Pella Conference: 1989
Table of Contents
Gathering Together
Address—T. Clement
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225.
It seems of confusion and creature complaints. I'll speak to the soul. Is communion with Saints to find that the banquet of mercy? There's room to feel in the communion, a foretaste of home, sweet bonds that unite all the children of peace. 225 Could someone start that increase?
It seems.
Like.
A blank I want to bring.
Out and proud and I'm young and we're playing.
We say.
We shall come.
And fly the river.
Sake in your eyes?
Once we know.
The way I.
From.
The first day, snake up all our face down the fall.
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I read verse in Psalms 120 a 133. I believe it is Psalm 133.
I believe it's connected with this hymn that we saw. It's.
I mean, it's most important as Christians that we have first of all, above all communion. We've got our Father, our communion with our Lord Jesus Christ. That has to be first, brethren. But there is such a thing that I believe today is communion was saying agreement with Saints, community no means agreement. And there's many voices in the world today that are calling out for unity. You know, there's a great plague in Christianity of unity. It is unity at some terrible, terrible price, the price of the truth, the expense of the truth and the expense of holiness and that can't be.
So I thought today we'd look at some portions and scriptures to speak about the Saints being together.
What they did together and what was the expression of unity in the Scriptures. And I believe here's a good verse to start with and Psalm 133 to give us a little encouragement, a song of degrees of David. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to go out together in unity. Well, many people a day in the world are saying that's a great idea. It's a good idea that we all get together.
Wonderful theory, but you notice the scripture here says how good and how pleasant.
Idea, but I'll tell you the pleasantness of it comes when it's practice. There's a real unity in the spirit. That's what is pleasant. The idea is good. The practice is pleasant, isn't it? You know, in many ways the scriptures, we might know what the scriptures say that the real joy comes, doesn't when we practice it, when we do it, when we live it. The joy of living for Christ is far better than just the theory of knowing is what I need. You know, the joy of being saved is far more wonderful and just knowing that I need to be saved.
I knew at a time I needed to be saved, but the joy didn't come until I received the Lord Jesus. And I know from scripture that it's good and pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity. You know the joy comes when you see a good doubt and expressed. But I thought we turned to Ezra chapter 3 and look at some ways and wish the Saints were united, what they did together, how they came together. I believe these things are written in the Old Testament for our learning. I don't believe this is doctrine.
For the assembly and for the church. But I believe there's some things here that are encouraging for us and should be an example, I suppose adopting you get in the New Testament. But here in Ezra we get a shadow, a little picture of what we have taught in the New Testament. Well, you know, the book of Azure and Nehemiah are important books because they're the last historical books of the Jews. If you would like to read what the Jews were like collectively in at the end of their history before the Lord Jesus came the first time. And you read Ezra in Nehemiah and you get some good ideas about the kind of situation during the day.
And that's why you hear Ezra Nehemiah ministry from quite a bit. I know when I was first gathered, several brothers came through and these are the books that they took up. And I was surprised to learn such things out of the Old Testament. But since then I've seen the importance of it. But in Ezra chapter 3, we have a.
Three things in general about the people being together. Ezra 3 and verse one. And when the 7th month was come, when the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. Instead of Joshua the son of Joseph and his brother, and the priest and his rubber boy the son of Chiatio and his brethren, and build of the altar of God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings there on as it is written and allowed Moses the man of God.
And they set the altar on His basis. The fear was upon them because of the people of those countries. And they offered burnt offerings thereon under the Lord, even burnt offerings, mourning and evening.
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Gathered together, there is unity here. Now, what's the first thing that these people did in the book of Azure as far as coming together? Why were they coming together? Well, it was the offer burn off things to worship and to exalt the God of Israel. And I believe there's going to be any expression of unity in Christianity Today. The first reason Christians ought to be together is to magnify God in the Lord Jesus Christ is to worship, to bow down in their presence.
You know, and I look around Christianity and I visit with other Christians, I see they want to be together, but it's not on this basis. They don't understand worship and they're coming together for almost infinite variety of causes while we disagree with this church and that church and that church. So we've gathered together because we disagree.
That's not the basis of God's unity in the Scripture. These people came together first of all to offer up to God, burn off things. And that reminds us it as we're together as Christians, we gather ourselves together, especially on the Lords day morning, and we come together to offer something to God, our worship. What is worship you say? Well, I don't believe first of all that worship is a meeting. And in front of many buildings today, on Sunday, you'll see worship meeting 10:00 or 9:00 or 11:00 or 12:00.
I believe in Scripture. Worship is a state in my soul, and there's a portion in Psalm 95 that I've enjoyed about this comments. That is worship and bow down before the Lord our Maker, for we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of his hand. Worship, I believe, is a broken and a contrite spirit. It's not a form. Worship is not something I can turn on at 11:00 on Sunday morning. See, when I come into the presence of the Lord, I should already be in a worshipping attitude.
And so when they gather themselves together, I trust that these dear souls back in Ezra stayed whoever broken and contrite heart. And then they offered up to God, their worship and their praise to burn off the very first thing. They didn't gather together to start a revival. They didn't gather together to work. They didn't gather together to sanctify themselves. They didn't gather together to read the word of God or to pray necessarily. They gathered together rather than first of all, as one man, their unity.
To offer something.
Oh, what a privilege we have. The thing is, we read this morning that we've been washed by the precious blood of Christ. We have every right to come into the holiest of all of the boldness to give God our praise and our Thanksgiving. That's my first responsibility as a Christian. Individually, I believe collectively the Lord Jesus said to the 11, the 12, I have chosen you first that you might be with me, and then that I might send you forward to teach and preach and to cast out demons. The first reason the Lord Jesus saved any of us and God drew us to Christ was first that we might be with him.
And here in this sense, it's not individual, it's collecting. I believe as an individual, my first responsibility, and I believe yours too, is to spend time with the Lord, to set aside a time during the day, especially prime time. Not when we're too tired from the day, but prime time to give the Lord 5 minutes or 15 minutes or 15 minutes, whatever we can, to be in His presence, to read His word, to pray, and to speak with Him first thing individually, but collectively.
That's the first thing to worship.
Well, people, you know, they call lots of things worship today and, and Brother Ron Reeves and I went into a meeting last time meeting Spearfish. It was not a church meeting at all. It was a group of people that have left a church and they're wanting to know what to do. They don't know what to do and they're struggling and what they thought they were doing, the way of worship. I really grieve my soul to see 50 or 60 Saints that really don't know the first thing about worship. You know, they have a few musical astronauts and the things that they sang, brother.
Fire removed from the hymns that we have in this book. So there's nothing even close to what you have in this treasure chest of hymns. And I really grieve my heart, you know, as I listened in my watch those souls and we're both there to try and help.
And we were invited to come and we had the liberty to go since it wasn't a church meeting, a formal Church of any kind. And I think you all that are gathered together in one place, like they were here in Jerusalem, they were gathered here in Pella, have a lot to be thankful for. Because most of your brethren are in confusion, like him said. And at the scenes of creature comforts and confusion, all Christianity is full of confusion. What's a great secret? You know, what is it? Why should I be here? I mean, why do I come to a meeting like this and tell her when there's so many other big, beautiful places to go?
There are some words here in verse 2. The end of verse 2.
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It's good to make note of this as it is written as it is written, you know, our worship, our gathering together to offer the current offering to OfferUp Christ to God and Thanksgiving and pray that it has to be the boundaries for that kind of worship for that kind of meeting is the word of God. We've got to carry things out according to the Scriptures and that's why many of our brother and are so confused because they don't know what the word of God says about praise and worship by assembly meeting. They just don't know. Well, I trust God that maybe.
Someday it goes in Spearfish. At least a few of them will get some ministry and and seek to know what the Lord really has for them. They some seem to want to know.
I tell you what, the difference between last week and this week, our Mother's Day is just stunning to me, and I'm so thankful that I have a refuge like this to come to that the Lord is showing me from the Scriptures where I ought to be and how I ought to gather together with my brother.
Well, as it is written, the Lord Jesus says ye worship, you know, not well, he said to the Samaritan woman. And as many people in this world, they don't worship, they don't even know if they worship or how to worship. But the Lord Jesus says the Father seeketh us to worship. And those who worship in spirit and in truth, I believe that spirit is probably there, the spirit of man. I realize anything we do toward God is by the Spirit of God, but the spirit of man is also involved and that's what worship is. It's a broken spirit. How can we ever come into the presence of God?
With a haughty spirit or lifted up spirit, it doesn't even sound right to say that, does it? We can. So when we meet in the presence of the world, I believe, whether it's the breaking of bread or the prayer meeting or an open meeting or a reading meeting where we believe it's an assembly meeting or the Lord Jesus is in the midst, the Lord Jesus is the same for any meeting that he's in the midst. He's the same. Oh, I'd be there with a worshipping attitude. So that should not, you know, the Lord isn't any different on the Lord's Day than he is on the paranoid. The meeting is different.
The Lord is the character of the meetings is different. I believe a worshipping attitude becomes God's people all the time, and of course, especially collectively when we come together into his presence. Well, as it is written in verse three, they set the altar upon his bases. Well, I think there's probably some ways to interpret this, but I believe if we're going to have unity in offering to God anything, the sacrifices of praise to God continually.
You know, our altar has to be right and our altar is Christ. And I looked at this verse this way. Perhaps some others have enjoyed some other things, but I, I see this altar here as the Lord Jesus and four things about the Lord Jesus, his person in his work, his person, He's perfectly the Son of God, the eternal Son of God. He's also the Son of man. And he was wholly harmless and undefiled and suffered from sinners. He could not sin absolutely pure as a man. And then also he died on the cross.
For our sins. And then the fourth thing, he rose again from the dead. And that's the basis of my coming into God's presence. The person of Christ. He's absolutely perfect. And the work of Christ, that's absolutely perfect in eternal, It's fitted me to be into his presence. That's my altar. And I believe we have to have at least those four things before we can come into God's presence collectively. I trust each one here has an appreciation to the person of Christ who he is and understands that you can explain it and defend it to somebody if you have to, and also the work of Christ.
You know, maybe people don't argue so much today about the working price, but I found more and more people claiming to be Christians that want to argue about the person or the person of Christ. And it's scary because if the person is wrong and the work is wrong too.
The devil has taken some people to the root of our faith, and that's the person of Christ. Let's be sure that we understand who the Lord Jesus is and what He has done to save us from our sins. Well brethren, they offered burnt offerings thereon under the Lord. That's the first thing that brought them together. They were united together as one man in Jerusalem to offer unto the Lord. Burn off wings. You know, it impressed me this morning that my brother gave out that hymn that the Word accept our feeble songs and praise. And I really feel that too, you know.
Who can show forth all this praise? Nobody can hear, Nobody can't hear. And we think what the Lord do for me? He offered himself on the cross. He's a sin offering. I've laid my hands on that and I'm saved. And I'm thankful to God for sending the Lord Jesus. I'm thankful to the Lord Jesus for dying for my sins. But everything I can think and say about that fall short.
And you know, you know what I'm trying to say because you'd like to express more things to to the Lord, wouldn't you? I tell you there's a help, there's a help in this. You know, there's something better than what Christ has done for me. What does Christ mean to God? That's the grown-ups. The sin offering is what the Lord Jesus means to me. And I trust I appreciate that and you do too. But the run offering is something higher is what Christ needs to God. And God has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name. And God the Father has taken the Lord Jesus and set him at his right hand until his enemies have made his foot to and their scriptures which speak about how God has anointed his son with the oil of gladness above all his fellows.
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Jesus has a place above everything and everybody you know. That comforts me. I don't know about you, but when my praise fails, I know God's praise hasn't.
You can think about that and if you feel Lauren, I just don't know how to thank you enough. Think about this. God has praised him better than you and I are all of us together. And that brings me some comfort to burn off. And that's what they offer. First of all, they burn off.
Let's go on here. In verse four, they kept also the Feast of Tabernacles as it is written and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the custom as the duty of every day required. And the end of verse five, everyone that willingly offered a free will offering under the Lord. Well, in verse four, there was a duty and in verse five there was a free will offering. Now Christian is not under law. We're under law, but we have a responsibility as Christians. I believe collectively to be together during the week.
Jesus has given us instructions in his word from heaven that we should continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, fellowship, breaking the bread in prayer. And I can view that if you would allow me to use the word, a Christian duty day of privilege. And I think I'm glad where I come from that there's those four meetings during the week. But then there's also, and that's what we should be doing. There's also the free will offering. There's other things we can do too Together. We can reach out on Sunday school work or gospel work. These are more or less free will offerings.
We can go visit one another. We can visit with the loss. Think, brethren, all the things we can freely offer to the Lord during the week, maybe just to visit somebody that's discouraged, all those countless things that we can do also to the Lord, in addition to the things we have to do regularly as an assembly.
Well, they gathered themselves together, unity to worship and verse 9.
Verse nine and Mr. Joshua with his sons and his brother brethren, Cadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah together they stood together to step forward the workmen of the House of God, the sons of Hanedad with their sons and their brother in Levites. Second thing they did, they stood together to build a house. That's unity. Oh, it's so good and pleasant and brother and dwell together in unity, whether it's to worship the Lord and to offer.
The sacrifice of praise to him.
Thanksgiving or whether it's to build the House of God. You know, and yesterday there was that meeting in Newton and I believe there was a real unity of spirit there. I thought there was a good spirit. I didn't plan really. I'm going to that. It just seems like the Lord directed my way here from Wyoming and South Dakota with Ron and but I'm glad I went because I saw there were people there that were earnest about doing something for the Lord building the House of God unless the first thing we do to build the House of God.
You go out and preach the gospel. You know, you can't have an assembly unless you have first the gospel. How are people brought into the assembly, into the church is through the gospel. Through the gospel. Oh, that's so important that we be evangelists and we work together for these things. And then after we're saved, there's many things we can stand together and work together in and building the House of God. Just being saved and having seen people come to Christ through the gospel is a good step. That's the beginning, but only the beginning.
And there's a shepherd in the teaching, the fellowship that has to go on all our life, and that's building the House of God. And Joshua and Camille and his sons and their son, the sons of Judah, they stood together to do this work. What a wonderful expression of unity. And it's so sad when you have the spirit of criticism.
Sometimes it gets among God's people where they begin to criticize anything that's going on for the Lord. You know, we need to judge evil and be careful of things that are not lawful and contrary to Scripture. But I believe it's very important that we try to help one another in building the House of God, building up one another in our faith, and also reaching out in the gospel to bring the loss to Christ and then shepherding those that are saved by the gospel of God's grace.
You notice in verse seven, they gave money also under the Masons and to the carpenters and meat and drink and oil under them of Sidon and to them of tire to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa. According to the grant they had Osiris kind of Persia. I mean they were willing to give not only their substance, but their time. They they give everything to the to the building of God's house. And you remember this is the spirit of the church in the early days around Pentecost. They had all things in common.
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And if a brother or sister had a need, they supplied that need. Nobody said, well this is mine, I'm going to keep it all to myself.
Until two people said that they sold a portion they kept out for themselves and you know what happened Ananias the Lord took them away. I kind of broke the unity there for time. The fear fell upon the church, but I believe this is encouraging to to gather together to.
Worship the Lord Jesus collecting way and to gather together also or stand together to serve and work together in the gospel work and also in the church work.
Well, in verse 10, when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, OK, how are we going to work together? There's no other foundation which is laid in that than that which is laid which is Christ Jesus. We've got to build on Christ. In other words, I need to know His person and His Word. I need to know who the Lord Jesus is and what He's done. Otherwise it's good hand stubborn instead of gold, silver and precious stones. Again, this is only a type, but we need to understand if we're going to stand together.
And work together in building God's house.
The fundamentals of Christianity.
There's too many today, and I meet them that are called pastors or teachers or those that are missionaries or evangelists that hardly know the first thing about Scripture. They've got a piece of paper, they've been to a school for a couple of three or four years, but they've just learned a system of things and they don't hardly even know the Lord.
You know, so that's up to us rather than individually to search the Scriptures and learn the fundamentals of our faith. And we have a real treasury of ministry that we can that God has given to us to help us learn these things. Well, what else do they do? They gather together to worship. They stood together to serve. And in verse 11, they sang together by force and praising and giving thanks unto the Lord because he is good. They sang together and praising and giving thanks. You know what a joy it is anytime.
Any meaning for the Saints are gathered together to hear someone give thanks unto the Lord. And what a privilege it was this morning as we met around the Lord Jesus to sing those hymns of praise. What a privilege it is too, for any brother, young or old.
Educated or uneducated, doesn't make any difference to stand up and say something to the Lord Jesus and God the Father in the way of Thanksgiving and praise, you know? And it's good if we say Amen to what we hear, to those prayers of praise they sang together.
Together, that means they said Amen to the prayers that went up. That's important.
Very discouraging. Sometimes when you go to a prayer meeting and you hear somebody pray and nobody says Amen, you wonder if there's really unity in the soul of those people that are there. So we're talking about unity. It's wonderful. We sing together and praising and giving thanks. You know what, What a little thing the Lord asked from us. You know, we'll learn His presence, especially if we're breaking the bread just to stand up and thanking for going to the cross. Thank the Father for sending Him.
It doesn't have to be an elaborate drawn out elephant prayer. You know, the best prayers are the simplest prayers. The prayers that have just broken my heart and made me weak and breaking the bread again when somebody stumbled through it, you know, they, they, they were so near to the Lord, they just could hardly talk to me. What they said, you know, just broke you down because they were talking with the Lord. It's wonderful to hear that I.
I was at a meeting recently where they had a lot of difficulty over the years and I was a little nervous about being there. And there was a break in the bread meeting and I was saying, well, Lord, I hope this just doesn't turn out to be a saying. You know, we just sing some hands and somebody breaks the dread and then we go home. I was shocked. I was shocked.
There was a five brothers that stood up before the breaking of bread and prayed and gave thanks. I have never seen that in my life.
Five brothers and I thought, here's the meeting. This had all kinds of trouble and the father all just hang their heads and.
Hope that this gets over with. I was dumbfounded. A wonderful movie they came to praise to this. What a privilege. And I learned early on in my life after I was saved. You know, we we think we got to play catch up with our brother and you know, well, they all leave Darby and they got all these big books. They know all these big words and where am I you know, I just got saved and I don't even know where to turn to John 316. Somebody has to find that for me and and an older brother cautioned me. Don't you ever play that game of ketchup. So there's one thing you can do Tom. You can stand up and thank the Lord.
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I never forgot that and I'm glad for it, he said. You can do that even before you can give out of him because he's giving out of him sometimes to be take some wisdom.
To know how the Spirit is leading, Brother, let's sing together and praise together. You know what? An expression of unity, how God delights to hear His people lift up their voices together.
Well, it's a day of confusion. There's a day of small. Well, it's a day of confusion and it's the day of small things. And I'd like to look at the end of this chapter, it says.
Well, the end of verse 11, all the people shadow with a great shout when they praise the Lord. You know that's what it does. Praise the Lord is infectious. When I hear somebody praise the Lord, it gets to me and I want to do the same. And it unites people to exalt the Lord Jesus.
Because the foundation of the House of the Lord was laid. That's good. Christ has been exalted. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men that had seen the 1St house from the foundation of this house, was laid before their eyes, wet with a loud voice. And many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shadow of joy from the noise of the reaping of the people.
But the people shouted with a loud shout and the noise was heard afar off.
Well, it's kind of confusing, isn't it? Well, I haven't been around.
The Lord's Table very long.
I don't know much about the past and some of you.
Our my grandfather's in the faith and I sometimes it's difficult even to talk about this because I like I said, I haven't been around very long. But I know some of you have seen the past days of glory among the so-called brethren and you've seen some of the power and the things that have happened. And you may look at things today and say, well, it sure isn't like it used to be. And that's right, it's not. You know, there is no going back. And Ezra's day, they could go back and rebuild Solomon's temple. That was done over and done with it.
I think we had that a little bit yesterday at Newton. You know, we can't go back and start preaching the gospel and mimicking just what they did 100 years ago. But we're in the day of ruin and confusion. You know, I get some encouragement for this. We don't need to be overcome with grief that we failed. It's true we have failed and there should be weeping and humiliation on our part because we have failed as a testimony to the truth of the gospel and the Lord's church. But let's remember this. There were some there that.
Cried with a loud voice, shout out to joy, a loud for joy. And I think this is encouraging that we can rejoice over one soul that saved a day or one soul is gathered and God will take place in it. And this day Haggai said, well, I said, you're sitting in your your group houses and he says my house lies waste. Why don't you just go up to the mountains and bring some trees, bring some wood and build the house and I'll take pleasure in it. It won't be anything like Solomon's house, but if you just go out and bring some wood and build the house that's in Haggai chapter one, I believe I'll take pleasure in it.
And I've enjoyed that. You know, I don't have to go back and say, well, you know, I want it to be like it was 150 years ago. It can't be that way. It will not be that way. What can I do? Go out and bring one soul to the gospel meeting. Go out and look for one Christian that's searching or struggling and encouraging to come to the prayer meeting and Bible study. Just one, That's all. That's not too hard. And God will take the pleasure in it. And someone shouted for joy.
Well, I believe they both feel together, the weeping and the shouting. I think it's probably appropriate today that we week that we're not what we should be, but we rejoice that God is still working soldiers still getting saved and gathering in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Well, three things in this chapter about unity and gather themselves together to worship. They stood together to serve and build and they sang together to praise the Lord. Now can we do that together, brother? And I think we can and we should. It may be with two or three. I think it's better to do with two or three what is right than to do with two or three hundred what is wrong? And unfortunately, that's what most of the Christians are doing today. They they would rather go where there's a crowd.
Are there many principles that are contradicted in those big crowds? You know the Lord is noise in the midst of the big numbers. He's in the midst of those that are gathered according to the Scriptures as it is written. As it is written. Thou hast a little strength, but thou hast kept My word and not denied My name.
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I'd like to have that accommodation. I don't know that I do, but I would like to have it. I trust you do too. And if we're gathered on those grounds, well, then we can stand together and pray together and worship together.
Well, let's go to chapter 6, Ezra chapter 6.
See some other things that they did together.
Ezra 6 and verse 20.
With depression that leave Levi's were purified together, all of them were pure and kill the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brother and the priest, and for themselves and the children of Israel, which were come again out of the captivity. And all such as had separated themselves under them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land. To seek the Lord God of Israel, did he, and kept the feast of Unleavened bread seven days with joy. For the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the Kingdom of Assyria under them to strengthen their hands in the work of the House of God.
Well purified together. Now this would be late. I believe very directly to that verse in Second Timothy. Let him and name it the name of Christ. Depart from iniquity and flee also youthful lost will follow righteousness and peace and joy within the call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. If you and I are really seeking to follow the Lord with a lack of holiness, be only for I am holding for the Lord is going to unite us with others to have the same desire. You know no man lives to himself or dies to himself.
And the Lord has many Saints that have not bowed the knee to Babylon, the veil. So God would have us to go on together in purity. Now some will say, well, I want to live for the Lord, but I know in myself I'm not perfect. I've got defects of personal things. Hey, I do too. We all do too. But what are these things that we need to be clear of or free from or what are the works of the flesh? Keep your finger here. We should read something in Galatians six, I think, when we speak about separation or purification, I.
I want to speak is simply and as plainly as I can, so there's it's not some.
Nobody thinks I'm talking about whether you from your hair a certain way, you shine your shoes a certain way. That's not separation at all. The kind of things that a Christian needs to be clear out if he's going to go on together in unity for the glory of God are are very obvious things in in Galatians chapter 5. I'm sorry, Galatians 5 and verse 16 this I say then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
And verse 18 if he be LED of the spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, they're obvious. Now these are the things I believe a Christian needs to be exercised about being separated from when I first got saved, you know, I I don't even want to talk about what I was involved in. It was all these things.
And I right after I was saved, as soon as I was saved, I knew in my soul, well, boy, you got some things you need to get rid of. Well, enjoying the Lord so much, I didn't want anything to do with that anymore. And that's really true. Separation is, you know, God gives us something far better. But if somebody would like to know as a Christian, well, what do I need to be careful of as a Christian? I want to be holy. I want to walk through the Lord. I want to be an expression of Christ. Here's what the flesh is. It's adultery, fornication, uncleanness and lasciviousness or wantonness.
Idolatry, witchcraft, that's drugs. Where there's pharmacy, it means drugs. Hatred, variance as divisions of jealousy or emulation, grass drives, seditions, heresies, envying murders, drunkenness, partying or reveling and such. Life of which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past that they would do such things, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. These are things that a Christian needs to be separated from if we're going to go on together. I mean, it's very practical. These are not petty little things.
You know, sometimes the Saints of God, they get pretty hung up on some, you know, almost Bible trivia, you know, some little thing out of the Old Testament. And there's a number of things. But then we need to have an exercise about personally. And if I have faith about some things that I can't do, and maybe some of you can, well then I need to have my faith in myself and not run around and circumcise my brethren. You know, thou shalt, thou shalt not. But they were purified together here in Ezra chapter 6. They kept themselves from the filthiness of the heathen. And I've been delivered from that. You've been delivered from it. And we don't go back. We don't go back. No turning back. And Christ has given me everything. I'm drawn to the Lord Jesus. He should fill my view, my vision of the future.
00:40:01
I'm going to be with Him, I want to listen to Him, and that separates me through Christ, and then I leave those things behind. Seeing therefore, beloved, that you have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and set your affections on things about where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, not on things on the earth.
Mortify the members of your body, uncleanness, fornication, adultery, lying and anger, all those things. You know we can do that. We can purify ourselves because as involved with Christ, I am in Christ, I'm safe in Christ, Christ is in me. The hope of Dora. I have the Holy Spirit and these things.
Purified together and they kept the Feast of Unleavened bread seven days, seven days with joy. It was a delight to these people to keep themselves clean.
From the heathen around, and so it ought to be a delighted house to enjoy the Lord and stay away from those things which we used to do.
Well, sad to say, people today are trying to claim unity and yet they're not separated. They're not separated to Christ. They're going on with drunkenness, Christians going on with drugs, Christians going on immorality, which is going on by going to parties with the world and just enjoying it. I don't mind going to dinner with an unbeliever. And I've done it at certain times. I've had liberty. The structures say if somebody is not believer, invites you to dinner, we'll go. But you got to go for the Lord and you've got to make a testimony for the Lord.
That's all right, that's fine, but you don't go there to partake of what they're doing, enjoying their fellowship. You go there to try and help. You know, every time the Lord went into this kind of situation, here's the perfectly sanctified man, we're usually over trouble, wasn't it? You go in and sit down to dinner at the pair of seeds and right away the Lord began to get to the conscience. So if we do have contact with the world, let's be sure that we contact them with the motive of time about the Lord is showing it the virtues of Christ.
Well, there's separation. I believe that's an important thing, but you'll notice here that it's not the first thing. Christians are never to be united based on the principle of separation or to be united, first of all, to worship and praise the Lord and serve the Lord. You know, this is the fourth thing that we've listed, and it's the chronological order in this book. Some of the day they think the whole principle of unity is separation. I know Mr. Darby printed a tract on that.
God's principle of unity is separation, but he later printed another tribe that really taught, I think, the full truth of that we're drawn to Christ. Our unity is to be to Christ, and as we go to Christ, we're united to Christ, to worship and to praise and to serve him. Then we're separated from evil. Then we're separated from evil. That's what he intended to teach. Although some have taken separation as being a rallying cry, I don't think it is. I believe the Lord Jesus is our gathering center, and it's not a particular truth.
Well, in chapter 8 we have another expression of unity and being together by God's people.
Ezra 815.
And I gather them together to the river that runeth through a haven there a boldly intense 3 days. And I view the people and the priests, and found their none of the sons of Levi.
And in verse 21.
Then I proclaimed the fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before God to seeketh Him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substitutes.
And verse 23 So we fasted and besought our God for this, and he was entreated of us.
I was reading yesterday in the letters of Mr. Darby about the meetings he called in 1852 for humiliation.
A lot of people today don't have never heard of such a thing, but I see this in Scripture. This was a meeting brethren united together for one reason, to humble ourselves before God and deceive the right way for ourselves, for our families, and for our possessions. I talked to a number of brothers that that travel around and they said, well, I see, I see what you're saying in Scripture, but I've never heard of such a thing in practice.
And if you read the letters of J&D in 1852, you'll find out that there was such a thing, they had such a thing as I think it was 2 days of meetings for humiliation after the division of the Open Brethren and Mr. Darby and some others, that they wanted to confess that they, they were partly to blame for that division.
Partly to blame for that division. You can read those letters and you'll see them. And I think I see this in Azure here, gathering the people together, proclaiming it fast that they might humble themselves, afflict themselves and seek the right way. And I trust yesterday at Newton, I believe very definitely in Newton, there was that spirit of humiliation and confession that, hey, we have not been preaching the gospel. We've been derelict. We've been asleep at the switch, so to speak. We've got the truth and we're not doing anything with it. I heard a number of prayers. I thought that was true. It's not to come together and say, yeah, yeah, we've got the truth and and we're going to defend it.
00:45:29
Now we've got the truth and we've been hiding it, and it's really a wonderful time because there was two prayer meetings during the day and maybe three. I wasn't there in the evening. But I believe that was a spirit of Ezra here, that he called people together and he came together to humble themselves. And I believe that might be appropriate from time to time, that God's people realizing that, Lord, you seem to be a little dead or stale when I'm growing. We're not reaching out what kind of existing to ourselves. Maybe we ought to get some of the assemblies in this area just to come together for one day.
Even forever and confess what we are before the Lord and ask him Lord lift us up. We want to be used. We'd like to reach out in the gospel individually. We'd like to be united. Moore's brother and it says here that so we fasted and we saw our God for this and he was entreated of us. He answers pray, he answers prayer. Well, I believe what a uniting influence that has rather they came together. They came together for humiliation.
What a wonderful thing.
Because in humiliation you have a spirit of Daniel who confessed as he found out what the true state of God's people was. He said, I stand I in my father's house. And he cried out to God confessing that everything is ruined. And he asked God to lift him up. An Angel came and lifted him up and God knew the same for us. He did humbles himself shall be exhausted. Before honor comes humility. We'd like to have the honor of being gathered to the Lord's name and bearing that testimony down here before men. I mean that that's a real thing. That's right. But before that comes humility.
Reality and humiliation. I believe it would be a wonderful thing. Ron said it yesterday. And I've had other brothers say, a brother, Jim Kelcump, as a matter of fact, I was talking to him about these meetings for humiliation, he said. I never heard of sex.
And then he thought for a man and he looked at me and he was dead serious and said, brother, did you ever hear of those meetings? You call me right away. I want to go.
Now let's turn in closing the one last verse in Nehemiah.
Be together. Nehemiah, chapter 8.
The MI 8 and verse one and all the people gathered themselves together as one man.
Into the street that was before the Watergate. And they spake unto Ezra the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses the Lord had commanded Israel.
And verse 5.
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the Lord and the great and the great God, and all the people answered our man, Amen. And then in verse 8, so they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
Is very important that we be together to read the word of God like they were here, they were gathered together to hear the reading of the Word.
And that's why I'm so thankful that in Moses Lake we have at least two reading meetings a week and sometimes three, usually three Wednesday night and then Sunday morning and Sunday school. Then Sunday evening there's a Bible study. And I've learned a lot of what I've learned from those three meetings. It's very sad. And Christians want to go on and claim they want to go on in unity together, and yet they won't come out for a Bible study and they read very little at home and they won't come to an assembly meeting.
Where the Spirit can direct different brothers to minister the truth.
Or when a laboring brother comes through and he has a meeting and so few seem to come out. Sometimes it's sad. It's sad that that breaks unity. You see, we're unified rather than I believe around the person of Christ and according to the truth. And if I don't know what the truth is, what am I going to be gathered to? How am I going to know where to meet? That's where most Christians are. They have not read in the book of the law distinctly. Nobody has given them the sense. They don't know what it means. They don't understand to read.
I believe if we're going to give out the word of God ourselves as we gather together, we need to read distinctly and give the sentence. We need to rightly divide the word of truth.
This may apply to Israel directly. I realize this portion does in Nehemiah. It's really not about the church at all. It's about Israel both in that *** state and the future days. A picture of perhaps a little restoration that may come during the tribulation.
00:50:16
But there's also there's some instruction for the church. I need to divide those things up. This is not about the church, but there's something there for me in it.
And cause of people to understand the reading. We want to, so to speak, that people will believe and understand what we say.
There's three things I found, you know, it was several years after I was saved, several years of reading the scriptures before I could even read it distinctly.
And I realize some people can read better than others, and I've never really been much of A reader, but I struggled through the Bible for some time before I begin to get familiar with it and begin to flow. But that's all right. We need to go through that. Some people today, unfortunately, think that they they just want to get a translation they can pick up and just the whole thing is just a snap. That's not true of any subject we're studying. I like to fish, and some of you farm and others you are trained in certain technical skills.
You never picked up a book on any of these subjects and read it right away and got everything that was in there, and you didn't understand every word in it either, right? I'm saying I would survive. God will bring us along as we need it, but we need to stay in it so that we can give a sense of what it means and cause others to understand.
Well, these are six or seven things that had to do with unity. The people being together for different reasons, to worship, to work together, to praise together, to encourage one another, to stand apart from the world, to come together, to read the Word of God. And I believe perhaps these things in Ezra, Nehemiah, a little picture of that verse in Ephesians 4, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the Father of peace. It's good and pleasant. The president can be together in unity.
Over these matters, these are the guidelines for our unity. We're not left up to decide what kind of unity we're going to have is given to us in the description.
And if we come together according to the word of God, I believe God bless and.
And I think I said a few minutes ago, I would rather do what's right with two or three than do what's wrong with 20 or 30. Unfortunately, that's where most Christians are today. They want to go either some members, well, let's pray.
Gates
Gospel—T. Cedarland
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Number 56.
O blessed Gospel sound, yet there is noon it tells who all around, yet there is room.
The guilty may draw me, or go vile. They need not serious with joy they now may hear. Yet there is number 56.
Oh, blessed gospel sound.
Everybody's room and house during all around.
Yes, there are friends.
No guilty man right here.
Well, I think it's not fair.
Where joy now may hear.
This one.
God's love in Christ.
A Merry Christmas.
Great journey, could not be.
Had there.
Yes.
You will pass away.
Land, grace no more will say.
Hilarious girl.
Have to speak a little bit tonight so I'm a word of God on some gates that we find in the scriptures.
As many gigs in the Scriptures and we won't have time to take them up all tonight, but we'll look at a few of them with the worst help and trust. And the first is found in that we look at is found in the Gospel according to Matthew, first gospel in the New Testament.
In the third the 7th chapter.
A gate spoken up by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Verse 13 We read these words in a unit, the straight gate. The light is the gate and broad is the way that lead up to destruction. And many there be which go in their act because straight as the gate, narrow is the way that leads to life.
And few there be that find it.
Here we find the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as He stood on this earth nearly 2000 years ago. There was God manifested in the flesh, standing in the in the midst of his creatures, and he could say these words and they ring down through the years and right into this very hour from which we live. 1988, in the month of February, these same words still apply, the pride from the lips of the Lord Jesus.
Entering in at the straight gate.
We can find from this that there's two roads that man is traveling on tonight, 2 roads perhaps in this room that there's people on. One is those who have entered in at the Strait gate and they're on the road to heaven. Nothing can change that. We're a sheep of Christ. And the Bible says no man can pluck them out of my hand. No Jesus can say that my father which gave them to I, to me is greater than all. No man is able to **** them out of my father's hand eye and my father are one.
00:05:31
David said those words in Psalms 23. The Lord is my shepherd. Are you a sheep of Christ tonight? You entered in at the straight gate. You belong to Jesus. Are you on the broad Rd. that leads to destruction? Two roads, two roads. I remember walking into a building many years ago and looking on the side of the building and seeing a large picture on the wall and there was a road that was the artist portrayed, the road of life.
And as we look down that road, we came to saw a place in that picture where it forked and one Rd. went up to the top of the hill. And there on the top of that hill was the artist's conception of heaven. It was a beautiful, bright city.
Then the other Rd. LED down. It was a broad road right down into what the artist painted as his conception of the Lake of fire with flames at the end of that road. But there it always struck me as I noticed that picture.
That cross that, that crossroads at that Fork school, that cross cross, that picture always reminds me of the best because every one of us here tonight are traveling down a little bit of life. We're traveling down that road that is destined to end in eternity. Eternity. The Bible tells us that after death, the judgment.
And it's going to be eternity in one or two places, either eternity in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ or eternity in hell and would like to fire with the devil and his angels. The place that God didn't prepare for people, it was a place prepared for the devil, his angels. And God does not want to see any Sinner in this room tonight in that place. In fact, he loved us so much. The word of God says he gave his only Son to that cross, keep us out of hell and to bring us into heaven, bring us into relationship.
With him for all eternity into blessing, into eternal happiness and joy and bliss, both now and for eternity. But tonight, as we travel down that road, we sit in a gospel meeting and it's like once again we drop to that crossroads, to that fork and the road. And there we lift up the cross of Christ and we preach about God's love and giving his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, the Savior of sinners. He was pounded on, a class spit on.
How he was found with horns.
How in those hours of darkness, God had to turn his holy face away as he placed Jesus.
For The Sims, for the sin of the world tells us that he by the grace of God should take death in every man. He gave himself a ransom for us all. Isaiah says he bare the sins of many, but that's what we lived up here tonight and we're in a crossroads. Make a decision tonight as you sit here which Rd. you're going to take. Thank God tonight, living in this room on the road that leads to life, it entered in. Lord Jesus said I am the door by me. If any man enter in, he shall be saved.
Tells us I'm away more than a way to be saved every day through the person, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he's here tonight to meet you in your need. He wants to save you. He wants you to be in heaven. That's why he left heaven and came down to this world and went to that cross, endured that penalty of sin and guilt while he gave his precious blood so that you could have eternal life on a home in heaven that you would but accept it tonight. Have you entered into straight gate? Have you received Christ?
Bible says to as many as received in the young gave you the power to become the sons of God.
Even to them that believe in his name, it's willing to travel two roads, 2 destinies, 2 eternities, heaven or hell, the Lord Jesus Christ will come tonight. You'll be taken out. You're gonna walk out of this room and get on the highway, these snowy roads and be hit by somebody and be end up in a tragic traffic accident. I hope that doesn't happen to anyone here tonight if that would take place. You know, the Bible tells us there's just a step between.
Me and death. David said that Isaac said, I know not the day of my death and it might be today, it might be the night. We have no guarantee about tomorrow. The scripture says boast not thyself tomorrow, so you'll notice not what a day may bring forth. And I ask you tonight, if you were to leave this room, get on that road and head for home and you wind up in eternity, never make it to your house, what would your soul be? Would you be in heaven? Would you be in hell?
00:10:17
Lord Jesus Christ is speaking tonight through his word and says enter the head at the straight feet once you come to Christ tonight, once you receive Him.
Time is short what God says, James says. What is your life? It's even as a vapor to cherish the little pine didn't vanish it away. Some of you have heard me mention this before, but I was struck some time ago driving down the road seeing a bumper stick it on a car.
And I noticed that bumper sticker, it said these words. It said eat health food, exercise regularly, die anyway. Eat health food, exercise regularly, die anyway. You know, tonight the health food stores are big business. People are trying to preserve their life. They're trying to eat good food as if that's going to make them live a little longer. And the fitness centers are packed, people exercising their bodies.
The Lord Jesus could say, what shall the prophet of man if you gain the whole world and lose his own soul And the most important possession that we have tonight in this room is that soul and it's going to spend eternity in one or two places. I asked you tonight, where is your soul headed tonight? Where you're headed headed for heaven? You know Christ as your Savior, Are you headed for hell? There's no more ground, no need of any middle ground. Jesus said these words. He said heathen is not with me, it's against me.
He said no man can serve 2 masters. We are serving Christ and living for him. We're on the side of the devil. One of the two Bible says the whole world wieth and the wicked woman first. John tells us little children that no man deceive you either commit a sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. This purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. Well tonight God wants you to be saved.
There's an invitation.
Tongue and receive the will of Jesus Christ. Enter in the straight gate. Well, we find through the turnover to the to the 16th chapter of Luke another day you have a Bible turn with me please to Luke 16.
Verse 19.
Other words from the Lord Jesus. He says there was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day.
There was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, at his gate full of sores, desiring to be fed with a crumbs with self of a rich man's table or over the dogs came and licked his swords. And it came to pass, but the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lifted up his eyes big in torments, and see if Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and said Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in Rutter and pull my tongue, for I am tormented in his flame.
Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in my lifetime receiveth by good things.
Likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comfortable enough lamented. And beside all this, between US and you there is a great gulf hits. So the day which they pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from fence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, Father, that thou would send him to my Father's house. So I have 5 brethren, that He may testify unto them, lest they also come to this place of torment. He began saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them hear them. And he said, May father Abraham. But if one went into them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though there though 1 rose from the dead.
Here we find two people that Jesus is speaking about tonight. He says there was a certain rich man, and this man, we might say he had the best of all the things that this world has to offer. If we were to bring it up to time tonight, this man will be lived in in our day in 1989. He would drive a fancy car, he would live in a beautiful home, he would wear the best of clothes, and he would eat from the finest restaurants. It says fair and sumptuously.
00:15:05
Every day, dressed in fine linen, expensive clothes, all of those things. But it tells us, and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus. We don't get the rich man's name because he's not a believer. We get Lazarus name because he knows the Lord. He's a believer. His name is written in the Book of Life. When I got saved, Jesus, that name with mine was taken and written down in the Book of Life.
It was written there and it can't be blotted out. Tells us in Revelation 19 that there's a time coming when the finger of God is going to go through the pages. It says the dead, small and great. If you don't know Christ tonight, you're going to be among that number. This rich man, though he was a great man, he's going to be in that, under that category of great. They're going to stand before God. Those books are going to be open, and the finger of God will search through the Lamb's book of life for that name.
The word of God says whosoever was not found written in the book of life.
Will be cast and the word in the Greek is hekmaro. It means Pearl to the lake of fire curls into the lake of fire. Well, I asked you tonight is your names book of life. Thank God tonight I can say by his grace my names in the book of life. Not because I lived a good life, not because I'm any better than anyone in this room. I'm probably the worst Sinner in this room, but because of the grace of God, the Bible says.
That it's not by works of righteousness, which we've done, but according to his mercy, we save this. So God doesn't save us on the on the merits of our works or what a fine person we are, how religious we are, how many great deeds we've gotten. In fact, Kevin is going to be filled in a very violent. But for those who have come under the shelter, God doesn't look at them as sinners anymore. It looks at them as Saints. It looks at them as their own children. He sees them perfectly and completely righteous.
In the work of his Son Jesus Christ.
Wonderful verse in the word of God. It says by one offering, offering a place he had perfected forever done that were sanctified under the sanctified. Have you trusted Christ? Are you perfect in the sight of God? Have those sins been taken away? This rich Manny and all those things it says fair and sumptuously every day. And it says it was a certain beggar named Lazarus sat at his gate full of sores, and it says he desired to eat at the crumbs which fell from the richness table. Doesn't say the rich man gave him anything.
But he desired those crimes, and we find that the dog came and licked his sores. What the Scripture says, It came to pass that the beggar died. It came to pass that the beggar died. What happened? He was carried by the angels. Abrahams was carried by the angels.
Came to pass that he died. You know the scripture says it's appointed unto men wants to die after death and judgment If you don't know Christ tonight.
It's coming a day where you're going to die. And Jesus said if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins. Where I go, you cannot come, cannot come. We pray, we pray tonight that there won't be anybody in this room that will die in their sins. Hope tonight that every person here leave this room with their sins forgiven. That's what God wants tonight as this gospel meeting is going on, Heaven is more interested in this meeting probably than you are.
The angels of God look down and they wait for sinners to repent and the Bible tells us there's joy in the presence of the angels of God over one Sinner that repairs the Lord Jesus looks down that runners hands were pierced at the cross of Calgary for you, that one who in love came gave himself for you. He looks down and wants you to be saved as you see see a heart that's indifferent to his love heart that is saying now later some other time.
The Lord likes you to be saved. God is not willing it is should perish but also come to a tetanus. This beggar died, but thank God he knew the Lord. He was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. So you don't read that the baby was buried. Don't even read they had a funeral for him. This rich man, he probably had a big funeral for him that would probably someone who stood up and talked about what a great man who was all the good deeds he did. If there's ever many that cried over over his body as he was taking and buried.
And wept over that grave as it was closed up. What the scripture says in hell. He lifted up his eyes being performance.
00:20:08
In hell, he lifted up his eyes. Being in torments. It doesn't say torment singular. It says torments, plural, because many are the torments of health. You know, I think one of the greatest formats in hell is going to be that torment of being able to like the words of that little hymn, almost, but lost.
I think that those in hell that are going to be like Felix heard the word of God and tremble and like Agrippa who heard the word of God and he knew that he should be saved and he said almost.
And he said, I'll hear you again at a more convenient state. I hope there's nobody who comes in this room tonight and listens to this gospel message. He says, well, next week I'll have another time to hear the word of God or the more convenient time I'll accept Christ. I want to do these things first.
487501 of the worst comments in hell could be to be there and say our mother lost. I could have been saved. The Spirit of God spoke to me but I said no, I put it off I waited and it's too late, too late, it's too late for this much money. And how they lifted up his eyes in 4 minutes and he started to have a fall off of Lazarus and his bosom and.
He cried out for mercy. And some people have the idea that no one in hell will beguard for mercy. This man, he inhaled, he cried out for mercy. And others had said, well, if there was anybody that pretended inhale, God would save them. It's not true. Look at this passage and you see that there's a man who right after his eternity, he got his eyes open and he became a believer, but it was too late.
Believed in hell, it was too late. And he said father, he suddenly gets religious, tells Abraham by a religious title, father Abraham trying to link himself with the people of God. Have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may give the tip of his finger in the water that he might fool my tongue. Don't have any thought that this man asked me to be out of here. He just wanted one little drop of water if he was coming, you know, and water in the Bible speaks of the word of God.
I thought of this. I saw him. This is the fear in hell.
He sat in Sunday school and sat in gospel meetings, grew up in religious communities and heard the word of God over and over again and no one memorized verses. Maybe you said you lived in Sunday school, but in hell you will search in vain for one drop of water. One scripture was. That will bring you any comfort, and there won't be any.
Because after a person leaves this world, this man was in torments and there was no country. The Bible tells us of hell. It's a place of reaping and kneeling and gnashing of teeth with a wormed. I am not and the fire is not quenched. I don't like to speak about hell much at all, but it seems like the Spirit of God tonight has said and speak on this subject because hell is real. Is this room is that we're sitting in tonight?
Alice is real and there's those things that we see an eternity of our eyes can be lifted up. The Bible talks about the unseen world and we could look down into that place. We'd be able to see this man. We'd be able to see Judas Iscariot. He'd be able to see Agrippa Felix. Mothers that we mentioned tonight. It would be as we see them in that place. That place is legal, a place that you're heading tonight if you're still in your sins without Christ.
A place where there's no mercy.
This man who sought the mercy and didn't find it. And the time is to ask for mercies during your life. You may have but a few seconds left. Every one of us here tonight is just one heartbeat away from eternity. It was a man who was riding along on his horse and he was coming back from a gospel meeting and he had rejected the gospel message and he was under deep conviction. And as he rode along on his horse on his way back from that meeting, suddenly in just an instant, that horse buckling threw him through the air.
And while he was in the air he thought this is it, and I hit my head and I'll be in hell. So cry out for mercy. I scared was likely to save the afterwards wrote that little tomb, those little lines from the saddle to the ground. I sought the Lord, and mercy found there may be just as near to hell tonight as that man he tried to the Lord. The Bible says whose Sinner shall fall upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
00:25:02
Whosoever means anybody in this room tonight, you're not saved and God puts you in that piece. Whatever category you have mercy. It was too late for this man in hell. He lifted up his eyes. In 4 minutes he begged for the drop of water and it didn't come.
You find that?
Abraham says son, remember.
Remember this gospel meeting she's allowed to hear out of this room and into eternity. You'll never forget at this day in 1989, men stood up and fetched the word of God. And he spoke on gates and spoke about this man Lazarus, who sat in a gate full of sores, who went into heaven because he knew the Lord. And a rich man that everything in his life tried to find satisfaction. And all those things passed out into the lost eternity.
There was that great gulf that was fixed.
Grand Canyon, if you will. Impossible to get across separated living from the dead.
So what happened? We find when this man realized he couldn't get out of that place that he suddenly became missionary minded and he says.
Says I pray thee, Father Abraham, said Lazarus.
That thou would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers. He may testify unto them, lest they come to this place and torment your praise and hell. And he thinks about those five brothers that he had, and he wants them to be saved. But what happens?
Abraham answers back and says if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded by 1 to grace from the dead. When I talk to people sometimes and they say this to me, they say well if there was an Angel who came and stood by my bed, then I believe. Or if God did some supernatural miracle in my life then I would believe. I stated that I know you wouldn't.
No, you wouldn't, because what the word of God says here tonight says if you don't believe Moses and the prophets, in other words, if you won't listen to the word of God, you won't be persuaded. They won't even be raised from the dead, though you see great supernatural signs and wonders, they won't save you. The Word of God says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Well, the word of God is going out tonight. Thank God. The Scripture says it's living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.
Piercing and dividing asunder so that tonight we can stand up here.
And preach the word of God and we can know that the Spirit of God can bring it right to your heart and use it to convict you of your sins and bring you to Christ. May that be so. The night I feel those verses, those arrows piercing your heart, don't try to fight them. Don't let the devil ****** the seed and let them sink in. But the reality of your sin and your guilt and your position before God have its effect on your soul and only remain simple faith.
Respond and cry to the Lord for mercy in time rather than eternity like this man that did my often thought about this that if leave tonight to get up to heaven and I know there's a coming time. Perhaps tonight might be the Lord Jesus comes that I'm going to be in heaven. You don't know that the day nor the hour but when I get to heaven. If I were to walk up to this man Lazarus and say to Lazarus not Lazarus.
Don't you wish that you could have traded places with that rich man back there on earth? Don't you wish you could have been him and had all those things that he had in his life? You know what he would say? Not for one moment, not for one moment, not in a million years, not in a million years. Because this man was rich for time. He had a few trinkets of this world. If we were to measure eternity in connection with time, the time that we're in this life is like one second.
In comparison to all eternity.
Times we go down to the cemetery and we see the tombstones there. On that tombstone is a little, there's the name of that person and we see that the date boring such and such a date and there's a little dash and it says diet such and such a date. What is that person's life measured by it?
As far as this world is concerned, it's only measured by a little tiny data. Someday in your name may be a tombstone and just a little dash represents that little period of time from your birth to your death. What happens in this life if you were the poorest person that ever lived, if you knew the Lord has insignificant most important thing is not how much you have, who your friends are in those things that you receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.
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What sort of profit a man, if he gave the whole world lose his own soul? A man said he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. You chasing after things you can't keep tonight. Or do you have the eternal gain of eternal life, something that you can never lose? God wants you to have it tonight. If you'll accept it, you'll take it by faith. Well, let's look at another geek and the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews chapter.
12.
Chapter 18 I mean.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 10 We have an altar where obey that have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Let us therefore. Let us go therefore for therefore unto Him without the camp, during His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but seek to cover.
While we read in verse 10, it says we have an altar there are they that serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat. Sometimes people say, well Tim, do you give author calls when you preach? I say to them, I sure do, I sure do. And tonight there's one author call that we give and that's the call that's in this 12Th verse or 13th verse. It says, let us go forth unto him. That altar is Christ that's spoken of the first tenant.
You're not asking anybody to come up here and come forward in some meeting and get down on their knees and go through.
Say some right words or any of those things. We're asking you tonight if you sit in your seat, that you come the Lord Jesus Christ, but you would come as a bankrupt center to the foot of the cross and say, Lord Jesus, I believe that you were offered there on that cross for me that day when they took it and let you out of the city, when they cast you out of Jerusalem.
And you suffered without the gate. Is that you would gate without the gate? What about where was that gate? We know that it was in the walls of the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the city of the great King. Read about that in the Book of Songs or those praises. Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north the city of the great King? And when the Lord Jesus Christ was born, there were those who came, and they said, where is he?
Who was born king of the Jews became and to see the king.
But yet, as the Lord Jesus lay in that Manger, Bible tells us that he was wrapped in swabbing clothes, swaddling clothes. That's not the kind of clothes that King wore. Swaddling clothes is what they use to wrap Deadpool in dead people. And God was saying even then, as his son was lying there in that Manger, I sent my son, Lord Jesus to die for you. There he was, his beloved son, destined to die, yapping slave on his.
Lying in the Manger, Lord Jesus.
The eternal Son of God look down in this world and he saw you and I in our sin. He looked through the the years of time, God knowing the end from the beginning and God to say judgment must follow unless a substitute comes. And Jesus could say, here am I send you. He could step out of those palaces of heaven. He could lay aside those garments of glory. He could travel through the universe down to this very planet, this world.
In which he had put Adam. Her command first transgressed in the garden.
Lord Jesus could cover this curse word and be born as a baby. A body has now prepared for me. We hear that verse this morning. There the angels could look down and behold the Creator, Behold the Lord Jesus Christ in the form of a man. The word was made flesh, the Bible says, and dwelt among us, tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory, the glories of the only begotten Son of a Father, full of grace and truth.
We see the Lord Jesus as Peter preached one and one about doing good, healing the sick, raising the lepers or raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, casting out the demons at the end of the life of of good works, demonstrating God's love and preaching the truth of man and calling man. So we can find how Jesus was ejected. He could stand over that city of the great king Jerusalem, Doctor, he wrote. We know he could stand over that city and weep over it and say, oh, Jerusalem.
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Jerusalem, how often I've gathered thee, is again gathered her chicks.
But she would not. He wrote into that city on a donkey, and fulfillment of the Testament prophecies, he wrote in on that donkey. And they laid the palm branches, and they spread their garments in the way, and they cried Hosanna to the king.
But just a short time later we hear the mob and pilots fall and the crying. Crucify him, crucify him and the answer goes back. Why would he have to be done? I find no cause of death and dismantle. I will therefore chastise him. Let him go. He didn't even deserve the chastising. The final thought. He would have paid the people. So he had Jesus taken to the whipping post. Innocent one, He said three times. I find him a fault in this man. And those furrows were plowed into the back of the Holy Son of God.
Then Jesus was brought out into the balcony and he stood before the people kind of thought maybe they would take pity on him and so he brings him out scourge with a thorns wearing the purple wooed pilot says behold the man, she hold the man. When I preach on that sometimes I wish I could just disappear and lift up the cross of Christ, that you might see the Lord Jesus and behold the man, the one who died for you, the Lamb of God, which came to take away this kind of world.
What was the response? Oh, we read him songs. He looked for some to take pity, but there was nothing. You look for comforters.
Cry from the lips of the creature came back. Crucify him, crucify him, crucify him. He called for Barabbas, not this name, but Barabbas. And so the Lord Jesus was taken and rejected and cast out of the gate, taken out of the city of the crossover, and let outside and that gate and put on the altar of Calvary's cross, where he offered himself without spots of God, Man put in there with the nails in his hands and his feet.
You may say tonight I wasn't there, I didn't count those nails through his hands and His feet. But we have to come to that point where we realized that it was my sins and your sins that counted the nails and the hands of the Lord Jesus to put that kind of horns on His head and caused Him to have to go to that cross. When the time came that He could be received up in the glory, He set His face as a point to build a Jerusalem.
Paul is the answer in Galatians 220 the Son of God who loved me.
Gave himself to me there on that cross the Lord Jesus gave himself outside the gate there. Rejected and despised of mana, mana sorrows in a point of grief, hated by the little spit on, and made a purse on that tree. Made a curse for us. He who you know sin was made sin. We might be made the righteousness of God by Him.
So Jesus paid that price in full, that precious blood was shed in his wounded side.
That blood flowed down to the third of the ground. God, man and his hatred had taken Jesus. And as it were, they said, we don't want your son. Take him back and lift him up on that cross between heaven and earth. God turned around where the richest gifted could give. They're the precious blood of the Son of God. Flow out the only remedy for sin. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission, dear Jesus, and both gave his precious blood.
On the altar of Calvary's cross.
Read the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it for you to make an atonement for your souls fits the blood maketh atonement for the soul. Have you been to Calvary? Have you seen where the Lord Jesus died to come to the crossroads tonight and the fortunately looked up and seen what Jesus did. Have you seen that precious blood that God is saying tonight? It's it's being offered to you the blood of Jesus Christ.
God's Son cleanseth us from all sin. Have you come under the shelter of it? Do you know the cleansing power that? Oh, there was one who could say, wash me and I should be lighting in snow.
Jesus Isaiah could write in connection with the Lord I, even I, and he that bloodeth out thy transgressions, and will not remember thy sins, your sins and your iniquities will I remember no more far as far removed as the East is from the West. So far have I removed your transgressions from you. It only comes when you come as a Sinner to the world. Except that often that He made for us.
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That offering, it was once made, that forever puts away sin. If you're willing to avail ourselves and come and receive that forgiveness, that has been made by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, having made peace by the blood of His cross, peace has been made. God wants you to have it tonight, and it's a personal thing. We can't give it to you. It's only God can, and it's personally between you and the Lord.
When you come to hide a bit and fail yourselves and that precious blood say Lord Jesus, I'm a Sinner, I deserve hell, I deserve to be one of that rich man is, but I come on the grounds of your merit and your work. I have no righteousness of my own. It's all filthy rags and I look at that cross and I say there's my righteousness. That hymn writer could say my vote on nothing less than to build and all Jesus and God be still. I dare not trust the sweetest rain, but fully lean.
Of his blessing.
On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sick and stands really good tonight.
Standing on the dock, do you have that forgiveness of sins that comes through the Lord Jesus through this man was preached unto you, forgiveness of sins by him, all the believers justified from all things in which they could not be justified by the Lord Moses. Well, the response is let's go forth unto him. Let's come to Christ without the camp bearing his reproach. What a privilege it is to bear reproach for the Lord Jesus. Maybe somebody here tonight is afraid that if you get saved.
People aren't going to think very much out of your friends as you are going to like you as well. People that you work with and will take. You're such a wonderful person. You won't join in and do the things that they do and they might sneer and laugh.
Hebrews tells us we have not resisted on the blood striking against sin. Consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself as he be wearing faint minds. It's a wonderful privilege when you get saved is something for the Lord Jesus. I think it's six times in Psalm 69 we find that word to be approached.
Jesus could say and their reproach had broken my heart. Lord Jesus prayed or ashamed to be reproached for you. Are you ashamed to barely coach for him. It's a privilege, a very reproachful Christ and be identified with him in this scene of his rejection to be like he was cast out. Paul says here we have no continuing city and daddy was Speaking of Jerusalem. It was going to be destroyed, but nothing here is going to continue. This world is soon going to be destroyed.
It's all going to come under the judgment of God. It's reserved by under fire. Don't rest your hopes here, but all we have a city that Abraham looking for a city whose builder maker is God. Is that the city you're looking for tonight by faith. Have you identified yourself with the Lord Jesus? Have you taken sides with Christ against this world and cast them out Well, let's look at another gate in the Old Testament second kings.
Second Kings chapter 6.
General.
Second Kings chapter 6 and verse 24 it came to pass that after this then hey dad and king of Syria gathered all his post and went up and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria and behold it was they besieged it until an *** his head was sold for four score pieces of silver and the 4th part of a camel doves Dome for five pieces of silver.
Now going over the 7th chapter.
Verse One. And then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, when two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria. Then the Lord, on whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven like this thing be. And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof.
And there were four leprous men at the inner area of gate. Here it is again the gate. Four men, necklace men at the mirroring of the gate. And they said one to another, Why sit here till we die? If we shall, if we say we will enter into the city, the famine is in the city, and we should die there. And if we sit here, we will die also. Now therefore, come, let us fall into the host of the Syrians. If they save us alive, they shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die.
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They rose up in the twilight to go into the camp of the Syrians, and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. The Lord had made-up and opposed to the Syrians to hear a noise of turrets and noise of horses, even the noise of a great host. And they said one to another, Loathe, the king of Israel had hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their forces and their ***** even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.
When these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, and went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried fence silver and golden Raymond, and let him get it, he came again and entered into another tent, and carried fence also, and went to hit it, when said they went through another. We do not Weld, for this is a day of good tidings.
We hold our peace. If we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us. Now, therefore come, that we may go and tell the King's household. So they came all under the corridor of the city. And they told him, saying, We came to the capital, Syrians. And before there was no man there in the voice of a man, when forces tied, and asked as tied as they were. And he called the porters and told them to the King's house with him. And the king arose in the night, said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done. They know that we'd be hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field.
Saying, when they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive and get into the city. I wanted to serve as answered and said, let's sign my plate and take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it.
Behold, I say they are even as the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed, let us seek took their four and two chariot forces and the king sent after the host of the Syrian saying don't see, and went after them on the Jordan. And lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels which the Syrians had cast away in their race.
The messenger returned and told the king, and the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of pine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the board.
The king appointed the Lord on whose hand he leans to have charges against the people throwing on the foot in the gate and he died as the man of God said he's faith. When the king came down to him and came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king saying 2 measures of barley for a shekel in a measure of fine flour for a shekel tomorrow about this time in the data scenario. And that Lord answered the man of God and said now behold the Lord should make windows in heaven like this thing be.
And he answered, Behold, thou shalt see it with thy eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof.
So it fell out unto him, and the people throwed upon him in the gate, and he died.
Well, you don't have time to spend on this whole subject, but we can look and see the condition of things in the land of of Samaria. It was besieged then hey, dad had come up king of Syria and there the people were starving to death and it got so bad we read that they were an ass's head was sold for four store pieces of silver in the 4th Particle has done Cavs done doves done for five pieces of silver.
I can remember this past summer.
Going up to.
Regina, SK. And spending a little time up there with Harold Bateman, witnessing among the Indians, taking the gospel to them. And I remember going into a house there in a kettle on the stove was the head of a deer, and they were boiling this head of a deer to make soup out of it. And I remember going into another home, and just outside the door there was a little Indian boy about so high.
And he had in his hand, from what I could see, would look like a dead bird. And he reached into the head of that bird and he pulled out the brains of that bird and he stuck it in his mouth and he ate it. And he might say that sounds like a pretty gruesome story.
You see how gruesome things came here because of the disobedience of these people and not following the way of the Lord. But this world is no better.
Here we find they were killing their own children. What is happening? We look at this country and the abortion rate of the United States of America is twice that of any other country in the world per capita. This world is as fast coming under judgment and people are feeding on garbage. You say I'd never eat what those that Indian boy was eating or what was being cooked in that soup. But I asked you what you're feeding on. Are you feeding on the music of this world, the things of this world that can never satisfy?
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You looking at garbage and filling your mind with all those kind of things.
Trying to find happiness and satisfaction and all of that won't bring any satisfaction. People are trying to get happiness in that. There was a rock singer who sang a very popular song years ago. Some of the words went something like this. He said I can't get no satisfaction, He said. And I tried and I tried and I tried, but I can't get no satisfaction.
That's the way it is with the things of this world. This man who sang that song has millions of dollars, but he's unhappy. He can't get any satisfaction because as a little him writer put it, none but Christ and satisfied. He's the only one that can hear happiness and joy. God has made each one of us with a void in our hearts that only can be filled by the One who made us. You can try to fill up your heart with the world. The world will never be able to fill your heart, and your heart is too big for this world, but your heart is not big enough.
To hold all the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, there were these four leprosy men who sat in the gate of this city.
You know, leprosy is a type of sin. Maybe there's four people here tonight that don't know the Lord Jesus Christ. And as it were, you're sitting in the gate and that's the place of decision to gate. And they say these words. They say if we sit here, we're going to die. I say tonight that if you sit in this room and your sins like those men did, if they'd have stayed there, they would have perished. If you sit here in your sins and don't come to the Lord Jesus, you're going to perish. The God had made a big victory that took place.
Where the Koreans have fled and there was a tremendous spoil of blessing just bleeding. The Lord Jesus won a victory at the cross of Christ. Bible says thanks be under God, which giveth us the victory, our Lord Jesus Christ, that victory has been won. The spoil of that work, the fruit of it is, is there the blessings, all the blessings that God can offer man that really flow down through the work from the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's only through that that you can have it. If you sit in the gate tonight like these leprosy men, if you sit here with your sins and you don't respond, you're going to perish. They said if we sit here, we'll die. So they went out and they found that blessing. They found a victory, and they carried away gold and silver and ointment, and they hit it, and they went back and carried more and they hit it. They enjoyed it. Then finally they said, we do not. Well, this is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. If we carry till the morning lights are, mischief will come upon us.
You know, when you find a treasure, you want others to know about it. That's why we have the gospel meeting, so that others can know about the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why we tell people about the Lord Jesus because we want you to say we want you to come to know the joy. Those men realize there's a whole city that's perishing and they were feasting on all the blessings and there's a world tonight that's fast spinning for hell. You know, as believers, those of us that know the Lord Jesus, we can come and enjoy these meetings and carry away gold and silver arena, but if we hide it, we do not Well, they said we do not. Well if we carry till the morning light, that's a little picture of the Lord's coming. It's about to happen.
If we just sit on the basketball, we don't share these things. Some mischief from the policy. So they went and told the message. At first the king didn't believe it. He said it can't be that way. He thought it was a trick. You know, that's what the devil is saying to you tonight. Bible says your adversary and the devil goes to God is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He wants to rob your soul of the blessings that God has for you. And he says it's a trick. Don't believe it. It's something that it won't really do and what God is promising.
But you know, the Bible says let God be true in every man, a liar. His word is true and wants you to trust on those promises and they're true. Well, there was a man who stopped. He sat in the gate. He said even if the windows of heaven were to be opened, he said, could such a thing be? What happened to that scoffer? It says they trolled him under foot in the gate. It's just like today. The Bible says that in the last days, read about a second paper. They'll be scoffers walking after their own lusts saying where is the promises coming? Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as it are.
They might tell them about the coming of the Lord. They make fun of it. They stop just as those in those days they stopped.
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But the floods came and swept them all away. And were those, and perhaps there were those in Sodom and Gomorrah who went, warned them about what was going to happen. He says he seemed as one of them. They didn't believe they perished in the flames of Sodom and Gomorrah. This man who says prophet said to him, you'll see it with your eyes, but you won't taste it. Lazarus or the rich man in Luke 16, he saw it with his eyes, but he didn't taste the roof. There'll be those. Maybe I'll saw him and think of this very room tonight.
Will one day stand there, the great white throne hanging out there, standing in nothing and looking at the very face of the man who died for them, who loved them, came to this world that they could have eternal life, be saved from hell and saved from heaven. And they'll see him with their eyes, but all they'll hear is those words depart from me and workers of iniquity I never knew. Is there a leopard tonight sitting in the gate in this room?
If you sit here, you're going to die. You need to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. One more passage we look at really quickly, just a minute, last place, and that is the.
Second Samuel, chapter 3.
Second Samuel, chapter 3.
Verse 27 when Admiral was returned to Hebron.
Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly.
And slowed him under the fifth rib side for the blood of Asset Hill his brother Afterward when David heard of it, he said I am my Kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever from the blood of abdomen become a nerve, let it rest on the head of Joab.
Name verse 33 it says and the king lamented Abner's and said died. Abner is a food life.
But here we see the last gate that we look at tonight. And if we were to go back and look at the context of this little story, Saul and David, David have been in rejection. And Saul had been chasing David. And finally, and Saul's life ended on the mountains of Gilboa. You tried to commit suicide and he failed. And then Malachi came and swim. And then we find that after Saul was dead, that Ish Beshear, Saul's son, was put on the throne.
The children of Israel, they knew that David should be king. They said that even after they wanted dishes, they said we knew you should be king. But they put Saul's son, Ish Bichette on the brim, so David reigned. And Judah.
Initiative rain over Israel and there was a civil war going on between Israel at that time. Knowing a person comes to know the Lord, they know that they should give the Lord his rightful place. They know that they should make, so to speak, David and type king. The Lord Jesus should have that rightful place. If there's that battle going on and you're letting somebody else reign in the life, That's what was happening here in Israel. But finally Abner, Saul's general realized the mistake and he wanted to make David king over all of Israel. He wanted David to be king.
And so he came and he tried, and he made that movie. He was going to make David Cain, and a message came from him.
To come to Hebron. And so he started for Hebron. And as he came near that city where David was in the city of Hebron, we find that Abner or Joab is sitting in the gate and Joab has has out there started to go in the gate. On his way to David. Those words came to him and said turn aside in the gate, turn aside what had happened to him. Instead of turning into that city to go to David, he listened to the voice of someone else and he turned aside.
And the Bible says he smote him. He was spitting under the fifth rib and he died.
And David said died after as a full diet. Why did he say that?
You know, he brought was one of the cities of refuge and after was just one step outside that city of justice, just one step away from safety.
And there was a voice that said, turn aside indeed.
You know, there may be somebody in this room tonight that God has spoken to in this gospel meeting.
And you're just one step away from coming. Lord, you know that we should come to the Lord. Maybe there's a friend, maybe there's something, somebody, something that is saying turnocide and you're getting penicillin. Oh, those words die after died. We would pray that there would be nobody in this room that your parents, your loved ones would have to say you died as a full diet. But you would have to lift up your eyes in hell and say like saw a set of old. I have played the food.
01:00:20
We just pray that if you've never come the Lord Jesus Christ that you would be a wise man and that you would accept would not be a fool, but a wise person fool is set in his heart. No God if the wise man read about it in the 7th of Matthew builds his house upon the rock tonight. Put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ become the name of the gospel knitting. We hate to close the meeting is running a minute overtime 2 minutes overtime.
We stay at the end of the meeting, the end of discuss the meeting. This is your moment to be saved. Perhaps you'll never have another opportunity like it. We ask you tonight believe and the Lord Jesus Christ and also.
2 Timothy 1&2
Address—T. Cedarland
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168 and 168. The night is far spent in the day as it can. No sign should be looked for. The stars in the sky rejoiced in these things. Tis your Lords old command. Rejoice, for the coming of Jesus draws nigh. What a day will that be when the Savior appears. How welcome to those who have shared in his cross. A crown corruptible then will be there as a rich compensation for suffering the lust.
What is lost in this world when compared to that day, to the glory that then will from heaven be revealed. The Savior is coming. His people may say, the Lord whom we look for our Son and our shield. We've seen the last two verses of this 168.
Lord.
So we love and.
Love you and I also love the world.
Please, please, I'm learning how are you?
Turn with me, please, to the book of.
Second Timothy. What could Second Timothy?
Second Timothy, chapter one and verse one.
Tylenol, apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus to Timothy, my dearly beloved Son, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of being in my prayers night and day. Great desire to see thee, being mindful of my tears that I may be filled with joy. But I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is indeed which swelt first to my grandmother Lois and my mother Eunice and I persuaded that it's in me also.
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is indeed like a putting on in my hands, that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me as prisoner, but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God, who has saved us and followed us with a Holy Father, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given in Christ Jesus.
Before the world began, but is now manifest by the appearing, now may manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and have brought life and immortality to life through the Gospel. When's one appointed a preacher and a fossil, and a teacher of the Gentiles, For which cause also I suffer these things. Nevertheless I'm not ashamed, but I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that date.
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Hold fast the form of sound words which thou has heard of me, and faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which is committed to thee. Keep by the Holy Ghost which brought us this. Thou knowest that all they return. Asia, be turned away from me, of whom are fabulous and homogeneous. Lord, give mercy, and to the House of Omospheres for not refreshment, and was not ashamed of my chain. But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently and found me the Lord. Grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day. And now many things he ministered unto me in Ephesus.
I've noticed very well.
Well.
Look at this little book, the Epistle to the Second Timothy, and we know that First Timothy was written, you might say, when the House of God was in order and there were just a few individuals that were departing from the truth. When we come to the Epistle of Second Timothy, we see the House of God is in disorder and the masses have to be part of the pulses all the way there in Asia turned away from me and it's individuals going on faithfully to the Lord and.
We could say tonight that we're really we're living.
In the Times, as it were, that's the second Timothy was written. One person put it this way once a brother. He said, you know, he said, I'm glad that apostasy set into the church before the apostles passed off the scene because he said that, because that happened. He said we have instruction for holiday. We have a blueprint as to how to live a Christian life in the time in which we're living and so the time that this epistle is written.
We might mention through this, the last epistle. As far as we know, it's the last epistles of Paul wrote. It's his last words, something always significant about the last words of someone. Paul isn't writing this epistle in comfortable conditions. He's writing it from a Roman dungeon. This is not the dungeon or this is not the prison that we read about in the book of Acts where he had complete liberty, where it was coming and going. We know that after that time.
Released from prison and Caesar's fine, and then in Nero's time somewhere about 67 or 68 AV Paul was once again arrested in the city of Rome had been burned. Persecution was stirred up again against the Christians and followers put in this dungeon.
We were to go over to Rome even today, and they would take you down and show you perhaps the very place where they believe Paul was. You don't know for sure, but it's believed that he was in the Never Time dungeon. And if we were to look at that place, it's a place where there's no windows.
It's just a hole in the ground where food and water was let down and the river ran under the city and was cold. Perhaps that's why Paul mentions in this epistle, The cloak with which I left at Troy has been with you, especially the parchments. Do thy diligence to come before winter was a cold place that was in these uncomfortable conditions. That Paul is right in his last words, not to a church or an assembly, but to an individual, an individual named Timothy, who he loved.
And Paul isn't saying that Timothy will. Timothy is just not worth it to live a Christian life.
I've been beaten, I've been shipwrecked, I've been stoned, and now here at the end of my life, after all these things, I'm sitting in this prison waiting to die. Timothy, turn away from the Lord. It's just not worth it. Oh no, those aren't the words of the apostle, but he's writing to encourage Timothy to go on in faithfulness to the Lord. In the day of noon follows him thinking about himself, but he's thinking about others and thinks about this young man, Timothy, who's still out there serving the Lord. He knew that Timothy had been discouraged.
And he didn't didn't want that to continue. And so we could say that if we were to make a little outline of this pistol, we would say that in the first chapter we see encouragement for a believer in the day of room. Paul is trying to encourage Timothy to press on and go on for the Lord. We'll look as we go through this and see some examples that we could learn from the apostle Paul as to how we could be encouragement to others. And then in the second chapter, it's been said that it's the pathway of a believer in the day of ruin.
And we get to the third chapter and there's the resources for a believer. A day of ruin. He would have got it. And then in the last chapter, the service.
But here in this first chapter, we see how the apostle Paul encourages this young man who was discouraged, Timothy, And it's a wonderful example if we want to be to help and encouragement. There's some older ones here tonight, older than myself. And here we can see instruction as to how to be encouragement to those who are younger. There's some here who are young couples. You see young people in the assembly. You want to be an encouragement and reach out. You see a blueprint for it in this first chapter and we find in the.
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The second verse.
Paul, The first thing I'd like to call attention to is Paul says to Timothy, my dearly beloved son, as he begins to encourage Timothy, first thing he wanted him to know is that he loved it. And if we're going to be an encouragement to those who are younger, the young people in the assembly, the younger ones know that the older ones love them. Do my brother know? Do my older brother, my younger, know that I love them, that they're giving my heart? That's the way it was with the apostle Paul.
He left no doubt in Timothy's mind. He didn't say Timothy, my son, He said Timothy, my dearly beloved son. He let that person know he loved him. And then we see in the next verse in verse three that he says at the end of the verse, I have remembrance of thee in my prayers. Not only can I be do I love you, but I'm praying for you, praying for you.
Several years ago, I had the privilege to go visit an assembly.
On the east, somewhere further east of here, and there was an older brother that was there. And we came and we were introduced and we shook hands for the very first time. I've never been to that assembly before. And as we were introduced and I told him my name and pause for a moment and he said yes. He said to him, he said, I pray for you every day, every day. I've never met him before, but he prayed for me by name every day. Just passed the summer I had the privilege of going back to that same assembly, hadn't been there for nearly three years.
There's the same older brother, much more evil starting, his memory starting to fail a little bit. I said to his brother, he used to return for me. He said every day, every day. What a tremendous encouragement that was to my heart. I want to know how to be an encouragement to others in the assembly. Not only that, another dear to me to pray for that Paul was praying that. Pray for my brethren, for the younger ones in the assembly, for the older ones. Then he says.
In verse.
Four, he says, greatly desiring to see thee be mindful of my tears, that I may be village.
Not only did he let him know that he was dear and he was crying for him, but he says, Timothy, I'm mindful of your tears. He was sympathetic. He said, I know what you're going through. He didn't just brush aside what Timothy's feelings were and say, well, Timothy, you know that man. He has enough truth. He should be walking farther along than he is. He shouldn't be the Scrooge like that. And really let Timothy have it. Now he sympathize. He said, Timothy, I know what you're going through trying for you. I love you.
Mindful of your tears, greatly desiring to see you, that I may be filled with joy. Many pieces of what I call the remembrance. Verse 5, the unfeigned faith that is indeed which dwelt first to my grandmother Lois and my mother Eunice. And I'm persuaded that it's going to be too. In other words, what Paul was saying is he had confidence in Tennessee. It wasn't that he had confidence in the flesh. Now he knew that work that had been done in Timothy's grandmother and her faithfulness.
And his mother said, Timothy, I'm persuaded that's in YouTube. I believe in you, my confidence in that work that's been done in your heart. And so we can see these different ways that Paul encouraged Timothy when he says in verse 6, Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift which is in thee by the putting on my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power.
I don't love, I know the sound line. Be not thou therefore shame the testimony of the Lord, nor me as prisoner. Be thou particular, be affections of the gospel according to the power of God. Well, in first Timothy we have that expression neglect, or it's the first Timothy. It's neglect not forget what it's going to be, but in second Timothy it's stir up the gift, which is envy. I've often wondered what is the difference? But when you look at first Timothy, we see the House of God is in order.
And Paul has to tell Timothy neglect not to get, which is indeed, because if we're an assembly, everything is going along fine and everything is in order. There's a tendency for a young man, a young brother to sit back, not feel any responsibility, say, well, there's brother so and so and brother so and so. They can carry on The meeting really doesn't matter if I make it to meeting or not. Things are going to continue on. It doesn't matter if I'm exercised without taking part of being a help. There's many other capable brothers who can do that.
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So Paul says in First Timothy neglected alcohift. But I don't want to get to a day of ruin when things are falling apart.
There's confusion people are forsaking the truth of the word of God. He says stir up the gift, which is going to be what's the difference? Well, tendency when things trouble comes in discouragement, just throw up our hands and despair and say well, what's the use, What can I do to be a help? Paul is saying Timothy, if he was ever a day when that gift is needed that you have it's now stir it up, rekindle another translation says the gift which is indeed.
We started that little humor Kendall within us of holy desire. Each one of us says we are garrassed with ourselves. We have to admit we need to be stirred up like Timothy had to be ignored to do. We look at some of the problems and failure among us, thoughts of others and we just want to give up and the faults of ourselves and our own weaknesses and our shortcomings and all the educational fall from that prison to Timothy was stir up which is in the and he says God hasn't given us the spirit of fear.
JMD's translation says God has not given us the spirit of cowardice, but a power of love and of wise discretion. I can remember growing up among the Indians in northern Saskatchewan with his brother Earl Bateman, and we went into an Indian Reservation on a Saturday morning. Many of these people, they get paid, get their checks from the government on Friday, and they drink all night, sometimes Saturday and sometime or all night Friday. And sometimes you're still drinking Saturday, still drunk.
So it's not the best day to go visit, but we were in this room, there were a number of people there who were interested in the gospel, mostly women and children, the female. And as we were sharing the gospel there in the room, it was a group of men outside that were partly under the influence of alcohol. And they began to get more and more worked up and stirred up.
And the hatred and opposition as to what was going on in the house. And finally, and one of them.
Headed toward the house and the others followed in a king bursting in the door and he let out a loud cry He said let's throw these white guys out of here Let's throw these white guys out of here Well, we'd go to Bacon if we had the word of God open. We just looked up a command with his kind eyes and he went like that preaching, preaching indeed these people that man he just kind of turned and went out the door ashamed and there were some others out there who who?
Actually stay started a fight outside the house.
Because they were upset that he'd gone in and disturbed the meeting. But what gave that brother that boldness that just stand his ground as it were and continue to fix a little bit. He didn't have that strength in himself. Scripture says about me you do nothing but the Scripture says God has not given us the spirit of cowardice, but power and love and wise discretion. And so Paul says, be not out there for ashamed of the testimony.
Or me as prisoner. I believe it's three times if I'm finding this passage, that word ashamed, not ashamed.
We'll find a little later. He says I'm not ashamed till I know whom I have believed. And he mentions on Essel for us or on a separate pronounce his name. So I pronounce it either way on his Tifras he says he sought me out diligently and he was not ashamed of my chain and so on. Ocean perhaps was a a businessman and every time he would come up to run, he would look up the Apostle Paul.
And the first time that he came, he didn't know which dungeon follows in. And so he went from one prison to the next prison. And every prison that he went to, he would have to ask and tell who he was looking for, and he would have to be identified with this man. He was in reproach Paul, who was down in that prison in James, and he would ask you a friend of Paul, one of those kind of weird Christians, one of the people of that way. But only syphilis is not ashamed of Paul Bean and reproach and being the chainsaw him out until he found him.
And he often refreshed him. But when you see on a synthesis make mention in this book, it's always in the past tense. The Lord give mercy to the House of Roman sickness. Perhaps in a syphilis was one who had already been martyred for his faith or died who didn't know, but he wasn't assumed at all.
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So Paul says to Timothy, being out now, therefore ashamed of the testimony, what does he say? Testimony of the assembly, of the meeting where you're at. He doesn't say that. He says be not down there for a shame of testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's not the testimony of you or of me. If we think of it that way, someone said if we seek to be a testimony, we seek to be one, but it's the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says to Timothy, be not ashamed of that testimony.
And then it doesn't stop there, he says. Nor of me is prisoner because Paul was in prison. He wasn't reproached, just not necessarily by the world, but also by the Christians of his day.
He says later in this chapter that all they did in Asia have turned away from me. Doesn't say they turned away from the Lord. There were those who were still going on for the Lord in a measure and still profess Christ, but they had turned away from the apostle Paul. They had forsaken his ministry and they had forsaken him and Paul.
Was in change it was in prison and we can say that today if we could apply it in a spiritual sense that today Paul's ministry is so to speak in prison it's in change it's not popular we look around the room tonight and we see sisters with the head coverings on that's not a popular truth and and there is a certain amount of reproach if you're going to follow the word of God many Christians today who.
Very few Christians today, we should say.
Who are really willing to say what say at the Scriptures with a wholehearted desire to be obedient to it? I meet people and talk to him and talk about verses about the gospel and all that. They love those verses or verses about this or verses about that. But if you talk about the women keeping silent in the church, or about head coverings or assembly order and so on, you don't want to hear those verses because they want to take a teleport to the real threat. So let's say fall, so to speak. His ministry is in prison. It's not popular to take the call, says Timothy. Don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Jesus.
Christ Lord me his presence. Don't be ashamed to be identified with means either Timothy embraces $3 or taker of the abortions of the gospel going to take a stand for the gospel is going to be afflictions. It's going to be persecutions. It's going to be bread and they're going to misunderstand you. They're not going to.
All of go along with what goes on. Much of Paul's affliction and persecution came from even even though it's been through the Lord, but he took a stand and Paul says to Timothy, don't be ashamed of the testimony. Be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. Well, we can bring this right home. It's so easy to be ashamed of the gospel. You had a gospel suffering back in in Big Harbor some time ago.
At the time, she was 11 years old. My name is Lisa. Lisa asked one of her friends from school to come to gospel meeting. And actually this girl lived across the street from her. And the girl went home to ask your mother. And the mother said, no, you can't go back to the gospel meeting. The girl came back with her face down. She was disappointed. And she told Lisa that. She said, my mother won't let me come. Lisa said, well, that's OK. She said, sit down here on the porch. I can tell you how to be saved. You don't have to go to a gospel meeting. I'll tell you the gospel.
And they're in simple, childlike, they achieve that, that little girl.
Praise the gospel to that Lady and to that girl and led her to the world. That little girl accepted the board because he said he's not ashamed. Recently in our own we we have a neighbor, but we've sought to try to encourage or try to reach out to with the gospel and her husband was away on a business trip. She has a little boy and.
So we invited them both over to their health script for a meal and I had a little 4 year old boy and while I was in Sunday school, a Sunday school teacher given one of these little hearts like a wordless book. There was a black heart on the outside and it said, oh, I've seen which I'm sure the word of God. And then you turn to the next part and there's a red heart, the blood of Jesus Christ, God, Son and Son of us from all sin. Then you turn to the next heart of the life heart. Wash me and I shall be lighter than snow.
The last one was a golden part and there was a verse about, you know, being in heaven. And so this lady came to our home and she knows that we're believers, yet we were perhaps a little bit of shame to come right out and witness to her about the Lord. This little 4 year old boy, he comes over and he he doesn't even talk very well, has a little bit of a speech problem and he can't even pronounce all of his letters. He often speaks with everything starts with an H almost.
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But he went through the through the little heart of those. So Jody, he said this is the way our hearts are before we come to know the Lord Jesus. They're black hearts. And he said we need to get a red heart. We need our hearts to be washed in the blood of Jesus. Then they will be white as snow. He said, then we get to walk on that. All he could say was the heats of gold couldn't say the streets of gold. You get to walk on the heats of gold. You know, after after he had said that, Jody said, you know.
I understood everywhere, he said.
We look at a little child, he was not ashamed to speak with the dust, but how often you were ashamed sometimes we think like coldness might fill us with grief, and ashamed so much to be loved so we may the Lord stir us up to be not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. The power of God well we find in the.
12 First Paul speaks about not being ashamed. Then verse 13 just mentioned this. It says hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. So he's saying, Timothy, hold fast upon words of what you've heard of me in faith and love. Those two words, faith and love, I have an underline in my Bible because we can follow the truth and thankfulness and not have love.
But we can be all love and no faithfulness, and there's that perfect balance.
John wrote the third the second epistle John, and it brings in the importance of truth.
And he tells the elected lady, these people are coming, bringing false doctrine. Don't bring them into your home and throw your arms around them and show them love. He says you're a partaker of their evil deeds if you do that. And so we brought in the importance of the truth and not love in connection with dealing with evil. But then in the next epistle, when he likes to, there's a gayest, he speaks about an end doctrine. He's who perhaps had a lot of head knowledge. He knew the truth. He had a lot of truth in his head and he had control.
Many brethren that sided with him, he didn't have any doubt. And then the servants of the Lord came. He wouldn't receive them and even cast them out of the church because he was a man. Perhaps he had truth in that love. And so those two epistles bring out both of those aspects of the air of having love without truth or having truth without love, and for faithfulness, as we see here, going past the form of sound words in faith and in love, which is in Christ Jesus.
So he's encouraging Timothy to hold fast the form of sound words or have an outline of sound words and I just mentioned tonight it's important to get an outline of scriptures. Those are younger here verse 15 and this don't know us that all they that are in Asia have turned away from me.
And he mentions these two by name who had done it.
Doesn't say that they they weren't Christians, but they had turned away from the full gospel that Paul had preached. Many mentions a mess for us in this household that was not ashamed to mention. And then we come to the second chapter. The 2nd chapter brings before us the pathway.
Of a believer in a day of the world and he starts out he says now therefore my son, be strong in the grace between Christ Jesus and the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou a faithful man who shall be able to teach others Also it's been pointed out that there's seven things in this Chapter 7 characteristics of the servant. It starts with a son and it ends with a servant. Verse one there's a sermon and verse 3 there's a soldier.
In verse four there is you could say verse five there is an athlete when he's driving through the games and verse 6 there's the husbandman or the farmer.
And then in verse 15, there's the Workman.
Verse 21, there's the vessel, and in verse 24 there's a servant in this.
Possible perhaps to take each of those up and study them. They don't have time tonight to go into them all comment on them, but it starts out here now therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that's in Christ Jesus, strong in the grace. And we would think that in a time when things were falling apart in a day's ruin, they fall in right to Timothy and say Timothy, bring on the law with those brethren into shape. They're they're getting off the track. They're forsaking me. Straighten them out. Bring on the wall and that's what the Paul says.
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This is now therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that's in Christ Jesus. We look at the end of the chapter. He says it's certainly Lord must not strive, but the gentleman to all men have to teach and so on. So he says and the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses. The same commit out of faithful and doesn't sit gifted men says faith in them will be able to teach others Also Paul says those things that you've heard me teach.
He says among many witnesses.
Says those things that you've heard me teach.
He says among main witnesses, so this wasn't something that Timothy had heard in a point or somewhere, just a few brethren with some new strange truth. This was truth that had been attested to by many witnesses. He says Timothy Hussein connected out of faithful men who be able to teach others also. And I believe that what we learned is first is that the truth is meant to be passed on. Truth is meant to be passed on. I thank God and there were brethren who went ahead of me.
And I have parents who sought to teach me the truth, just like Timothy did, and like Paul taught Timothy well.
Someone talked the truth to them. Someone talked the truth to some of these brethren that we know who passed off the scene and they have turned around and passed it on to us. And there's that responsibility for us to pass it on to others. And the parents and many young couples here tonight, we have a responsibility to pass on the truth to our children.
Not to just be so busy with other things that we don't take the time to pass it on, but to take those things that we've learned and teach them to our children. Give them that same inheritance, inheritance that's been given us. Some of us have had the true candidates on a silver platter. We haven't had to pay a price for it like other generations passed, and we don't value it as we should. Paul says. Take that tooth and pass it on. Commit it to the faithful man who will in turn be able to teach others. They'll pass it on.
That's how the truth is spread if you join the thought. I find this in my own life. If I'm enjoying something, if I don't share it, I lose it. But if the Lord gives you something and you share it, you remember it and you enjoy it. Becoming bitter even more. And so we have a mouth. I was getting damnated, feared. The Lord spake off and more together, and I don't have remembrance. We're getting to them that that thought upon his being. So as we were down together, we should be speaking about those things that we've enjoyed.
Out of the word of God. Well, he says in verse three. Now therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that war is entangled himself with the affairs of his life that he might please hear him who have chosen him to be a soldier. What he's saying here Timothy.
Endure hardness as a good soldier. This was a day when people were giving up. If I was saying to Timothy, press on, don't be afraid of the hardships just because things aren't going real easy for you because your brother not walking around and adding you on the back and complimenting you through everything that you do.
Maybe nobody appreciates it. Maybe you just be criticism. Maybe there's many kind of attacks from without by the enemy. What do we do? Are we going to give up? This is Timothy endure hardness is a good soldier. No man at war with entangled himself with the affairs of this life that he might please him when we try to please.
Although we should seek to my offend them, but to please the Lord Jesus Christ, please Christ, and then if we please him, it says, if a man's ways, please the Lord.
You make us even as enemies to be at peace with them, so you might please him who have chosen him that privilege. Those of us being like we've been chosen in the Lord Jesus before the foundations of the world, we've been chosen. And so he says do our hardness is a good surgery. No man that wore a container himself with the affairs dislike, but he might please him who had chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man strive for the masteries of the games, he's not strived except he strived lawfully or according to the rules.
Some of us perhaps remember that this past, it was this past summer, they had the Olympic Games. Some place, I don't even know where it was. I remember hearing and reading of a man who his name was Danny Johnson and he was in those games and he said he broke a world record for the base that had been 100 yard dash. I don't know what race it was, but he broke a world record and everybody made him a hero.
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And then it was discovered that he had before that race, he had taken steroids.
And so he had not gone according to the rules. They stripped down his gold medal and went back home to the country of Canada in shame, went back home and dishonored with his head down because of his daughter according to the business. Well, how are we going to know how to run according to the rules? Well, drop down, skip down just for a bit to verse 15 and we see how it is. It says study to show myself approve them to God, a Workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
I know how to live my Christian life according to the rules. I need to study and show myself food to God and I need to learn the rules on my English book. This is the book. It's going to tell me how to live a life that's going to be pleasing to the Lord. You know, if a person was going to build a house and they were to go to a builder and say, I want you to build this house for me, here's the plans. And we hand them the blueprints. And the builder looks at those blueprints and says, well, I really don't like the way these rooms are laid out. I think I'll build it the way I want to.
So we built a nice house, but the man who whose house he's building it for, he comes in and looks at it and he'd be happy. No, he wouldn't be happy because the man had not followed the instructions. So if we're going to live a life, it's going to be pleasing to the Lord. We can't go by your own thoughts or somebody elses opinion on how we should do it. Look into the Word of God. That is where we're going to give our destruction. And there may be other brethren who can come along and be a helper because they can point out a scripture to us that will help us along the way.
We should welcome that, but not to live by somebody else's rules offered by quoting the rules and what has been laid out, the blueprint.
Well, it says in verse six, the husband that Laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits or it could be translated laboring first. The husband must be particularly fruits. You have a lot of farmers here in the Patel area, in Sydney area. No, I don't think there's anybody that goes out.
And plows up the field and comes back the next day and says, well where's the problem?
And get discouraged and walk away. Know that farmer goes out and falls up the field and he comes back and puts fertilizer in the soil and he plants after the crops start to come up. He killed the beach. Maybe he has to scrape the bugs. And finally, after much effort and much cloud at the end of the crop, he's rewarded for his labor. And the same time we can get his spirits when we don't see results. By the way, the scripture says be not weary and well doing for due season. You leave if you think not if you have a daughter or a son or a relative or somebody you work with that you're praying for.
That they'll come back to the Lord, That they'll get saved and they don't see it. It's easy to give up and quit crying for that person.
But here it says laboring first, the husband must be particularly the fruits. Abraham even was one. It seemed like he had a hopeless task of trying to be a help to buy a lot, fixed his tent towards Sodom. And in the days of Cheddar Lammer, the kings came down and invaded Sodom and Gomorrah and carried away locked captive too. And Abraham takes 318 trained men and he chases out for those people and he gets a lot and he rescues him and brings him back what his life do.
He moves right into Sodom and urine and then three men come to Abraham and God says shall I hide from Abraham the things I'm going to do? He tells him he's going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and say we're going to praise for that. He says if there's fifty, we're going to destroy the city. Lord says our spirit for 50 seconds there's 50 righteous and he gets it all the way down to where there's 10 righteous and then Abraham. And then the word means off top of the Abraham.
And we read that fire and brimstone reigned out of heaven on the side of the world. But the one thing we don't need is that Abraham, about his pals, ever crossed again. Don't read that. Abraham was walking along one day and found a lot out there. Oh, you were saved from that fire. Abraham may have died thinking the block had perished in the flames of Sodom and Gomorrah. They were going to get to heaven. And there's a lot tells us in the New Testament. He was a righteous man and vexed his righteous soul.
From day-to-day. So we may not even see in this lifetime the fruit of our efforts and seeking to serve the Lord, but it will be true. It was a lady that I know in the prisons. Her name is Ruth.
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She had godly Christian parents and sought to bring her up for the Lord. When she was 16 years old, she kicked the traces she left home. She said, I don't ever want to hear anybody tell me anything about the Word. I don't want a Bible in my house. I don't want them book in my house. And for 50 years nearly this woman lived a life for salt and put it for the devil. And at the end of that time, it actually could age 68.
This lady.
Tested and put in prison with a life sentence for murder. And there she was in prison at that age. And in that prison she read the gospel and she got saved. And remember standing there talking and where she was in the audience and she listened and listened. But she said, I just don't think that I could ever be saved. It's too late for me. I turned my back on too much light. And finally one day I walked in there and she came running up with a phase ready and enjoy.
And she said, you know, last time you were here, I went back to my room and I got down on my knees and I asked her to forgive me. And it seems he has never lived to see if we can belabor the food of bringing their children up to the Lord and praying for them on the same to be gone straight. But I get to heaven. We'll see that that effort was all worthwhile. It's all worthwhile. So Paul was saying, Timothy, don't be discouraged when you see don't see the results.
Of walking in obedience to the Lord and trying to strive according to the rules. You look at others who are cheating and doing it and taking shortcuts and doing it contrary to the word of God and seems like they're having great results. Timothy, it seems like nothings happening for you. Don't be discouraged. Labor comes first.
I only be a particular absolute well, this is consider what I say verse seven in the Lord give the understanding and all things. Remember that Jesus Christ, the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. Well, thank you for going to labor for the Lord. We have to have an object and that object is the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul sets that forth in first Corinthians or in Hebrews chapter 12 he says.
Let us lay aside every weight and sin that does so easily, he says.
And run with patients to race, except before is looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher, the leader and completer of update good for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising machine. And he says consider him who has endured such great a contradiction of sinners against himself, lest he be worried and faint in your body. That's what Paul, Simon, Timothy here consider the Lord Jesus think about what he went through. Have him ever before you.
Then you won't be discouraged seeking the good for the world of David. It was no brother. He's long wanted to be with the board. I think every time I saw him and he came to our assembly and traveled through there as a servant of the Lord, he would say to you these words. He'd say, what's that? What's up? Keep your eyes underneath. Jesus can't say that I always followed his advice, but I know that in the times when we do that, we don't get discouraged if you look around.
We get discouraged if we look within, we get discouraged, but if our eyes are on the word Jesus Christ, we're looking up. It won't be discouraged. So Paul, the same thing.
Remember. Remember Jesus Christ.
Well, this goes on here, it says.
In verse 12, If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.
There's the truth of reality when you suffer for the Lord. Some of us put this way, this is not our reigning time. This is our training time. This is not our waiting time. This is our training time. Everything that we suffer for the world is preparing us for that day and we're going to reign. Peter says the trial of your faith being made much more precious than gold will be tried with fire, but it might be found in the praise and glory about, oh Jesus Christ that is occurring. It is coming a day.
And all those things that have happened with sorrows and heartaches, we don't understand why they even happen. We never maybe see how they work together for good. As it says in Romans 828, one day it will all be on display for the praise and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So verse 14 he says, Strive not about words to no prophet, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a Workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the truth.
00:45:13
Satan would seek to get us major in the minors. He would have us occupied with the minor things somebody said the other night and the other day, how we shot our shoes and whether we have that tie on, just riding all those things, how he was trying. Satan would have us occupied spending all of our energies with that. Well, there's no gospel outrage. There's a brethren fighting amongst ourselves and the truth is being neglected and so on. The Bible is not being good and all those things because.
We get majoring in your minors, but Paul says don't strive about words and more prophet, but study to show yourself and say study to be able to tell all your brother how to live and straighten them out. He's a study to show yourself that Timothy is individual. It's personal.
Approved unto God and work one that needed not to be shame rightly. I love this. Rightly dividing the truth.
Read in the Old Testament that says in those days Speaking of the days when Saul was king and says there was number Smith and in Israel.
So it was a time where there were those who couldn't, in my setting type, rightly divide the word of truth, those who couldn't sharpen the weapons of the soldiers of the Lord to go out to that need dismissed today. We need people who can understand the scriptures and rightly divide the root of God. And I was talking to somebody in prison once that had come into prison.
And seemed to be going on for the Lord bright happy testimony. And then they left and you know, I thought to myself when they left, I said, well, that person will never come back. They're really going on for the Lord. They won't be back here unless sometimes off in the right. You can tell those who are going to come back and those who but that's am I surprised about a year later this person was back. They violated the role in the back of prison. So I said to him when I saw him, I'm surprised to see you here.
I said, have you been reading your Bible and praying? He said of course now, but I wouldn't be back here.
No, I'm really much of a problem. So because we don't spend the time what we should in the word of God, this book is our spiritual food. The person is going to go out at a professional boxer and be involved in a fight. He wouldn't say, well, tomorrow I'm going to go and fight tomorrow evening. So I think that I'm just going to skip dinner tonight and skip breakfast tomorrow, skip lunch, and then I'll go out and meet my opponent and I'll be ready to meet him.
What happened to that person, he would very quickly run out of energy, run out of strength because he didn't have the fuel to go on in that battle. You know, sometimes it's Christians, you know, the weather, so tired, don't have energy hardly to sit down and do the Bible with our family at the dinner table and don't have time much to pray. And I don't seem to have any strength to be able to live as others because we don't spend the time that we should improve that. We spoke to my empire before leaving on this trip. I was sitting down with my brother Jim Kill company visiting.
He said, you know, brother, I find that if I want to maintain.
The attitude that I need to properly serve the Lord that all the attacks of the enemy are trying to stop the work. He said I need to spend at least three hours a day and we literally prepared. Well, I really spoke to me. So I have to say I don't know how to spend 3 hours a day in in the living fair. In fact, more often than not I do. I must confess that, but you need to spend that time. You will find that we're not zapped. It's spiritual. This is our our food. This is what we need to make the enemy so it says as newborn babes desire with sincere milk of the word.
You may grow your body.
Well, he goes on and here and he says verse 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knowing them what are his let everyone that name of the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Here it was a day when things were in such ruin that Timothy couldn't even tell who was saved and who wasn't. Paul says Lord knows them that are his, but those that are going on for the Lord, he says instruction depart from iniquity.
The great house there are vessels of gold and vessels of silver, muscle of wood and a bird, some to honor and some to dishonor. But if a man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel in honor, sanctified in meek for the Master's use, prepared unto every good work. Flea also youthful lust that follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them to fall on the Lord out of pure heart. Foolish and unlearned questions avoid that maybe generous life.
00:50:14
What we see in connection with the vessel, that if the vessel a person is going to be used to the Lord.
Also, there has to be a clean vessel, it has to be a clean vessel and so that vessel has to separate from those who are not going on for the boat. You're hanging around people who are going on and things that are contrary to the word of God and dishonor into the Lord. You go along and spend time with them. I don't say reaching out trying to help them, but to go along with them. Scripture says evil communication for what good matters. So they warns him about his company.
We we have that principle way back in the first chapter.
And it says God divided the light from the darkness, and what fellowship hath light? The darkness. So if I'm going to be used for the Lord, you need to be careful and I don't become contaminated, but I stay with us and be sanctified. One of the things that sanctifies us. Get it in Ephesians by the washing of water, by the Word. That's what's going to keep them clean, what they use for the Lord to be a clean vessel, you need to spend time in the middle of that.
Then he says go with those that fall on the Lord out of a pure heart as David he said I'm a companion of all them to hear thee Antifa cousins. Then in verse 24 he says the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men have to teach patience and meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves. If God for adventure will give them to repentance, give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. They may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by them that they will, that is William.
Well, at the end he's saying remember Timothy his divorce were thought we were not able to do. Sometimes we think that if I don't get in there and get involved in this problem with the whole meeting is going to fall apart. But it's the words where he says certainly Lord must not strive and gentle unto all men at the beach. I remember the case of the sunny back home. Actually it was in Tacoma at the time. There was a brother that came out to some gospel meetings that we had and he seemed to have a real interest.
And the truth. And it wasn't long before he took his place at the Lord's table. And for about 6 months he seemed to go on very happily for the Lord. But then after about six months time, he began to look around his eyes off the road and he became very critical with his Brennan. In fact, he even criticized the clock on the wall.
Didn't think the meeting should be regulated by time. It's amazing we're getting a bad state of soul having little things we find to be critical about but.
Finally this brother left the meeting. He put coming for a while. So another brother and myself went to see him and we tried to reason with him through the word of God. I tried to encourage him to come back to the meeting, but all he did was sit there and criticize different rhetoric and assembly and so on.
And so once in a while I give him a call on the phone every couple of weeks and try to talk to him and encourage him for that. For a while, it just seemed that he just didn't want to be bothered. It's almost like I got the feeling that I was bugging him. So I told him on the other phone, I said, brother, I'm not going to call you anymore. So I get the feeling that you just want to be left alone. But I will pray for him. And if you ever I said, and I know there will be others that will be playing for you and if you ever want to come back to the meeting.
I'd be the first to want to hear about it.
If you, I said, have you ever missed the fellowship that we've enjoyed? I'd love to have that fellowship. Give me a call. But I said I'm not going to call you anymore. I'm just going to play for you.
Well, two years in the fight, never heard a thing. And that brother during those two years old little bits of pieces from others. God is land. And finally, one day the phone rang. I picked up the phone. There was this voice, strangely familiar on the other ends. Tim, this is so excited.
I've been a real jerk. He said, you know, ever since I went to me, I haven't been happy. He said I've been to the Open Brethren, I've been to the Baptist and you know, all these places. And he said all the time, I knew that exactly. But he said it's taken me this long, humble myself and come back. And he says I want to come back.
What brought him back and say the weather is being restored?
All of my efforts and the efforts of others to try to make him come back and to get him over the head. We might say the Scriptures, perhaps only Jordan farther away. There's a place for that also. Timothy, remember Timothy to serve on the Lord must not cry. It's the Lord the gentleman, the appetite should be ready to teach and maintenance, constructing those that oppose themselves. It's interesting that I oppose the truth and really only opposing myself. I'm my own worst enemy.
00:55:25
When I turn away and I try to fight the principles of you would have done, but he says uniqueness, instructing those that cause themselves if God destroys work her adventure.
Will bring them give unto repentance to the acknowledging the truth, that they might recover themselves out of the snare of the desert. We've taken them captive as we.
Well, attendance gone if the word leads to perhaps we can take up this last two chapters in this book. We can look back and see in this first chapter how Paul sought to encourage to the faith and encourage him. And may the Lord help us to follow some of those principles and encouragement to others. And we see in this this second chapter the pathway of a believable and we can look at these examples of it as a soldier and a fruit farmer and an athlete.
And the vessel being formed and the Workman that needeth not to be ashamed, one that can write to the Bible truth. And the servant who doesn't strive, but is ready to be used in the Lord, and ready for what the Lord do. The Word. Somebody made the comment once about a number of great men about it. They said it was an average of 10 years and named off some familiar names that we could make tonight before these people came to the point of their life where they quit trying to work for the Lord.
And they were ready to let the Lord look through them.
The May the Lord bring us to death. We're not trying to do it in our own strength.
The vessel is ready to be muted and we have some new rich for us to do because we mentioned in the third chapter we get the resources first. We get the instruction about the last days and the conditions. And it's not the last days of the world that's mentioned there. I just made this point. It's the last days of professing Christendom. He doesn't say the world. He says those that are have a form of godliness but deny the power of their life and so.
You can pick it up tomorrow if we're still here and look at the last chapter and see service how we can go on to positive and serve the Lord that David made help with us. We could just.
Saying 296.
296.
And Brown?
Subscribe by British and well reigning all night faithful.
Staying proud, sweaty early.
Dark skinned.
Saturday.
Night.
James Brown in the air.
And heaven waiting.
01:00:00
Hard ways and to work share the past life of lordly lost and one.
2 Timothy 3&4
Address—T. Cedarland
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278 Savior, we long to follow thee daily, Thy cross to bear count all else where it be unworthy of our care. We are not now our own, but dying the purchase of thy blood, and made by grace and love divine the sons and heirs of God. 278.
Save your, we love to.
Prosper.
Turn again to the book of Second Timothy.
Second Timothy.
Beginning with the third chapter tonight.
Verse one.
Second Timothy chapter 3 and verse one.
This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, compliment, fierce despisers of those that are good traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure.
The lovers of God having a form of godliness by denying the power thereof from such turn away. For of this sort are they which created houses and lead captive. Silly woman, laden with sins, LED away with diverse lusts, never learning, never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Janice and Jambrus withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith that they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, because theirs also was. But thou has fully known.
00:05:24
My doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity and patience.
Persecutions, elections which came to me, came unto me at Antioch. Naconium and Lispa LED persecutions. I endured, but out of the moral the Lord delivered me. Yeah, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, but evil. Many seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which stop us learn, and has been assured of knowing of whom thou has learned them. And then 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. The doctrine will reprove for correction, for instruction and righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Well, we spoke a little bit last night, another some here that weren't here last night, but we took up in the first two chapters in this epistle of Second Timothy, we mentioned how that in First Timothy we see the House of God in order and just individuals departing. But in Second Timothy we see the House of God in disorder and the masses have departed and it's just individual faithfulness. While his readiness from a dungeon there in Rome, a place where he was cold and uncomfortable.
He asked Timothy to bring his coat. There were no windows there.
Place where the food was let down to him. But there was Nepal in that dungeon, writing these last words, the last epistle that we have before Paul was taken home, before he was let out and beheaded. History tells us. And we have these wonderful words from the apostle Paul, Not words of discouragement, words of despair. Scientifically, it's just not worth it to commit the Christian life, but it's encouragement, encouraging Timothy to go on.
For the Lord in a day of ruin to be faithful to the very end. We mentioned in the first chapter now that the 1St chapter was encouragement for a believer in a day of ruin. And we saw how Paul encouraged Timothy, how he let Timothy know that he was dear to his heart. How he let Timothy know that he was praying for him night and day. How he was sympathetic, mindful of his tears. And how he had confidence in Timothy, knowing that faith that had been his mother and his grandmother. And he was persuaded that it was in Timothy too.
So we see this older brother encouraging a younger one to go on saying stir up the gift, which is indeed. And then we saw in the second chapter the pathway. We saw how that there were those different illustrations that are used.
In connection with the individual in the last days, he mentioned the soldier verses two and three. We know that the Christian life is a warfare. We're in a battle.
4th chapter we'll see how Paul could say I fought a good fight and kept the faith. We saw how he mentioned about the husband then and the athlete striving for the games, and then the Workman that needed not to be ashamed. How he wanted Timothy to fight the Christian fight, run the race according to the rules and not not his own in his own thinking or his own way or how others did it. But it said, study to show thyself approved unto God, not unto the brethren, not unto man.
Study to show thyself approved unto God.
When we saw the vessel into honor separated and then last of all, the servant of the Lord must not strive. Those seven characteristics of a believer starting with a son and anyone will deserve it. But then after seeing the encouragement in the first chapter and the the pathway in the second chapter would come to the third chapter and we see the resources for a believer in a day of ruin. Before Paul gives that he points out the times in which it would be in the last days.
Then he gives the resources on how to deal with that. And these last days or days, the days I believe that we're living in at this very moment, just before the coming of the Lord Jesus, just before the shout, you know that there's nothing that has to happen before the Lord comes. God's prophetic time clock has stopped during this period of the day of grace, which we believe to be approximately 2000 years. Don't know the day nor the hour, but very, very soon the Lord Jesus is going to come and take up the church. We see these conditions.
00:10:00
Of the last days. Now like to say that this is not the last days of the world. You'll probably see that perhaps in Romans chapter one. These are not the latter times. If we remember in first Timothy chapter 4, Paul wrote about the latter times and says many shall depart from the faith, giving heed to sedition, spirits and doctrines of demons and so on, Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats. You know that during the dark ages, the Church of Rome, it was that forbidding to marry and certain things that they learned to eat.
Many of those things that were taking place, and we might be able to say tonight, in fact at the latter times, as it were, have come and gone. We're now at the last days just before the coming of the Lord. And these last days mentioned here, as we said, are not the last days of the world around us, but it's the last days of professing Christendom, as we see it has to do with those who have a form of godliness. And the first thing that he says about those he says men shall be lovers of their own selves.
The self love covetous. Another translation says money lovers. We've seen and read perhaps, and the papers of men who profess to be great religious leaders. And then it came out about their greed for money and what they were doing with this money and all of those things. And those are characteristics of the days as as Paul by inspiration wrote of the times in which we would live. Posters proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents.
You see that today I'm thankful unholy. Then we say that this disobedience appearance is not just the world around us, but that's what comes right into the professing church and so on. We're not going to take time to to cover all of these. It's really a 21 Things here that we could point out and I just mentioned a few verse four. It says in the middle of the verse, lovers of pleasures or the lovers of God. As we point out, this is the professing church.
And we see what Paul is saying in the last days, that the church is going to want to be entertained. They're going to want pleasure more than really wanting to follow God. And we see that around us. There's that danger of wanting to be entertained. And people who can get up and entertain and and sing songs and so on are acclaimed as heroes.
Compared to somebody who might stand up and read the word of God. And so, and these are days of apostasy that Paul is writing about having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof might just mention in verse eight it says now as Janice and Jambrus withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith.
Well, how did Janice and Jammers withstand Moses? If we remember that account that when Moses stood before Pharaoh, Moses took his rod and he cast it down and it turned into a serpent. Well, Janice and Jambus were there and they took and cast their rods down, and they also turned into a circuit. And we'll remember how Moses brought that serpent, swallowed up their serpent. So what was it? It was counterfeit miracles that were going on.
Trying to duplicate what God had done. I just mentioned this in passing because I believe that it's something that perhaps many struggle with today. But generally speaking, in scripture, whenever you read of signs and wonders in the last days, it always has to do with deception. I'm not talking about the signs in the heavens that we read about from God, but signs and wonders on the earth.
In the last days in scripture when you read it. But it always has to do with deception and the Antichrist is going to deceive many.
With many signs and wonders. So there's those today who claim to do many miracles and so on. And we know that in the days when the apostles were here, the Lord worked with them with signs proving that the resurrected Christ was operating in power to those disciples that were here. The Jews sought after sign that as the Jews rejected the gospel, as the Word of God was completed. We don't need any more signs. We have the whole word of God. And the Bible says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We're told that if they hear not Moses and the prophets, that's the Scriptures, they won't believe even if one was raised from the dead.
And so Janice and Jambrus were mentioned as those that have the corrupt minds.
Counterfeit miracles and so on.
So we read about these deceivers, but when we get to verse 10 and we see the contrast, Paul says, but thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity and patience. Well, Paul's life is a contrast from these deceivers and his life is an example. He says, but thou has fully known my life. I think it was someone said it was Sunday said many years ago, said an ounce of example.
00:15:09
Is worth 40 million tons of advice.
One person made the comment. They said they would rather see a sermon any day and hear one. But we know that Paul's life is consistent with what he preached. He had suffered. Timothy knew those things. He had lived in that town where Paul had come through and been persecuted and suffered. That Paul's life was an example. You know, another place Paul likes to Timothy and he says be thou an example of the believers. Paul's life is that example I can remember.
Some time ago.
Visiting the state of Iowa and visiting a certain meeting and having some gospel meetings and preaching the gospel. And they were the first night there was a man who came in the meeting room and he sat in the back of the meeting with his girlfriend sitting next to him.
And I wanted to talk to him after the meeting, but I didn't get a chance. He was out the door. Well, the next night he came in and sat down by his girlfriend. We had the opportunity to visit with him a little bit and he said these words to me. He said, you know, I work with some men to go to this meeting. He said we work in a grain elevator.
He said, you know, these men are different than the other people that work in that elevator. He said if somebody telling a dirty story, he said they just walk away. He said at lunchtime they sit there with their Bibles open. They're happy they say and they're discussing the scriptures. He said, well, there's equal lunch. He said there always seem to be happy.
And then finally, he said, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to be like them. I don't want to be like them. And then he went on and told me. He said, you know, recently there was an explosion in another nearby grain elevator. And he said.
They were talking in the grain elevator where I work, and they said, what would what would you do? Somebody said if there was an explosion in this elevator, They said one of these ungodly men, one of these men he said to. And then he said, I'd grab on to name the name of this man who was a believer. He said, and I'd hang on.
He knows where he's going.
He said afterwards, he said, I guess what I'm saying is I want to be like these men. Well, the next night he came into the gospel meeting and listened to the word of God. And that night he professed the word Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. But there was a testimony that was in keeping with what was said. And that's the way it was with Paul's life. He says that was fully known. My doctrine, my manner of life. His life was an open book. He wasn't preaching anything in secret, wasn't going around in a corner trying to promote some 1 lopsided view of the truth or another.
But it was all out in the open and it was power in it.
And then he says in verse 13, in contrast to him, he says, but Timothy, evil men and seducers relaxed, worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
In other words, it's not going to get any better. It's going to get worse.
Somebody has said to try to to try to fix up the world is like trying to rearrange the furniture on the site on the Titanic. It's a sinking ship and it's going down. And we have today many believers who have good intentions, are trying to go out and promote things that might fix up the world and try to paint the ship marching against this thing or that thing.
Has to be changed. We can't legislate morality on a nonregenerate world. It's the heart that has to be changed and not the outward and so it's told, we're told here that it's going to get worse and it's getting worse and that's where we are today. People, men and seducers receivers lacks worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. Then he says in verse 14, he says, but Timothy he says, but continue thou in the things that thou has learned and has been assured of knowing of whom thou has learned them and that from a child that has known the Holy Scriptures.
Which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Is this because things are getting worse? And if they're saying it's no excuse for you to give up, but he says continue now, is that exhortation to continue to continue? We remember on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out in 3000 souls were saved. And we read that in verse 41. It says then they gladly received the Word, were baptized and the Lord added to the Church 3000 souls. And it says they continued steadfastly in the pulse's doctrine.
Fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers. Their hearts were so taken up with the one who had set his face steadfast to go to Jerusalem, to die on that cross for them, that they wanted to continue steadfastly for him. When the apostles doctrine, the teaching of the Word of God, fellowship and we need fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers. Someone has said those are the four acres for a believer and we might have one or two anchors out. Maybe we pray to come to the prayer meeting.
00:20:22
And learning the word of God. Is there that fellowship with other believers? Is there that being at the world's table breaking bread? I don't read of any script with any any believers in the scripture who are not breaking bread except those on your discipline. Normal Christianity would be that if a person was saved, it would take their place at the Lord's Table. Every believer has a place there if they're walking in guardian order.
Well, he says from a child, there's no more Scriptures. If you remember back in the first chapter, Paul mentioned the faith that was in his mother and his grandmother. And he says, I'm persuaded that's in you too. Where did Timothy learn the scriptures?
We read that he learned it from his mother, He learned it from his mother and his grandmother, and he learned it from Paul. All we know about his father is that he was very. We don't even know if his father was a believer, but I just say this because I believe sometimes.
Sisters perhaps don't think that it's important to learn the Word of God. It's important to get into the Scriptures. But I believe that it's just as important, or more so, for a sister to learn the Word of God as it is for brother. We don't take part. Sister says I don't take part in the meeting.
Just come there and sit quietly. But when her sister is bringing up children for the Lord. I can say that much of what I learned about the scriptures I mean from my mother. My father had worked an odd shift and he was gone in the evenings, and it was my mother to talk to me, the word of God.
And often.
I've heard others say how they said something in a meeting and afterwards my sister shared a list with them and she wasn't teaching, she just shared a verse. That verse was a real help to them and I believe it's important for her sister and only to God so they can pray intelligently. They can teach the scriptures to their children. There were a group of ladies that were at a Bible study and they were sitting around in this Bible study and they were each sharing with one another what they did.
And one lady, she said that she was a legal secretary and another lady was.
I I remember all the different occupations that they have, but finally they came to this one sister and she has four young men in the, in the mission field. And they said to her, she got several more at home, six children. They said, what do you do?
And she said, I raised young men for God, I raise young men for God. Well, there was a hush that fell over that little crowd, and those ladies realized that there was somebody who was doing something that's worthwhile for eternity and not just for time. I believe today that Satan is making a real effort to try to belittle the privilege that a woman has to raise children for the Lord and make them feel that they're not fulfilled unless they're out in the workplace working a job.
Or whatever. I'm not saying it was wrong for a woman to work. We see principles in college 31 That I believe the greatest privilege that a woman has is to raise those children, bring those children up for the Lord. It's a tremendous privilege.
Think of what Moses mother was told was told she had that little baby, Pharrell said. Throw it in the river and those babies had to be cast in the river. She built that ark and then when the Princess came down and found that baby.
That baby was brought to its own mother.
Placed in the arms of Jacob, Moses mother. And then the very Princess said these words. She said, take this child and nurse it for me or raise it for me and I will pay you by wages. Not only did Moses mother get her own child back that she would have wanted anything more, but then she got paid for it on top of that. And I believe that there's wages, there's rewards for raising children for the Lord.
Well, he mentions from a child that has known the Holy Scriptures. Here's the resources for a believer in a day of ruin. The scriptures that you're able to make the wise into salvation through Christ Jesus, 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 may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
00:25:03
Here we see the inspiration Paul was bringing the Timothy of the word of God. If we remember Peter in second Peter chapter one, he says he lies to those believers and he says we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made don't under you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, he's saying this isn't something that somebody made-up cleverly some clever fairy tale. He says, but we were with him on the holy mountain. We were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.
We heard that voice from heaven that said, this is my beloved son and my world. Please. We saw him with our eyes. But after he lays all of that out in first Peter chapter one, he goes on to say we have also a more sure word of prophecy. When do you do you do well?
If you take heed, well, what was that more sure word of prophecy? Something more sure than seeing, something more sure than hearing, He says, holy men of God.
Pieces the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they removed by the Holy Ghost and so he brings out the inspiration of Scripture and that's what Paul does here. He says it's profitable and he mentions it for doctrine to prove correction and so on. He says that the man of God might be one translation puts it complete, fully fitted for every good work. In other words, what Paul is saying is that this book.
Will fully fit me for every good word.
If I want to know how to get along with my wife, this book will give me instruction. I know there's a lot of other books that are written. I'm not saying that there aren't some helpful things in some of those books, but I believe sometimes we need to spend a lot more time reading the book than other books because this scripture tells us that the Word of God will fully fit me for every good work. I want to know how to serve the Lord. Go out and preach the gospel. The instruction is in this book. I want to know how to get along with my brethren.
Instruction is here if I want to know how to bring my children up for the Lord. The instructions in this book it fully fits me for every good work and so there's other books that are written that are helps the Lord has given gifts to the church and those other books should be books that would help me understand this book better and if there's any other purpose if they lead me away and what's in this book. I don't need them because it tells us that the scriptures.
Make the man of God complete and solicited for every word. So there's the resources first. He lays out in this chapter the apostasy and the confusion that would come in. This is Timothy. The resources are those scriptures that you learn from a child. You know, most of us here learn the scriptures from when we were children, but not too many people here. We grew up and lived 20 years before we ever heard the Bible verse. Before I could even remember, I was learning scriptures. I was being taught the scriptures.
And those are the things.
That fully fit me to serve the Lord in the day of ruin. Well, it goes on to the 4th chapter.
We mentioned that the 4th chapter again is service on a day of one. After getting encouragement and pathway and finding the resources, the word of God, we come and receive service in a day of ruining.
He says, I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead by his appearing in this Kingdom, preach the word. Be instant in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke.
And absorb with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine after their own. Less shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth will be turned into fables.
Well, we know that in this chapter follows, as we pointed out earlier, he's about to die. And so he's giving those last bits of instruction to Timothy and he says, I charged thee before God. And he speaks about the judgment that's going to come on this world. God, who is going to judge the living and the dead. It should be translated by his appearance. I believe the thought here is the same thing that we get in another place. He's saying, and he's speaking about what's going to take place in Second Thessalonians chapter one.
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven and flaming fire, taking vengeance on all them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will be punished?
With everlasting destruction.
All the same, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord would persuade them. So he sang to Timothy in view of the fact that the Lord Jesus is going to come back and he's going to judge this world. Timothy preach the word, preach the word. Oh how easy it is, is the word that's coming gets near that we sort of hide the word and we don't come right out and preach the word. We don't want to offend somebody. And so we kind of hold back and pull in.
00:30:11
A little bit of pulses morning Timothy was a timid man just like we are. He says Timothy preach the word don't be a shame appreciate it. This is the instant in season and out of season we prove and we do exhort with all long section and so on doesn't say preach. What do you think that people want to hear? Remember Jonah the Lord the word of the Lord came into doing it the second time and he said to go to Nineveh and preach the word that I bid thee the word that I bid thee and we know that the Scriptures tells us the word of God is quick and living and powerful.
And sharper than any two edged sword. And so he's brought before Timothy how that that word is his resource, that he can use it. And now he says to Timothy, preach it, preacher. Well, if we don't know the word, we can't preach it. We won't have it to use. There's three things that we see throughout the whole book of Acts in every conversion. There's the Spirit of God, there's the man of God and there's the word of God and there be conversion spirit of God, the man of God and the will of God and.
The Lord is pleased to use people. There was the man in the Ethiopian Munich. He's riding along his chariot. He had the word of God and the Holy Spirit had been given on the day of Pentecost. But as he's riding along, he was trying to figure out what it said. And Phillip was signed, the Holy Spirit all the way 80 miles from Samaria down to Gaza. And he draws near that chariot and says, do you understand what you're reading? And the answer comes back, how can I?
Accept some man, show me.
That's where you and I come in. The Scripture says that please God by the foolishness of preaching to save them, to believe. And so God has chosen to use men in the 11Th of Acts, Cornelius is praying that he might know the truth is a Gentile and he's praying. They're a devout man. And God sends an Angel. Does the Angel give him the gospel? Because angels, women trusted with the gospel. But the Angel tells him where to go, where he can hear it, where there's a man of God. And so those servants go to where Peter is, and Peter comes back.
Brings in the gospel and we have to hang our heads and say we failed in being the men of God that we should be. It's interesting that Timothy is spoken of in this book as a man of God. Thou O man of God. The only times we find the expression man of God in the New Testament or in the epistles of first and second Timothy know how we need men and women of God today. Preach the word be instant in season and out of season.
He speaks about the time coming when they won't endure sound doctrine. Those are the days we're living today, says they the people they'll heap to themselves teachers having engineers and that's what we see today. Some man who is a great gift and many people will that like his type of teaching. They've got to this man and others go over here and they listen to this man and they keep up. Teachers that are going to say what they want to say rather than meeting according to what is laid out in scriptures is tells us that these teachers will turn their ears away from the truth.
If we think back in the days of Exodus chapter 32, Moses went up on the mountain and says it came to pass that when the people saw that Moses delayed him coming down from the mountain, it says that's when they got together and made the golden calf. They were looking for Moses to come back and he didn't come back. And so there were others that stepped in like Aaron, and he said these are the gods that brought you out of Egypt. None of those people knew. They took their earrings.
And it reminds us of the itching ears that we have here. And we flew them into the fire and actually we gave them the air. And Aaron said they threw them into the fire and out came in his cap. They gave him to him and he fashioned that calf. He said, this is the God that brought you up out of Egypt. He turned away their ears from the truth. And that's what we see today as people get their eyes off the Lord's coming, looking for something physical that they can see, rather than the Scripture tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
We're looking for something tells us about the Lord Jesus, whom having not seen ye love and rejoice with Joel unspeakable. Well, we don't need some object down here to keep us. What will keep us is if we're looking up at the person of the Lord Jesus and we have our eyes on him and we're expecting his mere return and we're not going to be turned away. If we get our eyes on man and we follow after man, we're going to lead us astray. They're going to disappoint us. But if we follow after the Lord, if we continue.
As Paul exhorted, Timothy continues out in The Things That Stop Us Learning.
00:35:02
Well, he says in verse five, but watch down all things, endure reflections. Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. Well, we have so much in this epistle about holding fast and clinging to the truth and not letting it slip. And so Paul knew the danger of what can happen if we get occupied with just pulling on to the truth. We might forget and neglect to do the work of an evangelist. So he sang, as it were, Timothy.
Don't forget to do the work in evangelism. If we sometimes we can get the mentality that we have the truth and no one else does. And so we'll, we'll guard that truth, but the gospel is given up. Someone has said if we give up the gospel, then we've given up the truth because the gospel is the foundation. And so Paul says, remember Timothy? Don't forget to do the work of an evangelist. Make full proof of that industry. We know that Judaism was not evangelistic.
Judaism was a garden enclosed and the Jews were never told to go down in the Old Testament to the Philistines.
Or the Hittites, or do the Amalekites and pass out tracks. They were told to dwell on the land in obedience, and that would be their testimony. Judaism was that garden enclosed. It was to just be obedient. And then even the queen of the South would come from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Well, when we get to Christianity, we see something entirely different. That new wine that couldn't be contained in the old wineskins. The Lord rises from the dead. He says that his disciples go into all of the world.
And preach the gospel to every creature. And those early disciples went out and turned the world upside down. Sometimes when you get in these Second Timothy days, it's easy, so to speak, to just pull all the wagons into a circle and say, well, we just have to hang on and then hope that we haven't all been killed off by the Indians, as it were, by the time the rescue party gets here. But that's not Christianity. Christianity is something that flows out. The man that was bearing that it says a picture of water doesn't say it was a water pot.
Well, in the Old Testament it would have been a water pot. It's something that contained water that the man in Luke 22, he was bearing a pitcher of blood or something that was meant to be poured out.
You know, Christianity is an outflow. We've often mentioned that if we were to go over to the land of Israel today, we would see two seas or two lakes. One is the Sea of Galilee and the other is the is the Dead Sea. And if we were to look at the Sea of Galilee, we would see fish swimming in that sea and trees growing around that that sea. We get on down to the Dead Sea. Both of these seas are basins of the Jordan River. But there is no life, no trees going around it, no life in that sea. What is the difference?
Both of them have an inflow, but only one of them has an outflow, and the one that has the outflow is not stagnant. You know, we can come and take in lots of truth, like those lepers in the second King Seven who carried away gold and silver and raiment, all those precious things. What did they do? They hit it. They went back again and they carried away more, and then they did that. Finally they said we do not. Well, this is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. If we tarry till the morning light. It's a little picture of the Lord's tongue in the morning light. Some mischief will come upon us.
And so I think we see there in picture, if we sit on the gospel, there's no desire for an outreach. We fall in the mischief and we begin to fight amongst ourselves and be occupied with problems and difficulties rather than going on and serving the Lord. And so here's this important comment that's made here. Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. And then he says in verse six, I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand.
It says in verse seven, I fought a good fight. I finished my course.
Kept the faith, henceforth there is a crown laid up for me.
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 to all those that love his appearing. Well, if you remember back in the second chapter, Paul told Timothy, endure hardness as a good soldier. Don't give up even though the problems are going to come. It was a day when people were deserting the ranks. He says you're in a warfare, Timothy, you're fighting a battle. And he says endure hardness well here.
Paul is one who had finished that warfare, so to speak, he said. I thought a good fight. I kept the faith.
And there's a reward laid up for me, Timothy, and I want you to have that reward too. It's not just for me, but he says it's for all those that love his appearance. You know, I believe it's nice that he didn't say, Timothy, it's just for you, but he said it's for all those that love has occurred. And I believe rather than tonight, that includes every one of us in this room. Paul had gone on faithfully for the Lord and he knew there was a reward for that faithfulness. And he wants wanted others to have that reward too. He wanted you and I to have that reward.
00:40:28
To fight that good fight, to keep the faith. I finished my course. I think we have three things that are mentioned that we already spoke about in the second chapter. I fought a good fight. That's the soldier that we had in verses two and three or three and four in the second chapter.
And then he says, I finished my course. There's the athlete that ran in verse five and then there's the Stewart. I have kept the faith. Well, I.
I'd like to think of the consistent numbers, a crown that's laid up for me and the Scriptures would get a number of pounds that are mentioned if we were to turn over to the 1St Corinthians 10. We won't take the time tonight. The pulse is there. He says no, you're not. But those that run a race, they run all but only one receive at the crown. He says therefore run that you may obtain and so on. He says they do it to obtain a corruptible ground and he says we an incorruptible crown, in other words, on the aisle.
On the the Isthmus of Corinth that stuck out. They had these games every year and these people would come from miles around and they would spend years hours training for these races. And then they get in those races and they run with all their might. And when they finished, the person at one would be given a little wreath made out of leaves that would soon wither. Paul says they go to all that trouble just for a corruptible friend. And then how much more are we who are striving for an incorruptible crown?
We think of some of these rewards in the Scriptures. Some of these crowns he mentions in the First Thessalonians chapter one and verse 19. I like to call that one the soul when it's crowned. He said, what's my joy, my crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His appearing? You get that same one in Galatians chapter or Philippians chapter 4 and verse one. He speaks of those Philippians Saints as His joy, as His crown, those that He had left to the board.
Ground and here we find the stewards crown, a crown of righteousness before a crown of joy here a crown of righteousness. It's a steward's crown. One who was faithful with what was entrusted in every one of us here tonight have been entrusted with a deposit of truth and we're going to be judged on whether or not we're faithful in that deposit of truth. The scripture says to whom much is given, much shall be required. Paul got a Stewart's crown. He wanted Timothy to have that Stuart's crown.
In James chapter one and verse 12 There's another crown, not a crown of joy or righteousness like here on a slow winner's crown or stewards crown, but it's a sufferers crown. It's spoken of as a kind of life. It's also mentioned in Revelation in chapter 2 and verse 10 he says.
James chapter 2 or chapter one and verse 12 about those who suffered, they're going to receive a crown of life. Blessed is the man that endures temptation.
The one he has tried, he shall receive the pound light. And in Revelation 2IN verse 10, it's be thou faithful unto death, and you receive a pound of blood, faithful and suffering for the Lord Jesus. Sometimes we're not always appreciated at work or by our neighbors because we're a Christian. We take a stand for the Lord, but there's a reward for that. And then the last one I like to think of is in first Peter chapter 5. That's the shepherd's crown. It's spoken of as a crown of glory.
When the Chief Shepherd appears.
You receive a crown of glory. Well, if we're faithful and shepherding the Lord's people, helping them along, there's a reward for that. And So what a privilege to have that desire. What followed? He didn't say I thought a perfect fight. There's only one person who could find a perfect fight, and that was the Lord Jesus. And look, the Psalms we read Mark the perfect man. If he Republicans say I fought a good fight, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could hear those words as we pass them to glory?
From the lips of the Lord, Jesus has no doubt all over them.
Well done now good and faithful servant, inner Valley, to the joy of my Lord. Well, he speaks about loving his appearing, but then he gets into verse 10 about somebody who loved the world. Contrast.
00:45:01
He says in verse 10, For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed unto Thessalonica, Christians to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry. So here's this contrast of Luke and Demas. Dimas had traveled with Paul. We read about him in other places, but as Paul's ministry, as Paul came into reproach.
And finally Paul put down into this dungeon and the going got rough. Demas took the easy path. In fact, Demas, his name means popular. Popular. Maybe he was afraid of what others would think of him. He would lose his popularity. And so he abandoned Paul. Isn't that he gave up the faith. He still loved the Lord, but he turned away from Paul and he compromised. He perceptile. Demeth has forsaken me, having loved this present world.
Then he says only Luke is with me and I've been struck as I thought about this sometimes in my study, looking at these two verses and thinking about Luke, who remained faithful to fall to the very end. We read about Luke in the book of Acts. I was thought he we know he wrote that book and we read the book of Acts and it says we and us as we traveled and then pretty soon it's day. Luke stays behind and then he catches up with Paul when it's we announced and he's with Paul throughout the book of Acts.
But here at the very end of Paul's life is just about ready to be offered up. Paul says, Luke is with me, Luke is with me. Like I say, I thought about this as I sat in my study and looked at these verses and thought, how is it going to be when I get up to heaven and meet the apostle Paul? First of all, when we get to glory, we're most looking forward to meeting the Lord Jesus Christ. But we know we're going to meet other Saints. There speaks about many coming from the East and the West.
And sitting down with some of those Old Testament Saints, Moses and why she and so on.
We're going to sit down with Abraham and Jacob, it says in Matthew. And so we get to heaven. We're going to meet these different ones. And one of the people I'm going to meet, I know, is the apostle Paul. And I thought about this. What would it be like if the apostle Paul were to meet me there in heaven and he were to stick out his hand and say, well, Brother Tim, what was it like to be there on the earth just before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? I would have longed to have been there to preach the gospel right up to the shower.
And to carry on faithfully in those things that were given me by the Spirit of God. Tell me, what was it like?
And I have to, so to speak, hang my head and say, well, Paul.
I guess I was like Venus.
Lot of problems and difficulties came up in the little meeting where I was at. It was kind of discouraging and there were certain brethren that didn't understand me and they were critical. So I, I didn't remain faithful to those things that you laid out in your epistles. I first took fall, I first took your ministry. I took the popular path, I took the easy path. And would I be able to say all by the grace of God, I was like Luke, those things that you, you laid out in those epistles that were given to you by the Spirit of God.
Those words that came from the Lord Jesus Himself, I remain thankful unto those things by the grace of God.
Searches my heart when I think about that. You know, the coming of the Lord Jesus is near. It's just just right at the door. We're just about to hear that shout and the enemy is doing everything he can to get us discouraged and to cause us to forsake the truth of the word of God and take the easy path. And may the Lord help us to be like Luke and remain faithful.
And not like Fall or not like Demas incompromise the truth.
Lily says in verse 11, Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable unto me for the ministry.
Well, if you remember, John Mark was one who.
Earlier in the book of Acts, we read how that he started out on a journey with Paul and Barnabas. And then the going got a little bit rough and John Mark turned back. He turned back. John Mark's mother lived in Jerusalem. The disciples met in her home. She was perhaps probably a wealthy lady. He was used to the comforts and got out into the to the rough situation of doing missionary work and he got discouraged and turned back. But later on.
We find as we get to this verse that Paul says, bring Mark, he's profitable. This is a great encouragement to me because I think sometimes how often it is that we fail, how often we get discouraged and we make mistakes. It's wonderful throughout all Scripture to see that God is a God of second chances. Look at Jonah, there he was and God says, Jonah, I've got to work for you to do. I want you to go and fix for those MENA bites and tell them that I'm going to destroy their city because their wickedness has come up before me.
00:50:24
What does Jonah do? He just obeys, runs the opposite direction, runs down to Joppa, and he tries to run away from the Lord. The Lord sends the wind, and that doesn't wake up Jonah. He sends the storm. The lots fall on Jonah. He's guilty. That doesn't turn him around.
Finally they froze stubborn Jonah overboard and the fish swells enough but that doesn't turn him around. It tells us that he was in the belly of the fish. 3 days and three nights to discover and then he says then Jonah prayed.
Sometimes I like to think it was me. I would have been praying when I saw the storm. The journal was in that belly 3 days and three nights and then he prayed. He was pretty stubborn. But then when Jonah has vomited up on the dry land, it says the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.
And said, I want you to go to Nineveh and preach the word that I bid thee. Oh, we would have thought Jonah blew it so bad. He made such a bad mistake that God would just have to throw another boy. But now God picked him up and used him. Peter, he says, leans over to the Lord and he says, James and John over here and these other disciples, they might deny you, but I never will. And we.
Since Peter before the **** pros, you're going to 93 times. Well Peter said he never would. And then he turns around and he denies the Lord with oath and curses. Well could the Lord use Peter again to come the day of Pentecost? And you see who it is that the Lord uses to stand up. But it's Peter and 3000 souls are saved. And then in the 4th chapter of Acts we find that Peter is standing after being filled with a spirit in the midst of all of those people and the names are given.
And one of them's name is Anis.
And another's name is Caiaphas, while those were the same two that Peter denied the Lord in front of. And yet he turns to those men and he says ye denied the holy one in the desperate God had turned him around and picked him up and used him again. Some of us have heard the Lord speak to us about certain things. We know that we should be spending more time reading the word and we say, OK Lord, I'm going to spend more time in reading scriptures. And we get busy at work and things come in and we fail the Lord.
You know, we should perhaps be more active in the gospel and we, our hearts are searched like the men of Reuben who had great searchings of heart of judges. That's as far as it went. Well, God is improved. He's a God of second chances. And here we see it, John Mark, he had turned back, but God saw fit that he could be used again. And Paul writes and says, bring Mark for he's profitable, the one who before was unprofitable.
Is now profitable for the ministry, for service for the Lord. It's often been pointed out that the same person who was used was referred to as the servant that failed. The uncomfortable servant was the one that God used to write the gospel of the perfect servant, the gospel of Mark.
That's the gospel that brings out the servant character of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm the perfect servant used to write out the record of the perfect serial.
Well, this is an encouragement to us tonight, isn't it? When we fail the Lord, He's there and He picks us up if we're willing, and He'll use this again for blessing. Well, after that he speaks in verse.
13 The cloak that I left at Trollaz with the carpets, when they'll come us bring with thee, and the books and asbestos departments. Alexander the copper Smith did me much evil. The Lord reward him according to his works. Of whom be thou wear also, for he hath greatly withstood thy words. That 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. Well, if they serve the Lord, all is warning. Timothy, and a man named Alexander the coppersmith.
And there's going to be Alexander the coppersmith, there's going to be those who are going to oppose, you know.
When a person is running a race.
It's not those who are also in the race with their eyes on the goal that are being critical of the people in the race, that it's the people usually who are sitting on the sidelines and they look down on that race and they say, well, if that man had just jumped that hurdle a little differently, he'd be a little farther ahead. Look at this guy over here. His socks don't match. And on and on the criticism comes. But it's not from those who are busy in the race. It's from those who are sitting on the sidelines. And so all the same, Timothy, there's going to be those that are going to oppose the work.
00:55:09
Don't be discouraged or something like that and he speaks about this man Alexander and he says of whom be thou where beware of Alexander the coppersmith. He did me much evil, but Paul didn't say it, but I sure got him back. I did him into he didn't say that. Oh the Lord Jesus, that perfect servant says when he was reviled, he reviled not again when he threatened threatened, he threatened not but he committed himself to him to judge his legislative. He left it with the Lord and even these others that forsook Paul says that my first answer.
As he stood there in that courtroom being tried no one else, all the brethren had left and forsaken him. He said, notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and then he didn't blame him and said, I pray God, he prayed for them that it be not laid, that it be not laid to their charge. Well, there's an example for us. Someone does this evil, we can pray for them. We can do them all the good that we can not render evil for evil, but to keep coals of fire on their head, you know, faces and is a destructive thing.
I think we mentioned the Lord today morning here in the Sunday school, how that when Jacob wrestled with the Angel, his thigh was touched. And the Bible says the sin you shrink. It says from that time on the children of Israel didn't feed on the sinew. In other words, they didn't feed on that which was speak of the faults and failures of one another or the faults and failures of Jacob. And if we just eat sinew, it's a bad diet. Sometimes we look at families that we've seen that children grow up and they leave the meeting and they leave.
The truth.
Well, often part of the problem was the brethren came home on Sunday evening or Sunday afternoon and they had roast brethren for the supper table, for the dinner table, and they criticized different ones in the meeting and the children left. But let's be careful that we don't have a critical spirit, but that we speak with one about one another, with the things that we can see of Christ. You know, there's some in Christ in every believer in this room. There's some of Christ in you. You know the Lord and the Son of Christ by the grace of God in me.
And let's not feed and assume, let's not oppose the truth, but let's be a help and let's be an encouragement like Paul was in the first chapter. Another thing criticism does, as it brings in barrenness, often have been struck in reading the account where in Second Samuel, when David was bringing up the ark, there was great rejoicing. But it tells us that Michael, Saul's daughter, looked out the window and she saw David. He laid aside his royal garments and there he was dancing with the other young men for joy.
Because the ark was being brought up and it says she despised him in her heart, and then she criticized him. She said you're just like the other, the vain fellows, just like everybody else. See, David had just thrown aside any important position he had. He was just thinking about the Lord. You know, when we come to the meeting, locking the door, it doesn't matter whether you're a doctor or a lawyer or whatever. We all take the same place or the same is saved by the grace of God. That's where David was. He laid aside his position and he was just thinking about the Lord.
And that might have criticized him, she said. You became what? The vain fellows?
What does the Scripture tell us? It says that Michael Saul's daughter was barren till the day of her death. And there's the lesson that we did in that criticism brings a fairness. Find a brother or sister who always sees the faults in somebody else. You see somebody who's barren. There's not much food in that life for God. You look at an assembly where every little thing that's tried to be done for the Lord is criticized. Lots of criticism. It's embarrassing. People get up and leave.
And as the assembly Withers away and may the Lord help us to be an encouragement to one another, we're living in those days just before the show. We're at the end of Second Timothy times and we're about to be face to face with the Lord Jesus and we learn helpless to be faithful, to be like Luke, to remain faithful to him and not to be like you. And as well, it's wonderful, it says, nevertheless, the Lord stood with me. Well, even if no one else understands the difficulties and problems that we have, we can rejoice and know the Lord will stand with us. He's promised.
As we have in Hebrews, He will never leave us nor forsake us. Well, let me just sing hymn #200 and 88288.
About his mercies for exhale.
01:00:01
We can do ourselves.
Nothing like evil.
How many days are there more displays?
The Cross
Address—R. Reeves
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Good song we sang this morning, the last song in the book.
Number 85 in the appendix.
I'm subject to Sacramento's is the cost.
Number 85 in the appendix, the cross across. So that's our game.
First, I'd like to ask you to turn to Mark's Gospel.
The end of March Gospel.
Well, we have a mysterious thing that happens.
Mark's Gospel, chapter 14.
And here are two verses that you don't find in any other.
Of the gospel.
We find certain things in all of the Gospels, like the feeding of the multitudes.
But we don't find this passage in any gospel except this one.
So mark 14 and verse 51.
Mark 1451 And there followed him a certain young man.
Having a linen cloth cast about his naked body.
And the young man laid hold on him.
And he left the linen clock.
And learn from them naked.
Those two verses are.
Interesting.
And they're mysterious.
We don't know who this young man was.
Someone said to me once that they thought it might be marked the writer this gospel, and I don't believe that.
I don't believe anymore.
If God want us to know who this was, he would have told us.
We don't know.
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So we we start and we say why is it here?
What's this all about?
What does God want us to learn from these two verses that are only found in this gospel?
Well, I'm going to share with you what.
I think.
And I cannot prove.
That what I'm telling you is right. But I'm going to just share with you what I believe about these verses.
First of all, we don't know his name.
And so that shows us that God does not want us to know who it was.
So rather than find out who it was, God wants us to find out.
And learn the.
The lesson?
That is taught here.
Well, one thing we know about this young man was that he was not one of the 12 disciples.
Because it says in the 50th verse that we did not read that all his disciples had forsaken him and fled.
So the first thing we know about this man was that he was not one of the disciples.
Or the Apostles.
The next thing we find out about it was that he was following Jesus.
At a distance.
Another thing we find out about him that he had a strange type of clothing on.
It says he had a linen cloth cast about his naked body.
Well, that was an unusual way to be dressed.
She wasn't dressed like the rest of folks.
Not only that.
Didn't have much on.
That what he did have on, though it was unusual, was very.
Gentle.
And that's all they had.
Next thing we find out about this man is that.
Since he was a follower of Jesus.
That.
When Jesus became rejected.
That since he was one of the followers, he was also suspected as being one of his admirers, which he was.
And so consequently he was.
Right to be seized also.
As one of those associated with Christ.
Next thing we find out about it is that.
When the people came to grab a hold of him and identify him with a rejected Christ.
He didn't like it.
And so he before he left.
And it runs away naked.
You say nothing. Mysterious story.
Why do we have it in the Bible?
Well, here's why I think we have it in the back.
As I say, we don't know who it is, so God is not trying to tell us about any particular person, but he's giving us a picture of a class of people.
Now this class of people are those who.
Like to connect themselves with Jesus Christ?
But at a distance.
And they're just kind of on the fringe of associated association with him. They're they're not close enough.
Really to be counted?
And this is a class of people who have a shallow pretense.
Of moral purity in the LED environment.
But it's very shallow.
It's just about that deep.
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And.
When the growing gets tough.
And they're forced to take a stand with Jesus Christ in rejection and can't do it.
They refused to be identified with a rejected Christ.
This is a class of people who are able to identify themselves with Jesus.
At a distance as long as the going is smooth.
But when they are associated with him in rejection, they can't stand it.
They have to be.
And they leave their garment or their religion behind them because there was nothing underneath it.
And I want to say today, dear brethren, that there is a class of people like that today who associate themselves with the glamour part of Christianity.
And they want the good things about Christianity that make them look good.
In the eyes of others.
But when you confront them with the identification with Jesus in rejection.
The religion control.
A religion comes off and they are not able to identify themselves with a rejected trust.
And off they go running because their religion was very shallow.
Well, it's an interesting thing, isn't it? And I think that's what God is teaching us here.
That.
The rejected Christ is the test of how deep your religion is. Can you stand? Can I stand for Jesus even when he is rejected?
Or will the rejection of Christ take off our shallow religion and we'll have to run away in Spain?
In other words, the cross exposes people.
Exposes people as to whether they really are connected with Jesus at all in depth, or whether they have just used Christianity as a game for themselves but they can't stand the cross. That's a real test.
And you and I will be tested like that in our lives. Are we going to be willing to stand with Jesus?
In his rejection the cross are we willing to stand?
With Jesus at the cross.
Well, I believe I'm speaking to people today who say yes.
Yes, I am willing to be identified with Jesus even if he is rejected in this world.
I think some of you that come here to fellow to this meeting house.
Have learned a little bit about that.
You are associated with a very small group of believers in a very religious community of people.
And this community doesn't take much account of you at all.
And they say, well, that that little bunch that meets over on Plankton St. that they're just a little bunch of sincere Christians.
And they don't have much to offer. They don't even have a preacher.
And they don't even have an organ.
And as yet, I really wonder if they got anything at all over there.
And so there isn't anything really attractive about this meetinghouse, and there isn't anything attractive about this group of people either.
And there are just a few that are willing to identify themselves with this bunch.
Who are seeking to go on with a rejected Christ.
If you.
To this meeting and you are a business person. It wouldn't make your business any better.
If you were a Barber and came to this meeting, it wouldn't get you more haircuts.
If you're a doctor and came to this meeting, you wouldn't have more people to treat.
This meeting wouldn't do that for you.
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And that the only reason that I know any of you coming here is that you're willing to be identified with the Lord Jesus Christ, even in his rejection.
And I don't think I'm talking to anybody in this room that's like this fellow whose religion was so shallow.
Than when it came to the test of the cross, his religion came off and he runs away. You're not like that, no.
The cross is the big test.
It's a big test. Are we willing to identify with Jesus?
At the cross.
If some of you have a better.
Explanation for these two verses. I wish you would tell me what they are after this meeting because that's the best I can do.
The best I can do?
Now in the little time that we have together.
I thought it would be worthwhile for us to talk about the cross of the Lord Jesus.
And let's talk about it in several different ways.
Let's talk about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As to what it means to God.
What does the cost mean for God the Father?
Then we'll talk about the cross.
And let's talk about it just a little bit as to what did it mean to Jesus.
And then we'll talk about the cross.
As to what it means.
To me and to you.
And then we'll talk about the process.
And mentioned what it means to save it.
The enemy of our souls and the opposer of everything that God wants to get done.
So those four things will occupy us in the next few minutes.
And we're going to say as we get moving on these things that, hey, this is deception.
We found that out yesterday.
Some of us were enjoying the word of God yesterday and we said that's what one lady told me yesterday as we were enjoying the things of Christ, she says.
Wow.
Wow, I didn't know it was so big.
Oh, the truth of God is.
And we feel ourselves so small as we encounter these precious foods. And we'll have that feeling today, I believe, as we talk about the frost.
Well, what did the cross mean to to God? What's our first subject?
Well, let me put it this way, beloved brethren.
Did you know that God was in debt?
Before the cross.
Did you know God had an unsettled bill to pay?
And the only way that that could be paid was Calvary's process.
So at Calvary's Cross Gods Bill was paid.
I remember when I was growing up.
My dad was.
Not always able to find work.
And we didn't have a lot.
I remember I used to chew gum for a week.
And I can see in my mind right now that that bit I used to sleep on.
At 1502 E 13th Street, right by the railway track.
And there was a bed that had was made out of iron. I think it was brown.
And had a right behind me was a thin rod and then the the the bed. The bed instead came up like that and around but then there was a a rod and then had some rods going down.
That I would put my gun.
00:20:02
On that ride at night.
And chew it the next day.
And I could just pick up there, I said, well, let's see. I like the charcoal gum, and I take that off the rod and chew it again.
Until the next night and I could select those gums. There was charcoal and there were bubble gums. It had so much bubble gum in those days.
Our teeth were better too, but we didn't have so much bubble gum. Spearmint Juicy Fruit.
Slow and you'd be surprised that on the second and third day you can still taste the thing.
Like someone wrote a song said, Will the spearmint lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight? If you chew it in the morning, will it be too hard to bite a big song about that? I always liked that song.
But you see, we didn't have a lot of money.
And.
So.
We had to make things to.
You know, I I really forgot why I mentioned that.
But.
Our subject right now is.
Had a bill for you. Now I remember. You know, sometimes my mind slips. I go to write everything down. But here's the reason I mentioned that when I was a kid, my dad used to buy his groceries at at the Levitt store on the corner of E 13th of E 14th and Guthrie.
And in those days, Mr. Levitt would let my dad run up a bill, and he would pay it each week when he got paid.
And I used to love to go into that store.
On Saturday morning, my dad paid the bill.
Because Mr. Levitt would. When Dad would pay him the bill for the weak groceries, Mr. Levitt would go to the candy counter and he'd throw in bars of candy and made a big sack about that high, about that big around. Just put candy bars as a little thank you gift to my dad for paying the bill. So every Saturday morning, my dad had to go pay the bill. He owed it. We'd eaten it up, and Dad owed the bill. And do you know that God owed a bill?
That could only pay to be paid by the cross.
Now tell me what that bill was. I'll tell you what it was.
When the first man sinned.
And his wife, God forgave their sins on credit.
Because you see, during the life of Adam, Jesus had not lived and Jesus had not died, and so when God forgave Adam's sins.
He could only do it on credit.
In view of that great payment that would be made later on at Christ.
So God owed a bill. He not only forgave Adam, but he forgave Eve. He forgave Norah. He forgave Isaiah. He forgave Moses. He forgave Aaron. He forgave Habakkuk. He forgave Daniel and millions of precious souls who had believed in God through all those years.
Prior to the coming of the Lord Jesus, God had forgiven them.
On the basis of that great payment that would be later on made at the Cross. So you see God owed a big bills. He had forgiven so many millions of people on credit.
And so when Jesus came, one of his missions was to pay that bill.
That God owes that could only be paid by the cross.
Oh, what a beautiful and what another blessed view of the devotion of the Lord Jesus, who would go to the cross and seven at accounts that God had built up through the long years of.
You see, the blood of animals could not forgive sins. They could only be a picture of that which would.
But the blood of lambs and goats and bulls?
Could not urge who died and were offering sacrifice. That blood was only typical. It was only a picture of the mighty work of Kelly.
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But all what a bill. God has to be said.
At the cross.
And so in that sense, beloved brethren, in that sense.
And it's such a wonderful thing to think about. In that sense, Jesus died for God.
That he might stay there.
I'd like to ask you to turn to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 16 for a very interesting.
Little verse that shows us that Satan knew that that was coming.
And Satan tried to keep Jesus from dying.
People say about that. Strange, I thought. Yes, Satan won't want of Jesus to die. Well, he did.
But we're going to see we're Satan here, try to keep him from it.
Some might say, boy.
Satan is not consistent. No he's not. You never find consistency with the devil. He just does what he wants to do to ruin the purposes of God at any particular moment and he would not consistent.
Matthew 16 verse 21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciple how he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer. See, he must go.
In muscle.
Unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things that the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
I noticed what happened then, Peter.
Took him and began to rebuke him, saying He and Mark and be Lord. This will not be the can that sound nice.
Sound like Peters, his friend, doesn't. He said. No, no, don't do that.
Don't let that happen.
That's dear.
But not ocean verse 23 that Jesus turned and said unto Peter, Get the behind you, Satan.
Jesus recognized in Peter's comment the hiss of the serpent.
The gist of the serpent here was Satan using Peter to try to stop Jesus from going to the cross.
Asia and the Lord Jesus recognized that, and he put his finger right on it, he says. Get behind me, Stay talking my computer.
You know, sometimes Satan could use a real Christian.
The fourth things about.
It's a serious thing to think about, but Jesus said to Peter, Get behind these state.
Bowed in the fence under me, for thou savers not the things that give God, but those to be of men.
Here we have Satan trying to stop Jesus from going to the cross by this sweet talk of fear.
And the Lord Jesus recognized it right away as a movement of Satan to keep him from going there and paying the bill that his father knows.
Or how practice Satan is. You've got all kinds of tools, and if this one won't work, you try another.
And in this case, he tries to keep the Lord Jesus from going to the cross and in just a few chapters on down the road and Matthew then he stirs everybody up to pudding today.
Consistent. No. They've looked for anything consistent with the devil.
Except that he opposes God at every turn.
So when you and I look at Calvary's cross in that light.
The Lord Jesus said the Son of Man must be lifted up.
She said I must go.
He must go on Wisdom. Well, one of the reasons for it was the Lord Jesus Christ must go.
The calibers cross and he must pay the bill that got over for all sins through the years that have been forgiven on credit.
The Old Testament Saints now turn to Romans chapter three. Well, we'll see another view of that.
We're going to notice the verse that's often misunderstood by many real Christians.
But when we understand it correctly it just it just.
Bursts into brilliant light in our souls.
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Well, was chapter 3.
Verse 23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Being justified freely by his grace.
Redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. Now beloved brethren, please notice carefully that next statement.
A proficient or a full satisfaction through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of forbearance of God. That's the point.
But it's the precious blood of Christ.
That declares God righteous.
For forgiving the sins of the past believers.
This has nothing to do with your past sins at all.
Some Christians misunderstand that. They say, well, God forgave the sins that are past and they're worried about tomorrow.
That's not the teaching here. The teaching of this verse, when it talks about the remission of sins that are past the teaching here is.
That the blood of Jesus Christ declares God to be right and forgiving Adam's sin and all the Old Testament sins. These are the sins of past believers up until the past.
And the redemption work of Christ declares God to have done right.
And forgiving them on their patience of that summer. Oh, this is a precious for you to make.
God has been declared righteously. For God has been declared right for having forgiven the sins of past believers who died before Jesus came.
They were forgiven on credit in view of the mighty Calvary work, and when the blood of Christ was shed, it declared God had done right and forgiven David's sin.
Isn't that precious? And so brother? And I say again.
And I love to think about it.
That at the cross.
God's death was paid.
By the precious Blood of Christ.
And God is declared to have done right.
In delivering poor, wretched, hell deserving sinners such as David and Rahab. And when that's look you want to read about our real creed.
And the Old Testament? Read about Manasseh. It was a Greek, one of the worst.
Wretched character. You ever can imagine Manasseh, and it says he sinned more than all the other people put together. But then he repented. Turn to God. God forgave him. How could he do it?
On the value of the precious brother of Christ.
But on credit. And so Jesus must die. He must die to settle God's account.
Isn't that wonderful?
Precious Blood of Christ. It does so much, and we have considered what it did.
Now let's talk about what the cross means to Jesus.
And this is an immense subject.
But in order to approach it just a little, let's turn to.
Luke's Gospel. I think it's the 22nd chapter. What did the cross mean to Jesus?
Was it something that was easy for him?
You know, dying is not always hard.
They tell me that.
They tell me that an easy way to die is to drown.
In fact, I don't want to die. I'd like to just keep living for Jesus. That's what I want to do. They say the ground is an easy way to die. Those are almost ground lost consciousness. And yet I've been divided, so it really wasn't bad.
And they say another easy way to die is just just go out in the cold.
Just bad person. You just get so sleepy and synonymous.
00:35:04
So don't pick an easy way. Dying is not always hard.
I'm not recommending what, I'm recommending anybody who either one of those things.
But I'm just telling you that dying is not always fired.
But the death of Christ was not an easy death.
And when we talk about the cross.
Of the Lord Jesus and what it means to him.
We're not talking about something easy.
And we're going to get a little view of that.
In Luke 22.
Verse 39. Let's read it together.
Luke 2239 And he came out and went, as he was accustomed to the mount of olives, And his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that you ever not into temptation.
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone. Which guys?
And sat down and prayed.
Kneel down here if I can talk to your brethren about the stones cast.
And when I read that the storms happened, he was just a Stones castaway.
How far could you throw a stone?
Well.
Not very far, but he was reviewed. He was removed from his disciples about a stones cast. But when I read that I think about David and Goliath.
And how far was David from the mighty Goliath? Just a stone cats.
How far was Jesus from the mighty ordeals? Calgary? Just a stone was cast. Here's the true David. Here's the true David getting ready in just a few moments.
Cash the storm of the mighty God. A stone is kept well. He kneeled out and prayed, saying Father.
If I'll be willing.
Remove this cup for me. What cup is that? It's the cup that was going to happen in just about a day or a little more. The cup of something or sin.
She said if I'll be willing to remove this cup from the nevertheless, not my way, but.
Thank you, their bearded Angel, unto him from heaven, strengthening him and being in an agony parade more illness, And his sweat was as it were, great drops of blood running down to the ground.
Beloved brethren, what's this about?
This is the Lord Jesus.
Kneeling down in his father's presence and thinking about what it would be.
To be nailed to a cross, and have to bear the wheat of sin of all believers of all anxious.
You think this was easy for him?
Now God can only communicate with us by means of human language. It's the only way we have of understanding such a thing as this. And it's just as though God says, I want to tell you the intensity of this.
The intensity of the Lord Jesus anticipating the cross was so great that the sweat that came out of his precious body were was like balloon that had undoubtedly.
Nothing could more vividly describe the intensity of the agony that he considered as she thought about the cross.
Well, I would rather you and I will never know.
The intensity of yourself.
Some of you have suffered a little in your life.
I have suffered a little. I remember several years ago when I had a pinched nerve in my back and I felt my right leg was on fire for three weeks.
There was no fun.
I suffered.
And you have had sufferings too. Some of your dear sisters who have born children, you could not describe the intensity, though temporary it was. You could not tell me the intensity of that suffering that you went through.
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And that child was coming into this room.
The travel that a woman passes through, they say, is intense.
I don't ever know about it, but you know.
But what was the intensity of this man's suffering?
And on Calvary's cross.
They are rejected by this world.
We lift it up with his hands nailed to the cross, his feet nailed down.
Suffering in his body, yes, but that's not the that's not the main issue.
The suffering the Lord Jesus here is anticipating is not related to the nails.
Is not related to the whipping that he got that made his back raw, but it says in the Psalms.
They they they plowed furrows upon my back.
And that was because they they tied little pieces of shell into the whips and the Romans whipped little pieces of shell. So when they came down with a quick one of his precious back, instead of just making a Welch, it would just cut this back.
The cloud furrowed. He's not talking about that here.
Talking about the thirst that came to someone hanging on a cross as he suffocates and loses his breath because his body pulls down and he can't breathe. And I'm talking about that the physical sufferings are not before And here what's before our precious Savior and Garden of Gethsemane is the horrible unspeakable ordeal of having to to take the blame for the disobedience of Ronald Reed.
And Harry Vanderhart and Richer and Christ.
And their way in practice.
That atonement sufferings that he endured, That's what brought the sweat out of.
Understand it.
One of our songwriters has said.
None of the ransomed ever knew.
How deep does the river cross?
Nor how dark was the night which the Shepherd passed through.
There he found the sheep.
Or rather, the intensity of the seconds of Christ. Christ has once suffered for sins.
And just for the unjust.
One sin. We had it today at Sunday school and I told these kids, you were here, some of you, most of you. And you saw this boy take that 19 1/2 LB Satchel and he went around he he loved that thing all around the room.
And I said would you like to carry it around 100 times? Says no to him.
Just one satchel.
And it didn't weigh as much as one sin.
A sick, beloved brethren of the Lord Jesus, with all the sin of all the believers, of all teachers.
Upon his precious soul and body in God's voice.
You and I cannot even touch this.
That's what he had before the intensity of his son, and Calvary's cross meant that to him.
Unspeakable sufferings, atoning sufferings.
You and I just kind of look at it and say.
It's too big for me.
And it is.
One sin was enough to cast the man of woman out of the Garden of Eden forever.
Just one.
What about the sins of all believers in all ages?
And those sins getting their righteous punishment and.
What about it?
It's it's too big to talk about. But let me tell you, beloved brethren, those are the sufferings of Christ that have made it possible for you to be here in this room as a child of God, had it not been for those suffering.
You and I would have been lost and hopeless.
And without any opportunity of ever knowing God, but because he suffered for us.
You and I can enjoy heaven forever. So what did the cross mean for the Lord Jesus?
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Unspeakable.
Now let's say what did it mean to me?
What does the class mean for me?
He died in my place.
And you can say he died for me.
He took my place. He is my substitute.
And since he died for me, I won't have to die and be separate from God.
Some of you were with us on Friday night.
And we were enjoying together.
Some little thoughts about the resurrection of Christ and power and its and its results.
And this comment was made and it.
I remember when I made this comment on Friday night, I noticed that your brother sitting in one of the front rows.
It was just like the light had turned off in his mind.
And you know what turned on the light in his heart?
It's when I told him this and I told the group this, I said all of our sins, all of our sins were laid on Jesus and the cross.
And before we were born.
All of our sins were future on the cross.
And they rallied on Jesus.
And then that I am now.
Where are they? Where are they?
And if there just was 1 little sin?
Left on Jesus.
That wasn't suffered for on Calvary's cross. He could have never gone into heaven because heaven's holy place. And there was just one straggling sin that had not been laid on him at Calvary, and it still stayed on him. He could never have been taken to the right hand.
Next to the very fact, the very fact that Jesus sits at the right hand of God today as a glorified, living, real man, the very fact that he's there is a proof that sends you.
One of them left. Not one of them left.
Are you worried about your sins?
Don't need to, we're gone. Rob is blotted the mouth and you tell me where out is.
I feel wrong.
Oh, and their blood is out.
You turn out the light. It's out. Where is it? I don't know. It's out.
That they don't exist.
And if one of them existed, I just say one of them, or even a half of one of them should take this thing apart.
They just did. Half of one of my sins existed still on Jesus Couldn't be in heaven. It couldn't be there.
Oh, oh.
And.
Precious blood of the Lord Jesus has wiped the mall away. Everyone of them. And you say, Mr. Reeves, how about the ones of tomorrow? Now you see, you don't have to commit sins tomorrow. Some of you dear brothers live whole days without sinning at all. You don't have to sin. I'm convinced. I'm convinced that most of you people in this room spend days and that you don't sit.
We say, well, I said every day. I have to know you don't.
Sin is the action of an independent will, and I'm talking to believe it, beloved brethren in Christ. And there are days when you have just gone through the whole day and there's never been the movement of an independent will.
Or you may have dumb thoughts come into your dirty thoughts. You may have had bad thoughts, but you didn't acknowledge them as your own.
And so consequently, they just went through and you didn't sin at all. See, it's not wrong to have an old nature.
But it's wrong to let it act.
It's not wrong to have an old nature and we all have got it, but we don't have to let it act.
It's like that.
It's like that relative, you know?
He came to town and you didn't want it.
00:50:01
He didn't bathe, he didn't wear good clothes and his manners were horrible. He had put him in the basement and they didn't let him up.
Kept the door.
Uncle Ebenezer, you didn't let him upstairs.
He was in the basement. Was it long to have Uncle Ebenezer in the basement? No.
He's there, but you didn't let him on sneakers.
And if you've got an old nature, and I do too, it's not a sin to have an old nature.
But it's a sin to let him upstairs.
You just track up the living room, you'll smash the dishes, you'll abuse the people in the house.
And.
Keeping where it belongs in the place of death. Getting rid of them. But you don't have to let him upstairs to misbehave. And so we'll suppose that you let old Uncle Ebenezer up on Wednesday, and it causes confusion.
Is that forgiven? To yes.
Oh brother, it's the precious truth of God. Not only your past sins relate on Jesus, that's over your future sins. Now, I don't say you should sin and I say and I don't say you have to sin. I don't believe it for one minute.
But supposing it on Wednesday or Thursday, you do get mad.
Now, I don't think it's what you say it.
OK, well.
Is that is Thursday Sin forgiven to Yeah.
Because listen, folks, if Thursday sin wasn't put on Jesus and atone for it, never will be.
Because he's not going to die again. Not only your past sins, beloved brother and sister will come from across what your future wants to because all your sins for the past and future, they were all future at Calvary.
The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from our sin. This is true.
You cannot commit a sin below the brother in Christ, your sister. You can't commit a sin that has not already been atoned. Can I tell?
We say I never saw it that way, Ron, and now is the time.
You haven't seen it that way. See it that way. Now it's true, because is Jesus going to die again?
And if your sins not on the past or future, if they weren't laid on Jesus at the cross, then you got a problem because he's never going to die.
Well, what does the cross means to me mean to me, it means that the whole issue of my relationship to God seven forever to my benefit.
Well.
What about Satan? I said. We talked about what the cross means to Satan.
What does it mean to say?
Utter.
Defeat.
Lost his case.
Lost his case. Brother Jesus is the winner. Jesus is the winner.
Take a look at Genesis chapter 3.
All of these views I've given you, I I know are just we just kind of like we just been speaking in the window at each one of them, and we haven't even explored the house that each one of these doctrines contained. But.
It's good to peek in the weather.
Genesis 315.
Where God is speaking to the devil, in this case in the form of a serpent, he said. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, and it shall lose thy head.
Bishop Bruce I had.
Mark, do you ever kill a snake?
That's the best way to do it.
Can't get anything done by pounding on the tail, can you?
Right to his head.
I've killed some snakes too, and man, I really give it to him in the head.
And if I can take care of their head, the rest of them is OK, don't worry about it.
Oh, brother, he shall bruise thy head.
Thou shalt lose his feet.
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That calibrated, the head of the circle was fresh.
Your enemy is what? He's lost his case. He's lost his case. And that Calvary crossed the head of the Sergeant.
That's the end of his power.
Our brethren, The cross, the cross.
That's our game.
God's been satisfied.
Jesus has suffered, you have been blessed, and Satan has been defeated.
Is it any wonder that the Apostle Paul says in Galatians chapter six? He says.
God forbid that I should glory.
Except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me by unto me.
In essence, what he says, he says. If you want me to boast about something.
Want me to tell you what I'm? He says. I'm proud of your problems.
I'm proud of the cross and I've been trying to kill you. Why?
Let's sing 283.
I would love this song 283 when we surveyed Wonders Cross.
On which the Lord glory died.
Our richest game and pound foot loss.
For content and all our faith when we certainly.
God.
We're just getting waiting now, that's why.
The Armour of God
Address—C. Hendricks
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Oh Lord, when we the path we trace which thou on earth has tried to man, thy wondrous love and grace, thy faithfulness to God, we wonder if thy lowly mind and fame would likely be in all our rest and pleasure. Finding learning, Lord of the someone raised opportunities.
Who?
Let's begin reading tonight from Ephesians Chapter 6.
Ephesians chapter 6.
Verse 10.
Ephesians 610. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might put on the whole armor of God, that she may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
Against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, And having done all to stand, stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery ducks of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints. And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly.
To make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador of bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.
We are quite acquainted, I believe, with the truth that the Epistle to the Ephesians contains.
Probably the highest truth that we have in the entire Bible setting before us Christ in His exaltation, God's eternal purposes with respect to Christ and His church.
And all that we've been brought into in him, in members of the one body, being the habitation of God by the Spirit, being sealed by the Spirit, and having an inheritance in him, being chosen in him before the foundation of the world, blessed with spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
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Children of God.
Saints of God.
All the blessings that he unfolds to us in this epistle, and they are the 1St 3 chapters we might say are the doctrinal part of the epistle.
As much individual truth in chapter one, His eternal purposes, in the 10th verse, we have God's eternal thought to head up all things in Christ, heavenly and earthly, even in Him in whom also we have obtained an inheritance.
So we are brought into the most intimate and nearest place of relationship with himself, and the chapter ends with Christ being head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him, that Philip Allen all.
We could go into that in more detail. That's not my purpose tonight. I wanted to look more at the practical side of the epistle. First three chapters we have the doctrine, and then chapters 4-5 and six we have the the practical.
Response that flows from our position in Christ and all the blessings that we've been brought into notice in Chapter 4, it begins.
I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith your call, when he talks about fear about our walk, and again in chapter in verse 17 of chapter 4. This I say, therefore testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind.
And we have in these three chapters 4-5 and six we have 3 spheres of responsibility, 3 spheres in which the Christian finds himself walking. Chapter four, one through 16, is the sphere of the assembly. We have assembly truth, collective truth. There is one body and how we are to walk or we're to walk, worthy of the vocation wherewith we're called.
And that calling is we're calling members of the body of Christ. That's the number one point. And we're called to be the habitation of God by the Spirit, the Spirit of God indwelling the Saints collectively. You get that at the end of Chapter 2.
These are the two things that we're called to in our collective relationship with one another. Again, we are called to be members of the body of Christ and to walk worthy of that calling. And we're called to be the habitation of God by the Spirit, the Spirit of God, of inhabiting the house which we are. We are indeed the House of God and the temple of God. It's not my intention to develop that anymore tonight.
But just to point out that the 1St 16 verses of chapter 4.
Have to do with the sphere of our collective responsibility in the assembly with respect to fellow members of the body of Christ and those who are in the house which the Spirit of God inhabits. Then from chapter 4, verse 17 through.
Through chapter 5, verse 22, we have our responsibility.
In the world, our walk. In the world we're not to walk as the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind. We were once in that state. We were once Gentiles, and now we're Christians. And so we're not to walk as they walk. We're to walk in a way which is glorifying to the Lord and pleasing to Him.
The reason I was thinking of this hymn that we sang is that the one this hymn sets before us is the Faithful. 10 Lord, when we the path retrace, which thou on earth has tried to man, thy wondrous loving grace, thy faithfulness to God.
Faithful amidst unfaithfulness, the darkness only light of its thy father's name, confessing in his will be light. We're called to be that unmoved by satans. Subtle Wiles, we're called to resist. Stand against the Wiles of the devil. He was attacked by the enemy, and he was unnewed by Satan's several wives. So his path.
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Is our path.
And as well as we consider the Christian warfare, which are the verses that we read tonight, that we realize that a warfare has to do with three Spears from assembly. The world Christian finds himself in the world rubbing shoulders with the unsaved rubbing shoulders even with other Christians in his business or at school or as he passes through this world and then the last.
Sphere.
Is from chapter 522.
Chapter 69 and it's the sphere of the of the family. Notice in verse 22 wives in verse 25, Husbands, chapter six, one children.
Verse two father and mother parents and verse four and he fathers in verse 5 servants in verse 9 in chapter 6 Masters.
So you have a wife and her husband, children and the parents, servants and masters. This is the domestic sphere. This is the circle of the home and the family. And there are, there is conduct which is proper to the high calling that we've been brought into is unfolding in those first three chapters which.
Is appropriate and proper for those of us who are the Lords.
Now Satan is going to attack us.
He's very subtle, he's a wily foe and he is going to seek to cause us to fail.
In anyone or two or all three of those spheres, the assembly, the world, the family, any one of them. And if he can troop us up, he will do so in order to engage the enemy.
We have to realize who the enemy is. We have to realize what he's about. We have to realize the spheres that we are responsible to walk worthy of the Lord in, and we have to put on the whole armor of God. There's no way we can stand against the Wiles and the artifices of the enemy if we don't have all the armor of God on. We cannot do without.
Any peace of the armor?
We need it all because if we fail to take and to put on the whole honor of God, the enemy will find entrance in that very area and defeat us in that area.
Notice verse 11 of chapter 6 put on.
Verse 13 Take unto you the whole arm of God.
Verse 16 of all taking the shield of faith. Verse 17 Take the helmet of salvation. These are action verbs. They bring before us our responsibility. We are to put on the army. He doesn't put it on for us, He provides it for us and it's ours to take it, put it on, to wear it, and to be equipped to be equips us.
He gives us all that is necessary to be engaged in this warfare and.
It's for us, it's our responsibility to put it on notice, verse 10, where we began reading, says finally. And I read, having said all that, he has said the doctrinal part of the epistle, and then he has.
Encouraged the Saints to walk worthy of their calling, and not to walk as the other Gentiles walk, and set before them the wonderful truths.
That pertain to the different spheres that we were talking about, the assembly sphere, the sphere of the world, the sphere of the domestic sphere, the sphere of the family. And then he says finally my breath be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
In order to engage in the warfare that we're engaged in, and to do it successfully, we need the whole armor of God. Absolutely essential. The strength lies in him does not lie enough, finding my brethren be strong in the Lord.
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Strength is his. He is the victor, the mighty victor. He is the one that has vanquished the enemy. And the strength that we have lies in dependence and obedience to the word of God. That was his path. His was a path of loneliness. His was a path of dependence. His was a path of implicit obedience. That's where our strength locks. It doesn't lie in our reasonings. It doesn't lie in our.
Fancy strength?
Are fancy that we are able to meet various situations that in front of us as we go through this world. But we need to have that spirit of dependence be strong in the Lord. He has provided all that we need, and in the power of His mind and in the power of His might. We can never excuse ourselves when we fail by saying, well, that's the way I am naturally, if I lose my temper, and short of temper and irritable of.
Disposition and I lose my temper.
I can't say, well that's the way I am naturally. That's just my nature to be short tempered because the Apostle Paul, before he was converted, calls himself an insolence overbearing man. And after he got saved, he says I was gentle among you as a nurse cherish with her children and as a father that deals with his own children. So the grace of God and all that God has provided for us.
In this, warfare is sufficient to enable us to overcome all the natural tendencies of our nature, whatever they are.
Some are much more patient than others, some are more quick tempered and some are slow to arrive at a decision. Others are very quick and arriving at a decision and they might be impetuous and say things before they think. Peter was something like that, very, very outspoken and oftentimes he spoke too soon.
John and James were called the sons of Thunder. You don't usually think of John as the son of Thunder, because when he came became acquainted with the Lord Jesus, he made it his business to be near to the Lord Jesus. He is always the one you you can trace in the Gospels, that was near to the Lord Jesus who lay on his bosom. He was so close to him that even Peter, the boldness of the apostles, had to nudge John and the Lord said in the 13th of John.
He says one of you shall betray me. Peter had to nudge John and say yes, who is it?
Well.
Down asking the question, Peter generally so bold, was not at that time he wasn't close enough as John was. Well, we want to cultivate that spirit that we had to see in John, though naturally speaking he was a son of Thunder. You see that that nature coming out in John when John and James the Lord's face was set to go to Jerusalem, and the Samaritans wouldn't receive him. And they said, shall we command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them, even as Elias did?
In the Lord Jesus had to rebuke him and say, you know not that manual spiritual, for the Son of man has not come to destroy him his lives, but to save them. And then they went to another village. So there are even occasions traced out in the gospels where the the, the, the natural disposition of John came out. Well, we can't hide behind that and can't excuse our failures. And that's why it's important that we realize that our strength.
To resist the enemy. Our strength. To stand for the Lord is, is his strength. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whole arm of God that you may be able to stand against the Wilds of the devil, the Wiles that presents him in the character of a more as an Angel of light. So the one that will present a case to us that seems very plausible.
Reasonable to act that way. But it is. It is his subtlety that would lead us astray. Get us to act. If thou be the Son of God, you're hungry. If thou be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread and to satisfy your hunger. But the Lord Jesus didn't have a word from the Father to do that. And so he said, Man shall not live that bread alone. But every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God shall man, that he didn't have a word to do that, and so he would not act in.
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In Independence of the Father.
And that's one of the things that I want to stress tonight that all that we're going to say about the Christian warfare, if we if we just talk about it in a doctrinal way, we just talk about having this different ward, different armor on. And we don't relate it where we learn principles of truth from the epistles but we don't relate it back to the person of the Lord Jesus who was down here and went through this scene and met all the artifices of the wild and.
Machinations of the enemy. We don't relate it to him, to the Lord Jesus himself.
We're not going to have the power that we should have turned back to the 4th chapter and it says in verse 20 while we're on this point, but you have not so learned Christ.
If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus.
The truth is in Jesus.
And again, that's why I thought of seeing this hymn. We want to we want to ponder his path. We want to ponder his speed and how he walked. We're to walk in his steps.
Were to walk as he walked, John says first John 26 he that saith he abideth in him off himself also so to walk even as he walked.
Blessed precious Savior to walk down here the path of lowly dependence. When he came from heaven's glory and laid aside the form of God and took upon Him the form of a servant. He then came into a different set of circumstances where it was appropriate for Him. The eternal Son, who had never up to that time obeyed because he always given orders. He was the Supreme commander. He was God the Son.
And only that. But now he becomes a man, and it's proper for man to be obedient to to his God and to his Father. And so here we see that perfect obedience manifested in the Lord Jesus Hebrew. Hebrews 5 puts it this way. Though he were Son, though he were that Person who is the eternal Son of God, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.
He came into the place where obedience was proper to him, and he never departed from it, never departed from it.
But that the world may know that I love the Father, even as the Father gave me commandment, Even so I do arise horoscope, and that was his path.
The Father has not left me alone, for I do always those things that are pleasing to Him. The root principle of sin is to do your own will. Sin is lawlessness is the absence of being subject to another. And when the Lord Jesus became a man, He took the place of subjection.
Took the place of subjection. As God He is the supreme ruler. But he became a man. He entered his own creation, and when he did so he assumed the responsibility to be a subject and obedient. How wonderful to trace that and.
The truth we learned the epistles. We must always relate them.
To the Lord Jesus the truth as it is in Jesus, notice it doesn't say in Christ, it says you have not so learned Christ. It shall be that you have heard him and have been taught by him, even as the truth is in Jesus, in the man, in the man Jesus that blessed one used down here.
So the question should not be asked, I've heard it asked. A certain circumstance presents itself to us and we're in a quandary what to do? And we say, what would Jesus do? That's not the right question. The right question is what did Jesus do?
If we say What would Jesus do? Then the answer depends upon what I think he would do. But no.
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I believe there's never a circumstance that we could be in.
That he hasn't been here.
He has met all the necessitudes of life the word says so. It says that he was tested. He was tempted in all points, like as we are cinepark, every trial and difficulty, temptation and testing that we're put through. He went through sin apart. He had no temptation from evil nature because he didn't have one. That's The only exception, but all the testings and all the temptations from without, from the enemy without.
And from all that is we meet with as we pass through this scene, the results of sin, sickness, pain, suffering, sorrow, weeping, He went through all that he had compassion and love and feeling and righteous indignation at the hardness of heart of those that would not believe while I mentioned that point.
Notice in chapter 4, verse 26 being angry.
And sin not let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Turn back to mark chapter 3, marks Gospel, chapter 3. All of these truths that they read in the Epistles, we want to always connect them with the Blessed Lord Jesus.
Mark 3 verse one he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there which had a wooden hand, and they watched him whether he would heal him on the Saturday that they might accuse him.
And he saith unto the man which had the withered hands stand for it. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil, to save life, or to kill? But they tell their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, you say it unto the man stretch forth on hand, And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored old as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him.
How they might destroy him.
It's driving because he had healed men who sat today.
Well, that provoked the Lord Jesus to a righteous holy Indian nation and angry.
One of the Puritan writers has said about this verse in Ephesians 4, verse 26, to get angry and Sydney that we ought to be angry at nothing but sin.
Nothing but sin. Oftentimes we get angry when we get offended and when we get insulted and when our rights are trampled upon. But that's not the that's not righteous anger at all, That's just self justification. And that's the kind of anger that the word tells us we're not to have. Notice At the end of chapter four in Ephesians it says in verse 31 what all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be kind one to another and so on. So I believe the only time in the New Testament.
In the Epistles, where anger is a proper emotion, is here in Ephesians 426, there are times when it would be sin not to be angry.
From the Lord's heart is trampled. In August, when the Lord saw how that they were making merchandise in the father's house, the overthrew the money changers tables, drove them out and said make not my father's house and House of merchandise. There was that the zeal of U.S. House devouring him. And there was a righteous anger against the the profanation, the profaning of the.
Father's house. We ought to have that righteous indignation with sin when it's presented to us, but we must not dwell upon it. That's why immediately it says consignment, because that can so quickly degenerate into personal feelings.
Against the individual that may have committed the offense which is so which is so grievous. These Pharisees, the Lord says, is it is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? And they wouldn't answer him because set their teeth and just were waiting for him to do that which they could accuse him of and.
And there was no right feeling in their souls. They were locked into a religious system and legal way of doing things, and they couldn't break out of that. They couldn't see how the grace of God was greater than all their legal restrictions and forms and ceremonies, and that going out in goodness to meet a need.
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Goes beyond the letter of the law, which they were so bound by, and that caused the Lord Jesus anger. He looked upon them. There are things that we would be wrong, absolutely wrong, not to be angry about, but then we mustn't dwell on it. So it immediately says, And sin, let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Very well known, brother.
Some years ago with the Lord now just to say never.
Lay your head down on your toe at night with an unkind thought towards anyone.
Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Don't hold that anger, It will soon be generated into sin. You will give place to the devil. And so he says in the next verse.
And neither give place to the devil in verse 27.
Well, let's go on to the 6th chapter now and really giving some thoughts that flow from the the armor that we have.
And we will remember these thoughts as we proceed in chapter 6 of Ephesians, verse 11. Put on the whole arm of God. But you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil, the whole armor of God. I want to emphasize that it's set again in verse 13, taken into the whole arm of God. We cannot do without anyone that's provided to us.
The Enemy, verse 12. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Now that last expression, high places, is This is the fifth time in the Epistle to the Ephesians where that expression is. Let's quickly look at them. Chapter one, verse 4.
Verse 3 Excuse me, Chapter one. Verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ, heavenly places or the heavenlies. You notice the word places is is in italics.
Which means it's been supplied by the translators. It's really in heavenlies, in the heavenlies in Christ. So our blessings, our spiritual, and they're heavenly.
Then at the end of chapter one, that's the first occurrence of that expression, the end of chapter one, verse 20. It says, verse 19. What is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward? Who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places in the heavenlies. Christ is seated in the heavenlies. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies.
He's seated there. Our blessings are there. And then in Chapter 2, verse 6, God hath raised us up together and made us to sit together in the heavenlies in heavenly places. In Christ Jesus, our blessings are in the heavenlies. Christ has been exalted far above all principality and power, and seated on high in the highest place in the heavenlies, and we're seated in the heavenlies in him.
Our position? This is the doctrinal part of the epistle.
Our blessings are heavenly, our blessings are spiritual, and he is in the heavenlies and we're seated there. And in the third chapter, verse four, we have the 4th instance to the intent that now that is the truth of the mystery that he's been talking about in the third chapter.
Is that unfolded and the mystery consists of verse six, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs with the Jews.
And of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel joint partakers. I'm going to read that as it is in a new translation. But the Gentiles should be joint heirs and a joint body and joint partakers of this promise in Christ by the gospel. That is, there's three things mentioned, and the truth of the mystery is that the Gentiles are joint heirs with the Jews in these three different ways.
There's no subordination now. The Old Testament speaks of the blessing of the Gentiles, but always subordinate to Israel. Israel is the head, and the Gentiles come in and play subordinate to Israel. They're going to be the head in that coming day, and the Lord will reign in Jerusalem and and Israel will be in a place of promise. Today they're not, but they will be in that coming day. But in that day the Gentiles will be blessed also, but under Israel, subordinate to them.
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Not as joint ears, not as joint members of the one body, not as joint partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. That's the mystery that Paul is unfolding here in Ephesians 3 and it's in it's verse 10. Now it's to the intent that now, right now, under the principalities and powers, in heavenly places in the heavenlies, there's that same expression that he might might be made known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God so.
God is brought out of these Gentiles, those that were without Christ. They were aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise. Having no hope and without God in this world, God has brought up the Gentiles into this one body, made the joint heirs joint partakers of all the blessings that the Jews are brought into. There's no advantage of the Jew over the Gentile today. We're all blessed jointly.
In Christ? Well, that's the mystery that was hidden and never revealed in the Old Testament.
That the Gentiles should be brought into a place of favor and blessing just with the Jew and and there's no advantage of the Jew over the Gentile in this present day. Now the heavenly beings, the principalities and powers in heavenly places are learning through the Church the manifold wisdom of God. That God in his marvelous wisdom has purpose to have a bride for his son church.
Is composed of June Gentile and he's brought them together into one new man made peace and.
That the the heavenly aims of the principalities and powers of the heavenlies are learning the manifold wisdom of God through the ascendant marvelous grace of God and wisdom of God. That's the fourth time. And then the fifth time is in our 6th chapter.
The one that we were looking at, verse 12, Let's read it again. Well, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. We're not in a wrestling ring fitting our physical strength against an opponent. That's not the nature of the conflict, Paul says. But against principalities.
Against rulers, Against the ruler, Against powers, Against the rulers of the darkness of this world, Against spiritual wickedness in the heavens. In chapter 3, the powers that are mentioned in the heavenlies are.
The good powers, those angels elect holy angels. Here they are fallen angels that are mentioned. Both are in the heavens. And here we have a power that is in the very sphere where Christ is the very sphere where we are seated. The very sphere in which all our blessings are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies the very sphere where the good angels behold and manifold wisdom of God.
In the very sphere where the evil angels, the evil forces are raised against us.
To cause us to misrepresent.
What we are in Christ, whether it be an assembly in the world, in our families, to misrepresent in some way, and in order to properly withstand the enemy, in order to resist him and to be aware of his Wiles, his cunning. He presents himself not as a roaring lion here, but the wild suggests. He presents himself as a very subtle, crafty, wily foe, transforming himself even into an Angel of light, so as to deceive us.
And the apostle says in chapter 4.
Of Ephesians he says, verse 14, That we henceforth these gifts have been given in the assembly, so that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, but speaking the truth in love. And they grow up unto him in all things, that he who is the head, even the Christ.
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So we've been given all the helps that we need in order that we be not deceived, that we be not misled, that we do not carry away into all kinds of false people, doctors, and they are legion out there in the Christian world. We are in the last days. The tree has grown into a massive system housing all kinds of birds of the air.
Unclean birds Speaking of these principalities and powers in the heavenlies that are on Satan's side and also it houses the clean birds, the principalities and powers that around the world side. But the enemy is arrayed against us. We should be aware of it. The way so many of us Christians live our lives is though we are not in a conflict, we're not even aware of being in a conflict. We're not even aware of the.
Spears in which the enemy will attack us and try to to cause us to.
To fail and to misrepresent the Lord.
Be unfaithful. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in the heavens. Turn back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 for a moment.
2nd Corinthians chapter 10.
He says.
I'm going to read from verse one now. I found myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of the price.
Notice how he begins his chapter. He beseeches them by by his meekness and his gentleness, meekness and gentleness suppressed.
Who had presence in base among you?
But being absent in bold toward you?
But I beseech you that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
All had told them he was going to come. He didn't come.
He tells him in the 4th chapter of the first epistle. I didn't come to you when I said I was because I wanted to scare you.
He had written a very faithful letter and he waited for the Spirit of God to work in their hearts repentance and self judgment.
He worked for the Lord to work. He waited for the Lord to work that work in their hearts that only the spirit of God can do. And they were saying he's he's not true his word. Paul is not true to his word. They were saying about Cloud, that he's only out for what he can get out of you. Corinth was a very wealthy assembly. Paul tells them in his second epistle that he determined he wouldn't take anything from you.
He was going to cut off occasion from those who were seeking to find thought with him and underrate.
To speak against his ministry and against himself, he took away all ground from them by refusing to take from them. And he's referring to this kind of thing. He says some think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. We said we were coming and we didn't come. So we're not, we're not being LED of the Spirit, because if we said we were coming and the spirit really LED us to say that we would have come. That was the argument that they were laughing against the impossible.
False argument, he intended on coming, but he waited, and he had good reason to wait.
And he says, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not common, but mighty. Through God they are not common. They are not according to natural mandate, schemes and plans and manipulates people. And you see someone that manipulates bread, that tries to manipulate his bread, tries to get around and tries to to, to use worldly wisdom. They do that all the time in management. A good leader is one who knows how to to get the people to do what he wants them to do.
Well, he wants them to, but true leader.
In the face of God is to get the people to walk in obedience and dependence upon the Jesus.
And not to exalt self, but to exalt Christ. We only have one to exalt, and we only have one to follow. And I would do you a great disservice, or anyone that would speak to you if they would get you to follow them. No, we want to follow him and lose sight of all inventors of men. So it's as though we walk in the flesh. We do not war after the flesh.
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For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but.
Mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations in every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ anything that was against the knowledge of God. He would refuse and cast it down, and seek to lead the Saints here in quantum into a proper understanding of the mind of God and the word of God.
And to be obedient to Christ? Well, we could go on in that chapter, but let's go back to the 6th of Ephesians.
I do not plan on getting through these verses tonight. I didn't plan it when I read them. But we have another night where we can continue the Lord helping if He's come before then, and if then we'll be home and all these precious truths will be fully understood by us.
We wrestle not against flesh and blood, there's 12, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places as we look around this beloved at the Christian community. And by that I don't mean just a gathering of Saints. I'm talking about all believers the world over. And we see the division, some 12 to 1400 denominations in this country alone. And we see how that the enemy has.
In this warfare, he has succeeded to divide and scan the flock he is succeeding in.
Destroying Kristen Holmes, he has succeeded in causing brethren to act upon the principles of the world and their business dealings in their relationships with their fellow men and with one another outside of the assembly sphere.
And it's because we don't have all the harm around. We don't have the whole armor of God.
And you don't have that spirit of dependence and submission. And we may not be aware of the character of the conflict. In order for us to really know the true nature of the conflict, we have to understand our position in Christ, risen and glorified at the right hand of God.
We have to understand that we are identified with the rejected man, one whom God is exalted upon the highest heavens, and we're seated in the heavenlies in Him. There our blessings are there. Our portion is there. This is not our home. This is not our portion here. And the measure in which we don't understand that and seek our portion here get occupied with things here, is the measure in which the enemy has succeeded. It causes to misrepresent.
The Lord.
And to not walk as a Christian, to not walk as a separated 1.
This world is filled with religious systems, Christian.
That are not walking together pulling together and they're not separate. So many of us Christians are not separate from the world we are trying to get. We're trying to make the most get the the, the best of both worlds. I think is what we're trying to do often times and it cannot be done that is that is violating the scriptural principle. He cannot that he should know he cannot serve God and that.
Cannot God enriches God, and he that will be rich falls into temptation, snare into many?
Hurtful whose lust with strong men in destruction and tradition of soil.
So we're in a war there, and the enemy would would get us in any one of these three spheres to act contrary to the word of God.
Now verse 13. Wherefore take unto you That's an action that we have to take that armor to the whole armor of God, but you may be able to withstand in the evil day. We've never been in a day that's more evil than today.
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The evil day, and having done all to stand.
Notice stand that you may be able to withstand an evil day, and having done all to stand verse 14, stand therefore.
Take a stand. If the truth of God isn't worth standing for what is?
If this book doesn't give us what we are, what is worth standing for and and sacrificing for, and giving up earthly gain and earthly prosperity? What is by the truth and sell it not?
And if the truth of God isn't worth any sacrifice, what he is.
The prophet Elijah challenged the children of Israel. If they'll be God, follow him. If the Lord be God, follow him, follow.
The Wishy Washy Latitude and Aryan Laodicean Luke, Warm Christians.
Most distressing.
It's time that we stood up and were counted. I am his and belong to him. I'm going to live for him. I'm going to have that entire arm around that I'm going to be able to withstand the enemy. That I'll be aware of his wild and understand all his cunning and all his subtleties and how he's seeking to destroy. He's a great destroyer. He is destroyed. A true representation of the assembly, except in a very small remnant.
And he's doing his best. Did you know that that there are many, many groups of Satan in the world today and when they pray to their leader, the devil, they pray for the break up Christian families?
Because they know that if they can, that if Christian families have broken up and everything is destroyed, that's the backbone of the nation. It's the backbone of the assembly. The assembly cannot be any stronger than those who make it up composed. And if there's distress, if there's a.
Disharmony and unhappiness in the family.
Cannot help if we stop and you send.
If one is not going on for the Lord and his business dealings.
He has a bad conscience, Paul said. I have exercised myself to have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.
And how important that is? Well, now we come to the armor stand. Therefore having your loins gird about with truth.
The girded lines speak of service. When the children of Israel ate the Passover land, their wines were girded. They had shoes on their feet. They were ready to move out of Egypt. They were ready for action. When the Lord Jesus and John 13 washed the disciples speed, he girded himself. He got down at their feet. He he came their servant in a new in a new way to remove the defilements of this world, and serving us in that capacity right now from the glory.
He's serving us. He was the perfect servant here, but his lines were girded about with truth. When they asked him who art thou, he said altogether that which I say to you, he he he was the truth. He spoke the truth. He lived the truth. It's not like it's true of us. So often. Do as I say. Don't do as I do.
He was the perfect expression of all the Pacific, all that, he said.
And so when they went to take him, he opened not his mouth. He did not resist. He had taught them not to. He had talked about the man might be on one cheek, turn the other cheek. And that's exactly the way he acted.
As the truth is in Jesus, that's the truth that we learn as it is in Jesus. As he walked down here, let us study him. Let us take all these precepts and teachings and and doctrines of the New Testament epistles and let us relate them to the truth as it is in Jesus. As he walked down here. Now what would he do? But what did he do? How did he react in this situation? How did he act? Was he a politician? Study him.
Did he change the world? Is that why he came? The first time? He will the second time He comes, coming in an entirely different way. He's going to establish his rights. He's going to set up his authority down here. He's going to subdue his enemies under his feet. But he didn't come.
The first time he came in, meekness and loneliness presented himself to his people to see if there was a heart in them that would respond to that kind of a Messiah. They were looking for a Messiah to come in power and glory to to freedom from the yoke of Rome. And the sentence make them the head. But they weren't in a in a moral state where it was possible for God to do it, and so the Lord came in lowly gods.
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Born in this stable, lady, the Manger, the son of man, if not where to lay his head.
From his birth, that lowly 1.
That wasn't a very attractive person to follow for the religious leaders of the day. They wanted something dynamic and powerful and to put the Gentiles in their proper place and to exalt Israel.
What were the hearts such as they had? It was impossible.
And so we have the Lord Jesus presenting himself, leaving the state of things just as he found them, and yet believing all that were oppressed of the devil, God was with him in healing and manifesting the goodness and the love in the heart of God in the midst of evil.
And distance and hardness as we saw there in 1/3.
Hardness of their hearts, which produced the emotion of anger, righteous saying.
Against their undefeated and hardness to the need of the soul where it was in the city.
Because they were locked into the system of religion that made them insensible.
Their insensibilities are manifested, the Lord says, even if He's of his own, his own disciples, oh.
Generation of Vipers, How long knowing? Who doesn't say? Generation of life is about herself. Who says that to the person. But he says, Oh, faithless generation, how long should I be with you? How long should I suffer?
He felt it and was science, so we should learn all these truths that we're talking about.
As the truth is in Jesus.
If you don't learn the truth of God as it is in Jesus, if you don't related to that blessing one.
Something's very lacking. He is the truth, he said. I am the way, the truth and the life. One man cometh unto the Father, but by me. So our lines are to be girded about with truth. Our service is to be according to truth.
According to true.
He is the truth. The Spirit of God is the truth. The Word is the truth. By word is the truth.
So we have the Spirit subjectively indwelling us as the power to live out all the truth of God.
Have our loins girted about with the truth teared up the loins of your mind, the apostle Peter says.
And then he says.
Having on the breastplate of righteousness beyond that.
And rescue your righteousness. Rescue protects the heart.
How much service is done going back to the loins of truth girded?
Gird your lungs. It's true.
How much service is done according to the truth today?
Christian how much is done in the business world? That is not according to truth, not according to righteousness.
Righteousness is very simply, doing the right thing, doing the right.
Doing the right thing, whether it's exercising my authority as a father in my family.
Whether it's a child being subject to the parents, the right thing for the children is to be subject.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
It's right for a child to go to obey. It's right for a child to do what he or she is told. It's wrong for them to assert their own independent wills.
It is right for them to obey.
It is right for a husband to love his wife even as Christ loved the church. It is right for the right to submit herself to her husband, even as the church was subject unto Christ. So let their wives be to their husbands and everything.
It is right to meet according to the truth of the one body, because we are one body impressed and not independent denominations, all of all of which deny that there is one body.
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It is right to give the Spirit of God the place supremacy in the assembly of the Saints when we come together, because we are the habitation of God by the Spirit.
And he is sovereign there, and he is given the place where he is free to use whomsoever he will for the edification and blessing of the Saints.
It is right to take A to refuse a promotion. If taking the promotion you are obligated to.
Misrepresent the truth and not do the right thing. And we could go on and on and on in these three different spheres and assembly, the world defense.
And every time we read one of these bits of war of armor, we should relate it in our thoughts, and we won't have time to go into that in its entirety. I don't think I have the capability of doing it, but just to suggest some things to us.
So let's close there for tonight.
312.
Lead on, Almighty Lord.
Lead on to victory encouraged by Thy blessed word with joy, and follow thee.
The Armour of God Part 2
Address—C. Hendricks
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Jesus our Lord, thou Morningstar how well we know thy name. Jesus the Lord the crucified in glory still the same.
Someone raised that tune for this 124.
Turn with me again to Ephesians 6, please.
Ephesians chapter 6.
I'm going to read again from verse 10.
Finding my brethren be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil.
But we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.
Against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the evil day, and have him done all to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darks of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints. And for me the utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly.
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As I thought to speak, we were noticing last night that the Apostle commences this section with finally my brethren. This is his final word to the Saints at Ephesus. He had set before them the wonders, the blessedness of their position in Christ in the 1St 3 chapters, and all the blessings that are ours blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies.
In Christ Jesus, we set that all before them, individually and collectively.
And then in chapters 4-5 and six he speaks of three spheres in which the Christian Wasps the sphere of the assembly, the sphere of the world, and the sphere of the of the family. And he now concludes by saying, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. He's about to discuss the warfare that we are in the enemy.
That we are engaged with and the character of the enemy, he is a wily foe. He is one that will attack us and seek to get us to act inconsistently with the position that we've been set in in Christ, risen and glorified in anyone or all three of or any two of those 3 spheres, The assembly, the world, the family.
And in order to combat him effectively, we need a whole armor of God. And so he says in verse 11 put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the vows of the devil. And then in verse 12 he describes the conflict and those with whom we are wrestling. It's not an earthly, it's not a carnal conflict, but it's a it's a heavenly conflict, and it's with spiritual powers of wickedness in the heavenness against the all the Satan's hosts.
And against all the powers of darkness.
We can see as we look around us and Christendom tonight, how successful the enemy has been to divide and scatter the flock connections with the first sphere. Where the cardinal truth is, there is one body and we see hundreds of bodies, hundreds of bodies throughout Christendom, all calling themselves and content to do so by different names. It's been very successful in getting the Christian community not to give true expression to the truth that there is one body.
And how successful he's been in the business world, where Christians often adopt the same principles in their business activities and in their dealings with others that the world adopts. And how successful he's been oftentimes in the family where he has come in and where there is disunity, in subjection family where the woman is the lead.
Is not a family that is patterned according to the truth of God. It cannot be two heads. And God has said that the man is the head. The woman has a very, very vital and important place in carrying out the plan of God. But it's not in taking the lead, but it's really in the place of subjection and in the place of the family where she raises children and leads.
According to the to the word of God. But there's only one head in the family unit, and that's command. But where you see that that order violated is violated all the time in the world and sometimes even in the assembly. Even among Christians, I should say you do not find.
A family that's going on according to the truth of God. And so we have the first thing that's mentioned in verse 14 is stand, therefore.
Having your loins skirt about about with truth, with truth, and and I mentioned yesterday there's one cardinal verse that we want to have before us. It's in chapter 4, verses 20 and 21. You have not so learned Christ.
He's just described the Gentiles and how they walk, and he said it shall be that ye have heard him.
And you have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus.
Truth as it is from Jesus. And so we have all these truths that we're going to be looking at, that we were looking at a little bit last night, all related to Him. He Him who is the truth, He is the truth. When he was asked, Who art thou, He said altogether that which I speak to thee, even the same that I said unto you from the beginning, He was and is the truth, and so the truth is in Jesus.
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We might look at, we might look at a few.
Passages that bring together these first two bits of the armor. Having your lines gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness the lines girded, speaks of the position of service. All of our service should be according to the truth of God, and we seek to serve the Lord.
And.
The family circle is a place of great service to the Lord, and the woman has a place in service just as the man does. And it's it's every bit as important. We cannot have a happy family where either one is not fulfilling their God-given responsibility. And it's it's it's a it's a precious thing the the truth of the assembly being the bride of Christ.
As unfolded in those last verses of chapter 5, elevate marriage to a position that never had before, where the husband is a type of Christ and the woman, the wife is the type of the assembly. And as the assembly is subject unto Christ, so that the wives be for their husbands in everything. And husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.
The the truth.
Of the assembly being subject to Christ, and Christ being the head of the assembly is is set forth in a Christian marriage. So it elevates this Christianity elevates the woman into a place that she never never had before, even in Judaism, a place of tremendous privilege and responsibility.
As being the in the position that sets forth the bride of Christ, that which is the the chiefest object of the Lorde affections. In fact, if you read in the last in the first chapter of Ephesians the last verse, that's such an important verse we want to read it.
Verse 22.
God having exalted the Lord Jesus far above verse 21 all principality and power and might and dominion.
Name not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and he got to put all things under his feet. He gave him to be the head over all things to the Church. Harry's not presented as being the head of the church, but head over all things to the Church.
And she is called, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all.
The first woman that was created was created from the side, from the rib of Adam, and so when he saw her he said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. You should be called woman, for she was taken out of the man. She was made for him to be his helper, to be alongside of him, to be his support and his stay, to stand by him, to support him, and he is to shelter her, to protect her, and to lead and to guide her.
As the head of the family, he without her is incomplete, and so the Christ without the assembly is incomplete. She is the fullness, the completeness of him, that Philip Allen, all he and his person fills everything, fills the universe. Yet he would in one sense he would be incomplete without his bribe alongside of him. And so it is with men. It's not good for men to be alone. So God created the woman to be by him with him his support.
His health, and not the head, but to be alongside of him as one that is loved by him, the special object of his heart. Well, marriage has been elevated by Christianity in the position that it never, never had before.
Now let's look at let's look at a sound in connection with some of these precious truths of Psalm 11.
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Psalm 11.
I'll quickly read the Psalm, and the Lord put I might trust. I'll say to my soul, please, a birth to your mountain. Below the wicked bend their bow. They make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privilege. Shoot at the upright in the heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple. The Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold his eyelids. Try the children of men. The Lord tryeth the righteous but the wicked. In him that loveth violence is so hated. Upon the wicked he shall reign snares fire and brimstone and horrible Tempest.
This should be the portion of their cup. Now notice verse seven or the righteous Lord.
Loveth righteousness his countenance shall thou behold the the upright.
Again chapter Psalm 15.
Well the Psalmist asked the question, Lord, who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backlighteth not with the tongue, or doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor, and whose eyes a vile person is contempt. But he honored them to fear the Lord. He that swearth to his own heart, and changes not he that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent.
He that doeth these things shall never be moved. These verses the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. And so we're told in in Ephesians 6 to put on the breastplate of righteousness. They have all of our dealings being righteousness with one another. What is righteousness? And there he's talking about practical righteousness. Practical righteousness is is conducting ourselves consistently with the position that replaced him to conduct ourselves consistently.
With respect to others according to the position that we occupy, we are set here as children of God, redeemed ones saved out of this world, and to walk righteously is to walk consistently with that position. We are separated people. A Christian that is walking hand in hand with the world is not walking the path of righteousness because is not walking consistently with the truth of God, allowing skirted about with truth.
The Lord Jesus prayed in John 17. He said they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. In John 15 he says if he were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you. We're not insured about with truth to realize who we are. We cannot walk as a Christian and we don't understand what a Christian is. We don't understand what Christianity is all about. Christianity is identification and association and unity with a divine person who is now a man and he's glorified on high. He's been cast out.
Of this world and set and set it not down here and reject it. And we're identified with him. We're passing through this scene as strangers and pilgrims. Our home is on high where heavenly people as is the heavenly such are they also that are heavenly. And as is the earthly such are they also been earthly. We were once earthlings, we were once those that minded earthly things. But now we have found a truer game. Now we belong to the man who's now in the glory.
That blessed one.
And to walk down here in righteousness, to represent him properly, to do the right thing in these three spheres that we're talking about, the sphere of the assembly, the sphere of the world, and the sphere of the family, conduct ourselves consistently with the relationship in which he set us. It's even in one place, And I think I thought of this today, meditating upon this in in Second Corinthians, chapter 5. Excuse me, Chapter 8.
Well, that's really chapter 92 Corinthians Chapter 9. I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but in chapters 8 and 9, the 2nd Corinthians, the Apostle Paul deals with the subject of Christian giving, the grace of giving. And he ends in in Chapter 9, verse 15. He says thanks the other God for his unspeakable gift. He is a great giver. We can never out give him. He's given all he could give.
In the gift of his Son, and again in 2nd Corinthians 8, verse nine, we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. Ajith through his poverty might be made rich, might be rich, He gave himself, He came down and became poor, that we might be rich. Well, in this very portion he talks about giving. It says in verse seven of Chapter 9, every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give that grudgingly, or necessity for God loveth the cheerful giver.
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And God and God is able to make all grace abounded toward you, That ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. Notice now, as it is written, He has dispersed abroad, He had given to the poor. His righteousness remaineth forever. Now he that ministereth seed to the Tsar, both minister Brent for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.
Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness which causes it through us Thanksgiving to God. Notice how he uses righteousness a few times there in connection with the grace of giving.
Righteousness is acting consistently with the position in which he has set us. He's put us into a place of blessing by sovereign grace. He has given us all that he could give. He couldn't give us more. He's given us his son, the diary of his bosom. Now the only righteous response, the only proper response to that is to give and to give and to give to to be a an exponent down here in this world.
Of God to manifest his character, the Lord Jesus gave himself for us, and God has given his son. And so the very grace of giving is called righteousness, fruits of righteousness. Another thought in connection with that in Ephesians 4 that we were looking at at the end of the chapter it says.
Let all bitterness verse 31 and wrath and anger and clamor.
And evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be a kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake or literally even as God in Christ have forgiven you that word. Forgiven means to show grace to God has shown grace to us, He has forgiven us. And if you go back to Matthew 18 connection with this thought, I'm linking this with the thought of righteousness.
How often we can act towards others, considering how God has acted towards us. God has given to us when we were bankrupt, when we were without any ability to pay our way, any ability to to meet our need God gave.
All that would meet our needs. And so it is appropriate. It is fruit of righteousness for us to respond in kind. And so with the thought of forgiveness. Notice in the end of Matthew 18 he gives this this story. Verse 23, Therefore is the Kingdom of heaven likened unto his servant, a certain king, which would take account of his servants, And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him 10,000 talents.
He had not to pay. His Lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children had all that he hadn't came up to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loose him, and forgave him the devil. But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him 100 pence, And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying pain he did. The oldest and his fellow servant fell down.
At his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not. But he went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt. Some of his fellow servants saw what was done. They were very sorry, and came and told him to the Lord All it was done. Then his Lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desirously should us not. Thou also have compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee. Would that not be the right thing to do? If you're forgiven 10,000 talents, and someone comes to you with a cube paltry pence, that he owes you, and you insist that he pays you, would it not be the right thing to extend forgiveness?
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To the one that owes you so much less than you had owed, to the one that had extended forgiveness to you, that would be the right thing to do, wouldn't you? That would be righteousness. But all he was called wicked servant, the very opposite of righteousness. He was a wicked servant because he didn't have that. That the spirit of forgiveness and that spirit of grace and that spirit of giving, that should be in the heart every one of us.
There are these moral features that are found in the precious life of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The truth as it is in Jesus, or we should you should feed upon him. We should meditate upon him and relate all the truths that we're considering to Him.
The one that when he was reviled, he reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself into the hands of him that judges righteously.
I was just meditating the other day, the Lord Jesus at the Last Supper. They were all reclining a table and it was it was common practice that the first one to have arrived would be the one that would assume the responsibility of making all the guests comfortable by going around and washing their feet.
There wasn't anyone to do that this time. And so the Lord himself, without saying anything, he takes a towel in the basin. He gets at the feet of the disciples.
He washes their feet.
And that was before.
They were at the table. That was right at the beginning. Judas was there and it just struck me. The Lord Jesus, the Lord of glory, washed due to speed.
Judas, the one who betrayed him, who kissed.
He was there. He went out in the middle of the feast before the Lord instituted the supper. But He was there for the Passover part, and to think of the way the Lord Jesus dealt with him, even when he came to betray him. Friends, deliver this style. The Son of Man who traced out the Son of Man with a kiss, all the love that was in his heart. He did everything that was possible to do the game to win Judas's heart.
But it was not winnable, and he was like this wicked servant. Here I did not know forgiveness, and he was most miserable. Well here. What is the attitude now of God the Father toward those that do not extend forgiveness when they've been forgiven so much?
His Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors to eat till he should fail. It was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you with he from your hearts forgive not everyone.
His brother in the trespasses, that's the government of the father and his family. Sometimes when there is not blessing in a person's life, it can be traced back to an unforgiving spirit. I remember an assembly once was in a in a bad state of soul. Everyone felt it. They didn't know it was wrong, and they were.
They were. They were looking to the Lord. There were those that felt it keenly, but no one knew what was wrong.
In one low upstate morning as the basket was passed around.
It was passed to the to the wealthiest man in the town and he went to place his offering in the basket and he missed the basket and it was a coin and it rolled on the floor and then across the floor here a man that was a millionaire, a multi millionaire and he was just putting in a little coin in the collection. He was guilty of covetousness while he was dealt with.
He was dealt with because of his covetousness, and the weight that had been on that meeting lifted, And there was liberty again, and there was blessing again. Sometimes there will be a weight that is upon us, an assembly, and they don't know why and they don't know what the cause is or who is it to blame, but they can cry to the Lord. The Lord is ahead, and He is the one that will reveal in such a case. There are other cases where.
Families are loggerheads with one another rather than won't speak to one another in the same meeting. And there is not the spirit of forgiveness. There's not the spirit that ought to characterize us. God has forgiven me 10,000 talents. Who am I to withhold forgiveness to one that may only a few pence. Well, these are important principles. The Lord Jesus on the cross looking down upon those that had nailed him there, his persecutors.
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It's tormentors, totally unjust, totally unrighteous, wicked men. And he says, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Is that spirit characterized my heart? Does it characterize our hearts as those who are the recipients of infinite grace, which reach down to pick up a Wretch like me and to set me among Princess, and has set me on the road to glory? Forgive me all my sins, cleanse me from all my iniquities.
Set me on the Heavenwood Rd. Who am I there to refuse to extend forgiveness to one that comes to me and says I repent? Forgive me, I'm sorry for what I've done. I tell you to be in a position of refusing that put you in a very, very puts us in a very serious position. God will set his face against us if that is our state, and it will hinder blessing.
First, Peter 117 If you call on the Father, who without respective persons judge it according to the work of each past and kind of your so journey here in fear, fear of displeasing him.
Here, acting inconsistently with the position in which he set us. I love the little sticker that I've seen on some cars. It says forgiven, forgiven. And that is what's true of every one of us. We are a forgiven, A forgiving people, and what ought to characterize us is the grace that characterized him. Remember the woman in John 8?
These these self-righteous hypocrites, these Pharisees brought this woman taken in adultery in the very act master and Moses commanded that such should be stoned upon her to the very act. What say is thou? And he's stooping down, wrote with his finger on the ground.
And continued to ask him, and he lifted himself up, and he said he that is without cinema, without his first passage. And then he stooped down and wrote with his finger on the ground again. And being convicted from the oldest to the least, they left. And the Lord was left alone in the presence of that woman. She and he only alone have no man condemned thee, no landlord. And then he says those blessed words, Neither do I condemn thee.
Cannot come to condemn the world, but to save the world. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And here was a woman that was broken before him. He had committed a grievous sin and wasn't here to condemn the world. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing to them their trespasses. And have committed unto us the word of reconciliation We have the privilege of.
Of ministering the word of reconciliation, the ministry of reconciliation to those roundabouts. And if we are hard and austere and unforgiving and unyielding, we are misrepresenting him. We are not. We do not have on the breastplate of righteousness. We're not acting consistently with the grace that the sentence of relationship with God himself and forgiveness, 10,000 talents.
If we do not have a forgiven spirit well enough on that point, let's go back to Ephesians 6.
Stand therefore, verse 14, having your loins heard about with truth.
And having on the breastplate of righteousness, let's turn back to Isaiah 32.
The verses I'm about to read apply to the Millennium.
But they ought to be true of the assembly.
Verse one and two. Isaiah 32. Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and Princess shall rule in judgment, and a man shall be as in hiding place from the wind, and a covered from The Tempest as rivers of water, in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock and weary land. And then verse 17 And the work. This is the verse I wanted. The work of righteousness shall be peace.
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And the effect of righteousness, quietness, and assurance for governor in that day, it ought to be so in the Assembly.
The work of righteousness shall be peace, says in Second Timothy 2, describing the great house. There are gold and silver vessels, wooden and earth, and some to water, and some to dishonor. It says, if one shall have perched himself from these vessels to dishonor and separate himself from them, he should be a vessel to honor, sanctified lead for the master's use. And then he says, the youthful lusts follow righteousness, faith, love, peace.
Pretend they're calling the Lord out of pure heart. Righteousness is first do the right thing. Depart from iniquity. Let everyone that name is the name of the Lord depart from iniquity and follow righteousness, faith, love and then peace is the end result. And that's what we have here. The work of righteousness shall be peace.
And righteousness and.
Effective righteousness, quietness and assurance forever turn back to the 85th Psalm in this connection. And I was noticing this the other day in reading it, and it was very precious to my soul. In Psalm 85, verse 10, we often apply this to the cross. It's really a millennial Psalm. Again it says mercy and truth are meant together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
You see, if there's really righteousness, I don't mean self righteousness, I don't mean insisting on my way of doing things, but really righteousness, consistency of conduct in accordance with the position, the truth of God that has set me in a relationship with himself as a child of God. If there's true righteousness upheld and maintained, it will result in peace. And here it says mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness and look down from heaven. Yay, the Lord shall give that which is good, and our land shall yield her increase. Notice the last verse, Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of.
Is steps we want to be set, do we not? In the way of our Lord Jesus steps Righteousness, has set us in relationship with himself and sets us in the way of His steps. How precious. Well, I know these sounds and some of these scriptures we're looking at have a millennial picture to them, but let's turn one more to the 122nd sound which brings before us.
Jerusalem and Jerusalem is a picture of the assembly. It's the place where the Lord has placed his name. And that's what the assembly is today in this present dispensation in 122nd sound. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the House of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was the place where the Lord had set his name. Jerusalem means the dwelling in peace.
Dying in peace, Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together, that speaks of unity.
Whether the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord under the testimony of Israel, that's his presence there. The testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord that his name is there, He has placed his name there.
For there are set Thrones of judgment, the Thrones of the House of David. Righteousness is executed there. Judgment is executed there. His honor, his glory is maintained there. Discipline is exercised there.
And then it says, pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Jerusalem here representing the assembly. Every local assembly ought to be a little miniature Jerusalem dwelling in peace, where righteousness characterizes the assembly. That is, they do the right thing, that all the actions that are taken in the assembly are according to holiness and truth in Ephesians 4. And the verses right afterwards speaks of the truth as it is in Jesus, it says.
Our old man.
It says put off. You're having put off the old man with his deeds and being renewed in the spirit of your mind. And you're having put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. The new man, which is Christ, is created in righteousness and true holiness, holiness of truth, literally holiness of truth.
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So there you have the Newman with his loins girded about with truth and the wrestling righteousness on. And that's the way the new man is created to represent him. And the the end result of that action and all that goes on in Jerusalem is peace. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
We should never introduce into the assembly anything that would disturb the peace of the Saints.
Unless it is for the glory necessary, for the glory of God. Unless it's necessary for the glory of God. But there are many things that are not of a fundamental character, fundamental nature, that should not be introduced to disturb the peace of the Saints.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. That's a prayer that we ought to be praying every day when we think of the assembly where we live. We live here in Pelo. I live in Lawrenceville. We ought to be praying for the peace of the assembly where we live and all over the world. The enemy is the is the destroyer, and if he could have his way, he would destroy us. He would remove every last trace of testimony.
To the name of the Lord Jesus. If he could pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they should prosper that long. They do love the assembly. Do you love the place where the Lord has set His name? Is Is that where your affections are? Is that where your your, your? Is that where your life revolves around? Where the Lord is in the midst of His own, you pray for the peace of that place.
Peace be within my walls and prosperity within my palaces. Every assembly ought to be a place where the Saints can grow and prosper and are fed. And it's a place of peace. It's not a place where it's not a place characterized by legal criticism and and and hard, unforgiving spirits. It's a place where the grace of God is in every heart operating.
And leading us into mutual confidence in one another and going on together in peace, in peace.
That's part of the honorable our feet. The next thing that's mentioned, our feet shod in Ephesians 6 with the preparation of the gospel of peace, of peace wherever we go. We ought to exude the atmosphere of peace. We ought not to be a troublemaker. We ought not to be those that.
If we would speak of moving to another place, they would.
They are happy because wherever we tend to go, there's trouble. We ought to be men of peace. Blessed are the peacemakers. The Lord Jesus said they should be called the children of God.
Well, he goes on to say in verse 8, For my brethren and companions sakes, I will now say, peace be within thee. For my brethren and companion sakes, because of the House of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good.
Because the House of the Lord is there, Jerusalem. That's where the Lord has said his name. It's because the Lord is here, the Lord Himself is here. He is the Prince of peace. When he first appeared to his own after his resurrection, he showed him his hands in his side and said peace.
Be up to you, Ephesians 2 He is our peace who have made both 1 broken down the middle wall of partition between us, Jew and Gentile, and brought us into this one body, this one Newman, so making peace.
Is what I want to characterize our pathway going back to Ephesians 6 now?
We've had the girdle of truth.
All our.
Conduct ought to be according to the truth of the word of God. And in order for us to know that, of course we have to know this this book. We have to know where to go. We have to know the Blessed Book, so that our loins could be girded with truth.
00:45:10
Young brothers especially, I speak to you this evening. Study the word of God when you're young.
You, you, you, your minds are are supple and able to take it in and to retain it when you're young. When you get older, you forget so quickly what you've read just a short time ago, how important to be in the world and to read these precious the precious ministry, the legacy that has been left us. We happen to be in a company of Christians.
That have the greatest legacy of truth that has ever been left to any Christian company from the day of Pentecost till now. I say that without any fear of contradiction. I I read some number of the modern day writers and they are epitome in comparison with the brethren who wrote 100 years ago.
And the truths that were unfolding precious crews of Christ and His church. Read that ministry along with your Bible to be a real help in the assembly. To seek the good of the Saints, to be a blessing in the assembly they seek to be going on keeping the world out and going on in the path of separation for the glory of Christ. Down here your mind skirt about with the truth.
He is the truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness. Christ who is our righteousness, He is the righteous 1.
Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the one, the Prince of Peace. He is the one that has made peace. Your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Turn back to Romans Chapter 12 for a moment, please. Chapter 12 of Romans. You see this theme all the way through the Epistles.
Verse 17 Romans 12 Recompense to no man evil, for evil provide things honest in the sight of all men. That's having on the breastplate of righteousness, isn't it? And it could be possible, as much as lieth in you. Live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves. Don't be men of war, Don't be men retaliating an evil deed done to you with another evil deed done to the other. Avenge not yourself, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if I'm enemy hunger feed him.
If he thirst, give him drink, or in so doing thou shalt keep coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. It would be possible, as much as life in you. Live peaceably with all men. Don't ever be the one that begins a fight an argument.
Do that in the assembly. Live peaceably. Amen of peace. Do that in the world. Do that in your home.
Be a peacemaker. You know what? Immense, immense blessing will flow from it in the 13th chapter.
Verse 12.
The night is far spent, the days at hand.
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Now we've we've been reading in Ephesians 6 about putting on the whole armor of God, and here he caught. He called, speaks of the armor as the armor of light.
And all these truths that we're talking about are truths of the light.
The loins girded about with truth, the breastplate of righteousness, our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. That doesn't just mean that wherever we go we ought to be carrying the gospel. It certainly includes that. But it means that wherever we go, we ought to be manifesting peace. We have to be bringing peace into our circumstances. We ought not to be Rawlers, not to be strikers, not to be contentious.
Not to be quarrelsome. Not to be slanderers, backbiders, whisperers, evil speakers, these are all sowing discord. This is not peace. This is just the opposite of peace.
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This is falling right into the hands of the enemy.
I will feed Shah with the preparation of the gospel of peace. When you are used to carry a message which will sow discord or do an action which will divide brother from brother or sister from sister. No. So this is the arm of light. We are in the light. We are light in the Lord. What is children of light? The fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
Again, we have a righteousness of truth. You have this armor that is mentioned in Ephesians 6 all the way through the New Testament, over and over again, all the way through the Old Testament.
All of these precious characteristics that were true of him when he was here below.
He was the great peacemaker was America, the Blessed Lord himself.
Came to make peace by the blood of his cross. And so it says, cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. But as well honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and dark drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Well, in Ephesians six were to put on the whole arm of God, and here were to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
And when we put all that armor on, we had him on, don't we? Because that armor speaks in him. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith. And we'll see that in a moment as we take up faith and the helmet of salvation and so on, all these precious truths that we have as our armor, our characteristics of himself.
As it is in Jesus chapter 14.
Chapter 14.
Verse 15.
If I'd rather be grieved with thy meat, now walk us thou not charitably. Now walk us not according to love. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Look not then your good be evil spoken of. Notice, for the Kingdom of God is not needing drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. These are the moral characteristics of the Kingdom of God.
Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. This was this was his pathway pathway of righteousness. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness.
And he was the one that always manifested the truth. He always revealed the Father in all that he did. For that he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Verse 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace. And things were with one may edify another for me to try not the work of God.
Let us follow after the things which make for peace, Chapter 15, verse one. We then, that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak not to please ourselves.
Let everyone of us please his neighbor for his good, to edification, for even Christ. Please not himself. He didn't please himself. We're to walk as he walked. The righteous thing for us, the consistent thing for us to do is to live his life. He's given it to us to be lived out.
And so we are not complete ourselves.
Let's go back to Ephesians 6.
And then it says above all.
Well, verse 15 Again your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
We ought to carry the gospel of peace not only in our words, not only to preach the gospel to the lost, distribute tracks, give the word here and there, but our whole demeanor, our whole pathway, ought to be a pathway of peace, good news and peace. We ought to be the exponents in our persons of this truth that we're seeking to present. So it's how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
And to go on together in peace. And then he says in verse 16 above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, you turn to Hebrews 12, Hebrews 12, following the Faith chapter, which is Chapter 11.
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It says in Hebrews 12, verse one. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses referring to these Old Testament worthies that he's just spoken about, let us lay aside every week.
And the sin which does so easily beset us and let us run with patience for race that is set before us. Endurance. The part of patience here is endurance. It's a long distance race. It's not a Sprint. We're not on a Sprint, but we're running the race. That's going to take quite a while to get through. So it's to run with endurance, the race for the set before us. And what's the object? Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, the word our shouldn't be there. It's not our faith, but it's He's the beginner and completer of the path of faith.
He is the one that ran the course ahead of us. He ran the path of faith before we did, and he kept his eye on the gold ahead of him, who, for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand and the throne of God.
He ran the course perfectly. He is the one that is set before us as who is now on high notice, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, the beginner and completer of the path of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God for considering him, consider him again the truth, as it is in Jesus.
Where the shield of faith, when the enemy comes with his fiery darks to try to get us to question all kinds of things, maybe question things in the Bible, maybe there are passages someone has brought a passage to us that we don't understand. It seems to be contradictory to another and our faith is in danger of being shaken in the in the word of God. Or possibly trial has come into our life and it appears that that God is forsaking us.
And we know that's not true, he says. I will never leave the ignore for safety. Now faith lays hold upon those promises. Faith believes those promises. Faith reaches out and and grabs onto those promises and says, no matter what my circumstances may look like, no matter how contrary to some of the truths that I find in the word of God my circumstances may seem to be, I believe God. That's fake. I believe God. And so, as the expiring dark, so the wicked one are thrown to at us, trying to get us to question God's interest in us, His care for us, His love for us.
His compassion for us?
The shield of faith wards off those fiery ducks, those suggestions from the enemy to cause us to doubt him, and to question his goodness or his concern or his love. For me, the shield of faith towards these are.
The Lord Jesus went through this pathway down here, and he walked the path of faith. He ran the path of faith. And he had a joy set before him to be back with the Father and to have you and me with him someday, to be with himself on time. And so again we relate that truth back to him who was the one who ran, of course, perfectly before us. And he's Where does it end? Where does it end?
It ends in the building. Consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest he be worried and faint in your mind You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against him. You haven't been martyred, you haven't had to pay with your life, Paul says. He says you have forgotten the expectation which speaketh unto you is unto children, My son, despise not thou to chasing on the Lord, while faith will now have reducing him, or whom the Lord loveth, he chased them.
And scourgeth every son whom he received. I remember 2 boys were fighting in the front of a house, And the father came out, and he laid hold upon one of the boys, and he gave him a spanking. And another man who'd been watching it, said, Sir, it was the other boy's fault. And the father said that made me so. But this boy is my son, and I have taught him not to fight, and so I'm dealing with him, not with the other boy whom the Lord loveth. He chastened it. And so if he deals with us, it's the proof that he loves us.
That he takes the time to discipline us. It may not seem very pleasant at the time, no chastening, for the pleasant seemed to be joyous but grievous. But afterward deal with the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercising their life, and he doesn't. We might be partakers of His Holiness, And without holiness no man should see the Lord. He's going to have us there, and he's going to have us there in a fixed state of soul. So he puts us sometimes through the fire, and that's the proof of this law, that's the proof of his life whom the Lord loveth.
01:00:26
In chasing them back to Ephesians 6.
I spent too much time on some of these, so.
Time is running out.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, I would suggest that you study the whole 11Th chapter of Hebrews, and you'll see those those worthies of faith, those men of the Old Testament, that through faith.
Live for the glory of God. And it says there without faith it is impossible to please God. And in Second Thessalonians it says all men have no faith. I just think there are men that go through this world. They don't have any faith. They don't know what it is to believe in God, but to believe God, to trust God, you have confidence in God. What a precious, what a precious gift this is. It's a gift.
God has given us to believe it's not something we can credit ourselves with. It's given us the the, the faith that it enables us to make hold upon the precious faith that He's given to us. But we leave him and trust him to have that shield of faith to ward off all the fiery Darcy of the wicked one, as he would seek to interject doubts and questions and.
Impuning to God that which is, we know from the word of God, not true of Him. He does love us, and though we may not be able to explain all of our circumstances, now we interpret them in life of the love that was demonstrated in the cross and all its fullness force. Then he goes on to say verse 17, Take the helmet of salvation. The helmet of salvation. Salvation I believe. Here is the thought of the.
Well, we know we have salvation now. Salvation is in three tenses. We are saved. We are being saved, and we shall be saved. We are saved. We have the salvation of our souls. Right now we know we're in a subtle relationship with God. Our sins are forgiven. We're gone to justify before God. We're reconciled with His. We're being saved from all the difficulties of the way, all the trials of the wilderness. And one day we shall be saved.
It's not our sword. It's not our sword. Sometimes you'll hear someone say, well, have you brought your sword today? No. It's the sword of the Spirit. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Let me give this illustration.
Please forgive me going over just a little close as quickly as I can. This one finish this.
It's like, I heard this illustration in the conference once and I thought it was so good. Some of you may have heard it. It's like an apothecary shop person comes in and he's got a prescription written by his doctor needs this medication, and the pharmacist takes it, looks it over, and sees what ingredients have to be mixed in order to fulfill this prescription. He turns around. He goes on a shelf which just filled with all kinds of bottles, various kinds, and you'll pick this one and this one and this one, and then you'll mix it up.
According to the percentage it should be in, and the prescription is fulfilled, well, we ought to be like that, that shelf, with our bottles completely filled. We ought to be so acquainted with the word of God, that when the Spirit of God needs a scripture in order to meet a certain circumstance or certain condition in the assembly, or a certain difficulty that may have arisen in our family or in our business, whatever sphere we're in the Spirit of, God can take that scripture and bring it to our memory and enable us to act upon it.
That's the sword of the Spirit. It's his sword. But we have to have the shells filled. We have to be stole in the word of God, that the the everything is filled and the Spirit of God can then take whatever is needed for the particular occasion. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and the last, the last part of the armor is prayer. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
It's the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. And our prayer is in the Spirit. The Spirit of God will never lead us to pray contrary to the Word. He has inspired this book, he has indicted it, and he never leads us to pray contrary to the Word of God. So we pray in the Spirit, praying we always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. I should say that all these weapons, all these disarmament, I should say.
01:05:22
Is defensive except the sword of the Spirit. That's offensive and prayer. Prayer is offensive in the sense too. So we have these last two that that reach out and lay hold upon the power that is in God. He's lost to the word of God and prayer, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints. Now it's good when we pray that we pray for all the Saints, we embrace them in our affectionate affections and our prayers.
And then that we be specific. And for me Paul says, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in Barnes, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. So Paul says, pray for all the Saints, and also pray for me. We ought to have certain specific thoughts in our prayers, right specifically for certain individuals. That's very appropriate.
And also to pray for all the Saints. Our prayers should embrace the whole company of God's redeemed once, many of whom we do not know. And we may not even meet many of them when we're here. But we can certainly embrace them in our prayers as being fellow members of the one body well to close. Finally, he says, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whole arm of God.
That you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil. And having done all to stand, May God give us to put that armor out, to meditate upon it, become more acquainted with it, to study Him who is the one that exemplifies all these precious truths that we've been looking at, and hold them as the truth is in Jesus.
Let's close by seeing #130.
With Christ starting begins the Lord of truth and love. When He had purged our sins, He took his seat above 130.
With Christ, our pain begins to work.
When he has worked ourselves.
The One Body
Address—D. Bilisoly
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121 Glory unto Jesus be.
From the curse to set us free. All our guilt on him was laid. He the ransom fully paid. All that blessed work is done. God's well pleased with his son, He has raised him from the dead. Set him over all his death. This we know and cease to mourn patient weight his sure return, or his Saints with him shall reign. Come.
Lord Jesus, come and then.
Chapter 18.
Matthew Chapter 18.
Verse 20 I suppose most in the room to quote this.
Or where to?
Or three are gathered together in my name.
There am I in the midst of them.
I'll just tell you from the outset that I want to talk a little bit on the ground of gathering this afternoon.
You say, But we've heard these things, brother. And I know we have heard these things, but I believe we are very responsible to keep.
Repeating the truth for the sake of those that are coming up, and maybe for the sake of those that are a little hasty on these things.
And it's good if we have an understanding, even an outline of these things in order to give an answer.
What kind of an answer would we give if we were confronted with this question? Why do you need issue? Why do you come to this place here? What is the name of your church? What kind of an answer would we give to such questions as these? The Brethren? We don't want to just reach for an easy handle. We want to be able to give an answer that would be in tune with the word of God.
00:05:10
If we really want to help on souls. Now I know, I know, it is not easy to do so if we do so faithfully, because so many people won't understand and there may be occasions where it might be just a thing of curiosity. The Lord, of course, would give wisdom how to answer something that was a hasty.
Inquiry of mere curiosity. But it is good, though, that we be ready to give a good, sound scriptural answer if the occasion comes up, because we don't know how deep the work there may be in the soul. And certainly we want them to be let on, do we not? We want them to know these things, and it's good for us to be assured in our own souls where we stand on these things.
You know, the kings of Israel, they were required to not only read the word of God, but to write out the word of God for themselves. And I don't know that we have any record that any of them did this. And of course in the 409 years they ended on the rocks, whereas they could have continued on indefinitely. Well, anyway, here is a verse that we can decidedly definitely.
Apply in an assembly way, because it is in connection with the assembly. You know the Lord Jesus introduced this important truth as to the assembly in the 16th of Matthew. New remember says upon the confession of Peter, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, and so forth. The Lord Jesus says upon this rock that marvelous testimony.
I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And so I hear this subject comes up again, just in a passing way. But in verse 17 it is the church. It is the assembly in question, this new thing that the Lord Jesus was introducing. Not only that, in verse 18 he makes it clear that the assembly has binding and losing authority.
As the apostles did.
A marvelous thing, but the responsibility and the power is there. And and then he talks about mutual agreement. In verse 19 he talks about two of you being free. Always a spiritual agreement. It's truly the Lords mind.
In this agreement. But it seems to me as the Lord is considering this minimal testimony, just even 2 of you agreeing really having the mind of the Spirit of God, the mind of the Lord in a matter, it leads him into this verse 20 where two or three now he comes down to the very minimal testimony and it seems to me as we travel around.
That the testimony today is largely made-up of very small numbers. And often as the Lord raises up a testimony in a certain place, there may not be too many more added, at least for a long time. Maybe not again, but it's wonderful. It's lovely to see the exercise of heart that would continue on even if there's only two or three. Just like we can down there and.
In.
Louisiana.
Here are these two, maybe three that meet, and they're deeply exercised about the truth up there in New World Island in Newfoundland. Here are three that meet and it doesn't seem as though the Lord is adding anymore right now. I believe that could be a time of testing, but it's a great encouragement to my heart to see even to continue on and to.
Go on faithfully according to this truth. But.
At the beginning it wasn't that way. Of course we know it is about two, or 3000 or 5000. Finally, the last record we have of numbers in that way. But the Lord brings it right down to the minimal testimony of two or three. Two is sufficient, 3 is abundant. So here the Lord says where two or three are gathered. Now let me just say this to you and you think it over.
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Those that understand the Greek structure.
This is in the passive sense, which means it is outside mere human agreement.
It is really, truly the work of the Spirit of God. The art gathered is an important thought. It is the work of the Spirit of God to do so, where two or three are gathered together unto my name. So let's put it this way. It must be a work of the Spirit of God. But the Spirit of God of course delights together unto the name of the Lord Jesus. And the Lord Jesus himself said he that gathered not with the scattered.
You say that, oh, there seems to be so few that are truly gathered in the Lord's name. That's true because.
A man's will, as it were.
I'm thankful. I'm thankful that there is there are souls being saved. Of course the spirit of God must be active where souls are getting saved, and we can thank God for that. And we can thank God for those going on with energy seeking to reach the lost and the perishing. God is faithful in spite of math.
But there are so few truly gathered to the Lords name and that in itself ought to be an exercise because this is what God wants and this is what He will have in the coming day. We could get discouraged over the fewness of nothing, even though the Lord Jesus considered the time of weakness that I have enjoyed comparing Matthew 1820 with Second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse one. I may have brought this before you before, but take a look at that. Here's the counterpart of Matthew 1820.
First Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse one. Now we will seek you, brother, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together. Unto him. I love that that is indeed the universal gathering together.
Unto him did you ever stop and consider the force of that thought, the universal gathering together unto the Lord Jesus? You know what the rapture what takes place? Well, it speaks about the dead and Christ rising first. Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.
And 1St Corinthians 15 says they which are Christ.
Christ the first group and they Richard Christ at his coming. What does that take in? I believe that takes in all those that have faith back through the Old Testament. What a vast moment. By far the majority are in the waiting state. We're just a very small fragment of the majority of the whole. And so we were here live in the remaining of a small number compared to the vast majority.
That have gone before all the glory the Lord Jesus will have in that day when he gives a shout and he takes up those that have gone before, all those that have faith for a vast month. Now you know when we talked about the ground of gathering, I believe that this truly brings glory to the Lord Jesus and we must consider it in that life, otherwise there might be even thought of pride.
Position that would come in, but when we consider His glory in question, that changes the picture now.
Turning back over to.
First or Second Corinthians chapter 3.
That we considered this morning.
Let's take a look at that passage once again.
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Verse 12 of 2 Corinthians 3.
Seeing them that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech.
And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished, but their minds were blinded for unto this day.
Remain the same veil, and taken away in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ. But even under this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
Now the Lord is that spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all with open or unveiled face, beholding you can leave off the word in a glass the glory of the Lord. We are changed in the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Or at least it can be rendered even as by the Lord, the Spirit, you say. Why did you change it like that? Well, because I believe this passage ascribes lordship to God's Holy Spirit.
Which indicates that the Spirit of God desires to have that authority over our souls. When we use Expression Lord, that means he's Lord of individuals. That may be one reason why.
We may find it hard at times to give the Lord Jesus his proper title to Old English Lord, and so often we hear those that will not own him as Lord. This is because there is not that willingness to allow him that authority over our lives. Our Lord Jesus, well, the Spirit of God wants that authority over our lives.
That is, to bring before us the glories of the Lord Jesus.
Here we see the case with Israel. They could not even look on the face of Moses, who had been in the presence of of the Lord. And his face did shine because of being in the presence of the Lord. When he came down among the children of Israel, he had to put a veil over his face that couldn't manage it. And it's an allegory. It's a lesson, a picture.
It says.
But even unto this day, verse 15, when Moses has read, the veil, is upon their heart blown enough.
Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, what is it? That's the nation of Israel?
Well, that's not in the scope of our thoughts this afternoon. But that is a glory of the Lord Jesus which we do not want to overlook or neglect or to consider unimportant. It is very important, and it is very good to know that the Lord Jesus will have glory in Israel, He will restore them, they will turn once again to the Lord, and he will take them up as a people.
It's good to understand.
Have some understanding of these prophetic things in scripture, because there are those that that would get us twisted up on these things, and you have those that that hold a teaching called on millennialism that has even prepped in a little among us and it would consider that we are now in the Millennium. It's all a spiritual thing that there will not be any true actual Millennium, which means no peace or restoration of Israel.
That would be taking away.
That belongs to the Lord Jesus. And so they'll see then. But that isn't our problem now, no?
We have the Spirit of God. Thank God for that. We have the Spirit of God dwelling within us as Christians, as believers. And where the Spirit of it, the Lord is, there is liberty, where the Spirit of God has His place, His authority, His Lordship.
There is liberty. So with no bail, we can look into these glories of the Lord Jesus, one glory after another in their innumerable wonderful to consider the glories of the Lord. And if it is so, if we enjoy the glories of the Lord as we should, it has a transitional effect upon our souls. It changes into the same image from glory to glory. That's what God wants. That's what he desires, brethren, for each one of us.
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Do we really enjoy?
Considering the glories of the Lord Jesus, well, it's wonderful. This is our desire and the Spirit of God certainly wants to have that authority upon our hearts. Now I believe, and when we consider this question of the ground of gathering, I would like to consider in a four fold way, which is exceedingly important. The old writer certainly verify this and I believe that considering these four points.
In connection with the ground of gathering the Lord's glory is certainly before us in all four aspects of that consideration.
Turnover fees to solutions.
This is #1.
And let me assure you once again that we.
Seek to give somewhat of an outline of these things in our own minds and hearts. You'll find that exceedingly useful because we will be confronted with these things. And isn't it good if we're able to give an answer for the hope that lies within us? Why do we value it where we are? And can we answer an honest inquiry over that question well here in Colossians chapter One?
We have a clear cut reason.
Why his name is worthy as a Divine Gathering, Center, Philosophy, Chapter One.
Verse 14.
In whom the Lord Jesus we have redemption you can.
Leave off through his blood. Now I realize that's very important and over in Ephesians it is there for thought prevention through His blood. But I don't believe it is here in this passage because it is the person in Colossians that the Spirit of God is bringing before us. Just simply the person. Not so much the work, but the person of Christ in Him.
In whom we have redemption or in whom we have redemption?
Even the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature?
Now this thought of image here I believe is representative. And the Lord Jesus as a man here in this world perfectly represented God, whose Father Philip could say, shows the Father and he satisfies and the Lord says milk about him. So long with you and you have not moved. You have not known. He that has seen me, has seen the fire. It's because the Lord Jesus so perfectly represented the Father. I am my Father.
Are one Now this thought of preeminence is certainly the first born is certainly preempt.
That's all, Father. We have to go with that thought.
For by him verse 16 were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by him.
And for him And he is before all things, and by him all things consist of subsist.
Now cast the children.
Probably say that God created all things. That's true. God the Son, all things were created by the Lord Jesus and forth. And isn't that nice? Doesn't that magnify his person? And He's before all things, and by him all things consist of subsist. That is, he just sustains everything, not only the Creator, but the sustainer of the universe.
Do we take that in, brother, that even on the cross of Calvary, when he was hanging between heaven and earth, he was sustaining all things for the word of his power? Oh, but majestic thoughts and marvelous to consider. Verse 18.
And he is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning.
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First born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence or please the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell. Here in fossils especially we can see how the Apostle almost belabor that point of the preeminence of the Lord Jesus of thoughts that we can't hardly explain. How would you explain?
Verse 19. That in him should all fullness dwell? How would you explain it? Well, that's a mysterious thought. Certainly deity is there in that thought, but how can we explain it? He's before all things. By him all things exist in all things he must have the preeminence. And then verse nine of chapter 2 Says for in him.
Dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead.
Bodily And you are completing him. Now that's exceedingly important in connection with the problem, their philosophy, because they were being subverted by a kind of philosophic Judaism that is coming under the law, but in a philosophic way, something that was interesting to the mind, mysterious, and as though it added something to our Christianity.
We don't need anything added to our Christianity. We're completing him. So if anybody confront you, friends or neighbors or fellow school companions or whoever, and says you need something like the second blessing of the spirit of God, you know it's only your lacking something. Oh no, no, you can say no. We have all the book says. We have all. We're blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
And you can see, no, we are complete. It's lovely, isn't it, to just give a scriptural answer in that way. That's what Paul sought to tell these clausions, you don't need these extra things. They're going to corrupt you. They're going to pervert you. You need to realize you are complete in hearing. Turn over to Ephesians. Now back up to Ephesians.
Ephesians, chapter one. We get some of the same thought.
In Ephesians Chapter one.
Speaks about Christ.
That in verse 21.
That well, verse 20 and has set him at his own right hand.
In the heavenly places, far above all principality and power.
And might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and have put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him, That filleth. All in all you know those Egyptian brethren, I mean not old brethren, young brother.
Really into the word of God. And sometimes they come up with some rather puzzling things and out of the clear blue they were asking some questions and one young brother said, what are the three fullnesses of Ephesians? I said well I have to take a look at it.
But we have one here in verse 23, the fullness of him that filleth All in all. Well, now Ephesians brings before us in a very special way the Church, Christ and the Church. And so here the church is owned as his body, and not only as his body, but the fullness of him that Philip all known. What statements of Scripture, what does that tell us?
Well, certainly one thought we gather from this.
Is that the church is a compliment to him like a wife would be a compliment to her husband.
And so.
He speaks of the Church. Here is the fullness of him, that Philip All in all one place of divine favor.
You know, let me just say something to you. I am bewildered when I consider the vast multitudes in the world today that are in darkness, even when we were over in Egypt, is strictly against the law to evangelize the Muslims. You could be put in jail and fined for doing so. And you look into the faces of those four people, and for the most part, they're unhappy and they're in darkness.
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And you just have to say, shall not the judge of all the earth do right? The Lord knows their measure of responsibility. He knows the responsibility of all. And His love and compassion for poor need souls far exceeds our best thoughts about these things. And we can have full confidence that the Lord knows all about it and He cares for me.
And it may well be that many and it may well be that many of them will have opportunity after we're gone.
Many not having any clear knowledge of the gospel, and perhaps multitudes of them, even those poor dark Muslims will believe that gospel after we are gone. But I tell you what divine favor has been shown us, especially in these favorite lands of Christianity, that we not only hear and know the way of salvation freely, but we have Bibles in our homes.
And we can know the truth, and some know even this precious truth of the divine center, the truth of the ground gathering. But we're laying the groundwork of the importance of these things now, here it emphatically says in verse 21 That he has a name which is above every name.
Now let's put it this way.
If someone confronted you and said.
Well, what is the name of your church? What kind of answer did you give them? I mean an honest inquiry.
Well, wouldn't it be nice, brother?
If we could say, well, we just do not hold any other name but the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, his name is sufficient for salvation. Any Christian would agree with that. Is his name not sufficient then for all things, and especially as the divine gathering center.
That's the force of Matthew 1820, the Lord Jesus says, where two or three are gathered together under my name, there my in the midst of them. And I really believe that the Lord will acknowledge that in the coming days, because it says very plainly there in Revelation 3 about those who have kept His word and not denied His name.
How can we deny his name?
I believe that's one way that we can deny His name. If we hesitate to own him as the only name by which we gather, it's an easy way out to say we're part of the brethren or whatever. But if we own his name, oh how important that is to give him the glory in that place. The Spirit of God delights to do that. Back up here to Philippians. Chapter 2 here again.
We see how.
The Lord Jesus went all the way down.
I believe you can trace seven steps downward. You'd have to use Mr. Darby's translation to get it, but I believe you can trace seven steps downward. And then in verse 9 and 10:00 and 11:00 you can trace seven steps up.
Let's read verse 9. Wherefore God also have highly exalted him and given him a name or the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.
Of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
I can well remember a time when a group of Christians were having an open air meeting on the street corner. And right across the way was a group of people that were listening and they were interested in hearing what they were hearing until the speaker began to quote Philippians 29 and 10. And then they all turned away and walked off. Imagine imagine that. They didn't want to hear such a quotation as that.
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They just did not want to hear it and they turned away from it. But it will be true. It will be true. They must acknowledge the glory of that name. Now whether verse 9 is the same name as verse 10, I don't know. It doesn't really make any difference. The thought before us is that he has a name which is above every name and then verse 10 tells us that at the name of Jesus every nation.
Will honor that name. He will have that name honored, and that name is greatly dishonored today. Oh, there's a superficial sort of thing, but really, in truth, that name is dishonored. Brethren, we can honor that precious name by openly, honestly acknowledging that not only do we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, but we are gathered to His precious name.
That glorifies him. Let's keep that in mind. Because we made the great attempted to take a shortcut, we may be tempted to hedge around what we really know and believe in our hearts. Well, I think that that's fair enough. How God would exalt that name.
And honor that name and we can honor to now turn over to John's gospel. And let's go into the second point here in our consideration of the ground of gathering.
Which is so important if you can.
Catalogue this in your mind. I believe it will be a help to do chapter 14.
But opportunities arise over this question, a way in which you can really honor and glorify the Lord.
Now in chapter 14 the Lord Jesus is introducing another personality here, verse 16, And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever.
Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot perceive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but you know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Mars.
Chapter.
Well, let's notice verse 27.
At verse 26.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to you your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you, Chapter 15.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which perceive it from the Father, he shall testify of me, and ye also shall bear witness, because he have been with me from the beginning. Chapter 16.
Verse 13.
How be it? When he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of or from himself. But whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. Notice especially verse 14. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
Now you can see very plain the work of the Spirit of God. I came into an assembly one time for a reading meeting back east.
And there was a man that came in, I did not recognize before. I knew most of the other Brethren, but this fellow took quite a part in the reading in the Brethren seemed to acknowledge him.
And afterwards I got into a little conversation with him. And somehow or another we got onto the subject of the Spirit of God. And he made this statement, this remark. He says, well, the Spirit of God is an influence. I said what? And he says the Spirit of God is an influence. I said, Oh no, I said the Spirit of God is more than an influence. The Spirit of God is a person. He says, Oh no, no, I said look, now let's just take a look here.
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Bible says he, he, he will show you all things and so forth. There's a person in question here. Oh, no, no, he wouldn't have it. And he was adamant over that line of things. Well, what could I do that mourn the brethren about him? You know, I fear for a thing like that. You don't know what it may lead into. Know the Spirit of God is the first thing and how we need to realize that not only in connection with the fact that he dwells within us, each one of us individually.
But we need to realize this in connection with what is due to him.
The liberty that ought to be his in the assembly or in the Christian testimony.
But tragic to say, the Spirit of God has been formally shut out. Now, I'm not talking about individuals. There may be many faithful individuals, but the whole structure of what is accepted now, and to put it in plain language, it is the notion of a clergyman. There is nothing in scripture that answers to that and that the structure of that thing.
Has really interfered with the liberty of the spirit of God. In many cases. Has blocked the way for the spirit of God to function as he pleases. You know, it's a most interesting thing. I don't know how many of you have read anything about the the Welsh Revival that took place over several years ago, and I think one of the.
The main leaders in that work was Amanda, the name of Kevin Roberts. I don't know all that much about it, but this I do know that it was a real work of the spirit of God. Obviously there were many, many souls that were saved well from darkness into God's marvelous light, and they all felt so grateful over this work of God by his spirit.
That they decided to have a meeting, this last particular occasion, and they all circled around and they left one empty chair for the divine guest, as it were. And they determined that they would not prearrange this meeting. They would just simply go as they felt that at the Spirit, and they had a most lovely time together. It's like our gracious God to do that, she said.
And they just simply waited on the leading of the spirit of God. Well, in the article about this the writer said how nice it would have been. Have they continued in that same sense of dependence upon the Spirit of God. But at any rate, the Spirit of God ought to have that liberty. That is a very important.
Principle in connection with this line of things.
Turn over now to First Corinthians chapter 12. You can see the way we're going.
Now in this 12Th chapter of First Corinthians.
We have.
Spiritual Manifestations in verse seven. That's the thought of it. It's really, that's what it really is. It begins with gifts, you see, but the gifts are in italics in the first verse.
There are gifts included there, but the subject matter is the way in which the Spirit of God would manifest himself.
And so we have different things mentioned here.
In manifestations of the Spirit, But it's all one in the same spirit. That's the whole key.
And people have difficulty with these chapters. They have great difficulty.
With chapters, especially chapter 1112? No, it's a 12 and 14 from there.
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We knew a young fellow.
That was sent up to a Christian School against his will. Well, I'll just tell you very plainly it was a place called Three Hills, Alberta.
And I'm not telling you question just how sound that place was. I don't know. But against his will, he was sent there. And so he had a one of his classes. They were taking up First Corinthians.
And I asked him. I said.
Did you get all the way through the book? Yeah.
I said what did they do when they got to chapters like chapter 12 and Chapter 14? He said they bridged it, he says. They made some statement that there are some that attempt to practice this, but we don't believe it can be today. Well, now, brethren, of course, it's very important to consider whether or not some of these gifts are still in effect.
Like Tums in.
Interpretation of it Verse 10. Well, we have other scriptures that we can consider. For instance, in chapter 13 it says in verse 8 charity never failed. That is, divine love never fails. That means it's durable. That doesn't mean that we fail at the grace of God, that's another thing. But this is talking about the durability of divine love. It never fails. It goes on eternally.
But prophecies will fail. Why? Because the prophetic things come to pass.
Are there prophecies in the word of God that have been fulfilled? Yes, there are. Did you know that?
There are some prophecies that have been fulfilled, for instance those most of those things in Daniel Chapter 11 have already come to pass, but they have come to pass with such accuracy pertaining to the activities of the kings of the North and the kings of the South earlier.
In Israel's history, or during the rather, I should say, during the 400 silent years they came to pass so accurately that critics of the Bible says, oh, those things have to be written afterwards because they were so accurate. Oh no, we know better than that, and every bit of prophecy will come to pass perfectly accurately.
One thing will miss but.
They do have their use and they fail. Whether there's be tongues, they shall cease and I really believe the tongues have ceased. Now I wouldn't want to go into a lot of question and discussion over that, maybe in regard to some very foreign places, but they have ceased. We don't need thumbs in the land of Bibles, and the tongue gift was a sign gift not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.
So it was never in the mind of God that that that gift should be used and abused in the assembly. And so these things do cease, and we need to recognize that as far as that goes, even knowledge.
Will vanish away. That is what the only knowing part.
When that which is perfect is come, and that which is in part shall be done away, because our understanding of the Word of God and so forth is only partial, and it may not be just altogether, as it should be, thank God for that precious truth which we do know and can rest upon and are assured of, but.
The functioning of the Spirit of God, the way the Spirit of God manifests himself, should not cease by any means, and we have other passages of Scripture that clearly indicates.
That the Spirit of God ought to have that liberty. Well, brethren, I believe that's a very important.
A very important truth. And you see what the Spirit of God delights to do. He delights to magnify the person of Christ. He delights to glorify him. And if he has that liberty, there's a better chance that it may be so. Now there's failure, of course.
But at least the way is open.
Men may intrude, but still.
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Where allowances made for the Spirit of God to have that liberty, that's a good thing, and that is an essential thing in connection with this precious truth. Now you see how that leads us right into the truth of the one body. And that's the Third Point I want to stress this afternoon in connection with the ground of gathering. Is this true?
In connection with the one body you see verse 12 or by or as the body is 1 and have many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ or the Christ is like Adam and Eve, he called their name Adam or by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles?
Whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit, I believe that brings the individual thought before us, as we have in John Chapter 7. If any man fears, let him come unto me and drink. And the Lord Jesus was Speaking of the Spirit of God in that connection. But here we have the body of Christ introduced to us. This is the most important subject. And brother, we are committed to this truth and practice now.
Because it's only now that we can practice this truth.
When we are home in the glory, this truth will not be in effect again. But it is now that we can practice this truth and it glorifies the Lord Jesus because he is head of the body, the church. The head is in heaven, the body is here on earth, and if the body functions in practice as it should, it acknowledges the head and heaven.
But now let me just say this before any more remarks are made. That of course, of course, every true born again believer right here in Pelham, throughout Iowa, the United States, Canada and the world are members of the Body of Christ. We know them.
We thank God for every true member of the Body of Christ. But this is a crucial test to practice this truth. A crucial test, One of the most crucial parts of the test is in connection with discipline. And of course, when a person is disciplined, it has no bearing upon their position in the body of Christ. Not at all. Oh no, it's only in connection with the assembly as such.
But I'm talking about the practical truth of it. That is the holding to this unity set before us here. That if one is our fellowship and one assembly, they are out of fellowship in every assembly of those gathered to the Lords name. That's a pretty cold test.
But this is a very important thought.
When I was in Egypt, we were a little into these things.
And I made this remark that raised a good deal of question. But these dear Egyptian brethren are unfeigned, and they're knowledgeable in the word, And if they don't quite agree with the thing or understand it, they'll correct you on the platform, so to speak.
Now, correction, everything is done through translation. So if there's a pause, then, you know, maybe there's something that they're not sure of. And the translator may say, would you repeat that again or would you explain what you meant by that? But I made this remark. I said, you know, I said.
We see the importance of practicing this truth now.
Because when the Lord comes, this truth will not be.
Truly longer will be with the Lord. It would be another picture of the Church.
And those that are going on are in a different waiting place.
And so Paul tries to reinforce the truth of resurrection by saying.
Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead of the dead rise not?
And you know, the Mormons have taken a verse like that and made a doctrine out of them, a tremendous doctrine. They have a huge subterranean vaults over in Utah where they keep vast amount of records. They have gone through the genealogies of perhaps every county in the US and they take all of these records and they hire people that will be baptized by proxy for these people.
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They have built a whole doctrine on that line of thought. And of course, these Egyptian brethren immediately wanted some clarification on that passage of scripture. Well, the best illustration I can think of is a division of soldiers. I said, you have army divisions here, don't you? Oh, yes.
So I said, let's take, for instance, a division called 104th Egyptian Army Division. I said That may be a real old division. Maybe it dates back for for decades, maybe 2 or 300 years. He knows. And as time goes on, many of those soldiers have died off in battle. Some have been retired. Certainly after a couple 100 years, they're all gone.
There's none of the same original soldiers.
There's brand new soldiers that have replaced them so that there's none of the original 104th division of soldiers, but the 104th division is still there. It's still in existence. That's like the body of Christ. Now. There are those that have gone on to be with Christ. There are others that have stepped in the ranks and that all baptism does is identify a person with Christ.
When it says else what shall they do who are baptized with the dead, it just simply means that they are taking their place in the Christian ranks. It has no bearing upon the dead person, only that.
There was that vacancy, like the 104th Division and the newcomers.
Are taking their place. Well, you know, it's a wonderful thing to be identified with the Lord Jesus and baptism, but oh how wonderful it is to truly be gathered through his name according to the truth of the one body. That is a very important truth. And that brings glory to Christ now. And the Spirit of God wants to bring the glory of Christ in that way.
Before believers, if they will have it. What a precious truth, brother. How much do we value it? The last three points that we consider the worthiness of his name, the liberty of the Spirit of God, and the truth of the one body held in practice today. But there's another very important aspect in our closing here in Hebrews chapter 13.
For the glory of Christ.
In this line of truth.
Verse 13.
Let us go for Hebrews 13.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 13.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach.
Now it's a person that we go fortnight to. That is a very important thought in connection with separation otherwise.
Separation could be an exclusive thing and not correct in this thought, if we don't consider that it is done as unto the person, it is unto him.
That we go forth. It is unto him that we are separated. And of course you tie in these truths for a second Timothy, Chapter 2.
And other places. And we see how vitally important it is to hold in the truth of the ground together in separation. It can't be held in the other way, or it's corrupted and it's spoiled. So that truth must be held in separation. But the glory of it is that it is a person.
That we are drawn unto, that's what makes the difference. Not just simply a matter of cutting off, as it were, of just a wholehearted separation, but the recognition that it is unto a person. That's the 4th and important point in this connection. I trust everyone thinks of these things, considers these things. I believe it is vital to what we claim to hold.
01:00:05
Position right now.
Shall we pray?
The Riches of His Grace to You
Gospel—D. Bilisoly
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Message.
Behold, the Savior at the door He gently knocks, has knocked before.
Has waited long. Is waiting still.
You use other friends, so I'll open the door you'll enter in and stuff with you and you with him, but sing #4 first.
They hold.
On yeah, and we love.
Grave love.
Let's see also number 79 in the book 79.
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The side for Christ today.
And God salvation seed, yield soul and body, heart and will to him who died. For the Christ alone can save, break the power of sin, Christ fully satisfied.
The heart that pleads to him.
79.
Beside the right.
And.
Myself.
And yell me there. And by the way.
Your judgement brave.
Long and Slave brave.
Power of sin.
Right now, all make you smile as far as.
Now let's ask.
All, there's the verse in Romans.
That we should read.
Romans chapter 2.
In Romans chapter 2 and verse 4.
Romans chapter 2, verse four Or despises oh, the riches of his goodness.
And forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God.
Leadeth thee to repentance.
That's a striking statement of Scripture that has impressed me a good deal.
Because I believe that that scripture states a fact.
Not necessarily the thought.
That one would appreciate or recognize the goodness of God.
That leads them to repentance, but the fact of the matter, it is his goodness.
00:10:06
But what does it take in order to lead a soul to their felt need of independence? I am sure. I am confident that God would much rather speak in a gentle voice of appeal to the heart and to the conscience, just like it says about Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto those things.
Which he heard God does not want to put people through great trouble and difficulty in their lives in order that they be saved. But he may do that because it's the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance, Oh dear one through to my dear boys or girls, or any of you older ones.
How long have you been resisting the grace of God when down in your hearts you know that you should decide for Christ today, and he's been knocking at your hearts door. I believe that everyone here in the room tonight has heard a gospel more than once, even the youngest one. Even this very day you've heard the weight of salvation at least touched on.
We have several times.
But how long do we go on in this way? Just caring and knowing these things, but not applying it to ourselves, Not making a positive decision for Christ ourselves, Oh dear ones, here tonight. The work is done, it's finished. The Lord Jesus on the South of Calgary, he says. It is finished.
I don't want to try to dissect those words, but God can speak of those things that be not as though they be. The work was not complete yet, but it was finished. The Lord Jesus was about to exhaust that judgment, or he did exhaust that judgment, and he was about to dismiss his spirit. And I believe what Scripture says.
And he says it is finished. There's nothing that we can add to it. It is a complete word. And as we had in Colossians this morning, we are complete in him. Oh, that's wonderful. That's so lovely. But I appreciate this scripture because I can relate in my own experience to the truth of this.
But we don't want to trifle with the grace of God.
Because we may, we may be too late, we may go too far and God may close the door on us, just like those, those five foolish that had ample opportunity and yet they were not ready. You know, it's a very solemn thing to consider those 10 virgins of Matthew 25 because outwardly, I believe they all look delighted.
Outwardly you could not tell the difference and that's a great difficulty because people, if they are in the company of true born again believers, sometimes they'll take on those outward characteristics.
Their way of life will seem upright. Hebrew 6 indicates that sort of thing. How they may be kept for much? How outwardly?
There may seem to get right here. That's a tragic thing to consider, That fact that they looked like those that were real, but they were lacking that vital element. They didn't have oil to keep their lamps going and so that was the exposure when the real test came and that could be the test. That's very nice. As I look in your faces here tonight, I can't say that this one or that one is or isn't a Christian. I could assume that most here are believers.
I feel satisfied about that because I know you enough. I've heard you confess the name of the Lord Jesus. That I wouldn't presume to say. I believe everyone here is a believer is a born again believer. And maybe you have been imitating Christianity for a long time, or at least for a certain length of time. And maybe the others are saying, well, I think they're a Christian, but.
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You know between yourselves and God, whether or not you're real. Have you been to Jesus with cleansing powers? We read as we sing in the little hymn. Do you really know your sins are gone?
That they're taken away by precious blood of Christ, The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all sin. You know God has expressed salvation in so many different ways. We can't miss the point, and the truth of it certainly cannot be lost through honest translation. But God has expressed these things in such a way that we can't miss the point. He wants man to know and to believe and to receive.
And what a wonderful thing it is if you know the Lord Jesus, if you have received it, is your own precious savior. But have you truly received it? As you're saying? Can you honestly say, I know that I'm saved? I have put my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
I know that my sins are God.
Well, I think this is a lovely thing, knowing the goodness of God, not knowing that is putting aside this truth that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. What will it take in order to bring you to repentance?
I don't doubt that God has used the fear of of the consequences that lead souls to repentance, but it's his goodness. It's because he wants souls to be saved.
Some years ago.
As we would talk to each other about our experience, I've had people say to me, how are you saying, I have said to others, how are you saved? I remember some time ago asking Jim Barton, how were you saved and he said, well, I always dreamed and hoped that I could be on a train so that see these trains, the local motives of the steam engines come through our area at the farm area.
And he says, oh, he says, I just so wish that I could be an engineer. He said that when he was a young boy and this train stopped, saw him, I suppose watching. And the engineer called him up. He went up to the train and it was a steam engine. He got into the engine and he was awed by everything that he saw. And then the engineer opened up this fire door, and Jim looked in there and he saw his.
Terrible heat and fire, and he said to me, he says that's terrifying, He says the first stop that went through my mind was an eternal heaven.
The latest class, and he claimed that that seemed to be the turning point in his life. Well, what can we say about those things?
It is the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance. So you think that things are just going to continue on indefinitely as they are. It will come to a sudden end. You know, we hear these tragedies in the world, and I suppose all these multitudes of people in Armenia, there in the South of Russia, thought all was well until suddenly here comes a terrible earthquake.
And these flimsy structures and down comes all of this degrees and various people alive.
And I thought of that. There must have been some that had some light for a while. So many they could not get to. They were so disorganized and they couldn't use the equipment properly that was being flown in. And so here were people, some that could barely hear the crimes. They couldn't get to them. Those people, many of those people had lots of time to think. You can't be sure that you would have.
Anytime you know any length of time to think about these things and to make a decision.
You have that responsibility right now to make a decision because Scripture says boast not by self of tomorrow without most, not what a day may bring forth. And Scripture very plainly says in 2nd Corinthians 6 two, behold, now is the accepted time now now is the day of salvation. God gives us no guarantee whatsoever that we'll have even till 7:30.
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Our time may be suddenly cut off. Or you say, well, only conditions are good here in Iowa. That's no problem at all. Don't be so sure of things. Things can happen very suddenly. You have no assurance that you're not right over a hole here right now.
And there could be an earthquake. Scripture speaks of earthquakes in diverse places. We didn't believe, we didn't think that this was any great problem of where we live. But sure enough, on 2 occasions we expect we experienced a real earthquake tremor.
One occasion it rattles their dishes and the windows of this brothers home where we were visiting. He was giving thanks at the time for the supper meal and it was so alarming that he stopped. He stopped his prayer and then he finished. And then we all said that must have been a nerve way up in New Brunswick. How strange. And I went to.
Visited an area and I couldn't get lodging and at this grooming place they said if you go down the road there, there's some kind people that might take you in. So I did and sure enough, they very kindly took me in for the night. And so as we sat there after the evening hour, evening meal, this man, he wasn't a Christian.
But he began to tell me about a very hard experience that he went through in Lamley.
Now this happened without warning and this little community was in the Berean Peninsula and it was down near the coastal area, which so many of these communities are because that's where the fishing was and that's where their livelihood was. So many of the people built their homes right down at sea level where it was convenient to get to their stages, where they kept their fishing gear and what have you.
And he said that he went up from the town this morning and he went up to look at some sheep or goats they had up on the hillside. And he barely got up upon this hillside. And here come a tidal wave, a tidal wave right in onto this community and just swamped this little community of lamely down on the coast. And suddenly 11 People had gone into eternity just like that.
People, there are 11 People, no morning whatsoever. It just came suddenly and they were gone. Well, as I talked to him, you know, I tried to bring before him the need of his own soul and the very fact that it was the goodness of God that spared him from what could have been his sudden death down in loudly. That wave went on down. The coastal area and other communities got hit and some drowned.
But he put it off and he was an older man. That to me is tragic, to consider such a thing as that.
Did he not realize it was the goodness of God that spared him? It is the goodness of God that brings you to repentance, to consider what he had escaped from. Oh, what a mercy if he had turned to the Lord in that extremity. I feel confident that in the end result.
There will be many souls in glory as a result of some of these terrible things, I believe In the extreme moment, perhaps many realize their desperate need, and they turn to the Lord. You know, It says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. What does that mean? It means just what it says if a person in sincerity, in the extremity of their condition.
Says Lord Jesus, Satan.
I believe that they'll be safe. Oh, I read a pathetic account of a Cambodian that was under the terrible conditions of Pol Pot over there destroying his people. And this poor man was so distressed and he knew that he could die at any moment and he didn't know which God to try to and so he he thought of well try Jesus. I'll try. Buddhist. I'll try. I'll try I'll try this relative that relatively.
00:25:18
Well.
The Lord knows the heart.
And where there is true fear of God, he knows.
But everyone here in this room knows the gospel, and this becomes a serious matter.
And those in distress that really call upon the Lord sure that he will save them. But we also have a scripture that says he or she, being often reproved, part of his neck or her neck shall suddenly be destroyed. And that without remedy. How long are you going to resist the grace of God and harden your hearts against his love, and appeal to you seeking to reap your conscience?
And give you to realize through his word.
That you need him the same. How long are you going to resist the grace of God? You could be cut off suddenly, and I believe that has happened to to many people. Knowing that the goodness of God leadeth me to repentance, even though it may take some extreme situation. I read another account of a man who was who was in the service, I believe, and he went to this famous coconut.
Grove nightclub. This was back in the Second World War.
I believe it's in Boston and they didn't have the fire safety codes then that they do now, and even now they slip up. We know that. But here he was in this congested place and fire broke out and people just stabbed, heated for the limited exit. And they just piled up. They couldn't get out. They suffocated. They piled up and.
Most old. Many people died in that fire.
It was quite a famous thing, this man, he got through to the exit that he was severely burned, terribly burned, and they rushed him off with others to the hospital and they didn't think there was any hope for him. He had lost so much of his skin, the surface was burned and they didn't know whether or not they could save him, but.
They worked on him and they worked on him and as they were able to restore some vital signs and then it was a long, long convalescence and he had to have lots of skin grafts and what they did, this thing and that thing, surgeries.
And I believe after several months, amazingly he recovered from that terrible fire and the effects of it.
I really think that God was speaking that young man and probably had spoken to him a number of times, I don't know, but in the account this was a true account he.
He later got a job as a forest Ranger or as a some sort of a Ranger, a warden, and he was in the Jeep in some remote area and the Jeep overturned, pinned him, ignited with the gasoline pouring out, and he burned to death.
Now what do you say to that? I don't know. I don't know, but it seems very solemn to me, and it seems as though God was speaking to it and he would not hear. Well, this is a very solemn verse to consider, knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. I was talking to a fellow one time at work in Denver.
And I mentioned to him about the end of this world. Indeed, it will come to an end. And he said, isn't there a verse that says the world will last forever? Well, I can't do what he was talking about. I'm going to show you this verse. Turn over to the book of Ecclesiastes.
We might look at some other verses in Ecclesiastes, but just look at chapter one of Ecclesiastes. Now this shows the importance of keeping the scriptures in their context.
00:30:00
I believe this is the verse he was searching for, but I told him I said you show me, but I believe he was searching for this verse.
Verse four of Ecclesiastes, chapter one.
It says one generation passeth away and another generation cometh, but the earth abideth forever.
Consider the limited view of the one here in Ecclesiastes. He's considering things under the sun, everything under the sun. There's no divine revelation that goes beyond that.
He had opportunity to analyze everything in life under the sun.
Was a king, so he had great wealth and power. Not only that, he was no doubt the wisest. He was the most knowledgeable man of his times. He's compared with some other mighty men of intelligence of his day, and he exceeded them. He exceeded them. So he had the ability to make an analysis like this, but I don't believe he was in a very good state of soul.
In doing it. But he comes up again and again and again with this conclusion that in this life that's all we have, everything is vanity and vexation of spirit. What are you living for?
Dear ones, here tonight, do you not know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? Do you not know that through Him you can have life eternal that never ends? And as scripture says, as a scripture we read on a brother's wall, tonight in Thy presence is fullness of joy, and that thy right hand are pleasures forevermore. All the portion of the believer is sold above our best thoughts.
Things down here.
It is a beautiful pursuit to seek after the things of this world, to satisfy and to gratify us. And so here's one that had the ability to make all of this experiment and all these areas of pleasure and success and what have you done? And he says all his vanity and vexation of spirit. So he's considering things under the sun. He has no divine revelation as yet.
About this world. It had not come. Do we have a divine revelation about this world? Yes, we do. You can hold your place here if you want and turn over to Peter Second Epistle.
The Second Epistle of Peter.
Chapter 4.
Chapter 3.
Let's read a little of this third chapter.
This second epistle, beloved.
I now now write unto you. And by the way, you know when scripture addresses people as beloved, it's because they're real. If you don't know the Lord Jesus is your savior, you have not right to that title or that terminology. And so Peter is writing to those that know Christ as their Savior, who are sheltered by His Precious Blood, and so he can reveal to them future things, things that were made known to Peter.
I know right unto you.
In both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance.
That she may be mindful of the words which were spoken before of the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days, scoffers walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? Well, we certainly know we're in the last days, because there are no talking in this fashion.
It's very true. For since the Father's fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation, They're assuming the very ignorance that we consider there in Ecclesiastes, the world of it forever. For this they willingly are ignorant of that by the Word of God the heavens were old, and the earth standing out of the water, and in the water whereby.
00:35:16
The world that then was being overflowed with water, perished, You know, it's an interesting thing. Of course. We rest on the word of God with confidence of its truth.
But it is an interesting thing that some account of a flood has shown up in nearly every ancient civilizations records that they have discovered.
So archaeology has really brought a lot to light.
There's an interesting book, Not that we rely upon things like that as a fruit of the word of God, but true science.
Only confirms the word of God. Never have they found any contradiction. But there's an interesting book I have enjoyed called The Dead Men Do Tails by a Man by the name of Harry Rimmer. He was an archaeologist and he verifies.
Somebody findings in these excavations of ancient civilizations and this is one of the things that he mentioned is that there is some account of a flood in all these ancient civilizations where they carry their record down.
Now we rest upon the word of God. But that is an awesome thing to consider, that this world was at one time covered with water. God had to do it. He had to do it because every thought of the heart of man was only evil continued, and the three basic corruptions were abounded. Violence, wickedness, falsehood.
And so God finally had to bring it to a close.
We were helping a brother try to dig a well about maybe 120 or 30 feet above the sea level, and as we dug down into that top strata, we came into a layer of sea shells, I decided.
Layer of beach beach area obviously scramble seashells.
Oh, how interesting. No doubt at one time it gave some indication of the water level.
But think of the ceremony of this whole world being overflowed with water. And yet there was ample opportunity to get into the earth, the only place of refuge. And so, as we see that God kept the door of that article for seven days, even after Noah and his family went oh, there is so much that indicates the heart of God.
Throughout the Old Testament, judgment is God's strange work. And right here, in this third chapter of Second Peter, we see the heart of God. It is here plainly.
Verse 7. Now here's the other side of the warning. But the heavens and the earth, which are now by the same word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition.
Of ungodly men he mentions that again verse 12, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.
Nevertheless we according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.
While you will hear, this is an extremely solemn picture to consider that God has given.
Clear words as to the end of this world. It will come to an end.
And time is nothing to God. Verse 8 indicates that.
But verse 9 is so lovely. Here's here's the heart of God that comes out in the midst of all this most solemn pronouncement. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us. We're not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance like we read earlier. It says scoffers shall come in the last day saying, Where is the promise of His coming?
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Why has he not come? We as believers long for the Lord's coming. That is the rapture to take us out of this world. I don't believe that's what's in question. But still, when the Lord takes us out of this world, it will surely be the judgment upon Christendom, upon those who have the gospel and yet refused it. It certainly will. But this question of.
The long-suffering of God. God is not slack concerning his promise, but he does not want to bring judgment. He does against no pleasure in that He wants to bless. And the work of Calvary crops is so mighty, so wonderful, so all sufficient that God wants to fill heaven with the redeemed. Are you the next one in line? Certainly He's been very patient.
With you if you're here tonight, not saved.
Has he been with you? He doesn't want you to perish, but he wants you to come to repentance, knowing that it is the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance. How he would rather do it with the still small voice of captures and heart, but he might have to use a more severe means, even the fear of coming judgment at the end of things.
An awful thing to consider fire. Fire has such an all consuming effect, but very plainly it stated that it will come to an end. God will have to bring it to an end and everything will burn. It will be destroyed, the elements will melt.
Another heat and anything about rock will melt. We know that from volcanic disturbance. But God would much rather you come to Christ in simplicity and receive Him as Savior.
Well, here we have it again in verse 15 of this third of Second Peter, an account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. There it is again, That is God's patience is bearing with this ill suffering, long with it in His terrible condition.
Is salvation souls are getting saved, but it will come to an end because the word of God says so.
And if it should come to an end, that is as far as the gospel of the grace of God before the hours up, that is, if the Lord Jesus should come, would you be left behind? Will, let me, just to tell you solemnly warn you, if you're left here in the room, should the Lord Jesus come tonight, you have no second chance. Scripture does not agree with any thought of a second chance for those that have had opportunity, yet had no love.
Of the truth. We're told in Thessalonians that God will send strong delusion. That's the other side of the picture. For those that have no thought of the truth, we must write they divide the word of God and consider these things in their setting. And for those that have had opportunity, since I believe is everyone here in the room tonight, then there is no second chance.
Will be given over to alive to a believer very solemn to consider to go back to Ecclesiastes. Let's look at some of this.
Well, in the end of verse 13.
He talks about.
Sore Travail. In knowing these things, God giveth to the sons of men to be exercised.
Verifying God has a purpose. He has a purpose. He doesn't want us to just forget our responsibility to Him. He wants us to recognize that we have to do with Him. And He's made provision for us in our lost and ruined condition that we might be saved and that we might be delivered from the power and from the guilt and the ******* of sin. He wants to do that tonight.
00:45:02
They'll do that tonight for you this moment, if you receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior. But God works in various ways to try to bring us to our felt need. Now, over here in chapter three, I think this is excellent.
This is excellent.
Verse 14.
I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it, and God do it that men should fear before him.
Now you know the work of Calvary's Cross we can rest upon without question. It is a thorough and a complete book.
God will not change his mind about it. He has in the New Testament, so thoroughly confirmed this work and the value of it that if a poor center turns to the Lord, Jesus receives him as Savior. God then seals that work with his Holy Spirit forever.
Seals that work forever.
It cannot be changed. Nothing can be taken from it. Nothing put to it, No God does that forever. And he assures us in his precious word that his sheep will never perish. He assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Oh, that's so comforting.
Wonderful to rest in simplicity upon the word of God.
Let's see.
I.
Let's go over to Chapter 7.
Here in Chapter 7.
In the earlier part of this chapter, we have 7 better things listed, but if you inspected those things carefully, you might say.
As to some of these things you mentioned or all of them?
Good.
Especially.
The day of death than the day of one's birth.
Relate these thoughts to the Lord Jesus Christ. You stop and think about it now.
The day of death than the day of one's birth. Now the world would still make much of the birth of Christ.
But his death is everything.
Marvelous to consider his birth, his incarnation as a man into this world. But remember this, that the Lord Jesus came to die. Without his death there could be no blessing.
People will talk about Christ as a wonderful example.
Even in the Muslim foreign they say that he was a mighty prophet and did miraculous things. They won't admit they won't give him the place of being the son of God, but they can't deny the overwhelming evidence.
But he came back. The Son of man must be lifted up. Must be lifted up.
It had to be so. There could be no lesson apart from his death. But the Lord Jesus went into death and accomplished that great victory for the glory of God and to our eternal blessing through faith in him. You have faith in our Lord Jesus. The work is done. God is glorified. Oh what a better thing, the death of the Lord Jesus for us.
And in verse two it says it is better to go to the House of mourning than to the House of feasting, for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.
Even this is wholesome in connection with Christians to consider the.
Exercises of heart and soul. But for you, if you don't know Christ as your Savior, if you keep going on, is it there in the House of feasting? What is the end of this? If you only regard your own self and the gratification of self, what is the end of it? Very solemn to consider it's time to recognize your need, and to be in this state is a better thing.
00:50:27
Verse 3. Sorrow is better than laughter.
The heart is made better. Oh, it is so true where there's a desperate need. It is no time to be light and careless about these things, but to recognize what is really necessary before God? That we have sinned against us, that we are on the ground, hope at least to destruction, than we are in danger of Hellfire lost eternity.
That we need to consider what our state is.
I believe that's the suggestion of these things to us. Well, something to think about. Go through the chapter 8 here and verse 11 Comes before me. Now there's two ways to consider a passage like this.
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed specially, Therefore the heart of the sons of men.
Is fully set in them to do evil as far as the government of this world is concerned. We see the policy of prolonging things in the courts and not bringing definite known cases to swift justice. But if we consider this from God's standpoint.
Here we have a long-suffering, patient God.
Not willing with any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Oh goodness of God for long-suffering of God, because he doesn't bring in this guilty works evenly execution. Man has scoffs and he he feels that.
There's no danger, Oh no sad thing, when it all comes to full manifestation.
Over to Chapter 11.
This Chapter 11 has interested me because it seems to me that we have got some very timely things in a picture.
Or the evangelist.
So he says right off. Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days. Let me just speak to my fellow Christians.
There's an opportunity.
You don't know how some little effort may benefit. We don't know. A track placed here, a track given there, a word spoken here, a word spoken there without a man. You said maybe after many days the blessing of it may return. So it says in verse two, give a portion to 7. Seven is a symbol of a complete work and also to a. Why would he bring aid in? It seems like it suggests a new beginning.
Know how we do Look for a new beginning.
We look for it. That's we look for the evidence of a work of reality in your soul. If you don't see it, then we question is it real. We want to see the evidence. It will be there. If you really know Christ as your savior, if you have received the Lord Jesus Christ, I believe there will be evidence in your life.
We look for a new beginning.
For thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
And I've thought of that in connection with the the very days in which we live. They are days of evil, no question about it. Yet Paul said to Timothy do the work of an evangelist. He said that at a time of great ruin, of time of great difficulty, and Second Timothy Chapter 4.
Whether Timothy was an evangelist or not, I don't know, but we all, in some measure can do the work of an evangelist.
Don't forget to looking upon the condition of things. Verse 3. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth. I believe that that could suggest to us that God does want to bless a man.
00:55:03
He will pour out a blessing if he can, but there is such resistance to His grace. I believe, in these lands that for the most part, he is going into. He is working in the areas where they're not so favored as we are. That's sad, is it? Not yet. He is still leaning in these favored lands, still gleaning us, not right off any soul. They may seem like hopeless cases, but let's not write them off because.
If the tree fall towards the South or towards the north and the place where the tree fall up, there shall be. I think that tells us that however we leave this world, the state is fixed. That's solemn consideration. You go out through the force and sometimes you see a tree that obviously has remained where it has fallen, maybe Moss growing over it. But there's two directions here. It doesn't give us all compass points. You notice that, didn't you?
It doesn't give us all compass points. Oh no. There's only two directions you can go when you leave this light. It's either with the Lord Jesus in glory, with all redeemed, or it is with the devil and his angels and the lost.
Forever and ever, from the blackness of darkness, in the lake of fire, in all those descriptive things that tell us how awful is that condition. The great contrast between heaven and hell can't measure it.
But it is a final thing, and we get that thought in Revelation 22. Oh dear, I'm here tonight. Let's not make this a final thing. In your case, as far as a lost eternity, because you can decide for Christ tonight. You can. There's still time. There's still grace. And receive him as your savior and be blessed.
Verse four He that observe of the wind shall not sow, and he that regardeth the cloud shall not reap.
I like that thought because we might tend to pass judgment on the time or the condition. No, let's just preach the word in season, out of season and so forth. Leave the results with God. Don't worry whether or not it's the right season or not. Go ahead. It is not like farming and agriculture. It has to do with precious souls in God might bless in the most unseasonable situation.
We don't know.
Verse 5.
As thou knows not what is the way of the spirit, or how the bones do grow in the womb of her, that is with child, even soul. Thou knowest not the works of God, who maketh all that. Isn't it a wonderful thing when we see one truly born anew into the family of God? What a marvelous and a wonderful divine work it is. Well, if you read on through, you'll see that all of these things are very suggestive in themselves.
And very solemn to consider leaving this world without Christ in darkness, as it were.
In verse 7:00 and 8:00 and then verse 9.
How important to recognize that judgment is coming? Don't be swallowed up with the advantages of youth, only living for life or whatever it is. Remember this, that for all these things God will bring me into judgment. Very soft. Then you get into chapter 12 and you see that if a person goes on and on, then his faculties fail and his health breaks down.
And all these conditions come about indicating the deterioration of man until he goes into the grave.
So we just have but a short time to settle this matter. We don't want to put it off till old age. It could be absolutely fatal. I believe there are very, very, very few deaths that repentances as they call them and the cases are very unique I'm sure, but.
Most have received Christ in younger age and your time is right now. Whether you're young or old, don't put it off because of your time is only now, not too much. Just now shall impress.
The Gates of Jerusalem
Address—Dn. Spence
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We're not of the world which fadeth away. We're not of the night that children today the change that once bound us by Jesus, our driven were strangers on earth. Our home is in heaven 234.
We're not of the world.
Book of Me and Maya, Chapter 3.
We're going to take a little journey tonight.
Around the wall of Jerusalem, I know that others have taken you on this journey, I think.
But I hope that you'll join me on this little journey as we walk around the wall of Jerusalem as it's being developed, and we're going to stop and take special notice of some of the gates. Now, due to the time element, we're going to spend some more more time at some of the gates than we are at others. So we'll find ourselves accelerating now and then to get through this chapter.
Like to begin with verse one. Then Elijah the high priest rose up with his brethren the priest, and they builded the sheep gate. They sanctified it and set up the doors of it even under the Tower of Mia. They sanctified it under the Tower of Hania. We'll just pick a verse here and there.
I think that had me start started reading in chapter one, we would have found Nehemiah in a different country. We would have found him in that far off land of Babylon. And there we would have found him praying in the presence of the king that God would give him an opportunity to come back and rebuild this wall. And God, in his infinite love and kindness gave this job to Nehemiah.
And Nehemiah came back with a group of people, and in chapter two, he went out and surveyed the wall. Chapter 3, the work has begun.
Now a wall around a city is that which provides protection from the enemies it it provides separation and a city in those days without a wall would be a defenseless city. There was no way of defending it. Today. The cities that we have in this country and countries all over the world could never be defended by a wall, because the weapons of warfare today will go over the wall. But in those days the wall was there for.
Defense. And sometimes those walls were exceedingly high. Some of the walls around some of those cities were 300 feet high and maybe as much as 30 feet across at the top. Some of the cities had double walls, like the city of Jericho.
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The wall speaks of separation, but a wall without without gates.
Would be a walled city that was isolated from the rest of the world. Can you imagine a wall around the city that had no gates so that those on the inside could not travel to the outside, Those on the outside could not come in? That would be that would have an isolating effect on the city, on the city.
So the the, the gates were that was caused allowed commerce and people and visitors to travel in and out of that city so that it wasn't isolated from the rest of the world. I think that when we talk about the truth of separation, we were singing about it in our hymn we're not of the world and so on, which faded away.
When we talked about the truth of separation, that there are gates, there are gates so that so that the Sinner can come in off of the streets of Pella.
And he can hear the gospel on Lord's evening. He can come in through the fish gate. There are gates in the lives and in the assemblies of Christians so that they can go out to others who may be in need. And we're going to look at those gates tonight, because it was around those gates that the damage was done.
See, when when the enemy Nebuchadnezzar attacked the city, the weak spot of the city wall was the gates. And that's often where the enemy attacks is around the gates, around the openings, around the places where people can come and go. And so we're going to look at some of those, and we're going to do it in this way. We're going to describe the gate, perhaps as it looked and why it was called a certain thing.
And then we're going to.
Look at that gate as a little picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, and just take a few moments and we'll see that the picture of Christ inscribed over that gate. And then we're going to look at a few practical lessons from each one of the gates.
Now here is a gate that was called the sheet gate.
I believe that if you had gone to the sheep gate early in the morning that you would have found a shepherd there, leading his sheep out to the pastures, because there were no pastures on the inside of the city. The pastures were outside the gate, so you would have found them opening the big gates, probably hear them squeak as they opened up, and there he would leave the machine that belonged to him.
Outside of that gate, into the pastures at the time of sundown, you would find that same shepherd coming back into the city, and perhaps he stopped at the gate and he looked over the sheep as they came in. Every one of them. He knew them by name, and he would look them over to make sure that they were in good physical condition.
And he would count them to make sure that every single one of his sheep were there.
Now if he found that there were some of the sheep that were that needed attention, maybe he some of them had gotten out into the thorns and gotten injured. Maybe some of them were limping. Perhaps some of them were sick from time to time. The the shepherd would then go to the bowl, to the corral, and there he would begin to work. It often took him into the late hours of the night.
A shepherd's work is almost never done, and a lot of it is done during the evening, during the night. And he he cared for those sheep. If the sheep were lost, he would go back out. After he got the sheep in the corral, he would go back out and he would look and search for that lost sheep, and he would not come home until it was found.
The Sheep gate. It's interesting that this one is mentioned 1St and when we look into the New Testament we have the Lord Jesus mentioned in three aspects of the shepherd, and I'll just mention the three aspects. First of all, in John 10 we have him mentioned as the Good Shepherd who gave his life for the sheep and.
When it mentions that he's talking about the sacrifice of Calvary's cross.
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There were the Lord Jesus Christ gave everything that he had. He gave his life. He shed his blood. In a sense. He was attacked by the enemy, the wolf, and the He went. He he went down into death. There at Calvary's cross, he suffered. He gave everything he had and gave his life and everyone who would like to imitate the Good Shepherd, I suppose.
Would be that kind of a person who would sacrifice.
Everything for the sea.
Now when we go over to Hebrews chapter 13.
There's a verse there that says something like this Now. The God of peace, who raised up the Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, who through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work, and so on.
Now as the Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus is there in the glory raised.
And we have brought in the blood of the everlasting covenant, that is, as the Great Shepherd, he's the one who shepherds throughout from that eternity past to that eternity in the distant future, all through the areas of time, the area called time. God created the the the dimension of time. And there are dispensations in that dimension of time that sometimes people talk about 7 dispensations.
And at the end of those dispositions, then time will cease to be. But the Lord Jesus Christ is that great Shepherd is the one who shepherds through all those those dispensations of time. And that word great is a word that means all powerful shepherd. And so he is the one who is able to do all things as the great Shepherd. Sometimes you and I, if we have a desire on our hearts to help someone.
Maybe we have a friend who's a Christian who has gone off the deep end, gone out into the world, and we come to the point where we have to say I can't do anything more for that person.
Isn't it wonderful, brother, to know that there in the glory sits the all powerful shepherd at God's right hand, the one who has shepherded back into the first dispensation of time, the second, the third, the one who has taken care of God's people through all of this time? And he's the one who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think. And so when we sometimes come to the end of ourselves and we say, there is nothing that I can do.
While we turn them over to the hand into the hands of the all powerful shepherd, the one who has the power to change circumstances and things, he operates in a not in our time element. He doesn't do it on our time schedule, but he does it in his way and he what he does is thorough and it is good. And then the in first Peter 5 why Peter is discharging a responsibility that the Lord Jesus gave him when he said shepherd my sheep.
And he's telling the older ones in the assembly that they should shepherd also shepherd the sheep. It's interesting what he says, he says. Don't do it as being lures over God's heritage.
But the examples to the fly, there's a very, very marked difference in those two words as lording it over your possessions. That's not the kind of shepherding that Peter wanted, but being in samples or examples to the plot, that's the kind of shepherding that is of the Lord. Then he doesn't understand that when the chief shepherd, that's first Peter 5 and verse 4, when the chief shepherd shall appear.
Ye shall receive a crown of glory that faded not away.
That is, as a chief shepherd, he is the one who is over all other shepherds. He's the one who.
The elders have to report to, and he's the one that can give them counsel. He's the one that can give them directions. He's the one that can help them in the diseases of the clock to know what the problems are. And he says that when he appears, when the Chief Shepherd appears.
Why Those who have taken up this work are going to receive a crown of glory that fades not away. That is the the work of the shepherd is something that is often despised. There are people that are not interested in it. It's a it's a work that takes much time. It's a work that people despise in the sense. But when the Lord Jesus comes, he's going to give a crown of glory. There's not much glory associated with it here.
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But up there it's going to resolve an account of Lord. I want to talk a little bit about the work of shepherding.
Because I feel that it's a work that's neglected. It's a, as someone said, a lost art among the brethren. And you know, I believe that in recent maybe 20 or 30, the last 20 or 30 years, we've kind of given it up because we have put maybe too much emphasis on spending time gaining knowledge, but.
Shepherding is something that Scripture encourages.
And what it does is it brings the person who shepherds it brings them into direct contact with the state of soul of an individual.
When you shepherd a person, you have to have love. When you talk to that person, you have to gain his confidence or you have to listen. I I remember telling Tim Cedar and I said, Tim, I'll tell you the difference between a shepherd and a an evangelist. And a shepherd listens 90% of the time and then he writes out a prescription, takes him about 10% of the time to do it or less. But an evangelist listens about 10% and he talks about 90%.
I'm not sure that Tim really agreed with my figures, but it's kind of true that a shepherd listens. He listens for the heartbeat of the sheep. He listens to tell what the spiritual condition of that sheep is. And.
By listening to that sheep's heartbeat. Listening, listening, listening, he can tell what he can tell what is wrong with the sheep. Have to do a lot of listening.
Well, if you do a lot of listening as a shepherd, then after a while you are able to assess a certain state of soul of individuals within the the assembly or within the church. And you find in the New Testament that when Paul wrote the Colossians, he knew what their state of soul was. They were being, they were taken up with knowledge, they were taken up with ordinances. And he deals with that problem.
John wrote the church at Ephesus. He knew what the problem He knew what their state of soul was. They had lost their first love and so he deals with that, that problem. The church at Laodicea was lukewarm. So he he deals with that problem. And it's so important that we know if the state of our flock is whether it's in our home or in the assembly, because we need to deal with that state of soul.
Someone has said that.
When our state of soul is bad, the Holy Spirit will occupy us with that state. But when our state of soul is right, the Holy Spirit will occupy us with Christ. And there is there is a danger in occupying someone in a bad state of soul with Christ with without dealing with that state of soul. You see what I mean that that state of soul must be judged in order to clearly see the person in the glory.
Well, that's that's why shepherding is important. And if we were to we were to talk about shepherding people today, If we were talking to talk about shepherding the sheep and I were to ask you what are the diseases of the clock today? What are what are some of the things that that people are going through, What are some of the spiritual ailments of of Christians today? We should be familiar with those and so that we can take this book.
This medical book of the word of God, we can take this and we can turn to a certain page of this book and we can write out a prescription that would help that person. This book is an absolutely amazing book and if we're familiar with it, we will be able to deal with some of with all of the diseases of the fly, even though they may not be described in any other book. And as we listen to people, we listen to them and pray with them and gain their confidence.
Then the Word of God will become an exceedingly important book as far as curing them from the skills that they have. The sheep game.
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In verse 2, verse 3. But the fish gate did the sons of Hasanaya Bill, who also laid the beans their oven, set up the lock, the doors there, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. Now the fish gate was a gate, I presume, where fish were sold.
There was.
Near Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilee was an important fishing.
C And this is where we find the disciples fishing in the Sea of Galilee. They caught a lot of fish out there, and they brought them into the city of Jerusalem, and there they sold them, I assume, right around the fish gate here. So if you came along, you were you would be able to see fish in on tables or or in containers of one kind or another, and you could go along and you could buy the kind of fish that you want and take it home for dinner.
That night, the fish gave.
In Matthew 4, I believe it's verse 19 we find the Lord Jesus calling Peter to himself. Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
The fish gate I believe is a picture of.
That evangelistic outreach that presents the gospel to the lost, that brings souls to Christ. And I believe that here at the fish gate we can see the master fisherman, the Lord Jesus. Every soul that he went after, he got never lost one. And the Lord Jesus knew exactly how to deal with the soul.
He dealt with them differently. Every soul that he talked to was he spoke to them a little bit differently. He didn't have what people call a canned approach to giving out the gospel, but he spoke to the woman at the well in one way, he spoke to the woman taking an adultery in another way, he spoke through the blind man another way, and everyone who spoke to a little bit differently, as if the gospel were just tailor made for that very person.
The fish gave and eat. What he tells Peter is if you will follow me, I'll teach you how to catch fish.
That are not fish out there in the ocean, but are men. I'll teach you how to do that.
You know, now in Buena Park, we have a several outreaches in the gospel. We also have the gospel in the meeting room out there. And I I often thank the Lord for the gospel meeting. I know that men who've gone before us have really emphasized the need to do that to preach the gospel. But I thank God for the gospel on the Lord's Day evening because I I don't know of any other place in Southern California where I could take a soul.
And he could hear.
In a very clear and distinct way. Have to be safe. I don't know of any other place. We have a lot of fundamental churches out there. We have a lot of well known Bible teachers. But I don't know any place that I could take a soul where I could hear the gospel priest as clearly as in the meeting room. It went apart.
But we have a difficulty in going part. We have difficulty in getting fish into the the meeting room out there. And So what we have done is we've gone out to where they are. And when you when you read some of the commands in the gospel like the Great Commission command, go out into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, He doesn't say bring the whole world into the meeting room because he couldn't get him in there. He says go out with the gospel and.
So that command is still valid today. Go out with the gospel. Where? Where are the souls that need to be saved? They're out there. What are the what are the needs today? The Lord Jesus came and he came to give sight to the blind, to heal the broken hearted, to help the lame to walk, and so on. Where are the spiritually lame people today? Where are the captives to sin? Where are the broken hearted people today?
Those are the people that we want to reach in the gospel.
Some time ago, Jean and I had the privilege of being in Hawaii and we were in this little town of Lahaina on the island of Maui, and there was this little missionaries house.
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And we decided to go through the missionary house and look it over. They gave us a little tour through the house and we saw some of the things that were there.
Now it turns out that the the people.
Of Hawaii.
Were people called Polynesian? They came up from somewhere S the island South, and they floated up in boats, very small boats and.
They somehow get these ions, they don't know how because the islands of Hawaii are like little pin dots in the middle of a huge expanse of water. And these people came in these little boats and whether it was by fortune or whatever, no one really knows. And they they brought those boats into those islands with their families with some food because there was, there was no, there was no source of food, there were no animals on the island.
They were volcanoes that occurred probably 1000 years ago or somewhere in there and or more. And there was not only no animals on the island, there was there were no fruit trees, there were no fields of green or anything like that. These people came with two sources of food. One was the the bread fruit plant and the other was Tara root from which they they made a little.
Food called. Maybe some of you have tasted it. It tastes awful.
And they brought this into the island, and there they lived. And and and people inhabited these islands and they spread out over the islands. And then as time went on, they began to have wars with each other and capture each other until almost all of the island was wiped out of men because they've been killed in the wars. And in 18/18/18 there was a king in this little town of Laia.
That decided to unite all of the peoples of the Hawaiian Islands, which he did through much bloodshed. He brought them into subjection to himself, and he reigned in that city for one year, and then he died. His wife took over, and she reigned as queen over these islands. And it was that year that the missionaries came from the East Coast of the United States. They floated around the Cape of South America and came up to the Hawaiian Islands.
And there they preach the gospel to these people. They set up this, built this little house that we went through, and they preached the gospel to these people.
The the queen of that island was converted to Christianity, and the people of the islands of Hawaii feared the fire God, the volcanoes, and they thought that that volcano was raining down anger and fire and destruction on them because it was angry.
And so this queen, I, I think her name was something like Papiolani, couldn't really understand or remember that very much, but that that queen, Papiolani was going to demonstrate to her people that there was no God in that volcano and that the God of heaven was the true and living God. And so she went up with the missionaries and some of those people with rocks, and she took those rocks and she cast them into the.
Fire that volcano and there was no response.
And she went down, and many of her people followed her into Christianity. Many of them were saved. Many of them are still saved on that island. And so when we went through this little, this little home, this man, this missionary, was a doctor, and we saw some of the instruments that he used and so on. And very, very simple.
Kind of living 160 days one way from.
Home. If there were any medical supplies he needed, it took a year to get them in practically. And I told the genius and honey, before I leave this island, I'd like to find the tomb of that queen. They said it was somewhere in that town of Mahaina. And so while Jean went shopping downtown one day I went and I began to look through the graveyards of this town. I went through the first one. I spent about an hour there. I could not find anything that looked like the.
The grave of a queen. And went through the second one and the third one. And finally I was about ready to give up when I saw one toward the outskirts of town. And I went over there and there was a big sign that said royal tomb. And I went over there and sure enough there was this big tomb that had a wrought iron fence around it. And it was the queen of the tomb. And I stood there for a long time and I looked at that. She and her husband were both buried there, Her husband.
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In her and eternity apart.
And I was about ready to leave when suddenly I looked down and there into the side of that tomb where it was a little sign that said great missionary children. And I looked and there were scattered the graves of of people who had gone there to preach the gospel. And I saw the graves of children from that missionary home that we had gone through. One of them died when they were nine months. One of them died when they were.
Nine months. The other one died when he was two years old. The last one died when she was nine years old. Three children from that home.
And having had children of my own, I looked at that and I thought of the feelings that must have gone through the parts of that their family as one by one they laid their children to rest. And the question must have come to them, was it is it worth it? Is it really worth it to pay this final price? And I believe that they must have gotten a resounding absolutely yes from the Holy Spirit. And the thing that really spoke to me as I stood there was.
A question that I pondered. They paid with the lives of their children to get the gospel out to the far reaches of the world.
What price have you paid? What price have you?
Well, let's go on to verse 6.
Moreover, the old gate repaired Jehovah, the Senate Passaic and Michelin, the Senate Mesodaya. They laid the beans thereof and set up the doors thereof and the blacks thereof and the bars thereof. The old gate, I think this this gate was extremely old. I think it was the oldest gate, and if you were to look at it, it may have looked like an antique. It looked like something that had been there for a long time, probably worn by the weather.
And I believe that over this gate you would see the ancient of days. I believe Daniel Carlson, the one that the writer of Hebrews calls the same yesterday, today and forever. The one who never changes isn't a wonderful brethren in the world that is changing every day. The world that never remains the same. To be able to look up and to know that there is one in the glory is always the same. He never changes. He's always there. And he, he looks down upon us with an infinite, unchanging life.
Regardless of our state and soul.
This old gate I believe has some application because here in in this little assembly here in Pella, perhaps there is a desire to at times bring in something that would be a change. And I know that it's a struggle at times to to look at those kind of things. But there here we have a book that never changes and this book has principles in it that are based on verses.
That that are the truth that never changes. The truth doesn't change. That New Testament truth does not change. And it's important that if we know the truth, that we teach it to our children. It's important if we know the truth that we teach it through our Sunday School class. It's important that we teach the truth in the care media. You know, if we have an issue that comes up in the care meeting, it's important to base that on the word of God.
That's the old landmarks, the old landmarks that are talked about in Scripture are those changeless truths that are just as good today as they were for the early church. And the problem is that oftentimes we don't know they are there or we're not familiar with them and we need to be familiar with them.
I'd like you to turn over to.
The verse in Hebrews.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 7.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you, the word of God.
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Whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation.
And then?
Verse 17. Obey them and have the rule over you, and submit yourselves. For they watch for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with peace, for that is unprofitable for you. I did a little study of the word obey, and if you look up in a Greek dictionary, you'll find that there are three words, or at least three for the word obey.
There is the word wise. Obey your husbands.
And what the Greek dictionary says is that that is a military word.
A military word, but it says that the military influence was not intended for the home. So your wives can breathe a little easier. You know, I've had the opportunity to work with military people, and I find that they, the people who are in the upper echelons of the military, are people who are sensible. They will listen to input, they will accept someone with a differing opinion, and then they will come down with a decision.
I think that's what he intends in the home, that a wife, that that a husband will listen to his wife, but he makes the final decision and then that is to be carried out. Well, that's that's one word for obey. And then there's another word, obey, children, obey your parents. And that kind of obedience is unquestioning obedience. When your folks tell you to do something, that little word why often comes up.
See. And it may be that folks will address that and tell you what, but still that that that obedience is to be unquestioning, to carry it out and do exactly what they're telling me. But this word obey in verse 17 and and it's connected back to verse 7. And if you look this up, it's really interesting. Is it kind of obedience from persuasion?
It is the kind of obedience that results from persuasion. From persuasion of what? Persuasion of the Scriptures. That's what he says. Who have spoken unto you the word of God. That is, there's an issue that comes up. And so the word of God has gotten out the verses of Scripture, those old truths that don't change. And that is, there is a persuasion through the scriptures.
That's the kind of obedience it's talking about it obedience through persuasion. To see, it's possible that we might say, well, I would like obedience unquestioning obedience, or I would like the kind of obedience in the military. But that's not what is intended in this, these verses. It's the kind of obedience through persuasion of God's word. And it is so important we're getting away from it rather than a little bit. It is so important that we know we study to show ourselves approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
What does it say? Rightly dividing the Word of Truth, that we know what that original interpretation is of God's word. We know exactly what it means.
Sometimes there's some unique applications of it, and those are nice and those are interesting. But we we, I remember Mr. Brown. We remember him well. And he would ask us as we went through the the word of God. He would say, what does this mean? And we would kind of guess at the meaning and he would say, now that's a nice thought, but it's not the thought here. And he would teach us from the word of God. This is what this means, and it's important that we understand that.
These are the old twins. OK, let's go back to the third chapter of Nehemiah.
And verse 13, the valley gate repaired Kenan, the valley Gate. I'm going to speed up a little bit here. I I hate to speed up at this point, but you know, a valley is a depression between two hills.
And you can find that in Corinthians chapter three. You can find the Lord Jesus. You thought it not robbery to be equal with God up there in the glory. You can find him following that pathway all the way down, even unto death, even the death of the cross. You can find him in that deepest valley that man has ever known, the valley that is infinitely. And then you can go out the other side of that valley and follow him all the way back into the glory.
There in the glory you can find him exalted in God's right hand.
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He's the one that's familiar with every valley that you may go through, every depression, every trial, and he wants to comfort you through that tribe. You might turn with me quickly to 2nd Corinthians. Second Corinthians chapter one.
In verse 3.
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy, and the God of all comfort.
Comforted that us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, I'm going to read that a little bit differently, as the sufferings of Christ flow over us.
So our consolation also abounded by Christ. Or let me read that a little bit differently. Through Christ our comfort overflow.
OK, what is happening? We go through trial, and what happens in that trial? God pours out his comfort. And what does he want us to do when others are in trial? They're down in the valley of trial and depression. He wants us to comfort them.
So that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble and then we find as the sufferings of Christ flow over us.
Then what happens is the comfort of Christ flows back. It's like the ocean. We we go down to the ocean a lot out in Southern California, and we see those waves rolling in, one wave after another rolling in. And then we see the surf rolling back out. And you can lay there in the waves and let one after another roll over you, but you know that they're going to come back. And so as the waves of trial and difficulty come in our lives and they roll over the top of this, what happens?
From Glory, there is a comfort that rolls back over us. A comfort that God wants us to share with others when they are in trial. Get some thoughts from the Valley Gate.
And verse 13.
Last part of the verse in 1000 cubits on the wall and to the dung gate.
I want to talk a little bit about this dung gate. I think it's important and I'm going to talk from Philippians chapter 3.
Paul had a dumb gate. The dumb gate is where they carried out the garbage or the refuse. They had this gate where they they went out and close by this gate. There was a valley and they dumped this garbage over into the valley and they burned it there.
We noticed from Philippians chapter three that Paul had some things that he felt were an advantage to him in this life and he names what they were.
Verse 7 But what things were gained in me those I counted bust for Christ?
Yay, Douglas and I count all things but lost for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them, But done that I may win Christ.
I believe that the Apostle Paul had an accounting book, and I'm going to tell you what I believe was in it.
In this accounting book, he had a column called Game, and in this game column he listed seven things.
And you can find them in verses five and six. Seven things that were an advantage to him in this life.
Then he had another column and this column was called loss.
And when he met Christ on that Damascus Rd. there was a transition in his accounting, his spiritual accounting book, in which he took the seven things that were deemed, and he moved them over into the lost cone. What things were deemed to me, those I counted lost for Christ. And I believe that when we come to Christ, there are things that were once game to us, that look like they should be lost, and so we get rid of them.
The problem was that Paul found that those things crept back over into the game call. And that's why he says gay, doubtless. And I count all things that lost. See what he's saying? I can't. President Pence. I counted on that Damascus Rd. but I cannot present tense. I counted daily. I count them lost. They creep back over and you'll find them there. You know, things that you didn't think, that that you thought you put into the lost phone. They came back.
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And so Paul says, every day that I get up, I find some of those things that were gain to me creeping back over.
And I have to put them back over in the lost phone. That is right There is one of the problems that young people often have. They come to a weekend like we just did. They come to a Bible conference. They come where the word of God is spoken, and we're saturated with the word of God. And there are decisions that are made, but they go back and what happens, there's a creeping back of those old things. And so the solution to it is to do this.
On a daily basis to the present tense, captain, was that I may, but for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, that is you. Everything in with the perspective of Christ in mind, the knowledge of knowing Him, of knowing him better. Is there anything in my present life that is going to hinder me from knowing Christ today? Then move it over into the lost farmers. Get rid of it.
Eliminate it.
And then notice what Paul says for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and in count them but dumb that I may win Christ. You see, he has one more column in his accounting book. It is a column that says garbage or dump. And it seems that the more the Apostle Paul gets to know Christ, the better he looks. And the more of those things that were once gained to him that he's counted lost, the more they begin to look.
Like birds. And so he says, I'm going to get them a little farther away and count them. But done that, I mean with Christ. I think that's that's what we make call the Dungate in the life of a Christian. Let's go back to Nehemiah Chapter 3. Now we're going to speed up a little more and just mention some of these gates in verse 15. The gate of the fountain. The gate of the fountain, that place where the water gushed out.
It was a source of refreshment. It was a source of energy. Is that when water came up? And so we find the Lord Jesus in John Chapter 4. This woman had tried all the broken sisters of this world, and now she would have come face to face with the one who was the fountain of living waters. And I say, brethren, I believe that it took me about 10 or 15 years to learn that the fountains of this world could never satisfy my heart. And when I was 22 years old here in Iowa.
California made a decision. I made a decision, and I've never turned back on that decision. I made a decision. That place was the only one that could satisfy my heart. And I've never been disappointed. Never.
Here's the fountain of living waters. Let's go down to verse 26.
Moreover, the netonyms dwelt in Opal unto the place over against the Watergate for the east and the tower that lies out. Notice that there's towers by some of these gates to protect them. They were places of lookout. And this Watergate is a is a picture, I believe, of the word of God as it flows out to us. Verse 28 from above the horse gate prepared the priests, every one of them over against his house.
The horse cake.
Was the place where horses were kept or where they went in and out. And they were a picture of that which typifies warfare, warfare. We were talking to our young people this weekend about spiritual warfare and the tremendous battles that are going on between the kingdoms, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the devil, the Kingdom of heaven and the Kingdom, the man of darkness, and so on. A picture of warfare and so on.
In verse 29 at the end of the verse we find the Eastgate.
A picture of resurrection, and if you want to do a little study, you can.
Look up in your.
Accordance under the word Golden Gate. And you will find that the there is a Golden Gate supposed to supposedly the same gate as the Eastgate. And this Golden Gate it says is walled up into the coming of the Messiah. If you go over to Jerusalem today, you will see one gate in that city wall that is still rolled up and it's going to be walled up until the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, comes walking through that gate.
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It will be opened up in those days.
OK, now the last one is the one I want to talk about a little bit. Verse 31 after him repaired Mel Kaya, the goldsmith's son under the place of the Netherlands and.
Of the merchants over against the gate, Mithgad and to the going up of the corner.
I as far as I can tell, the name Myth Cadney means inspection gate is a place where they inspected things coming in and out of the city. Maybe it was a gate similar to what you go through when you leave this country and go to Mexico or Canada, where it's an inspection, customs inspection or something like that. It could have been similar to that.
A place where things are inspected. That is, not everything was allowed to come in the city.
And I'd like to I'd like to turn over just this will be our last thought but just a 2 verses in the New Testament while we talk about inspection First Corinthians chapter 6.
And verse.
12 Or what have I to do to judge them also, in fact?
Do not ye judge them that are within, you see an inspection gate here in the assembly. You see Paul is writing them and he's saying I don't judge it, I don't inspect anything on the outside of the wall. But that which comes into the assembly, that's what we expect. That's what we judge.
And he ends up saying, therefore put away from among yourself that with the person, so the assembly. And this is the truth. It is not highly promoted or accepted or recognized in much of Christianity Today.
But it is nevertheless the truth that when someone comes in and they would like to break bread at the Lord's table, there is a responsibility on the part of the assembly to make sure that they are not received. If they are going on with those things that are evil, some of which are mentioned in this chapter. I would like you to turn back a few pages to Romans chapter 14.
And we'll look at another inspection.
Where's 10? But they're almost 14. And verse 10 Why does thou judge thy brother? Or why this thou said it not thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Word is written as Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another, any another anymore, And so on.
There's coming a time.
When our lives are going to be inspected, there's coming a time when the fruit that we have produced is going to be inspected. The work that we have done will be inspected, and that is a job that is reserved for the judgment seat. It is not my responsibility to go around judging other people in their work, criticizing them and things like that. It's not my job, but it is my job to recognize that someday I am going to stand face to face.
With the one who is going to properly evaluate everything that I have done, he's going to look at my assets. He's going to look at my output. He's going to look at my motives. He's going to look at the fruit I've produced, and he's going to to award that which can reward that which can be rewarded. And he's going to discard that which cannot. And I will stand to the side of that and I will say Amen to what God has done, to what the Lord has done. But remember.
This is a job that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I heard a brother say about another brother, let you in on a little conversation, heard his brother talking about this brother and he said you know the brother doesn't know anything, he just is a spiritual 0.
And never forgotten that comment. It kind of hurt me a little bit when I heard it and I never countered it.
Never said anything about it, I just remembered it.
And this brother about whom this comment was made, I happened to go to the city where he lived, and we had some special gospel meetings in that city. And this brother got up at 6:00 in the morning and he went out with us and passed out invitations to everybody in the town.
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In all chairs, in his truck, to the place where we were having the Gospel meetings, He took us out for all of our meals. He kept us in his home, and he worked tirelessly, probably 12 or 15 hours a day.
For three days.
And this brother is over 80 years of age, over 80 years of age. And we were leaving that city and we were driving in this car and one of the brothers said, I just got, I just got a little vision of of our brother, so and so I just got a little vision of him at the judgment seat. And I said, well, rather than describe it, why don't you draw a picture of what you saw. So he was back there drawing for a while, finally handed me this whole picture and I'll tell you what was on.
Here was a great big throne, and on this throne was sitting a king with the crown.
And there at the bottom of this huge throne was a little bald headed man standing there and looking up. And there was a huge present that was being passed down to This man had a bow and everything on it, and this little man was standing there with this present that absolutely engulfed him.
With a little question mark over his head as if to say what he did, I don't deserve this. And you know, brethren, I've never forgotten the the difference in the opinion of those two people. One who said he's nothing, he is zero, he has nothing to offer. And the other who says, I believe he's going to get one of the grand prizes at the judgment seat. There's coming a day when we are going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Everything is going to be evaluated.
And in recent years, I have begun to live my life more in view of that day. Sometimes people will say to things to me that hurt a little bit, you know, But I say to them, I have to answer to the Lord. And when I think that someday I am going to stand in front of that judgment seat and he says the instance.
I told you I gave you directions to do a certain job. I provided the means for you to do that job.
But she did not do it. Why?
And I look up. There, sitting in that seat, is the one who died for me on Calvary's Crest, the nail prints in his hands, the wounds in his hands inside. And he looks down with infinite love, but with eyes that look through me. It will have to bow my head and say, Lord Jesus, I fail. And I have, and I have begun to live my life more in view of that coming day. He is the one that will judge.
Well, those are some of the gates of the city of Jerusalem. I believe there's some more if you read through the book of Nehemiah. And I would just invite you to take that trip off. And I take it every once in a while around the city, and every time I go around there, I see some things that I didn't see before. And it has a new meaning, a new encouragement. And I believe that we're living in days when we need builders of the walls, because sometimes.
We can't find that.
Builders, not, not those who destroy the wall. Builders of the wall so that there might be a healthy assembly within.
Bound and all these conditions come about indicating the deterioration of man until he goes into the grave.
So we just have a short time to settle this matter. We don't want to put it off till old age. It could be absolutely fatal. I believe there are very, very very few deathbed repentances as they call them and the cases are very unique I'm sure. But.
Most have received Christ in younger age, and your time is right now, whether you're young or old. Don't put it off, because your time is only now, not tomorrow, just now. So we pray.
O righteous Father, the world is not going. Thee, beloved, The world doesn't know him. The one we know, the one we are intimately acquainted with and brought into this inner circle of blessings.
You should know the love that the world knows nothing about.
And then he says in the last verse I have declared unto them shining, and will declare he's been declaring it for 2000 years from the glory.
01:00:04
But the love wherewith thou has loved me.
Denying them, He is in us for as the shudder forth, so to speak, of that love that the Father had for the Son that it's in us now and the.
Manifested to anyone I want to be in the goodness.
I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou has loved me may be invented.
Let's close by seeing #25.
Father by name, our souls with lust as children taught by grace.
Lift up our hearts in righteousness before Thy face.
O Holy Father, keep us here in that blessed name of love, walking before thee without fear, till all the joy.
Someone raising 2.
More than Conquerors
Address—R. Reeves
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
7.
In all things more than conquerors.
To him that love us.
We know that neither death, nor life, nor angels, rulers, powers.
Depression. Things and things to come. Raven height, even death. Heights and death. Any other creature saying above, below, around.
From the love of God and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Well, I'd like to share some.
Thoughts with you this afternoon that have been.
Personal encouragement to me recently.
This broke his God's word and it has been given to us to encourage us.
And things don't always go exactly like we planned them in our lives and.
So the question arises.
Is God in control?
Is God in control?
And the testimony of this book is that for God's people, yes, God is in control.
And so we'll find some very encouraging things.
Along that line and 1St I'd like to ask you to look at a verse in Jeremiah.
Chapter 10.
God is in control.
We've been sending about it.
That all those things couldn't.
Separate us from God's love.
Makes no difference what they are. They can't touch his love.
And Rob his ability to bless us.
Jeremiah chapter 10, verse 23.
Jeremiah 10230 Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself.
It is not Amanda Roberts.
To the wrecked steps.
It's no wonderful that.
God has the ability to direct us, and He has a desire to do it. And even if we make a mistake and go the wrong direction, he can turn our mistakes into blessings in His wisdom and His love and in His power. The Lord. I know that the land man is not in himself.
It is not in man that walketh to director steps.
I'm speaking this afternoon to my fellow believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I ask you this question.
Would you want to take charge of your life from now on?
Would you want to say to God, let me let me manage the rest of my life?
I don't think there's a real believer in this room that would dare take that position and say yes, I'm confident.
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I'll take charge.
I think you would say like I would want to say.
More. It's better in your hands than mine.
It's better in your hands than mine.
We have a God that loves us.
And is on our side.
So that's one of the verses that point this precious truth out.
I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man that Walker to direct his steps.
Turn with me also to Romans chapter 8 for another.
Verse that.
I have found to be a great encouragement for my own heart.
Romans chapter 8.
I.
Verse 37.
May in all these things we are more than conquerors to him that loved us.
Now to understand this, first I think we have to go back in that chapter to the.
35th Bush.
It says who shall separate us from the love of Christ. Now notice the things that are mentioned, tribulation.
Is that good?
Perfect distress.
You like that?
I don't persecution, no. I don't know much about it, but if I did, I wouldn't like it.
Babel.
Well, I don't know much about that either, but if I if I had to confront that, I wouldn't like it either.
Nakedness. Certainly not.
Apparel. Oh, I would like that.
Sword Well, I wouldn't want that either.
So all these things that are listed, it says tribulation, distress, persecution, family nakedness, perilous sword.
Now it's what it says in verse 37. It says in all these things.
But things? Well, that list of things.
Trouble the stress.
And all these other things we don't like, it says in all these things.
We are more of a comforters to him that love this. How can that be that?
How can that be that you can be a conqueror?
In such things as that.
Well, you can be and I can be.
If we realize that.
If God allows difficulties in our lives.
And it appears that we lose.
We can be winners even if we are losers.
Through him that loved us.
And we can be more than conquerors in all of these problems.
If we submit to what God allows.
And so when it's all over, we'd say, you know.
I'm better off.
After having that problem, then if I hadn't had it in the 1St place, and that's what it means to be more than a conqueror, it means to win even if you lose.
Not only Christians can do that.
Only those that know that God is in the control on the throne.
Can say such a thing as that. And so again, I see this afternoon something that has impressed me and I think you two very often that if we submit to the will of God in our lives.
That we win even if we lose, when we submit to God. And in all these troubles we can be more than conscious.
We not only get out of the trouble eventually, but we're further ahead because of it than if we never had it.
And that's what it means to be more than a conqueror.
It's like the story of the fellow who had his.
In the mountaintop mountainside, and one night a flash flood came down and washed away his house.
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No, nobody wants to have their house pushed away.
But the flood came down the mountain side, washed away his house. He was a loser.
But he went out and inspected the the site where his house used to be, and he saw that the the rushing water had cave carved out some of the ground and exposed a rich mine of gold.
Did he lose?
So I didn't move one.
And so there's an example of somebody was more than a conqueror trouble, yet? Can't deny it. But the trouble only gave him a greater victory at the end. Now that's what you and I have.
As being children of God when we submit to what God allows and I have 5.
Places in the scriptures to share with you this afternoon that show us this precious truth. The first one is in Genesis chapter.
26.
Maybe it's chapter 25.
It's chapter 25.
And this was brought to my soul just yesterday as my wife and I were reading the scriptures.
And I want to share it with your brother.
This is something that happened in the life of Rebecca.
Chapter 25 of Genesis and verse 20.
Isaac was 40 years old when he took the back of the wife, the daughter of the fool, the Syrian of Eden, Aram, the sister of the Syria.
And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren.
And the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebecca his wife conceived.
Now here is a problem.
Rebecca becomes the wife of Isaac. And of course, when a marriage occurs, there's a desire for children.
But Rebecca didn't have any children.
And it doesn't look like she was going to have.
And so they prayed about it.
They prayed about this need in their home.
In verse 21, it says Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife.
Because she was there.
It's interesting as you think about Abraham. He had this same problem with his wife.
In fact, I have this problem.
With Isaac.
And you'll find the same problem happens in the life of Jacob.
It shows us that.
And God was moving in a miraculous way towards the coming of the Messiah.
Overstepping all of the natural hindrances of life.
Well, they prayed. They prayed about it, and God was God was willing to answer their prayers and give them a child. But now notice what it says in verse 22.
And the children struggled within her.
How many children?
Plural.
And she said, if it be so, why am I thus?
And she went to inquire of the Lord. Now here's the point.
Rebecca wanted a child, but she didn't want twins.
And you can imagine she wanted a nice little baby and she would say, oh, I just have a little baby and we could raise a family and.
I should felt the same way about it.
They pray.
But lo and behold, what happens?
She gets more than she asks for.
Instead of having just one baby, she has twins. Now they say that that's quite an ordeal for a woman to have twins.
But.
She says If it be so, why am I left? In other words, Rebecca says.
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Why did this happen to me?
Put the emphasis on the word this.
Well, she said. We wanted a child, all right, and we prayed to the Lord about it. Now he's given.
Why did this happen to me?
It might be So why am I? Well, she didn't get her way.
Why? Because God had a bigger plan than hers.
An all beloved brethren, That's what I want to learn from passages like this and others that we will show this afternoon, I trust, and that is that God has a bigger plan in our lives than we have.
Is a bigger plan in our lives than we have. And though she didn't have exactly what she wanted yet, Rebecca got two boys instead of one, and she became the mother of those two lines that go all the way through the word of God, and God uses them to accomplish his gracious purposes.
Now did she win or did she lose?
By getting God's bigger plan for her life.
I believe that she won and.
I want to feel in things that God allows in my life that.
Things don't go exactly the way I want them.
That because I belong to Christ. And, beloved brethren, because you belong to Christ.
We can believe that if we submit to God.
That those things don't go exactly as we have planned them.
Yet.
God has a bigger plan than we'd ever imagined, and he can use us far beyond what we had first imagined or asked for. Well, I see that in Rebecca.
And God used her to be the mother of two instead of one, and he was then able to accomplish his interesting ways with man in this world to accomplish his ultimate objectives.
So when a Rebecca says why did this happen to me?
If we were to be able to consult with her just now, we would say Rebecca.
Are you glad that God's plan was bigger than your plan?
She would say yes.
I'm glad that God's plan was bigger than mine.
Well, I take encouragement of that when things don't go my way.
I believe that I have the assurance of this book.
Come to this book and take scriptures like this and others that we'll see and say God has a bigger plan.
For me and with me than I have ever imagined. And when it's all over, we'll be glad and we'll be more than comfortable.
Now the next.
Individual that I'd like to talk about this afternoon in this regard is Simon Peter turn to Luke Gospel chapter.
22 I think it is, yes. It's Chapter 22.
Peter is a good example of this principle that we're talking about this afternoon. It's a principle, brethren, that.
That can be used for our encouragement.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 22, verse 31.
Well known passage.
The Lord said Simon Simon. Behold, Satan has desired to have you.
And he might sift your sweet.
I'd like to point out that Satan had to ask permission to to put Peter through this process.
Satan wanted to do it, but he had to get the Lord's permission. Satan has asked to have you.
Sometimes God allows Satan to bring us trouble, but he doesn't do it without getting permission.
Has desired or he has obtained you by asking according to my margin that he might sift you as weak.
But I afraid today that thy faith will not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy grave.
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And he said it had been more I'm ready to go with the both under prison and into death, he.
And he said, I tell thee, Peter, that the **** will not prose this day. Before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knows me.
Well, that's enough for us to read on this subject of Peter, but Peter had some big plans of.
Demonstrating that he was one of the world's best soldiers.
The strongest of the disciples. Why? I said, I'm ready to go anywhere with you. I'm ready to die with you. Well, the Lord knew more about people than he did. And verse 32, He says I have prayed for thee that thy faith fell off.
And $1.00 converted strengthened that way.
Well, brethren, what was the bigger plan?
What was the bigger plan in Peters life?
Peter thought he would stick close to the Lord and and be his first helper and be right where he wanted him to do everything necessary, but the Lord allowed him to fall flat on his face.
God had a bigger time to feel, and part of that bigger plan was to let him miserably fail.
So that.
Will be stronger.
And more useful.
Act it was all over than it was before, so he says. When you are converted, strengthen your breath.
Well, you and I know the story well. How Peter, he made a mess of things, didn't he? He even start to swear about it, deny the Lord.
But he never denied that who Jesus was. He just denied that he was connected with them.
The Lord allowed all of this.
The teach Peter is on nothingness.
To demonstrate his own patience and to prepare Peter for the job of a pastor to provide, he could strengthen his fellow believers.
For God's plan was bigger than Peters plan.
And when it was all over and Peter had been allowed to floor flight on his face.
Miserably. Miserably, miserably. Missed the mark.
But it was all over, God said to Peter. Now, Peter, take up your pin.
And I'm going to use you to feed my lambs.
Feed my sheep and to shepherd my sheep. Now Peter was able to do that in a way.
After he had failed.
You know that he could not have done it before because Peter found out what was within himself.
He found out the gracious heart of the Lord.
And Peter was then able.
To more effectively shepherd the sheep and more effectively shepherd the lands of the flock. So here's another case collaborative where.
God's plan is bigger than Peter's plan, even to the point where he allows Peter to fail. Does he throw him? Throw him aside? Does he say I can no longer use you, Peter? You. You. You've sinned away your usefulness.
You know, he shows Peter that.
Peter can never again look down upon his brother.
There's a person, John's Gospel, where the Lord restores Peter and he says that Peter.
Do you love me more than these?
It worked pretty bad. It was a time when Peter made a big to do about it, as if he loved the Lord more than the rest of it.
But after Peter got, got caught in the in the mill of his own pride and so on, and came out the other side a humble man.
He didn't never dare say, Yeah, I I love you, Lord, more than the rest of them. Never dare say that again. And it's a consequence that Peter was more capable of helping his brother.
When thou art converted, strengthen thy brother. So I say, beloved brethren, that was part of God's big plan.
00:25:01
To make Peter more useful.
More helpful to us who have realized, many of us that we have come so far short, we can go to the writings of this dear man theater and be encouraged and say.
This helps me. This helps me. But these are words that came from a man who had failed and who was able to feed us and to shepherd us in a way he could not have done before. So if there's if.
Our hearts a feeling of failure.
And at times there are feelings like that in my in my life.
Sometimes I'm almost overwhelmed by a sense of.
I don't know how to say it but.
Marvel's overwhelmed by a sense of.
Having accomplished nothing in **** life.
And I said well.
It's a sympathy anything done.
Well.
It's things like this that encourage me.
And there have been times when I have gone to the Lord and I say Lord Jesus.
I'm going to cast my nothingness.
Upon your everythingness.
And then that brings relief to my soul.
And I I say, that's been a blessing to me, brother.
Cast my nothingness upon the everythingness of the Lord Jesus.
And that will make it worthwhile.
To be here. Well, Peter is another example of this matter. Peter was more than a conqueror and it looked like for a while he was a loser.
But when it's all over and he gets through God's training course, Peter is more than a conqueror. Now the next. The third.
Situation that I'd like to share is in John's Gospel, Chapter 11.
All of these are familiar passages, but I believe they all show this precious principle.
But in all things we are more than conquerors to him that love us.
When we submit to the Lord, but even when we lose.
We can win.
John's Gospel, Chapter 11, The abdication of Mary and Martha and Lazarus.
We'll start reading from verse one and I'll just pick a few verses out because we won't read the whole chapter. Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus or Bethany, town of Mary and her sister Martha.
Verse three Therefore his sister said unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thy lovest is sick.
Number six.
When he had heard, therefore, that he was sick.
Before 2 days, still in the same place where it was.
That's interesting, isn't it?
Do you treat your loved ones that way?
You don't think you do it?
If your closest loved one says to you, I'm sick.
There's not a person in this room. That said, well, let's bring this matter up in a couple of days.
Well, you don't act like that, you say. Where do you hurt?
Can I get you an aspirin or two?
Or something else?
Give them back like this.
But it says when Jesus heard therefore the Lazarus was sick. Verse six give out two days.
The same place? Very well. Why did he do that?
I believe that he did it on the basis of the principle that we're talking about this afternoon, that he had a bigger plan.
He's got a bigger plan for all these people, Mary, Martha, Lazarus get a bigger plan than just to make Lazarus left.
Of course 11.
These things that he and after that he said to them our friend loud were sleeping. But I draw that I'm not wake him out of sleep. This is after two days.
Then said his disciples, Lord of his sleep, he said well.
I bet Jesus spoke of his death.
00:30:00
OK, thought, And he had spoken of taking rest and sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Well, this didn't look good, did it?
Could the Lord Jesus have gone to Lazarus?
Could he not have healed him from a distance? Yes, he could have. There are other places in the scriptures where we see the Lord Jesus did not have to be right on the scene to heal.
Hiccup we're not somebody, well, a long ways away.
But in this case, you didn't do that.
But because we have something different.
And you know the story. Well, we won't repeat it all, but.
He allows others to die. He allows Lazarus to be put in the grave.
And he allows these two dear sisters to cry.
Was the Lord allowed tears?
Yeah, he does.
The Lord allows tears.
Why? Because he has a bigger plan.
He has a bigger plan than our tears.
And so he comes and talks to these two girls and two sisters.
And they kind of chided with him, Martha, when she met him, she said.
If if you'd been here, he wouldn't have died.
And even when married saw and she said if you would have been here, he wouldn't have died. Neither one of them understood the big plan.
Was it still a plan? Yes. What?
Neither one of them realized that there would be a display of this power that would go beyond anything they could have imagined. And so when the Lord Jesus in verse 35.
Seize their tears.
We have a demonstration of his sympathetic heart.
And let's not think rather, that the Lord is not touched with our our feelings when He allows trials in our lives. Let's not think that He's indifferent.
And to our tears and our feelings. Let's not think that he is, because here's a proof of it, the shortest person in the Bible, Jesus wept.
Demonstrates that though he allowed these tears, he would be.
This is our blessed Lord.
And then we see the glorious effect.
Take him to the gravesite and he says take away the stone.
Well, they say we don't dare do that because.
He's already smelled bad. He's been dead for days, he says. Take away the stone.
Our blessed Lord stands outside that grave and in that majestic voice of his, the voice of the Creator God, the eternal Son of God, from heaven, he says Lazarus come forward. Lazarus come for someone who said it's a good thing, he said Lazarus.
Because if he hadn't, said Lazarus, they'd all.
That's the power of the word of Christ, and they all will come out someday. But he said, just for this time, he says. Lazarus, come on.
And he says that he that was bound and he that was, I don't know how he got out.
Why, when they buried people in those days, they round them all out with strips of cloth?
How did how did Lazarus get out of the grave? And the only answer I got for you is by the same power that gave him life.
Now the Lord says, loosen and let him go.
Those have been letting go, and this story is so precious because it isn't long. In fact, in the next chapter they sit down and have a meal with the Lord Jesus, and you have Martha and Mary and Lazarus.
Now if you could ask Martha and Mary and chase Martha. Mary, are you glad? Are you glad that Jesus didn't come and heal your brother while he was sick? You're glad.
What would they have said?
They were both upset. Yes, we are now.
Because now we see.
Had a bigger plan.
00:35:01
Than we haven't imagined.
And they would say, you know, we kind of feel like we've more than one, but look for a while like we lost.
You say, well, Martha, Mary, would you? Would you say that you're more than comfort? They say yes, we're better off now than we would have been if Lazar had Lazarus had been healed. We are more than conquerors, it's true.
What a wonderful story that is. And it only points out the thing we're talking about today, that God has a bigger plan in our lives. I believe he has a bigger plan in my life than my own thoughts, and I'm glad.
I think it'd be the worst possible thing that could happen for the Lord to put me in charge of the rest of my life.
That would be the worst thing that could happen.
That's far better for me to say, Lord Jesus, you've got a bigger plan than anything I could imagine from. And Lord, just go ahead with your plan. And if you give me tears and if you give me sorrow, Lord, it will be because your plan is bigger than that and.
At the end of the matter, I'll be more than.
This is the book, brother, that teaches us this proof. It's the truth, and it is for our encouragement that these things are given to us.
How the next?
Person I want to talk about is the Apostle Paul and turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter.
I think it's chapter 12.
Not sure about that, but it'll you'll see it in a minute.
Yes, it's Second Corinthians, chapter 12.
2nd Corinthians chapter 12.
You'll see this principle in the life of that dear servant of the Lord, the Apostle Paul.
Verse 7.
Lest I shall be exalted about measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given unto me a thorn in the flesh.
Do you like thorns?
I don't. I don't even like splitter fire in the flesh.
Messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exiled above measure.
For this thing beside I, the Lord, thrice that it might be deported from me. And he said unto my Grace is sufficient for thee.
For my strength is made perfect and weakness.
There's a man that had trouble. We don't know what it was, and God in his wisdom has not told us. We. We have certain ideas, but since you can't, you can't prove them by Scripture. But not to think about it.
Whatever his thought in the flesh was, it was something that annoyed him. In other words, he he got the point every day.
You got to thrown in your flesh. You get the point every day. Well, I can do it. I don't things that bother me. He got the pride every day and he prayed about it. Lord, I don't want fish. It hurts, it hinders. It slowed me down. Take it away.
We'll take it.
Don't take it away.
But he says, I'll tell you what I'm going to do for you, Paul. I'm not going to take away your card. What? I'm going to give you my grace.
And he says that would be enough. My grace is sufficient for these.
And I'm going to show you that by your weakness, you're going to learn more about my power.
Did they lose? Did he lose because his prayer wasn't answered?
Now he says in verse 9 the latter part the most gladly. Therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities. What's that? How can you say that?
Well, you can't say it unless you're more than accomplished. Oh, otherwise it. I'm glad that I got this trouble. Our glory and my intermination that the power of Christ may rest upon me. He was more than a father.
In the wonderful.
Can we do this? How can we be this?
By faith. By faith and grammar. And this is what the book is for, that's what this book is for, to encourage us to go on trusting the Lord. And in Pauls case, he would say that just like we're talking about, He would say, you know, God's plans bigger than mine.
And I'm going to just say it better than mine. Now that was in Paul's personal life. But turn to Philippians chapter one and you'll see that it not only was in his personal life, but also in his service for the Lord.
00:40:14
Morgan's chapter one. This principle applies in files work for the Lord.
Philippians chapter one and verse 12.
But I would you should understand, brother, that the things which have happened to me.
Have found out rather to the firmness of the gospel. Talk about the fallout.
There's a fallout. The things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to look further of the gospel. What had happened to him? He said. My poem is incorrect. This man got put in jail.
Some of us would say, Lord you, you don't even really miss the boat. Why, this is the best preacher blessed Lord, you've ever had. Here's a man that preaches to people everywhere he goes and sold her safe. And now, Lord, this guys in jail, you've missed it. Lord, haven't you done something wrong?
He says they found a lot further falling out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that my mom Christ are manifested all the palace. In other words, it was God's way to get the gospel into the palace.
Fall God's plan is bigger than Paul's plan.
What am I going to learn? He was more than a.
Now the last one I want to share with you today is found in the 11Th of Matthew.
And we've often thought about this.
But it illustrates the principle that we're considering.
Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 11.
Verse 2.
Matthew 11 Two now when John Hurt in the prison the works of Christ.
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, Or do we look to another?
Jesus answered in 7th. And then go and show John again those things which you do hear and see.
The line received their sight, the lame walk, the leopards were cleansed to death. Here the dead are raised up, and the poor at the gospel preached to them. Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Now verse 11.
Verily, I send you among them that are born of women. There is not reason the greater than John the Baptist, notwithstanding he that's least in the Kingdom of heaven, is greater than he. Well, now here's another case.
One of the finest servants the Lord ever had John the Baptist.
And I don't know of any failure in John's work or life.
But here he is put in prison.
Did John choose it? No.
The Lord chose me.
And here's John in prison and he says I just can't figure this out.
I've been sent to announce the coming of the Messiah, and I know from the book of Isaiah that when the Messiah comes, he's going to open the door to the prison and let the prisoners out. And here I'm in jail. It doesn't make sense.
John Museum. The old brothers are scratching his head. I just can't figure this out.
It says in the Bible that the that the prisoners would be released when Jesus and when the Messiah came and John said.
So he says his servants are said to, the Lord said. Are you the one that's supposed to come, or do we look for another? Because somebody got to Get Me Out of jail.
Well, what's the point? John didn't know.
John did not know Necrot's plan was bigger than his plan.
He didn't know that his period of service had come to an end and that now.
A whole new line of administration was going to take place in the world and it would bring in the church.
They would bring in the Gentiles, and John never preached to the Gentiles. He never preached A sermon to the Gentiles as far as I know.
00:45:03
And now the Lord, said John.
Verse six Blessed is he who shall not be offended in me. In other words, John.
Translate it this way in the language that I understand better, it says John. Don't be mad at me for what I've allowed in your life.
That's what he means, I believe, he says. Blessed is he that's not offended and made.
Hello brother, when am I going to learn that?
What am I going to learn?
That what God allows in my life is the best.
And will I be angry at God? Nobody alive?
There'll be no blessing in my life if I am.
But the blessing will come if I submit. And the Lord, says John, you'll get a blessing if you don't become offended because of what I've allowed in your life.
What's the point? The point is, brethren, that God had a bigger plan than John had.
God knew what he was doing far beyond.
And this is such a precious consideration for myself.
In all these things, we are more of a comfort to him about this.
And I believe and I'm trying to learn.
And the scriptures teach them. They teach me and encourage me that what God allows.
In my life.
Is a purpose of love.
And though I may not understand it.
I can be sure.
That his plan is bigger than my plan. And when it's all over it, When it's all over it, I'll say it blessed God and Father. Your plan for me was better than my plan for me. It is not a man that walks to director steps.
The web man is not in himself, And Jeremiah says, And I've given and I've enjoyed with you, dear brethren here, fellow, this afternoon, I've enjoyed with you five books of this principle.
And I don't say that I have learned.
I don't. There are times when I think that God may have made a mistake in what he allows in their life.
But that doesn't mean I'm right.
This book says God loves me and this book says he has a bigger plan than I could ever imagine. So why don't I submit?
With him and go on in faith.
Trust him and take the grace that was given to Paul. The form that may come to me may have a point and hurt every day.
But will will it be better to have had the sor and the grace that not to have disorder?
Judge, finish up.
Believe it would be better to have had the grace.
With the thorn, but not to have had this long enough.
Well, let's sing that song again. It's got kind of a 2 middle.
Stick with you the rest of the week and you go about your job in your home. You'll you'll be thinking about this song, I'm sure.
157.
This is the truth.
Well, may the Lord help me. That's why.
With his bigger plan.
157.
John 1
Gospel—R. Reeves
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Let's say #16.
#16 God and mercy.
To a world by a cylinder.
Jesus Christ was crucified.
Jesus, for the glory of the grace kindly and the Savior, space telling sinners from above God is right.
Shine.
00:05:10
#48 also #48 there is lighter and a look at the Crucial Dr. box. There is life at this moment.
#28 You have not seen stands of two and three, but we're seeing the rest of it.
With this same standard 1/4 and five, there is one.
And.
To share with you.
He talks about most wonderful chapter in the Bible.
It's the first chapter of John's Gospel, so would you please turn with me to John's Gospel chapter one?
One of the most wonderful chapters in the Bible.
We're going to talk a lot about Jesus tonight.
Jesus is the Lord.
Jesus is God's Son. Jesus is the Savior of sinners.
I can't imagine what my life would be without Jesus.
When he has come into my life and.
Because he has come into my life, he has got joy, he is brought hope and he has brought every good thing that I have.
Every good thing that I have.
Has come together.
And I hadn't known Jesus. I've never gotten the nice wife that I have.
And didn't know Jesus.
Who knows? I may be in prison tonight.
Maybe. Maybe dead.
And Jesus made a lot of difference to me.
00:10:00
We're going to talk about him tonight from this wonderful chapter.
I don't know.
Yet I don't know of a chapter that uses such small words.
That's one thing about the Word of God. It's very deep and yet it works, uses language that we can understand.
Began reading tonight from John's Gospel, Chapter one, first of all.
In the beginning.
Was the word.
By the way, to start a book is.
In the beginning was the word.
What beginning is this?
My friend, this is the beginning of all beginnings.
This is the beginning. Before, there was the beginning.
Of the things that we know.
But at this point it says in the beginning was the word.
This wonderful person that we're going to talk about tonight.
Was already there.
When there was the beginning.
Your mind and mind.
Are so small and in case of all of understanding.
The deeper things of God. But we can't be, we can't understand something that had no beginning.
Here is a wonderful person.
So wonderful that when the beginning of beginnings of beginning is occurred, he was there already.
Is that something? He was already there and he's called the word. You know what the word is?
A word is something that expresses yourself.
And so this wonderful person that we're talking about, who was in the beginning already.
When the beginning began.
Is called the word.
He was the expression.
It says the Word was with God.
Is that something?
In the beginning of the beginnings of the beginnings, the word was there already, and it says.
He was with God.
Oh, what a wonderful person you must be.
Yes, it says, and the word was gone.
In this verse we find 2 Persons of the Godhead.
Without the father and the son and both our government.
Define God with God.
How would we ever know about it if God had Republicans? God with God. And this person we're going to talk about is so wonderful, so majestic, that he is the expression of God.
Expression of God, and He's already there in the beginning with God.
It says the same verse two was in the beginning with that.
I'm here tonight to speak, to bring a message that they'll tell you about this person.
We don't have his personal name here.
He's called the words and repose. He's with God, and he's in the beginning already with God.
Small things were made by him.
Was not anything made.
How clear? How much clearer can you make it?
If I have the joy this afternoon of seeing at Queen and loose home.
And after the meeting this afternoon, we went back there and I said I'm going to take a walk.
And so I walked down to the pond.
Quite a time getting to the pond. I didn't tell you that way at what time to get to the I didn't ask how to get there.
00:15:02
I just started walking and I came to an electric catch.
And happened Sunday Super Armor, white shirt.
Take it off my tie. And so you know Wayne, I had to crawl under them like to finish.
And I went on, and down by the shore, I stood by the lake right above quietly, and I watched the turtles.
Not to turn himself.
Here were the.
Stuck their noses up out of the water and the guys look at that thing and that's a rock.
And then we went back. But then they come up.
They have a great time. Who made the thought?
Could you make a?
Turtles and I watched a little fish swim around on the shore and they all seemed to be getting along just fine without me. And I stood there for half an hour just in the quietness of the afternoon, which I was enjoying so much.
Yeah, rock down the road a while after that. And I saw other things that interested me. I saw what I called a centipede. There were two of them, met right on the street.
You ever see a centipede I don't like?
But I decided today I wouldn't step on.
Because I was thinking about this meeting tonight and I was just watching those standard beach.
And I was thinking about who made them. Could you make a secret? You think of all those legs? And I watched them go across the road.
Side there and.
Talk about coordination.
What would happen if a centipede got arthritis?
But they went around the clocks and the grass, and they go on just fun.
And our frogs got two legs, but centipede I suppose has 24. I don't know how many they got. They say a millipede. They don't have a millimeter. We call it powers from that they don't have, but they have lots of them and they are going along and they were getting along just.
Just bear.
Wonderful cushion that I'm talking about tonight.
All the wisdom that he had to make a centipede and a frog or a Curry and all the other forms of life to make a leaf.
And I picked up.
I picked a I suppose you call the weed from the side of the road brought back and I said the roof is just the.
Not from a fox, but it's a week because that's a Fox paper.
When I was talking between the beans, I pulled up a big plant and it was all Milky.
Kind of boost up on my head and I learned later that I said that was a milkweed and I thought I would pulled up by the roof, but I was pushing up by the roof.
All I could do is pull that thing out of the ground. I thought, you know, I used to think farming was easy. I know these farms think about what community just going to pull up police would be easy job. And after today I decided that there would not be so easy.
And.
Could you make a plant that would have milk in it?
You couldn't drink it, but.
I couldn't make.
This, this wonderful movie.
That we're reading about tonight.
The Word the expression of God.
It says all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made, it was made.
Nothing was made except by him. Hello. This is one of my first Kingdom.
He's the greatest of all.
Of all.
Now it says in verse four in him was light light.
He is the source of light.
And it says.
The life was the right submission.
So wonderful and important that this person we're talking about tonight, that his very life himself, which gives life to the restaurants.
00:20:10
Life is what chose what everything else is. I don't know, but.
It's too well understood.
And it says.
One thing that interests me about this book of John is these little words that mean so much.
Light, light and later on.
In other words, have also picked this person is so wonderful. It says in him was light and the light was the light.
And all the moral light that will ever shine upon you and me has come from him. He's a social.
It says in verse 5 the light, shyness and darkness and the darkfish comprehended the dark or difficult recovery.
Well, this light is shown into this World of Darkness.
And I trust tonight that our little meeting will bring the light.
Of the hearts going to come here tonight?
The life was the light of men. It shines in darkness, and the darkness couldn't do anything about it. It just had to take it.
Number six is verse six says there was a man said from God whose name is John.
That person often encouraged me.
I tried to share the gospel, the good news of our Lord Jesus. I try to share it, and sometimes when I'm walking in the streets of different towns, I'll think about this version. I'll put it this way. There wasn't a man sent from God whose name was wrong, and I just like to think that God can use me.
Carry a message.
I like to think that tonight.
I've come to this meeting room center to bring Christ before you.
Not only those that may not know the Lord, but I come to bring the light to those who do familiar.
I like to think that that God sent me and gave me this privilege of sharing these thoughts of Christ with you.
John, The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light. How can you bear witness to a light?
You know how to do it.
I'll tell you how to bear witness to a light. The way to do it is you just stand back.
You just stand back and let it run. That's how you bear witness to the love.
He came to bear witness to the mother.
And that was the mission of this man, John. That's my mission too. And I hope that in our little meeting tonight, you'll say, well.
I really enjoyed what the Bible said. I didn't get much out of the wrong Reef said that. The Bible really said something to me tonight.
That would happen, and I'd just like to stand back and let the light shine. That's how to bear witness to a light is just stand back. Get out of the way that the light. They said that through him that all men through him might believe.
Well, that's my mission here tonight at fellow meeting room.
I would like to suggest the truth of this professional book and the truth about the one that it talks about the.
In such a way that everyone in this room will be a believer and they'll say it's wonderful, it's wonderful, I believe the love.
It says in verse eight he was not that right. That's John, but was sent to her witness of the life.
That was the true life.
Dislike of every man that comes into the world.
Isn't a wonderful focus that you and I were born into a world that?
Had already been visited by the Son of God.
I was born in April.
20th day of April 1927 and.
When I was born, Jesus had already been here.
He'd already been here.
And it was just for me to let go of what he had done and said people all would have been here.
When I came into the world and you came into the world, some of you came into the world a little before April 20th, 1927, but some of you come in and said.
00:25:01
But always the wonderful truth come into a world that has already been visited and Shinedown upon. By this precious word of God, Jesus. He's already been here.
He's already done something for you.
It says he was in the world.
And the world was made by him. And the world. Can you imagine that?
That this word, this divine person.
This one that was with God in the beginning, this one that made everything it says. He came into the world and the world was made by him, and the world was recognized.
Didn't recognize. I think it's a sad thing that he was not recognized by the very world of Navy.
A world knows about.
I wonder if everybody in this room knows.
That someone would say to you tonight, Do you know the Lord?
Well, I want to know the world.
It says he came unto his own and his own received anymore.
That's sad, isn't it?
That they didn't want him. And I think it's one of the saddest things that I face as I meet people and try to help them, as some people don't want the world.
Why don't they want the Lord?
How don't they want the Lord? Well, they must not understand him.
I think the reason why people don't want the Lord is they don't believe that he's the Lord.
You don't believe that he's the Lord?
The North and verse 12.
As many as received.
To them gave he the power to become the Son of God.
Yes, it says there were some who didn't believe in Jesus and Jesus. They didn't believe in the word. They didn't believe in this wonderful person.
But then it says in verse private there were some that did.
As many as received them.
To them he gave the power of the right authority to become the children of God, even to them that believed on his name everybody who received the Lord Jesus.
Becomes a child of God.
As many as received him. But that gave me the power to become the children of God, the sons of God.
For them that believe on his name. On his name.
What does it mean to believe all his name?
Now that's a little hard to explain.
And the best way I know how to explain it is that sometimes you have an opportunity to go into a building downtown and get on the elevator and.
You walk into this building and.
The light flashes that the elevators are arrived and the door opens and you just step inside and you put your whole weight on the elevator.
And you just stand there and you wait from the picture you believe on the other.
And that's what it is to believe all that our Jesus.
It's that desire in our hearts that say yes, I believe in this word.
I believe he was with God. I believe he was God. I believe he made all things. And I believe his name Jesus means a Savior, and I believe he is Christ. I believe he's the Son of God. And I'm going to put my whole weight on him and let him pick you up.
The Lords that do that?
Are the ones that have the right to take the place of the children.
And it says in verse 3 and 13, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man.
If a person has the thought in their mind with that, I don't know if I've been born again or not.
In this verse will solve that problem for you right away because it says that those who receive Jesus have already been born again. You couldn't receive Jesus if you weren't born again.
00:30:02
That says they were born.
In other words, God gives a brand new life.
To those that believe in Jesus, And if you have believed in Jesus, you have the right to say, I have been born again this one which.
Not a flow.
Look at that. You are the little man but.
If you have confessed Jesus as well.
If you acknowledge and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and if you're if you put your full weight on Him, you say, I'm trusting in Jesus to save me and nobody else, I can tell you on the authority that you are brought again.
I don't know what had happened that I know has happened.
Not of the will of man.
Not of the will of man.
Now verse 14 says the Word was made flesh and became blood.
Remember now, this is what we start talking about the word.
With God.
In the beginning with God now it says the word was made late and became late and dwelt among us. And the original word for dwelt is the word for Tabernacle that says.
Yeah.
Friends, this is what happened.
In Bethlehem.
About 1900 and.
80 some years ago.
The word was made.
This very wonderful person, the word.
The person that goes to God. The person that was with God.
Became a man.
The wood was made.
This is one of the most wonderful things that were did you find in the Bible. The Word became flesh and dwelt.
So that when that little baby was born in Bethlehem.
And they looked down at that baby.
That was the word.
It became flesh.
And he was the very image of the even as a baby.
This is the truth.
Of what happened, the best of him.
The word became and welcome.
Complexion, so that we might know him.
How could we know and understand that God had never become?
All that we could see and tell.
But this wonderful person has become a man.
And.
He was made such and welcome, it says. We beheld his glory.
Glory as of the only begotten of the Father for the patient.
When this person became a man.
He was the display of his father.
There are some people that say that.
My sons look like a father.
Somewhat, somewhat.
Most.
But there is a resemblance.
Between my children and me, but all with this one was the first. He was the very display of his past.
We beheld his glory, the glory as with as of the only begotten of the powerful reason.
And so this wonderful person became a man, and he was the very outshining of the very Father God himself.
And God was seen and displayed in this one of command.
John bear witness of him and pride, saying, This is he of whom I spoke to, he that coming back to me as preferred before me.
He was before me. John the Baptist was a wonderful man, and three times in this chapter, he says Jesus was before me.
00:35:04
And yet, folks, we know that John the Baptist was born six months before Christ. So how could John the Baptist say he was before me? How could he say that three times over in this chapter? He could say it because.
The summer cloud always existed because he's gone. He's gone. So here's a good performance.
This is the obvious fullness that we all received and verse 16 says and grace because grace of grace on off of grace for God's goodness on top of God's goodness.
It's all the show.
In this, one is the person who became.
17 says that all was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
There's a wonderful look. The Lord Jesus Christ came not to just.
Tell us what the tenant commandments were.
Nobody can be saved by keeping the 10 commandments.
Because everyone in this room has broken at least one of those commandments, it says, Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbors.
Everyone in this room has told a lie at this point.
And so the 10 commandments can never keep them.
You from the from the judgement of God.
The 10 commandments cannot save.
And so the Lord Jesus didn't come to just give us more commandments. It says grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
No man that seemed God at anytime.
The only God concerned which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared him and thoughts. This is the message I have for you tonight. Jesus Christ is the display of God the Father's dear.
The only begotten son which is at the bosom of the father, he has declared.
Now we're going to strip over some versions. Not that they're not important, but I just want to go down to verse 29 in this chapter.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming under him and say he followed the Lamb of God.
Taketh away the sin of the world.
Now I want to talk to your friends about.
How sin is taken away.
You.
Things are those things that we commit.
That this honor the Lord.
The 10 commandments tell us some sins, not all of us.
But you and I are all sinners.
Everyone of us in this room have done things that are wrong. We have said things that are wrong.
We have soft things are the wrong.
Things that dishonor the Lord.
We are all sinners.
We have all done worse things than Adam did when he got thrown out of the Garden of Eden. You've all done worse than that.
We've all sinned.
And you all need to have our sins to take it away.
So now the question is, how can sins be taken away?
John points to the one that takes away sin, he said before the Lamb of God. That's taken away the sin of the world. Sin can be taken away.
By one method only, and that's by the sacrifice.
Of an innocent victim who is called the Lamb of God. Now who is this Lamb of God?
It's the very same glorious person that's called the word.
The very same person is called God, the very same person who is called the Word made flesh.
It's the same one.
And now we see, he pointed out as the land.
And that was the Lamb of God. He was sacrificed on Calvary cross.
And during those awful hours of darkness on Calvary cross, he suffered a judgment of God against sin.
And.
00:40:02
At the close of those 3 hours in darkness, he bowed his blessed head and said it was finished.
And he gave up his spirit, and the Roman soldier came and turned to spear into his side and out came the blood in the water. And the Bible says the blood of Jesus Christ thought Son cleanses us. But I'll say folks, sin can be taken away by the blood of Jesus, and that's been in the way.
And so John the Baptist point to me, said, behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. This is the only way that sin can be taken away is by the lack of God.
I wonder if there's anybody in this room who still has your sins on your heart.
You see, when we're right into this world, we're born in sin and.
Were born lost and we stay lost until we accept Christ as our Savior.
And the moment we believe in the Lord Jesus, our sins are taken away and they're rushed in the precious blood of Christ.
And the sacrifice of the Lamb.
Takes care of our shame against God.
Be well. The Lamb of God is taken away the sin of the world, and everyone here tonight will believe on the Lord Jesus is washed from your sins in the blood of Christ, and that your sins are gone forever.
The Lord has said that your sins and your iniquities will I remember no more.
My wife and I brought up the house in Des Moines on Boarding St.
I'm not sure whether it was 25 or 26 years ago, something like that.
And we made payments.
And we make payments.
We make things. I got so tired of making payments.
And when the payments came around, we said blood.
Which we didn't have to make the payment.
Well, the time came when I I got a little extra money from the company I worked for and we decided to pay off that house and we paid off my house.
And they gave us the mortgage in the house and right there on the front page it says.
Hey.
Sometimes I like to dig in my files and look at that. It says hey.
No more space.
No work page is paid off. And let me tell you folks.
You that have believed on the Lord Jesus can say as to your account with God.
No more pain.
One big payment was made on Calvary Cross and there's no more payment ever needed to be made.
And that's why John points him out. He says, Behold the Lamb of God. He's the one that made the file, the payments.
The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.
And the moment we believe in Jesus.
The account he.
And so and it is spanned forever. Well, I hope everyone in this room has believed on the Lord Jesus. And if you can say my account is suffered before God and it never needs to be made another thing.
Why? Because the Lamb of God died for me. And after the Lord Jesus died on that cross and his blood was shed, they put him in a grave. And he was there part of three days, and then he gloriously rose again, and he lives tonight in heaven, and he's been listening to me, please, tonight.
The Lord Jesus can listen to me just like you have, and you know that this is He, knows that this is the truth, and anyone who asked him to save their soul, to save whatever.
Of course I told you the story about the little boy.
In Kentucky. He went to the conference there last year in in.
Lawrenceville.
And when he got home from the country, he told his mother, he said.
Do I have a black heart?
Well, she said that.
00:45:00
If you haven't believed on the Lord Jesus, you still have a black heart because your heart is dirty with sin.
Mr. Bryce said to his mother.
He says. Mama, I don't want to have any black card anymore.
I'd like to have a clean house.
And when he started came home from work that night, he went up to his daddy. And he says that daddy Mama says I have a black heart because my heart is dirty to sin. But he said that I'd like to have a pain. Could you tell me how to have a clean heart?
And his daddy.
With a Peggy in his eyes.
Wiping away the tears.
He sat there and told his son.
He said if you believe on the Lord Jesus and take away your sins and give you a clean heart.
We're in the living room, the last house down in Kentucky. The Mama and the daddy and the boys check out on their knees and Mr. Boyce said, Lord Jesus, I want to believe in you and once you take away our dirty heart.
You think you did?
He sure did, and I saw that part at the morning conference. He's a happy little boy.
Got a clean heart.
Well, how did he get a clean heart? Because the Lord Jesus, but they are sick and I could ask that boy, I say how did you get a clean heart, Jesus?
Living and nobody ever called on him.
And.
You know, I get so sick of these answering services.
Some of my friends that have what they call.
And I get so tired of you don't have report. I don't I'm not criticizing you but I I call on the telephone and I I dialed number and it ring.
Let it rain and then it rings and I'm pretty sure the voice comes on, says I am sorry that we can't be harmed. Would you please leave your message at the peak? Then I sit and wait for the beep.
You think the Lord Jesus hasn't asked conservatives?
Oh no, I fixed the phone up right away. And then a boy says to Jesus, Lord save me, save me right now. So takes away The Dirty sins of his heart. Gives him a clean heart. That's what happened. Got a clean heart.
Well, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, so lonely for us, the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross that is big enough to pay the debt of the whole world.
What? A family made the special and there's somebody in this room that still got a dirty heart.
Tonight when you're aligning, you just go to the Lord, say Lord Jesus, I still got a dirty heart.
Lord Jesus, please give me A and let's say yes.
If it says in the word of God, things have come up to me, I will in real life myself. The Lord Jesus never say no to every question.
Well, we talked about a wonderful person.
The Son of God.
The creator of our Word became flesh, the Lamb of God. And I'm glad to tell you he's my savior and I want him to be the Savior. Look about your history.
Let's say #92.
Have you any room for Jesus?
People brought a little sin.
As an option as to make it considered good to let him in. But Jesus came to your house tomorrow.
Knock at the door of your house with your mother, man.
And you cannot run your heart Store tonight.
For Jesus, from this thing, the first can last.
I was in Columbus, OH.
Month or so ago.
I went up to a house and I saw on the mailbox it had a big sign right there in the mailbox. God is love.
And I thought, well, I'm just knock on this door and and I'll hand the gospel tracks to the persons in the house, I'll hand them to the person.
Knock on the door. Nobody came to the door.
And I knocked on the door second time.
And a man came to the door, and he was wiping his sheep out of his eyes and woke him up.
In the neck.
And I said, I'm sorry I looked you up. I didn't want to do that. But I saw, I saw this sign on the mailbox, God is love. And I said that. Who put that there? He said I did.
But I said, why did you put that there?
He said. A year ago I put my trust in the Lord Jesus measurement savior.
And I said to him.
The mustache, your own dark hair, and it was a little darker, inflected and some of my said to him.
Do you speak the Spanish language? No, he says. I came from Syria.
Life has changed.
Put the trust in the Lord Jesus.
Because we're both at the same time, right? Because they both played on the same bus.
And if you believe in the Lord, we're at the same time.
Saved by the Ear
Gospel—S. Ludvicek
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Let's quickly start that.
Almighty.
And birthday.
All.
Day.
Today.
Maybe it's kind of part of the day, but.
Paul and Linda and his family and we had a nice time. We ate together.
Went to a famous place called Billy Bob's, a nice meal and we're driving around by the lake in this house in the country. And we got near a bridge down below the dam on the rock Lake. And we went down there and, and I think Paul and I felt like little kids again. Went through some rocks in the water and all the kids, all of us down there, we had a nice time doing that.
And thinking about the rocks that we were throwing the rocks there, it's him came to mind in connection with the gospel tonight. But I, I remembered something too that happened when I was.
Oh, I suppose I think about Paulie's age, maybe 11:00 or 12:00 somewhere in there. I remember that it might have been a Sunday or a Saturday, I'm not sure. I think it was a Sunday.
So if you remember the gospel, all that was down here in my Father's place, and there was a Creek behind it.
And I remember some of us went down there and we were underneath another bridge and there were sticks and things that I think like we did today, we probably threw some rocks in the water. And I remember my little brother was there and he was probably like benzene, maybe a kindergarten, first grade. And my brother's name is Paul. And he was there, too. And he was coming along and there were logs under the bridge. And all of a sudden he disappeared out of sight.
00:05:06
He just went and he was gone and I remember looking down there but he was gone.
And some of the older boys that were with us, remember Tim McCoy was there and I think Mark McCoy and I think McCoy and I don't know who all, but they went down a little further where the water was and he saw his ear. He reached up and he grabbed him by the ear and just pulled him out of the wall. I just remember Tim grabbing him by the ear and just pulling him up Here he was holding him like this off by his ear. Saved me from ground. And I thank the Lord that my brother Paul was safe from ground.
But I thought about that we were there playing strong rocks and that, and my little brother got saved by the year. You know something the Bible says that through the foolishness of preaching. And where do you think preaching goes in goes in your ear. And you know, in a very real way, when the gospel is preached, you can be saved by your ear because it's in there that it goes.
In the prayer meeting we have back behind this wall, there were a couple of mentions in the prayers of the Alpha Gospel of Yacht.
And we can turn to that. So we pray.
Romans chapter one.
And verse 16.
And anybody here who saved believes this.
And maybe sometimes you don't feel like you live it always, but it says in verse 16 Romans one. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation.
To everyone that believeth in the Jew 1St and also to the dream.
Scripture tells us that hearing then faith and there must be a preacher so that hearing can be done so in a very real way. You can be grabbed by your ear and pulled up fountains and certain death like my little brother was. Joey asked. God's blessing on this time.
Can we sing as well a couple of lines of verse 32 #1 #5 #8 #1.
Five and eight, somebody please start that.
That's OK, yet there is room. The Lambs bright hall of song with its fair glory beckons the along. Room, room still room or enter, enter now #5 yet there is room still open stands the gate. The gate is love. It is not yet too late.
Room Room still room will enter. Enter now.
Air nights that gate may close and seal thy doom. And the last low long cry No room, no room, room, room still room. Oh, enter, enter now.
The last part of verse five says the gate is love. It is not yet too late. Not yet, but there is a day when it will be too late.
Some of you younger children than that, when you got Sunday school and gospel, have you ever had anybody ask you what gospel means? You know what gospel means.
Anybody can say yes. I see somebody saying no. What does gospel mean?
Maybe somebody older will just tell us the gospel means.
Good news. Oh, that's good, good news.
Well.
What's that saying?
Iowa news. It just has good news.
Does this have any good news? Sometimes, yeah, they can hear good news. This is a little bit out of date, though. This is May 21St. You know, sometimes farmers, like some who in this room, they, they would look at this and they would look maybe and they would look, I don't think this has a faith about it. But it would tell about about maybe prices for hogs, maybe prices for crops, maybe something about the grain of what's going to happen. Maybe something about what people think is going to happen with the rain. And that's been a real concern this year.
And, you know, I want you folks to know too, that in Des Moines and other places, even though there's not too many farmers living in Des Moines, and we, we pray a lot about the rain, you know, and we're so happy that the Lord is, we believe he's hurt us. We don't think we're the only ones he's hurt, but we're so happy that he's answered those prayers and he has so much and that we're so delighted that he's sent rain. But, you know, sometimes people look and ask him and this is news. This is about news. But boy, I tell you what.
00:10:16
It's not always good news. And there are some things here. There's somebody that disappeared on the first page. There's there's a there's one here about a boy who died because you know what? He, he watched a movie show so many times and, and he, he, he got so fixed on that he.
He killed himself and there are other things in here. There's somebody that disappeared and you can't find them.
There's kind of an interesting one here. It was a little girl with a, with a little pet pig and and she's she's pretty happy about that. That's kind of good news. But then there's another one. It's just people who rob us like this aren't being good neighbors. Well, that's not so good news.
There's a guy who was killed in a train crash. That's not very good news.
And we just kind of said something about people being disabled. Oh, here's, here's a bad page and the title, this is obituary. And there's all, a list of all these people that died. You know something, it's kind of interesting here because it has pictures. And there's, there's a picture here of a real old, old lady. Like she's, she's probably older than some of her moms and dads here. And she, she's really old. She's got Gray hair and everything. And she, she was really, really old and she died.
And they had a funeral. There's another guy here doesn't look like he has any teeth. And and he died and he had a funeral, you know, and he he's that's not so good news. Probably somebody pretty sad about that. But you know what's funny over here on the next page, guy says Robert L Harris, 26 years old. While, you know, to somebody like Vienna, maybe Paul, some of the younger ones here, you know, that's not very that's what maybe old 26 is pretty old.
But I look at these real people here, maybe 8090, they died. And I think that's pretty old. I don't think 26 is too old. I think that's pretty young. But he, he died. He died. And you know what? There's no place on here that says any good news about it. And we we sang in that song. It says it's not too late. You know what? You're, you're alive and you breathe and you're not dead yet. It's not too late. But this guy, this man, Robert L Harris, you know what?
I hope you save because he died and it's too late. You know it's too late for him. Sometimes you look at here and you'll look and you'll see one and it says.
Like 6 months old.
Well, that's, that's almost younger than anybody here, isn't it? Well, you know what? I'm so glad the Lord Jesus died on the cross and shed his blood because somebody that's six months old, he can say to that little child, I came to save you and I saved him.
You know something that's not much good news and most of the time when you look at these.
Newspapers, there are things here, they're helpful and by helping with your job and, and, and help you about what's going on. Maybe you need to know some of those things, but there's not much good news. In fact, people who don't think anything about the Lord Jesus will tell you that and sometimes it if there's too much bad news.
Now you know what? There are things in here about people that die. There are stories in here about people who are murdered. There are stories in here about people who committed suicide. There are stories in here about little babies that died. There are little stories that hear about old people that died. But in the middle of this whole story?
Or whatever question you have about who you are, what I am, where am I going, What about my sins? All those things are answered. They're not answered in here. They're just bad news. When it talks about bad news, that's only no answer, but it talks in here about somebody that died that you can turn on to the next page. You can turn on down to some other pages, and you can find out the answer and what can be done about that. But what happens when somebody dies? You can know why we talk about that in the gospel.
Well, I want to tell you some good news. You know the gospel can be bad news to you if you say no. If you're a boy or girl and you say no when they talk about the gospel up here, then you know what? There's only bad news for you. And older ones too. That's all there is, is just bad news.
Because all day when this newspaper will say in the obituary, it'll have your name and it'll sit died, say what day there probably won't be anything else there. And then somebody go talk to your mom or dad or somebody and say, well, did did this little boy or did this girl, did they know Lord Jesus of their Savior?
And they'll go, we didn't know, you know, that's sad, that's bad news. I wouldn't want to hear that. You know, sometimes a little boy, a little girl, maybe an older one too. Sometimes they they've died and you go to a funeral and you know what, your heart is sad. But there somebody talks, somebody gives the gospel, somebody talks about the good news. And then they tell a very good thing. They say, you know, it's John or Mary or whoever the name was.
00:15:30
She or he knew the Lord Jesus as their Savior, and that's good news because they believe what this book had to say.
Turn with me.
To Ezekiel, chapter 33.
And verse 11.
You know, this is kind of a thing you could say to somebody who has been to Sunday school, somebody who's been to gospel meetings, maybe somebody who's gotten ready for gospel meeting and their, you know, their mom is telling, you know, hurry up and get dressed, wash your hands, you know, get clean. You've got dirt on your face and you're going, oh, boy, we got to go to another gospel meeting is kind of boring. Another gospel meeting. Here we go again.
I'm tired. I want to play. You know, you think sometimes things like that boring, it's not much fun. There's time to find people think like that, don't they? You know what I thought about? Suppose your house was on fire and somebody came up to the door. They opened the door and it's this good there and they kind of said your house is on fire, you better get out. They were kind of boring. You know what? I'll bet you, you check and see and make sure and you get you get off, get out.
You wouldn't care whether they were boring or not.
And I want to tell you, sometimes the people that stand up here like me aren't always interesting like they're supposed to be, because this is exciting thing we're talking about. Sometimes we don't tell maybe interesting stories like we should. And sometimes maybe we're not right in here. We're not as happy as we should be about this good news. Sometimes that's true. But I want to tell you there's no other way. I don't care how old you are, there's nothing else that anybody can say.
Your mom or dad or anybody that's going nothing else they can do. They can't. They can't be aggressive, colorful clothes. They can't do anything. They can't jump up and down. They can't shout real loud. They can't do anything. They can't play loud music. They can't do anything different and tell you about Jesus and the good news. That's the only thing that can reach your ear and save you from death. That's the only thing you know. Sometimes we don't always talk simple enough or plain enough so that boys and girls can understand.
And that's too bad. But, you know, I want to make sure, with the Lord's help, that what we're talking about is simple enough that you can understand, you know, you can understand skipping rocks in the water, can't you? We start out talking about that. Yeah. We did that today, didn't we? Yeah. And you can understand when you saw there and you saw those rocks and logs when I told you about my brother that fell in the water. You can understand that, can't you? But somebody could die that way. And I'm so glad I know my little brother Paul wasn't saved.
He got saved later on. But if he would have died, if he would have died that day, there would have been no good news. It would have been bad news. My mother and father would have been unhappy. I would have been unhappy. All my brothers and sisters would have been unhappy. And we wouldn't have known if my little brother was saved because we didn't know for sure. Later on we did. And we would have known he went to heaven, but he would have died that day. He would have gone to the way. When you're not saved, where do you go?
This book that tells good news tells the sad news that people who die without the Lord Jesus go to a terrible place. Hell.
They go to a terrible burning place called Hell.
You know, I I've told this story before and but I sometimes don't know if the little ones do. When I got saved, I had heard the gospel till I was about Carlye Aid. Not exactly. And I could tell somebody, if somebody would have said to me, Sam, how can I get saved? How can I go to heaven? I could have said, you know, you believe on the Lord Jesus because he died on the cross. If you believe on the Lord Jesus, you can be saved. I could have told him that, but you know what? I wasn't saved.
I could afford it. A Sunday school verse that I learned maybe the week before. I could have said, well, John 316 and I could have quoted that to him. But you know what I wasn't saying? And my dad said to me one night I he spanked me. You guys been spanked for Harris? Yeah. Yeah. And told you other ones here, don't you know, they all have them. Grandma and Grandpa been spanked someplace too long time ago. But then you know why they get spanked? Because you're bad and you're naughty and their mom and dad want you to do right. But naughty things and bad things, when we talk about that naughty being sin. If you've been naughty, you've been sinning.
00:20:28
And older people, when they've been not even saying too, but sometimes people don't like to call naughty sin and they like to call stealing, ripping off or some other word. It doesn't sound like sin, but it's all sin. And God says that if we sin, we can't get to heaven with sin. You can't get to heaven with sin. But you boys and girls can understand how that somebody could be saved. And if you're not saved, you can go to a bad place called hell. Well, my dad spanked me and he sent me to my room and I was crying.
And I was in my room and it was dark and I was crying. My dad used to come in after he would spank us sometimes and he would talk to us and he would say to my sisters or myself and he'd say, you know, son or daughter, we love you and we spank you because we do.
My dad came in and this time he did too, but tears were coming down his face. My dad was crying. He came into my room and he was crying and said, you know, son, he says we love you and that's why we spank you when you do things wrong. But we, there's something we're more concerned about. We know, we know the Lord Jesus and we, we were saved and we know that when we die we're going to heaven. But we don't know if you know, we don't know if you know the Lord Jesus. And he said, son, if you die in your sins.
You will go to hell and we don't want you to go. And he left my room. Now I want to tell you that. What do you say about that little boy or little girl? What do you say If you died tonight somehow because you got sick, you died, would you go to heaven? Would you go to where your mom and dad are going to be? I really want you to answer that inside your heart and say yes or no, the Lord Jesus.
I really want you to answer that inside your heart, inside here where you think right now you're thinking about what I'm saying and saying, you know, I don't know, or yes, I know the Lord Jesus.
Last time I was talking in Des Moines in the gospel meeting, there was a little boy sitting up front and he was thinking and he was listening and he said, I know Jesus, I believe.
Because he thought about it and he thought about it. He said, I know that if the Lord Jesus took me home or if I died, I know that I'd go to be with Jesus. Can you say that inside your heart in here? Can you say as you're thinking, I know that I go to be with the Lord Jesus because I believe in him and he's my Savior? You know how simple it is.
What would you do, what would you do, and what do you do when you want something to eat?
What do you do when you want an apple? Are you on orange? Or maybe you want a sandwich or a cookie? You go to your mom and say, mom, can I have a cookie?
And she might say yes, and she give you.
Mom, I want an apple. Dad, can I have a candy bar? Can I have soda pop?
Yes, and he gets you a soda pop. He hands it to you. You know what the Lord Jesus told a woman in the Bible, in John's Gospel, He told her if you knew who was talking to you, you would ask and he would give you, He would give you a drink and he would never thirst again. He was talking about eternal life, just like asking for a brink of woman. You think if you went to the Lord Jesus, who, who is the author of this book, who died on the cross, who shed his blood? You think if you went to him and said Lord Jesus, I'm just a little bi or I'm just a little girl.
But I know I do naughty things, and that's sin. But I want you to give me that drink. I want you to give me eternal life, save me, wash my sins away because I know you died for me. You think he'd say no? But I want to tell you tonight that he doesn't say that.
He says he that cometh to me, I will no wiser for no reason, turn away, cast out. He won't turn you for any reason at all. If you come to him, the Lord Jesus save you. I want eternal life. I want to be saved, saved. I believe in you, I trust you and you know what you can say that Lord Jesus, thank you for saving me because he will do what he said. He doesn't change his mind. It didn't happen that mom and dad got saved one way.
And then you get saved another way. It never has happened like that ever. And it won't happen anytime. Well, we know the Lord Jesus means what He says, and you can understand that. And He'll do. Just like my little brother was saved in the water. He'll reach down and He'll pull you up and He'll bring you right out of the water, and He will save you and save your life.
00:25:10
Turn with me to Matthew.
Matthew, Chapter 27.
You know, I forgot to read Ezekiel. Let's turn back. Ezekiel, I'm sorry. Talked about you didn't read it. I want to read it because it's very, very important.
Ezekiel, chapter 33.
It says in the middle of this or near the end of this verse, Why will ye die?
It's like you can, you don't have to. No little boy or girl in this room has ever been to Sunday school that's had their mom and dad talk to them about the work. And you don't have to. You don't have to die and go into a lost eternity. You don't have to. And you know what, you can live forever with your mom and dad in heaven and with the Lord Jesus. You can be there forever. But the question in this verse is why it's like.
I don't understand.
Why? Why do you not want to be saved or why would you stay that way? Not saved? We think about that and we look at people up and down the street in this town and different places and we want to see them. Why? Why will you die? Why will you go on that way?
You can live just by asking the Lord Jesus the Savior to believe in Him and trust in Him. You know, if you didn't believe Him, you wouldn't ask Him. But if you believe in what He says, you'd ask Him and he'd say, now turn with me.
To Matthew 27.
There's another question that's asked and the Lord Jesus asks. It's verse 46 and we often read this verse in the breaking of bread meeting.
Jesus is on the cross and he's hanging there between heaven and earth. Men, cruel men are put in there and we all know the story. We've heard it 1000 times for the Lord Jesus.
It says, it says Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani. That is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why did you forsake me?
And we think about that and sometimes when we have the breaking of red, meaning we see the loaf in the cup there, it just goes like this in our hearts. And we, we are sad and we're, we have gladness in our hearts too, because we know the Lord Jesus died on the cross. They suffered greatly. He suffered there. And he said, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? You know what the answer is? Do you know what the answer is?
For you, if you will believe he was forsaken and turned aside.
For you, you will believe He was forsaken for me, my friend. And if you have already believed in the Lord Jesus you're saving, you can say that with me. Yes, He stood there between heaven and earth and hung on that cross. And you can say it was for me. You can cry out. He was forsaken of God for me. It was for me that Jesus died and God turned his back upon him.
When He took my sins, you know why God couldn't face and look upon Jesus at that moment, in that time, in those three hours of darkness. And that you know why? Because your sins of mine, if you will believe on him or put upon him, and God cannot look upon that sin.
He could only turn and pour his wrath out upon this man Jesus. He could only punish you.
You know, this probably has never ever happened to you. Any boy and girl here. Has it ever happened to you? Or you were going to get a spanking and one of your brothers and sisters or some other boy or girl came up to you and said, okay, you're supposed to get a spanking for being naughty. I'm going to take your spanking for you. Has anybody ever had that happen? I don't think so. Never happened to me. But when when we're talking about what the Lord Jesus did, that's what he did. He came up and he said.
I will take your spanking for you.
If you'll just let me, if you will let me take your spanking for you, this punishment that you deserve, if you'll let me take it for you, I will stand here and I will take it. And you can go free and you don't need to be punished.
And all you need to do is believe that God has said that and that it's true. Believe on him and you can have him take your punishment and say you're free. You don't need to be punished, but if you want, you will go on and you'll be punished.
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And there's only one thing left, and that's not good news. It's sad news. Like we have a lot in here.
The Lord Jesus will say to those people in that day, He'll say away, go away, depart from me. I don't know who you are. You didn't believe on me. You weren't saved. You didn't trust in me as your Savior. Now it's too late. Go away from me in part. Go into outer darkness. Go into a lost eternity. Away, away. That's all there will be, and that's not good news. The good news is that's all there will be, and that's not good news. The good news is that you don't have to. It's like the first person we met. Why will you die? You can be saved. You can be saved now.
And you can go.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? I hope, my friend and boy or girl, that you can say for me, it's for me. If you can say that, then I can tell you, my friend, that you are saying.
There's another verse in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 20.
Chapter 20 and verse 6.
Those of us who are saved.
Sometimes we are kind of happy about that and we think, well, I'm so glad that I'm saved and I don't go to I'm not going to hell. And that is that's a good thing. And I hope each one of us can say that I'm saved and I'm happy that I'm not going to hell. I'm glad to know the Lord Jesus and my Savior. I'm thankful that Jesus saved me. I'm so glad that my mom and dad told me about Jesus. I'm so glad the Sunday school teacher talked to me about the Lord Jesus. I am so glad that somebody preached the gospel and the gospel me and they told me about the Lord Jesus. I am so glad that somebody wrote it down.
A little track and told me about the Lord Jesus and that he could save. I'm so glad that there's a Sunday school paper that told me.
But what about somebody else?
You know, that's what this meeting is about. It's about somebody else other than me, other than somebody else sitting here that knows the Lord Jesus. This meeting is for somebody else so that they might be saved. Well, I know why Mom and dad want you to be saved, because they love you very much and you're their children. They want the very best for you. But what about somebody we don't know anything about? What about somebody that we've never met before? What about somebody that lives in a part of town we've never we don't know them. Maybe maybe we've seen them on the street. Maybe we saw them in school. We don't know anything about them. Maybe we've even played with them on the playground.
What about them, what about them if they don't know the Lord Jesus they're sick. What about them? Well, this verse kind of applies to that. Read the whole thing for six and top of every hour. He went out and found other standing idol and sentence. Then why stand ye here all the day? I don't you know that's really fun to talk to somebody about the Lord Jesus and that they get saved.
If you have ever had that happen, will you talk to somebody about Jesus? You told them how they could be saved and they said, you know, I believe what you're telling me. I want the Lord Jesus to come into my heart and be my savior. I want to tell you if that has never happened, that is a happy, happy, happy thing. And you will, you will be able to tell somebody, anybody that says that being a Christian and talking about the Lord Jesus can't be found. They don't know what they're talking. Because it can be fun and happy and you can do that. And you can do that if you're a little boy or girl and you can do that if you're an older one. But you know what happens.
Sometimes we're just happy that we're saved and that's it. I don't want to say anything anybody else. We don't want to tell anybody else. We just want to be happy and be saved and then go through life and not have too many problems. Have a nice little house, little picket fence.
No problems. Rain when it's supposed to and then go to heaven and everything will be just fine. Well, that's not the way the Bible talks about. There are people all around us that are going to hell and going into a lost eternity, and we can tell them about the Lord Jesus. And maybe we're not so good about telling them. Maybe we don't think we can talk so good. But that doesn't matter. What you know, you can tell to somebody else. You know how many gospels are in this book?
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How many? 4 Matthew, Barr. Listen, John, and you know, there's another gospel. Maybe you didn't know this. I think you do. You listen to what I'm going to say. There's another gospel.
It's actually maybe what you could call a continuation of the Acts. Someone has said that the book of the Acts could be called the Acts or the actions of the Holy Spirit. And if you kept adding on to that book, all the stories of all the people have gotten saved right down to this day. It would be a long, long ago. But there is a kind of gospel that is going on right now, and it's you, each one of you that knows the Lord Jesus, your Savior and myself. That is a good news that is being pulled out just because you're safe.
And if you can tell somebody, I know the Lord Jesus is my Savior, and he's changed my life.
He's made a difference and I want you to know that it does work. It is real. If it didn't work, what's the problem? You can tell somebody. If it doesn't work, then forget about it.
But you can tell that to anybody. You can tell somebody what happened to you, what Jesus has done for you in all the different times. We read in the Gospel account that the Lord Jesus healed some people. He healed their eyes or their legs, healed them from leprosy, cast out demons, and so on.
There were people who went and told what had been done to them. The woman, the well that I talked about in John's gospel, when she left and she went into the city and she told what this man had said about all that she had ever done and so on. She went and told, you know what happened. People believed on the Lord Jesus. She was a living gospel message of good news to people around and she didn't know anything except that she had met this man.
She had met this man called Jesus and she had found out that this man could tell her all that she'd ever done. He could tell her about her sin. She didn't know much more than that. She just would come and see, look at this guy, He is different. He is the one that's promised. He knows things that no man can know. This is more than a man. She didn't know much more than that. And it tells us that people did believe. And then it says that some came and they saw it for themselves. And they said, now we believe because we have seen. We saw with our own eyes. They came to Jesus.
Not everybody is just going to take one look at you and get saved or one listen to what you say and get saved. Some people, it takes a long time, but someday you can stand in the glory. You can stand with the Lord Jesus is and you could be before him and you could look over and you could see, oh, I'm so glad I told him. I'm so glad I told her about the Lord Jesus. And it might be your own little brother or little sister.
How would you like to someday stand in the glory? Stand there with your mom and dad and others. And you know, I told my little brother, I told my little sister about the Lord Jesus. It might even be your older brother or sister.
And they got saved.
Wouldn't that be marvelous? You know, when you die or if the Lord comes and takes us, you know we're not going to take things from this. You can't take your bicycle, you can't take your toys, you can't take your your favorite blanket. You can't take anything from this scene but block this. You can take someone else that you've given the gospel to and the Lord Jesus will point that out. And in that day when he gives his his commendations to people.
He will point at you and he will say you did good. You are a faithful servant of mine. You told someone about me and they got saved. And I guaranteed you that that person is going to throw their arms around you after they've already been to see Jesus when they get there. And they're going to thank you for telling them about the Lord Jesus. And that'll be a marvelous experience and marvelous time when they will throw their arms around those that told them about Jesus and told them how they could be saved and told them in a way that they couldn't turn aside.
Because why will you die? I can't figure it out.
I don't understand it. Why would you die? Why would you go away? Why would you leave this meeting tonight? Well, you might say, well, Lord Jesus, he was boring. He didn't tell it plain enough. Well, maybe that's true sometimes, but tonight there has been at least one verse or a few words. And I believe it with all my heart because I believe that prayers of the people in this room that praying right now and the ones that prayed in here that God hears those prayers and no matter how.
The person up here sometimes is, or is it that God takes a few words and he puts them in your little heart, and he plants those seeds there and he stirs in and you can turn and say no.
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That you can simply turn and say, yes, Lord Jesus save me now. I believe in you, I come right now.
Save me, I trust you.
It's not any harder than that. It's not any more difficult. You have heard a lot of what I've said tonight. Maybe I've talked a little bit about some things that are a little different.
Because my life has been a little different than yours, but you have heard it before. But right now, tonight, I don't want you to leave your chair. I don't want you how old you are. I don't want you to leave tonight and go home with your mom and dad. I don't want you to do that until right now. You get saved.
Right now, that's what I want and I know your mommy and daddy want it and I know if I could ask each person in this room that's been praying in the meeting and before they say I want it too, I want every boy and girl to be saved right now, tonight.
We just pray and that's God's help. And boy and girl, what we're praying right now as we bow our heads, you can talk to the Lord Jesus in your heart and you can ask Him to save you right this very minute. You don't have to wait. So bow your heads. Let's close our eyes and talk with Lord Jesus.
1 Corinthians 16:13,14
Address—E. Ensign
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100 and 56156.
Praise the Lord again. Again the Spirit strikes the chord, Nor touches He our hearts, and vain we praise we praise the Lord. Could somebody start there?
I'd like that to turn with me tonight to 1St Corinthians 16.
And before I read these the verses that that I have in my heart.
Just to think for a moment what it is that.
That we've had, if you'll think about the contents of this this letter, the file wrote to these dear ones, that's the corn they were, they were recommended, we might say, by Paul, for several things that were that were problems there.
They were allowing some unjust people and they were not very respectful of the remembrance of the Lord.
There were several other things that he had to speak to these ones about. There are many things that were said in the chapter 1213 and 14 about about the the regulation in the Assembly as we as we come together and then a special word of encouragement in the 15th chapter.
And as he comes to the end of the 16th chapter, there's some final instructions and some greetings. And then he and he closes the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with you, my love, be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. And so this this book inspired by God and given to the Apostle Paul, it's it's for Christians of all time if you just look on the 1St chapter for a moment.
And notice the.
The second verse.
If the official was dressed, addressed under the Church of God.
Which is at current to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Proud Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. And so while there was some special instruction to the the Saints back there in the 1St century at Corinth, why it's still meant for you and me today.
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So then in the last chapter where I had to turn the 16th chapter.
I'd like to read verse 13 and 14.
Watching stand fast in the face.
Quit you like men. Be strong. Let all your things done. Let all your things be done with charity. Now that charity there is divine love. Another translation puts it beyond your guard. Stand firm in the faith, even of courage. Be strong. Do everything in love.
There were many, many adversaries. Notice a father in the 16th chapter.
File says in verse 9.
For a great door and effectually is open unto me. And there are many adversaries. We all here we sit tonight in the 20th century, and it's still true, isn't it? There are many, many adversaries. There are many forces at work to to prevent our going on for the Lord. But the Lord is greater than all the adversaries.
Watchy, stand fast in the faith, Put you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done to cherish what I'd like to do Now, in the time that remains, I'd like to expand on There's four things in the 13th verse, and I believe there are some things that can be a real encouragement to us and real help for us. So as we think of the first one, watch you or be on your guard or be vigilant.
Alert the Lord have us to know what's going on around about us. Not that we need to know every detail. I get immersed in the did, immersed in the evil, but the Lord would have us to be to be watchful and to be to be diligent. I already already read the verse what Paul said in that ninth verse, that there are many adversaries. There are many that are that are against us. Turn over to first Peter, the 5th chapter. We'll be turning to several places, and I'll try to allow plenty of time to turn into different places.
First Peter final.
And verse 8.
Here, Peter writes to those he's writing too. He says he's sober. Be vigilant, he.
Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.
Now we'll read the ninth verse. We're going to look at that a little bit later. Who resists steadfast for the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world?
Verse 8. Be sober. That's the In one sense, sober is the Be willing for me to be willing for you to be willing to take the inward load.
The serious, the serious look at what really, really is happening roundabouts. And there's that word. Be vigilant. Be watchable, be vigilant. And so then we're told that who our adversary is your adversary is the devil.
As a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may develop, there's the adversary. There is the one who's against this, who is going to be against the things of the Lord and against Christianity. Everywhere that he can, He will heal, but he won't heal until he has to. And so the Lord have us to be very much in prayer. Concerning the fact that there is an adversary, there is one. There is one against us. And so beyond your guard, beyond your guard, he says.
In First Timothy Three, we won't turn to this, but there is a word to those that would have the oversight from the assemblies, the bishops if you will, or their overseers, the neighbor to be vigilant, they were to be watchful.
Then turn over to the 20th chapter of Acts.
X20.
In this chapter there is a departing parting message that Paul gives to the the the elders, the overseers and necklaces.
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Sort of his final, final word to them. I don't know that you ever saw him again.
Verse 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers.
To feed the Church of God, which he had purchased with his own blood.
For I know this that after my departing shall grievous woes.
Enter it among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own self shall men arise.
Speaking perverse things to Broadway disciples after them. Therefore watch. Watch says be vigilant. And so here he tells us clearly. And we look over the history of the church, and we can see that indeed there were those that came in from the outside to try to spoil things, and there were those on the inside that did the deadly work too. And so the word to us ringing down through the centuries.
Is lost.
Verse 31 Continuing. And remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone. Night and day is tears. And then he commenced them to God and to the word of His grace. And that's what we have today. Here once we have the same thing that the dear ones in the 1St century had when the apostles died on We have God, and we have the word in the toothbrush.
Well, turn to.
First Thessalonians and the 5th chapter.
1St Thessalonians 5.
And verse 6.
Now this is right in the middle of.
Of several verses that speak about different kinds of sleep 30 verse 6.
Paul says, therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober. So there it is again. Let us watch and be sober, saying two things that we write about in first Peter 5. There's three different kinds of sleep mentioned here. Notice.
Verse six says let us not sleep and do others, so let us want to be sober. Verse 7 for they that sleep sleep in the night and they that be drunk and are drunken in the night.
And then?
Let's see.
Verse 10.
Our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that whether we wait or asleep, we should live together with Him. Well you have you have physical sleep. You have moral sleep and you have the sleep of death. And I'll mention I'll mention here the Lord doesn't want you and me to be sleepy Christians. He wants us to to be very much awake and to know what's to know what's going on around the bars. And so he invites us to to want to be sober. Well, then I was I was trying to think of an example we might have.
One in the scripture. Maybe you can think of many yourself, but it seems to me that in the Nehemiah we have an interesting example. So let's turn to Nehemiah. Over there, the Old Testament. Just a few verses.
Now the book of Nehemiah. We're going to look at the 4th chapter, by the way, the Nehemiah.
The subject in the early part of the book.
That it dwelt on is the.
Is the rebuilding of that well that Jerusalem? And when you think of a well, you think of something that that separates, wow, that wall of separation.
And you remember the story how it was that the Nehemiah was really exercising about the state of affairs in Jerusalem. You know he was a tough player for the king over there and and the Avalon and the Lord opened up the way. So that's your man in the in response to his prayers and his exercise for him to go over and to be a help and encourage for his brethren. And there's one chapter of devoted to the building of the wild and it names names of people that that help and their concerns are exercise.
Every step of the way, the rebuilding of that wall that is opposition. Now why would there be opposition? We're building a wall. Why would the devil oppose?
If we take this and apply it to ourselves, why would the devil oppose you and me in the sense putting up a wow of of separation? Well, he knows that that if we can be careless on that by he, he's able to come in with his terrible suggestions of evil and the people from going on with the Lord. And so Nehemiah was one who was alerted. Now notice in verse seven of chapter 4.
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It came to pass that when Sam Ballot and Tobiah.
And the Arabians and Ammonites and the Astrodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being were made-up, and that the breaches began to be stopped. Then were they very raw, and conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to hinder it. Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night. Because of them there's the word watch again. And Judah said, the strength of the bearers of virginity came, and there was much rubbish, so that we are not able to build the wall.
And our adversary said they shall not know.
Neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work deceased. So you see, here are some coming in from the outside that we would look and read carefully. We find that there were problems on the inside also. So here are the enemies they're trying to commit from the outside in a very secretive way. Verse 12. And it came to Pence that when the Jews which got by them came, they said unto us 10 times.
From all places which when shall you return unto us, they will be upon you. Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall. And on the higher places I even sent the people after their families with their swords, and their Spears, and their bows. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people. Be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to not that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work, And it came to pass from that time For that behalf of my servants brought in the work, and the other half of them held both the Spears and the Shields and the bows. And the Herburgians and the rulers were behind all the House of Judah, and they which they would build it on the wall, and they would bear burdens with those that laid it, were loaded, and carried it every one of them.
With his hands around the world and with the other hand held a weapon for the builders. Everyone had to serve girded by his side and so building and and he that sounded the trumpet was by name. Now I'm just a a few words you can see that that here was here was the thread of enemy coming in by stealth but we can see the nehemiah because of his his habit of prayer and he had very much discernment he was he was alert to what was going on.
And he realized what their plan was, and he was able to spark the enemy by rallying his president that they would watch and they would come together on the wall, places where they were, where they were needed. And I just think that's so instructive and so helpful for us. And, you know, if you haven't read the book of Nehemiah recently, I would encourage you to go through it and see here a man who who started in that wonderful freshness of the Lord, and when he ended his course, there was still that freshness. And we see that that all during his course.
He had a real concern for his brethren, for the for the people of God.
Well, back in. Don't turn to him. Back in First Corinthians 16, the next item was stand fast or stand firm in the face.
So let's turn back now to first Peter 5. We've mentioned the part of the verse there. First, Peter 5.
And verse 9, speaking about the adversary the devil. First Peter 59 who resists steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. And if we turn to James, we find aversive and say resist the government and he will plead he will flee from you. So here's here's the devil and the character of the roaring lion and works in order to to resist. Well, how can we resist? Well we're told the equipment that we have in Ephesians 6. So let's turn over there.
Think about standing firm in the face.
Ephesians 6.
Verse 11.
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Put on the whole armor of God.
Be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil. And so here's something that is depicted to us as the armor. We'll read these next verses shortly so that we are able we are able to stand against the wicked 1A. Notice that says here now the wild over first Peter it was the devil and his character as a roaring one and now here it is, the lyles and the deceptions. You know Satan.
We'll try to, we'll try to declass, if you will, to set us up to deceive us and we need everything that we have available to us in order to stand against this sort of thing.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, with the margin says spiritual wickedness in heavenly places or in the heavenlies. We gather from what the Lord is telling us here that between where we are and where Now it is in the Lord Jesus that there is some kind of a round in between.
Where these powers of darkness are challenging and doing everything in their power to stand against Christianity, to stand against us as Christians, to stand against the spread of the gospel.
And if only if only we could really realize what this is all about.
You know, whatever these principalities and these powers are, these rulers of gardens, they are highly intelligent, as we say in today's language. They're sharp, they're they are, and they're wicked, and they're opposed to God every step of the way, and to the Lord.
If we just read through the Gospels, we'd see how every step of the way there was opposition against the Lord Jesus, and several times we see Satan come right out in the open and tempt the Lord.
And trying to get him off the path of obedience to God's father in the wicked one will try that with you and me too. And the only way that we can stand against such such intelligent and powerful evil beings is by having the armor that God tells us about.
Verse 13 says, Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand an evil day, and having done all to stand.
I remember some of them explaining that verse.
Similar to the way it was in the last war, when the United States and Japan were in war with each other.
And that was a very strange type of warfare. There were there were days and weeks that there was no, no benefit or no confrontation at all.
But we had to be ready because we never knew where there would be another strike, you see, and that's the way it is. And I believe that's an explanation of this verse, that you may be able to withstand an evil day. And having done all to stand, there may be times when we're not under a particular attack from the adversary, but we have to be ready because we don't know when he's going to start.
Stand therefore, having your lines beared about with truth, that would be.
My life and those things that the government is the very inmost parts of my being governed by the word of God.
Having a breastplate of righteousness in the.
Breastplate being local, part of the body, and it might, it might say that the that the affections might be directed in the right in the right way for the Lord and your feet chop with the preparation of the gospel of peace, that that my rock and my footsteps might be sent. That would commend the gospel so that Satan wouldn't be able to to have anything against me. If I were trying to speak to someone that could be there would be that that quality of life above all taking the shield of faith.
Wherewith he shall be able to quench all the fiery guards.
Of the wicked. And it seems that one of the one of the ways that the devil tries to get in and penetrate that shield of faith is with discouragement those darts of discouraging to get us to to disbelieve the goodness that God has in his heart for you and me. And we need the shield of faith for that. Take the helmet of salvation. The helmet guards the head and the head is the up there. It's it's the brain and it controls all all of my movements and your movements and so.
We need that that protection, the helmet of salvation, and then the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and here is the word of God.
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Really. And I think in connection with with, you know, for us, sometimes we think of using the sword on others, but no, we need the word of God as protection, as protection for for ourselves and then finally praying, always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
Watching thereunto allow perseverance and supplication from all sinners. And there is the the provision, you might say, the armor that that God has given us. You know, the military may have been reading this.
Well, he might expect that verse 18 to say And then fighting always the note for the Christian we have all the parts of the armor described. And then it summed up praying, praying always. And so that is yours and my weapon the most powerful weapon against the forces that are that are arrayed against us. And I hope that I hope that you don't think I'm overly emphasizing something that that that shouldn't be emphasized. But I really believe that if we can get it firmly fixed in our hearts and our souls.
But there is there is this, this adversary character against us in the form of the devil, and all of his legions by it might give new impetus to our to our prayers, and the things that the Lord tells us here, that we might stand firm in the faith as Paul exhorts us over there in the Corinthians.
There is 2 verses in Philippians. Let's take a look over there in the first chapter. First of all Philippians 1.
Verse 27.
Only let your conversation or manner of life, We might say, let your manner of life be as it becomes the gospel of Christ, That whether I come and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. Stand fast of 1 Spirit that over the 4th chapter.
And the first verse.
Therefore my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for my joy and my crown souls stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. So there is a a real heartfelt fleet that followed his to these dear ones that that felt there was some problems there was with the Vainglory and conflict and all that, but he just pleads with him, He would stand stand fast in the world.
Now it looks like an example. Turn over to Second Samuel 23.
Second Samuel 23.
I think as we look at these examples.
The Bible is full of wonderful examples so that we might be encouraged that these were real people, people just like you and me, that lived and walked and breathed down here in this world. The world was maybe a little bit different in some ways, but.
These people had a desire to stand for the Lord.
It's on Second Samuel 23.
Verse 11 about this man Shannon. He was one of the mighty men.
The Philistines with the enemy and the Philistines.
With the enemy in the land.
And so this seems to maybe depict.
You know, the lounge of the world coming in and amongst us, whatever whatever it might suggest to us that they're the enemy and they were very much against the Israelites, in verse 11 Says. After him was Shaman, the son of Maggie, the heroine.
And the Philistines are gathered together into a truth where it was a peaceful ground, part of language, that the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it, and slew the Philistines. And the Lord brought a great victory. The Lord brought a great victory. Now this might not seem a very big thing, but in one sense you might say he was defending. Defending, where there was some of the food for God's people.
We think of the word of God is our is our food. In Jude, the writer suggests that there should be that contending for the faith that's delivered to the same. And so here is a man who stood his ground and it took a lot of courage for him to do that. The odds were quite heavy against him. But Shama stood his ground as he defended his place, approved for God's, for God's people. And it says the Lord won great victory.
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Think of Daniel in the first chapter of Daniel.
Here he was, a young man. He might not. He might have been just a late teenager. He'd been uprooted from his his country, his his parents, And there he was in the land of Babylon, surrounded by all their terrible customs and the heat of worship and everything that there was. And there was this pressure, terrible pressure on Daniel to confirm the way things were evaporated.
And Daniel he he requested. He very wisely requested they were listening in his calculator as he used wisdom and how he requested that he might not be filing himself. It says he was going to be required to eat a lot of his food that had been offered up to the heathen idols. And Daniel felt before the Lord that he shouldn't do it. And so he pleaded that they be given that he be given some very.
Coarse, plain food and, he said true.
10 days. Give us a chance. And so the angels, Daniel, God, listen to that prayer and they're given this this chance to see whether the school would be nursing enough for them and.
They were allowed them to go on and to eat this plain chair without having to defile themselves, Daniel and his friends. And when the examination time came by, it tells us that Daniel and his friend for 10 times wiser than anyone else in the realm of when I came into the things that the Babylonians tested them in. And so there was one, you see, who stood by his faith, stood by the courage of his convictions in a terrible, difficult situation. And I suspect that that that was probably.
Probably a lot more difficult than maybe situations that a lot of us are in.
And so he stood fast. And then think of Daniel on the 6th chapter, where he was a man of prayer. There was accustomed to pray to God three times a day, so the windows open towards Jerusalem.
And.
The other ruler, see, Daniel was only the second only to the king. And there was some other, some other men who were called presidents. And you remember, they were jealous of Daniel because of his position. They conspired to get the king to write a law that said it was unlawful for anyone to work with anybody or create anyone except the king for 30 days. And so the doctor came to sign this.
And Daniel tells us plainly, new what the law was. And even though he knew what the penalty was, the penalty.
Be cast into the dead of lion. And even though Daniel knew what the penalty was, he prayed just like he always did for his windows over towards Jerusalem. And we would read back from chronicles when Solomon prayed that prayer at the dedication of the temple that that was that the Lord would answer the prayer of his people from the land of their captivity. And so even though there was a stiff penalty but Daniel was caught framing God, he did it anyway. And so he stood firm for the faith.
And the Lord indicated that dear man, because when he was putting that down of lines, the Lord of those lines no longer told.
He was come up. He came up harmless. Well, that's Daniel Six. We're all familiar with the story. So here are some people that stood firm, stood firm for the Lord.
Well then, in the 1St Corinthians 16, the third, the third thing in that verse was it says quickly like men will be men of courage and.
It's presumed you see that, that men act in a courageous way. And you know, I suspect we don't always do it, but the courage was associated with the way men, men generally acted. But these people are curious. Maybe we can say we can say that.
Well.
I was thinking of some examples we might have here.
So let's turn back to Second Samuel 23 again.
And we look at the ninth verse this time.
And here's Eliezer and.
23 Dinosaur Second Samuel, the son of Dodo. He's another one of the mighty men.
Says one of the three mighty men with David.
When they defied the Philistines that were gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away, he arose and smoked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand played to the sword. And the Lord brought a great victory that day. The people returned after him only to spoil. I've enjoyed associating that little example. His hand, you know, he hung fast. His hand just felt fast to his sword. And you think of how the scripture speaks about the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
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And God's word is like A2 edged sword, His hand held chance. And are we holding fast to God's word in the revelation of the two?
Very short risk 2020 it says that which you have hold fast so I come hold fast till they come and so shameless or any easier he held thanks to this sword.
And you want to grade 50? I took a lot of courage. There's one man again standing against all these facetimes that were coming upon him. So he certainly behaved himself like a Atlanta courage.
Think of David and Goliath.
Turn to it First Samuel 17.
Here's a nine foot tall giant arm to the teeth with another man to carry his the shield, I guess. And here's David. Just a young man. A strip club.
And they meet together, you might say, for the showdown this day, because the the.
The challenge was that if the Israelites man won, the Philistines would be servants to them, but as the Philistines made one, then the Israelites would be servants to them. And so here was a battle that seemed like it was way out of proportion between these two men.
And after an exchange between Goliath and and David.
Notice and verse.
Horrifying.
Then said David to the Philistine.
That comes to me with a sword and with a spear with a shield.
Will I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, who now has to be fired?
This day when the Lord deliver thee into my hand.
And I will smite thee, and take thy head someday. And I will give the carcass of the host of the Philistines this day under the fowls of the air, and of the wild beasts of the earth. So all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sorrow and spirit, for the battle is the Lord, and he will give you into our hands.
I love that and I think there's a just a wonderful example for us, not only of courage but one had confidence in the Lord.
As I said the if anyone up on the hill could be looking down the the giant and Gable there, it might say why the battles over before it starts. It's it's nonsense. Turn with me if you will. I'd like to make a little gospel application here.
During the First Corinthians chapter one.
Verse 18.
Now I'd like to read these, keeping in mind what we just said about David and Goliath and the.
Strange match up there between those two.
For the preaching of the cross.
Used to them to perish foolishness.
Whatever else we are saying to power.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the rise. This is First Corinthians 119. For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the rise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that and the wisdom of God? The world by wisdom knew not God. They please God by the foolishness of preaching. Now I believe we might say, of the preaching. It's the message. It's in view the foolishness of the message the world looks on the message of the Lord Jesus dying on the cross as foolishness. You see, just like someone might look on.
The battle between David and Goliath before the battle is over.
As foolishness.
But he says it please God, for the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe.
We preach Christ crucified under the Jews is stumbling block, and the Greeks of the Gentiles foolishness. But then to them which are called don't Jews and Gentiles Christ, The power of God and the wisdom of God, because of the foolishness of God, is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
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And so just a little perversion that maybe there's someone here tonight that you're not saved yet. Maybe you think the Falcon, something that happened 2000 years ago possibly affect me today. Well.
It does according to the truth of God's word that God sent his Son into this world, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he went to that cross of Calvary, a terrible death of torture. And we read in the scripture that in a way that we can't explain that the Lord Jesus Christ or our sins in his own body and cross on the tree. And that's what the world considers foolishness Once we believe it, why we realize that it's the power of God. It's the power of God.
Regardless of what's the the man of the world might say, that's the way anyone is going to get to heaven. And they're all going to get there by the same way, by believing that the Lord Jesus Christ.
And getting back to our example here, there was a, as I say, a tremendous example of of Curry, John Davids Park. But really David had confidence in the Lord. He had he had known in the sense test of the Lord and experienced his faithfulness with the lion, the bear. As we would read that he knew that God was going to be faithful when it came to fighting this this close by.
Another example again Daniel, remember when the third chapter?
When the king made the image, he built this power image, whatever it was.
And the Word was you hear the music, bow down and worship, worship the image.
And there were amongst the people over there, these Jewish Jewish men, and it tells us in the account of Daniel three about three of them, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
And they did not bow down for this image. Again, they have the courage to stand for the world. They were men of courage. They they felt that the Lord could deliver us. But when they were asked, they said, even if the Lord won't deliver us, nevertheless you're not going to bow down to the image. And the penalty there was to be thrown into the fiery furnace. And you remember the story? The furnace was heated up. The king was furious. The furnace was heated up.
Seven times hotter than had ever been heated before.
And.
They would take each man or they cast him, it says. Cast into that fiery furnace. Even the men that that did the casting were killed because of the terror of terrible heat.
And the King looked into that furnace.
And he saw a four men walking in the midst of the fiery furnace. And he said, well, that forest was like the Son of God. And so here were these men that that were men of courage. They stood for the Lord even if the Lord would deliver them. They were willing to take the penalty rather than bow down to something else except God. And the Lord Jesus was with him in the trial.
It is that wonderful even for you and me, that we may have to go through some kind of difficulty or trial for the Lord. I know some people today in our own assembly that maybe there are some here too, that you're having some difficult immediate work and your stand for the Lord.
But you know the Lord is promised to stand by you in the child. I'll never leave it or forsake, he said. And what a wonderful promise that is. So the Lord is one that we can have full confidence in. He can be relied upon.
Well then, the last the last item in that one verse was the strong.
Be strengthened.
So let's look at a few things as we think about that. Let's turn back again to Ephesians 6, where we were.
Versus before the armor of God is brought in.
10 Ephesians 610 After all the things that he's brought before the people.
There's the exhortation, not the walk, is the Gentiles walk that we shouldn't be walking in darkness, we should walk in the light. And then all the wonderful instructions to be cousins and wives and the children and the workers, the masters. Verse 10, he says Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind in both those words. Power and might come from the Greek word that we get our word dynamite from. And so God's power and God's might is God's sentiment.
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Just like the gospel is the power of God, it's God's dangling.
Strong in the Lord. We're never told to be strong in ourselves because we'll see some verses in a moment where we realize that we don't have any strength but be strong in the Lord.
File exhorted that Timothy. We won't turn to the second Timothy. He says be strong and of grace. That's in Christ Jesus. Now let's turn over to 1St John. That little epistle away back there just before Revelation. First John in the second chapter.
Right after.
Second Peter and First General.
We kind of alluded to this last night for the Reading meeting.
But in Risk 14, the first John 2.
In the middle of the verse.
He says. I've written it to you young men.
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you.
That he had overcome a wicked one. And so here is a strength that's I believe derived because of the the word of God. These lines, these young men can make good to Minnesota. And so here's a a nice word to the young men in our audience tonight. Are you regularly reading God's word as to what you're about to be strong in the sense of this, of this, this verse here?
You want to be an overcomer or do you want to be one that gets overcome? I'm sure down in our hearts, Well, we are going to be overcovers. Well, we need to have 1000 words before it's going to regular basis. But then he goes and he gives us these three verses here. Love, not the world either, the things that are in the world.
And remember, that's the that's the world system of things. It's not the creative world that God gave us to enjoy, but it's this, the system of things that's designed giving our hearts away from the Lord. If any man love the world system, you might say the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes of the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. The temptation you see if you link these with the temptations to Eve in the Garden.
And to the Lord Jesus tempted by the devil, it's the temptation to to indulge ourselves just to do whatever we want, or to draw attention to ourselves. Those would be attention to the the temptations. You see, we're 17 in the world, or the world system passes away in the lust thereof. What he to do with the will of God Knights forever. So these were strong because of the word.
Now let's turn back to Ephesians, the third chapter this time.
Ephesians 3.
I want to read several verses to get the one I want your read starting at verse 14.
Ephesians 3 and 14 For this cause I bow my knees under the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family of heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christly dwell in your hearts by faith.
That he, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all things what is the breadth and the length and the depth of height, and in all the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that he might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Well, it's at 16 verse that I wanted to kind of get out here that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might, but his spirit and the inner man. And so there's there's things we gather from this. There's things that need to take place in that that what should I say? That an inner man, the thing that's really mean, that thing is really you, the new nature. However we want to describe it to be strengthened And then if we strengthen on the inside, well then I believe.
Things are going to flow forth from that and there's several places you can look them up where we get the importance.
Of what goes on, what goes on on the inside. Because, you know, what goes on on the inside is sooner or later going to show up on the outside. And that's the verse of Proverbs. And as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. I've often said that, you know, we can tell as we talk with one another.
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You can tell pretty quick after talking with me what I've been thinking about when I've been occupied with, and I can perhaps tell the same thing about you. So it's important what's going on on the inside.
So that the things on the outside would be great also.
To be strengthened and that sort of the force when he says be strong. The 1St Corinthians 16. To be to be strengthened.
Now let's turn over to 2nd Corinthians, the 12Th chapter.
Here's one where the apostle Paul speaks about something that happened to himself.
At one point in his in his life, he was.
Caught up probably in spirit, we're not sure. But he is caught up and he was shown things in the glory and he comes back and he says that they're not. Words tell what he saw in this, this vision that he had in the glory.
And so he says about that in Seven Corinthians 12.
They're set up. And lest I should be exalted, I don't believe that we look at some better translations, that the above measure is proper. But let's leave an office for the moment, lest I should be exalted. Through the abundance of the revelations that was given to me as thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan suffered me, lest I should be exalted.
So whatever, whatever took place, the Lord gave some kind of a bodily affliction, or whatever it was. So with this experience that he had, wouldn't be something that that he'd get all puffed up about.
We're seeing for this thing I besought the Lord thrice three times, and it might be part from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for me.
My strength has been perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore will a rather glory of our eternities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I think pleasure and infirmities, and reproaches and necessities and persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. And he was strong, because his his confidence was in the Lord. Paul knew that there was no no good in him.
No good in that question. He knew that he was weak, but it was then that he was being strong. And if you think of the examples that we had particularly.
David, I think you know David, He came in the name of the Lord. David didn't come in his own strength. He wouldn't even put on Saul's army. He had just those 5 stones and it took one, you know, to kill the giant. And so these deer ones that want for God as we read about in the Bible, different places. They were ones that had their their confidence and their their strength and their hope.
The Lord. So it was with power. And that's that's the secret for you and me too.
Now I'd like to refer to an example. We have a few moments left here that I want to think just a little bit about the other verse, but turn to Second Chronicles and read a little bit about King Asia. I'll just try to summarize the story.
King Asian in chapter 14 of Second Chronicles.
I believe that here again, I believe that the Lord has given us the things that happened to these men to be encouragement sports, because we see, we see the good things they did and we see their their mistakes too. And so on the 14th chapter, very briefly.
In verse 9, notice it says there came out against them. That's against the.
Julia.
The Ethiopians with a host, it says 1000 thousand, that's an army of 1,000,000 and so here was this army of a million men coming out against Judah.
Versailles and Esau cried unto the Lord his God.
And said, Lord, it is nothing you need to help, whether with many or with them that have no power. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rest of thee, And in my name we go against this multitude. Oh Lord, thou and our God, let not man prevail against thee. And so in just a few words it says So the Lord smoke ejection.
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It's like the Lord Smoked Egyptians and the house people. They won the battle. The Lord won the battle, if you will, the Lord smoking. But you can see ASA, he realized his strength.
And praise the Lord without any other tricks or schemes or anything like that by the Lord. Smoke those.
In the next chapter.
Issa encourages his people.
I beg, I beg your pardon, he said. Azariah, son of Oded. He says they're listening And the Lords people. And the word is in verse six in the next chapter, verse 7. Either for be strong, therefore let them have their hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded. And then the follows of ASA, they began to tear down the idols and burn them up and put them away. And there was an encouragement from others round about.
And as a result of this thing came over to east and side some of those that Israel that have been carrying away. And so there was a period as they they put their trust and realized that the Lord was their strength and then finally in the 16th chapter.
Another army comes up against them. This time it's from Syria.
And King Asia evidently forgot everything that the Lord did.
And So what he does in verse two is he brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the House of the Lord.
In the King's house and sent to Ben Haydad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying there is a leaf between me and thee. That's a terrible thing to begin with. It appears this ungodly king and ASA had brought him out so he could fight for him.
And he said.
You have a life sent these silver and gold Go break thy needle. Bash the king of Israel that he may be part from me. And so the Syrians went to the drove off Israel and everything seemed to work perfect. And he said took all this money and all the treasures and he got the world to work for him. And the scene that worked beautifully as far as Asin was concerned. But here's what the Lord says about it. Verse 7.
Because Law has relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host. The King of Syria escaped out of that end.
We're not The Ethiopians, but a huge host with very many Chariots and horsemen.
That's the one we just read about to see. Yet because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thy hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on the behalf of them. His heart is perfect toward him. Here it is passed out on foolishly. Therefore from henceforth thou shalt no Lords. And Isa was curious if God's prophet Seer, he puts him in prison and he presses the people. And it's just a real sad end to this dear king who started off so brightly.
And realized at the beginning.
Strength. But they could do anything of the Lord. And so, as I say, he seemed to forget everything that he learned. Well, what have we had so far? We've had stand firm in the faith we've had.
The watch quickly like men be strong and several examples for us to encourage you and then it ends. Let everything be done in love and I see our time is up and I would just encourage you to read 1St Corinthians 13.
Divine love by anything that we would do just doesn't have God's stamp of approval. It's possible to stand firm for the Lord, but maybe in the wrong, in the wrong way. Let's see. And so there's many, many examples where we would be encouraged that the things that we take up and the way we would stand firm and all these different things that might be done in the right spirit for the spirit of love, as it says in Ephesians 415, speaking the truth.
In love, and there's many, many examples, as I say, but I believe the 1St Corinthians 13. You can make a note of that.
Would be a real good example for us to think about in that case. Well, I trusted that we've been encouraged by. I just think it's remarkable how much the Lord can say. And it's a little worse, like that little verse of his Corinthians on the 16th. That's great.