Open—W. Smith, S. Gill, J. Irvine
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General Meetings. Montreal, October 1974. Open meeting.
74.
Oh Lord, I written thy boundless love, no one reached. I would like to talk this afternoon, dear brethren, for a few minutes.
On what it is to make a choice?
I'm sure we all realize that day by day, as we go on perhaps most every moment of the day, we make choices.
We made a choice this morning as to what we were going to wear. We've made a choice of what we were going to eat.
And so on. But there are other choices.
Which are far more important than these.
And I'd like to turn to the word and to find in it.
Some who have made choices which were for their blessing, and some which were fatal.
May return to the Book of Genesis.
The 13th chapter.
Verse 7.
And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle, and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land.
And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdman, for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee from me. If thou will take the left hand, then I will go to the right.
Or if thou depart to the right hand, then I would go to the left.
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Even as a garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as our cometh unto Zoar.
Then Lord chose him all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east, and they separated themselves of one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the plains of the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent towards Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. The Lord said unto Abram, After that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward, and eastward and westward, and.
For all the language thou seest, to thee will I give it.
And to thy seed forever.
We'll stop reading there for the moment.
But here we find 2 and as we find from the New Testament.
That lot was a righteous man.
Though he was not a man of faith.
But we find that there was a time when he was forced to make a choice.
Well, how sad to think that he made the choice that he did.
Abram was a man.
Who looked forward to that which God had for him?
Lot, as we gather from the scripture, was a man who followed in Abrams footsteps instead of following in faith upon the Lord.
There was a choice to be made.
And we find that Lot made the choice for his own present advantage.
That was looked at best to him here in this world.
Abram looked for a city which had foundations. His builder and maker is God.
What a wonderful difference there is between those two choices.
Refined lot going down to that which looks so pleasant.
And the expression that is given to us here as to the character of the.
Planes. That he chose, I believe, is most remarkable.
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It tells us.
That it was as a garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as out cometh as or.
Where did Lot find out what Egypt looked like?
Because he'd been down there.
And his heart had become infected with the ease and the pleasures.
Of the land of Egypt.
Which I'm sure we all understand to be that, a type of this world.
The world had gotten into his heart, and that was what he chose.
Sometimes we wonder, you know, about ourselves. How much does that which is in this world affect us?
And our desires and the choices which we make from day-to-day.
Lotto's.
That was over was for his own advantage.
And without reading any more of this particular scripture.
We know the end that tells us that he is he ****** his tent towards Sodom.
But then a little later we find that he was living in Sodom, in that city which is spoken of here.
As the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked.
There were sinners before Lord.
The character of the world today.
Sinning openly before the Lord.
What was the result?
Whole lot became very prominent in the city of Sodom.
Yes, he was a he was a judge there, but all the end of lot.
An outcast living in a cave, living out what life was left to him, living it out in a cave in shame.
And I suppose in poverty he had been rich in cattle and and so on his servants, but he ended his days living in a cave.
What about Abram?
Oh, God gave to him as we've been speaking in our reading meetings yesterday.
Of how that dear Abram was given the promise to look in every direction.
And that God would give him that, or had given to him that upon which he would put the sole of his foot.
Oh, Abram was a man of God and he made the right choice.
May we too make the right choice, as we've been reminded in our reading meetings that we have been blessed.
With every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
And we've been reminded to in particular, that it's in Christ.
May he be our object.
I'd like to turn to the Book of Numbers.
Chapter.
32.
Here we find the children of Israel.
Have come to the borders of the land of Canaan.
The land which have been given to Abraham and to his seed.
By God.
In verse one.
Now that children are Reuben and the children of God, and had a very great multitude of cattle, and when they saw the land of Jesus in the land of Gilead, that behold, a place was a place for cattle.
The children of God and the children of Reuben came, and spake unto Moses, and to Elias of the priests, and unto the Princess of the congregation, saying.
Aderoth and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimra, and Heshbon and Ellie, Igloo and Shebam and Nebo, and beyond, even the country which the Lord smoked before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and Thy servants have cattle. Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in Thy sight, let this land be given unto Thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
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I'm sure that we have heard many times.
In the Ministry of the Word and in our reading meetings.
Now that the crossing of the Jordan.
Is a type.
Of our identification with the death of Christ.
Now these two tribes and as we find the half tribe of Manasseh as well.
They decided they were not going to cross the River Jordan.
They fell short of that.
And we've been reminded of those.
Who belong to the Lord.
That there is a place where such as ambassadors for Christ.
We are a testimony.
For Christ now, whether for good or whether it's for our shame and dishonor to the Lord is another matter.
But these are the children of Israel had no desire to inherit.
In the land that was given to Abraham.
They.
Too desire something for present advantage.
They made their choice.
And if we were to pursue the history?
Of those who stayed on the east side of Jordan, we would find it to be.
The sad history.
If my memory is right, we find that their history is that they were the first amongst the children of Israel to fall into idolatry.
They were the first among the children of Israel.
To.
It will be taken away captive by the Assyrians, the land of Gilead. Those who dwell there were taken slaves into Assyria.
But before that time, we find them here in this chapter.
That their desire seemed to be sincere.
They asked Moses for the land of Gilead.
The land of Basin and Ogden, where they had gained great victories.
They were to build their cities there. They were to dwell there and.
And there are men were even to go into the land of Canaan and fight.
Before the children of Israel to possess the land of Canaan.
But when the warfare was over.
Return to Joshua 22.
We find in Joshua 22.
That the warfare is over.
First one. Then Joshua called the river Knights and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and said to them, Ye have kept all the Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice and all, and I commanded you. Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but we kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God.
Now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them. Now therefore return ye, and get you under your tension, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord, gave you on the other side, Jordan.
Verse 10.
And when they came under the borders of Jordan?
That are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gandh, and the half tribe of Manasseh built there and altered by Jordan a great altar to see to.
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You know it's good for you and me.
We've been reminded of this to today and yesterday.
To have Christ as our object.
All that we have.
Is through him and in him.
I hear those who have fell short.
In their hearts of that desire to have that which they might have had.
Of Christ that is in tight.
Now they're going back to the place of their own choice.
And in order.
To keep.
Their hearts, as they thought, in the right place.
They had to build something to remind them that they were not in the land of Canaan, they were not in the land of God's choice.
But they wanted something to remind them of it.
Oh, is it that way with some of us here? That instead of having Christ?
In our hearts.
That we like to have that which will remind us of Christ rather than Christ himself.
Oh, there's a difference, you know.
And that's where much.
Of President has where it has fallen today they have that which will remind them.
Of Christ.
Without having himself in the midst.
How happy we were this morning to have the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst.
To remember him.
In all that he went through, all this sorrow that he went through.
For you and for me.
He was present here this morning.
But there are many.
Of God's dear people who are starved because they don't have what you and I are privileged to have.
Then how much do we value what we have?
When is spoken of many times.
Of a dear friend of the family.
The sister she was, she was the Lord, truly the Lords.
And she was not gathered. She went to another place.
And she would tell us when she came to see us, you know, she said. I went to church this morning.
And I went there full.
But I came away empty.
Oh, how good it is.
To have our hearts filled with Christ.
But these?
Those who were part of the nation of Israel and yet to have to build for themselves an edifice.
Where to remind them?
That the place where the Lord had put His name was in the confines of the land of Israel.
They made the wrong choice.
And the later histories, as we have already remarked, shows us what their choice led to. It was that which brought them first.
Of the Children of Israel into captivity in a strange land.
Now I'd like to turn to the Book of Hebrews.
Chapter 11.
Verse 24.
By faith, Moses.
When he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God.
Than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ.
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Greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
By faith he preserved Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Moses.
From shortly after his birth. Some few months after his birth.
Was placed in the most favorable possession.
In this world.
He was the adopted son.
Of the daughter of Pharaoh.
And as we presume.
He was the heir apparent to the throne of Egypt.
The leading world power of that day.
Wonderful position to be in.
In a position to be one of those to whom a monument would be erected in the form of a pyramid.
And is named to be placed there in his body to be surrounded with objects of gold. All the wealth of Egypt was at his their footsteps.
There was a place where Moses was found.
In the years.
Of his growing up, the years of his education.
But when he came to the place where he had to make a choice.
And there is always a time when you and I have been brought to the place where we have to make a choice.
Moses.
Made his choice.
He refused, first of all.
That which this world had to offer him, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
He chose.
To go into a place of rejection, a place of humiliation.
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God.
Rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Well, there are pleasures in sin, you know.
There are pleasures for this for the time being.
But it's like the woman whom we know in the 4th chapter of John's Gospel.
That when it came to refreshment, she had to go back and back again to that well.
The numbers are given nothing except for the time being.
And the Lord Jesus told her, Whosoever drinketh of the water, that I shall give him.
She'll never thirst.
That's what Moses saw by faith.
That which would satisfy.
Forever.
He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God.
Moses saw where God was in the midst of His people.
And he chose to cast his lot in with those who were followers of the Lord.
He esteemed the reproach of Christ.
Greater riches.
Than the treasures in Egypt.
He looked beyond present advantage.
To that which was ahead.
And if we were to turn to the New Testament of the Gospels.
We were flying there some of that which was ahead of Moses.
To be found in company.
Where the Lord the Lord in a glorifying state.
Oh, what a wonderful place Moses had.
He looked beyond this world.
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To that which was ahead of him.
He was shook. Egypt.
And May 1 ask this question of himself as well as others.
Hebrews took Egypt. Have you and I turned our backs?
Upon this world.
There's a verse, as you know, in the Epistle to the Galatians.
I might just turn to it.
Galatians, chapter 6.
Verse 14.
But God forbid.
That I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
By which I think it is, the world is crucified unto me, and I under the world.
You know, if we exhibit, if we're ambassadors for Christ's faithful ambassadors for Christ.
There won't be long until the world puts me in the same place that put Christ.
It doesn't want me.
And that's easy to understand.
Sometimes, you know, we experience that if we're faithful ambassadors for Christ.
We find the world doesn't want us.
But all you know, it's another thing.
When the world is crucified to me.
When I am in, my soul's desire is to have nothing to do with the world.
That the cross of Christ stands between me and the world, and I am on the resurrection side of the cross.
Oh, how good it is to view the world.
From the resurrection side of the cross, it was a world that put our Lord Jesus there.
And do we want the world, or do we want Christ?
Well, Moses.
Forsook Egypt.
Not fearing the wrath of the king, he endured.
With his eyes on Christ.
I seen him who is invisible.
Well, we won't turn to it, but just to refer to the apostle Paul.
Of how he himself.
Says that he had to. He had to make a choice.
But if what I should choose or what not?
He had a desire to depart and to be with Christ.
But he left the choice with God.
For himself, he would rather depart this life than be with Christ.
But it was for the blessing and the good of the Saints down here.
That he should remain for a while.
He left the choice with God.
But no, that's a good thing too, for you and me.
To leave the choice with God. But God has given us a guide after the things which we need to choose. He's given us a guide in His own precious word.
And it's there that we find a guide for our path and the wisdom.
For our choice.
But you know.
It depends so much.
On how much?
We love the Lord.
And how much do we love him?
Is it more than the loaves and fishes? More than the world? They gain more than the reputation.
You have worked all your life to gain more than that hour of leisure, more than a well earned rest, more than a quick escaping some hard or some bitter test.
Lovest lovers me more the question more than the work I do.
More than that moment of cheering that I willingly left.
Loveth me more than the glory, more than the pledge to reward.
More than the honor of serving, how much do you love the Lord?
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Few thoughts, beloved, that are somewhat akin to what has just been before us.
When you turn, please to Exodus 15.
The.
And verse 21.
And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed great gloriously the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur, and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came tomorrow, they could not drink of the waters of Mara, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Mara. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
And he cried unto the Lord, And the Lord showed him a tree, which, when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, and said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that healeth thee. And they came to Elam, where were 12 wells of water and three score, and 10 palm trees.
And they encamped there by the waters, and they took their journey from Elam, And all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of sin, which is between Elam and Sinai, on the 15th day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God, We have died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt.
When we sat by the flood spots, and when we did eat bread to pull. For ye have brought us forth into this wilderness.
To kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Verse 9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, saying, unto say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come nearer before the Lord, for he hath heard your murmurings. And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they look toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
The subject in the 15th chapter could engage us for a full hours time and we won't dwell on it very long.
We're all familiar with this portion, and we have been reminded that the Spirit of God is pleased for us to be occupied with these Old Testament types which have much for our own good. And one thinks back, we've been reminded in our brother's address of the land of Egypt in which the children of Israel were in ******* and how they cried, and the Lord heard their cry and delivered them.
And in our present chapter they have made their escape under God's miraculous provision and across the Red Sea, and we find them as singing people, full of joy and great delight that they have been redeemed from the oppressor. And this was normal, wasn't it? We would expect to something of this nature to take place. They would surely have been ingrates had they failed.
To express something of praise. And so they sang unto the Lord. But now we find a strange thing, that a mirror period of three days goes by, and they are murmuring because they are thirsty and they see no water. Oh, what a lack of faith. I had seen the miraculous power of the Lord Jehovah taking them out of the land of Egypt.
When all seemed so hopeless and helpless and the Lord taking them safely and now just in three days time.
We find them murmuring and complaining, and they come to some water, but they cannot drink of the water, for it is bitter.
And I suppose we would learn from this that the water that they came to was.
A type to us of that which the world would offer in respect to refreshment. And you know, there's no real palatability to that water, is there? Some of us know something of it. The water may be appealing, it may look very grand to our sight, but when we taste of it, we find it's bitter. And so without enlarging on it, we have the beautiful gospel picture here of.
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The Lord showing Moses a tree.
Which cast into the water makes them sweet. And of course this speaks to us of the cross of Christ. Wonderful, wonderful gospel message. Here are the waters so bitter, so unpalatable. Now we find water that is full of refreshment and life giving to these people. And so they again are happy. They again have their hearts lifted up, and the Lord leads them along the way. And they come to Elam, where this beautiful Oasis in the desert, and there they rest for perhaps a month's time.
A happy people. And you know, as I look upon the faces of us here, I see that for the most part, we seem to be happy too.
And we have good, 'cause, don't we, to rejoice? And that's what we're told, rejoice in the Lord.
And rejoice always we have that word given to us so much these things are written unto us, that our joy might be full. But I wonder especially, dear young Christian friends, if there might be a little warning for us in what we read here.
I wonder if perhaps there's a danger that we are fair weather Christians, that we sing when everything is going well, that we have expressions of happiness and we speak well of one another when all goes smoothly. But how about the trials? You know God allows trials, therefore our good. We've often been reminded how this sturdy trees.
Of the forest withstand the storms, buffeting of the winds, the stormy weather, because they are well rooted and they're well grounded and the saplings that have no real root system blow over. It's good to be rooted and grounded in the fundamental truths of the Word of God, lest we be like these Israelites, so quick to complain.
Well, I don't want to dwell a great deal on that, but in our 16th chapter.
Now they are told to resume their journey.
You know our Christian pathway isn't all Oasis. It isn't all under the palm trees.
No, we have a a journey to consummate whatsoever its duration may be. We're going as we've been reminded so much in these meetings. We're going onward. And for my part, I'm happy. It's so happy that each day.
Brings us a step closer to home now truly we have our interests here and that's.
Quite alright. We don't want to forget that God has given us natural interests, natural responses to the things which compose our lives. But beloved, we need to remember that in all of these experiences, trials and testings, sometimes heartaches, sometimes tears will be our experience. And then what is?
The expression that comes from our hearts.
And sometimes from our lips. And saw the children of Israel resume their trip.
They leave behind, for the moment, this place of comfort and pleasure.
And they go on into the wilderness.
And now we find again the same.
Repetition.
They murmur again.
Oh, the wilderness is so difficult. It is so hard for them. And they cry all we wish, we just wish that we had even died back there in Egypt where we had those flesh pots, we had the leeks, the garlic, onions, the fish.
Oh beloved, beloved, how this speaks to ourselves, doesn't it? That if we allow.
Our thoughts to get into a pathway of discouragement, then we think wrong thing. And that's what they were doing. This was what was wrong with them. They forgot their objective. God had told them they were going on to a glorious end, but they forgot it. They got occupied instead with these trials, testings.
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They complain.
Now, without the detail of that, we read in the ninth verse of our 16th chapter.
That Moses spake unto these people.
Spoke to Aaron telling him to convey this message. Come near before the Lord.
I've heard your murmurings. It's a good place for us to come, isn't it?
Do you know something of murmuring, dear young Christian?
I don't know the assemblies you all come from.
It's been our pleasure and privilege to.
The journey across the country and to visit in many assemblies and we find many of them are weak little companies. We find they are small in number. We find young people who are discouraged to be honest. They say, well, we have no companionship.
There's no one here to share our interests and so.
They become discouraged in the way but one seeks to bring before them.
But what they need is to be occupied with the Lord, and so the Lord here gives the instruction that they will come, the people will come together.
And the Lord will present himself to them.
10th verse.
It came to pass as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel.
That they look toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the clouds.
Don't you like that as you think about it?
I think that's rather a remarkable verse that is introduced at this point.
Murmurings, complaining, unhappiness, disappointments.
And Moses now, as it were, the mouthpiece of the Lord, says, turn around, you're looking.
In the wrong direction. You're looking back to what you left.
Turn around. And so they do. They lookout now over the wilderness.
And.
What is it that meets the eye?
Remember now, the Lord is the one that has called this meeting. And so as they look out over the wilderness, it isn't to see the sand, the sagebrush, the rocks, all the the venomous serpents and the various obstacles that we know were present there. That wasn't what they saw. No, the Lord gave a display that is referred to here as.
The glory of the Lord appeared as they looked.
Across the wilderness. Now we know they couldn't see the end of their journey. Literally, they could just look a scant 203040 miles perhaps out into the wilderness. But there in some manner, not given to us in detail, but in some manner Jehovah was pleased to show them his glory. Now what should this effect have been upon these who gazed on it?
All surely to lift up their hearts and to say, well, we are going on to what is much better than what we've left behind and now we want to keep our gaze off in this direction. I wish we could report that that was what happened, but we know it wasn't true. These poor Israelites, and sometimes were so much like them, just fell from one period of complaining to another.
In spite of all the Lord's blessings and goodness to them.
Well, does this have a little parallel for us today? For I believe it would be pointless to recite these stories, as interesting as they are, unless we found some application to the good of our own souls.
So we just turn and we'll try to make this very brief turn to Philippians Chapter 3.
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And verse.
13.
Paul is writing here, 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.
And I'll read this in a more correct rendering. I press toward the goal for the prize of the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore as many as be perfect or perfected. Be thus minded, and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. It isn't difficult for us to see the parallel, is it forgetting those things that are behind.
What to God we could more readily forget them? Dear fellow Saints of God, how our hearts look back for the comforts.
The allurements of this world. Why is this? Because we're not pressing on, as the apostle Paul said. We are not keeping the objective sharply, definitely, certainly before us. We are occupied again with those poor things that we left behind. And, you know, the enemy of our souls can still make them look very, very attractive to us, strange though this is.
We would think being once enlightened, we'd say those things are forever put behind me, but we have to own not way. The Speaker certainly and all. I'm sure that this is not always true of us. We do listen to that enemy and then we're unhappy again. Then we're in some sorrow. Then we don't sing. Then we don't have joyful faces. Then we can't help our fellow Saints. We're just entirely out of key.
Oh, how happy if we could emulate the apostle Paul, who had such a goal before him, that he said this goal is worth pressing on to, not just merely finally arriving at it, but engaging himself vigorously toward that end. And you, dear young people, have already had some expressions toward this end today, which I thought were very excellent. We'll read one more person and then.
Leave the subject in Hebrews the 12Th chapter.
I think our brother Smith spoke so ably on this that we don't need to add much to it.
In the 12Th chapter of Hebrews, verse one. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and not the sin and sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. All this is a very worthy exhortation, isn't it? Put aside all those weights.
You know, I used to be when I was in business, I was in the lead business and lead is a very heavy object.
One of the interesting little points of sale that we made didn't amount to much, but we engaged in this was to sell what were called saddle weights to those who had stables of horses and who entered them in races, and if a horse had too much superiority over other horses, they would put lead weights in the saddle.
Of the jockey to add to the burden that the horse had to carry. We sold quite a few lead weights for that purpose. And I thought of that in connection with this, that as the horse was encumbered with those those weights of lead, so we too are encumbered in our Christian pathway, beloved, with those things that we allow to come in that intrude on our true Christian character.
And our testimony and so here it isn't just walking the pathway, but it's running.
And we need, don't we, to be stripped of all that is a barrier to our moving with grace and rapidity, pressing on vigorously, no wait to hold me back, no artificial detriment to my progress. But we don't want to stop just for that first verse, because we'd say I can't do it. It isn't in me. I've tried it, but I can't do it.
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Well, what's the answer? The second verse looking unto Jesus, the author or the beginner and the completer of faith?
There is no place for our eyes to rest Beloved upon Him. And you know, it doesn't do just to talk about it, and it doesn't do just to sit here and hear about it. We need to make this individual application in our own souls, and we need thus to be consistent in our Christian walk. We need this word before us daily. We need to know something of bending the knee in prayer.
We need to know something of fellowship with fellow Saints who are walking in the pathway. These things when we're looking at the glory that's before us at the end of the journey, the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, Beloved, we will.
And the measure in which we apprehend this, forget the things that are passed, we'll put them behind us more certainly, but we need to remember that this is a daily exercise with us, that we may have His grace to cause us to put these things into effect.
And so on speaks not just to you, but to himself. We all know it. May the Lord just help us.
In the pathway to find the end object is always his person.
His glory and then His blessings rest on us. Oven. May we turn to Second Timothy, Chapter 4.
Especially in view of the things which we've had before us.
Not only today, but throughout these meetings thus far.
Like to just add this before we begin reading.
We find here in the 4th chapter.
Of Second Timothy, the last words recorded.
I believe of our Apostle Paul, we find him at a time.
When there is utter weakness.
And when there's ruin, we find him, I believe, beloved.
Expressing the day in which we live.
But in this, I believe we find joy because we find the fulfillment and the exercise completed of the things that have been brought before us.
Now I'd like to begin reading at the sixth verse.
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.
Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me, for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed into Thessalonica. Cretins to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia only Lucas with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry. Antichecus have I sent to Ephesus the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus. When thou comest bring with thee and the books, but especially the parchment.
Alexander the Coppersmith did me much evil. The Lord reward him according to his works.
Of whom be thou? Where also? For he hath greatly withstood our words. At my first answer no man stood with me.
But all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and preserve will preserve me unto His heavenly Kingdom, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Salute Prisca.
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And Aquila and the household of Onissa forests. Erastus abode at Corinth. But trophies have I left at middle item sick. Do thy diligence to come before winter. Ubulus greeteth thee. And Prudence, and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. Now where we begin here.
We see the Apostle Paul at the end of the course. We see the end of one who could say for me to live as Christ? We could see the one here whose life was the expression I believe as much as any human individual could be, was that expression of the Lord Jesus.
Because as we have this afternoon earlier, that Christ is our life, and so that our life may be found in Him.
And the apostle hears that I am now ready to be offered the time of my departure.
Is at hand. Oh, what a wonderful expression. We find complete peace in the life of this apostle at this time. We find also in this epistle that that's what he would bring before us from the very beginning. Christ who is our life. Yes, Christ who is our life. In the first epistle it's Christ, our hope. But now all has been revealed to the apostle, and he could say whether the Lord comes or whether I depart by that way of execution.
Why, I'm going to live with Christ. I'm going to depart. I'm going to have the fulfillment of that joy of being with him. And so he goes on. He says, I have fought a good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Oh, how lovely as we see the fulfillment of those things that were just brought before us. The apostle Paul says, I have finished the race. He says, I have kept the faith. But all, beloved, how wonderful to see here. The apostle Paul doesn't stand forth and say.
Now I deserve what I'm going to get. I'm a winner. That isn't what the apostle would bring before us.
Because he had the glory of Christ, he was looking unto Jesus. Because he goes on and says.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day. What was it that was before him? Not that he had won the race, but that he had fought a good fight. He had finished the race, and he had kept the faith. And now what was before him?
Why, He was going to receive that which his heart desired, the person of Christ. He was going to receive something from his hand. That which he had before him was the person from whose hands he was going to receive, as it were, that crown of righteousness. Oh, how wonderful. The thing, all of the things of this world and all the things of heaven, nothing is going to compare with the Lord Jesus. And so for ourselves to be able to have this desire, to have this desire to keep that, to keep the faith.
Finish the course to finish the race that Christ has set before us, Because the apostle goes on, and he says that this righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. What was it that was brought before us? The glory of the Lord.
And the person of Christ, it was all brought before us, and now his appearing.
Is interwoven in here the fact that we're going to see him and be with him forever.
Oh, how wonderful, beloved. Our heart should take courage because the moment is almost here.
When we shall be taken up and we shall be with him and in his presence forever. Isn't it worth it? Isn't it worth it to to fight this race, to go this course? Isn't it worth it? The apostle says I have finished mine all beloved for ourselves to be able to say that we have finished ours also. Well, we live at a time and I enjoy this little expression here where it says the righteous judge.
The righteous judge. Oh, today is a day when there is no knowledge of what righteousness is. It's a day when everything is topsy turvy is a day when everything is backwards. It's a day when, well, let's turn to it. Let's turn to Isaiah the 5th chapter.
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I believe this is a unable description.
The 5th of Isaiah and the 20th verse.
Woe unto them that call evil good.
And good evil that put darkness for light, and light for darkness that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight. Oh, is this not the day in which we live? Is this not the world around us? And the world would say, Well, I'm not unrighteous, I'm not a Sinner. But oh, we have here that the righteous judge shall give, because everything will be made manifest in his presence.
It'll be fully known as to how we ran this race. It'll be fully known as to how we finished our course. It'll be fully known how we have kept the faith, all beloved, as has been brought before us, not according to our standards, but according to the standards of the righteous judge, according to the standards of this word. We can't say that we don't know what God's mind is, because God's mind is very clear. Some people say it doesn't matter.
But it does matter because God has recorded it in His Word. God has put it here that we might know for sure. God would not leave us in question, but God would have to know that there's going to be a time when that righteous judge shall bring all things to light and all things shall be made perfect.
In the way in which He so chooses. Well, not to me only, but unto all them also that love, His appearing love, His appearing. All we heard yesterday, I believe it was as to those that are talking about the rapture, but they have no love. As for His appearing, beloved, think how it would be to be taken from these meetings into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be taken from, as it were, His presence into His presence.
But all day by day, the real test comes. It's not as we are in fellowship together, as we see one another at breakfast, as we meet one another in the motels. Oh, it's really wonderful to be a Christian and to be in these surroundings. But the test comes, doesn't it, when we're at work.
When we're at school, when we're in every day.
Circumstances, that's when the real test comes. Then what would it be? All that I might be taken up and be able to see the Lord Jesus. This is where the joy comes in day by day, waiting for the coming of that blessed one. And I'd like to just say this, you know, beloved, it's a wonderful thing to be able to look into the faces of the generation of the raptured. That's how close I believe it is to look into the faces.
Of the generation of those that will be raptured, I believe the Lord's coming is so near.
All, beloved, that our hearts would be warm, that we would look on to the glory, that we would look on, looking unto Jesus, the beginning or beginner and the finisher of faith all how wonderful now our heart should beat as we think of that nearness, of that moment when all these things shall give way.
And we shall see him face to face, and for those that it is prepared.
They shall see his blessed hands reach forth and give that crown of righteousness.
To all those that are spoken of here, well, the apostle, how he goes on. I'd like to just read this next verse a little different.
Use diligence to come to me quickly.
Due diligence. Use diligence to come to me quickly.
Well, I like to think of it in this way. The time is short. How are we going to be able, as it were, to say, plan out our life for many, many years and say at the end of that time then I'll take care of the things concerning the Lord. Then it's going to be, I'll bring the Lord's things in. No, we don't have that time. It's now because He's coming quickly. Use diligence. The Spirit of God seems to be telling us here.
He knows our problems, he knows how difficult it is at school, he knows how it is at work, he knows the problems of home. He knows everything about you. And he says it's going to take diligence, but all it's going to be worth it.
It's going to be worth it all. Just one look at his blessed face and it will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Oh, it takes diligence. Why? Because we have to put me down and Christ up. Oh, how wonderful was mentioned the other day. The world doesn't know what to do. Well, if they really examined it and they did know what to do, they wouldn't do it anyway because they'd have to put themselves down and exalt someone else.
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And all, beloved, how wonderful that we have the answer. We exalt Christ, and then everything should take its rightful place. Oh, do thy diligence. Use diligence to come to me. The apostle Paul, as it were saying, beloved, over here, it's wonderful. Over here I see that it was worth it. All over here I know that there's nothing. And I wish I'd have given up more for the glory of Christ. He has used diligence and come.
Unto me Well, we have then a sad note, don't we demons hath forsaken me.
Having loved this present world, we see here those that are mentioned by name.
In God's eternal record, those that failed.
In the race, those that failed to keep the faith.
Recorded.
In God's record for you and I, the glory of the Lord had grown dim the looking under Jesus.
They had been turned aside, and now their names are recorded forever, and not those only, but others recorded here in God's record that they failed all. Beloved, what about you and I? There's going to be a day when there is that seat of judgment. There's going to be that day when all is revealed. And I believe we ought to walk cautiously in light of it.
Walk cautiously in light of it. We ought to make that choice, yes, Or if we only could be as the apostle Paul.
For me to live is Christ. For me to live is Christ. Say I'll never make it. I don't believe the apostle Paul ever thought that he made it either. But he tried. He tried, he used diligence. He he sought to put the Lord Jesus first. Oh, and as we had, he giveth the Spirit without measure. And what is it? I want more of Christ. I want more. Well, when self goes down.
When my thoughts go down, when I'm put aside and the Lord Jesus has given more and more of a place.
In my life, in my work, in my school, in my home, in my business. Then the Lord will take care of all the rest. Oh yes, these ones are recorded here. And then the apostle goes on.
And begins what we have.
Speaking of others.
Only Luke is with me.
Here I have, I believe, one of the tenderest messages in the Word of God. In fact, I believe that this whole 4th chapter is one of the tenderest messages that God has in His Word for us in these last days. Here is the Apostle Paul at the end of his course. Paul the aged one who has spent all these years in prison, One who, as it were, who has been beaten and shipwrecked and been in dangers and in perils all his life for Christ.
And now, as we found out, he's at the end of his course and the Apollo and the Lord Jesus.
Is giving him all the comforts that he can. Luke, Luke, that beloved physician is with him there in those circumstances. That's what he has need of. And so the Lord says, Luke is with me. Luke is there and with him. Oh, how wonderful, beloved, to see the tender care that the Lord has. We sometimes say, my brethren forgot me. They forgot what I did. They forgot this and they forgot that. But the Lord Jesus, he never forgets.
The Lord Jesus never forgets. In fact, beloved, I sometimes think the Lord is always looking around corners to make sure he doesn't see something that He can praise us for.
He's looking at every possible way in which he can bless us and praises in that day yet to come.
Well, he says, here Luke is with me and, and goes on and speaks of these other things.
Speaks of the conditions that are there, and I'd like to go down. Verse 16. At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me, and I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
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See here what has happened and what I believe as to being a note of those last days.
As it were, all that Paul had sought to bring before these souls, the truth of the one body of Christ, the truth of the church and the relationship of Christ, the head and the body, the church. Why all of these things were starting to be given up. And the apostle Paul says no man stood with me.
It was as it were. We had come down to a time of individual faith and the exhortation.
Is to those that individually want to walk in the truth of God's word or to walk in the truth of God's Word to go down a pathway. I don't look to the right, I don't look to the left. I have one thing before me. Let's look at that, beloved. What a lovely verse in Numbers chapter 21.
What an expression, I believe, for our hearts today.
Numbers 20.
And verse 17.
Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country. We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the King's highway. We will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed thy borders. What instruction for a stranger and a Pilgrim? What instruction? We will not turn to the right hand nor to the left. We won't turn into your fields, for they only bring forth thorns and thistles.
Turn to your wells because they never, they just bring the thirst again. They don't satisfy. I'm going to just go on that pathway. And so I get that object and I go on that pathway, the objects before me, Christ. And as I go on, what do I see? I see Christ, but then I notice something else. What?
I see someone walking beside me whose object is Christ. I see someone here that's walking beside me whose object is Christ. And so we go on the pathway of faith together. There are those that desire to walk the path. And so as we go on each one with Christ as that object before us, then we'll be found walking on the path of faith and walking together. And the apostle says he went on that the Lord, even though all had forsook, forsook him, why the Lord stood with him.
The Lord stood with him. Wonderful subject as we think of Jesus himself meeting in the meeting a sin, our needs. Wonderful subject as we see of the Lord Jesus revealing himself at each turn in our pathway, each trial revealing himself. As one brother has said, and we've been reminded often, it's worth being sick just to know the Lord's by your bedside. It's worth it to walk the path of faith just to know that Christ is with you.
To go hand in hand with a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, to go on that path and to be delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Oh, I believe there's five individuals in the scripture that are delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Daniel Banaya.
Solomon, Samson.
David.
And here Paul, probably the strongest lion of all, because this is a lion that would seek to destroy the enjoyment of Christ within our soul. And the apostle could hear even in the last days could say, I know the power of this one. But the Lord delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, that lion that was powerless against my power. I was no match, but the Lord delivered me and all beloved, how the Lord will deliver us each one as we continue.
On that path of faith well, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto the heavenly Kingdom, to whom be glory, I believe, for the ages of ages.
The ages to where we're going, the time that all ages were made for the purpose in God's that we might be with Him, and that time of the ages of ages when the Lord Jesus shall reveal himself in all of his beauty, all of His Majesty, and all of his glory. And then we find the apostle goes on and commends various ones that we have here, and beloved as we would review them, we would find in this little company.
We would find those that had continued in the faith for 15 years. We would find those in this company that had, as it were, given up all that they possessed in this world. We would find in this company those that had that one desire before them, that they might be found in the place of God's choosing. And now the last verse. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy Spirit.
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Grace be with you. Amen. Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. I think this closing remark of the apostle Paul is so wonderful. He gives us the full title of the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives us everything that we should have as to his person, Lord Jesus Christ. And then he comes down individual and he says Be with thy Spirit.
Thy spirit be with you as an individual, and we find then that it closes with that wonderful word. Amen. Even so, Lord, let it be that that might be with each one of us. And surely we have to say and admit and own honestly that it's the Lorde desire.
It's the Lord's desire, and the apostle expresses it simply in those few words.
Now as we are thus found in the closing days of the churches history, as were found in a day of ruin, and as it were, the instruction is given to individuals, we wonder how can things go on? How can the truth of the one body of Christ and the glory that's connected with being found in the place where He has chosen his name to dwell? How can it exist? How can it go on?
When there is so much weakness, when there's so much failure, when there's so much turning away.
All, beloved, as wonderful as you note in this last chapter. Compare it with Romans chapter 16, because there we find, I believe, a little picture of the judgment seat of Christ, and we see one after another commended for those things which they did for the Lord's glory.
And what we find in that, that a list that's there, I believe that we find over 30 individuals.
That God brings out at that time in the glory. But here we find those that are commended are 12 or so, just 12, just 12 That the Lord would bring before us all. Beloved, what a comparison that in the last day, even though there's weakness and even though, even though there's a giving up, we find, as it were, there's 12, which I believe speaks of administrative perfection. We find that which would bring forth administrative perfection. And what is the secret?
The secret is that Christ is the object before them. Now the enemy of their souls would get them entangled in strife and murmurings and complainings, but there would be those that would desire to go on with Christ as that object before the before their hearts, before their souls. And so the apostle could say, I have I have kept the faith, I have finished the race.
Beloved, might that be the desire of each of our hearts, that we might be able to thus say that also?
And how is it possible looking unto Jesus, the beginner and finisher?