Pella Conference: 2010
Table of Contents
Seven Relationships
Address—R. Boulard
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Soon with uh, hymn #9. Maybe someone can raise the tune to hymn #9.
And we just had lunch. We'll probably just sing another little him, maybe part way through so that we can stand up and refresh ourselves. Meanwhile, let's just have a word of prayer together.
I would like to turn to Ephesians chapter 5 and justice read from.
Verse 20 and read a few verses there. Are there perhaps 7 relationships that are mentioned and some instruction given for each one of those relationships. And if we have the time, maybe we'll comment a little bit on each one. If we don't have the time, then we'll comment on the ones that we have time to comment on.
Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 20 giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting yourselves 1 to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church.
And he is the Savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be unto their own husbands and everything.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that he might present it to himself. A glorious church.
00:05:06
Not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish, so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it.
Even as the Lord, the Church, for we are members of his body, of his flesh.
And of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ in the Church. Nevertheless, let everyone of you in particular so love his wife even as himself.
And the wife see that she reverence her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment, with promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wroth, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Servants, be obedient unto them that are your masters, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart as unto Christ.
Not with I service as men pleasers, but as the servants of Christ.
Doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill, doing service as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatsoever good thing a man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And ye masters do the same things unto them, forbearing, threatening, knowing that your Master also is in heaven, neither is their respective persons with him. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, in the power of his might.
I'd like to stop there and comment first of all, as to the, in a broad sense in connection with this passage. God, uh, presents to us the ideal in these, uh, relationships in life. And they are God ordained. And so God has, uh, in his wisdom and in his kindness, uh, formed relationships, given us relationships. And here he speaks of, uh, the marriage relationship 1St. And it was for the blessing of man and that there might be a picture of Christ and his church.
And it wasn't known in the Old Testament scriptures, so their wives were treated in a bit of a different way, and the wives had different.
A kind of response and, umm, relationship to their husbands and in New Testament times, but the cover comes off in the New Testament and umm, Paul, part of Paul's doctrine is to reveal that a husband and a wife living together and having established a home, it's a picture of Christ in the church and the blessing that flows forth from that sphere of responsibility that they have taken, undertaken and voluntarily entered into. And, uh, we trust for the glory of God, why he desires that there would be a high standard in that home.
And there would be something of a reflection of the glory of Christ in the home, in the assembly.
In the workplace, all the spheres of responsibility that we might find ourselves in.
And so he gives the ideals in this little portion of Scripture that we've read. Well, I began with the verse 20 here because it says giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is one of the things that should characterize us in these last days. It should be thankfulness. But you know what it says in Second Timothy chapter 3? That one of the things that would characterize the last days. I think it's the seventh thing that's in that list.
His unthankfulness. But that's not what's to characterize us. We're to be thankful for what God has instituted for our blessing.
We're to be thankful for one another and we're to have that spirit of Thanksgiving continually. And so that verse was read so appropriately this morning. Rejoice always and pray without ceasing. Oh, we ought to be a thankful people. We have much to be thankful for. And then he begins here. And really the subject in connection with these different relationships is submission. And, uh, the world isn't characterized by submission. We know it's characterized by rebellion.
Rebellion against God and the fallen nature that you have and that I have. It rejoices to rebel and to break away from authority.
But in the grace and the kindness of God, he's restrained us and uh, we're constrained by the love of Christ to follow a man that loved us and gave himself for us. And so we desire with our hearts to serve the Lord. It says here in the just at the end of uh, verse six, chapter 6 and verse 6, as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart. And so these relationships are entered into and the Lord Jesus would desire.
That we would enter into them with a heart for himself. And so the very first, uh, submission here, the instruction is to the wives. And it says, wives, submit yourselves on your own husbands. And so you know, each, each one of these instructions, there's umm, the wiser instructed before the husbands and then the children before the parents, and then, umm, the servants before the masters in chapter 6 and verse nine. And the reason is because the subject is submission. And so he presents a glorious picture.
00:10:30
Of how the church is subject to Christ in verse 24, chapter 5, verse 24. Therefore, as the church is subject on the Christ, we don't see the church subject to Christ at the present time. There's rebellion and there's all kinds of denominations and all kinds of self will that man, even believers have imposed upon what we see as a display outwardly of what the church is. But oh how the Lord, he looks down into your heart, my heart, and he says, you know that brother, that sister, a part of the member of the members of the body of Christ, a part of that church, why they want to be subject.
To me, they want to be subject, they want to enjoy that relationship that they have with me.
And all they want to be subject. And so he gives this instruction to the wives. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as unto the Lord. A very high standard. And I think it's a wonderful thing to umm, as we discussed there, just to have these different relationships before us, to think of the relationship of a wife to a husband. It's a very precious thing. And I'm just going to turn to umm, second Samuel chapter.
Umm, I think it's chapter 12.
Second Samuel, chapter 12 and.
Let's just read from verse 1 to get the connection. And the Lord sent Nathan unto David, and he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.
The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing saved one little. Oh, and this is the third verse that I'm really thinking of. The poor man had nothing save 1 little oh lamb, which he had brought, bought, and nourished up, and it grew up together with him and with his children. It did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveler under the rich man he spared to take of his own flock and his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him. But he took the poor man's lamb and dressed it.
For the man that was to come was come to him. Well, we have a little picture there of the tenderness perhaps of the relationship, the marriage relationship and how the man valued his, uh, wife and how someone else came. And there was that bond was broken. But here it's speaking to the wives in connection with their submission. And the husband is the head of the wife in a place of responsibility. And it says Christ is the head.
Of the church, the Savior of the body. And so she is given a very precious privilege to be.
Uh, umm, because I can put it this way. A compliment. Let's just turn to Genesis chapter 2 just to form these thoughts. Genesis chapter 2.
And, umm.
Verse 21.
Well, let's read verse 20. Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found in help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept.
And he took one of his ribs and closed up his flesh thereof, and the rib which God, the Lord God, had taken from man, he made he a woman.
And brought her under the man. And so this, uh, wife, there's wives here and this, uh, little hall. And, uh, I like to think when I got married in, uh, on May the 2nd, 1981, that the Lord, as I saw my bride walking down the aisle, I thought to myself, the Lord has formed a beautiful young lady and, umm, trained her up in a special way and suited her, formed her when I wasn't even aware of it.
And, umm.
He formed her just to be a helpmeet, a suitable meat, a suitable one that would be a compliment to me.
And she voluntarily entered into the marriage relationship and she desired to respond to my love and umm.
Here it says that she submits herself to her own husband as unto the Lord. And so the marriage relationship in connection with a wife, connection with a husband, is characterized in the ideal that there's one that takes the lead and it is the husband, but he has the good of his wife in view and so they go on together. You know, Brother Gordon Hale told a story once of Umm, a Chinese umm missionary. His name was Umm, Mr. Becker, and he had Umm.
00:15:29
Carried on some a gospel work in in China and he had gospel meetings and so on and one day a woman got saved out of the idolatry in that country and she got saved and she they had some helpers speak to her and told her that she should really go and speak to her husband and that she should tell him that she got saved. Oh she says I can't do that he'll kill me if he finds out that I'm a Christian and so she's they said well can we ask you some questions. Mr. Becker spoke her to her and he said.
Umm, who, uh, gets the breakfast at your house? Uh, do you fix your breakfast, uh, breakfast for your husband? He said she says, Oh no, he gets his own breakfast. Uh, I don't do that for him. Well, he said, you know, umm, if you can't tell your husband that you're saved, win him without that confession and win him with the word in, umm, in connection, without the word in connection with your conversation, your manner of life. And so when he gets up tomorrow morning, you fix him his favorite breakfast. So she got up, she fixed him his favorite breakfast.
And then, umm, she did that for a few days and umm, then he says, uh, to her, umm, I just finished the story. It says, uh, he wanted to umm, umm, he wanted to do some things. He Li he liked to go places. And Mr. Becker said, uh, do you always go where your husband would like you to go? Do you go with them and share his company? And she said, no, I guess I'm a little bit selfish. I don't go where he wants to go. I just like to do my own thing. And umm.
Then you know.
He said, you just go and be with them and desire to go where he goes. And uh, she said, he said to him, uh, to her as well. He said, umm, do you uh, cook your, your husband's favorite meals when he comes home at night? Does he have a good meal? And uh, she said, well, no, I only cook what I like. He said, well, when you get home, you cook the meals that he likes. Don't tell him that you're safe, but you just do those things. So after a couple of days, this uh, woman, umm, her husband came to her, said, what has happened to you?
And she said, well, I can't tell you. You won't like it if I tell you what happened to me. And umm, so he's she kept, kept on doing this. And a couple of days later he begged her, he pleaded with her to tell her what the change was.
Well, Mr. Becker said that this man got saved and two weeks went by, he got saved and got baptized and there was a Christian home. Instead of a miserable, unhappy existence, there was a Christian home. And so here you have the little picture here of Christ and the church given. It's really verse 32, This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ in the church. And so the very first thing that we have in these relationships that are brought out before us in connection with submission is that the sister in this marriage relationship, and it really supposes a Christian relationship, a Christian marriage.
That the sister is submissive and not in any way inferior to her husband, but, uh, she's morally and spiritually compatible to him. And, umm, perhaps physically. And she's intellectual. She's, uh, intelligent and she's able to share some of the things that he enters into and, umm, but she doesn't take the lead. And it says in all things, and I just say this, uh, at this point is that many of our brethren are unemployed.
And we perhaps don't recognize how serious a thing it is for dear brothers who don't have work. And they feel that very keenly. And, uh, they long for the support of their wives. They long for the encouragement of their wives and for their wives to allow them to still take the lead and, umm, not to try to usurp that place of leadership. And I just say to us each one that we ought to encourage those dear ones that find themselves without work.
And you know, we find this instruction given, it's good for the last days because we live in electronic age. We live in an age when men and women are both in the workforce in many places. And sometimes we tend to be very independent of one another. But oh, how nice it is for us to, uh, look at this godly order and to accept it and to live in the good of it. It's for the blessing to be, to make for a happy home. Well, then it says in verse 25, husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church.
00:20:01
And gave himself for it. Well, the woman is instructed in verse 22 in connection with submission because that's probably, that's likely a place where she may fail. And, uh, the man is likely to fail in connection with love. And so this is a love that decided at the time that, uh, they marry. It's, uh, I understand it's agape love and it's a love that's decided to decided disposition that I'm going to love this woman no matter what happens.
And umm, so this is given to the husbands. They're likely to fail in connection with love. And so he says, husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. So the husband's love is an unselfish love. It's a love that gives and gives and gives and gives.
Unselfishness, you know, Mr. Hale used to say this to us and sometimes said it at weddings. When he spoke at weddings, he would say that, uh, to have a happy marriage, you have to.
Have a wife that's or husband that's 100% for his wife, a wife that's 100% for the Lord for her husband and both of them 100% for the Lord and that that makes for a happy.
Happy wedding day and a happy life together. And so the husband is characterized, ought to be characterized not by selfishness, not by wanting his own will, but looking after the needs of his wife. And so this is really something that the world abuses and the marriage relationship and dishonors. You know, it says in umm, Hebrews chapter 13, Mr. Darby's translation, it says, I think it's, uh, I'm not gonna be able to quote it right here, so let me read it.
It says Hebrews 13 and verse 4. I'm going to read it the way it says it in Mr. Darby's translation. He says marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Mr. Darby translates it this way. Let marriage be held every way in honor. Isn't that nice? Let marriage be held every way in honor. And this world doesn't honor marriage. It dishonors marriage. It speaks against it. It's undermining every institution that God has instituted for the blessing of man is being undermined by this world.
But the Christian ought to go on in a character of love for his wife, while you say.
That's kind of a broad statement. Husbands love your wives.
I just want to give you a little couple of little illustrations. It doesn't doesn't need to be.
A great display of affection. It's good if there's a good display of affection between a husband and a wife. But you know, I was, uh, in Richmond, BC when the South Koreans, some of our South Korean brethren came to BC and they visited with the brethren in Richmond and there was a, a brother Shin and his wife there and, umm, brother Wayne and, uh, Kasha, they were staying at Wayne's place. And uh, they went to give thanks for one of the meals and, uh, he reached over and he put his hand on top of hers.
And he gave thanks for the meal. He said, Amen. And then there was a big buzz of conversation between the husband and the wife. And finally Wayne said, what's the what's the problem? He says, do you have a scripture, brother that tells us that we should have hold hands when we pray?
And, but this was just a little display of affection between a husband and a wife that they hadn't seen and that they didn't notice before. Then he was backing out of the driveway in the van and umm, he needed to see in his rear view mirror or his side mirror. And he just gently put his hand upon his wife and, and she knew instinctively to move back and let him see in the mirror. And, uh, so there was another big buzz of conversation in the back of the van about what took place and, and umm.
They said Wayne asked them to explain what the big buzz of conversation was, and he said, well, in Korea we would have just put the hand out and we would have, uh, just got her out of the way. Well, you know, isn't it nice for husbands and wives to treat one another with dignity, with respect, with love, with affection, in those kind little ways Christ loved? The church says he gave himself for it. What is there that Christ hasn't done for your blessing? What is it? Is there any kindness that he is?
Withheld from you has he dealt with you in every way in love and respect and kindness? Oh, he has in every way. And uh oh, how he desires that we would show love and respect one to another. Well, I think it's time to sing a hymn. Let's, uh, sing 169. Let's stand and sing this little hymn.
Lord, we can see by faith in the.
00:25:06
Prospect bright and failing.
Where God shall shine in light, divine in glory.
Never fading.
9508 Five, 1923.
03 I don't have no more than two minutes.
But I did not know thousand and 99 and so they tried to give my name and.
Nsnoise.
I just want to point out four things that this passage says that we ought to do for our our wives. The 1St is in verse 25. It says love your wives. And then it says about Christ he gave himself. So it's unselfishness. The first there's a love.
And then there's a an unselfishness and then in verse 29, it says, no, no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord, the church. And so to nourish it would be defeated to build it up to seek to have that nourishment. Perhaps Speaking of the word of God and learning the Scriptures together and having a Bible reading together and just learning more of our blessed Savior and all how God wants us to be nourished up and the things of God, not only in a physical sense. And then it says cherishes.
I think that word is so lovely. There's a value there.
You know, I'm, I don't like to say too much personally, but there's one woman that I pray for more. There's a person in the world that I pray for more than anyone else. I pray for my wife all day long. I cherish her. I value her. She's a wonderful gift from God himself. And oh how the Lord desires that we would pray for one another in that way that we would cherish one another. And so somebody here, maybe young men, young women, and you would long for that kind of relationship.
Oh, the Lord knows those desires that you have and all he wants to fulfill and to umm, if it's his will to provide one that would be suitable for you and it's a real privilege to enter into the marriage relationship, but it's a very real responsibility. And so pray and ask the Lord to guide and to direct. And so this is something that he would desire for you. And so it says in the last verse, in verse five, it's 33. Nevertheless, let everyone of you in so particular soul love his wife.
00:30:13
Even as himself and the wife see that her that she reverence her husband.
So there you have love for the wife. It's a man's responsibility to maintain that love. And in a world that is attacking marriage, the enemy is seeking to take down those that are married one marriage at a time. And if that doesn't work, he'll destroy marriage itself.
I have a sister recently that married in the assembly.
Gather to the Lord's name married a man young man that was in the assembly married just a little six months before we were married maybe five months and they're divorced. The enemy is seeking to destroy and beloved married couple here today. Cherish your partner and if there are things that are a little rough and rocky, they're not quite right. There's responsibility before God and oh how he delights to bless and own the failure we failed in any way why he want how longs to restore.
A happiness in our relationships. Well the next relationship here is in verse chapter 6 and verse one it says children obey your parents in the Lord.
For this is right.
This is right. It's a good thing. And children in this world largely have become rebellious. And, uh, they're rebellious by nature, we know. But, umm, this world almost, uh, relishes the fact that children are disobedient and rebellious against their parents. And the Lord desires that There would be a picture here of the Christian home that would be, uh, an example to those in this world and a testimony of good order and, umm, that the children would be obedient.
You know, when I was a little boy, I lived along the railway. My dad worked in the station house. He was a Telegraph operator and he was also a station agent, sold tickets. And he was, uh, that was the kind of work he did. And umm, one day he, uh, called to us. He always trained us to come as soon as he said come. He didn't have to say it twice, he just said it once. And we would drop everything and we would run right towards him. And so we were playing on the track one day.
Maybe 1/4 of a mile away. And he said, come. So we ran at full speed. We came, stood in front of him and he said, umm, now turn around. I want to show you what's back there. So we look back and, uh, there was a bear standing exactly where we had been and he had seen that. And uh, with the, you know, I just give that as a little illustration. Your parents, dear young people, children, they have your good and blessing in view and they want you to come. Perhaps they, uh, give you a little bit of instruction.
And our Nat, our natures are such that we don't want to take that instruction because it's coming from mom and dad. But uh oh, how the Lord desires us to be obedient. And your parents are training you to be obedient to them so that when you grow a little bit older that you'll obey the Lord. Not good, not nice. Oh, he wants you to be obedient. Have you ever thank God for your parents?
Do you thank God for your parents? Do you thank God that they take the Word of God and explain to you something of the truth of God and why they're directing you in a certain course?
There's a little boy, he's 5 1/2 years old.
And he lay down beside his grandma the other day.
And he said, uh, Granny.
I don't have a daddy.
She's a single mom. He's the son of a single mother.
He says I don't have a daddy.
She said well.
You know, the Lord Jesus has said that he would be a father to the widows and to the fatherless, and he thought a little bit about this and he said, yes, that's true.
But it's not the same.
He longs for a father at five years old, almost six years old, but he has an uncle that tries to play that role in a little wee bit. You know, dear young people, thank God for your parents.
Tell your parents you love them, thank them for the rebuke. Thank them in the way that they seek to nourish you up. Thank them for it. They love you. There's no one on the face of the earth that loves you like your parents, but this world is going to try to train you to rebel against your parents and to give up the family relationship that you have with your mother and your father. But the Lord says here in this portion he gives us four things that that really why we should obey our parents. The first thing is that it's right in the sight of God verse one.
00:35:20
And then it says honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment. So it's about, it's in connection with the word of God. It's a, it's an obedience to the word of God that it may be well with the, you know, perhaps that's three things. Well, with the God wants to bless you and it's going to go well with you if you, uh, live and honor your parents. You know, these Koreans that I was telling you about was quite a revelation here. They had all this buzz of discussion about why someone would put their hands over.
His wife's hand and, and give thanks. But, umm, in, uh, that culture, apparently, uh, the oldest one that, uh, is in the room is the one that gets the most respect. And so brother Walter Coleman is, uh, umm, in his 80s. And, uh, he came into the room and they, uh, they bow very low, very not pretentious at all. And, uh, they say, your honorable age, Sir. And so he told them his age and he was evidently the oldest one in the room.
Well, from that day on, as soon as he entered the room, they stood up. They wouldn't sit down on a chair until he sat down to come to the meal. They give thanks for the meal. They'd all just sit there, wait for him to take the first bite. After he'd taken the first bite, they would go ahead and and eat. You know, when I was young, when we came into the classroom, we had all come file into the classroom. We'd sit down in our chairs, in our at our desk. And then when the teacher walked in, maybe Jim remembers that when the teacher walked in, we all stood up.
The teacher walked to the desk.
And she said you may be seated. We sat down and then she was either seated or began her lessons. But we've grown up in a day, an age of disrespect, and it's crept up on us and we don't even know it. But oh how God desires that there would be a reverence and the respect for family. Never, never disrespect or dishonor your mother and your father. They may not go on for the Lord as they ought to, but you can always respect and to show them some respect and honor in some way.
Some reverence, I'm sure and in connection with your parents and uh, so the Lord gives us this instruction. Then he says here in verse 5, servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart is unto Christ, not with I service, not working just when people are looking at you, not just working as long as the boss sees you and he's out there in the shop or whatever in the office, but as servants.
Of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill, doing services to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Well, I'll just comment in this way on this. Our time is going, but this is we don't have slaves today. And thank God that in I don't know if there may be slaves in some other parts of the country, but in the western Christianized world.
We don't have slaves, but we do have the employee and the, umm, employer relationship. And those of us that are believers ought to be in the right character in the highest ideal that God presents to us in the word of God. Those that are the most reflecting the character of Christ in our service. Not so. It ought to be a wonderful thing for an employer to have a Christian as an employee because he does what he's told, not only does what he's asked to do, but he does it with joy and he does it to please the Lord. And that's something that we need to keep before our souls, those of us that are in the workforce.
We ought to remember that responsibility that we have. And then the masters in verse nine it says masters do the same things under them for bearing, threatening, knowing that your Master also is in heaven.
Neither is there any respective persons with him.
Well, you know, there's a man in Hammer Bay.
His name is Jim Jacqueline.
And Brother Hammer hired him when he was a young man, came to work for him as a young man, an ungodly.
Uh, worldly young man.
And, umm, they would talk to his employee about the Lord. And one day he walked by and, uh, his employee, Jim was, uh, talking with another man in the neighborhood who was a believer and, uh, on company time. And he'd been there for half hour or so. So brother Hammer walked by and he just got to the point where they were talking. And the brother that was speaking with, uh, Jim, he said this, he quoted this, he said.
00:40:26
If he hath wronged thee, or oath the aught, put that on mine account. Isn't that nice? He said to Brother Hammer.
If he owes, if he hath wronged thee or oweeth thee aught, put that on mine account.
He said to brother Hammer, I've been taking up a lot of his time, but you put that on my account, I'm going to pay for this call. I'm going to pay for this time that this man is spending. Well, Jim, Jacqueline got saved, got saved by the grace of God and his wife got saved. Some of his family are saved and they still go on. Some of them still work in that area. But I just tell the story, you know, because there was such a bond, such a relationship between Brother Jacqueline and his family and umm, the employer and employee relationship.
There was such love, there was such kindness, there was such a bond. It was hardly, I could hardly say that it was an employee and an employer. And at the funeral, Brother Hammer's funeral in January, when he went home to be with the Lord, this man came to the coffin as he saw his former employer and he wept, he sobbed, he sobbed. This was a man that had been a real influence in his life and he got saved and he was living a life that was useful.
To the Lord, you know, everyone of us as employees or employers need to conduct ourselves in such a way that, uh, there will be glory brought to God. Well, the last one is in verse 10 says finally, my brethren.
Be strong in the Lord none of the other relationships if there's problems in some of the other relationships if we're dishonouring our parents, if we're really going on badly at home in one way or another in the workplace, the relationship with our brethren won't be right won't be right. We need our brethren. We need to go on faithfully with those of like precious faith and to we know that I don't know that this is really applicable in connection with the the relationship.
But he does mention my brethren, and in very real aspect here he mentions the brethren after he mentions all these other relationships.
Do you thank God for your brethren?
I find myself, you know, I've been on the road for a month and as I pray for my brethren back home and I remember where they sit in the rows.
Where they sit, and I pray for them one at a time by name. I love my brethren. I'm so glad to be here at this conference. We desire to be a blessing to our brethren, don't we? And so we need to make sure that those relationships that we have are maintained to the glory of God and that we have a high standard for those relationships. And then there's going to be the ability to walk with our brethren in a proper way. Let's just sing #67 in closing.
#67.
Like the O Lord.
How Wanderers fair forge.
Members are.
Our life divine to the.
We came to the.
Earth of.
Nowhere.
And with that.
2 Peter 1:1-4
Reading
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All we can do or say 288.
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The conference, the first time that was given out at the conference, I was struck by the references to it, the emphasis that was given to the grace of Christ and to the glory of Christ, and the hymn that we just sang at the beginning of this meeting. We were asking God to preserve His flock and I believe we have the grace of our God and the glory of Christ brought before us in second Peter chapter one.
As that which is our preservative as we reach the end of our journey and get near to our home.
Servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God.
And our Savior Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God.
And of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power, hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.
Through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to the to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us, exceeding great and precious promises, that by these He might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue.
And to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, And to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. For that these things be in you, and abound they make you, that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and have forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
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Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, For if you do these things, you shall never fall, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yeah, I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.
Knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me.
Moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able, after my deceased, to have these things always in remembrance, For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.
For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory.
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice came, which came from heaven, we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy. Where unto you do well, that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved.
By the Holy Ghost.
Peter knew that he was reaching the end of his life.
He had been told of the Lord, that he would end up his life as a martyr for the Lord.
And he loved his brethren, he cared for them and he wanted to do was exercise of God to write this letter to encourage them in those things that would be profitable to them to if I can use today's expression to hang on to go on to the end in anticipation of what was before them and him.
Which we have in the end of the chapter is the glory and the presence of the Lord Jesus in that glory.
And, uh, so we can thank God that what was on Peter's heart as beneficial to his brethren at that time is ever more so beneficial to us at this time as we reach the very end of this period of time called the day of grace. And there is so much that's against, and yet there is every provision for us to safely reach the everlasting Kingdom.
Peter always looks at salvation as that which is at.
The end of the journey. And so he looks at it as that which will take us safely all the way. And, uh, what a wonderful thing the chapter starts with it speaks first. Well, really starts with Simon Peter and, uh, just a word to the young people. Take heed who you listen to.
There are lots of voices in the world and uh, here's a good voice from God to listen to. Here's a man of experience. But more than that, he has a word from God for us. And so we want to take heed to it. We want to listen to what God has given Simon Peter for our, our prophet and our blessing this afternoon. But then he goes on to address those who what have obtained like precious faith.
Tremendous words. We perhaps could spend the whole time on just those words.
Precious faith.
Perhaps there's some verses there that would be suited with what you've just said. Psalm 71 and verse 1718 and 19.
Oh God, thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works, now also when I am old and Gray headed.
Oh God, forsake me not until I have shown not thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come. Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high who has done great things. Oh God, who is like unto thee. I just feel that that the walk that Peter had with God and those verses display that walk to.
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I'm so thankful.
Uh.
Peter's ministry as having a wilderness character, and certainly it does. It's very different from Paul's ministry. And Peter brings before us that fact that we're still here in this world, that it's a wilderness world where there's nothing to sustain the new life, the new man, that if we're going to get through it, it's going to be like for the children of Israel in a physical wilderness in the Old Testament, all his provision for them.
And in regard to the opening comments that have been made, might be helpful just to go back and read a couple of other portions. First of all, in Exodus chapter 16.
The scriptures I'm going to read perhaps help us to understand the character of Peter's ministry and especially the 2nd Epistle of which the 1St chapter we've read but just a couple of verses in the 16th of Exodus and verse nine. And Moses spake unto Aaron, say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, come near before the Lord, for you have heard your murmurings.
And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel.
Thus they look toward the wilderness and behold the glory of the Lord.
Appeared in the cloud and then in the Psalms again, this time in the 84th Psalm.
Psalm 84.
And verse 11.
For the Lord is a son and a shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. Well, as I say, Peter brings before us that character of the wilderness.
And in Peter's ministry, as he says, we are strangers and pilgrims, and there's a character that's in keeping with that. But we notice with the children of Israel that when they got into the wilderness, they very quickly became discouraged. Why? Because they lost sight of the glory of the Lord, They lost sight of the end of the journey. And it seems that Peter particularly in his second epistle, because second epistles always denote days of ruin and weakness and failure.
They always denote what we refer to as the last days, and Peter in writing to the Saints in that regard. He brings before them two things, grace and glory. And when the children of Israel turned around at the Word from God's servant in the 16th of Exodus, what did they see? All the sand and rock, and the hot shimmering wilderness that lay between them and the promised land.
No, that's not what they saw. There was plenty of that between them and the Promised Land, but that is not what they observed. They saw the glory of the Lord in the cloud. In some way, Jehovah was pleased.
To reveal himself to them. And I believe as long as they kept that before them, they journeyed on. The problem was they often lost sight of that. They looked around at the present circumstances. They looked back sometimes to Egypt from whence they had come, and that is what discouraged them. That's what cast them down and caused them to murmur and complain.
But, brethren, as long as we keep the glory of the Lord before us and what is ahead, we're going to be encouraged to go on. We're not going to see the removal of all the difficulties of the wilderness way, but we'll be encouraged to go on.
And so when we come to the 84 Psalm, it's interesting that it's a Psalm for the sons of Korah. And we know Korah was one who failed miserably in the wilderness, and God came in his governmental ways and so on. But nevertheless, the children of Cora died not. And here they write this Psalm or they have this Psalm for them, and they say two things here. The Lord will give grace and glory.
Rather than grace is what meets us in our present need and glory is what comes at the end of the journey. And if we get a fresh sense from taking up a chapter like this of grace and glory, then I believe if the Lord leaves us here when we go home on Monday, we're going to be strengthened and encouraged to go on, even in the wilderness difficulties. And so let's keep these two things before our souls that Peter brings before us grace.
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That meets us in the present need, the present circumstance. But, brethren, if we lose sight of the glory, too, what comes at the end, we're not going to be encouraged to go on.
One of the things that Peter speaks of that the apostle Paul doesn't, uh, speak of in the same way is those things that are precious. And here in the first verse, we have that word used and Peter uses it and umm, perhaps he used it, umm, used to the Spirit of God, no doubt because, uh, when he was, umm, with the Lord Jesus, it says they all forsook him and fled. But the Lord Peter denied the Lord three times and with owes and curses. And it's as if he said, umm, it wasn't worth anything. It wasn't suffering with, for Christ and with Christ, it wasn't worth it. And uh, he gave it up as it were, walked away from it. But then, you know.
After Peter was restored to be identified with that blessed man, there was nothing more precious to him and to be identified with those that were precious to the heart of the Lord Jesus as well. And so he addresses them to those that have attained light precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. He counted himself among those that had received Christ as Savior and he is talking to those that were of his countrymen, isn't he those that were Jews that had been.
Saved, and now they had identified themselves with that rejected man. And So what a blessed privilege it is for us in these days to identify ourselves and have precious thoughts, and the value for Christ himself, and a value for those that are brethren.
They're gentiles.
It's a little more difficult for us to enter into what it meant to write these words to those who were of the Church of God but had been born Jews.
For them, they had put their faith.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, who had been rejected by the nation as their God and Savior.
And then putting their trust in Him, it cut them off completely from any hopes connected with this present world.
To be occupied and to take up the place with himself that associated them with Him, and, as we see in this chapter, with the glory.
It wouldn't be a bad thing practically if there was something that.
It's not going to be this way, but that everyone of us was cut off in this room from anything that would make this world have any attraction to us as having any hope for present advantage and satisfaction or any long term hope.
So Peter, uh, associates them with God and Savior Jesus Christ as that which takes, sanctifies them, sets them apart from all the things that they weren't going to have and couldn't have as a hope anymore, which was connected with the earth.
That's the character of Christianity in contrast to Judaism in their right places.
Judaism had faith in that which was seen.
And will be seen when the Lord Jesus reveals himself to them in the Tribulation.
Christianity associates itself with the unseen, and so their precious faith was that which.
Associated them or brought their hearts into connection with their destiny, which was heaven in contrast to earth. And if we're going to live the Christian life, we have to have that faith, that precious faith which is connected with the unseen, that which only the eye of faith can see. And Peter.
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Didn't have to dwell on that, particularly with the Jew, but.
Or who won? Who was born a Jew? But we need it. We need to recognize that the world is an attractive place to the natural man and our natural hearts. But it's a terrible snare to the Christian life.
Hebrews, uh, brings that out in chapter 12, and he says, uh, there in chapter 12, maybe just reading from verse 26, Whose voice then shook the earth. But now he hath promised, saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
And so all those things that they had in Judaism were going to eventually be taken away anyway, as far as the nation was concerned. But those that had taken Christ as Savior, they laid hold upon the person of Christ and his finished work. And it separated them really in a very practical way from all that was there in Judaism.
And it had brought them into new relationships. And so when we get saved, whether we're saved you or a SA saved Gentile, there are relationships that we leave behind. But isn't it wonderful to consider, brethren, the relationships that were brought into? And so Peter, as it were, he says, maybe relationships in an earthly sense, natural sense, are severed. But it's like precious, like precious faith with us.
There are others, he says, who have believed Peter was a Jew himself and he had believed.
When he preached on the day of Pentecost, he said to the Jews, repent and be baptized and save yourselves from this untoward generation. It was necessary that they detach themselves from the Jewish nation that had rejected the Lord Jesus and cried away with him, crucify him, but they were brought into new relationships. And so for a Gentile too, to make this very practical and bring it down to us here this afternoon.
Maybe there's someone here and your parents or other loved ones aren't glad that you're here at all. Maybe you've had to walk away from the enjoyment of some earthly relationship. But look around. You have brothers and sisters that you wouldn't have otherwise. In fact, a lot of us in this room wouldn't know each other if it wasn't that Christ hadn't saved you. Christ saved me, worked further, and gathered us to the name of the Lord Jesus.
That's what's brought us together in a new relationship. The other thing too, that we have to understand with these ones that Peter was writing to, they had lost everything as far as what was promised in Judaism.
Because when we go back to the first epistle, we find they'd been scattered from their homes. What had been promised to them for faithfulness under the Jewish order of things, they had now lost. They'd lost their homes. They'd been scattered from Jerusalem, from Judea, and from their homeland. They might have wondered, have we missed out in some way? But as Peter tells them in that first epistle, he says, no, you have an inheritance now that's not tangible, not something that you see with the physical eye or you touch in a physical way.
But he says you have an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you.
You have now a living hope based on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You've been brought into new relationships now with those of like precious faith. He says you have something far beyond what was ever promised to you under Judaism, and now you have the power. He's going to go on to talk about all things that pertain unto life and godliness. You have the power to walk in the good of it, the power to enjoy it, and you'll never lose it. Well, brethren, while we see, this was particularly a comfort to the Jewish believers.
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In the days when Peter wrote, can't we, as Dawn have said, apply that to ourselves? Brethren, we have something we'll never lose. Can we see it physically? Is it tangible? No. Whom not having seen ye love. And uh, we have with the things that are not seen are eternal. And we could go on with other scriptures, but is it any less real to faith? No, it's very real to faith. Can we lose it? Brethren? We can never lose it. We can enjoy it now and we'll enjoy it in a deeper way for eternity.
There's something else that's unique to Peter's ministry. Brother Robert mentioned how he brings out so many times the word precious, and it's a beautiful subject to trace through the book of Peter. Notice those references to the word precious and what is precious to God and what ought to be precious to us and so on. But something else that's unique to P Peter's ministry, you have in the second verse, and that's knowledge.
And he goes on to speak of grace and peace being multiplied. How?
This seems a strange way that grace and peace are multiplied, and it's not something you particularly get in Peter in Paul's ministry, but it is unique to Peter, and that is knowledge.
You know, we often speak of how knowledge isn't what preserves us and we need more than knowledge and the heart needs to be affected in Christian.
Christianity and so on. And that's very true, brother. But I've been struck in going through Peter's ministry to notice how he stresses knowledge. In fact, at the end of the epistle he's going to stress it again. He brings it out at the beginning of the epistle.
You get it during the Epistle, and the very last verse of the Epistle speaks of the need to grow not only in grace, but in knowledge.
And you might say, why does Peter stress this? Well, there may be other thoughts, but I've just enjoyed it in this simple way. Brother, if you and I are going to walk for God's glory through this wilderness scene.
With the glory before us and the hope before us and so on. It must be based on knowledge. We cannot set aside knowledge as unimportant or irrelevant if we are going to expect to walk through this wilderness world with power and testimony as strangers and pilgrims, as Peter exhorts us to do.
And that's why we must go back to the Word of God. Where are we going to get the knowledge?
To live for God's glory? How are we going to know what pleases the Lord in our pathway?
What direction to go through this wilderness? There must be the going back to the Word, and there must be the foundation which is knowledge. And so God has given us this knowledge. Everything we need is laid out here for walking through this world. But the problem is we sometimes act. Maybe we even follow our heart. But you know, we can follow our heart.
But not follow it intelligently, and it may get us into a lot of difficulty following our hearts. We might follow our conscience and we might end up in the wrong place because the heart and the conscience always need the light and the knowledge of God's Word if they are going to act or go in the right direction.
I was looking at, uh, second Peter chapter 3 and verse one, Second Peter chapter 3 and verse one, the second epistle. Beloved, I now write unto you. There has to be a reason why he's writing this epistle, which we've been discussing here and listening to the brethren. It says in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. And we also have that back in chapter one and verse 13.
Yeah, yeah. I think it uh, uh, meat or fitting as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. And now we move back to chapter 3 and verse two, that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken by the Holy Prophet and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior. Umm, in his writing, he wanted to encourage the faithful, didn't he? We was looking at like precious faith.
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And so it is the faithful ones, those of other of like precious faith that he wanted to encourage them. And that ye may be mindful. Who is he speaking to? He's speaking to the beloved ones that ye be may be mindful. And when he comes to that topic of knowledge, knowledge has to begin somewhere and it has to continue through our lifetime and then has to have a full knowledge or an end to it, a completion of it. And if you look at verse 3 together.
According as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. The glory and virtues are the attributes of God of Christ, aren't they? And so we see here the beginning of knowledge, and knowledge has to begin at a point, and it is through. And He uses that word through in here.
Of the knowledge of him that has called us and that's where our knowledge begins at. If you back up to verse 2, grace and peace be multiplied. While multiplication is telling me that through my lifetime it is building a lot like verse five add to your faith. It's multiplying, isn't it? It's continuing and through the knowledge of God in Jesus our Lord. Now if you go down to verse 8 for these things be in you and abound, They make you that.
Ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful. What's the opposite of barren and unfruitful? That's, that's full of knowledge all the way, uh, these virtues in the life that we have now. And, and so anyway, it is the full and completeness of knowledge in verse 8 here. So we won't be bearing and unfruitful. The opposite of that is to, to, uh, be fruitful for him and to not be idle, Baron means to be idle. And we don't want to be idle in our lifetime. So.
We we can see that there is a completeness, a fullness in in verse eight in knowledge.
I'd like to read two other verses. Umm, connection with knowledge. First is in John 17.
John 17.
And verse three. And this is life eternal, that they may know the only true God.
And Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent for, commenting on that, uh, turn over to Romans chapter 5.
And verse.
Verse 2 By whom also?
That is, by our Lord Jesus Christ. You also have access by faith into this grace, wherein you stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
It's important to know things.
But more important than knowing things is knowing the knowledge of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ. It's really the essence of eternal life. God has so chosen that we come to know him.
And knowing him involves knowledge of himself. What does God think? What does God feel? What is his attitude toward this and towards that, Likewise concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we grow in that knowledge, we will also grow in the sense of knowing God as a God of grace. And so Peter was looking forward to the growth.
As he mentions in the beginning and in the end, growing grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We want to be careful with that word grace in the sense that we don't want to limit it to the little phrase unmerited favor, as if that gave us a full sense of what grace is. Yes, it is unmerited favor, but the way Scripture uses it, it has multiple aspects to it that make it a much, much fuller thought than simply unmerited favor.
And so.
We, it's something from our standpoint, we can grow in, we can grow in our souls in the appreciation of how we stand with God as we know him better. And we start out even as believers with this sense in us of well, God's going to do it because I was good this week. In other words, we, we always tend naturally to revert back.
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To limiting God's heart to what our hearts are like. And if somebody is good this week, maybe we're good toward them. And if they're bad, maybe, well, we withhold the good and so on from them. And yes, God does treat righteously and justly and all those things too. But God's heart toward us as his children is in a fixed position, that of our favor with Him, and it never changes.
We all stand here or sit here as children of God. If anyone's not, this doesn't apply to you. But for us who have like precious faith, we sit here in the in a standing before God of his favor.
But we have to grow in the appreciation and understanding and knowledge of that truth. It doesn't just come immediately into our souls in a way that we don't tend to revert back to the sense of merit with God. I merit God's goodness because I'm a little better than you are where I was a little better than you this week or whatever. It's not that, brethren, and it's.
Uh, sometimes Peter recognized it took a long time.
To learn the true knowledge of God. And God isn't like us. And yet we need to learn Him so that we can enjoy Him and appreciate Him and quit. Or if you will, practically give up on thinking good of ourselves as being the cause of God's goodness toward us.
I could just read the three verses that I found knowledge, the word knowledge in the second Peter here. The first one is the the second verse of our chapter of our chapter.
Uh, it says through the knowledge of God.
And Jesus our Lord, the second one is, uh, verse three, through the knowledge of him and then.
Uh, the, the verse that Jim mentioned, the last verse of the chapter, it says and grow and grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's kind of strange what you just said, Don.
It's not what you know, brethren, it's who you know.
And it's not who you know, but it's who knows you that's even more important. And God knows us, and his heart is toward us. And so it's the knowledge of that. It's not that we know him, although we we want to grow to know him. But as we grow to know him, we'll find out what his heart is toward us. And that's peace. It has a lot more to do.
First Thessalonians chapter four, I think it uses something like 10 times, he says in chapter First Thessalonians 4 verse 13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren.
And so Peter here has gone to a lot of effort. He says he wasn't negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things in verse 12. And God has made provision for us at great expense to himself at great.
Effort to himself and the use of the apostles particularly to write these epistles. And he doesn't want us to be ignorant. That's really the opposite of knowledge, isn't it? Having a knowledge of the things of God, we can be ignorant. So it takes diligence.
He wanted them to be diligent in the searching these things out. They knew God, that's what it says here. They had a knowledge of God and of our of Jesus, our Lord. They want, he wanted them to know the Savior, the Savior's heart and those things that pertain unto life and godliness. And it's possible for us to receive Christ as Savior, to know it, to have a sense in our souls that were saved for eternity and yet to be really not as cognizant of the blessings that are ours.
In heavenly places in Christ, that we ought to have knowledge of.
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And enjoyment of God didn't just give it to us that we might know, but that we might enjoy it too. And this is what Peter wanted them to come into, the knowledge of it and the enjoyment of it.
Just as a little safeguard, I might say this because maybe there's someone sitting here this afternoon and you say, well, there are some who have a greater intellect and capacity and some who are more readers and studiers than others. And I, I don't have the knowledge that I should or I'll never obtain maybe the knowledge that I should, that others have. But that's not really the point that we're making here because it's not merely through the intellect that we take in these things.
In fact, it's interesting that Peter is the one who speaks so much of knowledge.
And it was said of Peter and John in the early days of Christianity, they were ignorant and unlearned fishermen. Is that interesting? But.
Peter is the one that talks about the knowledge of God and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and growing in grace and in the knowledge of God and so on.
Paul was the intellectual. He was the one that had, as we would say, the mental capacity to go to the best university of the day. You can you say I can see why Paul brought out the things he did, but what about Peter? Peter was an uneducated man, but by the Spirit of God, he's given a wonderful line of ministry and truth that is passed on to us by inspiration.
And it was Peter who was raised up in the early days of the church with the keys of the Kingdom and so on, and to open the door to the Jews and to the Samaritans and to the Gentiles and so on. And so I only point that out to encourage us that it's not merely intellectual capacity. Thank God for a keen mind that vows to the Word of God. We're thankful for that. And we've seen that in the early days of the church. We see it today, perhaps those who've had a keen mind and they've bowed to the Word of God.
But, brethren, He's given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, and we have the capacity now to take in and enjoy the knowledge of God.
The knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and to grow in the things of God because He has given us those things that are necessary for it. And maybe you don't feel like you're an intellectual, but read the word of God.
Read about the person and work of Christ, read the truth, take it in and pray about it and you'll find that the Spirit of God will take of those things and give you an enjoyment of an and an understanding of it.
That the unregenerate man who may have the sharpest mind in the world will never be able to take in and understand.
Women, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet a Jerusalem worship the Father. Ye worship, ye know not what we know, what we worship for salvation of the Jews. So the Jews had a a revelation of God. They had a knowledge of God. But now we have, as Don read already in uh, John 17. And this is life eternal, that they may know thee, that is the Father, the only true God.
And if we reject the Lord Jesus Christ, we do not have a knowledge of God. And the word used here, Mr. Davis, is a little footnote that says full knowledge of God. We now have the full knowledge of God in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that's the knowledge spoken of it Just reiterating what's already been said. It's not the doctrines that you can enumerate or this point or that, but the only way we can know God in the full knowledge of God is through the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, modern man.
Is as much an idolater as ancient man, because modern man wants to create a God that's pleasing to him. That's our nature. But the only way we can know God is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
I wonder if I could just share a verse in first John chapter 2.
That indicates that.
The early stage of Christian development is to know the Father. Umm first John 2 verse 14.
I have written to you, Father, because you have known Him, that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong in the word of God, of my death in you. Excuse me.
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Well, let's back up in verse 13. I write unto you, fathers, because you have known Him. That is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I read out of you, little children, because you have known the Father.
There's a, there's a progression in this chapter of, of Christian development and it's stated that, that, that the children know the father. There's a relationship that God wants to wants to build there. There is a, a nearness that God wants to have with the children with, with, you might say the, the one who is.
It is just beginning in the Christian pathway. And sometimes I feel that we, we don't allow that to take place. We, we take a young believer and we try to take them beyond the relationship they have with the Father and try to develop them before they're ready. And we don't allow that relationship to be established between the young believer and the Father that they might know him, the Father.
Of the.
If I put an Ant on the table here in the center, I can spend the rest of my life communicating in whatever way I'm capable with it, but it'll never know me.
It will never know me as I am because it does not have my life and nature.
And God wants us to know Him. He wants us to know him so much that he has chosen to give us a life and nature like Christ, which is of himself. And it's because of that that we can know God. A man who does not has already been mentioned, has not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. He's dead toward God. He doesn't know God.
He's not capable of knowing God. He does not have the knowledge. He has knowledge about God. He knows something of the knowledge of God in the sense that God is holy and righteous and so on, as revealed even in creation. But the full or knowledge of God is beyond his capacity. But when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We receive the life of Christ and that divine nature.
Why? Because God wants us to have it so we can know him. And we don't want to confine knowledge. And it hasn't been confined this afternoon. It's been brought out, really. But I'm just gonna say the words The true knowledge of God isn't just in the brain. That's not really the primary place where we know God.
We know him in the heart.
I know you know the heart of God, and if you don't know the heart of God, you don't know Him.
The true sense of knowing somebody is if and just the measure in which you know somebody is the measure in which you can say to somebody else. Given this situation, this is how they'll act.
And if you don't have any idea how they'll act in a given circumstance and situation, you don't know them or even in measure, they're a stranger to that degree to you. But God wants us to know Him in the sense of knowing He's given to us a holy life so that we will look at things in a holy way. He has given us of His love so that we can feel toward others in the same way that He does and have that same fixed disposition.
Toward their good that he has, and it's in those things that we really want and will gradually grow to know our God. As the apostle Paul said. Everything else he put aside for one reason concerning the Lord Jesus that I may know him. That's number one, number two and #3 and all the rest priorities.
Of that man's life, that I may know him.
We go one step further with that and tomorrow at the remembrance meeting you cannot remember him if you don't know him.
00:50:06
Those that are unsafe cannot remember him if I told you about a person.
And I told you some details about that person. Everybody that listened to it could walk away and they could have a head knowledge that I gave you information of about that person. You could pass it on to somebody else, but you still didn't know that person. I'd be the only one sitting in this room that knew that person.
I have an example of that. There was a man named Lisa Trapper in Minnesota and he took his wheelbarrow down to the lake lake and he walked along and kicked the fish and he carried it back and put it in his garden. Now everybody has a head knowledge about Lee the Trapper, but nobody in this room knows Lee the Trapper. But I knew him. And each and every one of us that know Christ as our personal Savior, we know the Lord. We have the Spirit that helps inside of us that we can cry out ABBA Father, and He is our Father, isn't it? That's the true part of it. We know Him.
And we know whom to know His life eternal, don't we? And therefore we can worship and remember Him tomorrow.
You have to know him to remember him. Those that don't know him cannot remember at all. That's the first part of remembrance, isn't it?
Stop here in Ephesians.
118.
The eyes of our understanding being enlightened.
That he may know what is your hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints.
So it's all through the Lord Jesus Christ again. That's what we have here.
The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, verse 17 to Father of glory.
That he may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
It's interesting when the disciples came in John's Gospel to the tomb early, they were satisfied to see an empty tomb and know that a work was accomplished. But Mary Magdalene, when she came, the only thing that would satisfy her heart was a person and the disciples. It was enough to have a word from the angels and to see the garments, but nothing would suffice Mary but the person of the Lord Jesus. In fact, her heart went out so much to the person of Christ.
That she desired to be close to him, even if it meant being close to his dead body.
Now she didn't perhaps have the knowledge and the sense of understanding that the other disciples should have had at least, but she had a heart attracted to the person of Christ. And it's interesting that she's the one that is given the word, go tell my brother. She's given that wonderful revelation that he had not only risen from the dead, but that he was going to ascend back to God and the Father.
And not only his God and Father, but their God and Father. But the knowledge, the revelation that was given to Mary, that she was to convey to the Lord's brethren, was the result of, first of all, a heart attracted to himself.
And so, as we've said, brethren, we can't have knowledge in the sense of information.
In the right light, unless we have the knowledge of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's what's going to set information and information as important as we've been saying. But what is going to set doctrinal information, if I can put it that way, in its proper order and light?
Is to have a knowledge of God through the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord Jesus. Again in John he said, have I been so long time with you, and hast thou not known me? He that hast seen me, hast seen the Father. He had fully revealed who God the Father was.
He was the express image of His person as He walked here in this world. He conveyed that knowledge. Now he says, You've seen it in me, and he that hast seen me hath seen the Father. And brethren, That's what we need to get a hold of first.
And then when the heart is engaged with the knowledge of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All the other things are going to fall into their proper perspective.
00:55:07
One more thought in regard to Peter having gained knowledge of the Lord, what was the experience in Peter's life which helped him to come to know the Lord best, or maybe helped him in a great way? It was. It was when he had failed the Lord, and the Lord came to him in grace and restored his soul. He came to know the Lord then.
And that didn't leave him for the rest of his life. It taught him what he then exhorted the Saints in the end of the book to do.
Grove and grace and in the Knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
So we may be going through difficult times in our lives and we may fail.
But if we allow the Lord to use those experiences.
For his glory and our blessing, we're going to come to know the Lord through them. So we see this coming out in Peter, don't we, that he was able to pass along the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
And of and of God through, through even those experiences that he passed through.
Whereas for now.
Whereby I gave an answer exceeding great and precious promises.
Once we have all these things obtained which we spoke of, that the Lord Jesus Christ by faith.
Then we have given these or we have been added on these things here.
We have already spoken about glory, but then we get the divine nature.
That by these he might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. So we have now received the same nature that the Lord Jesus has.
Not, not that you only had here on the earth that he has now in heaven.
We have received that with him.
And only by that we can escape. Or we have escaped already. At least we should have.
The corruption that is in the world through lust, well, we know.
Everything is lost that.
Brings.
A sin makes people sin.
And I get letters like that every week.
And the first 4 verses of this epistle, Peter talks about things that have been given to us of God.
Before the 1St exhortation for us to do anything and brethren, when God exhorts us, it's always on the basis of what he's already provided so that we can properly respond and carry out the exhortation. And so we're going to get exhorted before the chapter is over, but.
It's important for us to see the heart of God. He thirst in verse one he's given like precious faith and then he speaks of his divine power in verse three is given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness and so on. And then it says verse four have given unto us exceeding great and precious promises and so on. And so these things are things that are given to us.
To receive, to enjoy, to value. And then he says, having given you these things, now this is what you need to do. And so we want to enjoy these first four verses in the because they express that which God has given to us and we haven't really spoken about it. In verse three, he says the things that pertain unto life and godliness.
01:00:01
What did we have before?
The things of death, the.
Things of corruption, the things of ungodliness. We were part of a spoiled and corrupted world, and that's the way we lived and that's what we were. But now God is saying no. But I want you to know me, and so I am giving to you all that you need as to life itself and a nature that is godly and so on, and the knowledge of these things.
So that you can live as my children in a way that will be my joy and your joy.
The comment on that word? Godliness.
It probably conjures up some image in your mind, particularly if you're young, as to maybe what it means, but.
I puzzled over that word some years ago and I looked up its roots and to me I found it helpful to see that it means to if I can just put in my own words to, well, reverence God in your life.
Does everything in your life or my life that I do show a reverence to God?
That's what the word, broken down literally in Greek, means to, well, reverence.
In English that doesn't go together very well, but we know what it means when something is well cared for.
And so in your life do you is God reverenced in the things that you do? And then another word that may be difficult to understand or is virtue. Another has translated spiritual courage, valor.
Really speak to the Christian position, doesn't it? They didn't, uh, they weren't indwelled with the Spirit of God before the church was formed. So the Spirit of God came upon them in Old Testament times and so on. But we have the power of the Spirit of God dwelling within that gives us the power and the appreciation to be able to, uh, the capacity to be able to enjoy these things. And umm, we also have, uh, you know, the entire written word of God. They had a, part of the revealed word of God, the Old Testament.
And umm, how thankful we should be. We have the entire word of God, He, uh, we have, umm, the, umm, priesthood of Christ. We have, uh, the Lord Jesus on high, uh, interceding for us, uh, in our weakness. And then his advocacy, because we do fail. And if we fail, we have an advocate with the Father. We have all things that pertain unto life and godliness. God has not withheld anything to, uh, from us.
So in the Old Testament they had a knowledge of God to a certain extent, that is the Jew. They were given the oracles of God and he was revealed to them as Jehovah. But it was a knowledge of God more in connection with what God's holy standard was. And what was laid down for them was the law. And if they didn't keep it, there were penalties and so on. But they really weren't given in a general way. At least they weren't given the power and capacity to keep it. In fact, that's what the law showed.
It showed God's standard, but it showed too that man left to himself, even though he had the knowledge of God's standard, he had not the power of capacity to lift himself up to God's standard.
Or to keep God's law. But now he brings before these Jewish believers that they have the full knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ, revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. They have one who has accomplished to God's glory.
The pathway of faith and the work of redemption, as Robert has just said, One who is living for them at the right hand of God as their object and their resource and all the other things that pertain unto life and godliness. And brethren, if that is true for them and for us, then we have no excuse, do we, if we don't exhibit moral piety in our lives and live for God's glory from day-to-day?
What excuse do we have? We have both the power and capacity to live in this world.
And to exhibit Christ in in our lives, and to walk with power through this wilderness, and to in the end have an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom. And when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, then our life is brought into review. What excuse are we going to give the Lord Jesus for some failure in our lives? What excuse are we going to give him for not exhibiting moral piety or.
01:05:18
Courage in our spiritual courage, or whatever expression, virtue or whatever expression you want to use. What excuse are we going to give him? We're going to hang our heads and realize that we had it all. The problem was we didn't avail ourselves of the resources that we had.
OK, I wanna get home when I'm gonna take my my heart and joy.
But then I'm gonna try and find out, and I'm a lot of yeah, I'm gonna call you and just let me know if you're gonna do anything. Well, I'm kidding.
You know, right?
If I'm going to go home after.
My colleagues.
Making Choices in Life
Address—D. Rule
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There's two in the appendix.
O Lord Dylob's unbounded, so sweet, so full, so free, My soul is all transported when air I think on thee. Yet, Lord, alas, what weakness within myself, I find no infants changing pleasures like my wandering mind.
And yet I love sun changing and doth recall my heart to joy in all its brightness, the peace its beams in part.
Yeah, sure, if in my presence my soul still constant were.
Mine I would more familiar its brightest glories bear #2 in the appendix.
Please turn with me to the book of Zephaniah.
That's Zephaniah Haggai, Zechariah Malachi, right near the end of the Old Testament.
00:05:11
Zephaniah, chapter 3.
Verse one.
Woe to her that is filthy and polluted.
To the oppressing city.
She obeyed. Not the voice she received, not correction.
She trusted not.
In the Lord.
She drew not near unto her God.
In the prayer meeting this morning.
And in comments that were made in the prayer meeting, it was remarked even in the prayers too, that.
Some young people are finishing high school, college, facing choices this afternoon. I would like to take that subject up in view of the prayer meeting this morning.
The matter of choices.
Especially choices that are made in youth.
I'd like to make a few introductory remarks and the first one is many of the choices that you are making today.
Are going to be the result of choices you made yesterday, last week, last month, last year. The choices we make in the present are generally formed in US based on choices that we have made in the past.
And so the matter of choice, if you will, is a long term set of choices.
But each one of them is important, and they become cumulative, that is, they add to themselves over time.
Yesterday, the last thing I did before I went out the door, almost the last thing anyways, to come to this conference was to read a letter from man in Michigan named Larry.
Larry said in part in his letter.
That he had now been in prison for 25 years.
He also mentioned in his letter the date of his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 years.
Larry has spent the last 25 years of his life.
In prison by choices that he has made.
I thank God that He's made the important choice, since he's been there, of putting his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But he still reaping from choices made before that.
Young people, the choices that you make are extremely important and.
And I want to look at it a little bit.
Here in this chapter.
That we just read 2 verses out of the first verse says she that is filthy and polluted. It's talking here about Jerusalem, but in application this afternoon. If you don't make the right choices, I guarantee you that your life is going to be filthy and polluted.
Because God says so, but if you make the right choices, it will not be so as we had in our chapter. And second Peter, they escaped the corruption that was in the world through lust. God preserved them through choices that they had made and by His grace.
Four things I hope you will go out of the room this afternoon in the short time that we have to think about this matter is in verse 2.
I'm going to put it in the positive. They were facing judgment for themselves and for the city because they failed in these four things. But I'd like to read them and present them to you, not in the negative sense, but in the positive.
Obedience to His voice.
Reception of correction.
Trusting in the Lord.
00:10:02
And drawing near to God.
Make those good choices.
The first one, listen.
Receive. Obey his voice.
I'd like to, in connection with this, go to the New Testament and look at two people who did it.
Who listened to his voice? The 1St is found in Luke's Gospel, Chapter 5.
We're just going to very briefly, briefly look at the conversion of two men, pretty well known men who had pretty well known lives.
Who hearkened or obeyed the voice that spoke to them?
Luke chapter 5, we're not going to read the whole story. In fact, we're not going to read it at all really, just a couple of verses here.
In verse 5, Simon Says to the Lord, answering, said unto him, Master.
We have toiled all night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless that thy word I will let down the net.
And uh, verse 8, when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knee saying, depart from me for I am a sinful man. O Lord, this is Peter's conversion. Peter knew the Lord Jesus before this occasion. At this time the Lord Jesus was living in the town of Capernaum.
And Peter was a fisherman and his boat obviously was docked in Capernaum and he went out onto the Sea of Galilee. There's a fisherman from that place.
And either lived there, at least his wife's.
Mother lived there, and he was from a little town a couple of miles away himself.
Up to this hour, Peter knew the Lord Jesus as Master or Teacher.
And when the teacher told him to do something out of respect, but according to his own will, he did a half response. I believe he failed in two ways. He was told to put down the Nets and he only put one down. He was told to launch out and there's no indication that he did anything but put the net out where he was.
That's what you do with the teacher. You take it or leave it. You hear it, you make choices about it, and according to how you think and feel and believe about what the teacher says, you accept it, or you reject it or you ignore it.
You're not in a relationship to a teacher.
Accepting when it comes to taking exams in that part of the relationship, but I'm speaking about the belief in what they say.
Is not really theirs to command on you.
But when Peter saw the work, the power of Jesus.
And what happened in an experience that obviously he understood and recognized as a fisherman was not a work of man, but a work of God and by the power of this man, Jesus.
Is the words that come out of his mouth are.
Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, oh Lord.
I won't get into the matter of the process of conversion here, but just the last two words.
Oh Lord.
Jesus on that boat that afternoon.
Became Peter's Lord.
That is the most important decision. I'm assuming you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
That is the most important. I'll call it a decision. I don't like that word exactly, but I'll use it for the moment that he ever made in his Christian life.
Was to accept the truth.
That Jesus was his Lord.
You will not make a more important choice in your life than the acceptance of Jesus as Lord. He is Lord, He is your Lord, but you need to recognize it and make it your own within your soul. Turn over to Acts 9.
00:15:29
Verse 3.
As he journeyed, he came near to Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven, and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest, it is hard for thee to kick against the ******. And he trembling an astonished, said Lord.
What wilt thou have me to do? This is Paul's conversion. And God takes these great men that are presented to us in the word of God, two of the greatest in the Christian era.
And he lays it out in a simple, easy to be understood way, both of them immediately and for the rest of their lives.
Accepted the truth of their relationship.
With that man Jesus.
Lord, Lord.
Yes, it says.
Choose you this day, whom you will serve.
And that's the choice. I guess it's put that way in Scripture, but in another sense I wanna say that was the last choice that those two men had to make in their life.
Because every other situation from that point on in their life.
Was to know the will of their Lord and do it.
He became supreme to them in a way that.
What wilt thou have me to do?
Earlier this afternoon we talked about not we, not I, but we listened to the Lord through His servant to talk to us about relationships. I want to say this is the number one and most important relationship that any one of us can ever have and all other relationships flow properly from it. And if it doesn't have its right place in it, no other relationship is going to take place as it should.
Lord.
Lord, Lord.
They learned it immediately, thank God, and have left. The testimony of the fruit of that in the life is recorded for us in the Word of God.
We still see in Peter the natural disposition of Peter coming out in his life. Even though Jesus was Lord to him, he still was Simon Peter and we see he had other lessons to learn.
But if he was under authority.
When there was the matter of the disciples out in the boat.
What does he say when the Lord comes walking on the water? He says, If it be thou.
I'm coming.
No.
Bid me. Bid me.
Tell me to come to you. And he was ready. In his heart was the desire for it, but he wasn't his choice to make.
If it be thou, bid me come to thee.
You got the answer I'm sure his heart wanted. Come and he went.
And learned another lesson in the process.
Lord.
Lord.
Have you listened?
Obeyed the voice, Who art thou?
Lord.
We need if we don't get lesson #1.
00:20:04
Right.
Young people, older ones, all of us. Nothing else has its right place.
Turn with me to Proverbs chapter one.
This afternoon in the reading meeting, we were talking about knowledge.
We didn't, but connected with it is wisdom and understanding.
Let's notice something about the connection between knowledge and Lord.
And listening to his voice, Proverbs chapter one and verse 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning.
Of knowledge.
But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Turn over to Proverbs Chapter 9.
And verse 10.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning.
Of wisdom.
And the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.
If relationships aren't right, nothing is right.
Between the two parties.
And man is a creature of God.
Under his authority.
And man who does not recognize his relationship to the one under whom he is.
Is a fool.
Among other things, and has no true knowledge.
You can't have the true knowledge of anything and leave God out.
Because all knowledge relates to what God is and has done, He's the source of it.
We have it because he has given us a certain capacity and natural things to know. But the important, the really important things about himself, we only know because he chooses to tell us.
That's why in the Old Testament they did not have the full knowledge of God, because he hadn't told us yet.
But he gave us a fuller, full revelation of Himself in the person of the Lord Jesus as a man. And then we knew more than we ever knew before about God, because he chose to tell us more.
And to give us the joy of that knowledge and also the relationship which goes with it, which for us is to be able to say Father to our God.
But giving God his right respect.
His right place in our hearts is the foundation of getting knowledge, and there's no pride in it either. You can't be in the presence of God. The true knowledge of God is humbling.
It humbles self and exalts God.
It doesn't exalt self.
The man that gets close to God the closer you get to God in reality.
The more it will produce the humbleness in the soul to know what you are in His presence. And so in Proverbs it teaches that right in the beginning, the fear of the Lord is the beginning.
Of wisdom and knowledge and understanding. And without it, if God isn't put in his right place, nothing will have its right place. It will be. It will lead to filth and corruption.
Because man left to himself becomes violent, and he corrupts all that is of God in his.
Perceived knowledge and wisdom.
He becomes the fool.
Let's turn back to our chapter in Zephaniah.
Get some practice finding it if we're not used to that spot in the Bible.
00:25:08
Again in the positive.
She obeyed the voice.
She received correction.
She received correction.
I will be so bold as to say there are some who are not in this room on this occasion, who have been in this room on this occasion at past times, and they're not here this afternoon because they have refused.
Correction.
It's not really a choice.
Be willing.
To receive correction, there's not a person in this room who graduates from the school of correction.
Every single one of us will need it as long as we're here.
And very often the Lord will use an instrument for our correction that also brings with it the necessary humbling. Let's embrace it. Let's be thankful for it. Let's not despise it.
Young people and older ones.
Donald me don't despise correction. It's so important and if.
We despise it. It will lead to terrible, sad choices being made.
She trusted.
In the Lord.
She trusted in the Lord.
How many decisions in life get made?
Because of a lack of trust.
Is God worthy to be trusted?
Make if it's a decision, whatever it means to you, if it's making in your life early.
God is worthy of your complete trust.
Because if he is the choices that are made subsequent to that one.
We'll all be in the right direction.
And preserve you from.
From.
Harm and loss and lack of fruitfulness in your life.
Faith. Trust.
Honors God.
And a lack of trust is a dishonor to God.
You want somebody to you say something and say to. You can't trust what you say.
I don't know, I'll have to find out for myself. Does that make you feel good?
God wants to be trusted.
And he's dishonored if we don't trust him.
Trust means believing what he says to be true.
Abraham has put before us as a wonderful example of trust in God because.
God told him to do something that we would find extremely hard to do. Anybody would.
To offer up his son.
And I always appreciate that God has given us the reason. What was going on in inside Abraham's mind and heart when he did it?
As he went out to that place.
And he got there and he took that knife to kill his son.
Hebrews 11 tells us he knew that God had promised that he was going to be made a nation in that sun, and that God is a God who keeps his promises no matter what. And if necessary, he would have to raise up Isaac from the dead in order to keep his promise. That's trust.
That's a wonderful example of trust.
And uh.
It's a tremendous important choice.
That makes other choices fall into the right place.
00:30:07
The 4th, 1:00.
She drew not near.
To her God.
Have you drawn near to God today?
You've been alone with God today.
It takes conscious effort in one sense, you know you can go through the motions.
Reading a chapter of the Bible and saying Lord take care of Maine today and I'm in a hurry and we'll talk more tomorrow. That's not drawing near to God.
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.
We see in the Word of God that there are times when.
We are faced with situations, if you want to call them, choices.
That are only discerned in the nearness of fellowship with God.
That's why we go to other people to help us sometimes, because we have some perception in us that that, well, that person is nearer to God than I am. They might have more experience of knowing what God's will and mind in the matter is.
And uh.
So it is.
Notice connection with it if you go back to chapter 2.
Verse 12 it says, And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are settled on their lease, that say in their heart the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.
In other words, there were some. They didn't say it out loud, but their lives showed and they kind of relaxed.
Live the way they wanted to live.
And in their hearts, they were acting as well. Lord, he thought of it. You're not going to do good for me. He's not going to do evil. He's just a spectator. If he's that, he's paying any attention at all. And so they leave the Lord out.
Bad mistake, bad mistake.
Draw near.
Come near unto me, I pray you.
Come on to me.
You're weary and heavy laden.
I will give you rest. That's good for salvation, but that's good for everyday life. Draw near unto God.
We have a little bit of time and I would like to go to Luke's Gospel chapter 3.
Connection or chapter 2. Luke chapter 2.
Make a few comments about the boyhood of the Lord Jesus Christ in connection with this subject.
Luke chapter 2.
We read in verse 21 and when 8 days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus.
Verse 22 And when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. This is in the first month of his life.
And uh, verse 27, he came by the Spirit, and this is Simon into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him, after the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God.
Now down to verse 39. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee to their own city, Nazareth.
Verse 40.
This tells us all we are going to know about his life from one year old. Well, we know he was taken down into Egypt and so on, but from Luke's account, this is all that we're told from the time he's one month old or so until he's 12 years old. But time has passed the 1St 12 years of his life and here's what we read about him. The child grew and waxed strong in spirit.
00:35:06
Filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. How many children in your life have you ever heard about or read about that would have been characterized this way from their age of one month to 12 years?
He waxed strong in spirit. He's told, we're told about him as a child. We're not in the verses which follow, we'll see, we see something of him being the Son of God. But here in this little passage, it's connected with him as a child growing up. And it says the child waxed strong in spirit. The spirit is that part of us which connects us with God. And as this little child grew, the number one thing that is important in a child's development.
Is the Spirit.
That is that part of the child in their relationship with God.
Parents can provide all kinds of things for the soul and the body.
And they're important in their place. But don't neglect the Spirit.
And the development of of its growth and its relationship with the Lord God.
This child waxed strong in spirit, something else you don't think of as a child filled with wisdom.
How many kids between 1:00 and 12:00 would you say? Boy, that child is full of wisdom.
Pretty rare, right? Maybe not at all.
But God records of this child that he was full of wisdom.
Where does wisdom come from? What this proverbs tell us? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The knowledge of the Holy is understanding. Here was a child who was growing in that relationship as a man.
Or the relationship of a person with their God.
And even.
By 12 one can be in scriptural sense of that wisdom.
Again, I say the child isn't perhaps in control of a lot of that, but their parents here that are starting to raise children and so on.
They can, you can present God in His right way and place to their soul, to their heart, but most of all even to the Spirit and see a development of a child.
The wisdom to make right choices based on the right relationship and the right importance.
Can be made young.
And the grace of God was upon him.
Wonderful. Isn't it good to have a child and have the confidence that the grace of God is at work for them?
Don't have time to say more, but let's just go down and.
They leave the city after the yearly trip to Jerusalem for the Passover and I suppose Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was included in it, and they go home and he's, they miss him. And we've heard much about that at times past, I'm sure. So the parents come back looking for him.
And uh, verse 47 and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. He doesn't get out of his place. He asks questions he didn't want to hear what didn't want to he would not have is a perfect person said here, listen to me. I know more than you do. How would you know if I didn't tell you here? I want you to know this, that and the other. No, you ask questions. Uh, and yet his own wisdom that he had developed, developed in him by God.
Umm, he must have been asked questions that he answered, but he had understanding. The knowledge of the Holy is understanding.
God had his perfect and right place.
We read in the Old Testament there's not time to turn to it, but he waketh morning by morning to hear with the ear.
The learns, that is. I'm sure every morning of his life, the Lord Jesus isn't where he woke up with a hearing ear.
00:40:08
To listen to the voice, he didn't need correction as we do, but he listened to the voice.
That was given to him. He trusted what was said. He drew near unto his God.
And there was blessing as a result of it.
The answers which does show his deity in verse 49 wish ye not that I must be about my father's business. I would just comment that while he's presented to us as a perfect person, a perfect child growing up.
He always was, and always conscious too that he was Son of God.
He couldn't be less than he was, and he knew. And here.
He was growing into that place that.
His father's business needed to be attended to, but he keeps relationships in their perfect order. His parents had a claim over him as his parents as he was still a child, and he submits to that. He doesn't cause a conflict over it. He doesn't say, well, I think I ought to be doing this instead of what you tell me to do, that he keeps the relationships properly ordered and submits to his parents. And we don't hear of him again until he's almost in the approximately 30 years of age.
Accepting in verse 52, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.
Right choices produce growth.
And they were amazed at his the wisdom and understanding that he had as a child. But it continued to grow.
As a man, as he became older, he increased in wisdom. He grew up. Dear young people, you ought to be growing.
But again I say.
If you don't obey his voice, it'll stunt your growth.
If you don't listen to correction.
It'll stunt your growth spiritually if you don't trust the Lord.
We'll stunt your growth or ruin your life.
And if you don't draw near to God, you won't be able to follow Him.
Is he would want and as you would want. So let's all seek.
To listen and obey.
Not be rebellious to correction.
Trust in the Lord and.
And draw near to him.
Gospel
Gospel—V. Redman
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Hi, I'd like to welcome any visitors that we might have in this room tonight on our first gospel and, uh, let's begin with him number.
25.
It says life at best is very brief.
Thee in time some brothers start that, please.
Umm.
95959.
And we're going to be in the morning point. May not, Lord, in your eyes be joy. That's all. And I have a little reason to call over.
In my God, my darkness day to your life on the way that came across.
On the dark, what happened to my life?
I am surprising not to die in.
Some of the scriptures that I had on my heart.
To read today, tonight, I just wanted to make a few comments on this song that we just sang. It's a very solemn song, isn't it? Really speaks the message one could give the gospel on this song alone.
00:05:03
But notice the first line of the first verse. It says life at best.
Well, life, you know, and I know, we know that life isn't always at its best, is there?
There's difficulties, there's disappointments, there's discouragement, there's sicknesses, loss of jobs, disappointments all along the way. And there's even death in the family, isn't there? We've all experienced it. There's probably not one in this room that hasn't experienced a death of a loved one or a relative that hasn't been to a funeral. Life at best is not always at its best, is it?
But suppose young people I particular mention this. Suppose life was at its best.
Suppose you had everything going for you. Everything was going smoothly.
Well, we know one in the in the in the Bible, Solomon, he had everything at his disposal, didn't he? Everything his heart desired. And what was his conclusion? Everything was just void. It was not worth anything. He came to the conclusion that was all vanity, his expectation of spirit.
So let's say you had everything.
There are very wealthy people today.
That have just everything at their fingertips.
And yet it says right here.
Life might be at its best that the world could offer.
But it's gonna be very brief.
It's gonna be very brief. It's appointed unto man wants to die, but after this the judgment.
And we're all, everyone in this room, if the Lord should tarry, is rushing on to eternity.
We're all going to spend eternity in one place or another, and I want you to be honest with yourself tonight.
Where would you spend eternity?
If you were taken from this scene, do you have any guarantees how long you're gonna be, how long life is gonna be? No, it says right here. It says that, uh.
Time is gliding swiftly by death and judgment both. Draw an eye to the arms of Jesus. Fly thee in time.
Oh, there once a night how important it is to be in time, because you know, and we all know that time is running out in this world. Soon judgment is going to commence. The Lord Jesus when he was on this earth, he said now is the judgment of this world.
They took the Lord Jesus and they said we don't want this man and they nailed him to a cross and God's gonna judge this world very soon. The day of grace will soon close.
Are you gonna be part of those that are being caught up, taken out? And you say tonight that your sins are forgiven, forced in the precious blood of Christ?
So with this in mind, please turn through Second Corinthians chapter 4.
And we'll begin reading verse 3.
But if our gospel be hid.
It is hid to them that are lost.
In whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not.
Less the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine.
Unto them, for we preach, not ourselves, but Christ Jesus.
The Lord and I wonder, dear friend, tonight.
Is there one in here that the gospel is still hid?
Is it still hid from you?
Well, you say, what do you mean hid from me? I have the Bible, I can read it.
What do you mean Is it hid from me?
Well, if you've never.
Gotten on your knees before a holy righteous God and confessed to God that you are a lost, guilty, hell deserving, hell bound Sinner.
If you've never received the Lord Jesus into your heart.
And asked him to be your Lord and Savior. Then the gospel was still hid.
It's like what we had this afternoon, Peter. He got on his knees before the Lord and he said he parked for me, for I'm a sinful man. Have you taken your place at the foot of the cross? Have you gone in the very presence of God?
00:10:16
And have you acknowledged before God, that before God and him alone you have sinned like David? Did he acknowledge his sin?
Lost condition and that's what you need to do. We have the perfect formula in Acts 20. It says repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what we need. If you haven't done that, dear friend.
The gospel is still hit. Or you might know the Bible probably better than me. You might be able to quote verses Sunday school. You might live a very good and a very upright moral life.
But that doesn't count 1 bit towards salvation.
Because neither is there a salvation in any other, for there's none other name given among men.
Whereby we must be saved.
It's only through the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. But it says that if our gospel be hid, it's hid to them that are lost. And I trust there's not one in this room that falls in that category. We only read of two people. 2 Two classes of people in the word of God.
That you're a Sinner saved by grace.
Are your sinners still lost on your way to your lost eternity?
There's no other choice. There's no other way, either one or the other. Either you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Either you can say the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me, or the gospel is still hid. And who's hiding it? Who's hiding it from you? And whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not.
Are blinded your hearts.
Well, he's doing more than that.
I want to turn over to another verse.
In the.
Second Timothy, chapter 2.
And the 26th verse, the end of that chapter, we read that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taking captive by him at his will. And we can read other scriptures that tell us.
That those are still lost are LED away captive, bound by him. Not only does he blind those who believe not.
But he's leading them away, bound by his will. Do you realize that today? Do you realize that, dear one?
But Satan?
The God of this world is under control. He's under control of your soul and he doesn't care whether you have a relationship with God. He wants to keep you from that relationship that we were talking about our brother earlier, a relationship and a knowledge. He doesn't want you to make that right choice either. I'm gonna talk about that later. I hope to carry that theme across because it's a good one, the relationship.
Knowledge.
And choices without a personal relationship for the Lord Jesus Christ. You can't have the knowledge of the glorious gospel of Christ. You can't understand the word of God because it says a natural man receiveth not the things of God, neither can he know them. He can't know them. You can't know the word of God because Satan.
Is blinding your mind, your hearts, and he's leading you away. Captivity.
But God's not hiding the gospel. Oh no, he's still proclaiming the good news. It says the grace of God that bringeth salvation.
Has appeared to all men.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
I want to turn to another verse.
In Luke's gospel this is at the beginning of the Lord Jesus pathway down here in Luke 4.
Listen carefully to what the Lord said to his own, when He came unto his own.
And I'm sure that some of these have heard this, this, uh, words that the Lord Jesus said.
00:15:08
Must have been.
Good news to their ears.
It says in verse 18 chapter 4 of Luke, it says the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has appointed me.
To preach the gospel to the poor.
Well, we're all poor, aren't we? If we're lost in our sins, we're poor, failing, miserable, hell deserving, hell bound sinners.
Unable it says that says that.
That we were without strength. In due time Christ died for the ungodly. We had no strength. We were down in that miry clay. We were in that horrible pit and that Miami clay. The Lord Jesus came down to take us out of that. Couldn't take ourselves out of that horrible pit, it says here.
To preach the gospel before and he has sent me to heal the broken hearted. To preach deliverance to the captives.
And recovering of the sight to the blind to set at liberty.
Them that are bruised to heal the broken hearted.
Is there somebody in this room that life isn't at its best?
You feel a heavy load.
Is the Spirit of God, through the Word of God trying to reach your conscience to awaken you to your need?
I trust that so.
Don't reject that. Listen. Listen to the Spirit of God to reach your heart.
He wants to set you at liberty.
Only the Lord Jesus can do that.
And he's come down here to this scene. I want to read just quickly. I think I have enough time. We often sing this hymn in a little flock book. What a marvelous message this is. It says in hymn #93 From the palace of his glory, from the home of joy and love, came the Lord himself to seek us. He didn't stand a powerful Angel. That wouldn't do.
God sent His beloved Son into this world.
For you, for me.
Cain, the Lord himself to seek us. He would have us there above.
There from that eternal brightness have His thoughts flowed forth in love. He and His great love would have us ever there with Him above trembling, we had hoped for mercy some long place within His door.
But the crown of thorn in the mansion, all were ready long before and in past and distant ages in those courts, so bright and fair ere we were, was he rejoicing all he won with us to share. And that's the gospel message that we are still able to preach today.
How the Lord Jesus it says, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for our sake, for your sake he became poor. How poor did He come? He went to the cross. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
And he suffered untold agony, not only by man, but by God.
And if you accept the Lord Jesus tonight as your personal Savior, you can say the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me, You can say the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, has cleansed all my sins. He can do that tonight if you're willing, if you make the right choice.
Because without the relationship of God, there is no knowledge of the word of God.
And if there's no knowledge of the Word of God, you'll never make the right choices in life.
And we're gonna see, I'm gonna read what I have on my heart to read about one, one person who had the very opportunity that you have right now.
Who's standing right in the very presence of one who could bestow eternal life on him? And he walked away grieved. He walked away grieved. He made the wrong choice. And as far as we know, we've never heard from him again.
And he had to live with it, not only for time, but for eternity. We're all faced with eternity. You only have this life to make a choice.
The right choice.
You don't have any other opportunity. Once you pass in the attorney, your your, your destiny is fixed. You read that in Luke 16. Read it for yourself. That man is still looking for a drop of water. You'll never get it. He made the wrong choice. He led for himself.
00:20:15
Is that what you're doing, living for yourself?
If you're go, if the gospel be hid, it's hid to them that are lost. And I want to turn to one account that we have in Mark's gospel.
One whose gospel was hid.
And he just couldn't see the message that the Lord Jesus was right there in front of him.
That he was trying to present to this young man. He's trying to reach this man's conscience.
And the man walked away and lost.
As far as we know, Mark's Gospel chapter 10 and verse.
Verse 17.
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good master, what shall I do?
That I may inherit eternal life. And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one that is God.
Thou knowest the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud not honor thy father and mother. Any answered and said unto him, Master, all these things have I observed from my youth.
Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest.
Go thy way and sell whatsoever our house, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasures in heaven. And come take up the cross and follow me. He was sad at this saying, and he went away grieved, for he had great possessions.
Jesus looked about and saith unto disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God?
And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again, and saith unto them, Children.
How hard it is for them that trust enriches to enter into the Kingdom of God. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them, said, with men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible.
Now we could turn to two other gospels.
And we get a more of an insight on what was really going on in the heart and the thoughts of this young, rich, young ruler.
And it really, uh, brings before us how everything is laid bare by the word of God. It says that, uh, God searches the, the heart of man. All things are open and naked unto him whom we have to do. And on the surface, on the surface, this looks like, well, the young man is showing great respect to the Lord Jesus. He comes running. There was a sense of urgency.
He kneeled down. He sort of gave the Lord Jesus the compliment. Good master, good teacher, good rabbi.
But we if we read the the the rest of the narrative and the other two gospels, we read that he only wanted to justify himself. He sort of wanted a pat on the back.
But you know, one thing I wanted a couple of things I want to notice in this this account that even though the Lord Jesus knew all his thoughts, knew all about him.
And we read often and in the gospels where it says and Jesus knowing their thoughts.
Over and over again, he knew what this young man was all about. He was the He was the word. And we have that.
We have that in Hebrews 4, don't we, where it says that for the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword person, even in the dividing center of soul and spirit and the joints of mural. And it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. All the Lord Jesus, he knew the intents and thoughts of this young man. But you don't read any reviews, do you? You don't you don't see anywhere here read anywhere in this narrative where the Lord Jesus said I know what you're thinking. I know you're just trying to.
00:25:02
Get a pat on the back. No, you hear no rebuke whatsoever. And I'm sure there was a lot of people following the Lord Jesus that day, as there normally was, probably a lot of people around him. But he stopped. He stopped to talk to this young man because he tried to win his soul. He tried to reach his conscience.
For what was needed the most, he wanted this young man to make the right decision.
He wanted a relationship.
With this young man.
And so.
We find here that.
There's no rebuke of the Lord Jesus, even though He knew all about what was in the heart of this young man.
And so there's two other things I wanna point out, and I believe that the Spirit of God.
I often wondered why the Spirit of God brings.
An account in in Scripture in three different places, especially in the gospel, you often read the same account.
Various variations, but the same account.
And I think it's one of the reasons that I believe it is, is because it's so typical what we have today. I want you to notice this as we go through this. It's very typical. That is what you think of Christ. What thinking of Christ?
And our approach to God. These are two things right here that are that comes out in this part and you want to you want to know where a person's relationship is to the Lord Jesus.
Then you go up to them and you say, what do you think of the Lord Jesus? What do you think of Christ?
You'll get a lot of different answers, but just try that sometime.
Just ask somebody, what do you think of the Lord Jesus? Well, this young man, he's, he said good master, he couldn't rise any farther than the humanity of the Lord Jesus. Was the Lord Jesus a man? Yes. He was the most unique man that ever lived. He didn't have Adam's nature like you and I. He was sinless one. He could not sin. There was no sin in him.
And yeah, he could suffer hunger and thirst.
Weariness.
And when they hung him on that cross, he felt every bit of that pain in the nails.
And his hands and his feet, every bit of it. But he wasn't subject to death, not like you and I. Oh no. He had to expire himself. He had to give up his life, for he had eternal life in himself. And he gave up his life willingly. No man could take his life, but he gave up his life willingly.
That's how poor he came, that we might be rich in him.
And so he did not see that divine one, that Holy One sent from God.
And we read and another part of the Gospel believe it in Matthew and in Luke. We're another one confessed.
And what a difference in his confession.
When the Lord was here, he asked his disciples, whom do men say the Son of Man is? And they gave him various answers.
But then he said, well, who do you think I am? Oh, that's quite a question. And I asked you, my friends, who do you think the Lord Jesus is? The one that was here sent from God? And Peter, Simon Peter, we had him today, didn't we? The dollars of Christ, the son of the living God. What a confession. The Lord Jesus said, blessed art thou, son of Jonah.
If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, blessed are you, happy are you you have peace with God.
And that's what we're preaching tonight, being justified by faith.
We have peace through peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Is that what you're longing for tonight? Do you have peace with God? Do you have rest in your soul? Can you say that you can walk out of this room tonight rejoicing, knowing that your sins are forgiven? That's the gospel of the grace of God, and it still goes out tonight. Time is running out, like we said. And so he says here.
00:30:07
What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
Well, we know today there's many doers out there. Everybody wants to do something to win favor with God. Well, I know there are some who would give vast amounts to churches and other charitable organization trying to win favor of God. But the Word of God is very plain, not by works of righteousness, but that is doing the right thing.
Not by works of righteousness, which we have done according to His mercy, For by grace are we saved through faith, not of ourselves. It's a gift of God, and God is offering that gift tonight. What a wonderful gift. Are you going to reject this? A wonderful gift of salvation?
So there's a lot of doers out there, but there's nothing we can do. All has been done as our brother.
Mentioned a few weeks ago in his gospel message, all has been done, all is prepared and the message to you and I is to come. Come for all. Things are ready and He wants to invite us into His bank greenhouse. His message over us is love.
MMM. And so the Lord Jesus says here.
He answers this man, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one that is God.
Was the Lord Jesus good? Oh by.
To be sure, he was the only good man that ever walked the face of the earth.
At his birth this the Spirit of God would say, That holy thing that will be born unto you shall be called the Son of God.
And the thief on the cross.
He could look at the Lord Jesus and say this man has done nothing in this.
He was the only perfect one. He said he could say in his life, I do all those things that please the Father. Any of us say that he always went about doing good and at the cross they mocked him and said, well, he saved others himself he could not save.
That's the Blessed One. What was he meaning here? What was he trying to convey to this man? Well, this man thought he lived a good life. I suppose he had. Life was pretty. Pretty at its best. Life was pretty. But there was something missing, something lacking in his life, something that was empty, some void in his life.
So what was he trying to convey to this man? Oh, he was trying to reach his conscience.
Trying to reach your conscience tonight too.
But it says here, what may I do to inherit eternal life? Well, he was concerned about eternal life.
We got to give him credit, I guess. But I want to ask you tonight, are you thinking about eternal life? You think this life is going to last forever? Oh no. As I mentioned earlier, we're all heading for eternity, some quicker than others. You never know.
When you go to pass into eternity on the way out here from California, we passed many a graveyard.
And I suppose if we went into all those, we'd see many dates, many ages.
But we don't have to. You don't have to come under the judgment of God, because he sent the Lord Jesus.
Calvary's cross and if you come to him tonight and like my brother, like the brother said a few weeks ago, you don't have to wait till this gospel meeting is over. You can bow your head right now because if you wait till this gospel meetings over, it may be too late. Do you know when the Lord Jesus is coming?
He could come before this Gospel meaning.
Over with. And if you're left behind here after the the rapture, after those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus and are sheltered under your precious blood, you'll be left behind and you'll be left behind for a horrible, terrible judgment.
And after that, you'll be lost for all eternity. All men would like to proclaim there's a second chance. There's always another opportunity while there isn't.
00:35:07
Because you're responsible, you're accountable.
And so he was trying to bring before this young man.
So what we have in Romans 3, I believe he was trying to point out to this young man that there is none righteous, no, not one, there's none that seeketh after God, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You know, we always like to compare ourselves and I guess it's human nature. We look at one another. Well, that that person is a lot worse than me. I don't do all that. I live a pretty good, decent moral life.
And you probably do.
But compare yours, your, your life to the glory and the holiness of God. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous. No, not one.
And that's the place you have to take before a holy, righteous God. You have to get on your knees and confess to God that you are a lost, guilty Sinner. Otherwise, why would you need a Savior?
And if you don't do that, you make God a liar. You wanna make God a liar? You wanna get into his presence and his face.
And say, God, you're a liar because I wasn't a Sinner, I didn't need your salvation. Is that what you're going to do?
Uh, it says that God be true and every man a liar. And so we have to take our place, don't we, as guilty sinners lost. Oh, but what a remedy he has, for he doesn't leave us in that because Christ is the Savior of sinners.
Why were we at sinners? Christ died for us. Isn't that wonderful? What a message we have. He doesn't leave us in that condition.
I want to tell the story about a young man that I knew many years ago.
And this young man?
He didn't come from the best of life. He didn't have life wasn't at its best for him. He came from what you call a dysfunctional family. He had it pretty rough.
I saw this young man struggled through school.
Graduated and as most young people did in that time, went into the Armed Services.
And on occasion when he got liberty leave on the weekend, he'd go and visit his his girlfriend.
And this one particular weekend he came there.
And he knocked on the door.
And his friend there had a strange look on her face, and he asked, well, what's going on? He's ready for a date. He's ready to take off.
And a friend of hers had a friend over girlfriend over there and she just didn't want to get rid of her.
So he thought, well, what should I do? Should I stay there with the parents? No, that'd be a good idea.
Or should I just take them both along and see what happens? So he chose that one and they weren't driving.
And this young girl?
Was just recently come to the Lord Jesus herself. Now I might point out this young man.
He never knew anything about God.
Never. And I think he was around 2021 years old. He knew nothing of the Word of God, the Bible. He never went to church. No one ever gave him the gospel. 21 years old in the Armed Services could have been shot, who knows, Could have been in harm's way. But I think the Lord had his eye on this person, so they went driving around.
And uh.
She started to talk to this couple.
Telling them that, uh.
All had sinned. There was none. Righteous. No, not good. Well, his girlfriend had a hard time with that because she had been raised in a very religious church.
But you couldn't. You didn't have much trouble convincing him that he was a Sinner. He knew he was a Sinner.
But what he didn't realize, and what he didn't know until she told him.
00:40:05
That he was unaccountable to God. He had to answer to God.
While he was terrified.
Just fear for a moment flood his soul.
Because we're all responsible to our Creator, we all have to give an accounting.
So pointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.
But then she poured in that cool, wonderful, refreshing water and told her about the love of God and sending his Son the Lord Jesus to die on the cross, and that God at that moment was willing to wipe his slate completely clean.
And that was power enough in the precious blood of Christ to wash his sins all the way.
And he really took that home. What a message it was.
And they never saw this young girl ever again. It was that one time, one time a faithful servant of the Lord, the young girl gave the gospel to these two people. Well, she continued. I I don't remember the whole story.
But he decided to go back to his girlfriend's house and drop him off and said, well, he said, I know what I have to do.
And his girlfriend said, well, what are you gonna do? He said, well, I'm gonna go home right now and get on my knees and confess to God that I'm a lost, guilty Sinner and I'm gonna receive the Lord Jesus into my heart.
Well, his girlfriend was dumbfounded, but yet the young lady that was with us, with her, with the young man and his girlfriend, she just was tears of joy. And this young man, he went home for the very first time, got on his knees.
And he confessed his sins. He confessed and acknowledged his sinful lost condition and he asked the Lord Jesus to come in his heart and save him. He made the right choice. He got a relationship with God. Did he have any knowledge of the word of God? Just what she said. If you would have went up to this young man and said, well, why do you base your salvation on show me a verse. He couldn't turn to John 316.
But the next morning he rose out of bed and the first thing he said to himself, I'm saved. I am saved by the precious blood of Christ. How did he know that? Because the Spirit beareth witness to our Spirit that we are the sons of God. That's how you know. That's how you know you belong to the Lord Jesus. Because you have rest in your soul, you know the Lord Jesus.
Has paid the price for your sins, you can say the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
My time is quickly going by. I want to get to this one point.
And so he goes through all the commandments and everything. And so the man said, well, I've, I've observed all this. There's nothing left. I mean, I've lived a good moral, upright life.
I've kept the law. I'm a good Jew. There's nothing more. And then Jesus, beholding him, loved him and said one thing thou lackest.
Go thy well sell, sell whatsoever thy house, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasures in heaven. And come, take up the cross, and follow me.
I hear this man was given a choice, wasn't it? We talked about that today.
You young people, what you make a choice today will have an effect for the rest of your life.
You have to be careful what choices you make this young ruler who had seemingly everything going for.
Do you have everything going for you?
Is life at its best for you?
With this young man.
He was hanging under this world's goods too hard.
While the world was hanging on to him too hard.
But he couldn't give it up. What's keeping you? What are you hanging on to? Oh, I pray you count the cost. Hear that fatal line be crossed and your crisis slowly be lost. The end time.
And so he brings before this young man. He says one thing thou lackest.
And that may be the only thing that will keep you from the blessings of God. To have your sins forgiven is one thing. It only takes one thing. That's all. It only takes one thing.
00:45:04
He was sad at this scene and went away grief for he had great possessions.
How sad it is is that will that be your case tonight? Will you walk away grieved because it's just too much, it's too high of a cost? I can't hardly even comprehend that. Because you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. And yet if you walk out of here again, rejecting the gospel of the grace of God, you have nothing to gain and everything to lose. Your eternal soul. And what is your soul worth? What are you worth in the sight of God?
Well, the Lord Jesus went to the cross. He died for you.
And his precious blood was dead.
Built there.
Calvary's cross to wash your sins away. That's the cost. That was the cost of God of giving up his beloved Son for you and me.
It was just too much for this man.
And he walked away grieved.
He had an opportunity right there in front of one who could give him eternal life.
And at tonight.
If you still don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
If you're going to walk away again, as perhaps many times have you had this young man that I told you a story about, he only heard the gospel once. Only once would he had a second chance. Who knows? But he acted on what the grace of God revealed to his heart. You might have sat in this under the sound of the gospel many, many times.
And yet every time you do, you are rejecting the grace of God. You are turning your back.
And the word is very plain, dear young people.
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? There is no escape.
Neglect, you know what all what a neglect is. We've all kind of put things off, but we don't want to put this off because it's a great salvation. And soon the day of grace will close. Soon salvation will not go forth anymore. It won't be offered. The day of grace will close, but he's offering salvation now. Don't be like this young man that walks away grieved.
The price has been paid and it's been a high price to redeem your soul.
Being justified freely.
It says by the grace being justified freely, we have the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Through his precious blood.
And so I want you to do something for me tonight.
As you lay in your bed, quiet time and you're laying there quiet.
And restful in your bed tonight, I want you to ask this question. I want you to be honest with yourself.
As you lay there in the quietness of your room.
Just ask yourself, well, could God have done any more than He's already done to save your soul?
Could he have done any more?
As a brother pointed out to me, he wouldn't have done any less either.
Isn't that something?
Salvation.
Is falling free everything you need to save your soul, everything you need for all the blessings of God has for you?
You might walk again. You might walk away from this gospel one time more and say, well, I'm gonna put it off. I'm gonna wait another moment. I'm gonna wait another time. It's just not convenient.
What do we read here?
Jesus, beholding him, He loved him. He knew all about this young man. He knew his heart wasn't right. He knew He was only trying to, as they say, pull the wool over his eyes. Can we fool God? We can't fool God.
God knows all about us. He lays everything bare. Everything is laid bare by the word of God. He searches the hearts of men. He knows our intents and our thoughts. And he knew all about this man, and he knew this man was going to walk away. And yet he tried to reach this man's conscience. He tried to reach this man's terrible need.
And the man walked away grieving. Yet what do we find? Well, we don't read anywhere where the Lord Jesus said, well, he gets what he deserves then. Oh no, He said Jesus beholding him, loved him. And if you're still without the Lord Jesus on your way there lost eternity, Jesus, right now the Lord Jesus is looking down from heaven. He's right here and he's trying to reach your heart. He's trying to.
00:50:22
Make you understand.
He loves you, for God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son.
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Oh, this is the love of God, the love of the Lord. Jesus is looking down in your heart right now, and He knows all about you.
He knows all about you. The one who knew all about me still loved me.
And he went to the cross to die for me and my sins.
He's looking at you right now and saying, Come, come unto me, all ye that labor and our heavy laden, and I will give you rest. You have rest in your soul.
He had that peace with God.
You know your sins forgiven. Do you have that relationship, that knowledge? I'm gonna read one more verse and it's in First Timothy.
First Timothy chapter 2 and verse 3.
God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved.
That's everyone of us in here. He doesn't exclude any of us. Isn't that wonderful?
There's room for all everyone.
And to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and man. That man is Christ Jesus.
Who gave himself a ransom for all. God is not willing that any should perish. If you go to a lost eternity, you'll be going there against the will of God, because he's made everything. Everything has been provided.
To cleanse you from your sins, to bring you into an inheritance.
To bring you into that eternal life with Him.
And He wants you to know the truth. He's not hiding anything from us. Isn't that wonderful that we have the word of God, the truth of God? And He wants you to come tonight. Come as you are, Come with no excuses. Come to the Lord Jesus with no pretense.
Just come as you are. Let's sing at him in closing.
#12.
Just as I am without one plea, but that the blood was shed for me, and that thou bids me come to the old Lamb of God. I come, I come #12.
Your Life Giving a Good Odor or Giving a Stench
YP Sing Address—S. Rule
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.
I have a very serious and simple subject on my heart.
Umm, it's like you to think about the kind of perfume you're wearing. And I think it's pretty important. And I'd like you to see what I mean by turning to 2nd Corinthians chapter 2, just a couple verses.
So you only have the gym for short time or limited time anyway.
So I was told to be limited just like you to think about it.
I'll read a few verses from the end of 2nd Corinthians 2.
This is the Apostle Paul speaking in verse 14.
Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ.
And make it manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, and them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things, who are not as many which corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.
I guess the people that the apostle Paul was writing to would have understood what he was talking about.
Because although it's pretty rare, they are every decade or so, they had a triumph of a Roman general. And he would start at a certain gate of the city and there were a bunch of, umm, senators that went in front of him. And then came a bunch of captives that were carrying incense. And there are people lining the parade route. And they then the general would come dressed like a king in a chariot led by a bunch of horses and behind them his entire army. And it was a triumph to honor the king for a victory over the enemies of Rome.
They could never get a triumph if they'd won in a civil war, but if they'd won a significant victory over the enemies of Rome, then they got this triumphal parade when everybody turned out to honor the general. And when they turned out to honor the general, they brought those captives in front of the general's chariot and carrying the spoils from the war. And at the end of the triumphal parade, with the incense and the odors and all the glory for the king, some of those prisoners.
Died and some of those prisoners were given their liberty. They were released, they could go back to where they come from. They were completely free. And that's what he's talking about in these verses. The Lord Jesus Christ has already won the victory at the cross 2000 years ago over Satan, over sin, over death. And the last 2000 years have been a triumph parade of the victory of Christ. It might not look that way in your life and mine. It might not look that way in the profession of the Christian Church.
But the last 2000 years have been as far as God is concerned.
A triumph of Christ, He's already won it and there's a celebration of it. And at that triumph. And so the verse says, he always causes us to triumph in Christ. And Mr. Darby's translation, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ, because he's leading us in that triumph parade. And everybody could let that order of incense go up to God, go up at the triumph parade, and we let it go up to God. For some people, the result of hearing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is to reject them. They're dead and they reject the message, and the end for them of the triumph of Christ is a just, righteous, eternal death. It's a Savior of death unto death. The smell, the odor, the incense of the victory of Christ.
To others, they were to receive liberty, and that order of the incense of the triumph was going to end in eternal life for them. And I trust, I hope that everybody here.
No, the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and for us, that odor, that smell that goes up to God is a delight to us. It reminds us of the triumph of Christ.
There's a practical side to it and it's in verse 17 the apostle Paul says for we are not as many which corrupt the word of God. He didn't take money for his service because explained a little bit better another place, Mr. Darby says in that translation.
For we do not, as the many, make a trade of the word of God. He didn't corrupt the beauty of the perfection of Christ by making money. A motive for what he did. And just taking that thought, I want to share two things with you. 2 examples.
My little boy has a blanket that he loves. He loves it so much he doesn't like it to get washed and it smells like him. It smells every once in a while it has to be washed but there's a stench to it.
00:05:14
And, uh, he's about the only one that can have it anywhere near his nose. And in fact, but he's so used to it, he accepts it. And you know, sometimes we kind of like the odor of what we are by nature. And we're about the only one that can stand it, but we're pretty satisfied with it. But I want you to, in that connection, think of this. The thought may come out a little tangled, but I hope you catch it. I'll read the verse real quick. The Numbers 11.
And I'll just read it for you in verse five, the children of Israel left Egypt. They're wishing they were back in Egypt. They were sick and tired of the manna, which speaks of Christ. And they were wishing for the leaks and the onions and the garlic. Ever been around somebody that ate garlic the night before, that morning or recently sitting next to him at school, next to them at work? And they had a lot of it. They slathered it on whatever they ate. And you're sitting next to them the next day.
Do you see any garlic? No, but you sure smell it. And these people?
Had eaten that garlic and they wanted more. And I just want to apply it in this way. If we take in to our bodies, we take into our self something that belongs to this world, it's going to come out of us and it's gonna stink. It's not going to look like what we took in when you sat next to that person that smelled like garlic. You didn't see chunks, cloves of garlic popping out on there like beads of sweat and cloves of garlic popping out. And we might think that because what we took into the filth of this world.
Doesn't come out of us looking the same way that we don't smell like the world, but it's impossible to take in what this world offers and smell like Christ. It's going to come out of this and it's going to stink to the nostrils of God, even though it doesn't look to us like what we took in. We don't do the things that we saw or listened to or heard or read, but that stench goes up to God. But there's a positive side.
Turn 2 if you have your Bible to Esther chapter 2, here's the other odor to the odor of Christ. This beautiful chapter in Exodus 30, umm, it's well worth your time to read it if you're thinking about perfume, thinking about an odor. Uh, but that's too long a chapter, so we'll read one verse for our purposes tonight, Esther chapter 2.
And I'd just like to apply the verse.
So I think it's beautiful.
Umm, talking about Esther, if I can find it here quickly. Yes, in verse 12, she's preparing herself to go to see the king. And verse 12 Says now when every maid's turn was come to go into king of Hazueras. After that she had been 12 months, according to the man or the women, for so were the days of their purifications accomplished to it. Six months with oil and myrrh and six months with sweet odors, with other things for the purifying of the women.
They prepared themselves the entire year. The entire year.
They were bathing themselves with myrrh and the sweet odors. They're sweet spices. What they took in, what they surrounded themselves with for an entire year was something that smelled beautiful. Myrrh has to be crushed for there to be a beautiful smell to come out of it. The Lord Jesus may give you in a circumstance in your life where it's pretty difficult, but when somebody insults you or misunderstands you or mistreats you and out of you comes something.
That looks like Christ when he was mistreated. There is a sweet odor of triumph of Christ that goes up to God.
If you are rejected by friends because of the Lord Jesus, there's a sweet odor that goes up to God when there's something that comes from you of the kindness and love of the Lord Jesus Christ, because you've been surrounded with it all year long, because that's what you've taken in, because that's what you've bathed in the Lord Jesus, that's the odor you'll give off. And so just to go back and complete the thought, in Second Corinthians chapter 2, we are part of that triumph of Christ.
Are we mixing something with the beauty of the Lord so that the odor that goes up is a mixture?
Are we rank like garlic because that's what we're taking in? Are we surrounded with bathed in Christ and that's the odor, the delight that God wants from us and from our lives? Let's just thank Him.
00:10:05
Dear Lord Jesus, we do ask.
B. Bilisoly
Children—B. Bilisoly
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.
What number would you like to sync #4 All right, what are we saying the 1St and the last person #4 in our Kim sheet?
#31.
And let's see here.
Let's sing again the 1St and the last of this one.
Before we start the second verse, if there's any more children that would like to come up front, feel free to do so even while we're singing. There's some seats here on this side, and there's a few more on this side, so you might be able to see a little bit better if you come up closer. All right, verse three of #31.
Hey, maybe we'll sing a few more in just a minute, but I have a question for you boys and girls. I'm going to talk this morning about riches and treasures. OK, that sound interesting, Riches and treasures. And I'd like to know, maybe you can help us. How much money does it take to be rich?
00:05:15
Who has an idea how much money do you have to have to be rich? Lots. Lots. OK, good answer. All right. Any other thoughts?
How many of you boys and girls this morning here are rich? How many think that they're rich?
OK, all right, well, we're going to talk about riches, so let's sing another song first. Who has another one?
Or anybody.
40 Thank you.
This makes me sound louder, but it doesn't help you hear.
#40.
OK, that's such a nice one, but let's sing the 1St.
And the last verse of #40.
Jeez.
My beginning is from.
Death in the past me.
Yeah, it is a monthly.
Yeah, it is like one day.
More help me so.
355 may be well stayed close to besides me all the way.
OK, I wondered, boys and girls, if I could pick one. And it's not in this little sheet, but I think we know what we're just going to sing. The first verse and the chorus. It's a story, but I think we know the story well enough. Let's sing that song about the certain rich man. OK All right. Shall we sing that?
OK, maybe someone could start that. Just the first verse in the chorus.
10.
Minutes.
Oh yes, Oh yes, there's something more. Something more than gold. To know your sins are all forgiveness. Something more than no.
OK, let's just look to the Lord for His help before we go any further. All right, I don't know if any of you boys or girls would like to share a verse with us that you have learned, but I'll give you a chance to do that if you'd like to. Would you like to? OK, if you have one, I'll just come along and you can share it with us. Just take a minute or two to do that.
You would like to hold that? Go ahead. Before they call, I shall answer while they're speaking. I will hear.
Isaiah 6524. Thank you. Good. Have anybody else? You girls?
Down this way.
Before they call, I will answer and while they are yet speaking, wait.
Yeah, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear Isaiah 6524. Thank you. How about you, Ellie? OK, anybody else? I can walk over to you if you'd like.
Just raise your hand high so we can see where you are.
All right.
OK, well, you know, like I said, we're going to talk about riches and, you know, there's something that interests us about that, isn't it? It's, it's, it's interesting, isn't it, how people like to talk about those that are rich? And I suppose that's our natural heart. We're very interested in people that have done well. And you know, there's a verse for that. I'm looking at it right now. It's in the book of Psalms, and it's in Psalm 49.
00:10:16
And I'm just going to read part of verse 18. It says the last half of that verse. Men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself.
You know, umm, there's a, a man that was very, very rich in this world. He's in the Bible and he gives us some good counsel and he said in one of his statements, he said that.
Many seek the favor of the Prince, and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
You ever notice that, you know somebody that's generous, that gives a lot of gifts? He's got a lot of friends usually. So, umm, if any of you boys and girls are rich this morning, you probably have lots of friends because it says he's the same man. Also said, he said the poor is hated even of his own neighbor. But the rich hath many friends that interesting. The rich have many friends and you know, I suppose.
It would be quite a test for each of us here if we heard that just outside of Pella, here in the town of Pella, there was going to be a man that had lots of money and he was going to come and he was going to offer $1000 check to anyone that would just come and ask for it. Now, do you think that there would be just maybe a couple of people that might be interested in Pella that would go and line up to get that check or do you think there'd be a lot of people?
What do you think? Will there be a lot or just a few?
A lot. I think there'd be quite a line if, if, uh, all you had to do is go and get this check for $1000, I think there'd be quite a lot of of, of people there lined up to get that money.
Umm, the rich have many friends, you know, umm, boys and girls.
You have If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have something greater.
Than that, you know, there was a man in Colorado history, uh, he lived many years ago and he, uh, he and his wife moved to Colorado and they started a little store and they supplied people with groceries and so on. But some men came along to him one day and they said, would you help us? That they were looking for silver in the, the mountains of Colorado or gold. And he, they said, would you help us? Would you help us?
In our project, and if we find what we're looking for, we'll give you a third of whatever we find. And so he said, OK, he had some money, a little bit of money that he had saved up. He and his wife worked hard what they were doing. So he saved up this money. I mean, he gave him this money that he had saved up, quite a bit of money to go out and stake this claim and start working the soil and looking for the silver. Well, after a while, they found a lot of silver.
And this man's name was Tabor. Mr. Tabor made a lot of money from that third. He got 1/3 of what they found and he made a lot of money. And pretty soon he bought a a mine of his own and it was called the Matchless mine. It's kind of a famous story in Colorado. And he worked that mine. And this was way back in the 1800s, the mid 18 to latter 1800s. And that mine was doing so well that even back at that time he was making.
Something like $2000 a day.
And selling silver from his silver mine called the matchless mine. Well, he made a lot of money on that mine. And, you know, he, his life, he began to live lavishly and, and pretty soon he, he and his wife were divorced and he married another woman and lots and lots of trouble and they lived lavishly and so on. But something happened. Something happened to all this.
Wealth that he had accumulated.
There was a crash in the price of silver towards the end of the 1800s and the price of silver went way down and this Mr. Tabor lost lots of money. In fact, pretty soon he lost so much money.
00:15:05
That he went to work for another mine hauling ore pushing oar in an ore cart for like $3 a week.
He had all this money and it was gone. And his poor wife. Then he died. He was older than her.
He died and she thought she would try and get the mine working again.
And she worked and worked and toiled to make that mine produce again, and it never produced. And she lived in a little shack near the mine, and they found her one day. She had frozen to death, penniless.
They had a couple of children and Mr. Tabor left zero to his family. He didn't have anything to to leave to them. Oh, the uncertainty of riches. Well, I've got some things here on the table.
We're gonna call these vessels.
You know, these, these remind me of you and me. Did you know that you and I are like a vessel? Yeah, we're going to look at a few scriptures about that. But we are like vessels. And, you know, before we come to the Lord Jesus, boys and girls, we're just an empty vessel.
We don't have anything to offer to the Lord, do we? All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, all our good works. Anything that we could offer to God, it's of no value to Him.
Is it? No, he doesn't want that.
So maybe this little one here could represent you children smaller.
But we're all empty, we're all the same, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
And so we're just like these empty vessels, boys and girls.
But.
One little simple faith, step of faith, one little confession that thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved that wonderful. And once we're saved, God fills us.
With treasures, isn't that wonderful? If you have a Bible, turn with me to 2nd Corinthians. And our brother read from this chapter last night. But we're going to read a few verses in Second Corinthians chapter 4.
And the Apostle Paul is the one that is writing here.
And he says in verse 5, For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake.
We don't preach about ourselves, He's saying. We preach about the Lord Jesus. You know, the vessel is supposed to be hidden, kind of like a man named Luke in the Bible. You know, Luke wrote a couple of books for us, but he doesn't mention his name hardly ever. He, he stays hidden. Umm, John the Baptist was another vessel that the Lord used and he stayed hidden, didn't he? He said I must decrease, but he must increase speaking about the Lord Jesus.
And so the vessel stays hidden. That's what Paul is saying. And then he refers to something that happened in the beginning of our Bibles. We read about it.
He says, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts.
Remember that it tells us that God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void. A darkness was over the face of the earth. And then it tells us that God commanded the light to shine out of darkness. That's the first thing we read about in the details that He gives us of creation. It tells us that He commanded the light, maybe not so much creating light there, but commanding it to shine out of darkness. Darkness had come in, and God wants that light to shine because that's His nature.
And so he commands the light to shine out of darkness. He shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now here's the verse I wanted to get to. Now listen, says we have this treasure in earthen vessels. You know, isn't that amazing? Boys and girls, We have this treasure in earthen vessels. It says, Paul says, what does that mean? Well, let me explain it this way.
Men go to a lot of trouble to protect their money, don't they? They go to lots of trouble and they try and lock it up and keep it safe.
And they like to put it in a stronghold where nobody can get in. Or they hope that nobody can get in and steal from them because they, they feel secure. That gives them a secure feeling to have all this money. But they're afraid that others want it. And there are others that want it. There's lots of other people that want it. Umm.
00:20:15
It we we read that, didn't we? In in in this, umm, Psalm about others.
Men will praise thee if thou doest dwell to thyself, and especially if they think there's something in it for them.
And so there's a lot of those that are are envious and greedy towards those that are rich.
And you know, the world loves to talk about rich people.
It impresses them, it intrigues them. It's something that they perhaps because they're grasping for it and they want it.
And yet they can't have it. They can't get it.
But Paul is talking about something else, treasure and earthen vessels. And that's what I want to talk about this morning. I don't want to talk about money in the bank. I don't want to talk about savings and that kind of thing. I want to talk about what God is doing and, and wants to do in your life. I hope you're the Lord's this morning. I hope you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Because if you do, you're a vessel and God wants to use you and he wants to fill you with his treasures. And that's what we're going to do this morning. We're going to illustrate that I brought some things that we're going to call treasures.
And we're going to fill these little vessels with treasures. All right, So let's do that. But as we're doing that, I would like to hear from you what you think some of these treasures are that we have. You know, I asked any of you if you were rich, and nobody raised their hands. But I want to tell you something, girls and boys, this morning. If you know the Lord Jesus, you are rich.
You are rich beyond words.
You're filled with riches, but we don't realize that sometimes and and the Lord wants us to be aware of that.
We have so much, you know, I understand now that the richest man in the world.
Is a man that lives in Mexico.
I think he's from Mexico City.
He's 70 years old.
And according to the reports, he's worth about 53 1/2 billion dollars.
Now, I don't know, maybe that doesn't mean anything to you. I don't really know what that means either. It's just a big long number.
But his name is Mr. Slim. Maybe you've heard about Mr. Slim. Kind of interesting, Slim.
Let me ask you this. He's 70 years old, so he's getting up there in age.
If we're left here 20 years, he'd be 90. Good chance he won't be here. He might. There's a few that make it to that age and beyond. But let me ask you this. How much money is Mr. Slim going to take with him when he leaves this world?
How much of that 53 1/2 billion? Nothing. Nothing, nothing.
Wow, that's solemn, isn't it? It's not going to take anything with him.
53 1/2 billion and not taking any with him like that man that died, that was wealthy and he wanted he, I don't know if he was a believer. He wanted two holes drilled in the side of his casket and he said, I want you to stretch my hands out, my arms out with my palms up to show everyone that looks at me that I don't have, I'm not taking anything with me. I thought that was interesting that that man would do that.
Maybe he was a believer. Well, boys and girls, we have been given.
Unfathomable riches.
That means you can't Plumb the depths of them.
They're so deep, there's so many. So tell me, what are some of these riches?
We're gonna.
To start filling these.
What are some of the riches that we have in Christ if we know Him as our Savior? Help us out here. Can you help us?
Just anything that comes to mind that you've heard from the Bible that we have as a treasure.
Kind of hard to be put on the spot. OK, help us out here. Grace. Grace. That's a wonderful riches, a richness, isn't it? What else? To be saved? To be saved. Wonderful, isn't it? All these things we have new life. Umm, we have what else? We've been born again. We have the Spirit of God dwelling within us. All of these riches that God puts into these vessels.
00:25:20
You know, like we said then they put them into safes and they put them into strongholds so that nobody can grab them and steal them from them. But what does God do? He takes the most precious things that he has and his riches, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and he puts them in vessels. We'll call these urban vessels. We have this treasure in earthen vessels.
Why does he do that? Why wouldn't he entrust these things to his angels, or those that would be more, umm, careful with them?
Why does he put them in earthen vessels?
Well, let's keep reading that the Excellency or the surpassingness of the power may be of God and not of us. You know, children, boys and girls, I believe that God puts these treasures in earthen vessels because.
He is so gracious because of His love and graciousness towards us. He gives us the privilege of being.
The carriers of these treasures. Can you imagine the God of the universe, the God of heaven and earth, the God of glory? He gives us all these treasures. He puts them in these poor vessels that are made out of clay, and he lets us carry them.
He wants us to carry them and He wants us to share them with this poor world. Do you ever think about that, That we're on this world, we're in this earth to carry these treasures for God and to share them with this world?
Are we doing it?
Are we sharing these treasures?
What a wonderful privilege this is.
To be these vessels now, these empty vessels that were once empty, Look at that. They're filling up with these treasures. Now, let me ask you this, boys and girls, as we begin to share these treasures that God has given to us with others and for his own glory, you know, and we offer praise. We're going to have the privilege here in a little while of offering praise to the Lord Jesus.
Think of what that means to God, Those treasures, umm, offering, being offered up to him. What a wonderful privilege that is.
But how do you think he feels when we don't share these things? Maybe we're like some in this world that have riches. Maybe we say no, you can't have any. I don't want to share them with you.
We just keep them to ourselves. We hoard them. You know, there was a man in Colorado that lived up in the mountains. And I remember as a boy, and I don't remember all the details of the story, but you could see his place from the highway and it was just a shack. And he was what we call a hermit or a miser. He just lived alone. You never saw him. But what you did see was there was a hill right outside of his.
Little shack and it was littered with cans because he apparently ate a lot out of cans. And as he finished eating, finished up the can, he would just toss it onto the pile and it would slide down. Pretty soon they would rust. Some of them were newer. You could see the newer ones. The sun would glit glitter off of them. But here was this man. He had all these cans of food that he had eaten. And I understand I haven't been able to verify this, but I understand that when he died.
They found money hoarded up in his shack. He had lots of money that he could have lived on, but no, he just lived. One can at a time. That's how he existed. Are we like that? We've been given all these precious things? Do we ever share something with our parents, with one another? God wants us to share these riches that he's given, these unsearchable riches. All the other riches of this world are going to pass away.
There's so many verses we could turn to, but I, I don't think we better take the time to turn. I, I will just turn to a maybe one passage here. Umm.
00:30:09
We're told in in First Timothy chapter 6.
Paul says to Timothy in verse 17, charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches.
But in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
And there are so many other verses, Umm, this same man that was so rich in the Bible, King Solomon, he said labor not to be rich. I'm going to read that because it's such a good verse in Proverbs, uh, chapter 23.
And.
Verse four. Labor not to be rich, or weary not thyself to become rich.
Ceased from thine own wisdom wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not. For riches certainly make themselves wings.
They fly away. That's what Mr. Tabor found. His riches made themselves wings and they flew away. Kind of sounds funny to us, but pretty soon all his money was gone and he had nothing left. Well, boys and girls, I want to get to the other part of this back in our chapter in Second Corinthians, chapter 4.
You know the Lord wants so bad for us to share these riches.
And sometimes he has to, as it were, encourage us in that.
And so he allows things to come into our lives and he allows us to, umm, to go through trials and difficulties so that these riches might be shared with others. Isn't he faithful? He's so loving. He does it in such a loving way. I'm going to illustrate that here.
He the Lord in his grace and the mercy.
And.
He breaks this vessel.
And what happens? The riches start flowing out.
Isn't he gracious, boys and girls? And now you know what we would say? We would say this. This vessel is ruined. No.
No, it's not ruined at all. This vessel is very useful to God. It's even more useful to him now because the riches can spill out and flow out to others. And so Paul talks all about that. We're not going to take the time to develop this, but if you were to read from verse.
Five on down through here Paul talks of of in In 2nd Corinthians 4 Paul talks about all these. I'm sorry I was in the wrong chapter if you start reading from verse 8.
On down through the chapter, he says we're troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We're perplexed, but not in despair. Despair persecuted, but not forsaken. See, the Lord takes this vessel and he makes it more useful. He breaks it. He allows these trials in our lives to make us more, uh, to increase the flow of these treasures coming out from us for his glory. Isn't that wonderful? Now man would say this is worthless. This vessel is done for. I'm going to throw it away.
That God, that's where God begins. He takes up with what man says is of no use, of no value, and God uses that vessel for his glory. And boys and girls, he wants to use you for him. You know, he tells, talks to Timothy about a great house and vessels of gold and silver and of wood and earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor. And then he says if a man or it could be a boy or a girl will therefore purge himself from these.
He will be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Do you want to be a vessel for the Lord's honor? You want to be useful to Him? Well, you know you, we get sick, don't we? And that we could look at that in two ways. And I know you're young and these things are a little hard to understand, but I just want to leave this with you, that you can look at that sickness and say, well, it happens to everyone. So it it just happens to me. And there is some truth in that too.
But there's another way we can look at these trials, boys and girls. We can say the Lord has allowed me to get sick because he wants me to be a brighter testimony for him. And Paul mentions this here about the vessel being, umm, broken, going through these trials. It's like the breaking of the vessel. But it also reminds us of a very, uh, neat story in the Old Testament where this happened, uh, a man named Gideon, He had 300 men.
00:35:02
He started out with uh, I think 32,000 and then he, he got reduced by uh, to 10,000. And the Lord said the Midianites and the Amalekites come in around them, the children of Israel, and they were like grasshoppers in the valley. And the Lord says, no, that's still too many. I, I'm going to deliver my people with just three hundred men. And so Gideon gave, he broke them into three companies of 100 and he gave them each a picture like a vessel, and he put a light in it.
And they had a trumpet to blow and they were to blow with the trumpet, they were to break their vessels and the light would shine out. And they did it at night. And the Amalekites and the, the Midianites, they saw this and they heard the noise and they were so scared they fled. And they didn't even have to fight them because they just turned and ran. Wonderful stories in the, the Old Testament. We don't have time to develop those.
But God wants us to share what we have and you know, boys and girls, you might say, well, I don't have a lot of knowledge about Bible things that doesn't matter. That's not what God is is requiring for us to be a vessel sanctified and meet for the masters use. No, he wants us to just be obedient. We had we talked about obedience. He just wants us to obey and he wants us to enjoy.
Himself, the Lord Jesus wants us to enjoy Himself and as we enjoy Him.
We're gonna share with others. It's gonna be natural. And you know, the more we give, the more of a giving spirit we are, the more we're gonna have to give. Do you think this, uh, God ever runs out of riches?
Does does God's storehouse, does his bank ever run out of of riches and treasures? No, no, the more we give out, the supply is exhaustless. So God just puts in more. We're never, never going to run out. Well, I hope you boys and girls will be encouraged.
In your lives to get started now, you don't have to wait to grow up and become, as we say, a laboring brother, umm, or a laboring sister. You can start right now. And I want to encourage you to start right now. So I thought I would try and help you in that. This is what we're going to do.
I've got some little.
Baggies here.
And I'm going to have you come up as we're doing something else. I want you to take one of these.
And let's see, there's not very many of you, so why don't you take, let's see, 123456789?
I'll, I'll, I'll say 5. Why don't you take five of these treasures, put them in a baggie, and then sit back down and I'll, I'll tell you what I want you to do. And you know, I've got a lot of them here. So while you're doing that, I want to share with the others. Anyone else here?
So I thought I would just.
Try and find some excuse to give some of these treasures away. I just came up with a few questions here and I'm going to ask the daddies and mommies and the uncles and aunts. Umm, I'm going to ask some questions while you kids are coming up and getting a baggie and taking five of these treasures. And then we'll see if we can give some more out a few more out here. So I have a go ahead. Let's see. Let's start with you. Why don't you just kids line up and grab a baggie and take five of these coins and put them in there.
And, uh, then I'll tell you what we're going to do here. Umm, for the the rest of us.
Uh, where would I find this statement? Here in the Word of God? We'll just stick with books. So, umm, if anyone would like to volunteer an answer, just do so. Just speak up so I can hear you. Umm, Thus saith the Lord. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, but let and let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorious.
Glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me. What book in the Bible would I find that?
Who said that?
Oh, OK. Thank you, John.
C Oh, you don't need a biggie, do you, John?
No, no, you, you what I, what I speak, say to them applies to. Well, he's already doing what I was going to ask. OK, All right. Umm.
00:40:09
Where would I find this? I rejoiced at thy word as one that findeth great spoil. I thought that was an interesting verse. My, my son Andy brought this to our attention recently and I, I honestly can have to say I, I can't remember that verse. I rejoice. I rejoice that thy word is one that findeth great spoil.
OK.
Who said it?
Tim, OK.
Umm yes, which which one? I I won't hold it to that, but.
Oh, OK.
Uh, it's 119th Psalm 100 and verse 162. And umm, I know there's a young man here that's memorized that Psalm. I won't point him out, but I thought, I thought he might jump up, but I, I understand why he didn't. Umm, OK, this, this is which of Paul's epistles uses the words riches and rich most often in the things of the Lord. It's interesting. This was interesting to me and it's a really a nice study.
Which?
Which one of his epistles uses riches and rich? The words riches and rich the most in connection with the things of the Lord Paul's epistles.
Yes. Is that you, Robert? OK.
Good. We're getting some of this treasure dispersed a couple more here and then we're going to be out of time. Uh, who was it that esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt?
OK. Did you did you say Moses?
I'm sorry, I I I heard it in several, several places.
OK, point me out to where these go.
I think I heard it over here too.
Umm. And then umm.
Who tells us that God hath chosen?
The poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him.
This one's a little, maybe a little harder. God hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him.
A little more obscure maybe?
Good, good tray. It's in James. James 25. OK, umm, just two more because I know our time is gone, but these are so nice. Umm, my God. She'll supply all your need according to his riches and glory.
Yes.
Now, uh, don't need any of these yet, boys and girls, one more oh the rich of the oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out.
Good.
Was that you, Don?
Or OK.
Let you hand them down the aisle. Thank you. Now, umm, we're going to pray and then I'll tell you boys and girls what I'd like you to do. So let's just ask the Lord for his help.
His blessing on our time. OK, I told you boys and girls, umm, that I was going to ask you to do something. You've got five of those. And in the rest of the time here at the conference, I was wondering if you'd be willing to take two of those. You still have three. Take two of those and share them with someone else. All right. And what I don't do, you don't have to feel obligated to do this, but it would be nice if.
Not only you just handed it to him, but just said, you know, I've been thinking about you or I just wanted to share this with you and encourage you. Maybe you have a verse you want to share with them. I'll leave that up to you, but just take two of your coins and share them with others. Now in our break time here, any of you children that would like to have been up here in the front, but maybe you were just a little bit afraid or whatever, feel free to come up and I'll give you some coins too, OK?
00:45:02
I have some more coins and I have some more bags. So all right, you're all excused.
Individuals at the Feet of the Lord Jesus
YP Address—J. Hyland
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216 Lord, we rejoice that thou art gone to sit upon thy father's throne, Thy path of shame and suffering or thy heart shall grieve and mourn no more. With joy our wandering hearts retrace thy ways. On earth of power and grace we sit as learners at thy feet, thy words and honey far more sweet.
I'm going to suggest that we stand up to sing this hymn 216 and if someone will, please start it.
First of all, please to apportion in Luke's Gospel Chapter 7.
00:05:13
Luke's Gospel, Chapter 7.
And verse 36.
And one of the Pharisees desired him, that he would eat with him, and he went into the Pharisees house and sat down to meet.
And behold, a woman in the city which was a Sinner when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisees house.
Brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet.
And anointed them with ointment. I have it on my heart this afternoon in seeking to encourage us in the path of faith and service.
To look at some scriptures in the New Testament that bring before us some individuals.
Who were at the feet of the Lord Jesus, Because if we get nothing else out of this little talk that we have this afternoon.
I want to encourage not only those who are younger this meeting is particularly for you, but each of our hearts to be at the feet of Jesus, and we're going to look at the blessing that each of these individuals received.
And there's a different character to each of these stories, something that I trust we will learn in a practical way.
Because there's no better place for us than in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's where we're going to receive a blessing. That's where our souls are going to be filled and satisfied.
And I began with this particular portion because here we find the Lord Jesus.
In his pathway invited into this home, a home that it tells us was the home of a Pharisee. And even though the Lord Jesus was invited into this home and provided a meal, yet the Lord Jesus knew the heart of this proud Pharisee. You know, this proud Pharisee. He really didn't understand that he had a need. Perhaps he really didn't understand who this divine guest was.
Oh, he saw the Lord Jesus, no doubt as a Goodman, perhaps even as a great teacher.
As many did in the pathway of the Lord Jesus. But he was far, far more than that.
He was the one who had come down from heaven. He was God manifest in the flesh. He was the Son of God. He was the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who was on his way to Calvary Cross to accomplish that mighty work of redemption.
And though this man didn't realize his true condition in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
Thank God there was one who heard that he was in this home and she comes.
And she stands at his feet, and she weeps. There was one who realized her true condition.
As a Sinner, and she comes to the feet of the Lord Jesus in repentance.
And that's why young people, I began with this portion because as I looked into the faces of an audience like this.
I sometimes am troubled to think that there may be someone who perhaps feels more like the Pharisee.
Than the woman who wept at his feet. You might feel well, you know, the Gospels presented, but I'm not as bad as all that.
I've been a good, moral, upright young person. I've tried to obey my parents. I've always come to the meetings. I've tried to toe the line. I'm not. I'm down and out Sinner like they allude to when the gospel is presented. But all I want to tell you, if you've never come to this point, like this woman who wept at his feet and kissed his feet and wiped her, his feet with the hairs of her head, then you're outside the circle of blessing.
You're still not saved. You're lost and on your way to hell. And the other individuals that we're going to look at who were at the feet of Jesus and the blessing they received, these individuals really will have no application to you unless you have first come to the feet of the Lord Jesus in this way. And so I want to encourage you. I want to exhort you. Oh, realize first of all that like this woman, you have a great need.
Because the Lord said of this woman who much is forgiven, the same loveth much. Do you realize what a great Sinner you are? If you do, then realize that you have a great savior. That's what this woman found out and she received. If we were to read this passage, we find that she received the forgiveness of sins. We never read of the Pharisee receiving the forgiveness of sins. No his heart.
00:10:25
Was was proud. He thought he was pretty good, and he didn't receive the blessing that the Lord had. But this Sinner woman, this woman who came to his feet as such, what a blessing she received. And so this is the first thing. But now I'd like to go on and I would like to address particularly those of us who know the Lord Jesus as their Savior. I thrilled to look into the faces.
Of an audience like this, where I see young people who I know are saved. You know the Lord Jesus. You love the Lord Jesus. And I know deep down in your heart you really have a desire to please the Lord. That thrills my heart as I look at those coming on behind me. I'm glad for young men and young women who really want to please the Lord Jesus. But I know too there's a lot of trials. There's a lot of difficulties in the past of faith. I know the enemy is busy to seek to discourage you, to seek to weary you in the past, to trip you up, to confuse you.
But all I want to encourage you, if you're going to go on for the Lord's glory, it must be to come time and time again.
To the feet of the Lord Jesus. Well, with this in mind, I'd like to just go over a page in our Bibles first of all.
To the 8th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.
Chapter 8 and verse 41.
And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue, and he fell down at Jesus feet and besought him.
That he would come into his house, for he had one only daughter, about 12 years of age.
And she lay a dying, but as he went, the people thronged him.
And then drop down to verse 49. Well, he yet spake. There cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, thy daughter is dead, trouble not the master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not, believe only, and she shall be made whole. And when he came into the fairest, into the house, he suffered no man to man in, say, Peter and James and John.
And the father and the mother of the maiden, and all wept and bewailed her, but he said weep not, she is not dead, but sleepeth.
And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, made arise.
And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway. And he commanded to give her meat.
And her parents were astonished. But he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
And then just hold your finger here. I want to read a little incident in Mark's Gospel, Chapter 7.
Mark's Gospel Chapter 7.
And verse 24. And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon.
And entered into a house, and would have no man know it, but he could not be hid.
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by nation, and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil.
Out of her daughter. Well, these might seem strange scriptures to read, but for a few moments I would like to address.
Young parents here, or some of us who are not so young who have young people, perhaps we have young people sitting in this room. Perhaps we have young people that we wish were sitting in this room are going on for the Lord. But I read these two portions as an encouragement both to fathers and to mothers, because in the first incident we have a father and he came to the Lord Jesus on behalf of his 12 year old daughter.
And then we have a mother who had no claim nationally as to any blessing.
But she came to the Lord Jesus and she came on behalf of her daughter as well.
00:15:03
And we find in both cases that when these parents came, the Lord came in in blessing.
Maybe there's a parent here and you're beseeching the Lord on behalf of a child or a young person.
That you don't feel is saved. Or maybe you're beseeching the Lord on behalf of a child or young person that you'd just like to see some fruit in their lives. Maybe you feel pretty confident that they have made a clear confession of faith, but you just don't see that fruit. Or maybe at one time you did see some fruit and the enemy has got the upper hand and they become discouraged or perhaps LED into a path that you feel if they continue on that path.
It's going to be a serious detriment to them. But we find here that both this father and this mother, they knew where to turn in their extremity on behalf of their children. And I just want to encourage you don't give up. Are you praying for that child? Are you praying for that young person, that daughter, that son? Don't give up because it's God's will that if they're not saved that they would be saved. It's his will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. It's his will too, that if they've got away, they might be restored.
Because it's his desire that they would live for his glory and that there would be fruit and testimony.
In their lives. I know, especially from my own experience, dear parents, that it's not easy. And I know sometimes we wish the Lord would come in in a little different timetable than perhaps he is operating in. But you know, I've been encouraged in going through the word of God to find that the word of God abounds with stories of mothers and fathers who prayed for their young people.
And they didn't always see results right away. Maybe they didn't even see results in their time or this side of glory. But the Lord came in eventually. And mother, Father, we don't know the end of the story. I know sometimes that small consolation, but I'll repeat something that has been a great encouragement to me. You know, Moses mother only had him for a short time, and then she had to send him off to be trained as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
And do you realize that Moses never came out for the Lord or took a stand with the people of God till he was 40 years of age? That was a long time, wasn't it, for her to see the fruit of her labor? Did she see it this side of glory? You know, we don't even know if she was still living when Moses came out for the Lord and with the people of God. Maybe she'll have to wait till the future day. And even if she was living, that was a long time to see fruit. But you know, I say not only do we have Moses, but story after story.
You know Timothy, his mother and his grandmother labored much to bring Timothy up in the fear of God.
And the day came when there was fruit for their labor. Oh, I say. Don't be discouraged. I speak to my own heart as much as yours.
But we must trust God for our children and our young people, and we must come again and again.
To the feet of the Lord Jesus, you know neither one of these individuals perhaps saw results as quick as they would have liked.
The man who came, Oh, he would have wished that the Lord would come before his daughter had died.
But you know the Lord, if I can put it carefully, knowing there was a perfect timetable in God's plan, He took his time, He acted according to that timetable that he knew was perfect. So with the mother in Mark's Gospel where we read, but in the end, the end result was that there was life and there was fruit. I'd like to just make this one other comment too, in connection with Jairus daughter, you know, when the parents received her alive at the hand of the Lord Jesus.
They were given a special instruction to give her something to eat. And I just want to again say to fathers and mothers, maybe you don't always see a lot of fruit right away, but give them something to eat. What do I mean by that? I'm not just talking about physical food. Yes, we need to make sure our children and young people eat good, healthy meals at the table, but they need spiritual food too. And if we are?
Exercised and have the energy to give our children and young people one spoonful at a time.
At in our homes and at our tables of spiritual food, then I believe that we will eventually.
00:20:01
In the Lord's time, we will see that growth that he so desires, and that of course we desire for our young people as well. Now let's just back up to the 8th chapter of Luke.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 8.
And verse 35.
Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed.
Sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
They also which saw it, told them by what means that was possessed of the devils.
Uh. Was was healed, and then just dropped down to verse 39. Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. And then I want to notice this same incident in Mark's Gospel chapter 5.
Just an added little comment there, OK.
Mark's Gospel chapter 5 and verse 18.
And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed of the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
Well, here we find this man. We know the story well. The Lord had cast the demons out of this man.
By dispensing them into the herd of swine that had rundown the hill and been killed in the sea.
And we find this man then sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.
You know, it's a wonderful thing when a young person comes to know the Lord Jesus as their savior.
And I've seen it in the lives of many young people how it's been a complete turn around in their lives. But we find here that as he sits at the feet of Jesus, he's given a special Commission.
First of all, in the portion we read in Luke, he's told to return to his own house.
And I want you to notice this show how great things God hath done unto thee. First of all, he's to return to his own house. And I believe, young people, that this is a special word to us after we get saved, to show that we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior in our own families, in our own home. I know it's difficult. I know you think Mom and Dad don't always understand.
I know that you think brothers and sisters sometimes aren't always on the same page, and it's really the hardest place to live for Christ. But I want to suggest this in the measure in which you spend time in the presence of the Lord Jesus sitting at his feet. And we're going to go on and look at another incident that gives us some insight as to what it really means to sit at Jesus feet. But if you take time to sit at Jesus feet in his presence.
Learning from him, enjoying his company, then I believe you will have the spiritual courage that's needed.
To live like a Christian in your own home. You know, sometimes young people, as they get into their teens and a little older, they can't wait for the minute when they could leave, can leave home. And we know from the incident in the comment in Mark's Gospel of this same incident that this man wanted to go with the Lord Jesus, but it was not the mind of the Lord Jesus for him to go. He sent him back. And so the Lord Jesus, he has a place for you.
Right in the home where you were born and raised and that place is and notice this to show how great things. Because young people, it isn't always what we say that is going to give testimony that we have been in the presence or at the feet of the Lord Jesus. No, it's by our actions. And again, I know it's difficult. I grew up in a Christian home and thank God I had godly Christian parents.
Who brought us to the feet of Jesus encouraged us to sit at the feet of Jesus as individuals.
And I was the oldest of four, and to my shame, I didn't always show by my conduct.
That I was a child of God. I didn't always show how great things God had done for me, but this man was to go home having sat at the feet of Jesus. He was to go home, and he was to show to his family that there had been a real work of of grace in his soul. You know, and I know, brethren, we're not all called to the mission field. Young people were not all called to go out to the other side of the world. I realized that. But you will be. You'll never be called to the mission field.
00:25:28
You'll never be called for a wider sphere of service and testimony if you don't learn to show at home, if you don't learn to be a missionary at home. Because God starts us at home. He starts us in the little things. And it's interesting when we come to the same incident in Mark's Gospel there we find that he's to go to his friends. Do you want to be a testimony to your friends in the neighborhood, at school, at work? It remember, it started at home. He was to show at home. Then the sphere of the circle of testimony widened. And here it's not just showing.
But it's telling. But notice the order. You know, we first have to show by our lives.
What God has done for us, that we belong to the Lord Jesus, that there's been a work of grace in our souls.
And then we need to open our mouths. But I believe it is in that order because you notice that we used to sing when we were young people.
See, your life speaks so loud that the world can't hear what you say. And so he was to go home, first of all to his own house and show by his life, by his actions, that God had dealt with him, that the Lord had dealt with him, and then into his friends, that wider sphere He was to give testimony by his words. And so I want to exercise all of our hearts, but especially again, those who are younger. I know it's tough. I know it takes spiritual energy.
It takes courage and you'll never do it if you don't spend time at Jesus feet. This man could have never done what he did. He could never have gone home and shown. He could never gone back to his friends and told them if it hadn't started with sitting at Jesus feet. Because I believe our testimony to others will only be in the measure in which we spend time in the presence of the Lord Jesus. Before we pass on, I'll just raise this question to challenge my own soul, to exercise my own heart.
Perhaps as much or even more than yours. How much time this weekend have we spent at the feet of Jesus? I'm not asking you to calculate how much time we've sat in this room and had these meetings. That's wonderful. But I'm asking you to calculate in your own mind, honestly, before the Lord, how much time have you set aside to spend in His presence?
Now let's go back over the past week. How much time last week before you came to these meetings did you spend time in the presence of the Lord Jesus? Really get down at his feet? Why is it His feet that we need to get down at? Because that would speak of humility. To get down at someone's feet is humbling, and we need to humble ourselves and get into the presence of the Lord. And when we do that, we learn that we're nothing but that He's everything and that he has every resource in himself.
So that we can get up from his feet and we can go out in testimony in whatever sphere or wherever God has placed us. Now I'd like to notice 3 incidences in the gospel, 3 incidences when you have a lady, the same lady at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and I believe it's very instructive for us.
Let's go first of all to the 10th chapter of Luke.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 10.
In verse 38 now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village.
And a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving and had come to him and said Lord.
Dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her, therefore, that she helped me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.
But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away.
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From her Now hold your finger here. We're going to come back to this portion, but I want to read in John's Gospel Chapter 11.
John's Gospel, Chapter 11 and verse 19. And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him, but Mary sat still in the house and then noticed verse 32 And when Mary was come where Jesus was and saw him.
She fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. And then verse 45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. And then the third incident is in the 12Th chapter, verse one. Then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead.
Whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of Spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair.
And the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Well, I want to spend a little time on these three instances. And as we take up these three incidences, I want you to keep in mind a verse in the book of Ecclesiastes that says.
A three fold cord is not quickly broken because I'd like to weave these three scriptures.
In connection with three aspects of our Christian life, I want to take them up in connection with being at the feet of Jesus as individuals.
At the feet of Jesus as families, and at the feet of Jesus collectively.
In the assembly and we're going to find that there are three different aspects.
Of the these three times that Mary of Bethany is mentioned by name at the feet of Jesus, and they are the only times in the Gospels where she is actually mentioned by name, she may be alluded to.
In other portions, but there are three times when she's mentioned by name. Perhaps I'll just say this.
In prefacing my remarks on these scriptures And that is that in the pathway of the Lord Jesus.
There were very few homes where the Lord Jesus was really welcome, you know? On another occasion it says every man went to his own house. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. There were very few homes that he was really welcome at.
But there was one home at Bethany where he delighted on many occasions.
To turn his weary feet and sit down in the midst of those that loved him.
And the Lord Jesus no doubt had his spirit refreshed as he sat in the company of those in this little home that really valued the Lord Jesus and the person of Christ. And we find here that when he comes to this home in Luke's gospel, these two sisters, Mary and Martha, were busy, I have no doubt, preparing for the arrival of the Lord Jesus.
We find from one Scripture that the home is referred to as the home of Martha. And I have no doubt that Martha felt a special responsibility in making things comfortable and conducive for this divine guest. Because when she complained to the Lord, she said, well, there's things need to be done and I thought Mary was going to help me.
During your visit here, But the Lord had to tell Mary there was something more important.
And we find here that Mary, when the Lord Jesus enters this home, it's just as if she would say.
This is an opportunity that can't be missed. I'm going to take time now to sit down at the feet of Jesus.
And hear what the Lord Jesus has to say. Now I said that we're going to try to make it very practical as to what it is to sit at Jesus feet.
And I believe that what it is to sit at Jesus feet and hear his words.
Which is the context here is to get a loan with the Lord Jesus.
With your Bible, open it and listen to what he has to say to you.
How much time do you spend with an open Bible in some quiet place?
Maybe in your room, maybe somewhere where you can slip away and open your Bible and listen to what the Lord has to say.
You know it must have been wonderful when the Lord Jesus was here and walked amongst men.
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For people to be able to go out on the hillside or down by the sea or in a home like this, and to listen to the very words of the Lord Jesus. But we have the same privilege. We have the privilege, actually a far greater privilege in a sense of sitting down in the presence of the Lord Jesus with the word of God before us. And do we really have opened ears to hear what he has to say?
Mary had to let something go when Martha complained, she said. Mary hath left me to serve alone, you know, if you take time to sit at Jesus feet and hear his words individually.
You're always going to have to leave something. Maybe you'll have to leave someone or something that you really thought was important, but Mary found there was something more important than all the house necessary housework. And I'm not saying that we let the housework go either, but we need to take time to sit at Jesus feet and hear his word. Mary chose the good part. She chose the one thing that was needful. Maybe there's only one thing needful in your life and that's to take time to sit at Jesus feet. Maybe everything else is in order in your life. Maybe you're getting good grades at school.
Maybe you're upright and honest. Maybe you are a good testimony in the home. Maybe you are a testimony to your friends and neighbors. But if you're not sitting at Jesus feet reading his word, then you're missing the one thing that is so needful in your life. And if you are missing this, you're going to be like Martha, full of care and troubled about many things. You ever feel that way? Sometimes young people, you just say there's so many burdens and so much pressing on me, and I've got to get this project done, and I've got to go here and I've got to get this done, and I just don't know how I'm going to.
Keep up. And there's this problem and that problem. Oh, maybe you're burdened. Maybe you're careful and troubled about many things because you're not taking time to sit at Jesus feet. But I said I want to weave a threefold cord through this.
We need to sit like Mary at the feet of the Lord Jesus individually, but you know, we need to sit as.
Families too, at the feet of the Lord Jesus. And again, I just want to say to young fathers here.
Or any of us who have young people. Are we taking time to bring our children and our families and our wives to the feet of Jesus? Is he really welcome in our homes? Is there a time set aside when the Bible is opened and read? And I know different things work for different people. Perhaps in some homes it works better at the breakfast table. In other homes, perhaps after the evening meal. But whatever works. You need to discipline yourself. You'll have to leave something too, Fathers.
You'll have to leave something. You'll have to let something go. Maybe that little bit of work you wanted to do in the garage or out in the yard, maybe you'll have to let that go a little bit. And I'm not saying we neglect the maintenance of our homes either, but don't neglect to sit at Jesus feet as families. And there are mothers here too. You know, in my raising a family, I've been away a great deal and I was encouraged. There was a couple we know very well and they were staying in our home when I was away.
And they said to me after they said the one thing we appreciated in staying in your home while you were away was that your wife made sure that there was a family reading after the evening meal. I was encouraged by that. Maybe sometimes sisters, it's hard for the father maybe has to leave early for work and so on. And maybe later in the day there can be a time with the father. But you know, you mothers have a responsibility too. I'm thankful for a mother who gathered her children.
Around herself on many occasions and read to us from the word of God. Explain the Bible stories to us. Those are some of the happiest memories of my days growing up as a young child in a Christian home.
But then there's another that's two chords. But there's another chord we can weave into this.
You know, we need those times in the assembly set aside for it to sit at Jesus feet and hear his word.
Don't neglect the assembly meetings for Ministry of the Word. Don't neglect the assembly meetings.
Or perhaps you come in the local assembly and you say we don't seem to get a whole lot. There isn't a lot of gift, and we read a portion and there isn't really anybody to give some great explanation or outline the the doctrinal principles of the portion. But the Lord is there. The word of God hasn't changed. The spirit of God is able to give us something. It may be something very simple, but remember one of the great sins of Israel in the wilderness was that they despised the simple manner that God gave them.
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Young people don't despise the simple manner that God gives in the local assembly. Yes, it may be an ever so feeble away, but I want to encourage you. God is able to meet our need even when there's felt weakness. And so I want to encourage you plan your lives around those meetings for ministry. But you'll have to leave something again if you have to leave something to sit at his feet individually. If you have to leave something for a family reading time, you'll have to let something go.
In on the evening meeting that set aside in the local assembly for the reading of God's word.
But I just encourage you how well you'll be repaid. You know, I grew up in an assembly where there was.
A great deal of weakness in the assembly, but I'm thankful for those times when we came together for the reading of the word. And I looked back and I learned a lot of things. Maybe they were just little simple Nuggets here and there. Maybe it was just line upon line, precept upon precept here a little, there a little. But you'll learn it in the assembly. Because while the assembly doesn't teach young people, it's in the assembly we learn as taught by the Spirit of God. And if the Spirit of God is given liberty, then those things can be brought out.
That will be for our edification and for our blessing, but then we find.
In the 11Th chapter of John that Mary is at his feet again.
This time, a sorrow had come into this household. Sorrows come into our homes. Don't, don't they? There's a lot of trials. There's a lot of sorrows. And I have no doubt there's young people here this afternoon. And your heart is sorrowful, you say, Jim. You just don't realize what's going on in my life and the sorrow and the loss that I feel. Well, perhaps I don't, but I trust this little portion will encourage you in that regard. Here we find that Lazarus had died.
And Mary and Martha, they loved their brother Lazarus. And when the Lord Jesus was finally approaching Bethany.
We find first of all that Martha, who always seemed to have to be doing something and helping a situation along. She runs to meet the Lord, but I love what it says about Mary and Mary sat still in the house.
You say, How could Mary do such a thing? Was she indifferent to the situation? No. She loved her brother Lazarus just as much as Martha. But Mary, who had sat at the feet of Jesus as a learner?
I believe entered into the heart of the Lord Jesus and into what he was doing and his timetable in a deeper way than Martha. And she knew that the Lord was coming in his own time and his own way.
And that when the Lord Jesus came, he was well able for the situation. And with that confidence in her Lord, she could sit still even at a difficult time. Now it's true. Then when they came and said the master calls for you, there was immediate obedience. And she rises up and where does she go? She goes straight to the feet of the Lord Jesus. You know, it's interesting. Martha went to the Lord Jesus.
Mary went to his feet. Not beautiful. She got right down there in humility, before the independence, before the Lord Jesus, right at his feet, not as a learner now, but in her her sorrow. Do you want to be able to come to the feet of the Lord Jesus in your sorrows and trials? I don't believe you'll really, truly be able to do it if you don't sit at his feet as a learner, if you're not at his feet, entering into his heart, listening to his instruction and what he has to say to you.
Then you can't truly come to his feet in your sorrow, you know, if you have a friend.
And you don't spend happy times together communing. You don't feel real comfortable to go to that friend in a trial or a sorrow. But if you have a friend and you enjoy happy times together, and you speak together, you listen to what they say. You speak to them. Why, you say I can go to that friend. That friend understands me, knows my heart. That's the kind of friend that Mary had. She'd been there. She'd entered into his heart, and now she goes to him in her sorrow.
And was the Lord able for the situation? Indeed he was. And young people the Lord is able for every situation.
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I'm not going to tell you that he's always going to work it out the way you think it should be worked out. I'm not going to tell you he's always going to remove the difficulty. I'm not going to tell you that he there's not going to be further burdens and sorrows. But I'm going to tell you that you'll find a very present help in time of trouble, that there's one who will indeed comfort your heart. And if you commit your way unto him, it says, commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.
It may not be to pass in the way that you had hoped or anticipated, but if you're willing to leave it in his hand to just commit the whole matter to him, it will be to pass in the way that he deems is best. And so, as individuals, we need to come to the feet of the Lord Jesus in our trials and sorrows. Maybe there's no one else you can tell it to, but you can tell it to the Lord Jesus.
But then what about his families? This sorrow affected this little household. It affected this family. There are sorrows come into our homes as families, aren't there? Isn't it wonderful to have a time when we can take our families in prayer to the feet of the Lord Jesus? And if we have scheduled a time when we come as families for the reading of the word of God to hear His word, then it's not hard to schedule a time to come.
In intercession and prayer.
And I don't mean just when there are sorrows, either. Again, we need to develop fathers. We need to develop the habit of bringing our families to the throne of grace, because the enemy is busy to smash the family. He's opposed to everything that God has set up and instituted, and the family was the first institution that God set up for the blessing of man on the earth. And the enemy's busy like never before to smash.
The family and the testimony of the Christian home. And so let's learn to bring our families to the throne of grace.
But then there's the third chord again, and that is to come in intercession, or to come in prayer, an intercession on behalf of others, to the throne of grace collectively as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. Because you get that aspect of things in Matthew's Gospel chapter 18, where it says, if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done, uh, for them of my Father, which is in heaven, where two or three are gathered together.
In my name there am I. In the midst of them, what is to characterize the local assembly? It's dependence. And that's what the assembly prayer meeting is for. Young person, young brother, young sister, are you exercised to set aside time to be at the assembly prayer meeting? You say, well, the brothers pray and I come and what good is it for me to be at the assembly prayer meeting? Your presence there in exercise with your brethren is a tremendous blessing.
And has a great impact on the assembly, and I've often drawn this little illustration from Acts chapter 12, but I'll repeat it.
Because there we find one of the most beautiful examples of assembly or collective prayer in the New Testament.
There we find that the assembly was burdened for the safety and deliverance of Peter, and it says prayer was made for him by the church without ceasing. In fact, I picture them coming together there, not just on their regular assembly, prayer meeting night, but so burdened were they for the deliverance of Peter that I think they came together night after night and they didn't have much faith because they wouldn't even believe, you know, if they had faith, they would have had Rhoda watching at the gate for Peter down the road.
But when Rhoda announced that he was at the gate, they wouldn't even believe it. But God honored the exercise of the assembly in coming together for assembly prayer. But what I really want to bring out is a little encouragement for the sisters, particularly the young sisters, because you know it, we find that Rhoda, who was a damsel or a young girl, was at the prayer meeting and young sister Rhoda might have said, well, not much point of me going to the prayer meeting tonight. I can pray at home and it's the brothers that are going to pray out loud and not much point of me going.
But you know, Rhoda was exercised to join her brothers and sisters.
In prayer that night. And I believe that Rhoda received a special blessing for going to the prayer meeting. The Lord ordered it. It could have been anybody, but the Lord ordered it. So she was the one who went to the door and saw first hand the power of God to answer assembly prayer. You want to see the power of God to answer collective prayer. You've got to be at the assembly prayer meeting. I believe that Rhoda probably never missed many prayer meetings after that because she knew the power of God.
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To answer assembly prayer, She knew the importance of a young sister kneeling with her brothers and her sisters at the assembly prayer meeting. And so I want to encourage you to be at the meeting for prayer. And I believe if our assembly prayer meetings were better attended, I believe we would see more answers to prayer. And if they were utilized in the way that God has instituted them, we see more power to in the assembly and we see more power in connection with prayers answered. But then we have Mary again in the 13th chapter or the 12Th chapter.
And here we find her at the feet of the Lord Jesus as a worshiper. It's a very beautiful picture here because we find that the Lord Jesus comes to this home for the last time before he goes to the cross.
And we find here that Lazarus, who's been raised from the dead, he sits at meat with the Lord Jesus. He's in fellowship at the table with the Lord Jesus. We find that Martha serves no rebuke about Martha serving here, nothing about the service being cumbersome or troublesome here. I just suggest in passing that between Luke's Gospel and John's Gospel, Martha learned the lesson that the Lord so graciously sought to teach her.
That true joy in service springs from sitting at Jesus feet.
Because here she serves, and it seems she serves in her proper capacity.
But then we find that Mary comes to again to the feet of Jesus, and she pours out her ointment. And what was the result? Why the whole house was filled with the odor of the ointment. But I suggest that we will only be worshippers.
Individually in the measure in which we sit at Jesus feet as a learner.
And in the measure in which we sit at his feet in come to his feet in intercession and prayer, why was Mary a worshiper here? She'd been at the feet of Jesus because true worship is an appreciation in our souls of the person of Christ. How are you going to have a deeper appreciation of the person of Christ? You must be at the feet of Jesus. And when I see a young person who's just bubbling over with the joy of the Lord?
I feel pretty confident that that's a young person who has spent time privately in the presence of the Lord Jesus at his feet in one way or another. But then what about the family too?
Here we find that when Mary poured out her ointment, the whole household was affected.
Young people, you want to have an effect on the home in which you find yourself.
Learn to sit at Jesus feet so that you'll have a worshipping spirit, so that you will pour out your ointment in your life personally, that there might be an effect on others. You want to have an effect on your parents, your brothers, your sisters, others in the home. You will in the measure in which you're at the feet of Jesus and in the measure in which there's that worship. And it's interesting that Mary says nothing in this chapter.
You know, praise is more to do with the audible. He's put a new song in our mouth, and it's the fruit of our lips. And I create the fruit of the lips and so on. But worship isn't always what's audible. It comes from a heart overflowing with an appreciation of the person of Christ. And Mary doesn't say a word here, but there's an effect on the whole household. But then again, what about in the assembly? You know, I think this is beautiful encouragement for the sisters.
If it was Lazarus that poured out his ointment in worship, you'd say, well, of course the brothers can take part. But it wasn't Lazarus, it was Mary. And again she says nothing here. But I suggest what we learn from this is that a sister who comes on Lord's Day morning with a heart full of praise and worship is a tremendous blessing to the assembly can set the tone for the meeting. How often, sisters, have you been sitting in the breaking of bread and you can't take part? Ought to be like the brothers, but some scriptures pressed on your heart, some him you're enjoying, and some brother gives out that hymn.
A brother suggests the reading of that scripture, or even expresses something in praise and worship when he gets up to pray. That was just bubbling over in your own soul. I know, sisters, you've experienced that. Oh, I say, learn to privately be at his feet as a worshiper. Let's be as worshippers in our homes that when we come together on Lord's Day morning, we might collectively pour out our ointment. That all might be affected by the odor of that ointment.
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Now I'd like to turn to one last portion in closing. It's in Revelation chapter one.
Revelation Chapter One and Verse 17.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the 1St and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead, And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys.
Of hell and of death. Well, I read this in closing. It's in connection with John.
Who sees the Lord Jesus in the character of Judge walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks?
And when he sees the Lord Jesus in this character walking in the midst of his own.
He's afraid and he falls down at his feet and maybe there's someone here and you say, well it's alright to talk the way you have in this meeting.
And it's wonderful to be at these meetings and with others of like precious faith and enjoy fellowship and ministry and the privilege we had this morning of so many of us.
Remembering the Lord Jesus together in the breaking of bread. But you say I've got to go back to my little assembly and there's a lot of problems in the local assembly. There's a lot of things that aren't haven't been dealt with properly. There's a lot of matters need to be taken up. And I have no doubt there's even young people here today whose hearts are burdened as you think of the going back to those difficulties and every sphere of our lives. But John, when he saw this and he fell at the feet of the Lord Jesus.
What does he receive? Why the Lord comes, he picks him up and he says fear not.
And I wanna leave you with this, young people. Maybe you are afraid. Maybe there's trials and difficulties in your life. Maybe you're afraid of things in the assembly back home. But I want to encourage you. The Lord is able. And if we're willing to what? Be at His feet? John was afraid, but at least he fell down at the feet of the Lord Jesus. And if we're willing to fall at His feet, Everyone of us?
Then the Lord is willing to come in. He has a blessing for us, and as if we were to go on and read the second and third chapter.
In all those assemblies, there were things that were wanting, things that he warns them about and how he's going to have to come in, in his governmental ways if these things aren't corrected and dealt with. And the governmental ways of God are indeed very real in our lives, individually, in his families and collectively. But I wanna leave you with this little expression, this little encouragement. Fear not. He's not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love.
And of a sound mind. And so I trust, brethren, our hearts are encouraged to find ourselves.
Every day, in every sphere of our lives, at the feet of the Lord Jesus.
There's no safer or happier place for each one of us.
2 Peter 1:5-9
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The love of God, our Savior, all will be well.
With the love of God.
Will be my.
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Second Peter chapter one and verse 5.
And besides this giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, charity. For these things be in you and abound. They make you, that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and have forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.
For if you do these things, you shall never fall, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things.
Though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yeah, I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up, by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. Moreover, I will endeavour that ye may be able after my deceased, to have these things always in remembrance, For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But were eyewitnesses of His Majesty, for he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
00:05:08
And this voice which came from heaven, we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well, that ye take heed.
As unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake.
As they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The previous reading meeting the 1St 4 verses, we really have the provisions of the grace of God.
But starting here in verse five, it's the practical character of putting them into practice.
We can sit here this weekend and we do with appreciation for God's provision for us to sit here and listen and to have the work of God by His Spirit take place in our souls. But whether the truth that's been before us this weekend and the various meetings is going to benefit us really or not, it's going to come on. I'm going to say Monday, but I guess I should say Tuesday for most of us.
And that is, are we going to carry it out practically in our daily lives? Is it going to be good in US? Or is it just something that we enjoyed for the weekend and then we put it aside as we go back to our daily life? But what's before us in this reading is that which needs to be put in practice. And so he says, reading Mr. Darby's translation on that first verse, it starts. But for this very reason also.
Using therewith all diligence and so there's the need for us in view of.
What's been said before to be diligent in the making use of the provisions that God has made for us. And then Peter, just to look, we won't get there, but looking ahead to the second chapter, he immediately introduces the fact that they're false teachers and those false teachers were coming in among them. And so we have access, whether we want it or not now to constant barrage of false thinking.
False teaching.
In the world and every sphere of life, it seems like in Christian circles and Christian literature and so on, and the radio, television, everywhere, there is a constant set of man's thoughts being put out as if they were Gods thoughts. And they're not in many cases. And so these things are here to provision us and protect us.
From that which is false.
Never encourages laziness in any aspect of our lives, whether it's our practical lives, our home life, whether it's our school work, our business life, we're to be diligent. Whatever our hand does, we're to be diligent in it and do it to the glory of God. And it's no different in our spiritual life either. Thinking of how James brings before us faith in operation or practical faith.
And he says there be doers of the Word and not hearers only. And so, as Dawn said, if we come to these meetings and we listen to the Word, but we don't put it in practice when we go home later this week, then we've really lost in what God has intended. And it's not so much in this verse that we're to add these things. Sometimes these things are likened to building blocks and we add one row and then another. But that's not really the thought and.
When you read it in Mr. Darby's translation, he doesn't use the word add. These things are elements of practical Christianity that are going to cause us to bear fruit in the end. And so if you think of it more in rather than building blocks, if you think of it more, suppose in connection with an apple tree in the at the right season, there's a bud appears on the end of the branch, and that bud in time with the proper.
Sun and rain and drawing the.
Minerals from the soil up through the roots in the trunk of that tree and all the elements that are necessary. Eventually it's going to blossom. And then again, if there are the the proper balance of the elements that are needed, pretty soon you're going to have fruit and you get a mature apple in the end that is delicious to eat. And I think that's more of the sense of what he's saying here, that if, if these if we give diligence to these things.
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And these elements are part of our daily Christian life. What is the end result? We're not going to be unfruitful. There is going to be fruit in our Christian life, but we can't expect to have the end result, which is fruit, if there isn't diligence. And so perhaps a little different, but Paul said to Timothy, to exercise yourself under godliness. Exercise takes diligence, it takes discipline.
A young person gets up a little bit earlier to go to the gym and workout, or he stays after school to exercise because he has some.
Wants to make the track team or the football team or whatever it does, that takes diligence and energy. Well, if it takes diligence and energy for physical exercise, then it takes spiritual diligence and energy for spiritual exercise. The results, as I say, being fruit in our lives.
But it fits with what's being said. We might read that by these he might be partakers of the divine nature. We might read that as thinking, well, if I work hard at this, I might become a partaker of the divine nature. But that word partake is translated variously in the Scriptures, and one is translated fellowship or communion. And so I'll walk should be in communion with that new nature that we possess. So it's not about.
Obtaining a new life, but living the life that we have. And as Jim said, if you look at this list and you think it's a spiritual progression where you can progress from one to the next, you kind of missed the point because you can say I don't have to love because I'm not there yet.
But at Mr. Dave, he has a little footnote. He says the sense is not only this, but also. And so if you think about it, we begin with faith and that makes sense, but with faith, we need spiritual courage because that's the sense of virtue. I believe some have, uh, I noticed Mr. Wolfson, uh.
To translate the spiritual energy, but beyond faith, we need spiritual energy and uh, we talked a lot about knowledge yesterday here, uh, in, in connection in particular.
With verse two, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
As perhaps suggest that knowledge here is a little more general than what we have back in verse two and I.
After some of the things we said yesterday, I wouldn't want anyone to go away thinking, I know, Jim, you did touch on this that well, I don't really need to to have. I don't really need to read ministry because I don't need to be out to enunciate this doctrine or that doctrine. Well, I can't emphasize more how important it is that we add not to just our faith and the spiritual courage we have, but knowledge as well. It's so key that.
Young people read Ministry, and I asked someone yesterday, how do you encourage someone that's not naturally a reader? Well, you have resources today that we've never had before. You can download thousands, thousands of meetings off the Internet and put it on the MP3 player. It might take up a few bites that you can't use for this song or that, but probably more profitable to you, so there's no excuse.
Of lack of knowledge. It's it's there, it's accessible.
Village Room.
And I translate it into my native language where I grew up into. I know exactly what it meant.
At diligent person.
Does not waste any time.
I asked a brother who is.
Full time in the single alert. How he started his day.
And he?
First thing when I get up, I pray.
And then?
I divert as much time as I can to prayer.
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And I make up my mind what I'm going to do during that day.
But is under schedule.
And that also that translated in daily life when I was working.
There were people who were diligent in their jobs.
They did not hang around gossiping. They did not smoke cigarettes.
They put their mind to their work.
And when we translate it into spiritual.
Behavior.
Then we read verse 3.
The things that God has given us pertaining unto life, we think of spiritual life.
We spend our time and set it aside to the reading of the Word, to praying whenever we can.
I mean now to those who are retired.
Those who have a steady job, well, they have to put their mind through their job.
Start on time, finish on time.
And do what they are told.
And these people, they will certainly make progress.
You will see also people make progress in spiritual things.
I see young people and that I don't blame them for doing that, but they come sometimes in a worship meeting and bring their coffee cup.
And in other meetings and zipping coffee, well, that's not diligence.
When we are.
With the Lord, we also have to be diligent in what we are doing and what we are thinking.
Not being just happy, go lucky and do whatever we please. We have to be diligent in spiritual things. Just the same way we cannot go and just do whatever we like at any time we like it. Then we cannot put our minds to that what we.
Actually should do and what we know we have to do.
And then and another word very important here is virtue.
I really can't explain what virtue is because.
Uh, mainly when we think of virtual, we think of AI do at least at a virtuous woman, what does she like? And we look at scriptures, We find all kinds of scriptures to talk about that, especially the last chapter of Proverbs, for instance.
Or when we think of Samuel, the mother of Samuel.
What she did?
But these are virtual things.
And, and we think of scripture, we look at these things in scripture, we can find what these people did and we can translate it into what we should do in the things of the Lord.
Let me just a little portion in Proverbs that might sum up in a helpful way by illustration what we've been saying.
In Proverbs chapter 24.
And verse 30, Proverbs chapter 24, and verse 30. I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding, and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the Stonewall thereof was broken down. Then I saw and considered it well. I looked upon it and received instruction yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and I want as an armed man so.
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Here by illustration, we see the result of one who is slothful in natural things. Why? There's no reaping at the end. He lets his vineyard go. There's not going to be fruit, Fruit as far as the vineyard would perhaps speak of our joy in the Lord, our worship, our praise. If he doesn't sow his field properly, there isn't going to be that food for himself and for his family. At the end of it, the walls broken down, the enemy gets in. We can see the result of a farmer or a husbandman being slothful.
In his business. Now apply that in our spiritual life. Why is there often no fruit in our lives, No joy, no praise?
Why isn't there always the spiritual food that we should have? Why isn't the enemy makes an inroad and the wall is broken down?
Well, it's perhaps because there isn't this diligence that we've been Speaking of.
Seven first Timothy chapter 4 says in verse 13, Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on the hands of the presbytery while Paul was instructing Timothy. And one of the ways that he was going to be able to be a help among the people of God was to be in attendance at the meetings, really to give attendance to the public reading of the Scriptures.
And to exhortation and to doctrine, to teaching of Scripture. And so there is a diligence to be, umm, demonstrated, I believe in our own souls, perhaps as when we're younger, but as we get older as well, to attend the assembly meetings. You know, Brother Gordon used to sometimes say that in Acts 242, he, he believed that it was perhaps the key to those three assembly meetings that we so often attend. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship.
In the breaking of bread and in prayers. And so there was a steadfastness going on.
With a value for being in the presence of God. And we want to think the statement was made yesterday that it's a lovely thing for us to desire to be in the presence of the Lord where there's liberty of the Spirit at a reading meeting to be taught of God himself by the Spirit. And so there needs to be diligence. We need to be in attendance. We need to give attendance to that individually. But here in our chapter, there's needs to be a diligence. It's not.
God isn't going to reward us for a sloppy way that we take up things, and the Spirit of God is never going to bring to mind something that we've never read. We need to read the scriptures, and it's good to read ministry, but we need to read the scriptures too. And we're not going to be even in our own private meditations. We're not going to get everything that we need. We need the apostles doctrine and fellowship. We need that reading meeting, but we need to be taught in connection with the written ministry that we have as well. We need to value it.
Mm-hmm. OK.
Where he starts this list of things, he mentions three things.
Faith, virtue and knowledge. And I believe that those three things are things that in general or have already been brought before them as provisions in the 1St 4 verses.
And so in the faith he's going back to verse one, we have obtained like precious faith.
Umm, don't wanna unsettle anyone's thoughts on the verse, but the faith here is the same thought as in James where it says Ernest, I'm sorry, Jude where it says earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints. What's before him is the Christian faith and it's a precious faith to us. It's not so much the individual trust in God that.
UMM involves our salvation, but we have been entrusted with the Christian faith to live it out, to walk in it, and then he says in verse.
Umm 3 Through the knowledge of him that called us to glory and virtue. The glory is that which is the object before us at the end of the road. It's that heavenly glory and the everlasting Kingdom.
It's that glory associated with his manifestation in the coming day of the Millennium and that's put before us is something that is to occupy our thoughts and our hearts and our lives. Are we living for today or are we living in view of the future? Are we wise concerning the use of our time as re it relates to what's going to last, or are we occupying our time and energy solely in that which?
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Is going to pass away or is it going to be that everlasting Kingdom that will endure? We're called to that. We're called by that. But then he says, I've made provision of virtue for you. And as Nick has already mentioned yesterday and today, it's that moral courage, it's that spiritual energy that is pro provision of God for us to actively lay hold of these things in a practical way.
We don't have in second Peter, the Holy Spirit brought before us as the agent, but it is the that divine power that gives us the moral courage to overcome the difficulties and those things that would hinder us in the flesh and in the path and it's given to us to walk in. And so to the knowledge that is necessary is a provision of God. We need to learn it.
We need to lay hold of it, but it's there for us. God has it.
As part of that provision to us. And so then he says in this verse six or verse five, he says you need to use diligence.
To make use of it, I'd like to put it this way.
Mark Twain was asked by somebody one time. He was an ungodly man and he was not a believer. And I never read anything that ever made me think he ever became one.
But someone asked him, Mark Twain, They said to him, uh, does it bother you?
The things in the Bible that you don't know. And he said no, What bothers me is the things I do know.
And I want to apply it this way. Brethren, we're all going to leave this facility in a day or so and go on with the normal patterns of life. Are we going to put into practice the things we have learned and do know?
Or are we going to simply say it, Well, I'm not very advanced. I haven't learned this yet, and I haven't learned that. But it's the things that we have learned and know that we are to put in practice. And then, as Scripture says, the diligent soul shall be made fat. That is, there will be added in our understanding and in the practice of that moral courage, there will be growth.
In us. But if we don't, if we allow the idea I don't know much or I this or I that, to say I'm not ready yet to do this or that. That's the very thing that will keep us from being diligent because we will not put into practice what we do know, and it's in general.
Our lives find plateaus that are not bound by what we don't know, they're bound by what we have not put into practice that we do know. And I would encourage each one of us to be exercised if there's a barrier in our lives to going on in these things in an everyday way. I suggest in most cases we are very well aware of the answer to that barrier and there's something unjudged in our.
Walk in our pattern of life that we have not put into practice at this point. That is the hindrance to going on. And so the Lord said to those that wanted to know and so on, He said, if any man will to know his will, no.
That's not what he said. He said if any man will to do his will, he shall know. And sometimes we lack knowledge because we lack practice. And if we would practice, then more would be added in the sense of knowledge and growth and strength and so on that he's bringing before us.
At that time, wasn't there, there was, uh, in chapter 88 of Acts, it says, uh, Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. And so there was real reason to have to, for this exhortation to have virtue, that is, uh, a spiritual courage is being brought out. And uh, then there was a temperance, self-control.
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And they were going to have to realize that there was going to be not only a conflict in connection with the spiritual courage, but they were going to have to exercise self-control in how they conducted themselves in their testimony. Then endurance, patience, translated endurance. So you and I don't suffer that persecution. But Peter was speaking from experience here. And the Spirit of God uses them to give them this little outline of what should characterize the what is their walk in faith? And it embodies as you said.
The entire body of truth that they had embraced.
Yeah, on every imaginations, constantly on imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. A lot of times we think of bringing every thought in captivity, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, to those thoughts that pertain to maybe moral subjects, things that we shouldn't really be dwelling on, but in the case of the Corinthians.
I believe in the context in which it's given, it's bringing into captivity the thoughts of man. Any thought of man is going to be opposed.
To God.
And so with our knowledge, we need to be very careful. There needs to be that self-control and not let our thoughts just run off, but let them be guided by the Spirit of God.
Would teach us to let our desires and appetites go, that if it feels good we should follow that and nobody's to restrain us. And self-control is not the spirit of the age in which we live. Indulgence is the spirit of the age. But a proper knowledge of the truth is going to give us the proper balance and self-control. You ever notice maybe a young person he comes to know the Lord or.
Maybe he comes to the point in his life where he really gives himself to the Lord as far as the.
Lordship of Christ in his life, and sometimes there's an imbalance.
Sometimes the pendulum swings from one side to the other, but as he goes, he or she goes on and they get a they read their Bible and they get into the company of the Lord and they learn more of his ways. What happens? Why there becomes that evenness and consistency and self-control. You know our brethren in other countries sometimes have a very simple way of putting things and sometimes the homey way. But I enjoyed what Brother Garvin said one time in Saint Vincent. We were taking up this portion in a reading meeting at a conference there and we came to this word temperance and he said.
It's knowing how much in everything. I thought that was a very good way to put it. Brethren, do we know how much in everything? You know, we think of it self-control sometimes in connection with things that will be a detriment, things that are bad, we might say, or things that are immoral or impure. But I believe there's another side. There needs to be a balance in spiritual things too. As I say, sometimes a young person, maybe they get there's an imbalance and they become very rigid in what they feel they should or shouldn't be doing and others of their peers should or shouldn't be doing but.
Those things need to level out. There needs to be temperance in those things. And so knowing how much in everything, that really answered to me what the word temperance really is.
Umm. The word virtue always seems sort of nebulous to me. And, uh.
We heard moral courage was it, And spiritual energy.
And but when it talks about the woman who touched the hem of the Lord's garment, he he said he felt virtue going out of him.
And whether it's the proper application I don't know, but I I've been confused so I looked it up a little bit.
00:35:00
And what I found was that virtue was.
Or is.
Where I read the power of God?
Itself.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
But the power of God itself being virtue when it's translated into our lives.
It's then moral power, moral curve, courage to it's moral energy, but it comes from God. We don't make it on our own.
Virtue is, might I say.
Maybe I'm wrong. The essence of God.
He is who He is when He comes into our lives.
An axe. It is virtue.
According to his divine power he has given.
He is the source of it. It's not. These things are not things that we can generate within ourselves. We can't just sit down and say, well, I have decided this is going to be my character. I'm going to be loving and temperate and kind and this and that and the other from now on.
The all good.
Comes from God in his own nature.
And in fact, the capstone of these things is just looking ahead is charity in verse seven. And God alone is the source of that love. It's in himself, and it flows from himself to us. And so the power of good is in God, and it flows from himself to ourselves.
And without it we are insufficient the creatures to do.
Right to do good, to be according to what God is.
Then that divine nature that we read about is that which is holy in its character. But where did it come from? It comes from God, and it's God imparting to us to share in that so that we can have it in us. But it's all important to recognize, as Tim Mentor says, that it virtue and all the rest of these things.
Again, in the heart of God.
Or like brotherly love in the list, uh, that is a human character. And you can find brotherly love among men, but if it isn't controlled by divine love, it will get out of its balance, it will get corrupted. It will not be the way it should be. It won't be faithful. And so.
Sometimes the truth of God is put aside by brotherly love.
Because it's not being controlled by divine love active in us. But if divine love is active within our souls, then our brotherly love will not be spoiled or not be unfaithful to God, or will not set aside the truth of God. But man in general, He has a measure of brotherly love, but it isn't. It doesn't operate as it should because it is not kept in balance with these other truths.
Translation as he referred to it earlier in verse five, it says, But for this very reason also using therewith all diligence in your faith have also virtue in virtue, knowledge in knowledge, temperance in temperance, endurance in endurance, godliness in godliness, brotherly love in brotherly love, love for these things existing and abounding in you, make you to be neither idle nor unfruitful as regards the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And so God is the source of those things, and so we are given the liberty and the instruction to use them for his glory, that we might be fruitful.
And so the next thing is endurance, isn't it, as we had in Mr. Darby's translation, and often you have in our Bibles, the word patience really has the thrust of endurance. So in Hebrews we're told to run with endurance, the race that is set before us. And I realize there are brethren here this afternoon who have been in the path of endurance far longer than I have, but it is a path of, of endurance. It's not going to be easy.
00:40:09
We talked about exercise and a young person getting up and going to the gym to workout in the morning or in staying behind in the evening. But it takes that young person endurance to reach a certain level of training. They don't just all of a sudden achieve a certain level by doing it for a few days or a few weeks. No, it might take months or even years. An Olympic athlete trains for years and years.
Well, they're growing up within view, the object of being chosen by the country to be on the Olympic team and hopefully participate and win a medal and so on. But it's a it, it takes endurance for that athlete to reach their desired goal. And so for the Christian pathway, it's a pathway of endurance and have often said to those who are younger, don't think it's going to become any less enduring as you get older.
Don't think it's going to become easier. I realize that there are situations unique to you.
I realize there are situations unique to the day in which we live and that young people are facing things today that maybe we faced in a little different way or things weren't quite so open or whatever it might be. But those of us who are older, we face unique things too. And those things are just take just as much endurance or patience if we're going to run lap by lap the the race that is set before us.
And we never get out of the race this side of heaven. We're always in the race, the last life and the last step of the race isn't going to be till we end in glory. We're always going to be in the race of endurance in one way or another. And so he brings this out here, he says to knowledge temperance, to temperance endurance, and then to endurance godliness.
In a practical sense, it means don't give up.
One, one thing, I, I think that does come with age and I, I'm not saying I am old, but it's steadiness. When you run a, a long distance race, it doesn't help to start off in a Sprint. But we do, don't we? When we're young, we tend to get fired up about something and and then we get discouraged because maybe others don't see it. Maybe nothing comes of it so early on in life. Our life seems to be like a pendulum swing one way and the other.
And so we need to be encouraged to endure, not to give up, not to, not to get discouraged, but to press on. And I know I've said it many times, but I've been encouraged. I was encouraged when I was in my 20s and reading ministry on the Song of Solomon, because you see one who at one point is sleeping and the next point there's energy there. And she's tried and it's just a, a good book to meditate on and, and to be encouraged by it and understand that we do have these highs and lows, these valleys in our life, but it's normal.
Part of our maturity in the ways of God with us as we get older. Maybe or hopefully those valleys don't become so deep, but just be encouraged to press on.
Tell the story on my wife. She's heard it many times so I think she's.
Going to be able to handle it when she was a girl she used to go to the window when her father was due home from work and it was always a cheer to his heart to see her and when he looked up and saw his daughter in the window watching for him to.
Umm, arrive but one one day was he walked down the street. She wasn't in the window.
And when he got in the house, he found her sitting there playing with her toys and he commented on the fact that she wasn't watching and she responded while she was waiting.
I think what we have in the race of endurance sometimes is, yes, we know what the end of the journey is, we are looking for or waiting for the Lord to come and the coming glory. But sometimes the passage of time it is very easy to get our eye and our thoughts distracted from the true goal.
00:45:15
In her case, watching for daddy to come home. In our case, looking for the Lord.
And so we settled down with our toys. Yes, we're waiting, but while we wait, well, we have some toys to play with that'll sort of help us pass the time. And when we become too preoccupied with those things, then the patients starts to wear out because it doesn't have the the freshness.
Of the object in view and of the goal before us. And so it's good for us to ask ourselves, as we again trying to be practical about it, are we truly in the joyful daily watching mode? Or are we playing with our toys while we wait?
The thing two went.
I get up in the morning. I used to.
Put on the heat for the water pot to make hot water for tea and then start praying and all of a sudden the cattle blew and and whistled.
What was that interrupted my prayer? I had to turn it off and then I got all mixed up. Where did I quit praying?
So I I learned bro, don't do that.
I like what we have in uh, Isaiah 40 in uh.
Where it says, But they, they wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings of Eagles, and they shall run, and not be wary.
And they shall walk and not faint. So when I ran my marathon a few years back.
There were eight stations along the way and one just can't hardly run a full blown marathon, especially in with in my advanced old age without stopping at some of these aid stations.
And that's what our brother Jim was bringing out this, this afternoon. And we need that time alone to refresh your spiritually or we're not going to have that endurance. We're not going to have that patience. Uh, we need that waiting time, don't we, to wait on the Lord to what? To renew our strength, How important that is.
Portion Virgil and, and maybe, maybe I can read it again because I, I thought of it in connection with what our brother Nick said. And I think it goes along with, uh, what we've said about endurance and so on. Let me just read a couple of verse here at the end of Isaiah 40.
Umm, I'll, I'll read from verse 28. Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth?
Fainteth not neither is weary. There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint and them to them that have no might He increases strength. You say, how can I go on and endure? I'm faced with all kinds of hurdles. It's like the the the man that goes out to run the marathon and there's all kinds of hurdles and miles and all that kind of thing. Well, he give us it says in verse 29, he gives power to the faint unto them that have no mighty increase the strength.
Now this is what I want to notice. Even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall. Youth and Scripture speaks of natural energy and we're glad to see natural energy says the glory of young men is their strength and we're glad to see that. I love to see a young man go out and exhibit natural strength. I'm past that now. I'm like Nick, I'm not old, but I'm older and I, I'm, I'm getting past that. And I appreciate, I'm glad to have a young brother with me to lift those 50 LB.
Boxes of books and bibles that were transporting from 1 island to another.
But natural strength even of youth isn't enough to endure in the path of faith today.
The enemy is no match for us even in natural youth, but there are three things and this is what I was thinking when Nick was speaking, because we can apply this in two ways. We can apply it to three. First of all, to the three stages of life. Let's just read it verse 31. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Now notice these three things. They shall mount up with wings as Eagles. You know that might apply to the youth youth. This seems to be able to mount up and no matter what happens.
00:50:21
Some obstacle and they can mount up like the eagle. Why? If there's a problem, he just soars above it and he's up there above the problem.
Sometimes we see the youth, they're able to overcome obstacles that we would have to say.
Well, I'm to a stage in life that's just too much for me now. But then it says they shall run and not be weary. And this might speak of perhaps those that would consider themselves middle age. And I know middle age gets keeps getting pushed up a little farther all the time, but some of us still consider ourself middle age. Maybe we can't always rise above the problem. But the running person, he can't rise above it, but he's still running and he's finding daily strength as I stay, so so shall I strength be. But maybe there's some hero a little further along, little older. I'm not even running.
Well, I say to my older brethren, you shall walk and not faint. Maybe you are just down to walking, but the Lord is sufficient. He's able for every period of our lives. But then maybe we can take these three things and apply them to different stages of any of our lives. Sometimes we feel like we can get above the problem. Other times we're feeling like we're just down to running. But maybe maybe there's even a young person. You say I'm just down to walking. I, I'm not even able to run in this situation. Well, don't give up.
They shall walk and not think. Wherever we are in our spiritual or Christian experience, the Lord is sufficient and we can endure. Why? Because we have it in ourselves? No, because we have these things as resources and supplies to get us through to the end.
Add to that on the last one in verse six and to endurance godliness.
We've had a little bit about godliness before us. It's.
Everything that's lived with respect to, in respect, and with respect to God. I had some neighbors across the street for a number of years that I considered ungodly because they were nice people. They had nice children. They were concerned about their kids and where they went and what they did and so on, even as teenagers. But they simply lived their lives without reference to God. They were ungodly. God had no.
Point of reference In their life there was no evidence of any respect for God or anything to do with him. Others would say they were nice people, perhaps even moral people, and so on, as far as their relationship with their fellow man, But they were ungodly. Their lives were governed by other motives than that which was of interest to God and his purposes. But.
Godliness is that character of life in which everything is lived.
With respect to God, everything, even eating, we're gonna after this go eat. And if there's godliness in us, there's going to be eating to the glory of God and stopping when we can't eat to his glory, and so on.
That that is in it. Well, the point I wanna make in connection with Isaiah 40, in connection with this is this.
Isaiah 40 that we've been reading in is a chapter that is primarily bringing before us God versus idolatry.
God versus idolatry and the children of Israel had taken up with idols.
And so he is contrasting himself, God to idols. And the point I believe partially in the end of the chapter is there is no strength of life in idolatry that is to give up, to allow to come into my life something that has the character of an idol, something that.
Is going to govern my heart, my actions, my motives.
Whatever it is, and it can, we all know we're talking about thing, not physical idols, but I can make an idol of my children. I can make an idol of my job. I can make an idol almost anything. Anything that comes be that is more important to my heart practically than God is an idol.
00:55:10
And the moment idolatry enters into the heart, it saps the energy of the soul to walk with God. It replaces human energy with a provision of God to walk in a way that would please him. And consequently there is no endurance in it. You faint, if you will, because you can't run the Christian life.
Not just with a weight, but with the weight of idolatry. And it'll it, it destroys the soul. And so May God help us to judge ourselves in anything that will destroy our lives because of idolatry. And the idea that we can walk with God and walk with our idol. We won't, We'll lose.
We will not be able to overcome that weight.
Chapter 12, verse one that you allude to, it says let us run with patience or with endurance.
The race that is set before us. And so there is only one race and it is a race, as it were, that's presented from earth to heaven itself. And uh, these are instructions given to us to be able to run that race with endurance. But it's only one race. And as you say, the heart cannot be divided. We cannot have a divided heart to run that race if our brother Virgil was running that marathon.
And he wanted to do something else at the same time. It would be impossible to be able to come into the finish line of that marathon. But, umm, these are practical things for us to consider. There is only one race. God isn't saying, uh, choose a race that you would like to run. Choose the race of an architect. Choose the race of, uh, uh, business or whatever it might be and, uh, seek to apply yourself to that. No, it's, uh, we need to provide all things honest in the sight of God and man.
But there is one race that counts, and everyone of us are engaged in that, uh, that race heavenward. And it's earth that we're leaving behind.
In one mother point I'd like to bring out is that is one thing I had to realize that I had to keep moving. If I had stopped too long, I wouldn't have been moving much after that. But uh, and that's what, uh, adverse that we read in Isaiah really brings out is the point is that we have to keep moving. Even if we slow down to a walk, sometimes we're encouraged in scripture to keep moving it. That's the whole point of the race is to keep moving.
Does too, if you had crossed into another's path or tried to trip an, a fellow athlete, you would have been disqualified. And so he says, uh, he brings in brotherly, brotherly love or brotherly kindness here. And I think that's very significant because in Hebrews where he brings before us the race, there are two things. There's the, the object, the goal, and that's Christ, the one who began and completed the race in perfection.
But at the very beginning of the next chapter, what does he say? Let brotherly love continue.
And so the two things are brought together here. And so, brethren, we are in a race. It's a race of endurance.
And we ought to consider our fellow runner, too. There are others in the race. Are we seeking to help them along? Maybe they need a maybe they need a little help over a hurdle. Maybe they need a little hand to help them over a rough spot. Are we willing to go that mile for for our brother? And so he says, brotherly kindness and then love. Well, maybe there's a brother or a sister and maybe they're not always so lovable. Maybe they kind of get in our way or great on our nerves. Well, he says.
You need lovers, you need divine love because divine love is consistent. It's easy sometimes to show brotherly love or kindness to those who reciprocate, but it's a different matter when we have to show divine love. And so the two things. But I, I just thought of that in connection with an athletic event. There always is that consideration. Yes, you're striving for the goal and so on, but there's that consideration of others that are in the race.
01:00:01
During mile 20 of that race, I, I really wanted to give up, but I was so encouraged by my fellow runners. They'd come up to me and they pat me on the back and, and they'd even stop. They could keep going. They were faster than me and had more endeavour, but they would stop and walk with me, encourage me and pat me on the back and say come on, let's, let's, let's start running again. That's a wonderful point to bring out.
Connect Divine love.
That is the last of this set, uh, charity it's called in the King James like to turn to 1St John chapter 4.
First John chapter 4 and verse 16.
We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in Him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world.
Umm. It's not all brought out in these verses that I've just read, but I believe it's quite.
Important to enjoy the truth that's brought before us in first John about Divine Love. As we go through it, and as is presented to us in that epistle, we know that divine love has its one and only source. It's what God is.
It's his character, it governs his.
Ways his heart is what he is.
It is consistent with himself in holiness.
It is not resident in US as independent of him and that's the point I want to make.
We we have received a divine nature and in that nature we can receive that love. It can flow into us from its source and from its source as it flows into us. It may be flow out to others, but it always is connected with its source. And the difficulty can happen in our lives if we allow something.
To keep that flow.
From coming into us by our walk our ways, God is not going to allow that love to flow in and through us unhindered by sin and evil and unjudged things in our lives.
And so everything that we have as far as patience and so on, will and these other characteristics that we have before us will be properly governed if the love of God is free in its fellowship. Our fellowship with God is free so that he may cause his love to flow in US and.
It's so important because if it's if that truth is is enjoyed in the soul, we realize that how dependent a creature we are. And it's a preservative from pride because pride says, look at me, see what I've attained to. But when it comes to the divine love of God, there's no place to say what I've attained to, but rather there is simply the.
Appreciation in the soul.
That God is love, and when there is not a hindrance to it, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. But if the Spirit, if in us there is something that's unjudged, then instead of the divine love being shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit, the Spirit has to stop and say, no, I can't right now. I have to occupy with that sin. I have to bring you to that point where you will judge that which is the hindrance.
So that you and God can have.
Fellowship together again, and so that that love may be free in its activity in the soul. And so even charity has its practical, very important practical side to it. It is that love of God which He delights to occupy our hearts, put in our hearts to express to Him and to others.
01:05:09
But it's something in which there must be the fellowship of light with God in order for it to to be active as it should be.
So May God help us that we not allow anything to hinder His pleasure in shedding abroad in our hearts His love.
Taught them this, didn't he? In Matthew's Gospel chapter five, he says in verse 43, you have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them, which despitefully use you and persecute you. And so it was in the Jewish economy they did hate their enemies and you read that in the Psalms how they they hate their enemies and they pray for.
Destruction and for judgment to fall upon their enemies, well, that's not the Christian position. And here Peter instructs them about this love. And that's one of the things that characterizes Christianity, is that there's love for all mankind. God so loved the world. And so even these Jews who were suffering persecution and were scattered abroad throughout the nations at that time, they might be embittered, they might be tempted to be bitter about those things, but.
It was, as you say, the fruit of the Spirit, the very first thing that's mentioned in Galatians 5/22.
Is love. And here it is at the end of this exhortation. Love taps it up.
D. Dods
Gospel—D. Dods
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Good evening to everyone here tonight.
Very happy to see each one here.
If anyone who.
If anyone has responded to the invitation, it was given out to come. We wanna give you a hearty welcome for coming and I trust it'll be, uh, for your good and blessing.
Let's look into the faces of some number here.
I know that many in this room know.
Know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
They know that if they should leave this world tonight, they have no doubt whatsoever they'll be with Christ.
If the Lord Jesus should come tonight, they've got no doubt they'll be caught up.
And my burden tonight is.
And I feel this strongly that there are always in this room.
If the Lord Jesus should come before this meeting is over.
What we found still in their seats.
And so tonight to those.
This meeting is the most important meeting you've ever attended in your life.
You are the closest moment to eternity you've ever been.
And I hope as we have this little time together.
That will be.
For your good and profit and blessing.
I want to sing a hymn #30.
The reason I give out this him.
Some months ago.
I happened to find a website.
And it was question asked by those who had sat in meetings like this.
Or their parents had sat in meetings like this.
And the question was asked, and then others sought to answer.
The question.
Most of the answers were given by those who had sat in meetings like this.
If my memory is not mistaken, there was something like 80 some answers given to a simple question.
How does a soul get saved?
I was shocked.
Seems like a simple question I'm sure we could answer here.
80 some answers, and I don't know whether those eighty it was might have been one that perhaps was a simple answer.
And so tonight, I'd like to sing this to him.
1St 3 verses give that which will not save the soul.
And the 4th gives the answer.
Weeping will not save you.
Working will not save you.
Waiting will not save you. Faith in Christ will save you. And the chorus is Jesus bled and died for me. Jesus suffered on the tree. Jesus waits to make me free. He alone can save me. Let someone start him.
One time to say anything to me.
Nsnoise.
By now may run Gray and pride in Christ, well they may be in one lifetime die for me.
Tonight, most of them have this book in our hands.
This is the very word of God.
We can be so thankful that we have the written Word of God.
Because tonight we're not occupied with things that may have some advantage.
But we're talking about those things that are eternal.
The most important decision that you'll ever make in your life.
Tonight you are either sitting in the seat. There are seats.
On your way to heaven.
You're on your way to hell.
This book leaves no doubt of the two places.
If we were to turn to Matthew 7:00, we'd find that each one of us are on one of two roads.
Either leading to destruction or leading to light eternally.
And that is the condition that each one is in the room tonight. You are travelling one of those roads tonight.
And I would like that the Lord's help to try to make this gospel simple.
I've mentioned this before, but several months ago in Ottawa, one of the older sisters, she's in her 90s.
Said what I would like to hear.
It's just a simple gospel message.
00:10:00
A dear sister.
What an encouragement was that? Here's one who's in her 90s.
And what does she want to hear? That story of love of the Lord Jesus once more.
So to help make it as simple as I can, I'd like to sing.
#26.
There is life in a look at the crucified One. There is life at this moment for thee. Then look, Sinner, look unto him, and be saved unto him who was nailed to the tree.
Look, look, look, There is life in a look at the crucified one. There's life at this moment for thee. Maybe again someone's saying raise a tune.
Nsnoise.
Nsnoise.
Just want to read a couple of verses. One of them was quoted at the the prayer meeting.
And uh, Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12.
The Word of God is quick or living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Many times we try to hide our thoughts. We express things, uh, to hide even what we're thinking.
But God knows the thoughts are far off.
And the intense what we really intended.
Nothing is hid from them. Let's read the next verse. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight. That is, it's all known to him and seen by Him.
But all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
There is one, dear friends, tonight that we have to deal with.
And it is gone.
There's no getting around. We have to meet God.
And I want to say to the boys here that sometimes perhaps we think we're young and, uh.
Don't give these things too much thought.
But boys and girls, I want to tell you.
That if you understand that you must meet God.
You better pay attention if you happen accept it, the Lord Jesus as your savior.
I thought a little just if we have to meet someone.
We'd like to know a little bit of what we're.
Faced with, you could say.
If we're going into.
The interviewed we'd like to know a little of what's ahead and what is God like? Well, he was introduced in the fourth word of the Bible in the beginning God.
He created the heaven and the earth.
We see in that his mighty power, it says he spake, and they come into being.
The power of God and if you have studied even.
Very briefly, anything of the universe. You'd have to be a fool to not see his wisdom in how he put this all together.
That's the first introduction we have of this one with whom we must meet.
I believe the next introduction we have is that he created man and he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
The man became a living soul.
That is, you have a soul never dying soul that's going to live on and on for all eternity in one of two places.
Heaven or hell?
That soul is never going to die.
What did those?
Eyes which we read are holy, that God is holy, holy, holy, thrice holy God.
00:20:02
We see in our verse, we read that everything's been open to those eyes.
What did you see?
He had to declare that all have sinned.
Imagination of man's heart was only evil continually.
It hasn't changed.
God says in this word, if regard to Romans chapter 3, there is no one that does good.
There's none that seeketh after God.
That's the one with whom we have to deal with that knows all about us.
He also tells us in his word that the soul that sinneth it shall die.
And that doesn't just mean that the soul, the sense they put in, uh, we see them die a natural death. Yes, that's true. But there's a further after death, the judgment, the wages of sin is death.
Eternal death.
Eternal separation from God in that awful place was created for the devil and his angels.
But all tonight.
After supper.
I went to the car.
Just told the Lord. I don't know what to tell him.
They've heard it before.
Come back to the prayer meeting. I believe a number prayed that the love of God would be presented.
And that's the aspect tonight. Yes, we're responsible to God. Yes, we've been found sinners before God. Yes, we're on a road and naturally a road to hell, but God loved us. And what do we read in, uh, first, uh, John's gospel chapter one?
Just before reading these verses.
Yesterday.
Her brother Dawn rule.
Mentioned that.
If it was on that on the floor in front of him, there would be no way he could convey his thoughts to that aunt, her his feelings to that aunt.
It just wouldn't understand them. He'd have no way. You know, I, I was thinking of that because, you know, sometimes we get ants in the expression of the cottage.
What do we do? Gets into something we don't like.
Kill it.
That was in the heart of God when we disobeyed.
Yes.
Let's read John's Gospel chapter one we read in the first verse in the beginning.
Was the word where does the ma way that God, uh, presents a message, the way that I am presenting a message by words to convey a message and so we hear we had the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were created by him and without him was not anything made. We see that this is the one who we read about in first or put it in Genesis chapter one.
In the beginning God created the heavens and earth. Now we find that here it was a word.
They created it. Let's go on to verse 14 of the first chapter. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Oh, as Dawn mentioned, he was no way he could convey a message to that aunt. Even he wanted to. He couldn't show his heart to that aunt. It's impossible. The only way he could have done that would become an Ant.
And so God in his love for us, if he is going to be able to present himself and to show his heart out.
What he do? He became a man. He became flesh.
And dwelt among us, we know his name.
The Lord Jesus Christ let's see, go down to verse 18 of the same chapter. No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. That is why the Lord Jesus came into this world.
To declare, Let us know. Show us what the Father was like. Show us what God is like.
00:25:00
He became a man.
He left that place where he'd always been.
He's a man but didn't give up his place as God, as we can see in that very verse. You won't have begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father. Here He was walking this world, and yet the Word of God says He was still in the bosom of the Father. We don't understand all these things, but the Lord Jesus came into the world. God became a man in order to convey His love to us.
Forward to the third chapter of John, and again we see why.
Verse 14.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of uh, man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life for God's soul of the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.
Oh, we know that verse. I'm sure each one in this room from a very youngest cropped up could quote that verse. But have you ever entered into the meaning of it? That God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son? Yes, the Son of God became flesh and came into this world as the Son of God.
For God so loved the world.
He found this. He was going to be without anyone in heaven because everyone had sinned but he. He would have a company.
Of men and women.
Westman Haven and the only way he was going to be able to do that was to come up with a plan of salvation that those who had sinned could be in a a position or fit for his presence.
Tells us not even a lie, whatever unto heaven.
You boys and girls, have you ever told a lie? I don't have to ask. The older ones, I know we didn't get very old before we told a lie.
And yet God tells us there won't be one lie in heaven.
If you told the lie, someone's going to have to bear the punishment for it, either you or another.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Here we don't get a lot of detail.
As to the Lord Jesus bearing our sins.
We have here a statement made.
That God loved us, That He gave his Son his only begotten Son.
In depth 3 Just tell us that we know from other places that's what it means, that who's there, or that the gods love the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him.
Should not perish, but have everlasting life.
That verse is taken.
If we take God to this word, if we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, put our trust in Him.
Then we have everlasting life.
You know, I like this. It's been very simple.
We don't get a lot of detail even how.
It's in the person. It's faith in Christ that saves.
If I'm going through a very dangerous area and.
I don't know how, but I sense that that man knows his way and can take and he's promised to take me through such he may fail because he's a man, but I may not know all how he does it, but I just put my hands at his and he leads me through. So I want you tonight boys and girls, you believe what God has said, that if you put your faith and trust in him.
To take you to heaven, to cleanse you from your sins. You have everlasting life.
Faith in Christ saves.
And I'd like to just to read those few verses that we referred to by the Lord Jesus Himself here.
00:30:06
I believe is done just to show how simple it was in numbers chapter 21 I think it is.
He refers to him, and he said even as Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
#21.
We'll read about that account.
1St 521 and five. And the people speak against Moses, against God, and against Moses.
They complained, we often complained, and the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died. This is a scene as the children of Israel are crossing the desert and they complained.
And God sent judgment. Therefore the people came to Moses and said, we have sinned.
And I've spoken against the Lord, and against thee. Pray unto the Lord that he will take away the serpent from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fairy serpent, and set upon a pole. And it shall come to pass that everyone is bitten, when they look at the punishment, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put upon a pole, and it came to pass, and the serpent bit any man when he beheld a serpent of brass. He lived.
Here it is strictly the word of God. I don't think any doctor amongst them.
Could explain how looking at a surf and made of brass.
Would instantly make them well.
They had sinned.
And God made a way in which that judgment could be stayed.
He told them they looked at that serpent on the pool they would live.
That's how simple it was.
Have you ever looked?
That the Lord Jesus on that pole, because we have that the Lord Jesus used that very type.
Here the children virgin sinned, and he provided a way to stay the judgment.
It was strictly believing what God had said. If the people believed that God, when God said if you look at this serpent, you live.
It was strictly if you believe God's word.
And many of them looked, wouldn't you?
A simple look of faith.
Strictly because God has said if you look, you'll live.
And so he's used that very tight.
Here, when for himself there was number other way, he couldn't go to a doctor that he wouldn't get. Well, he'd die. You could try anything else, you'd die. But God had made a way. And so, just as Moses had to lift that circling up in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up from the cross. There's no other way of salvation.
Now he said to each one of us.
If you so we're look of faith as the Lord Jesus and my Son, they're hanging on the cross, you'll live, you'll have eternal life.
Oh, we know how in other scriptures.
That the Lord Jesus is there while he was on the cross, God wasn't overlooking our sins.
God is holy and no sin can get into heaven. Every sin that's been committed.
He doesn't just overlook it. It must be answered for.
And those who looked in faith at the Lord Jesus there on the cross.
We read that during those three hours of darkness that the Lord Jesus had to cry out. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Because there, during those three hours of darkness, the Lord Jesus bore.
Took the punishment that we deserved. God didn't look lightly on sin He punished.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
For the sins of those who would believe His word.
00:35:01
And so we have in the for those who have taken that look of faith, taking God at his word, and looked at the Lord Jesus believed on him.
Then we could say as Isaiah that he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, that chastisement our peace upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. Oh, the Lord Jesus there bore on in his own body on the tree, the judgment for everyone who would look.
And and faith and put their trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Or salvation is simple and I feel I even still make it complicated. God would have it so simple. But tonight I wanna speak to that.
To to be sure to be happy, you know.
Many as we had on that little first him.
Many have difficulty in knowing how to be saved.
Visit with a man I believe he's saved. Whether he was had full assurance at the time, I doubt it. He seems to have now.
But we asked him the question because he saved. He said, well, yes.
We said how do you know it?
Well, he said. I feel his help at work.
I want to ask you tonight.
Are you saved?
Are you ready to meet God?
Are you sure your sins are gone? These are very important questions.
Anything so important, I don't think in natural life, even with fractionally important, would we take lightly.
I know and worked a little in real estate for a while.
And went right up the contracts. They usually wanted to make sure every I was dotted because they didn't want any problems down the line.
When it comes to eternal destiny.
Little pot.
But I wanna say especially the children.
Perhaps because I went through it myself.
If someone's asked you.
Are you saved?
You know, that was a question was asked me when I was a boy. That was the worst di dagger that I ever had put into me.
Simple gospel, are you saved?
I want to ask you, are you saved?
If you answer yes.
How do you know it?
I want to speak reverently tonight.
But I would like to if you were to meet God.
At Heaven's gate.
And God said to you.
What brings you here? Did you not sin? I cannot have sin in my presence.
What would your answer be?
What would your answer be?
Well, you know what my answer would be.
I said give me peace. Was the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleansed from all sin? I've got no sin. Your beloved son died on Calvary's cross for me. He shed his blood and your word tells me that my sins are gone.
What about you?
I want to suggest, yes, you may know and believe in the Lord Jesus, but I want you to be sure you have a scripture that.
You can give you peace. There's many we have in the word of God.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in thine heart that God raised from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Have you ever confessed that the Lord Jesus, that Jesus is your Lord, that is one whom you are going to follow and obey?
00:40:10
You believe in your heart says in the Lord Jesus died that he put, he had your sins on and he rose again. You know God couldn't raise the Lord Jesus and the dead if he still had the sins on him.
The fact he rose from the dead was proof that those sins had been dealt with, that God had dealt with the sins.
Of all those who put their trust in him.
And he raised them from the dead, and he's back at the Father's right hand. Do you believe that God says you're saved, That you tell somebody? Why don't tell somebody? Confess with thy mouth. Oh, many a boy and girl, older one too, has got peace from that very verse.
And so if it were.
Speaking again reverently, if God was to ask you how come you can come here, He said, oh, your word told me that if I confess the Lord Jesus is my Lord, and if you believe in my heart that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, I'm saved.
You'll have peace.
But there's another burden on my heart.
There is always.
I feel there, just put it off.
I'll mention this maybe somewhere in the very room.
But some years ago.
A hymn was sung. The same hymn was sung as last night at the end of the meeting, just as I am without one plead, But the bug was shed for me.
And then for the Lamb of God, I come. And at that meeting, it was, uh, asked that the came to those line, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. If you were not going to come, don't sing a lie to God. And after that meeting was heartbreaking.
It was reported of several that didn't sing that way.
They have refused come.
Could it be tonight that after the Lord Jesus, after God is showing forth his love and giving the very darling of his bosom, that one whom he declared? When the Lord Jesus came in to this world and when he was baptized, the heavens had opened up, and God spoke to the Lord Jesus himself and said, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. As a worry turn when the other scripture tells us he said to the others around, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
That was the one that went to Calvary's cross. That was the one here who says that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Are you going to refuse tonight that love? What more can he do? He's give his beloved son.
I want to ask you.
Well, you see, tend to, I'm sure if I was to really go from person to person, there's no one in this room and say, well, I never intend to be saved.
I believe the Lord has been speaking loudly to many, this world especially.
And I think we ought to take it to heart that.
We can't post tomorrow.
You may not be here tomorrow.
On our way here on Friday.
Travel along #80.
7075 miles an hour.
Ahead of us we came police cars that passed a little short few minutes before we came across.
Semi.
Totally upside down.
Tractor disconnected upside down.
The car they had collided.
We don't know the results, every possibility would seem that how anyone could come out alive.
You think of that?
God speaks once a day, twice. That man foresees it not.
If you've heard the gospel once before.
God may not give you another chance.
00:45:00
Whether there was anyone killed or not, if it wasn't, the zoning as mercies.
Look at it, say no way someone come out of life, but sometimes they do. Sometimes God gives another chance.
Why is this thought 75 miles an hour? One moment enjoying the beautiful weather and pasta, the next new turn.
Just a few weeks ago, I'm sure everyone has heard it on the news.
Airline coming down a few more seconds to hit the runway.
Seconds before it hit the runway.
Florida.
100 and some souls in eternity, in fractions, in seconds.
19 year old boy.
I looked at the pictures, not nothing. The tail fin, there wasn't a piece I don't think bigger than two foot square of that airplane.
100 and some souls in eternity.
The Lord spared one boy.
The doctor All you could say was that God must have something special for that boy.
And I want to ask you tonight if the Lord has ever spared your life.
Have you ever had a close call?
That's the Lord speaking.
But it tells us that he had been often reproved and hardened. His heart shall suddenly be destroyed, not without remedy.
If you've been spoken to before, if God has spoken in any way because it tells, he speaks in various ways, even by dreams, sickness.
If he has spoken.
You want to listen?
Province Quebec.
Several weeks ago, people sitting in their own home.
Enjoying an evening with the family.
What could be safer sitting in their basement on their couch?
Something that suddenly that house was 100 feet down.
Unknown to anyone, a sinkhole had developed and her house crashed.
And they said they found the mother and father and the two children sitting on the couch.
God is speaking.
Tonight.
The question would be asked after we think of what all God has done.
In providing a way of salvation.
If we have neglected it or refused it, it says, how shall we?
Escape if we neglect so great salvation.
Or I would ask you tonight.
Once you come to the Lord Jesus.
Why don't you just own them with Lord?
It tells us in Romans that while we're yet sinners, Christ died for us.
If you'd have waited for us to get better, there'd been no hope.
But he provided a savior, whoever yet a Sinner.
Once you come.
Not we could read off. We've often heard about that rough man.
Who had thrust? Says he thrust Paul in silence since the prison. He was a rough man.
But God spoke to him. It took an earthquake.
Sometimes it takes a car accident, sometimes it takes an earthquake, sometimes it takes sickness.
But God speaks.
What does that jailer call out?
What must I do to be safe?
Was it difficult? I answered. He got. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
That is, put your trust in Him.
Have you just said?
As we had, uh, yesterday.
For Peter said, Depart from me, O Lord, from a sinful man.
00:50:01
Sinful. That means full of sin.
You know, sometimes it's been said to get saved, we ought to confess our sins.
Well, how could Peter ever start to confess he was? It was all sin.
It's not a matter of confessing.
Our sin, but confessing we are a Sinner.
Owning to God, we sinned and that's what we had in these ones. And when God, uh, gave the fiery serpent, they came and said we have sinned.
We went to Job. We find that God says if any man say I've sinned.
And prefer to that which is right.
I found a ransom.
Tonight, once you just own that, you're a center.
We think of the public news, said God, be merciful to me, a Sinner, a sinful man, again full of sin.
Did the Lord leave Peter when he said to part from me? From a sinful man? No, He saved his soul.
Did the Lord reject that publican who is full of sin?
He went down and justified rather than the one who had thought he lived a pretty good life.
Tonight I asked why don't you just own to the Lord Jesus that you need a savior and you accept him as a one to save your soul?
Oh, don't put it off.
Don't go home tonight.
And see, I wanna think about it. I'll do it when I get home.
You may not reach home.
Why not saying these things that scare anyone, but the fact of life that God does speak in this way sometimes. But something that is far more eminent perhaps is the coming of the Lord Jesus. I believe with all my heart the Lord Jesus is about to give the shout.
He's gonna take all his own to be with him.
And that won't take the length of time to get home tonight.
In the twinkling of an eye, the Lord will come.
I want to ask you tonight, you boys and girls.
Young people.
If the Lord should come tonight, Are you ready?
What are you trusting in? Or you may have fooled Mom and dad. You may have fooled your brethren.
And they think you're saved.
But you know, down deep just this past week.
Brother or not have told us of an instant that he.
New of.
Girl.
I don't know just how old she was.
She made a confession.
The Brennan Hobbes Reel.
She was received at the Lord's table. She broke bread like we did this morning.
You know what you said.
After a number of years.
Just wondering if the Lord had come while I was breaking bread I'd have gone straight to hell.
I was never saved, she said.
She had no faith in Christ, thankfully.
The Lord worked and exercised her and gave her the real life, but that's not what saves her soul. As we had in praying, we'll say she made a little prayer and they accepted that. She said die, you know.
It's whether you really put your trust or you really believing that the Lord Jesus died for you and He'll take you safe to heaven. Are you putting your whole faith and trust in Him?
That's for safe faith in crisis saves. It's not some little word.
I could tell you a few words to say and you might pray them and be like that young girl. She died. She's gone straight to hell.
That was her own words.
My friends, I trust everyone in this room will leave tonight knowing their sins are gone.
Have peace.
00:55:00
One more little incident happened.
Just a few weeks ago.
There's a fine gentleman that's been coming out to meeting. I believe this is the Lord's. Sure he's the Lord's. Comes out for reading, meetings, healthy man, electronic engineer, goes to the gym every day and fits, fit fits.
Single fellow lives by himself but has a beautiful home.
About, uh, probably six weeks ago now, I was walking through the mall one morning for lunch.
He was sitting having a sandwich in front of a letter or opened up in front of him.
I sat down at the table with him.
I said how are you this morning?
Well, he said. I'm just on my way home from the doctor's office.
He said I got this report print out.
She's not good.
Cancerous tumor of the Patriots pancreas, which has spread to the liver, to the stomach, into the intestines.
He recognized the seriousness of his condition.
I said to him, did you, uh, did you feel sick, right? No, he said. I didn't up until last weekend. He said, uh, I was absolutely fine. He said just last weekend I had a little bit of a tout or something. My blood pressure shot up and I went in to see the doctor and this is the report I got this morning.
I want to ask you.
Tomorrow morning you got a report like that.
Are you ready to leave?
Well, the Lord can can still come in and raise them up. It's possible.
Yet they quickly did the surgery and have removed much of the insides.
Going on chemo, but he knows his chances are bracing him.
But I must say, in speaking with him and others have spoken to him, he's been out too much again to the, uh, meeting the other day.
And he seems to have complete peace.
Would you a piece if you got a report like that?
Don't put it off till you get the report.
Come to the Lord Jesus tonight.
Making him your own. Accept him as savior. He wants you. He died this edema.
He begs you to come.
Oh I can only I wish I could speak as the Lord Jesus would speak, because I'm sure there would be with tears tonight if there's one in this room.
Is lost. The Lord would plead with you with tears to come. He fled with all that city of Jerusalem, says He wept over it.
Week 4 if you're going.
Another day.
Without Christ.
Don't put it off.
Let's see our timers already gone.
My God Shall Supply All Your Needs
2 Peter 1:10-25
Reading
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.
Eternal.
Journey was on the bridge.
When you were.
The oil were all.
We now we pray.
Come pray, need my.
Love of God.
And everything.
I really want to die.
For a day before.
Our demons pray.
Alone.
The heart came across thy glands, my word.
And I thought.
Oh my love.
Umm, is there anything else?
In the world.
Someone raised the tomb, please.
Your Lord don't come and.
00:05:41
Nsnoise.
Singer is coming.
In the old mainstay.
What the world is we love?
Umm, all right, so I'm asking you.
Oh, OK.
It is OK really so.
I can do it for the living room. I'm sorry for all of them and I said I was very great and could change.
Verse 12.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand.
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness.
Let us put on the Armor of Light.
Second Peter chapter one and verse 10.
Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.
For if you do these things, you shall never fall, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things.
Though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yeah, I think it meat as long as I am in this Tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. Moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able after my deceased, to have these things always in remembrance, For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But were eyewitnesses of His Majesty, for he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And this voice which came from heaven, which we heard, we heard when we were with him in the mount, holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy. Whereunto ye do well, that ye take heed.
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As unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
I say that that is for this conference. Say that because I think it would be well for us to keep that in mind as we go through the rest of the chapter so that we don't fall short of getting to the Daystar.
Verse five, they were as we had yesterday. There was the importance of diligence.
And not being slothful or lazy.
About putting into practice the truth that is was before us this morning. We have in verse 10 give diligence. We have that word diligence brought out again in this case it says.
Diligence to make your calling and election sure.
We have been called of God. We have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. From God's side, there's nothing unsure, there's nothing to be made sure about the matter of His calling and his election. So this verse isn't about God, it's about us. It's about our side of it. And it brings before us the fact that, as has often been said, happiness and obedience go together.
Confidence and fellowship go together as well. Umm, we have in John, he says to us, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And So what this verse is bringing before us is the necessity of diligence that we might enter into the joy and the confidence of that calling and election of God. And God doesn't if we don't put these things into practice.
God doesn't give confidence to careless walk. God doesn't reassure. Uh, the soul that wants to walk in self will but have the confidence that everything is well with God. And it's very possible, yes, we know doctrinally that a person who has put their trust truly in the Lord Jesus Christ could never be lost.
But if we don't walk in the truth, many a soul has lost the confidence of that fact, and God doesn't reassure the men it either. He wants us to be in fellowship with Himself, and if we're not in fellowship with Him, then we don't have the assurance of His thoughts in anything. But it is an important and necessary thing for us to, as it were, to have diligence to walk in obedience and dependence.
So that we might have the joy of our election and Our Calling and many other truths as well.
Fruit in our lives. Then they have the joy and assurance too. And I say that because when Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, there was a great testimony in their joy in the Lord. They're waiting for his Son from heaven. And he says to them in that first chapter of First Thessalonians, knowing, brethren, your election of God, something to that effect. As Paul looked at those Thessalonians and saw the fruit in their lives that was so evident and was giving testimony.
He said. I'm sure you're the Lords. I know you're the elect of God.
And so it gives confidence. We look at a person and we say, oh, we see fruit and such fruit in their lives that there's no doubt that they belong to the Lord Jesus. There's been a real work of grace. But isn't it sad when there's an individual that at one time you were sure that they were saved? And time goes on and finally you have to shake your head and say, well, the Lord knows them that are his. You no longer have that confidence in that person that they're saved. Of course, if they were saved, they'll never lose their salvation.
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But not only do they lose the joy of their calling, the joy of their salvation, but others look on and they lose that confidence in that person as well. Would you allow that? There's both sides of that.
The Epistle to the Hebrews brings that out in chapter 10, at the end of chapter 10, and it says, there, verse 35. Cast not away, therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. For yet a very little while. And he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Well, we know that it's possible, as you say, for us to go on for a time and to have a good beginning. And these Hebrews, they had a good beginning and they suffered and they were made the gazing stock of, uh, those of their brethren. They suffered for naming the name of Christ. And so the Lord, the desires, particularly, I believe, to encourage the Hebrews and these had, who had been saved from among the Hebrews that Peter writes to that they might have diligence to just continue. It was their responsibility to continue.
And the path of faith has lived one day at a time. And so he desires that they would, umm, make their calling and their elections sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fall.
We touched on it says and have forgotten that he was purged from his old sins in first Peter chapter 4. It says in verse two that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh of the last of men, but to the will of God. For in the time past of our life may suffice as to have wrought the will of the Gentiles. So there's a time past and there is the rest of the time. But even though the next chapter, chapter 2 is Speaking of those that are false, it says at the end of it, but it's happened unto them that according to the true proverb, the dog is turned again to his own vomit. You know, there's something very comforting to our old nature just to sink back into that old way of life.
And so we need to be exhorted to go on in first Timothy, the last chapter, it says to umm, verse 12, fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life in verse 19 or verse 18, that they do good, that we, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may play hold on eternal life. Again, it's not that we're gaining eternal life, but we're laying a hold on that which is really life.
And not those things of that just feed the lust of the flesh and so on.
Ward, isn't it in the coming day of glory and reigning with Christ? And when it speaks in verse 11 of an abundant entrance, you notice it's not an abundant entrance into heaven. We don't get to heaven by our diligence and faithfulness here. We get to heaven on the basis of the finished work of Christ and faith in the blood that was shed there. And it's the blood of Jesus that has cleansed us from all sin and made us fit for heaven.
But the thought here is not heaven, but it's an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom. Because we know from a number of other scriptures that there will be a difference in the rewards and the administration that the Saints have with the Lord Jesus in that righteous reign, which we refer to as the millennial reign of Christ. And so in the Gospels we get the the parable where be thou over 5 cities, be thou over 10 cities.
Our position of reigning with Christ in the Kingdom.
The administrative responsibility is in relationship to our diligence and faithfulness in following Christ and living for Christ's glory now here in this world now and that is being established day by day in your life and mine. And what his desire is that we would have an abundant entrance. He doesn't want us just to be over 5 cities. He wants us to be over 10 cities. I know the numbers figurative and and so on. I don't think it's going to be literal or there wouldn't be enough cities to go around but.
I, I believe the point is he wants us to, he wants to have the joy of giving as much reward as he can because it's going to be his joy to say, well done now good and faithful servant. And are you and I living in view of the reign of Christ? You know, we often talk, brethren, about the Lord's coming for his Saints, what we refer to as the rapture as the proper hope of the believer. And that's true. I understand what we mean when we say that.
00:20:32
But when we go to Titus chapter 2, there are really two things that are the proper hope of the believer.
Linked intimately together, we're to be looking for the blessed hope. That's the hope of momentarily being snatched away to be with and like the Lord Jesus in the Father's house. But then it says, and the glorious appearing, that's the time when He appears back in this world to take His Kingdom. And you and I are going to be with Him and like Him on that occasion when we He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. He's going to come back with His Saints.
And we are to be looking for that too. And Paul summed it up in almost the last words he penned by inspiration. He said to Timothy that we're to love His appearing. Do we really love His appearing? Are we looking forward to any living in anticipation of the everlasting Kingdom? If we are, then our desire will be to live for His glory, that we might have an abundant entrance there.
See it as a proper.
We have to not be selfish.
I say that because it's so easy for us to look at every truth and say what's in it for me? What am I going to get out of it? I'm going to heaven. Wonderful place.
And I'm going to the scripture tells me I'm going to be really happy there, and I'm not going to have the flesh in me to worry about anymore and bother me and so on. And I'm going to get to look at the Lord Jesus and I'm going to get to feed on him and enjoy him and so on. And Scripture presents all that to us.
As part of our hope.
But, brethren.
Beyond that, more important than that.
At times, to put all those thoughts aside is to say, what does he get? God's primary supreme purpose is the honor and glory of His Son.
And when we look forward to the glorious appearing, is it because we are going to reign? Is it because we're going to be over so many cities and have finally I shared in the rejection of Christ and so now I share in the glory of Christ. Well, there's that side of it. And it's not wrong in its place, but much better for the soul is to say he's going to have his place. He is going to be supreme.
And so it is, He is going to have the joy of fellowship again with his kinsman, the seed of Abraham, that is, those who are of faith, and so on. And so the glorious appearing is, can I say first and foremost, for his sake and the measure in which our hearts are attached to him in an unselfish way, then we are going to find our joy.
With God in what God wants to accomplish to the glory and honor of His own Son. And so it's even in this.
Uh, we want an abundant entrance for His sake.
For his sake.
You, you the, the bride who has in that sense, on her wedding day, all the dressing up and the finery and so on, in many cases is is it to her own glory? Well, there is glory in it, but is it not in this more pure sense? She wants to present herself to the honor of the bridegroom and to His joy and to His pleasure.
Do we not want to finish our course here on Earth and so that we can enter into the Everlasting Kingdom in a way that will please him, that he will be satisfied in?
US and it God will be satisfied that we are an expression of that which honors and glorifies His Son. And so we have our proper hopes.
00:25:10
But the greatest aspect of those hopes is to see them in connection with His place, not our own.
Remind us frequently of those, uh, prospects that we have in the Scriptures. And so he wants us to be established in the present truth, the present Christian truth that we have. It's, uh, remarkable how often times in connection with the, the writings to the Hebrew Saints, it mentions this word being established and, uh, endurance, as has been already mentioned, but in James chapter 5 and verse 8.
It says, Be also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. That was their present hope, But as you say, they had that hope before them of entering into the everlasting Kingdom and being associated with the Lord Jesus and His Kingdom. And God has made every provision that we could be reminded frequently of that Kingdom, frequently that He's the despised, 1 here, rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief when he was here.
But he's going to be presented to this world in great glory and great honor, and he desires us to be established in this truth.
Not to just settle down in this world and to get comfortable, but to really look for that time when he's going to be raining. Paul could say to the Corinthians that you have reigned ahead of the time. And I would to God he did reign, that we might reign with you. And so we all need to be reminded of this frequently.
Because they were looking for an earthly Kingdom and I think Hebrews is a is a beautiful book because it lifts their eyes Heavenwood and you know, the longer we remain here, our eyes tend to be downcast. It's beautiful to see the Lord in Mark seven. He sighed and looked up. We sighed and looked down and so he presents here in these next several verses the reality of that Kingdom. You know, young people, all of us from time to time we need to be reminded we haven't followed cunningly devised fables. These things are real.
Very real. There was real as the well that you look around you at and you can see with your eyes, even though it's only by faith.
That we can receive them now and see them.
From the present truth before we pass on, because you know, there's a great movement today amongst many believers to look for some new revelation of truth. And while it's true, we always can have a fresh enjoyment of things. And as we read the word and hear it ministered, there are things perhaps that are brought out that we've never enjoyed or seen before. There is there are applications that are relevant to the day in which we live and so on.
But brethren, we want to be very careful that when we take up the word of God, we take it up as the present truth. Jude, when he wrote to the Saints, he reminded them of the of the faith once delivered to the Saints. Jude was writing of appalling days of apostasy and falling away. He said, I'm not going to bring before you any new truth, but he said, I'm going to remind you of that which was laid down at the beginning.
And not only that, but the present. I like to think of this expression, the present truth, as being truth relevant to the day in which we live. It's always been the present truth. It was the present truth when it was penned by the apostles, by inspiration and New Testament writers. It's the present was the present truth in the days of Mr. Darby and Mr. Kelly and those men that were raised up of God.
It was the present truth in my grandfather and Father's Day and in 2010. Brethren, it's still the present truth. Don't look for some new revelation. God doesn't give fresh revelation at the end of a dispensation. He may give recovered light during a dispensation. He gives fresh enjoyment all along the path of faith, but He does not give fresh revelation at the beginning of a dispensation or administration.
In fact, he brings in judgment because of man's failure to keep that which has been established. But it is the present truth. And Peter said, I'm going to remind you of these things again and again. Now, we've sat in these meetings for the last 2 1/2 days. Have we really heard anything new? Brethren, we've heard truth that we have heard for many years. Many of us grew up coming to these conferences from the very early days of our youth.
00:30:28
From before we could remember, yes, we may have heard things presented in a little different way and by a little different personality, little different connection of scriptures or something like that, but I don't think we've really heard anything new. Do we make apologies for taking up a chapter like this that's been taken up many times? No. Do we make apologies for going over some of the same scriptures and applications and interpretations that we've gone over?
Many times before in meetings like this. No. Why? Because as Peter said, even though you know these things, even though you're established in them and you're going on in them, I'm going to tell you again, Paul said. I think it was to the Philippians to write the same things to you. To me is not grievous or irksome. And to you it is safe, Paul said. For me to repeat the truth to you and remind it, remind you of it again.
Is for your safe safeguard and blessing, Peter says. I'm gonna tell you again and again and again. I wanna say this little encouragement as you go back to your home assembly. I know there are a lot of brothers here and you you haven't taken part this weekend in a setting like this, but you're gonna go home and you're gonna take part in the reading meeting Wednesday night, Thursday night, Sunday night. You're gonna have a responsibility in the local assembly. Don't make apologies for re repetition of the truth. You say we don't. I don't know a whole lot I can't explain.
A whole lot, but when the portions open in red, bring out some simple things. Yes, bring it out in a fresh way in which you've enjoyed it. If you present it fresh, the Spirit of God will use it. But don't feel bad because you don't have some what you feel, some great gift to explain or some great memory. For a lot of scriptures, just present the things you've presented before, because for the brethren, it's needful and it's safe.
Many of us know and remember Him brought this truth out. It's almost identical, brethren, to what we're hearing this very moment.
Brother Paul Javiden stood up and he said, brethren, you can count on this.
If it's true.
It's not new, but if it's new, it's probably not true.
I've always carried that with me.
And now, these many years later, we're bringing out the same thing.
God knows our hearts.
And he knows what's needed for these hearts of ours.
And Scripture over and over again tells us that God, knowing our hearts, sees the need that certain things be brought back over and over and over again to us, because we all, speaking naturally, tend to value something we know over time less.
And there is a tendency, it's an age where I want something new, I want something different, perhaps I want something exciting is the order of the day in which we live. And it's becoming an increasing such. I think it's a work of Satan to accelerate in man or to create in man a dissatisfaction for anything that has been around for a while.
Uh, but brethren, it's a snare.
It's it's a loss to our souls.
The Lord knew our hearts when he said, as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do this in.
Remembrance of me Of all the things in the Christian period, in the period of God's grace and the formation of the Church of God, the one thing that the Lord gave the most emphasis to in that sense by specifically saying in remembrance.
But we have to guard our hearts. We have to be stirred up because the first time maybe we remember the Lord. It was a fantastic experience or something in some but.
00:35:15
I trust that it's even a more fantastic experience today if you've been doing it for 50 years and more because the Lord sees in us that need to refresh the soul in that which is.
Becomes old to the flesh, but is ever new to the new man. Uh.
Little example of it is found in Numbers chapter 29 where you have the, uh, feasts that are kept during the OR were to be kept in the past, but again will be kept in the Millennium. And I think it's rather interesting. And the one that takes place over a period of seven days and it mentions the offering that was to be offered to the Lord on the first day, there were 14 bullocks.
The second day there were 13, the third day there were 12, and it went down every day by one. The number of lambs and other and the the goat, I think, stay the same, but in the Bullock.
Which is that appreciation of what Christ is to God. Even in the Millennium, even in the most favorable of circumstances, God recognizes that there tends to be a depreciation.
Over time a a lessening of appreciation and thank God He alone will sustain us in having the ever immediate.
Fresh looking upon the Lord Jesus Christ for eternity. And will the cross ever be forgotten?
Brethren, there's only one thing.
A new creation that will ever remind us that there was an old creation. It won't be in your body, it won't be in mine, but in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His body. As we look upon him forever. We will see the marks as an ever fresh reminder of the work of Calvary. It'll never be claim old and yet God sees the need for it to be so Ever fresh and remembrance.
That it will be forever seen in His person. So may the Lord help us not to despise going over and over again.
Not saying in our hearts, Well, I didn't learn anything new this conference.
God satisfied if your heart was stirred up in remembrance.
And umm, she made this comment, uh, she said that when I was in teachers college, they told us that, uh, we had to say the same thing a minimum of 38 times preference preferably, uh, preferably about 40 times. The very same, uh, umm, piece of information had to be communicated perhaps in a slightly different way, but it had to be done at least 38 to 40 times for the students to get the, the message.
And so we may not think that we need 40 things, 40 times the same thing, but the Lord knows, and He's able by His Spirit to remind us. And so the apostle here says that he would not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things. So perhaps while he was alive, he was telling them these things verbally, but then he was.
Going to put off his Tabernacle or his tent, his body. He was going to be martyred and.
He was making every effort that after he was gone that the truth would still be communicated to them and that they could be reminded. So to stir you up, putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. I just turned to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and you find there the same thing it says in verse 15, Second Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 15.
Therefore, brethren, he is speaking to those that know the Lord and have an appreciation for the person and the work of Christ. He says, Brethren, stand fast.
And hold the traditions or the traditional teachings of Scripture which we have been taught.
Which ye have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle. And so it's a wonderful thing to come into the assembly and to come to conferences like this and to have oral ministry or to be able to purchase some of the oral ministry on CDs or cassettes that BTP has and to listen to those recorded meetings, perhaps whose faith follows some of those other websites. But we come into the presence of the Lord and hear his word. But then we have the epistles, we have Paul's doctrine, we have Peter's epistles, John's epistles. We need to value those epistles. We need both the.
00:40:25
Oral teaching and the written teaching. And so I just want to reiterate that, uh, we need to be established in the truth and very young people, you may spend $100, umm, you know, at a hotel room, you may spend $50 filling up your gas tank, one gas tank and it doesn't go very far. Umm, but I would just encourage you to start your library. If you don't have a library, start to buy some books every single conference that you go to.
Budget maybe $100 and buy some written ministry, buy some oral ministry, buy something and then read it before you go to the next conference and the Lord will bless you, will honor that desire. But we need to be established. We need the written ministry and the oral ministry. We need the word of God and it's going to take purpose of heart to want to be reminded.
They are related.
We are getting a Sunday school paper every week.
And the many meetings have more than one child. They have several children and they are repeat the Sunday school words every week.
And as an encouragement for all the people, I enjoy sitting there and listen to the brother who.
Hold the Sunday school and they are truly different ones at different times and it's very refreshing.
There's many people, I mean I think most of the UMM meetings get a Sunday school paper and even for the old people now, we always like sit in the Sunday School and to us it's a refreshing time.
When we repeat the words with the children.
And, uh, we listen to the brother who gets the next list explanation. It's always new and it's always refreshing. It's that's one way of just keeping up with the word of God for all the people too.
So Peter has passed off the scene as he anticipated here, Paul has passed off the scene as he anticipated in Second Timothy. And we don't have apostles and.
Prophets in the sense that they did in the early church, but we have their writings, and those writings, as we get in Ephesians, are the foundation the church is built on, the foundation of the apostles and prophets. That is the truth, the ministry that they were given. They laid the foundation, true truth for us.
And that doesn't change. And so as we've been saying, we need to go back and we need to review.
They say in education there are three Rs to education. Review, review, review.
And we need those, those reviews. But then I, and I just want to echo something that's already been said, but you know, it's interesting with Paul.
In Second Timothy, which was, we believe, the last epistle that he wrote by inspiration.
He knew that he was going to shortly thereafter lay down his life as well, and he said to Timothy that he was to take the truth that he had received from Paul and committed to faithful men who were able to teach others. Also. We often say we don't have Apostolic succession, and that's true, but we do have the succession of passing on the apostles doctrine not just to anybody but the faithful man.
And I'm thankful for men that in my, in my growing up, they're with the Lord now, but they were faithful men who sought to pass on the truth to us. A brother who if I said his name here, you many would recognize he's made this statement before he passed away. He said his exercise and desire was to pass on the truth to the next generation in the same purity in which he himself had received it. I thought that was a wonderful exercise.
00:45:04
Not to water it down, yes, to present it in a relevant, applicable way, But not to water it down or to change it. And brethren, that ought to be our exercise. Yes, we're looking for the Lord to come this afternoon, but in the meantime, we need to be exercised to pass on the truth with the same purity in which we ourselves have received it from past generations. And again, not to make apologies for repetition.
So Peter speaks of this and then our time is passing. Then he goes on to speak again of that which is ahead. The coming glory. It's all in view of that, isn't it?
It's all in view of his glory in the coming day of rain and so on.
And manifestation. And then he says we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.
Brethren, I'll just remind you of that experience that we had on the Mount of Transfiguration, that little preview of the coming glory. What encouraged Peter to go on and present the truth and even in a day of ruin and breakdown, what encouraged him to go on and be faithful in that which would have been committed to him? I'm sure in his mind and in his soul, he often went back to that experience. Oh, there's a day of glory coming. There's a day of manifestation coming.
And he to be able to press on and present the truth to his brethren with that in view, I'm sure gave him great strength and daily courage.
What Peter passes on is what he himself has seen.
And experienced and what John passes on in first John in the very first chapter, he tells us, uh, that he wants to pass on that they might have fellowship. What were they? He had seen and heard.
And.
I'd like to make the comment specially for those who pass on.
You can't pass on properly.
What isn't your own truth is truth.
Regardless of who says it, an ungodly man can say truth. An *** can speak to Balaam. Balaam can bless the people of God as God made him do so. But then the Word of God. We always see the messenger connected with his message, and it's a solemn thing to purport to present the truth of God if it's not in its own reality and our own souls.
And that's a serious thing, brethren, that, umm, the brother that would pass on the truth and its purity from one generation to next, I would suggest, if it didn't have its place in his own soul.
In the same measure as from whom he had received it, he wasn't passing it on. In the same measure, I won't say he didn't pass on the truth and accuracy and correctness. Uh, but it's a, it's a matter that when the children of Israel came back from the captivity and they presented the things that had been entrusted to them, uh, when they got back to Jerusalem, as they started the journey, each one was given vessels and other things to carry.
But when they got back and they presented them at the other end of the journey, they presented them not only by measure, that is, you took 10, did you deliver 10, but also by weight, that is, did in a spiritual sense, did they have the same weight in their truth as when they started. And sometimes we lament that we see from one generation to the next.
A loss.
Very often it's not a loss in accuracy of truth, but rather that the truth is not in its living reality, in the soul of the next generation, and so they can't pass it on to the generation. And this tendency goes on. And so we see and Paul, and we see in Peter and we see in John, we know something about those men.
Because God lets us see that the truth that they communicated was also a living reality in their own hearts and in their own lives. Those who were to receive it were to receive it regardless because it was truth, but they also were to communicate it. And Paul even could say, as I also am a follower of Christ. And so it is with us, brethren, let's it ought to humble. I think it does humble us if we recognize sometimes that.
00:50:18
It's not as the world says, what you are speaks so loud I can't hear what you say. And and so the world looks at our lives as to whether that reinforces what we say about the things of God or we don't. And it's not so much what we say to them that has weight with them, but it's whether they see it in our lives in that measure in which we speak of it. And so Peter had a sense of it. One more thought in connection with it. I think Peter was growing between his first and 2nd letter.
Someone else has suggested this. If you go back to his first words, in his first letter, he says Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. Now he writes the letter we're meditating on, and he says Simon Peter, a servant, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
Simon Peter is a little less.
Umm, glorious than just Peter because Simon reminds us of what he started out with and what he was. And in fact, Scripture almost always refers to him as Simon Peter, never once calls him the Apostle Peter. And it's a little bit of a reflection that Peter had. Well, he could have said, hey, I'm an apostle, listen to me.
But he he starts out and he says, this is Simon Peter, I'm a servant and I'm an apostle. He needed to say apostle because of the authority to his words. It was a necessary thing for him to do. But I think he also had grown in the sense of his littleness, and so we need to do the same.
He says that we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty, and then in verse 18 at the beginning, it says this voice which came from heaven we heard.
And so to be a competent witness, he needed to see and he needed to hear. And as you've been saying, when it comes to ourselves and passing on the truth, we need to see the truth for ourselves and enjoy it in our own souls. And umm, we need to hear the voice of the Lord in private sitting at his feet, and then we're able to be competent witnesses to the truth of God. Then you find in John's gospel in connection with the apostle John chapter one and verse one first epistle.
He says from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes.
Which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life. And so there was a special communion that the apostles had.
That the others didn't have, but they were raised up of God. That they might be competent witnesses. What a privilege it is for us to be able to be competent witnesses in this scene that rejected Him and walks in darkness.
Do you recall what happened on that configuration? It was Peter that said mustard is good for us to be here. Let us make 3 tabernacles, one for the one for Moses, one for lies, not knowing what he said. That obviously is not brought out in this chapter. But my point is, is that the things that we fail in in life, the challenges that we face, that through God's help that we overcome is those lessons we never ever forget. I just mentioned to someone yesterday that if you look at the division in Israel that happened in the time of Rehobom.
I believe it was an old division that reappeared when David became king. Initially he was only king over Judah and the rest of Israel followed after uh, Seoul's son.
And that included Benjamin because obviously Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin and the other tribes, but ultimately they all joined and went with David. But when Rehoboam comes around, Benjamin doesn't split off. Benjamin goes on with Judah. And why is? Because I believe that Benjamin had made a decision back in the time of David that they were done with the House of Saul and they were going to follow after the House of David. And so when these trials come in our life and failures come in our life and maybe.
Young person, you're on a pathway back in restoration.
These are good things. They're not things to to to, you know, Peter doesn't dwell on it here. He doesn't bring it out in this chapter, but I just think that it really, he never forgot that incident on the amount of trans, on the amount of transfiguration, in part because of his own failure there and his nothingness that he learned from that.
00:55:16
Wonderful, isn't it, to see here?
That this majesty, this presentation of the millennial glory of the Lord Jesus, a shining above the noonday sun, that they were privileged to witness of the coming day when the Lord and all His official glories is to be seen by man and had this glimpse of it ahead of time, Who gave him the glory?
Who presented it to to the Lord Jesus. It says here verse 17. He received from God the Father honor and glory. What a joy it is to our hearts to say to our God, he deserves it. He deserves it. We we rejoice that God has given him. Umm we couldn't do it, but he we know he deserves it. He's worthy of it.
He doesn't take it unto himself, although he in one sense as as the Son, as the Son of God, He had his own intrinsic glories. But here when it comes to the manifestation before man and he is having taken the place of a man, He, he keeps man's place, which is the one greater is the one that can prestow, come up higher, and so God delights.
To give him as it says here, he received from God the Father and the testimony to the disciples was this is my beloved son. And so God would delight on our hearts this morning to present his Son to our hearts and and say this is my son. I've honored him and what else can we do but as it were, take our place.
Vowing before him and say we want to do it too. Lord, you're worthy.
He wants us to see no man comma save Jesus only, and that that's really his desire for us. And it's interesting that there were two companies on the Mount of Transfiguration. They were representative, but there's two companies. There was Moses and Elijah, which represent to us perhaps the heavenly company.
And there were the three disciples, which represent to us the earthly company.
And in the coming day of glory, Christ is going to be the center of both spheres, isn't he? God is going to make sure that, as it were, we see no man save Jesus only it's going to be his glory, even with his Saints, when we we come back with him, he's coming to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that are about him in that day when the.
Earth looks up and sees the Lord Jesus coming in the open heavens and the heavenly company with with him.
As they look at the heavenly company, what are they going to see? The glories of Christ. They're going to see Christ perfectly reflected in each one of the heavenly company. They don't always see Christ perfectly reflected in our lives. Now, sometimes there are things that come in, but in that day, no matter where they look, they're going to see Christ. And when Christ comes back, it's not going to be Moses and the prophets that are going to be the focus.
When the Lord Jesus was here, the Jews made much of Moses and the prophets, and so you had Moses and Elijah the Lawgiver, and one of the greatest prophets that ever lived in Israel.
And when Peter points them out, immediately they disappear from view. And this voice, this is my beloved Son, and so on. And when they lift up their eyes, they see no man. They don't see Moses and Elijah anymore. They see no man save Jesus only. And so I believe it's a beautiful picture of how both the heavenly and the earthly company in that day of glory are going to be occupied with Christ. It's His glories that are going to be first and foremost. Are we going to talk together in heaven?
Yes. Are we going to commune? Are we going to know one another? We're going to know even as we are known. But I suggest that everything we say and everything we do is going to be relative to the person and work of Christ. And when I look at you, I'm going to see Christ in you perfectly reflected. You're going to see Christ amazing, but you're going to see Christ perfectly reflected in me. And when the heavenly company looks on or the earthly company looks on, they're going to see Christ perfectly reflected.
01:00:23
In the heavenly Saints, as the Kingdom is administrated, administered, everything is going to be relevant to the glories of Christ. What a wonderful thing when all creation sees no man save Jesus only.
But this in Second Corinthians chapter 3.
We had a little of that glory yesterday in Sunday school and other times too in Chapter 4, but going back to Chapter 3.
Uh, here's the contrast between Moses and the giving of the Law and the glory connected with it, which was.
A great glory, but then he says.
In uh, chapter 3, verse 18, as to those the Corinthians to whom he's writing, well, they had that you might say, and Moses day, but we all with open face beholding as in a glass or it's better translated with an unveiled face. The veil has been taken off like Moses.
When he came down off the mount, he they told the people say we can't look at you Moses, you're too bright. You've been in the presence of God. And so they he had to put a veil over his face to mask the brightness that was seen. But it's saying to us, we with an open face, behold, without a veil, the glory of the Lord, What's the result? What is the result of being occupied with the glory of the Lord?
As he now is at the right hand of God.
The result in us is our change.
God, what changes us? I'm gonna be different tomorrow. We say I'm not gonna do this, I'm not gonna do that. That's not really the way it works. Is it practical to be occupied with the Lord Jesus and his glory and and his person? God says it is. He says you be occupied with that. You want something practical? Well, you occupy yourself with him, feed on him as he is, and I'll change you.
I'll change you. I'll take care of the changing part. And so he says we.
Are changed. Changed how? Into the same image? In other words, God says I want you different. I want you to be more like my son, so you occupy yourself with him.
You gazed upon Him, you look upon his glory. You don't have to have a veil over your face because the work of redemption has been done. And I'll look after changing you to be more like Him. And when I'm finished, you'll be just like him when I take you to glory. And so we're changed from the same image, from glory into glory, even as the power of it, the Spirit of God.
And so, brethren, it's, it's a wonderful thing and for us to end up, you might say, the reading part of the, the conference with the fact that we have this wonderful privilege to look upon the one that's called the daystar. Uh, it's an anticipation that this world's night is coming to an end. The world's in, it's in a period of night. The, the light of God is not seen throughout the world today.
It's a, it's a the, the world is morally a very dark place.
The claims of God are not seen in the world in in its activities. It doesn't want them. And consequently it's night. And yet to us God says, you know, if you look up in the sky, I don't see it too much in the Northern hemisphere, but I've seen it beautifully in the southern right before dawn. It gets a little bit darker.
And as it gets a little bit darker, there is one star in the sky that.
Burns more brightly to the human eye and it it's the daystar. And that's the way the Lord Jesus presents is presented to us as the world gets a little darker, darker, darker to the just before the dawn of the millennial day, we can look up at him and he, he's to shine in our hearts.
01:05:12
It's it's that brightness is to have its place shining in our hearts and it prepares us for the day and it it draws us away from the dark.
The third chapter kind of connects with the 1St chapter begins saying, knowing this post, that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lust and saying where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. The Word will tell you that God really doesn't have any interest in you and where is the promise of His coming. But I just have been struck by the thought as Don has mentioned that it speaks of the Daystar rising in our hearts.
It's important that we practically that that the Lord's coming has a practical effect on our lives. You know, when Daniel was off of the third part of the Kingdom, why he didn't want it? Why didn't he want it? Well, he believed what he actually said. He knew that I was about to fall. What good is the Kingdom that's about to be conquered? He knew it. He believed it, He lived it. And so he didn't want any pot in the Kingdom.
That was being offered him. And so that's just one practical example how we can live with the daystar arising in our hearts. So it's showing out practically in our lives. So what do we want with this world? It's going to be destroyed. Well judged, I should say. And then in Peter we find out that the, uh, but with fire, but.
Just an example.
So at the end, after then, before we close, he gives a confirmation as to the sure Word. And there's no uncertainty about what we have in this book, brethren, or what Peter has laid down or any of the other writers have laid down. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. I'd like to say this too, about this 20th verse. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. We won't take time, but it's helpful if you read Mr. Darby's footnote on this verse, it helps to explain it.
Because I have heard this verse taken out of context and.
Used to justify the thought that we can take scripture and we can make some application.
And even though it isn't relevant to the rest of Scripture, no scriptures of private interpretation, that is not the license that this verse is given giving. What this verse is really telling us is that you cannot take scripture out of its context and make a proper interpretation. And every false doctrine that's been propagated and Christendom has been the result over the centuries of directly or indirectly taking a scripture or some scriptures out of their context.
And building a doctrine on it when we take up the word of God, like a jigsaw puzzle, every piece must fit with the whole.
And go into the proper place. That's why Timothy was told to have an outline of truth or an outline of sound words. It all has to fit properly. And so don't take scripture out of its context and make an application or an interpretation that is not truth or according to the whole context of it all. And a brother, an older brother, years ago made a comment to me that's been very helpful to me in my study of the Word of God.
He said, Jim, when you make applications of Scripture, and we do, we've made them in this conference, but he said when you make applications of Scripture, remember that the application cannot be too far removed from the interpretation. That is a very good safeguard and I would just add this, that you can't make proper applications unless you understand the interpretation or the meaning.
And so no scripture is to be taken by itself, or we're going to get twisted and into trouble. We must take up the Scriptures in the light of the whole, realizing that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, realizing that it's all been given by inspiration. Those who recorded these words did not write their own opinions or thoughts or add their own addendum to what they wrote.
01:10:03
Every word of God is pure, and you and I have a responsibility at the end of these meetings.
To act on what we have had from the Word of God. And if we do, then Peter has accomplished what he set out to do. Put us in remembrance of these things, that we might be established, not in something new, but in the present truth, in view of the coming day of glory.
J. Kaiser, T. Kaiser
Open—J. Kaiser, T. Kaiser
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We've had a lot to digest in the past few days.
So I'm going to be.
Very simple, a trust.
And sharing with you something the Lord has laid on my heart over the past few weeks.
And, uh, normally simple, I hope. And not too long either.
The message.
Consists of one of the simplest words.
In the English language.
No.
No, no.
No, no, no.
You know, I raised a few children.
And I was seemed to like for a while when our children were small, I was all the time saying no.
And interestingly, it's one of the first words they learn too. They learn to say no.
But that was the beginning of a relationship.
And you look back, you who are parents, look back how often when you were raising your children, the first communication, almost the first communication you had with them.
And a very frequent communication was no.
And as the child learned to recognize the meaning of that word and to respond to it.
The relationship grew.
Now the word no is a negative word, and we have a society which is predisposed against what they consider negative.
So I'd like to look at a few scriptures together.
And.
See how the negative frequently precedes.
The positive.
Turn to Isaiah, chapter one.
I mean, as parents we love to say yes to our children.
But our children, it seems they've inherited a disposition from us.
That requires us to say no.
And often the no is preceded by yes. We'd rather say yes. We have to say no first sometimes. Isaiah chapter one. This is a first step in our relationship with the Lord too.
I'm not saying it's always the first step, but it is frequently the first step considering this word. No Isaiah chapter one.
And verse.
16.
Wash you, make you clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes.
Cease to do evil, learn to do well.
In other words, you say no to what you've been doing wrong, and then you can learn to do right. That's what God is saying to His people.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do well.
And we've been reminded in the meetings how?
We learn these things, these wonderful truths we've been discussing gradually, and there are things that hinder, and very often the things that hinder are things that we see need to say no to. It's not merely a lack of intellect. You know, Communion is not based on intelligence. It's based on a common heart.
00:05:24
And community with God, community with one another, brother.
Is not based on a common intelligence. There are some brethren here who have a grasp of truth far beyond any I ever hope to have down here. I'll catch up with them later.
Uh, but our fellowship and what hinders our fellowship, I should say, is sin. What hinders our fellowship with the Lord, what hinders our fellowship with our brethren and what as children hinders our fellowship with our parents is sin, self will. And so we have this little message here. Cease to do evil, learn to do well. And you know, the, the, the sad thing is, as I go on in life, I find more and more things I need to see doing.
As the light of God comes into my life, I find more and more things in my life that I need to lay aside and.
But if I don't, as has been brought before us, if we don't lay these things aside, we stunt our growth.
And so it says here's cease to do evil that comes first. Learn to do well. We put away the the thing we know we don't know all the evil that we do. I think of the words of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. We as are as older folk, we can look back and realize all our lives we've been learning the depravity.
Of our own hearts.
We find more and more things that we need to reject.
But that's because we grow in grace too, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And the light shows these things to us. Cease to do evil. Learn to do well. Turn to Chapter 7. You'll see a similar thought.
Isaiah Chapter 7, verse 15. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to what? Refuse the evil and choose the good. Notice again that refusing the evil comes before the knowledge of choosing the good.
Turn to Daniel, Chapter 9.
And I could.
There there are many more passages we could look at. I'm just going to look at a few.
Just to impress this truth on our hearts, Daniel Chapter 9.
For you young people.
This in particularly a burden from my own heart. We think we can dabble with sin.
We think we can flirt with the world and it doesn't hurt us and it's wrong it does.
Everything we do counts for eternity.
You can't go back. You may be able to retrace your steps, but you can't undo them.
Daniel, Chapter 9.
Verse 13, as it is written in the law of Moses. All this evil has come upon us, yet may we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth. It was a continual grief to God through the Old Testament times. His people did not know Him or His ways. Why? Because they were idolatrous.
And so it says here we might turn for my from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. What hinders.
What hinders my understanding? God's mind? It's sin in my life.
Really.
It's not a matter of intellect.
It's nice to have an intellect where you can see no facts and accumulate knowledge, but but what really counts is having God's truth, God's mind for the very step before us. And if we're not been walking intermittent up to that point, we're not going to have the light for that step.
Turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth. Turn to Romans chapter 12.
00:10:03
This line of thought came before me a few weeks ago. I had the privilege of being down at the Lake Junaluku conference and we looked at at umm, Romans 12. We had the readings around Romans 12 and uh, that started the train of thought because I noticed something interesting in Romans 12 and I had been familiar with this passage for years.
Romans chapter 12, verse one.
I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies.
A living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable or intelligent service.
So Paul is saying here, Present your bodies a sacrifice, yield your bodies to God.
You know, we have a wonderful example of that in Daniel's Three Friends. Let's turn back to Daniel for a minute.
Daniel.
Chapter 3 I believe it is.
Yes.
Daniel Chapter 3 we have the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Notice what Nebuchadnezzar says about them. Daniel chapter 3, verse 28.
Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hast sent his Angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the King's word, and yielded their bodies.
There's an example of what we have in Romans chapter 12, verse one. These three young men yielded their bodies.
That they might not notice this negative might not serve nor worship any God except their own God. The yielding was negative. It was something they chose not to do. And if you look in Romans chapter 12 and verse 2 where Paul amplifies what is involved in yielding, notice the first thing he says, Romans chapter 12 and verse two, and be not conformed.
To this world not it's negative.
Spiritual we use the word virtue, spiritual energy, virtue yielding Christian practice is often.
Exemplified in the negative. It's expressed in the negative first of all, things we don't do for the Lord. Then it says be not conformed to this world. Well, then what? Then what? But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. You can't be both.
If we're going to be conformed to this world, we will not be transformed. We won't have time to renew our minds.
By the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
It starts with the negative again.
Turn to chapter 13. It was read earlier this afternoon, chapter 13, verse 12.
The night is Romans 13, verse 12. The knight is far spent. The day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Maybe in your life there's some little secret work of darkness that you've been indulging in. Cast it off. That comes first. You want to be closed with the armor of light. If you really want to be clothed with the armor of light, cast off the work of darkness.
Now we're rewriting. We were reminded in whether reading meetings that virtue, the energy needed to do this, does not come of ourselves. If you're sitting there and saying, well, I'm gonna make a resolution to do it, forget it. Resolutions are not enough.
Tell the Lord you want to do it.
Ask him for the strength.
Claim what he's already given you.
Cast off the works of Darkness and put on the Armor of Light.
00:15:01
Turn to 2nd Corinthians.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 6.
Notice what it says here in UMM.
Verse 11.
O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not restricted in us, but you are restricted in your own bowels. Now I'm going to ask you, does anyone here that would deny that the apostle Paul?
And the other apostles were victorious, happy Christians.
Wouldn't you like to have a life and a testimony like theirs?
So Paul wrote to the wrote to the Corinthians, and some of them felt that they were cramping. What Paul was saying was cramping their style. They felt pressured. Really. They felt convicted.
They felt convicted about some things, and they were resisting that conviction, Paul says. You're not restricted in US, you're restricted in your own affections, your own vowels.
So he says now for recompense, and the same I speak unto my children, be also enlarged.
Well, the world speaks about having being broad minded and having a big heart and so on. When we get to spiritual things, what's involved in having a large heart? Well, it says verse 13, B also enlarged. And how is the heart enlarged? Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, a large heart.
Means a restricted path, a restricted view of things.
Because God and this world are at enmity, there's a conflict. We can't.
Live for the world and live for God. And so it says here, be not against negative again unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness?
Notice what it says in verse 17. Wherefore come out from among them be a separate, saith the Lord.
Here it is again. Negative. Touch not, touch not.
Touch not doesn't say do not. It says touch not.
It doesn't say keep knot or hoard knot. It says touch knot, the unclean thing and I will receive you. Why is it we don't enjoy the Lord's company so often? We're Christians. Well, you don't enjoy being Christians because we allow sin in our lives. We give it a little corner and it offends, it grieves the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus is hindered.
There our fellowship with Christ has hindered. Touch, not the unclean thing. And I will receive you. It's not a matter of us receiving Him.
And I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Now there is a great family relationship.
But it can be hindered by not what we don't do.
Umm Ephesians chapter 5.
Ephesians chapter 5 is involved with associations. Just want to focus on verse 14.
Wherefore thou that sleepest? Wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepest, and arise from among the dead in Christ.
Shall give thee light, see thee walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. There's the negative side again, but the picture here to me is very striking.
We wonder why we don't enjoy fellowship with the Lord as we know we should.
When we're hanging around with dead people.
We choose the Society of the dead. That's what it's talking about here.
If you want to enjoy the light of the Lord, get out of the morgue.
Awake thou that sleepest and arise from among the dead. Naturally speaking, if you went to sleep and you woke up and found yourself in a morgue, you know what you do.
You get out.
You'd want the light.
00:20:00
Let's turn to.
Titus, chapter 2.
By the way, I'd recommend looking these scriptures up in Darby's translation as well, or to get the fullness of them. Sometimes. Some of the sometimes we get hindered by our understanding of Old English. Not that I'm putting down the King James at all, that I'm just saying that it helps sometimes to look at another translation. Umm Titus chapter 2, verse 14.
Well, let's start with verse 11. Titus 211 The grace of God that brings salvation.
Has appeared to all men teaching us that.
Denying.
Ungodly, another translation says It teaches us to say no.
To ungodly lusts to worldly lusts that we should live soberly righteously godly in this present world and so on teaches us to say no that's what it means to deny to say no it teaches us well see we're not under law here this is grace.
Grace, though, is holy. Grace brought Jesus to us. Grace brings us to God.
Grace is always holy.
And the grace of God that brings salvation to all men. It teaches us.
To say no, it teaches us to say no. Are our hearts taught by grace?
Hebrews, chapter 12.
Hebrews chapter 12 and verse one. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Let us lay aside every way. It's a negative thing again. It's getting rid of something. Subtracting is negative. Lay aside every weight.
And the sin which does so easily beside us, the sin of unbelief.
The doubts lay them aside.
Because you know, every now we're, we're not talking about when we're talking about running the race here, we're not talking about a Sprint. We're talking about a marathon. We've talked about a marathon before.
A marathon is a long race where the goal, generally speaking, is not, or often is not visible from the starting line.
So when we're talking about some someone running a marathon, they start out in faith. They don't see the goal. They see it in their mind. They see it in their heart. Their heart is set on it.
But they run in faith that there is an end to that race.
Well, we know there is.
Let us lay aside every weight in the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, we have something else to replace the things that would hinder, that's the Lord Jesus himself. One more verse, I'm done. Uh, first John, this verse again was referred to in the meetings. First John chapter 3 and verse.
20.
For if our heart condemn us.
God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things, beloved. If our heart condemneth not, then have we confidence toward God. I was thinking about this verse. Why doesn't it say conscience? Well, you know, sometimes there's things we haven't done.
We know in our hearts they're wrong.
We haven't done them.
But our hearts condemn us.
If our heart condemns not so, there may be things.
In our hearts, we need to get out. We need to do some heart cleaning.
The Lord knows.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do well.
00:25:10
Feel like the Lords.
Believe Lord, put this on my heart.
I'd like to read in First Corinthians 12.
1St Corinthians 12 and verse 12.
Whereas the body is one.
And have many members.
And all the members of that one body being money.
Our one body, so also is Christ.
For 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, for the body is not one member, but many.
Down to.
Verse 26.
And whether one member suffer.
All the members suffer with it.
Or if one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
No, ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
And God has set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles.
And gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
But covet, covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet shall I unto you a more excellent way.
Been sitting here in these meetings.
Thinking about the body of Christ.
Many of whose members I see sitting here.
We've all been given a function.
All of us.
Means you.
From the front row right to the back.
We've been hearing ministry by given through faithful brethren.
Most of them sitting on the front row.
Perhaps they've been given the gift of teaching.
But we all have a function. We all have a gift.
This means you. This means me.
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it.
Or if one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Brethren.
I mean that, not just as a word.
We are one in Christ.
I need you.
And you need me, because Christ has made us all one.
I can't sit back.
And expect.
The body which I am part of.
To function.
The way it should.
And neither can you.
If we refuse to take orders from our head.
We refuse to obey and fulfill our functions.
00:30:01
I'd like this to be an exhortation.
There are B brethren and sisters.
Who have gifts of teaching.
Or rather that have been using that gift to teach us here in these meetings.
There are women that should be using that gift to teach the younger sisters.
And I know that some of you have been.
I know.
Sisters who've expressed a lack of that teaching in their lives. And I want to exhort the sisters, the older women.
To teach the younger.
I'd like to express myself.
That I've felt and seen. Also a lack of the personal shepherding and teaching.
To help me to help.
The younger brothers, or those who are new in the faith, or those who.
Have been in the past for a long time.
We all need encouragement.
In one place, Paul speaks to a group of believers and says you're going on well, and so I'm praying for you that you would continue to go on well.
Quite often we wait until wow they really left the path. Well, hopefully brings them back.
Pastors.
That feed the flock, not just in teaching, but to pull someone aside, share something that you've enjoyed.
Ask someone how they're doing, really.
Call someone that the Lord has brought to your mind. May be write a letter.
When I was 17, something happened in my life.
And my brother wrote me a letter.
I was 17 and nobody's ever done that to me before. And I was like, wow, I mean, that's sort of nice, but.
I I never thanked him. I never.
Acknowledged it.
But there are things that he expressed in there that he saw in me.
The Lord was doing.
That have helped me.
To recognize that the Lord works in my life.
This says in Philippians 16 that he who has begun a good work and you will complete it.
No, it's not just for older people to encourage people.
We are all members. We all have gifts, specific ones, and some of us have a gift of reaching out and having the right words, or to evangelize, or to help in some physical way. But the Lord can use every one of us as He will. And just because perhaps we're not good at something does not, or perhaps we don't have experience in something does not mean if the Lord puts on my heart to do something.
We're on your heart to do something so I can say, well, you haven't taught me how to do that yet, so I can't do that.
For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
It's not me that ever wants to please God, it's always Him in me that will and will do.
Like 2.
Talk to the young men and young ladies.
When I was about 17, it was a different incident. I was struck.
That I was not living for the Lord. He was not being acknowledged this Lord of my life.
And whether others, I'm sure there were people that cared and and saw it. Nobody that I can remember.
I talked and taking me aside or.
I'm I don't wanna.
00:35:03
There are carrying rather than out there.
Who do?
Council people and there have been many people that I'm very thankful for in my life, but there is a lack of people reaching out.
Finding out how people are doing.
To counsel them privately. It's wonderful to hear the word taught in a meeting like this.
There has been in my memory that I can think of right now one brother.
This specifically.
Reached out to me and.
Took me out to eat.
Every once in a while.
Talk to me about the Lord's things.
Cared about me.
I find it very, very difficult.
To reach out to people.
And I can't do it naturally.
But Christ, Jesus Christ is my life.
And if if you and I let him?
He is not hindered.
Young men.
There are people around you that are hurting just like you. They have the same struggles.
And then have the same Lord that you do.
That need an encouraging word.
You see something in their lives, but the Lord is showing you and put on your heart. Speak them about. Do it.
Sometimes they won't accept it.
The Lord was crucified.
He wished he hadn't come.
I got that letter and I probably threw it away.
But I remember what it said.
I thank the Lord that brother cared.
He saw there was the work of the Lord in my life, and to deny it, to deny.
Christ for your dad in your life is hid with Christ in God.
Christ, who is our life, shall appear.
I've been warned many times and don't wanna go into it too much.
The young ladies.
Thank God.
That there were young ladies in my life as I was a teenager and growing older.
They were.
Walking with the Lord who cared?
That it was obvious.
Didn't care just about attracting attention.
We all need attention and love and care. We do.
But the way you act, the way what you're enjoying in the Lord.
How you dress, how you talk.
Makes a huge difference.
To the brothers in Christ that are around you.
I thank the Lord that.
There have been young ladies in my life that weren't encouragement to me that way.
We all have.
The flesh. We all have pride.
And it comes in in ways that sneak up and whack you behind the head. It's not pretty.
That does not mean.
The Christ is not our life.
We all have gifts.
If we've accepted Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, He is the power in our lives, and nothing can change that.
We need to get out of the way and let him reach out.
1St.
Work in our lives if I'm not enjoying the word, if I'm not walking with the Lord.
00:40:01
And I can say by experience, years of experience.
So I, I know I and I'm looking forward to, with the Lord's help, many more years of experience if He doesn't come first.
That as much as you might wanna help the person next to you.
If you're not enjoying the Lord, then you will not be a help to them. If you are not finding treasures in His Word and just rejoicing in being forgiven and having a new life and having that, there is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus, even if your heart condemns you.
If I'm enjoying the Lord.
Let your light so shine before men. In that light is Christ.
That they may see your good works. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
They may see your good works and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.
We are one body.
You have a function.
And God loves you and puts you there, and he will give.
The strength.
As soon as we stop trying in our own non existent strength, his strength is made perfect in weakness.