traveled up, and when they got to the proximity in Galilee where they wanted, they went across to Jordan or down below.
And so here the Lord must needs go through Samaria. And no, he didn't, we'd say as an Orthodox Jew, but all he must needs go through Samaria. Not geographically, not not the way they always did was to go around. But he had it. There was a need to be in that city. And so he sat wearied with his journey. Beautiful, beautiful. Not weary as we get, but weary physically.
Blessed, blessed man, and we could peruse the whole gospels and our time is about up, but as we could peruse the gospels, we'll find that.
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Did the disciples understand him? Do you think that your brethren don't understand you or they don't understand me? Maybe there's a reason they don't understand me. But what happens is that that's an external circumstance that often causes us to think I'll of them or to follow some little course that that's not according to God.
Be not weary.
In well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if you faint knock.
Let's go back to the last chapter of the book of Philippians and we'll conclude.
Because what is your source and mine? We're given the admonition, and I have quoted it probably a dozen times. Be not weary, but do we need a force? Do we need encouragement so that we're not weary? Indeed we do. Verse 12 I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound everywhere and all things. I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. One final verse or two in Second Timothy, the 2nd chapter.
I'm going to read It's actually Two Timothy 3.
14151617 But then I'm going to conclude with two words taken out of verse 14. So this is Second Timothy 3, verses 14 through 17. But continue vow in the things which thou hast learned, and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child. Thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine.
For reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness, that the man of God, the woman of God, may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. The value of having known the Scriptures from a child. And if you haven't, you can you value it at the present time to make thee wise all Scriptures given by inspiration of God. And over in another portion it says, Till I come give attendance to reading. And we know that that means the public reading of Scripture.
But we interpret it for our present application. But in conclusion, I want to.
It's very easy to quote it, and very difficult.
I have found to practice it.
In verse 14.
Brethren.
Continue thou.
OK, I just have a.
Couple of verses I want to read.
In Matthew 1820, what progressed this morning?
For where two or three are gathered together.
In my name.
There are mine in the midst of them.
We were in the midst of him this morning.
What a wonderful thing.
That it is to know that in here.
Then once in the midst.
And there is another tooth we read this morning.
In First Corinthians 11.
And may we read from verse 23.
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which she was betrayed bread. And when he had given thanks, he break it and said, cake eat. This is my body which is broken for you, this doing remembrance of me after the same matter also.
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He took the cup when he had sucked things.
This cup.
The New Testament.
In my blood this dew ye.
Do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me?
For as often as neat this bread and drink this cup.
You do show the Lord's death.
Till he come. May I read that verse over again. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death. Till He comes, you know this morning.
When we were gathered around him.
And the bread that would speak to the body would then.
On the table and the wine with feats of this blood that would shed for us.
That we.
Path to one to another.
Oh, what a wonderful privilege.
It is to remember him, to know that what he had done.
Has accomplished for us.
All value within your heart.
That's all I.
One say.
Expression our brother Stan had before us.
Continuing.
And be not weary.
In well doing and we think of.
The enemy wanting to attack us.
To keep that expression that the Lord had asked us to do.
Just before he went to the cross.
But how precious a privilege it is to continue.
And to continue with that expression of being gathered simply to the name of the Lord Jesus, I'd like to continue on also with a thought that the Lord reminded me of just before this meeting, that our brother, when he ministered on, weary, not well doing.
Established also that meditation and it has to do with.
Something that I had enjoyed years ago. And Isaiah 39 is where it's the meditation started, if we could turn to that.
And it I'd like to set up the condition and eventually we'll turn to Isaiah 56. But in Isaiah 39, we have a dark day. We have a day.
When King Hezekiah.
Had opened his house, his treasures to be viewed by.
An embassy from Babylon.
And in verse four of chapter 39, the prophet Isaiah comes to Hezekiah.
And he says, what have they seen in thine house?
Now that alone, that question alone is an exercising question for us.
And we that are older.
Have to continually be exercised about the things that are in our house and the influence that we have.
In the assembly, in our testimony at work and about.
And he answered all.
That is in my house. Have they seen?
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There is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed in them.
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts, Behold, the days come.
All that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store, and to this day shall be carried to Babylon.
Nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
And of thy sons that shall issue from thee.
Which thou shall be gift shall they take away.
And they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king.
Of Babylon.
Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken.
And he said, moreover, for there shall be peace and truth in my days.
Now that eighth verse is to me a very, very sad verse.
You know we in each generation.
Need to feel our responsibility, yes, in view of the grace of God, of course, but our responsibility of what we're leaving behind for the next generation.
And.
When you think of this, are we satisfied with peace and truth in our days?
Or are we realizing that our actions can result in real trial and pressure and God's government on the generation that would be following?
So we have here that the Prophet says.
That of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt bigot, shall they take away.
You know Babylon brings before us religious confusion.
And don't we see that in all of the scene that we're in today, especially we think of all the different divisions among.
Christians today and we ourselves who would take the place of of being gathered simply to the name of the Lord Jesus in simplicity of owning no other name than him and seeing the divisions or an error we ourselves have suffered.
And because of violation of principles, because of the allowance of the flesh and activity and whatever reasons we ourselves have seen.
The confusion, and then partakers of that confusion ourselves.
And we need to be exercised and you that are my age and older.
Need to continue on like our brother was was bringing before us in that last verse. I so appreciated that and with the Lord's help I hope to come back to that thought again of continuing.
But just to think of it, the government of God.
Is his faithfulness because he loves his people?
It says that of thy sons of the royal line.
That shall issue from thee, which thou shalt bigot.
Shall they take away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
You know the Lord wants us to be fruitful, the enemy.
Once the opposite, he wants you.
To be hindered in your testimony.
And our brother Bruce yesterday remarked of lives that have been ruined.
You know God is though, a God of restoration.
God can take one who has ruined his life.
And how thankful we can say that we do have the rest of our time, but as our brothers have pointed out, the way back is hard and it's difficult. And so I exhort those that are younger in the faith, those that are new believers, those that are yet a child that you would set your heart upon following Christ.
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Set your heart upon meditating on this precious book and the person that it brings before you from cover to cover.
You know God is for you.
That's a wonderful thing to get ahold of.
You know, he says in Ezekiel 36, I believe it's verse nine, he says.
I better turn to Ezekiel 36.
And verse 9.
For Behold.
I am for you.
Get ahold of it.
Well, we won't turn to it, but Psalm 56, nine says God is for me.
That's when the soul comes into the realization of what God is trying to get across to us.
That He is for us now, because He is for us. There can be a tilling in our lives now. This is spoken to Israel. I like to apply it to ourselves. I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled. Why?
So he can sow, so he can bring forth that fruitfulness that is for him. God does not want us to be a eunuch.
But.
There is failure.
You know in the history of Israel, you look in the history of judges failure, failure, failure. In the history of the kings failure, very seldom was the testimony as a whole right side up.
But how wonderful that there were judges that delivered Israel, there were kings that were godly kings, there were individuals that were not men of renown in the eyes of other men that God had raised up to be a help and encouragement to the Saints of God. And today we have that now and we can get swallowed up with the fact.
That it's a day of small things. It is. It's a day of small things. But our God is the same God at the Day of Pentecost, a day when one preacher preached in 3000 were saved. Today, 3000 preached and maybe one saved. But you know what? It's the same God. And that God is producing that miracle our brother spoke of earlier this weekend.
A miracle of a soul.
Imparted life and one who receives the Word and believes the truths of God's Word and becomes a Saint of God.
Let's turn to Isaiah chapter 56.
Verse One Thus saith the Lord, keep the judgment and do justice, for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it, that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people. Neither let the eunuch say, And this is the.
The expression.
Now maybe you today feel the result of the government of God. Our assemblies are small.
The varies from assembly to assembly and some assembly, the ministries, the ministry, the gift is there and the ministry is bright and encouraging. Other assemblies and you may be in a small assembly, but you know it's the word of God and it's the Spirit of God that would take that word and bless it to our hearts. So you may feel one who has been affected. You may feel like a eunuch.
But I would say to you, let not the eunuch say, here it is.
Let not the eunuch say, Behold, I'm a dry tree.
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God is able and willing and He is doing it. He is making the children of God. Even in a day of small things fruitful for him, He is able to make them fruitful. Let not the eunuch say, Behold, I'm a dry tree, you can come under it, yes.
You can feel it and give up, throw up your hands and walk off. You can despise the work that God has done and look elsewhere. You're going to be disappointed.
If you trust in anything besides Christ, let me tell you, she's going to be disappointed.
But how wonderful that in simplicity you see that God is true, and that He has said, Where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst. That's all we need is Him, and He can work, and He can give the eunuch to say.
I'm not a dry tree.
Look at this, for thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths. Are you obedient to the Lord? I'm not talking about returning to the law, but I'm talking about just the general application.
Of choosing the things that please me.
And take hold of my covenant.
Take hold of the Word of God, take hold of the promises of God that He's given to us and enjoy them. You know we're right at the moment.
That he's going to take us home. And, you know, it reminds me of exhortation several years ago that took place here. I wasn't here, but I heard the tape.
Turning us back to the time when Joseph said to his brother, and see that you fall not out, by the way.
We're just so close to seeing him. Why do we need to occupy ourselves, which are not vital?
Why do we need to occupy ourselves with things that cause us to divide?
All to be occupied with him. Let not the eunuchs say I'm a dry tree.
You know.
The years passed on.
And the king of Babylon swept down.
And destroyed the temple.
Destroyed the city and took captive.
Saints, the children of the royal seed and took them to Babylon. Let's turn to Daniel, chapter one.
Daniel chapter one and verse one.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and to Jerusalem, and besieged it.
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand with part of the vessels of the House of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar, to the House of his God, and he brought the vessels into the treasure House of his God. Think of the blow that this was to the people of God.
Here was the place of his appointment, here was the holy temple of God. Here were all the vessels of the holy God, precious to any St. of God. Anyone that valued the Lord and valued His things, it was all swept away.
What a disappointment.
And the king spake to Ashna as the master of these eunuchs. Here's that word again, eunuchs.
That he should bring certain of the children of Israel in the King's seed, and of the Princess children in whom was number blemish, but well favored and skillful in all wisdom and cunning and knowledge and understanding science. You know this is exactly what the world wants to do. You know the enemy of your soul knows that you have a bent.
That you may have a desire and a certain aptitude.
In a certain thing.
And the world is going to mark you out and bring you to Babel. That's what they want to do.
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They want you know this world does not want your good. The enemy of your soul does not want your good. They want to do. He wants to destroy you. He wants to make you.
Unfruitful.
He wants to make you a eunuch.
You know, the world has a lot of different attractions.
Are you intellectual?
There's a part in the world for you.
Are you musically inclined? Nothing wrong with intellectualism, nothing wrong with music.
I was thinking of intellectualism recently and I just.
You know the intellectual Recently in the news in my area, and probably here too, there was a mention about a school that declared that they would not teach intelligent design in school.
Because, and the way it came across is because the scientists knew better.
The scientists, the intellectuals, know better than to think. I mean, it's obvious there's no such thing as an intellectual design.
Thinking of those simple verses that are found in Psalm 14 and Psalm 53, God has said something about those intellectuals.
God has said, the fool has said in his heart there is no God.
Dear friend, if you're here tonight, this afternoon, and your sins.
You need to see that before God that you are a Sinner.
That you are in your sins and the wrath of God abide upon you. You need to flee from the wrath to come. You need to see that there is a Savior on high in the glory. You need to see that He is interested in you and He wants to save you from your sins and He wants you to go on in a life that's fruitful for Him.
But the world, whether it's intellectualism, whether it's the music world, whether it's the sports world, are you good in sports? Watch out, be careful.
Are you good in in other aspects? Are you I, I work with computers have for 33 years and you know, the technology is changing and continually changing. If you tried to stay it up with it, you could spend all your energy and all your effort and all your intellectual thoughts towards towards that, that sphere of things. The enemy would distract us. He studies us just like I used to split wood or quite a bit and you see a crack, a fracture in it wood. That's where you'd lay that wedge.
You'd lay that wedge and you know, if you were inside that wood, you somehow able to look up, you say, well, that's just a little thing. And then the blow comes. You know, all of a sudden realize that your life is destroyed. Be careful to allow anything to come in to cause a wedge in your life.
But here.
Children, Verse 4 Daniel one, and whom was number blemish, well favored, skillful, and all wisdom, cunning, knowledge, understanding science in such a ability in them to stand in the King's palace, in whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans, and the king appointed them a daily provision of the King's meat.
And the wine which he drank, so nourishing them three years, at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Michelle, and Azariah, unto whom the king, the Prince of the eunuchs, gave names. For he gave them to Daniel the name of Belteshazzar, and to Hananiah of Shadrach, and to Michel of Meshach, and to Azariah of Abednego.
But Daniel purpose isn't this wonderful.
2 words here in this chapter that I want you to get hold of purposed at the end of the chapter continued.
You know, there's many that have had a good start, you know, Jonathan, so really a good study that way. A man that had a good start, a man whose heart was linked with David.
But it couldn't. He did not follow David in the path of rejection and reproach, and you find the end of his life perishing with Saul.
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Daniel purposed and he continued.
Let's look at that verse 21, Daniel continued.
Until the first year of King Cyrus, you know, I struck with that and look at chapter 10 and it says in verse one in the third year of King Cyrus. Well interesting. He continued until the first year of King Cyrus. Well, why didn't say he continued until the third year of King's heart? I believe it's bringing before us that the end of the captivity was the first year of King Cyrus. Now how do I say that you know.
We're going to continue for all eternity because of God's grace in our position as Christians.
Hallelujah, nothing that is vital has been committed to the hands of man. That includes you. That includes me, that wonderful. Nothing vital has been committed to the hands of man. Anything that would be, it's going to fail. But Hallelujah, God is going to take us home at the rapture of the church, and we're going to be with Christ, with him, and like him for all eternity.
Daniel continued. So here's a soul that brings before us a picture that from.
From the entire time of the captivity, he continued. For the entire time that we're in this scene, how wonderful that it could be said of us that we had a heart that purposed and a heart that continued. Let not the eunuch say was Daniel eunuch. I believe he was.
Let not the eunuch say I'm a dry tree. How many souls?
How much fruit from this eunuch has there been?
You know the world would seek to make him, and the enemy of our soul would seek to have made Daniel and his three friends fruitless.
But God overruled.
And Daniel purposed and I believe he was at, he was an influence to his three friends. Do you have friends today?
Do you have companions?
How would you describe those companions?
Are they companions that are encouraging you in the path of faith?
Are you encouraging them in the path of faith?
Or are you with companions that view Christianity at a distance?
You know, when I was 22 years old in the military.
Man talked to me about my soul, He said, are you a Christian? I said, Oh yeah, I believe in Jesus.
I was saved three years later.
I went through the motions as a young man, as a child.
I believe there was. There was a work in my soul and of course I was marked out from before the foundations of the world. And Hallelujah.
But I tell you, are you casual in your approach to Christianity? Are you at a distance? Are you kind of on the edge? You know, as the children of Israel went through, there was times that their enemies attacked. You know who they attacked? They got those that were on the fringe, those that were holding back. Where are you?
Are you pressing on in your faith? Are you seeking to be a companion of those that are purposing in their hearts not to defile themselves with the King's meat nor with the with the wine that he drank? You know, there's this, there's those things that nourish the world, that equip the world, that, that build up and strengthen the world.
And there's a wine, the joys that this world had, you know, the river Nile, it flew down. It flowed down. And people who say there is no God forgot the realization that somewhere God was sending the blessing of rain to bring that water, the Nile in. And, you know, the world has its flow and source of refreshment. Where is your source of refreshment? Is it in this precious book?
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It is from Are you feeding on Christ? Is he your morsel? Is he your food? Or is it the meat, the King's meat and the wine that he drank? It's dainty. It's delicious.
The pleasures of sin it is. It's pleasurable for a season.
Look at Ecclesiastes.
Chapter 12 I believe it is.
Chapter 11. Ecclesiastes 11, Verse 9.
Rejoice, O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart hear thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart.
And in the sight of thine eyes.
You know the world has a slogan. Just do it.
Just do it. You see it fine. How about it?
But no thou that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment. That's why the fool says there is no God. It could also be translated. There's italics there. The Fool.
The fool has said no God.
He does not want God if he has if there. If he believes there is a God, that means that he is responsible before a holy God.
And you, dear friend, let me tell you this afternoon, there is a God, and you are responsible to him.
But he is a God that would have you to see his heart, that he's not hard man, He's not a harsh man.
He is the God of love and of grace and of mercy.
And a tender compassion. And he wants you to know him. He wants you to know that he's a savior God. He's a just God and a savior.
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh for childhood and youth.
Our vanity. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, Back to Daniel one.
Now then God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the Prince of the eunuchs, And the Prince of the eunuch said unto Daniel, I fear, my Lord the king, who has appointed your meat and your drink, I.
I didn't read the portion into verse 8 which says therefore he Daniel requested of the Prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. You know the spirit in which Daniel had was an excellent spirit. You know, at work sometimes we're thrust into a situation where we're uncomfortable that our liberty.
To exercise our convictions before God or or or being compromised or we're asked to compromise those positions.
How do we meet that?
Do we meet it in a spirit that says, well, I won't do that, I'm a Christian and I won't do it?
I don't believe that that spirit was here with Daniel.
It says that he requested of the Prince of the eunuchs. Now later on when it came time when Nebuchadnezzar had asked the three to do something.
Along with others, that was clearly a violation of the authority of God that Nebuchadnezzar had stepped out of his authority.
Into and ask them to worship an idol which was clearly a violation of the word of God that they again with the right spirit that they were very firm, they could say we will not bow down.
Our spirit in meeting these things and you know, I'm speaking to myself.
In the assembly and I think one of the most testing times of our spirit is in a time when we're with our brethren in the care meeting. Can I hear an Amen? But, but that is what the test comes.
What is our spirit in answer to things that we believe are serious? How do we meet it? Do we meet it in a way to where the affections of Christ for one another are still being manifested? Is there forgiveness in our heart toward one another? I think that sometimes we're very good at going to the ministry and going to principles and laying them out point by point.
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When our own hearts aren't showing the affection of God that they should toward one another.
Let not the eunuch say I'm a dry tree.
You know again how many souls have been encouraged by the life of Daniel.
How many have read this history?
And have seen one in very serious circumstances, very hard and difficult circumstances.
Press on in the path of faith and we could look at the chapter to where he prayed toward Jerusalem. That was in devastation. He still sought to support the testimony he read in the book of Jeremiah. He was found in the Scriptures reading and meditating on these things and seeking to know how in the day that he was in, how he could press on and remember that he purposed.
And he continued.
And so I go back to that verse. Let not the eunuch say I'm a dry tree.
And so in view of that, I'd like to look a little bit of Gaius.
In Romans 16.
And I'm going to. I don't want to be dogmatic and say.
That this is the same gayest throughout. I've enjoyed him.
I'd like to take this Gaius in Romans 16 and 1St Corinthians one and third John as being the same person, but I'm just making this application. And if it's not the same person, I think you can see morally that there's some characteristics here that apply, But I, I want to apply it for my own heart and what I was commenting about, of having the need of holding good doctrine, you know, young men.
I exhort you.
To get into the Word and into the ministry.
Learn the doctrine.
You know there are those here that from a young man have been diligent in the study of God's Word.
And it shows.
And I remember an older brother saying to me one time, with regret, he took me back in the back of the meeting room. He's with the Lord now, and I'm thankful for him.
And for his memory, he was a dear brother, love the Lord. But he said to me, you know, when I was a young man.
I was busy getting my education and then I was busy raising my family. I was busy with my business. In a good business, very successful.
And, you know, and I got, I retired and I started to have some time, but you know, my mind wasn't as quick as it was when I was young and I couldn't take in.
The things of God like I would have liked to.
And here was a man with real repentance was regretting.
The the opportunity that he let go by as a young man.
You know I was raised in the world and had touches in with Christianity from time to time and when I was first saved at 25 we went to a real wholesome and nice little community, so-called Community Church. Dear Pastor dear, he was a true shepherd, was a help to me.
And then I went on and and eventually ran into Phil Rogers and many, you know, the story how the Phil, you know, really took me in and helped me and eventually first time into a meeting like this, you know, I had AI had a paradigm of what I thought Christianity was and this did not fit.
You know, and but I went to the word of God and I saw that the landmarks had been moved.
That what I thought were the landmarks.
Had they been moved? I went to the word of God and I saw.
The simplicity.
Of having Christ and we're nothing.
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We long that other Christians would be brought into the liberty of being gathered simply to the name of the Lord Jesus.
So.
It's just wonderful to see that God is interested and he wants to lead us along. He wants to encourage you. Young men, take up the word of God.
Set aside those Daily Times in the morning, you know.
And I have a busy schedule and it's a struggle. You that are older, those you that are my age, maybe a little younger, you have busy lives and the enemy that today it's faster, faster.
You know, this Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violence take it by force. It's almost halfway how we have to do it. We have to seize those opportunities.
Turn that alarm on a little bit earlier. Go to bed a little earlier. Get up a little earlier. Get in the presence of God.
This is an exhortation to my heart. We need those times. We need to be consistent.
Gaius in Romans 16 like to catch a verse 23 Gaius mine host. It's wonderful to host Paul.
To get a hold of the truth of God that have been committed to the church during this dispensation, that Paul has been the vessel that God used to commit that.
Get it in your house, to get it in your lives to host Paul, to have the truth of God affect you, and to be that which governs you and drives you.
Chapter One, verse 16.
Verse 15 I'm sorry. Verse 14 I thank God I baptize none of you but Christmas and Gaius.
King James, or at least in the Bible I have it says at the end of Corinthians it says written to the Romans in little paragraph. I don't know if it's Canon or not but it says written to the Romans from Corinthians and sent by Phoebe servant of the church at Sin Crea.
So Romans was kind of a letter of commendation to with for Phoebe and of course full of many wonderful truths regarding our the gospel of our salvation.
But I was just enjoying the thought that perhaps Gaius that Gaius was in Corinth.
Paul hosted him. He writes the epistle. Paul, his gayest, supports him. Look at third John.
You know, it's one thing to get the truth.
To get it in our souls, to enjoy it, to host Paul, as it were.
But I think the Spirit of God to me, He has spoken to me that I need more than that.
And I know Paul's a ministry is multifaceted and one marvelous ministry, but I just enjoy John's ministry as well. And I'm not saying playing favorites on any side, but I'm just saying that each vessel the Lord is used to to bring a message and how wonderful that God has has inspired these dear men to help us and John living quite a ripe old age rights.
As the elder apostle to the assemblies and to the individuals and in a in a day that even was allowed that even just a few years after the ascension and few years after Pentecost, that the condition of the church there was difficult assembly conditions. Have you ever been in an assembly where there's difficult assembly conditions?
Umm, you know, the Lord often gives us extremes.
So we know how to deal with something that is not quite so extreme. He gives us situations that are in the Scriptures that are very extreme.
To where we can apply the principles and how those souls acted there during that time in how we can deal with assembly conditions that you would not say are dire but are perhaps troublesome at the moment. And I'd like to just think about that in connection with the third epistle to John. Now let's imagine for a moment. And again, I don't want to have people go away from here saying that I'm dogmatic and saying that.
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The assembly.
That diotrophies and Gaius was in was Corinth. I don't know that I do not know that, but I'd just like to a moment think about this being the third Epistle to the Corinthians, and I'd like to think about this as being for a moment.
A soul that was two souls that were able to go on in difficult assembly conditions and what marked them?
The elder unto the well beloved Gaius. Here's a brother Gaius. Well beloved, isn't that lovely? Let not the eunuchs say I'm a dry tree. In the midst of difficult assembly conditions. Here was a brother that termed well below.
Lauren I, whom I love and the truth he hosted Paul.
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as I soul prospers.
We learn more about Gaius. His soul was prospering. I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest to the truth. He hosted Paul.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to the strangers. Paul was a stranger.
Paul was hosted by Gaius.
Which have borne witness of thy love before the assembly, whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou will shall do well, because for that His name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such that we might be fellow helpers in the truth to the truth I wrote unto the assembly. But diatrophies, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
Are you one that loves to have the preeminence?
You know Lord may allow that for time.
No, for a long time the Lord may allow a brother to be in a preeminent place, to take a preeminent place. The Lord doesn't want us to take a preeminent place. He's the one that in all things he might have the preeminence.
But you know, difficult assembly conditions, personalities were all different.
How wonderful.
That we can adopt the expression in Ephesians chapter 4 that you be kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Gaius was able to go on in difficult assembly conditions. He hosted Paul. He didn't give up the truth. He never compromised.
But he was marked by affection.
Well, beloved.
Testimony.
The testimony that he walked in truth.
And that borne witness of thy love, what would be?
Marked by you will be marked by me. What do they say about you? What do your brethren say about what do they say about me?
This exercising isn't it?
In a difficult assembly condition, one may feel like a eunuch. Daniel was like a hind let loose.
He was at liberty.
He was at like look at those last few verses that havoc at some time, but how wonderful to not be limited by natural circumstances.
But to have your joy in the Lord and that your confidence in him and the realization that God is for you and the realization there may be sowing, but they're sowing because he wants fruitfulness in our lives. He wants there to be affection. He wants us to host Paul to to value the truth of God that has been committed to us in this administration of the grace of God He wants us to pursue.
Those things that mark peace and affection.
And there's also Demetrius. Verse 12 hath a good report of all men and of the truth himself itself. Yeah, and we also bear witness. And you know that our record is true. How wonderful.
That we can be. That we could be overcomers. You know, these are Laodicean days.
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Do we get under it?
Do we throw up our hands?
Or do we say?
Let not the eunuchs say I'm a dry tree. You know, I shared this some of these thoughts with Jack Ryan a number of years ago.
I so appreciated him and what he said to me. He said, you know the Ethiopian eunuch, Where was he reading? When Philip came up to him, I said, well, Isaiah 53. He said, do you think he read Isaiah 54? I said, well, he probably did. Yeah, yeah, he read Isaiah. I'm sure he probably read Isaiah 54. Do you think he read Isaiah 55?
And I know where he's going. Yeah, he read Isaiah 55, said you think he read Isaiah 56, but not the eunuch. Say I'm a dry tree.
Hallelujah, let's pray together.
Our God and our Father, we thank Thee that in the midst of diminishing things outwardly.
That we have thee as our Father.
We have the Lord Jesus.
As our Lord and our Savior, our Shepherd, our Guide, the lover of our souls.
Our bridegroom, to whom we look for at any moment to come for us.
No, we long for that day, Lord Jesus, that thou wilt have thy rightful place.
That thou will put down all thine enemies, and thou will reign victorious, and that righteousness will reign, and then on into that eternal state, when righteousness will dwell, will give us the focus on these things our God give us to have.
Lies that would host Paul that would carry on and value the truth of God, but hearts that would be like Gaius that would have affection for the people of God even when there's difficult assembly conditions. Well, we thank thee, our Father, for this time that we can have together. And we think of the exhortation of our brother earlier, weary not in well doing. We bless thee and thank thee, our God and Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.