Pella Conference: 2019
Table of Contents
Luke 22:7-10
Reading
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Whom have we, Lord, but the soul thirst to satisfy exhaustless spring? The water is free. All other streams are dry, 153.
Frustrating.
Our strings.
Are gone.
Our hearts.
By the artists are at all and their day.
Out of here.
To Lord and.
One more.
Sky Song followed by a wig. No, our heart.
Is.
From our sing to you, it is love.
We take.
The.
I'd like to suggest, brethren, perhaps we might look at.
Luke, chapter 22.
And particularly from verse 7 down to.
Verse 19 but just with a thought of.
Looking at how the Lord instituted the Feast of Remembrance, the Lord's Supper, and then to look at Paul's doctrine and in connection with that and the blessedness of it.
And so I just suggest that my exercise in this is that when we were younger, some of us were younger, we used to often hear ministry on the divine ground of gathering and the blessedness of what it was to be gathered to the Lord's name and how it was a work of the Spirit of God to gather us a miracle.
Not only in our salvation, but a miracle to bring us into the knowledge of the truth, a miracle to gather us by His Spirit under the precious name of the Lord Jesus. And perhaps we could go over those principles and enjoy them together, and those of us that perhaps are a little younger in the room to be able to appreciate those things as well.
So Robert, I would suggest that it that's the mind of the brethren, we read from verse seven through verse 30 today. Would that be?
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22.
And verse 7.
Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, burying a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house where he entereth in, and ye shall say unto the Goodman of the house. The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples?
And he shall show you a large upper room furnished there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them, And they made ready the Passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the 12 apostles with him. And he said unto them, with desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you, before I suffer. For I say unto you, I will not anymore eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves, For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come.
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper.
Saying this cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you.
But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table, and truly the Son of Man goeth as it was determined. But woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed.
They began to inquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing. There was also a strife among them which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercised lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
But ye shall not be so, but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth is not he that sitteth at meat?
But I am among you, as he that serveth ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom.
And sit on the Thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
So this little passage of scripture goes over the last Passover.
That God would recognize in the nation of Israel as the Lord Jesus, who is the type of that lamb that would be offered, that Passover lamb was going to be offered. And so that was the last Passover that God would recognize. Now He introduced a soul in Judaism. They look forward, not feast of the Passover, look forward to the cross of Calvary. It did look back to their redemption from Egypt. And so they were bought and then they were set at liberty.
From Egypt and from the power of the Pharaoh, really a type of Satan. And so they look back to their redemption from Egypt, but they look forward without knowing about it, to the cross of Calvary. And then the Lord Jesus himself introduces the Saints, these apostles. He introduced them to this. What would take the place, you might say, of the Passover? And so the remembrance of the Lord. So were there two meals that are there? They ate the Passover first.
And then after that was finished, then he introduces them into this from verse 1919 and 20, really in connection with the remembrance of the Lord. So it's necessary for us to know that there was a a break. But in that break in type, he shows us in a figure in this little historical event that took place versus 7 down to perhaps verse 15.
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How he would establish his testimony, a new testimony in connection with the Church, and the principles of how that testimony would be established.
So I should say here was the true Passover amongst them about to go to the cross and be offered without spot to God. The the Passover sacrifice in the Old Testament was, as you say, just a pale reflection and a feeble foreshadow of what was in the heart and mind of God. And so the Lord Jesus was going to go as the true Passover. And I just say this, and I've said it before, that there are many types in the Old Testament that are not left up to.
Spiritual discernment or application to apply. They're so vital that we get a hold of that in the New Testament. It is confirmed what they actually represent or foreshadowed. And this is one of them because we are well aware that in first Corinthians chapter 5 and verse seven, it says even Christ, our Passover is sacrificed for us. So when we say Christ was the true Passover, the fulfillment of those passovers in the Old Testament, the Lamb that was taken and the blood slain and the bloodshed, that's not just some application that some discerning brother has has made.
That is actually what it means. So here we have the Lord Jesus and Justice. Think of what was hanging over that cloud that was hanging over this upper room at the time and how it must have impinged the heart of the Lord Jesus. Because we find that Judas the betrayer was going to carry out his awful deed. We find that the Peter was going to be betray him. All the disciples were going to forsake him and flee at the hour of his greatest need.
But isn't it beautiful when you go to the 12Th chapter of John at the beginning of this scene, it says having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And I just say that because as we take up these principles, brethren, it is good for the for us to have our affections enlarged for the person and work of Christ. That's where it's going to have the proper effect. We can take up principles and doctrine, and that's good. We need those principles and doctrine because, brethren.
If we give up these principles, we might as well just become another sect of Christendom. I'm speaking very plainly, but that is the truth of the matter. These are principles that our forefathers paid a price. They bought the truth. They came out from secular and organized religion, and they paid a price when they saw these principles from the Word of God. And I say again, if we give them up, we've given up the very ground on which we profess to meet by grace.
As gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But by the same token, let's get a hold in our souls as we proceed through these principles of the love of the Lord Jesus for us and all that it meant for Him to make these things real and good so we could enjoy them today.
And if we can get a hold in our souls of His love, then it's going to affect our love and deepen our affections and our appreciation as well. Having loved His own, which we're in the world, He loved them unto the end.
Seven, he brings in this statement. The Spirit of God says the Day of Unleavened bread.
Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And so it all looked forward. The Old Testament all looked forward to Christ, and He is the fulfillment of all those types and the direct teaching of those types. He was the fulfillment of it all. And so when it speaks of the Day of Unleavened Bread, there was really two feasts that were very closely connected. One was the Passover, where the Passover lamb would be killed. And as we know, they were going to eat the Passover.
Let's read of it in Exodus chapter 12, just to get the soberness of the event, the feast. It was very closely connected to the Day of Unleavened Bread, but let's read in Exodus chapter 12.
Verse three. Speak unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the 10th day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the House of their fathers, a lamb for a house. And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him then his neighbor next unto his house.
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Take it according to the number of the souls. Every man, according to the eating, shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish a male of the first year. Ye shall take it out from among the sheep or from the goats. And ye shall keep it up until the 14th day of the same month. And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door posts of the houses wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in the night, and that night roast with fire.
And unleavened bread with bitter herbs, shall they eat it, Eat not of it, run, or sought it all with water, but roast with fire his head with his legs, and with the pertinence thereof. And you shall let nothing of it remain until morning, and that which remaineth of it until the morning, he shall burn with fire.
Well, we could read more, but really you can just sense as this passage of Scripture is read of the solemnity of the occasion. There was number laughing. There was, it was a very solemn occasion and there was a land that was killed and it was really a type of the Lord Jesus. And it was set aside for four days and observed to see that it was clean, observed to see that there was no blemish in it.
And the Lord Jesus, perhaps someone has reflected and said the four Gospels presents the Lord Jesus and all of his perfections as the rightful king of Israel in Matthew, and the perfect servant and all of his obedience in Mark's Gospel. And then in Luke's Gospel of the Son of Man, a perfect man in walking and dependence upon his God. And then as the Son of God and John's Gospel, there was no sin in him.
And so the unleavened bread, they ate the unleavened bread. Now the Feast of Unleavened bread, they didn't eat for seven days there, but it was oftentimes in connection with this, the Feast of Unleavened bread, seven days speaks of a lifetime of feeding upon Christ and the sinless.
Walking in a clean path the entire life. And so the Passover was connected in a practical way.
With eating unleavened bread and walking practically in holiness.
And so this is how the Lord Jesus or the Spirit of God introduces this subject in connection with the unleavened bread and the Passover. And then the story unfolds.
So you don't have to turn back to it, but let me read the 15th verse of the 12Th of Exodus, because it follows on seven days shall eat unleavened bread. Even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses. For whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the 7th day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. Now maybe we'll, we'll take a minute and go to 1St Corinthians 5I quoted part of the verse. But there's again the two things are connected.
1 Corinthians 5.
And verse six, Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out there for the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump as ye have, as ye are unleavened for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. So we have the two things they're connected in in in regard to the Lord the Lords Supper.
And we want to make it very clear that Levin is one of those types in Scripture that never varies. Many types vary from context to context, but Levin is one of those types that never varies. And leaven is always a picture of sin and its workings as to not only defiling us, but defiling others. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. The Lord spoke twice of the leaven of the Pharisees. And so we want to be very clear on that. I know there's been some teaching.
That leaven is sometimes a picture of that which is good, and so on. Not so. It's always a picture of sin. Now I want to make another little application in connection with what I read in the 12Th of Exodus. They were to put Levin out of their houses for seven days.
Seven days of the week.
Brethren, and this smites my own conscience. So what I'm saying I'm not pointing the finger at anybody else. If I have to point the finger, I have to point it at my own heart and leave it there. But if we are going to sit down and remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread at the Lord's table, partake of the Lord's Supper at the Lord's table, we ought to be exercised to keep sin out of our homes.
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For seven days of the week, the children of Israel, in order to eat of the Passover, they had to keep that which was a type of sin out of their homes for seven days. I say it exercises my own soul, and perhaps it will exercise yours as well.
Begins chapter 5 where you read verses 7 and eight. Purge out there for the old leaven.
That ye may be a new lump. Now I know he was addressing the whole assembly. But there's individual responsibility as ye are unleavened for even Christ, our Passover sacrifice for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. And so doctrine has an impact upon our walk, the doctrine of Christianity.
You know, they had the minimum standard in connection with God's holiness in the Old Testament. But you and I have the highest blessings that are ever given to man, and we have the highest privileges. And so our you might say that our responsibility is far greater and the Lord desires that we would walk in holiness. Now the verse that we read in First Corinthians chapter 5 speaks of a little leaven, leaveneth the whole lump, and in that context it speaks of moral sin.
In.
I think it's Galatians chapter five. He speaks there of a little, 1111 at the whole lump, and there he's Speaking of doctrinal evil. And both are to be kept. We're to keep ourselves from doctrinal evil as well as moral evil. And so that's why it's so necessary for us to be careful as to where we feed and where we get our doctrine. We need to be careful. Ecclesiastical separation is necessary.
I just wanted to make a comment from that what was read in the 12Th of Exodus, we had the 10th day mentioned there and we also had the 14th day. And I just appreciated the thought that the 10 speaks of responsibility, God, word, the 10 commandments and so on. And then we know that the Lord's public ministry was was over a period of two full years and.
Two partial years, so under Jewish reckoning, that would be for four years.
So that's that brings in the the 14th day. I was just thinking of him as the one that was the Lord Jesus was qualified.
In every aspect to be the sacrifice and so John could declare him as the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God. So I just appreciated that there's no details that are not.
Not important are there in Scripture. God has given them for a purpose. So we have the 10th day and the 14th day. The Lord was the perfectly qualified one. He was responsible to to God. Has he exemplified that before God? I just appreciated that.
While they were still on Jewish ground here. And so the Lord Jesus tells them to go and prepare the Passover.
But I think we need to realize has been alluded to, that the Lord Jesus knew that this was the very spot where after the Passover Supper, he was going to institute the Feast of Remembrance, the New Supper. Of course, when we go to John's Gospel, we get other details about what transpired. Their supper being ended. He rises from the table, girds himself with a towel, He washes the disciples feet. He gives them that precious upper room ministry that we often meditate on and refer to.
But here we find it's more in connection has been said with the Passover supper. They were still on Jewish ground and then the institution of the new supper bringing them into a position where after Christianity was established, there would be a supper provided for them as well. And of course, eating or suppers in Scripture always bring before us the intimacy of fellowship and communion. And so they were going to still have this blessed privilege of the Passover because they were on that ground. But I think it's beautiful that he simply states.
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Knowing that they were not only going to keep the Passover, but they were going to, he was going to institute the new supper. He simply states to them, go and prepare and He leaves it there. He doesn't tell them initially where to prepare. Why? Because He waits for a response from their hearts. And that's why I said earlier, brethren, we need to open our hearts to the person of Christ if the fundamental teachings and doctrines are going to have a practical effect.
Because where the heart is, then the feet will follow. Yes, the conscience needs to be reached too. But here we have the Lord Jesus telling them to go. And it must have thrilled His heart when they said, Where wilt thou that we prepare? Now why did they say this? Because they understood very clearly in the Old Testament under the Mosaic Law and the Levitical order of things, that it was never left up to them where they were to prepare.
In fact, if we were to go back and trace through the book of Deuteronomy, we would find that 21 Times the Lord Jesus, I'm sorry, Jehovah, when they were in the wilderness, he told them that when they entered the land and had rest, that he was going to put a place, his name at a certain point, and that they were to bring their sacrifices there and that they were to come up there and worship and keep the Passover. It was not left up to Israel to decide.
When they got into the land or cast lots as to within whose tribal territory it would be or what city, and when they did get into the land, God did finally choose. He chose Jerusalem, and it was to be the exercise and privilege and joy of every Israelite to come up to Jerusalem year by year, to keep the feast and to worship collectively. That is where Jehovah dwelt amongst his people collectively in the Old Testament.
So realizing this, the disciples immediately say, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And brethren, there's a feast and a supper for us too. And I believe that it thrills the heart of the Lord Jesus when we find out that there is a place where the Lord Jesus is in the midst of his own collectively, and where we can not only break bread, but partake of the Lord's Supper at the Lord's table. When we say, where will thou that we prepare?
Knowing that, again, just as in the Old Testament, so in Christianity the choice is not left up to us.
And can I just say this? And I think it will bear repeating as we go along perhaps, that sometimes I hear people say I trust I'm where the Lord wants me. That sounds very good, but I don't believe that's enough. I believe it's better to say I want to be where the Lord is. Because as soon as I say that, I recognize that there is already a place, a place established on earth where the Lord Jesus has placed his name and where he has promised.
To be in the midst of His own. And if I recognize that and have a true desire to be there, then in one way or another, the Lord is going to guide me and direct me and we're going to see this how He directed. I don't want to get ahead of our verses, but I just say it's important to have that response in our hearts and to recognize that there is a place already established where He is and desire to be there.
I wonder if it would be helpful to look at a couple of verses there, because as you say, they asked him where it wasn't up to human expediency as to select A room or select a place that was comfortable or that was suited their own.
Qualifications perhaps, but in Deuteronomy chapter 12 it says in six times in that chapter and six times in Chapter 11, it speaks of the place which the Lord shall choose.
But in verse 13, This is why they asked this question. Deuteronomy 12 verse 13 take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest, but in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes. There thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings and there thou shalt do all that I command thee so wasn't left up to their choice and I enjoyed this in my own soul. Perhaps you have is that there are some things that God chooses and he has a right to choose.
And he chooses perfectly and He provides perfectly. And so he provided he. I would just suggest some of those things that God chooses. He chose. He chose our parents before we were born and he made a perfect choice. And when I was younger, I didn't think it was really a very perfect choice. I think it's perfect now. I thank God that I submit to that. But He made a perfect choice in connection with our parents. We had no choice in the matter. And then He makes a choice.
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It's his purpose, his choice in connection with the way of salvation. Is it left to me? No. He says there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all. There is only one way of salvation. Sounds very exclusive, but that's God's way. There's only one way and it's his choice. And then when it comes to the place of worship, it's the same thing. He doesn't leave us a place of to choose for ourselves.
And he appoints a place himself, and provides that place. And so here you have this question asked, Where wilt thou? They said unto him, Isn't it nice that the Lord provides those of like precious faith that have an exercise? And so he selected these two disciples, Peter the apostle of action, and that one who would be so prominent at the beginning of the church period in unfolding the things of God and preaching the gospel.
Of repentance to the Jews and to the Jewish nation for those first perhaps 7 chapters of Acts particularly. And so Peter was there, and John the Apostle of affection, and that one that leaned upon Jesus bosom. And so he sends them out.
And they, they had that desire together to ask him that question. And so they were willing to let him choose. It's a principle of blessing in your life and mine, not only in the spiritual realm, but in the natural realm realm, to allow the Lord to choose for us. And it's a place of blessing. It's a spirit of blessing in our souls if we allow him to choose for us. So have you asked the Lord, Where will thou?
Do.
12Th of Deuteronomy And I just wanted to make a couple of comments because I think that this whole question of one place is something that the enemy is bringing up. And, and when you think about it, as soon as you introduce the thought that there could be more than one place where the Lord is pleased to put his name and what it does, is it it raises the question in your mind and in every believer's mind, am I at that place or, or am I not?
And I believe it's, it's being used right now. And I just, I want to say this cautiously, but I feel like it's, it's something that we're not hearing as much ministry on. It's, it's something that is being challenged. And one thing I wanted to point out in this 12Th chapter that was instructive to me was in verse 2, the Lord's instructions to his people there is that they would utterly destroy.
And notice this.
All the places.
Were in the nations which ye possessed served their gods. So the Lord is saying, I want you to go in in this land that I'm giving you and I want you to remove all these places, a multiplicity of places that where they worship their God. And I'm going to put my name in one place. So one thing that marks this this is that there is one place and it's the place of unity.
It's where the Lord in verse five, the Lord your God shall choose out of all the tribes to put his name there also. It's the dwelling place of God. It says in verse two and verse five again it says even unto his habitation.
So he's in the assembly, he's pleased to put his name there, and it speaks of it as a dwelling place of God. And then?
It's also a place of rejoicing and.
The burnt offering is is offered there in verse 7.
There ye shall eat before the Lord your God. Ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto ye in your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.
So not only is it where we come to remember the Lord, but it should be a place of rejoicing because He is there. And then he says He will put his name there, as we've had already mentioned verse five and verse 11 and 21 and so on. And then it even goes as far in verse 27 to refer to it as the altar of the Lord thy God. And the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the Lord thy God, and thou shalt eat his flesh. So I've just enjoyed these marks of this place, but.
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Just to say again that there is one place, brethren, and our desire should be to be there. And the Spirit of God is saving souls. And as was mentioned early on, he's saving souls and he's gathering them to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he's not going to gather Saints and division. That is not his work. He adds and multiplies as we have in the book of Acts, but he doesn't divide and scatter.
That's the work of the enemy. So may the Lord encourage us that there is a place, and I believe he's, he's provided instruction in his word as to how we can be there. And it's a place where He is, where he habitates. There's rejoicing there, and He wants us to be encouraged in that.
So let's this thought slip away. We don't get back to it. Let's develop it for a few moments because I think what's been said is extremely helpful and it's the truth of the Word of God. I'll preface my remarks by saying this. The problem is we so often miss apply Scripture and take it out of its context. And in the Word of God there are two aspects of things in this regard. There's the individual aspect of things and the collective side of things.
The problem is when we misapply the individual with the collective and vice versa. We need to take everything in its proper context before we develop this. I'll just give you another example completely out of context but just to prove my point. The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me, that's individual. What is the comparable truth concerning the collective side of it? Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. So I think you see the point.
Now to go back to what Robert and John have said, the Lord Jesus, there's a difference between the Lord Jesus being with us individually and being in the midst collectively. They are two very distinct truths. One is individual and one is collective. So individually the Lord Jesus said, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. It says in Hebrews, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
Every believer on the face of the earth this morning has the individual enjoyment, or at least they have the Lord with them, whether they're enjoying it or not. The Lord Jesus is with every individual believer. Let me just say this then. Wherever Christians meet collectively for any purpose, the Lord is with them because he's with every individual believer, and we don't want to forget that.
And then the measure in which the Spirit of God is given liberty when Christians are together, the Spirit of God can minister Christ and can lead in praise and worship and so on. The Lord is with every individual believer. But to follow this up, let's go to the 24th chapter of Luke because I think you see it there very, very distinctly. So again, let me just say this while you're turning to it. Lo, I am with you always, even under the end of the age, individual collectively, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I.
Not with them there am I in the midst of them. Because when it's in the midst, it's the focal point. We're with one another at this conference, but none of us are the focal point. Christ is the focal point, the one who's in the midst. It's like the wagon wheel, the hub of the old fashioned wagon wheel. It's in the midst and it holds everything else together. And the closer the spokes are to the hub, the closer they are to one another. That's another subject. But just to prove my point here, to make my point from Scripture, because we always want to see these things from the Word of God.
To get the context here, we find that after the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead.
There were two individuals who were very discouraged and they decided to leave Jerusalem. Now I know in a sense Jerusalem had already been set aside. It was the city of shame that had rejected the Lord Jesus, taking him outside their walls and nailed him to a Roman jibbit. I realized that. But in a sense, let's think of it as still it was. It had things hadn't been established in Christianity yet here they were leaving Jerusalem, leaving the others who were gathered together in the upper room.
Now notice what the language as the Lord joins Himself to these two on the way to Emmaus.
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Verse 15, Luke 24, verse 15. And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, now notice this, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. See, even when we're discouraged, even when we're on the wrong path, going the opposite direction, the Lord doesn't leave us or forsake us. He's always with us as individuals. Now they get to Emmaus. Just drop down to verse 28.
And they drew nigh unto the village, whether they went. And he made as though he would have gone further. And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. Now notice this. And he went into tarry with them. Same language he's with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them.
He was with them on the road to Emmaus. He was with them in their home. Now, we won't read all this, but as soon as they recognize him, he disappears. Why?
Because they were in the wrong place. They should have been back in Jerusalem with the other disciples. And so as soon as they recognized Him at their table, He vanishes out of their sight. He'd worked in their hearts. Their hearts had burned within them, in them. They say that, well, I'll read it, verse 32. And they said one to another. Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us, by the way, and while He opened to us the Scripture, immediately they rise up and they return to Jerusalem. Now I want to notice the change in language.
Verse 36 They've come back now they're telling the disciples what had happened.
Verse 36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood not with them, but in the midst. They were back where they should have been. They were back where the other disciples were gathered together in obedience to the word of the Lord. And when they got back there, the Lord Jesus was not just with them as individuals. He was now the focal point. They were in the right place and He was in their midst. So I just say that because I think what's been said is very helpful.
Now, if you'll just allow me, when we go back to our chapter, when they ask this question and the Lord sends them, He gives them very specific directions because there may have been other.
True Israelites, godly Israelites, in other parts of the city, even in the same house, shall I say even in other rooms of that house, who kept the Passover.
And they may have kept it to the latter of what was given in the Old Testament, but there was only one room where it says when the hour was come, he sat down and the 12 apostles with them. And I'm thankful for every believer that breaks bread wherever they are.
And the Lord is with them, but there is only one place, as John has said, and that is to follow the divine instructions. And we'll speak of that in a few moments, I'm sure, but to follow the divine instructions so that we cannot just break bread. Brethren, there is still at this late hour not just the privilege of breaking bread.
But there is the privilege by grace, and I want to stress that it is only by the grace of God, nothing in you or me. It is only the grace of God. But there is still the privilege of not just breaking bread, but partaking of the Lord's Supper. At the Lord's table. There is only one supper, and there's only one table as we get in First Corinthians.
Say in connection with to build a little on what John was saying a little earlier is that the habitation of the Lord in chapter 15 of Exodus, we'll just read the first time that it's used that term in verse two. It's Moses, the song of Moses, Exodus 15, verse two. So on redemption grounds.
The Lord is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. He is my God and I will prepare him in habitation.
My Father is God, and I will exalt him. That's the first time that that term is used.
In Scripture, but you know, in the nation of Israel, these things were corrupted. It's wonderful, you know, to think that they could come into the place in the Old Testament, the Tabernacle 1St and then the temple, and they could come into the presence of the Lord, but there was limited access to the presence of the Lord. And in chapter 25 of Exodus in principle he says, I'm going to read it and just.
Tell you what it says in the French translation. It's very precious to think of how the Spirit of God has worded this. But in chapter 25 of Exodus, verse eight, let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. In the French translation, dwell in the midst of them. Isn't that lovely? And so when you and I come into the presence of the Lord, we're coming into the place, into the presence of the Lord. We're coming to remember the Lord Jesus in his death and by grace and by faith.
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We can say we're gathered by the Spirit of God under the precious name of the Lord Jesus. We're coming into his presence collectively. We're coming into the place where he dwells in the midst of his people. And so in the Old Testament, we know in tight what happened is that they had two types of high places. And John read some of those little points there in Deuteronomy chapter 12, but they had two types of of high places. They had high places wherein they practiced.
Idolatry, and it was religious practice, but it had nothing to do with the living God. And the children of Israel were going to the land of promise, and they were to destroy all of those places. But then we find in the Old Testament, this historical books, that they had high places where they practiced Judaism. So they set up, you might say, an imitation of what was taking place in Jerusalem, and they practiced Judaism.
But not at the divine center where God had appointed them. And so it's helpful, I believe, to see that those two types of high places in the Old Testament, and they will give us discernment in connection with what it is to be truly gathered to the Lord's name. So isn't it wonderful to have an exercise to ask the Lord, what wilt thou where wilt thou that we prepare and to give him the choice and he will always lead to where Christ is in the midst. The Spirit of God will always.
Lead us to where He is in the midst. And I could give you examples of different individuals. I could tell you stories of dear Saints of God in Brazil and other places, even in North America that got down on their knees and in all of the confusion and Christianity were distressed and cried to the Lord and asked them to show Him, to show them where that place was. And the Spirit of God by the word of God, LED them in grace to that place.
There's two principles that.
Guide the Christians life that God is looking for.
The one is dependence. We see these perfectly displayed in the Lord Jesus.
Perfectly dependent upon God in His.
Humanity. So we have both of these things in the early part.
Of this account, we have the disciples asking the Lord and I, I, it's already been mentioned, but I've I've so much appreciated the fact that the Lord left his disciples to express their dependence. He didn't just give them instructions right away, but he left them to express their dependence. And I, I do believe that.
He does that for us. He there's.
Myriads of places that a believer could could meet to have Christian fellowship could enjoy the Lord, but God leaves us to express our dependence and.
We we do have to realize that there's many believers that we love in.
The surroundings of our lives that don't see or understand these principles, we don't have any desire to look down upon them, but God has given us this beautiful this just the other day I was sitting with the brother who was not real clear on the on the subject that we have here and I didn't have any desire to force him to be clear on it, but it at the reading after.
After dinner we just we just read this portion and I just, I just read this example of the Lord Jesus.
Giving his disciples instruction for guidance as to where and so dependence is the one absolutely necessary attitude for the believer to have.
God, that's the only thing that's going to bring glory to God, and the Lord Jesus did it perfectly. But then.
The second thing is, is obedience. So dependence and obedience. And we see the disciples were perfectly obedient.
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In their carrying out the instruction that they received through dependence. And so you know, if if we're going to we're going to get down into the part of this chapter where we were introduced to the man bearing the pitcher of water. We're going to get to that point. We're going to see the principles that are connected with that. There's everything that they needed was provided for them to get.
To the place where the Lord wanted them to be, to hold the feast. And yet there's two very important principles and that is they were completely dependent upon the Lord. And when the Lord gave them instruction, they were obedient to what the Lord had given to them. So you know, it's really the Christian life is very simple. We have a nature that wants to do both of these things. We have in nature that loves.
To go to the Lord and ask Him for direction. We have a nature that loves.
To do the direct to carry through with the instruction that the Lord gives us. It's his nature and we've seen it so perfectly in the Lord Jesus. So it's in one sense, if we're walking in the enjoyment of our new life, these things will I as Robert was saying, we've all we've all come across, we've all been exposed to those who didn't have the privilege that many of us have being raised.
In the light of all of these things, most of us sitting in this room have been.
Privileged to have the light of these things from from birth.
But there's been there's many that have not had the light of them and and yet the Spirit of God just causes them to realize that the condition of Christendom is not what God intended it for it to be and they find themselves.
In very unsatisfying circumstances and they begin.
To ask this question where would either that we prepare and we've seen it. We know that this is this is how the Spirit of God works. It's right here in this chapter and there is guidance and we're going to enjoy that as we go through this this this chapter.
Points in connection with it you said dependence and obedience, and I believe with the Lord Jesus there was also submission.
He said there are four things really that carried the Lord Jesus through this scene. Dependence upon his Father and obedience to the will of his God and Father and submission. He says not my will, but thine be done.
And then there was love to his Father, and I think it's already been mentioned, love. And so there was utmost love to the Father. So those four things characterized even these disciples. They would have to act upon those four principles.
And that's really what leads us into the presence of the Lord, as we imitate the Lord in those things, those the dependents, obedience, submission to the will of God, not my will, but his will, and then love for the Lord.
Only, as Phil has alluded to, and I think it's important, it's only by the grace of God that any of us see any aspect of the truth. None of us would have got saved apart from the Lord opening our eyes and giving us understanding.
We can get up and present John 316 and all the simplicity in which it is written, but it has to be a work of the Spirit of God. And brethren, I want to keep reminding our hearts of this as we go along, that the position we find ourselves in today. If we find ourselves, and I believe we do, by the grace of God gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is only because of a work of the Spirit of God. It's the man bearing the picture of water that will comment on in a moment, but it is only.
The grace of God that has worked by the Spirit of God. It is God that works in you.
Both to will and to do of His good pleasure. And if you and I find ourselves at the place we find ourselves today, it is not because of anything special in ourselves. It is not because we somehow saw these things intellectually, or we were more pious or God fearing. No, it is only by the grace of God. And that's why we never want to, has been said. Look down on those who perhaps have never seen this truth.
00:55:06
Nor, as Phil has said, can we force others to see it. We need to be faithful in presenting that any aspect of the truth as opportunity presents itself. But as First Corinthians 14 explains to us, we only have the privilege of presenting the truth, speaking it clearly and simply, and the Spirit of God in a way that the Spirit of God can take it and apply it to the conscience and the heart and open the eyes of our of our fellow believers.
I say this is vital. We don't want to take these things, and I'm not criticizing because I don't believe we have, but we just want to be careful that we don't want to take up these things in either just an intellectual way or a boastful way. It is all the grace of God. Now you find here with the disciples, then there's three spheres that they enter here and I want to make an application. And brethren, I don't want to go too far with with applications and illustrations, but I believe it fits.
In connection with the line of things we're taking up, first of all, they were to enter the city. Now cities speak to us of this world in its confusion, and not just the godless world, but the religious world in its confusion. So the first mention of a city is back in Genesis, Cain went having.
Offered a false sacrifice, a sacrifice that was not acceptable to God. He went out from the presence of the Lord, and he built a city. Always. If you want to know what something really means, go back to the first time it's mentioned in Scripture. An older brother gave me that hint when I was young, and it's been a real help to me. So a city speaks as you follow through the confusion of this world, whether it's the godless world or whether it's the religious world. It speaks of the confusion of this world.
In all apart from God.
Should we wait till the?
There we go.
They so so they enter the city. That's this world we're in this world. We're in a world of confusion. And not only is this a world of godless confusion, we're in the midst of religious confusion, perhaps like never before.
Then they were to enter the house. Now again, I don't want to go too far, but we find in Second Timothy that profession has become a great house. And that's why I said earlier, perhaps there were other, even God fearing Jews in other rooms of that house that kept the Passover. And so we have many believers scattered and Christendom in the great house. And we're thankful for them and we're thankful that the Lord sorts profession and reality out and the Lord knows them that are His.
But it wasn't enough for them to go into the city. It wasn't enough for them to even enter the house. They were going to be showed by the man bearing the picture of water. They were going to be showed a specific room in that house where the Lord was going to sit down in the midst of his own. Now, there were two characteristics of that room. It had to be upper because that speaks of a real degree of separation. And so it's like those in.
Acts chapter 20. They met in the third loft. 3 speaks of death and resurrection. It's separation.
To Christ who has died and risen. And so it was an upper room.
And then it was large. It didn't really, practically speaking, have to be very large on that occasion. There were only going to be, besides the Lord, 12 or so men. So it didn't have to be large. Why does the Spirit of God record that it was large? Because the ground of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus is the largest ground on which we can meet. I want to give you a little practical example. Brother Garvin Seymour, whose name you hear often, he laborers for the Lord very faithfully in the Caribbean and the English speaking countries, country of South America, Guyana. And I travel with Garvin extensively through those countries.
And as we go about, we have the privilege of ministering to many Christians, many Christians who will perhaps never be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
But, and we have the privilege of going into many institutions and preaching the gospel and Garvin and I often at the end of a day we say, aren't we? Aren't we glad that we're not shackled by some of the great names of Christendom because being gathered to the Lord's name gives us the broadest sphere of service that is possible. If I say, and I won't use any names, I don't want to offend anybody, But if we say we're connected with such and such a group and Christendom, that immediately is going to limit our sphere of service.
01:00:12
To that particular group. But when we say we're Christians here to minister Christ and we're not, we're not connected with any of the so-called denominations that men have set up and been scattered into. That gives us such a broad sphere of service. It's it's a tremendous thing. So it was an upper room separation from all that was going around religiously and otherwise in Jerusalem that night. Jerusalem had religion, but it had religion without Christ. And there's a lot of that today.
But then it was large.
To give to us the thought and the truth that the ground of being gathered where the Lord is in the midst to His name, is the largest ground that is possible.
And it embraces every believer.
And it is normal Christianity for a believer to be gathered to the Lord's name, given to christen Christians, isn't there? One is baptism and the other is this due in remembrance of me? In Judaism they had something like 613 laws or whatever and they couldn't even remember 10, not even hardly one. But you and I are only given 2 ordinances in connection with Christianity. And he desires us to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
And to remember him in his death, I might just say, too, in connection with the third loft, it has to do with the heavenly side of the truth. And so Paul was there in that third loft. It's the heavenly truth. And you and I don't belong to this earth, and neither does the church. It was an upper room because it didn't belong to this world.
And so the church is a living Organism, a heavenly Organism in this world, and we walk as strangers and pilgrims. So that's why it's a guest chamber. We don't belong here. And the Lord introduced him that these dear disciples, he introduced them himself.
To this large upper room. And if you'll notice in Mr. Darby's translation marks Gospel chapter 14 verse 14, he says where is my guest chamber? And so the assembly doesn't belong to the local brethren here, doesn't belong to you or I, It's his assembly. And so it was the temple of the Lord in the Old Testament. It was the Tabernacle of the Lord. It wasn't Moses Tabernacle, it wasn't the Tabernacle of the children of Israel. I know it's termed that in some.
Places, but it was the Lord's place and so we come into the presence of the Lord. It's a guest chamber and it's also the same word as I say in the French, the dwelling place of the Lord and I think the inn in Lukes Gospel chapter 10, Mr. Willis GC Willis in his little book the hid treasures mentioned since the same word the in the guest chamber, his dwelling place and it's just lovely to see it and to appreciate it and we just say that.
We should be very thankful, shouldn't we, that we were saved by the grace of God? We had absolutely nothing to do with it in the sense that after we were saved, we're responsible. I know. But in the sovereignty of God, He chose you and I before the foundations of this world. And in the grace of God, He has brought us into the knowledge of the truth. And if there's any been any diligence on our part to search it out and to learn it, to enjoy it, to thank Him for it. It's a sovereignty of God. And if we're gathered by the Spirit of God into the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
Sovereignty of God, because unless it was a work of God, none of us would be gathered to the Lord's name.
It's a work of God, and I say we ought to be thankful to the Lord and we ought to thank him for it because it is, as Jim has said, normal Christianity. It's normal for someone who gets saved to be to be baptized and for those that are perhaps preaching the gospel and giving them the gospel to baptize them, it's normal. And then to be gathered to the Lord's name is a normal experience in Christendom, in Christianity.
And so you and I are living normal Christianities. Marvelous grace of God. How thankful we should be.
We might just comment on the last part of verse 10. Perhaps we there's more that could be said, but it says follow him into the house.
And it's necessary, brethren, to follow the instructions of the Word of God, to follow the leading of the Spirit of God in connection with what it is to be found at the Lord's table.
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I have desired to eat this Passover. Not only is it wonderful thing for us to be found where the Lord has chosen to place His name, but I believe it's the Lorde heart is warm, if I might put it that way. He desires to have us there. He desires to be with us.
Could we sing #21 Verses two and four of #21?
Things that Hinder, Prosper, Suffer the Church
Address—Robert Boulard
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.
Five in the appendix.
#5 in the appendix.
Come thou fountain.
During my heart screams of murder see never mercy the same.
All four sings love songs of praise Jesus, Lord.
Lord, I fell in the best of her.
Dangerously.
Where is my.
Spirit from the world.
Rescue all songs and painter.
Where the Lord?
Say that's love.
May I walk on earth but pray.
Let's turn just to introduce the subject.
To my but I have on my heart to Proverbs chapter 16. Proverbs 16, verse 31.
I've been thinking a little bit about the legacy of different ones that.
In Scripture, the legacy every one of us is living every day, one day at a time, and at the end of it all, your, your life and mine is going to be summed up.
Somebody will have about 3 or 4 sentences to say.
We perhaps read obituaries every now and then and we have a little summation of life and how a man or woman sees that life while your life is being lived one day at a time. Historically the record is being kept and will soon be reviewed in the presence of the Lord. So Proverbs 16, verse 31, it says the hoary head or the Whitehead is a crown of glory.
If it be found in the way of righteousness, and then in Second Timothy chapter 4.
Connection with the Apostle Paul.
He says in verse 6.
Second Timothy, chapter 4, verse six. For I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure at hand. I fought the good, a good fight. I finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only.
But unto all them also that love his appearing.
So wonderful we have a crown of righteousness, really a crown of glory in Proverbs chapter 16. Now we have a crown of righteousness and God is interested in not only the beginning of your life, but the end of it. And how often we used to be reminded when we were younger.
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Those in this room by brother Gordon Hale and how he used to tell us how wonderful it was to have a good beginning in life, but to make sure that we had a good ending in life. And so let's look at three things that characterized the church in the day that we live in really I'm going to really I'd like to speak of nine things that we're only going to have maybe.
A couple of minutes on each point, but three things that hinder the church.
The church testimony in the day that we live in three things that the church prospered under and three things that the church suffers under. And so let's start with those things that under which the church prospers and the first one really is suffering or really pain. So let's look at.
It's just for a type of it in Exodus chapter one.
We'll, we'll hit just skip around a few places here as we speak because the subjects are scattered throughout, but I'd like to look at the New Testament equivalents in each one of these points. So the church prospered when there was suffering. And we read where we had before us this morning in prayer, meeting our beloved brethren in India.
Their suffering, their suffering persecution, but their suffering.
There are those that suffer pain suffer in different ways, but in Egypt in Exodus chapter one it says that.
Let's read from verse 11. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens, and they built for Pharaoh, treasure cities, Python, and Ramseys. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew, and they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor. They made their lives bitter or bitter with hard ******* in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field oil in all. Their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor. And so really it speaks of severity and cruelty.
Well, isn't it wonderful? God is never defeated by what man does and the pain and the suffering that was caused by the king of Egypt and his program in connection with the people of God says in verse 12, the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. Well, you know, it's the same thing in connection with the church. We sometimes wonder why is there so much suffering?
Why is there so much pain?
Why is there so much sickness? Why do you have to go through these things?
But you know, the Lord has a purpose.
Has a purpose and his desire is that there would be blessing. I think it's in Second Corinthians. It speaks, I think it's Second Corinthians chapter 4. It speaks of how we there's a purpose on the part of the Lord. And yeah, it's verse 17.
Well, let's read verse 16, for which 'cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
And so God is working in your life and in mine, and allowing suffering.
That there might be more of the characteristics of Christ seen in US and he's working out things that there might be fruit for himself in your life and mind. So there's suffering and when there's suffering, why there's growth and the church prospers. And so we know that in the New Testament when there was suffering, we'll just turn just thinking of the apostle Paul and.
Silas in Acts chapter 16 and it's says there.
After they were beaten and they were suffering at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed. Verse 25 Acts 1625 They prayed and sang praises unto God. The prisoners heard them.
You know, there was an assembly formed as a result of that suffering and that assembly prospered and there was an assembly in Philippi. They were characterized, we'll learn other places that they were impoverished. They were poor and yet they took of the poverty that they had in their poverty and they saw the needs of the apostle Paul may fill those needs and sacrificial love and thankfulness to the apostle and for his ministry.
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They took of their in their poverty and they provided for his needs.
Churches really prospered when it has been characterized by.
Poverty and by pain and so the second thing is really persecution. We know that persecution came in among the church. Let's look at.
Acts Chapter 8.
And we'll find there that there was persecution, so there's poverty.
There's pain, there's persecution.
There's pain, there's suffering, The Lord is allowing it that we might be more conformed to the image of Christ. But then there's persecution. Says in chapter 8, Saul was consenting unto the death, unto his death, that Stephen. 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.
So we think of the persecution going on in Egypt.
We think of the persecution going on in India.
We think of the persecution of those that leave the church systems in places like Brazil and.
They're persecuted, they're shunned by those they once met with, and some of they they suffer the rejection of their family and they suffer persecution of the sometimes of the authorities. And the church has always prospered under the persecution of this world.
And the persecution of those two that were real, that were professing believers. But isn't it nice in this little passage in Acts chapter 8, there's a measure to the persecution. And God is in control. He allows persecution and just to this point. And so he says that they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judah and Samaria, except the apostles. Isn't that nice to know that when there is persecution among the people of God?
The church prospers and there is blessing. The Lord is allowing it and I believe that we can thank Him that He is able to preserve his own through it. Let's look at.
Acts Chapter 11 And we'll find there that they went out and they preached the gospel. Acts 11, verse 19. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as finesse in Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the Word.
To none but unto the Jews only, and some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecian is preaching the Lord Jesus, and the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed.
And turned unto the Lord.
So while we don't appreciate persecution, we don't like to be persecuted, we don't like to feel the wrath of the enemy and the feel the opposition of those in political power. The Lord allows it. And the church historically has prospered as a result of persecution. And God in his purposes allowed that. There would be an assembly formed in Antioch, and you might say it became the home assembly of the apostle Paul.
His home assembly was not Jerusalem. And so that Gentile assembly was raised up. There was pain, there was suffering. There was an assembly that rose up in Philippi. And you'll notice that in the passage of Scripture, in the Old Test, in the New Testament, particularly when there was persecution, there was fruit for God. And then when things got easy, why then things started to.
Become a little more difficult spiritually.
Well then we find too that there is poverty. And if we look at the end of that chapter, Acts Chapter 11, it says in verse 27 that in these days came prophets from Jerusalem on the Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world, or a drought through all the world, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according.
Visibility determined to send relief unto the brethren which were at Judea, which also they did and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. So there was poverty, there was difficulty connection with a drought at that time, and there was financial difficulty. We know that the apostle Paul, he was called Saul here in Barnabas, were used of God to take funds from the Gentile.
00:15:11
Assemblies.
And to take the those funds and to bring them to Judea and for the blessing of the Saints. Remember at the beginning of the church period, they came, I think Sacks chapter four. They came and they sold property. They laid the money down at the apostles feet and so on. Barnabas did even himself. And then when hard times came, they didn't have the resources to be able to provide for themselves. And so there was poverty and the Saints of God generally.
Prospered in their souls when there has been poverty. And I believe that this is one of the things that hinders us in the Western Christian world is that we don't know what it is to be impoverished. We don't know what it is to suffer persecution.
And we don't know what it is really to suffer. The Lord is allowing us some pain. He's allowing us to suffer physical, physically and disease and different things. And you know the apostle Paul, he writes, I think it's Ephesians chapter 5, verse 20. And he says giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so we can thank the Lord for the pain that he allows in life. It's not that he doesn't do it with a loving.
And with a purpose for our blessing and for his glory, so we can thank him for the pain and the suffering. We can thank him for the any measure of persecution. It says that they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. And so those that desire to live for the Lord piously. I think that's Mr. Darby's translation.
In that passage they will suffer persecution. So if you identify with the Lord Jesus.
The Christ Jesus, that one who has arisen, glorified man on high. You're going to suffer something of the animosity of this world that hated the Lord Jesus and crucified him.
I just recount a little incident there was.
Man.
And he lives in Ohio in near Wooster, OH.
His name is Dan Strong. He was brought up Roman Catholic.
And ran a printing business, still runs a printing business, graphic arts, and so on. And so we bought graphic materials from them and printing and instruction sheets, whatever it might be packaging, and spoke of the Lord with them over the years. But you know, one day he got saved. He took Christ as a savior, as a Roman Catholic. He left that system.
And we used to get together every Tuesday morning.
The restaurant and have breakfast, take our Bibles and it wasn't he might have been saved maybe three weeks, 4 weeks came to the restaurant, open up our Bibles and he said, you know, he said, you know, the church really didn't do.
The persecution under the Roman Catholic Church, he says. I'm, I'm learning about how the Christians, true Christians were, were really persecuted under the Catholic Church and everything.
He says, but really, it didn't do Satan's job, he says the church seemed to prosper under the persecution, he says. But you know, I've been observing, he says, in the Christian world here in the prosperity. He says prosperity is working far beyond his wildest dreams. It's just destroying the church. And here is the perception of a man only saved for three or four weeks.
Oh, beloved brethren, we live in a day of prosperity.
But I trust that we'll use what we have for the glory of Christ. We won't use it for our own pleasure, but we'll use it for the furtherance of the things of God and for the people of God. And that we might recognize the need of our brethren in different places. I'll just refer to one more passage of Scripture, Hebrews chapter 13, and it says.
There verse three remember them which are in bonds.
With them and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body, so you and I have a body. It's not Speaking of the body of Christ in one body, but Speaking of the body. We know what it is to suffer. And let's not forget our brethren that are an affliction. We live in very favored circumstances, but let's remember that these brethren that are suffering in other places.
00:20:09
They suffer and.
Let's pray for them, and let's do what we can to ease that suffering.
Well, let's look at three other things that perhaps that hinder the church and if we could look at perhaps.
Galatians, chapter 5.
It just gives us the principle there.
Galatians chapter 5 and I was thinking of the.
Verse seven Ye did run well, who did hinder you?
That you should not obey the truth. This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Well, there are those things that hinder the church today, and one of those things is bad doctrine. And as we mentioned this morning, there is leaven. There's two types of leaven that the Apostle Paul speaks of, and it always speaks of sin. It's never a good thing and it works silently. It's Levin is a culture we know, and it works silently and under the right condition. It just permeates the whole of what?
Where it operates. And so that's the picture given to us. Evil works silently. We might say it's the mystery of iniquity, but it leaveneth the whole lump. But here were some false doctrine that these people had come under and they said.
It was Judaizing teachers. Let's look at Acts chapter 15. I didn't mean to turn to too many of these places. We don't have a lot of time, but Acts 15.
Let's just read a couple of verses. Verse 1 Certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, except he be circumcised after the manner of Moses, he cannot be saved. I told an outright lie. And so they were trying to mix Judaism in with Christianity and.
And you've heard this, no doubt, and I heard it when I was young from those that we call Protestant, they say you can be saved. You can accept Christ as your Savior, but you have to do your cart. Well, that's not true at all. It's all the work of Christ. It's a work of grace. It's work by faith of accepting the work of Christ, the finished work of Christ. And here these people came and they said, well, the work of Christ isn't sufficient to save you.
You need to do your part.
It's not true at all. It wasn't wonderful to think of how the work of Christ is complete, It's finished, and we can add nothing to it. But they came under the influence of these teachers, and so they really.
Perhaps you might say we're influenced by those that didn't go on doctrinally in a right way. So we need to be careful as to where we get our truth, where we read what we read. I'll just say this. I had a young fella.
Come to me not too long ago, he said. Brother, he says.
I'm kind of interested in reading the ESV translation of the Bible, He says, do you know anything about the ESPN translation of the Bible? And I said, well, no, I don't know a whole lot about it, but let just give me a few hours. I'll I'll research it and I'll let you know what I think about it. So I went on the Internet, you know, and ESV and so here the chief translator, the head translator of the team of translators.
Of the ESV translation of the Bible. It was a chief head theologian at such and such Covenantal Theologian College thought, well, I guess that's not very good. So he was a head theologian of the Old Testament. And then I looked and said, well, who? Who is the head head of the translation team that did the New Testament well?
Went and looked and here's another the head of this the.
Theme of the New Testament translators. He was the head of the theologians of the covenant College of such and such a place. Well, I said to this young man, I don't think that's really a very good translation. Then I looked at some other places. I'll just let's look at Galatian. I'm sorry, Genesis chapter 3. I'm just pointing this out not to be critical but.
Brethren, we need to be careful as to what translations we use and what ministry we use.
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But what ministry we read, it says in Genesis chapter 3.
He says, let's read verse 16 unto the woman. He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, and in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. Well, this is how they translated it. They said, well, there's a feminist movement and we don't want to offend the sisters and so on. So they translated this way your desire shall be.
Contrary to your husband.
But he shall rule over you.
You know, there was such an outcry among those that were true believers. It's it's not that way in the Greek or in the Hebrew. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband. That's not how it reads. And there was such an outcry that the ESV translators who had mistranslated it, willfully mistranslated it. They said, oh, OK, well, we're going to change the next edition that we come out with the ASV. We'll change it to what we think is better.
And so on so forth. You know, I just want to encourage you, if you don't have a new translation, Mr. Darby's translation, we can be very, very thankful for that new translation and that it has not been tampered with. Mr. Darby did not tamper with that, with the translation of Scriptures to make it say what he wanted it to say. Can I just use another example? A brother was saying to me.
Before this meeting that some of the translations now say where two or three.
Meet together there are my in the midst of them. Well, that's not the truth of God at all. It's where two or three are gathered. Are gathered by who? If they're gathered by the Spirit of God because you and I aren't smart enough to save ourselves and we're not smart enough to gather ourselves. We're gathered by the Spirit of God into the precious name of the Lord Jesus. Well, what a truth. How thankful we should be that the truth of the word of God is still clear and that we.
Read those things and not have them tampered with. I'll say another thing is this. You know when we're gathered to the Lord's name, we don't gather to the name of the Lord Jesus. I know that some Christian groups use that term. They say we gather to the name of the Lord. No, brethren, that's not the language of Scripture. We are gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus. We don't gather ourselves to the Lord.
We come to where He is in the midst, and let's use scriptural terminology when we speak of these things.
Well, there's something else that hinders us. And if we just turn?
A page or two to chapter 15 of Acts. Just at the end of it, verse 36. Some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark, but Paul thought not good to take him with them who departed from them.
From them from Bamfilia and went not with them to the work.
And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed 1 asunder 1 from another. And so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cypress. And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren under the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Celestia, confirming the churches.
Well, you know, there was family. Family and friends will sometimes influence us and will sometimes hinder us in the path of faith and obedience to the word of God. And so here you have this man Barnabas. He was a very, very unique individual. He was a Levite. He was a mighty man of God. He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost that says in Acts Chapter 11.
And.
God has wonderful things to say as we're introduced to him in Acts chapter 4 at the end of the chapter. It was a wonderful man. And the apostle Paul and Barnabas labored together approximately 10 years. And so they were good friends and they knew one another very well. But you know, Barnabas wanted one thing. He wanted his own way just in one thing.
And as a result, we don't find Paul and Barnabas laboring together.
There was a break in that communion, in that fellowship together. And so Barnabas wanted his cousin or his nephew. I think Mr. Darby and Colossians Chapter 4 says it's cousin, but it could be nephew. He wanted a relative to be involved and when it comes to divine things.
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We cannot follow a family line. We have to recognize that our responsibility is to follow the Word of God and to be loyal to Christ Himself and not to set our our hearts and our affections upon the family.
Tie and to hold the family. Tie more in.
More in repute, you might say, than the tie that we have in connection with Christ. And so there was that break.
And I just say this, that when the family has a higher place in my affections than the Lord Jesus himself, it becomes a hindrance to me in the path of faith. And it's wonderful to have it with God's purpose that the whole family would work together and would live together and would go together to be found in the in the presence of the Lord. And it might be like heaven on earth.
And that the family together would go on in the presence of the Lord, gathered to the Lord's name. But we find that when we want our own way.
That oftentimes there's that break now that we find that there's one more thing in connection with the hindrances and that is in.
Weights and sins, So Hebrews chapter 12.
I'm just giving a little bit of an outline of some of these things so you can search them out for yourself and maybe.
Flesh it out and find some other verses of Scripture and meditate upon these things to see whether they be so well here we have in the Hebrews chapter 12, verse one. Wherefore seeing, we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. That cloud of witnesses that live by faith in the previous chapter LED us.
Not thou shalt but let us lay aside every weight.
And the sin which thus who easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. While there are weights and there are sins, well, the weight is something that slows us down, something that isn't really a good idea to carry.
And.
A sin is something in connection with Hebrews. Here it was the sin of unbelief. But there are those things that we could go on with sinful things, and it was mentioned this morning in connection with 11.
And they hinder us and they have hindered the church. And so the church hasn't prospered if they have allowed.
Weights and sins. But you and I make up the assembly locally in the place that we're at, and we affect. No man liveth unto himself. No man dies unto himself. So we all have an effect upon one another. And so if I allow myself a weight, then I might slow myself down, but I might slow you down too. And if I allow a sinful practice in my life, you might see it and you might say, oh, brother Robert does that. And that's, that's.
That's all right. And he must. He's, he's a brother. And I, I think I could do that too. And so whatsoever is not of faith is sin. And so isn't it wonderful to be able to, just to have Christ before us who never had a weight, never had a sin that characterized him. He was holy and harmless.
Without sin and.
Separate from sinners He will. He knew no sin, He did no sin. And yet we, you and I, are born into a race, the fallen race, and where we just kind of get accustomed to a weight and to those things that we ought not to have. You know, we have weights and sins brought before us in Nehemiah. I'll just point that out and then we'll go on to something else. But.
Nehemiah chapter I think it's.
Chapter 3.
Nehemiah chapter 4 and he says verse 10.
And Judah said the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed and there is much rubbish.
So that we are not able to build the wall. Well, you know, the wall in Scripture always speaks of separation. And so those things that are weights, those things that we allow in our lives that are not positively sinful, but they don't really help us spiritually. They may really just be rubbish. And we need to judge those things and walk with the Lord that we might be able to walk in separation to Him and for His glory and to give him the portion.
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That he desires among his people. And so the rubbish, there was much rubbish and it hindered the walk and separation. Then in Nehemiah chapter 13, it speaks of another, it speaks really of the sin here verse four says before this allieship, the priest having the oversight of the Chamber of the House of our God was allied to Tobiah. Now Tobiah was an Ammonite, remember.
He had prepared for him a great chamber.
Where afore time they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tides of corn, the new wine, the oil which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the offerings of the priests. But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem, For in the two and 30th year of artistic king of Babylon, I came unto the king.
After certain days I obtained leave, obtained I leave of the king.
I came to Jerusalem and understood the evil that Elias ship did for Tobiah in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the House of God, and it grieved me sore. Therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers.
And thither brought I again the vessels of the House of God, with the meat offering.
And the frankincense. So we have here the stuff. And this was positively sinful. And in connection with what took place at the temple, because this man was an Ammonite and Elias ship, it really speaks of no separation in connection with worship. He allowed an Ammonite to come into the temple. He prepared a great chamber instead of the Lord having his portion of the tithes.
The offerings of the priests and all those things that were listed there.
Why this man, the Ammonite, he had a place to buy A and so really the stuff speaks of positively things that are positively sinful and that need to be judged. And we see that Nehemiah expelled him out of say, out of the temple, and then re established the use of that room for proper purposes.
Well, let's look at three things that really.
The church suffers under today particularly and really leads to perhaps we might say, a pitiful state among us. And one of them is very characteristic of the day that we live in. It's Revelation chapter 3. Let's read it.
Has to do with the heart, you know, Revelation chapter 3 and verse 14.
Unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans, right these things say at the Amen.
The faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God. That's the new creation of God. You. He's the head of a new creation race, but you and I are a part of that race as well. He's the first born. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would nor cold nor hot. So it's indifference to the glory of Christ. It's indifference to his claims.
And you know.
It's tragic that we live in a day of prosperity, we live in a day of ease, and we live in a day when the claims of Christ are those claims that are really not valued and the rights of Christ in the assembly and in the church at large.
But it it's indifference. Indifference.
Can I just say this in connection with these things that we ought to desire to give the Lord the first place in our lives and not to be indifferent in connection with our hearts? You know, I think it's in Hosea. I think it's in Hosea that it speaks of the heart.
It says.
Verse chapter 4, verse 11 boredom and wine and new wine Take away the heart. Take away the heart. So we have the indifference to the glory and the claims of Christ and then we have you know.
In Jose it speaks again, it speaks of ignorance, speaks of ignorance of the truth of God and ignorance of the purposes, the principles of God. If we looked at.
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Acts Chapter 17. We might find there the whole crux of the matter.
Is a devotion that these men that they had in Berea, they had a devotion they had a burning desire to know the truth. It says in verse 10, Acts 17, verse 10. The brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night hunter Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures.
Daily.
Whether those things were so, therefore many of them believed, well, there was diligence on their part. I would just say this, we live in a day. We live in a day when it's possible to know, it's possible to enjoy all of the truth. You imagine being Christian in a place in a Portuguese speaking country and not being able to read any ministry.
Reliable ministry on the New Testament. Try to be a Christian without reading any ministry.
On the New Testament, try to read the Epistle to Ephesians and try to figure out what they're really saying. And some of the commentaries were not accurate doctrinally and so on. It would be difficult. But you know, you and I, we have all kinds of commentaries.
We have ebooks on our phone, we have tablets. We have in the last days of this church's, the church's history in this world. There's no reason for us to be ignorant of the purposes of God or the truth of God or the doctrines of Christianity.
We have ebooks. We have 30 ebooks of Bruce Anstey's material. We have ebooks, I don't know how many. BTP has hundreds, and there's no excuse. The Apostle Paul knew the Scriptures inside out, but he had the Old Testament and he had memorized Old Testament passages of Scripture. He could preach the gospel from them.
But the New Testament is even shorter. There's no excuse for us not to know our New Testaments inside out.
We should know it inside out, and May God give us the desire to know the truth and to study the truth. You know there's a man.
In Brazil, his name is Jean Raymond. He used to be a Roman Catholic priest. He's 88 years old and he got saved, took Christ as his savior. He's gathered to the Lord's name in the little assembly. And he got, we sent him five books. One of them was God's order, and the other, another one was doctrinal definitions. He sent a note back. He said, you know, I got these five books. He said, I read them all.
88 years old, he says. I read doctrinal definition as once.
He says, I'm reading it again. He says it's a fantastic book. I've never known this before. 88 years old. And here he is 88 years old and he's learning the truth of God. He's learning the doctrines of Christianity. There's no excuse for us to be ignorant of the truth of God. And so may we not go on in ignorance. Let's look at one more. And that is really.
In subjection to the authority of the Lord, let's look at Ezekiel.
I think it's chapter 33 and then we'll close.
Ezekiel chapter 33, verse 31.
They came under thee as the people cometh, they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them, for they who For with their mouth they do show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song, as one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument. For they hear thy words, but they do them not. And so you know the authority of the Word of God should have wait with us. We should really have a desire to bow to the truth of the Word of God, to enjoy it, not only to enjoy what it says and the light that it gives, and the security that we have in the.
Shift that we have and the Father and the Son, but we should really value the truth and thank God for it. I want to ask you a question. Do you thank the Lord every day for the work of salvation? Do you thank God every day for the sun? Do you think the Lord every day?
For the ability to know the truth, to know what it is.
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To be eternally secure, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. There are Christians.
Perhaps even in this city, and they're afraid of losing their salvation. Do you thank the Lord?
Every day for the privilege of being gathered to the Lord's name. We live in a remarkable time. We live in a day when it's possible to practice all of the truth and to know it and to enjoy it, to read about it, and to live for the glory of God just before the Lord's coming. And so may we desire to live that way for His glory.
Luke 22:10-20
Reading
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#27 in the appendix.
Remind a perfect peace with God.
O Lord.
And so I'll throw up the destiny.
So that they'll stand in peace.
By being surrounded by practice for a very far from God.
By praise right now to him, really.
Jesus love her to be faith and Jesus falls.
To me, why should I ever?
Carefully, since I'm not.
He watches 40 times.
And tells me about my rooms and.
We didn't get very far this morning, and I would like to suggest that just for continuity, we read again the same portion we read this morning, starting at the seventh verse of the 22nd of Luke. What do you think, Robert?
Our way through verse 10 or something.
Luke 22.
7.
Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.
And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water.
Follow Him into the house where He entereth in, and ye shall say unto the Goodman of the house, the Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples, And he shall show you a large upper room furnish D There make ready. And they went and found as He had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the 12 apostles with him.
And he said unto them, with desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come.
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and break it, and gave unto them, saying.
This is My body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you. But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me on the table, and truly the Son of Man goeth as it was determined, but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed.
00:05:12
And they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing. And there was also a strife among them which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercised lordship over them, and they that exercised authority upon them are called benefactors.
But ye shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger.
And he that is chief, as he that doth serve. And whether is greater he that sitteth at meat. For he that serveth is not he that sitteth at meat. But I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
And I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and sit on Thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
I think it would be helpful before we go on to make some comments in connection with the work of the Spirit of God in regard to what we had before us this morning, that is, in regard to being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You quoted Brother Robert earlier that verse.
Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
And I just re echoed that. That is one fault with most other modern translations. They put the onus on men where two or three come together, where two or three gather together and so on or meet together. And sometimes when we've spoken of the work of the Spirit of God in connection with Matthew 18 and 20, the objection has been raised. Well, I don't see how you get the Spirit of God in there at all. There's nothing about the Spirit of God. But brethren, we can't divorce that Scripture from other Scriptures that bring before us the work of the Spirit of God in every aspect of our lives, because the Spirit of God is the energy in which God has always moved and always worked.
And remember this, in Christianity the onus is never put on me. And brethren, when I stand at the judgment seat of Christ, whether it's my salvation, any desire there was in my heart to follow the Lord being gathered to the Lord's name, whatever it is, I'm going to realize it was all of grace. And again, as we quoted this morning, I'll realize fully it was God that worked in me both to will and to do of his good pleasure. And that's why the redeemed in the fourth of Revelation, they cast the crowns, the rewards for faithfulness.
Back at his feet and give him all the glory, realizing the import of what we have just said. And so if I can use a simple illustration that I've sometimes used in connection with Matthew, 18 and 20, birds gather together, and especially up north where we come from, as the cold winds begin to blow and herald the winter, birds gather together in great numbers on the wires and in the trees to begin their migration South.
But eggs are gathered. If you see a dozen eggs in a basket, you know those eggs had no power to gather themselves. Birds gathered together. But eggs are gathered. And again, if we find ourselves at the Lords Table, by the grace of God we are gathered. Now that brings us to this little expression in the 10th, 10th verse of our chapter. When they go into the city, a type of the world, they immediately encounter the man bearing the pitcher of water.
And I believe that the man bearing the picture of water is a figure of the Word of God applied in the power of the Spirit. Contained water in a vessel is usually in Scripture a figure of the Word of God. The labor in the Old Testament, the the picture of water here, and the unnamed man or servant singular in Scripture is often a picture of the Spirit of God. I'll give you a couple of examples. So we have in the 22nd chapter.
The 24th chapter of Genesis we have Abraham sending his servant who is not named in that chapter, and the servant goes to fetch a bride for his son Isaac. A picture of the work of the Spirit of God now calling out a bride for Christ here in this world.
It was mentioned the innkeeper when the Samaritan was brought to the inn and the innkeeper was told to take care of him. It's a picture of the Spirit of God ministering to us where the Lord Jesus brings us, where he is in the in the midst, the servant singular that goes out and compels them to come in, that my house may be filled. That's not us. In another gospel, its servants plural, and they bid to the marriage.
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That's all we do. We don't compel sinners to come in, but the Spirit of God is compelling sinners to come in that God's house may be full. The Porter in John chapter 10 that opens up. It's the Old Testament prophecies in the power of the Spirit concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus. And so the door opened up for the Lord Jesus to come here. We have this man here and it's immediately on their entrance into the city. Very important because.
On the day of Pentecost, two things happened, brethren. When the Spirit of God descended, He came to indwell every individual believer. And so at the end of First Corinthians 6, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and we won't take time to turn to it, but I'll challenge you to look it up. To back up to the third chapter of First Corinthians, there were the temple of the Holy Ghost, not our bodies individually, but the context is collectively. That's confirmed when you go to the end of Ephesians chapter 2.
Where the church is builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. So the Spirit of God, when it came on the day of Pentecost, came to indwell each individual believer that was there in the upper room. And that's true today of every believer on the face of planet earth. Plus he came to dwell collectively in the church and he's still here. He won't leave till we leave. The Lord said he'd be with us forever. So when we leave, he goes. The Spirit and the Bride say come, but he doesn't leave till we leave. And so the Spirit of God is here to work.
In many aspects, but in regard to what we have here and what we've been Speaking of here, it is the Spirit of God that takes the Word of God and uses it, applies it to lead us to lead souls to where the Lord Jesus is in the midst and where we can sit down at the Lord's table to partake of the Lord's Supper. And if the Spirit of God LED every believer, if you're led to the Spirit and I'm LED of the Spirit, we're of one mind on everything and we're in one place.
Said to say that hasn't happened. The enemy has been ultra successful in disallowing that and seeking to hinder that work. But I say again, the Spirit of God, if we're all led by the Spirit of God on all things at all times, will be of one mind and in one place at all times.
I could just point out another case in Scripture. I believe it's it brings significance to the portion that we have here. There's one place in the in the Scripture where the Spirit of God is is spoken of as a woman, and that's in Luke chapter 15. There the the purpose of using the.
Figure there of a woman is because he's he's the.
Person of the Godhead who is working behind the scenes and so he's he's seeking that coin which was lost and that's a picture of the work of the Spirit of God in this world. Now who is seeking to find that which is of value to God there there's more probably to the silver, but.
In this case, the Spirit of God is distinguished as a man.
Because he's taking the lead.
In the process of directing souls to.
Where the feast is to be prepared. And so I think it's significant that.
He's seen as the one who takes the lead in in bringing souls to the place where God would have them to be. It's something that I've enjoyed.
That.
There's a significance to this man bearing the pitcher of water.
It's interesting that it's another translation. I believe it's the earthen vessel, and I think it's in Mark's Gospel and Mr. Darby's translation. Don't, don't hold me to that, but it's the earthen vessel. And so the earthen vessel filled with water. And so how often it has been that the Spirit of God has been able to use a man or a woman that has the knowledge of the truth of God and has been able to expound something to open up the Scriptures in a very quiet way.
To guide a seeking soul. And so I believe that it's according to the word of God, but it's in the power of the Spirit, so the innkeeper.
He was a man, he's not identified and the Lord said to him, he says take care of him. And so it's really the oversight in the assembly that in the energy of the spirit and in the leadership by the leadership leading of the spirit to care for those that are brought into the assembly. It's a wonderful little picture. But here they were given instructions. There is responsibility and although we have.
00:15:30
Already noted the sovereignty of God in connection with the activity of the work of the Spirit and saving us, bringing us into the knowledge of the truth, and bringing us into His presence. It's a fundamental in connection with the work of God. But says the Master saith unto thee, shall say unto the good men of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber, or where is my guest chamber? Mark's Gospel, chapter 14 in the Darby translation.
And he shall show you where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples, and he shall show you a large upper room furnished there make ready. And so he's going to show us. And the Spirit of God uses the word of God to exercise our souls, exercise our consciences, and to touch our hearts affections that we would desire to give the Lord his portion, that we would desire to be where he is in the midst. And so he shall show you.
And the question is, with each one of us, are we willing to allow the Spirit of God to show us? Are we honest and willing to allow the Word of God?
In the power of the spirit to show us, to reveal to us those things that are precious to his own heart. And so it's not just for the intellect that we read these things, but it's the Spirit of God that is desiring us to understand that God wants fellowship with man and he wants us to be in the Lords presence with him. You'll notice this expression in verse 21. Behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And then a little bit later on verse 28.
Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations or in my trials. And so the Lord knew what it was to have those that were with him in his circumstances, that the had been arranged, and that were He was going through. And you and I can be with him in a practical sense, in submission to his will, and give him the portion of his heart's desire to have us in his presence.
We do have that responsibility, but it is the sovereignty of God.
On the part of the Goodman of the house too, wasn't there. And I've enjoyed that in connection with what you say, because are we ready when someone asks us a question? So the man bearing the pitcher of water leads them to the house, A picture of the Spirit of God, the word of God in the power of the Spirit of God. But you know if someone came and asked you a question on this subject.
Would you be able to answer and show them? Would you be able to say come and come and see, as the Lord Jesus said when the disciples asked him?
Where he, where he dwelt. And so I think it's an exercise for all of us. Yes, it's the Spirit of God. It's the word of God. But we all have a responsibility. And in the measure in which we enjoy these things and take them in from the Word of God, then we'll be ready to give an answer to those that ask us.
And again, it's not always explanation. It's interesting here he shows them so we can give a long explanation. Again, to go back to the incident where the disciples said to the Lord, where dwellest thou? He didn't give them a long explanation. He just said come and see. And here we find the Goodman of the house. He'll show you, he'll show you the upper room. So are we in that state of soul where we can show others where we believe the Lord Jesus?
Is gathering to his name and around himself.
Just wanted to make a comment.
Robert too, in connection with the earthen pitcher and I wondered if if if it commends itself to you, but I wonder if we don't have also in that the humanity of the Lord Jesus brought out and I say that because it's it's the Spirit of God as we're bringing before us Christ and his humility, his humanity as the one that was here on this earth and went to Calvary's cross.
If we are left here another day tomorrow, Lord willing, we'll have the privilege of of being in the presence of the Lord Jesus. And it seems like on that particularly on that occasion, the Spirit of God would occupy us with the blessed Lord as the one that was humbled here in this, this world, his humanity. And it's, it's the earthen vessel bearing as we've already brought out the water, the word and the Lord could say, I think it's in Luke 4.
00:20:19
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God shall man live. And so it's I, I just think of him here as he's going to introduce to them this memorial feast of him going into death. And I, I like to think we don't we don't view him so much as the one that's exalted at the right hand of God on when we come to break bread. But we see him as the one that was brought so low, who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I've enjoyed that aspect is is that is that OK?
To see him there, and this is the earthen vessel.
Very good, yes. And so we find here, he shows them a large upper room. We commented on why it was large, but it was furnished. Now we're not told what was there, but we do know one thing that furnished the room, the presence of the Lord Jesus. And that's what makes the place, isn't it? It's the presence of the Lord Jesus. Have often said that four walls and fine furniture don't make a home a fine dining room doesn't provide.
A meal of love. It's the presence of those that sit down at the table. And it's interesting that you only have two descriptions of where they met to remember the Lord in the New Testament. One is here, a large upper room furnished. The other is the third loft that we mentioned this morning in Troas. And other than that, other than the fact that the the church which is in my house and so on, these are the only two descriptions that we we have now that defies what we find around us.
Fine buildings and expensive tapestries and all this, that kind of thing. No, they met simply around the Lord Jesus. And what furnished the room and made the place was the one who was in the midst. And brethren, if we lose sight of that, we're going to be disappointed and we're going to be turned aside. I'm going to speak very plainly for a moment. You know, sometimes I have experienced many times those who have come and they have, by the Spirit of God, seen the Lord Jesus in the midst. They've taken their place at the Lord's table and they rejoice.
To be where, as they say, where the Lord is. Time goes on, things happen and they get discouraged.
When they leave, they never say they leave the Lord. They say they leave the meeting or they leave that group of brethren, or I'm not going to associate with those people anymore. What's happened? They've lost sight of the one that's in the midst. And brethren, what is going to preserve us at the Lord's table is not dear brother, thank God for dear brother, thank God for the unfeigned love of our brethren. Thank God they're precious to the heart of God, the Lord Jesus, and I trust our heart, but that is not what is going to preserve us there.
Our brother Stand in his notes of interest often quotes that verse in Psalm 119. I've seen an end of all perfection, and he quotes it in connection with editorial mistakes and so on. But I often think of it in connection with those we associate with at the Lords Table if we are looking for perfection.
Amongst our brethren, we are going to be sadly disappointed. And remember this wherever you go, there's no perfect group of Christians this side of heaven. And so we're going to see an end of all perfection if we're looking for it in our brethren, but we won't see it in the Lord. When? When the bride and the Song of Solomon got awakened in her affections and awakened to the glories of the person of Christ, what did she say at the end? She said he's altogether lovely. You can't say that about me and I can't say that about you. We're perfect in Christ.
We're lovely as far as Christ's view, but we're still here. And so I just say that we need to have our focus on the person. It is a person to whom we are gathered. And when it says in Matthew 18, the name, we're gathered unto His name. You can't again divorce the name from the person. If I say the name of some famous dignitary, if I say the name of Queen Elizabeth, two of England here immediately comes to your mind. Queen Elizabeth the second, the name is the person and you have come to mind everything you've ever read or known or seen.
As to the person of Queen Elizabeth 2 And so to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus is to be gathered to the person of Christ and to lose sight of that, we're going to be discouraged and drift away.
Authority, doesn't it? So we're gathered under his authority.
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And I think too, as a contrast, isn't it? The room was furnished. And so it's not the room that has any. We're not told any details about the room. It was large, but it's a contrast to what they had in Judaism. I was thinking of the Hebrews Chapter 9. And there you have a little picture of the, the camp. You might say, it says, let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. So what's a description? They had ornate furniture, they had an ornate building, they had a veil, they had a holy place.
The most Holy place that all kinds of things, so it says in Chapter 9. For then verily, the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary before there was a Tabernacle made the first, wherein was the Candlestick and the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary after the second veil, the Tabernacle which is called the holiest of all, which had the golden Censure and the Ark of Covenant, while we could read and read.
And they had a holy priesthood and only certain ones that could exercise their priesthood and so on. But God has given us the best. We come into the presence of the Lord, the one who delighted in us, who laid down his life for our blessing, who has honored God in connection with the sin question, and he has invited us into his presence and given us these these instructions that we might understand the privilege that is ours.
And that we might give him that portion of his soul. So they went into that large upper room. Now it speaks of an upper room because it's a place of separation from this world.
And it's we spoke of ecclesiastical evil.
Doctrinal evil, moral evil, and really we could speak of practical separation from evil as well in connection with Second Corinthians chapter 6.
And wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, saith the Lord. And so separation is one of those things that God.
Speaks of in His word, and we shouldn't be afraid of the word at all. We need to be separated from this world unto Christ, unto the person of Christ. We need to be devoted to that man who loved us and gave himself for us. And so separation is a principle that is one that is for our blessing and will allow us to live in a clean path and appreciate being in that upper room.
Comment about in his name I I know I don't want to digress from what was just said but.
Just take a look real quick at Matthew Chapter 7.
Because I think it's such an important thing, Matthew Chapter 7 and verse 21.
Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you depart from me, ye that work iniquity. So there's I, I think what is done in the Lord's name, or professed to be done in the Lord's name is often abused. And we know that the Lord has magnified his word above all his name. We're told that in I think it's the 138th Psalm.
I have magnified my word above all my name. So I think we can say from that and other Scriptures that if something is done in the Lord's name, it has to be according to His word. And that's the test that we put it to. So if someone is claiming to do something in the Lord's name, it must comport with His Word. Is is that the correct way to put that? That's very helpful. And so that is the last part of the second verse of the 138th Psalm. And let me just follow up what John has said.
Because there are many today, real Christians who meet in various groups and they profess to do. They say we do many things in the name of the Lord Jesus. We meet in the name of the Lord Jesus. We claim Matthew 18 and 20, but we are never justified in putting the name above the word. He's put His word above the name. In other words, we are never to do anything in the name of the Lord Jesus without the authority of the word for which what we do.
Let me give you an example. So there was a problem that had arisen in the assembly in Corinth. And the apostle Paul, as an apostle, writes to them by divine inspiration. And in the 5th chapter of that epistle, he gives them very specific instructions as to how they are to handle this matter for the clearing of sin from the assembly, the glory of the Lord, and the the restoration of the individual involved.
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Now, when a similar situation arises in the assembly, what do we do?
We turn to 1St Corinthians 5 and we say here's the authority of the Word of God for what we do.
We must have the authority of the Word of God if we're going to act in the name of the of the Lord Jesus. If something arises and we don't have the word of God on which to act, all we can do is commit the matter to the one who's the head over all things to the church, which is his body. Pray with exercise, and in time the Lord will give us the authority of the Word of God so that then we can act in the in the name of the Lord.
So it's vital, brethren, if we claim to be gathered by the grace of God to the name of the Lord Jesus, it must be on a scriptural ground. We must have the word of God as the basis for what we do. It's the basis for everything in our Christian life. And sometimes the tendency may be to put the name above the word. As John has pointed out, we are never justified in putting the name above the word. He's put His word above his name.
There are two things that govern us in our lives, in our assembly lives, in our personal lives, whatever it might be, the will of God and the Word of God. And so we need both. The assembly is governed by the Word of God and the will of God. That's really what shouldn't govern the assembly. So it's not the will of man, it's not the preferences of man and so on, isn't it? Or can't we be thankful for just to have the confidence that the word of God?
Is true, and it gives a bright, bright testimony in connection with what the mind of God is in a certain matter.
Just thinking about that back up to the 11Th, 1St a minute, it says where is where is the guest chamber where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples. And so the the Lord's table is really the place where he has fellowship with his own. We think of the Lord's Table as a place where we go to have fellowship with him, but really the first thought is for him to have a place where there's unhindered fellowship with his disciples.
And if we saw the Lord's Table that way, we would make sure that we were there that we would that would we would be where he can have fellowship with us and his heart is. And this goes along with the comment that Brother Mark made in the last meeting. And with desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you. It's really are we.
Where his heart?
Receiving the joy of fellowship with his people.
So they go and they find, as He had said, no disappointment there. And the Lord never disappoints faith. Sometimes He leads by very circuitous routes. And we all know stories of brethren who've searched for a long time. But let me tell you a little story, kind of a sad story, but the Lord in the end brought it to fruition. I knew a group of believers and they were taught by one of their leaders, so to speak.
To separate from that which was not according to the mind of God. And they separated from all the church, from the church system that they were with. And for many years they just sat and met in a brothers home.
Years later, the Spirit of God LED them to where there were those gathered to the Lord's name.
And the leader of this group had passed away, the one that had LED them out. And I remember these men, they sat and wept at the Lord's table. And they said, the one that that was our teacher, He taught us separation, but he didn't teach us the rest of the story. He didn't teach us to go forth, to come apart, but not to go forth. And both are very important, aren't they? So the disciples here, they're sent on this mission by the Lord.
They're directed by the man bearing the picture of water. They're instructed by the Goodman of the house. And the end result was that there was no disappointment to faith. And when the hour was come, and we think of what connection with what Phil said, we think of what a thrill it must have been to the disciples to sit down in the presence of the Lord with the Lord in their midst. But I think the joy.
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That far outweighed their joy was the joy on the part of the Lord Jesus.
Defined a few of his own. Now, how many real believers were there in Jerusalem at that time? Well, we know there was at least 500, because in resurrection he showed himself to 500 of his own at one time. But here he sits down and all the confusion of religious Jerusalem with a few of his own.
And again, I know, as we said this morning, it was the Passover supper that was celebrated first.
But the Lord then was able to set that aside, and with the joy of his heart he was able to take a loaf and a cup and say this do in remembrance of me.
His joy far outweighed their joy and desire.
We come into the presence of the Lord to give him his portion. We don't come to the remembrance of the Lord to get something for ourselves. We may no doubt enjoy something of the portion of Christ and enjoy whatever the Spirit of God, the theme that the Spirit of God brings us before us that morning in connection with the work and the person of the Lord Jesus.
We may get something of real enjoyment in our souls, real profit, but we come into the presence of the Lord Jesus to give him his portion, and to tell God of how wonderful His Son is, how glorious his work is, how complete it is, and to thank God that he has accepted that work, and to raise his Son from among the dead and seed him in glory. And so we give him his portion.
That's why we come and we come to remember him in death. He died and it was the most horrible death and the circumstances were awful, but he bore the judgment for our sins. So we come to give him his portion. There's another point in verse 13 that we need to remember. And I was spoken of, I think that my brother Phil earlier they went, that's obedient. You know, Brother Gordon Hale used to remind us when we were younger. Often times there are two things that go together.
Obedience and happiness. You can't have one without the other. You can't have happiness without obedience. And if you seek to disobey the Word of God, they'll never be an easy conscience. But isn't it wonderful to think of how these disciples they obeyed and how gracious God is to give us the desire to submit to the will of God, to the Word of God, and to just obey? So they went.
And they found, as he had said, what a blessing there was.
So as we pick up this, the institution of the remembrance, it's important to realize that there were two cups on the table on this occasion. 1 cup had never been instituted by God in the Old Testament. But you remember how in the New Testament, in the Gospels, the feasts of Jehovah are never referred to as such. They're always referred to as the feasts of the Jews. Why? Because from the time they were instituted back in the days of Moses.
Until they work, we have them celebrated by the Lord Jesus and his own. In the New Testament, so much had been introduced by tradition that they were sometimes hardly recognizable as the feasts of Jehovah. Now the Lord didn't set them aside because it was the end of the dispensation. And so he went up to Jerusalem, up when there was a feast of the Jews, and so on. And so there were these things introduced. The Lord did rebuke the Pharisees for introducing those things that were simply the traditions of man and teaching them as the traditions of men.
But you notice here that there was first of all a cup that was connected with the Passover supper. And secular history will tell us, and the Jews and Orthodox Jews still celebrates with a Passover cup today. And this Passover cup was something and is something that is shared at the Passover meal. The Lord didn't rebuke the disciples for having a Passover cup here. He just said I won't drink it because wine speaks of joy and this was not a time of joy for the Lord Jesus.
He was going to very shortly bow in the Garden of Gethsemane under the weight of anticipation of being made sin in those hours of darkness. It was not a time of joy for the Lord Jesus. So He would not drink of that Passover cup. However, He did encourage the disciples to drink of it. They were used to that. It had been introduced by tradition. It was the end of the dispensation and He didn't rebuke them for it. He encouraged them to drink of it. Then after that takes place.
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And and and again, I used to when I was a young person, I was confused on all this. Then we have.
He takes the bread and he, he breaks that, then the cup, and that's the way it is it, He institutes it, and that is the way we celebrate it, the low 1St and then the cup. Why is it separate? Because the separation of the blood from the body on the cross was the proof of death. A soldier after the Lord had died, a soldier with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came throughout blood and water. I say again, the separation of the blood from the body.
Was the proof proof of death. Now I want to just say this too, because the early brethren when things were restored to us in the 1800s and they began to remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread at the Lord's table. The early brethren who were men of God and giants in the Scripture. A special instruments that God raised up and gave special discernment. They were exercised about some of the little patterns that are given to us. Now there are some things that are left.
Discernment and and and so on. For I'll give you an example before we go on. Why do we sing a hymn at the beginning of of our meeting usually? Well brethren were exercised of that Psalm. Let us come before his presence with singing. However, I have heard the breaking of bread started with a word of praise, prayer, or a reading of the Scripture. I don't have a problem with that because there's not a specific scripture to say we shouldn't.
Generally we do start with the Him, and I like that, a note of praise and worship in song. But there are some little patterns here in connection with the institution of the breaking of bread that we do not want to violate, and they are violated in some circles today. And I'll just give you a couple of examples. So the Lord Jesus, when he gave thanks for the loaf in the cup, He didn't give thanks for the loaf and then ask one of the disciples to give thanks for the cup.
He didn't give the loaf to John to give thanks for in the cup to Peter, he did them both himself. Brethren have taken that, and I believe rightly so, as a little example and that's why gathered to the Lords name, the brother who is led by the Spirit of God to give thanks for the loaf will then get up and give thanks for the cup as well. The Lord Jesus in instituting the feast, I believe gave that little pattern. There are some groups of Christians who sing a hymn between the loaf and the cup.
But turn to Matthew 26 and I think we have a little pattern there.
As to why we don't?
Matthew chapter 26 and we have this same institution.
And after he in verse, from verse 26 on, we have the institution of the feast. And then notice what it says in verse 30. And when they had sung in him, they went out to the Mount of Olives. There was singing at the first breaking of bread. I have no doubt it was a Psalm here. They didn't have Christian hymns, as we thankfully have a rich heritage of them. But I believe the pattern is here. Why don't we sing a hymn between the loaf and the cup?
It was after the Lord had.
Past the loaf in the cup and they had partaken that they sung him so quite often as soon as the loaf in the cup is passed and or the offering we we sing a hymn little again a little a little pattern. And brethren, we want to be careful when brethren were exercised about these things 150 sixty years ago, whatever it's been now these were 200 yet thank you. They used to tell us when we were young, Robert, but.
Yeah, but but.
Point the point is, these brethren were special instruments that the Lord raised up, showed them these Scriptures and these little patterns and gave them discernment and brethren at the end of the dispensation in our weakness, do we think we're wiser than they are? These are things we want to be careful metal not with them that are given to change.
It's nice to see that the Lord taught His disciples in different ways, and as you say, in this particular example, He taught them by example. He actually himself took the loaf, He broke it, He gave thanks, and then afterwards He took the cup himself. He gave thanks for it, He passed it to them, and they drank thereof. But there are other passages of Scripture that show us that He taught in different other ways. So in Matthew chapter 13.
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It says that he went out of the house, great multitudes were gathered together unto him, and he went out in the ship and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore. He spake many things unto them in parables. So He taught them by parables, different stories, examples. And so we have He taught by object lesson. He took a child, placed them in their midst. He says, here's a child and you need to humble yourself just like this child. So the Lord taught in different ways.
But in this particular instance he taught by example. And so we have in the Gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke, this incident in the Lorde life at the end of his life here in this scene and taking this loaf and this cup. And so you might say, well, how come we have it in First Corinthians Chapter 11?
Was didn't he do it three times? We have it recorded in the Gospels. Well, it's written really, and I think you mentioned it earlier from a Jewish perspective and its historical perspective, this is what the Lord did. But Paul tells us, and he tells us the doctrinal significance of what took place and he tells us what the loaf means in First Corinthians chapter 10, what the cup means, what the loaf means. And maybe it's a good opportunity to look at.
How Paul speaks of it in One Corinthians Chapter 11.
Why on the Lord's day do we read one Corinthians Chapter 11, verse 23 and down? We don't usually read in Matthew or Mark or Luke in connection with the breaking of bread. We do sometimes, but really we read Paul's doctrine. We read Paul's revelation, the revelation of the Lord Jesus to Paul because it says in verse 23, I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. Paul wasn't there.
And so the Lord Jesus revealed it to Paul. He said, Paul, this is what happened that night. And so Paul got it by revelation from the risen Christ and glory, and he delivered it to the Saints. And he gives some other details that were not given to the in the accounts in Matthew and Mark and so on, because it was a revelation. So he says that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread.
When he had given thanks, he break it and said, Take, eat. This is my body which is broken. It should really be translated, given, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup after he stopped saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do ye as OFT as ye drink it in remembrance of Me. For as often as he eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show or announce the Lord's death till he come.
So Paul adds some details. He says we're going to be able to remember the Lord Jesus in his death till he come.
The Lord Jesus didn't say that. I don't think we have that revealed in the Lord's words, but from a Christian perspective, doctrinally, we have it in chapter 10, doctrinally what those symbols mean. But really the apostle Paul reveals that we're going to be able to remember the Lord in his death till He comes and not a comfort to our hearts. And then he also says that.
When we remember the Lord in his death, we announce to this world the death of the Lord Jesus. If there's one thing that this world doesn't want to remember is that Christ died in the way that he died and how he was treated before he died, all those sorts of things. They don't mind how he was born and.
The celebration that goes on at the end of the year and so on, all of that sort of thing. But we announced to the world and we announced to one another.
That Christ died and he died for us, He died.
To make salvation available to all. And he was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. But we remember what the price of our redemption is.
And what it costs God to bring us into relationship with His Son.
On which to do it. God never asks us to do anything without providing, maintaining that scriptural basis that we spoke of earlier. But it might be helpful just for a moment to back up to the 10th chapter because the significance and the order is very different. And remember, there are two subjects taken up here in First Corinthians 10:00 and 11:00.
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What Robert has brought before us in the 11Th chapter is the subject of the Lord's Supper. And so we have the loaf 1St, and when we break the loaf, it is to remind us of the Lord's body given in death for us. The the cup is is given Then secondly, because, as we said, the separation of the blood from the body was the proof of death. That's the way the Lord instituted it, and that's the way we always celebrate it. But lest there be any confusion, go back to the 10th chapter of First Corinthians and the 16th verse.
And you'll find the order and the significance quite different. The cup of blessing which we bless, is that not the communion of the blood of Christ?
The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread. Now you notice the cup is given here first, because this is the subject of the Lord's table in this chapter. And what is our title to be at the Lords Table? What is our title to be in the Lord's presence? It's the blood of Christ. We have brethren, we have nothing else, no spark of divinity, no good in US, no response from the natural man. We were dead in trespasses and sin. It's the blood of Christ and the only.
Thing which is the only thing that gives us title for His presence, whether it's at the Lord's table or the Father's house in a future day, and so on. So the cup is given first here when it's our title to be at the Lord's table. The lope here has a very different significance too. On the table tomorrow there will be one loaf, not many loaves, not wafers, not crackers, one loaf as we have here. And in that unbroken loaf God sees every believer.
Alive on the face of the earth at that one given time. That loaf tomorrow will not just represent the believers that are in this room, nor will it just represent believers who practically express the truth of the one body in the breaking of bread. It will it it represents to the heart of God, every believer. God sees every believer in that loaf, whether they recognize it or not, or whether they practically express it or not. Now, brethren, that's the way we need to view it as well.
Because if we don't view the one loaf in that way, we are going to become narrow and sectarian in our view. We are not the body of Christ here in Pala tomorrow. We represent, by the grace of God, we seek to express the truth of the one body by sitting down with one loaf on the table and breaking bread in remembrance of the Lord Jesus. But God again sees in that one loaf every believer gathered to the Lord's name. And that's another thing we never want to violate, we never want to have.
More than one loaf or any other anything else on the table. So I just say that. So what? It's the Lords table, it's the cup. First our title to be there is the blood of Christ. The loaf is representative of all believers on the face of the earth at that moment. When it's the Lords Supper, it's the Lord's body given in death for us. And then the reminder that the blood was **** was shed and the Lord Jesus died for us.
As a part of Paul's doctrine, as he says in verse 17, for re being many are one bread or one loaf and one body. For we are all partakers of that one bread or that one loaf. And so when we take a part of that loaf, we're professing publicly that we are member of the body of Christ, that we are living members. And so we take it and we eat it. And it's a profession publicly that we are his. And then it's a cup of blessing, isn't it?
It doesn't represent the judgment that Christ bore. It's not the cup of judgment that he drank to the last dark drop and so on. Not to minimize the sufferings of Christ, obviously, but really there's a reason it's revealed by the apostle Paul that this the cup speaks of the blood of Christ that was shed to bring us back into communion with God. We were enemies of God. We needed to be reconciled to God and it could never happen. We could not be brought into communion or fellowship with God.
Unless the blood of Christ was shed. And so when we thank the Lord for the loaf at the table, we remember the sufferings of Christ. We remember the sorrow of those hours of darkness. We remember the judgment. But when we give thanks for the cup, we thank God for that cup of blessing, and we're blessed. We're brought into fellowship with Him. It doesn't represent the cup of judgment.
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146.
All your soul to win, to be.
I would hurry, our hearts strangling.
Lifeburger in your mouth, wherever you.
A Virtuous Woman
Address—Walter Porter
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Can we begin by singing together hymn #256?
256.
Keep us, Lord, oh, keep us cleaving to thyself, and still believing till the hour of our receiving promised joys with thee.
Maybe some brother could start that.
Praise the Savior.
Give the golden blue and all what we know.
All the time.
In the heart, Jesus farting.
Forever.
In respectful.
Chasing never.
Near force, Lord God.
As ever, Lord, you see my love down here.
We are all.
We've had a little bit before us today about the collective side of the testimony and those things that Brother Robert brought before us that our hindrances to that and I would like to consider a little bit things in our personal life maybe.
With the Lord.
As opposed to the collective side, and I'd like to start with First Thessalonians chapter one.
We'll read a couple familiar verses at the end of First Thessalonians chapter one.
Verse 9.
For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you.
And how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
So we've considered today some of the things.
That have to do with our salvation and that it was not of us at all. It was God who worked those things to give us to turn to Him from whatever idols there were in our lives and to give us now the desire to serve the living and the true God and to wait for His Son from heaven.
Sometimes we come across things in our lives that are discouraging.
Maybe there are hindrances to us and maybe we have a difficult time dealing with them.
But in our hearts and we've been given a new nature, maybe I should say it that way, that wants to honor the Lord Jesus.
And so we find this in the middle here after their turn to God from idols. The purpose is to serve the living and true God and to bring honor and glory to Him and refreshment to his heart, as we've been talking about earlier.
00:05:04
And we're waiting for him to take us home. But while we're waiting, there are things that come in. And Satan in these last days is very active to do whatever he can to discourage and dishearten, to distract and to destroy. And all of us probably have experiences in our lives that kind of follow that line of things. Let's turn to Second Timothy chapter 3.
And just read a little bit there about the last days.
The condition of things around us is not something that's taken God by surprise.
And he had the apostle Paul write to us about those things in this chapter in Two Timothy 3.
This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce.
Despisers of those that are good traitors, Heady.
High minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.
From such turn away.
And then I want to read a verse in Matthew 24.
Matthew 24 and verse 12.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Does that sound anything like what we have around us today?
And as I speak these things.
I certainly want to.
Speak to my own heart as well.
Because the outlook gets rather bleak sometimes, some of us are more prone to.
Depression and looking on the dark side of things and others are.
The Lord knows each of our hearts.
And we're thankful for that.
We sung in our first hymn. Though our pilgrimage be dreary, this is not our resting place and we can be thankful for that.
We sung hymn #153.
That all other streams are dry. And you know, if we look around us in this world today and the Lord knows how many technological things help us to do that and look around us in this world.
There's plenty to distract, plenty to defile, plenty to discourage.
As we think of the things around us, and especially as we consider what's going on in the great House of which we are a part.
But I have been reading personally through Proverbs and let's turn to Ecclesiastes chapter one.
Because I was struck, as I was going through here, the difference between.
The outlook that we have in Proverbs 31 in the last part of the chapter with a virtuous woman, and what we have the preacher telling us in first chapter of Ecclesiastes.
And I thought how different an outlook we have there. Let's just read the first part of Ecclesiastes one quickly.
The words of the preacher, the son of David, King in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanity, saith the preacher. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity, like our hymns said. All other streams are dry.
What profit hath it hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh unto the Son. One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh, but the earth abideth forever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the South, and turneth about unto the north. It whirth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
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All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full.
Under the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are full of Labor. Man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. That which hath been, the thing which hath been it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done. And there is no new thing under the sun.
This is not a very happy outlook on things.
But you know, we don't have to have that kind of an outlook.
We have an uplook and if we keep ourselves in the love of God.
And have an exercise to be before the Lord, to take time to read the Word, take time to be in prayer, speak to the Lord and let him speak to us through His word. We don't have to have that kind of an outlook. It won't change the things that we see around us very much, although we may be a help to others more than we would have been if we were all discouraged. But.
We can choose to have more the.
Position of this virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 and I just would like to go through there and notice a few things that this woman occupied herself with.
I want to start. I want to read verse 23 first.
Her husband is known in the gates when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
When I read that verse, I think about Boaz and Ruth.
How he was one that was known in the gates, how he was one that had the respect of his brethren. And as we take up these few verses here, it struck me some time ago that we are all, if we are members, the body of Christ, we're part of the bride of Christ as the bride of Christ, every one of us, whether we're male or female.
We can be exercised about this portion about the virtuous woman.
There are young men here, some are not married, who may be interested in finding a woman that has a lot of these characteristics. And my question for such is, well, are you one who's known in the gates, sits among the elders of the land, if you will? What do the brethren think of you? How have you been applying yourself to these things?
That have to do with our Lord Jesus, the knowledge of the scriptures and being able to be useful to the Lord in some kind of service to Him among our brethren, maybe in words of the gospel to the lost, whatever it might be.
But as we go through here, I think it's nice to consider that this virtuous woman ought to be a picture of us.
And these things ought to be an exercise in our hearts. So in and in connection with her husband.
Sometimes we say, Oh well, that so and so's wife.
And you know, if people know that we're Christians, it ought to impart some kind of a dignity to our walk, because we belong to the Lord Jesus. If our life is not in correspondence with that, that's a sad thing, and it ought to be an exercise to us, each one.
So here are some of the things that this woman occupied herself with because she was, as we might say, the bride of Christ. So we have our position already settled. We know that our title to heaven, we read in his blood, We're on our way there and we ought to hear show ourselves as those that belong to this One who has done so much for us.
Verse 10 of Proverbs 31 Says who can find?
A virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband death safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need or lack of spoil.
A question for my own heart is.
How far can the Lord trust us?
With our business dealings, with our personal lives, with our lives in the assembly, it's a good question for us to consider.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.
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Verse 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands. That word willingly is interesting to me because we find it in Scripture in a number of places, and notably with Bezaleal and those in the Old Testament, because it says God was going to provide those who would work willingly with their hands who wanted to give themselves to the service of God.
They saw what Jehovah was doing and they said we belong to him. We've been redeemed, if you will.
And now what can we do for him? And may that be more of an exercise in each of our hearts because we belong to him. We're not here to please ourselves. We read in Second Corinthians that we're not our own. We're bought with a price. I take that as two separate things.
We're not our own because we didn't ask to be created.
We didn't put up a wish list and say this, I want to be like this. I want to be strong or beautiful or intelligent or something like that. No, God did all those things his own way, his own time. Like was said in the meetings. We didn't choose our parents, We didn't choose how we were going to be. But he made us this way and whatever we have belongs to him and we should use it for him now.
We're not our own by creation. And then it says you're bought with a price.
That's beyond creation. That's now you're being bought back. We were lost. We went off on our own. We did our own thing. We were born.
In Rebellion.
But the Lord came in, he created us for his pleasure, it says in Revelation 4. And then he's redeemed us back to himself. And now it ought to be our part, as the apostle Paul said every day of our life, to say, Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do? How should we be occupied? Now, maybe we get a few of those things a little further down in our chapter here, but how nice if that can be a willing thing. I know maybe we've all come across people to say, well.
Lord would just tell me what to do and spell it all out. Well, I would just do it. Well, that's like being a robot or just an employee or something. And the Lord doesn't want that. He wants something from our hearts.
Something that would well up from inside. Thankfulness for all that He's done for us in the position we've been brought into as we were speaking about today. That none of these things we would have been able to do for ourselves. But here we find ourselves gathered to the Lord's name, saved by his, his precious blood, there on the cross, the work that he did. Does that mean anything to us?
I hope it means more and more to us every day as we go on.
Verse 14 She's like the merchant ship. She brings her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household and apportion to her maidens. And let's just skip up to down diverse 18 the last half of the verse. Her candle goeth not out by night.
So here we just read she rises while it's yet night, and in verse 18 we see their candle goes not out by night. And so that expression is she's burning the candle at both ends.
Is there that kind of a purpose in our heart to live for the Lord Jesus?
What do we do with our time?
How do we spend those resources the Lord's given to us? We all have 24 hours a day.
We all have different kinds of abilities. Been given gifts of the Lord. What do we do with them? Do we squander them on ourselves? What kind of a sad life that is?
So she rises while it's yet night, and gives meat to her household and apportion to her maidens.
She had a household. Many of us here have households.
Some here are starting out on a household.
But there are those.
If you're very old at all, you have those that look up to you. Maybe it's younger brothers, younger sisters. Maybe it's a kid at school you befriended. Maybe it's a coworker. This maybe just gotten saved and they don't know what it is to be a Christian and they're coming to you asking for help. Maybe, and maybe not even verbally, but you can tell they'd like to have what you've got and they'd like to understand a little more scripture and maybe they know that you have a little something you can share with them.
So this one, she felt that responsibility.
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Of those that were brought into relationship with her, maybe there are actual children.
But she rises while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and apportion to her maidens. And I don't have thoughts or time to speak about these different things as we go down through here. But she considers a field, and buyeth it with the fruit of her hand. She planted the vineyard. She was a diligent soul.
She girded her loins with strength and strengthened at her arms. We might call that exercise. There are young men here. Maybe they'd like to. Some hang around in trees, and some like to go to the gym and work out. Some run. But that's exercise. You're getting yourself ready for what's coming and keeping yourself in shape so that when the need arises, you've got what it takes to do what's necessary. And there's a spiritual aspect to all of that.
What are we doing to be exercised in the Lord's things?
So that when the occasion arises, and I think it was mentioned in the meetings, to give an answer to everyone that asks the reason of the hope that's within you. What do you say to people? Oh, where do you go to church? Do we have an answer? Do we have any kind of a thought about it? Can we point them to some scriptures? Exercise will bring that to us. We can be in the Word. We can come to the meetings, come to the conferences and get those things that we need.
Like this woman here who girded her loins with strength and strengthened her arms.
Verse 1818 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good.
Her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. I take it that's the spinning wheel?
Verse 20 She stretches out her hand to the poor. Yeah, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.
Now.
I think a lot of times we may talk to a brother and he says, yeah, I took another position because, you know, it's better for my career path and I'll be making a lot more money.
Well, that's nice, I guess, but what are you going to do with the money and what's your purpose in all that? And I think when I read about this woman here buying a field, planting a vineyard.
Doing her work on the spinning wheel, stretching out her hand to the poor. Why did she do those things? I don't think it was to aggrandize herself and to better her position. I think she was doing those things because she wanted to be of service to others.
Because in our language we could say of all that's been done for us.
You think of what's been done for us and do we just want to accumulate and and gather together things to aggrandize ourselves or make our retirement better or whatever that kind of a thing may be.
This woman is kind of a picture to us of someone who didn't do that, and she was concerned about those that were around her. There were poor ones, Mr. Darby says. Afflicted.
They're needy ones, they're people that need things. Is there any concern with us to be a help to them?
You know, we read about the master, that he went about doing good, what is good.
Can any of us do good to others? I'm sure there's a lot of things that you can think of. It would be a help and encouragement to others. Sometimes I speak to the children in Sunday school and I say speaking about gifts or something. And I say everybody has a gift. And I look at the Leon children. I say even you do. And they look at me and I smile at them and they smile back and I say that's something you can give to somebody else.
Why don't you go smile at an older person and see what it does for them?
Little things it doesn't have to be very much Hold the door for an old brother.
Her brother Robert here.
Those kinds of things, it shows that there's something in our hearts that wants to respond to all that the Lord has done for us. And how nice if that can be seen even when we're little.
Verse 21 She's not afraid of a snow for her household, for all her household were clothed with scarlet.
And I think it's a nice exercise that.
The scarlet might speak to us of the blood of the Lord Jesus, and to one every. No, so that we can we want everyone in our acquaintance to be covered with that precious blood.
Maybe there are other children in our neighborhood. Maybe there's that other person that work.
The other student that sits in the desk next to you, or whatever it might be, is your concern for them that they would come under that same blood that you've been put under?
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We can preach the gospel to them. We can make sure they understand that the blood of Christ is available.
The way is made open there, and they can go there too. This woman.
She wanted to make sure they were clothed with scarlet and especially those of her own household. So when we have these little children at home or our grandchildren, how nice if there can be that desire to put before them those things that have to do with eternal realities and that they're sinners and they need to have a Savior. They need to have those sins washed away. We can do that when they're very young.
Verse 22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry, her clothing as silk and purple.
And I don't think that this has to do with going to the store and buying lots of clothes.
But I I just have applied it this way in my own thoughts that it's making herself attractive to her husband.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry. And you know we can do that. It says in the Revelation 4 I already alluded to that we were put here for His pleasure. And it pleases him when we do things just for His benefit, because he feels like we feel like he would like us to. And one of them is this remembrance of the Lord that we've been talking about in our meetings, to come there and just sit there and to remember the Lord and all that He did for us.
That's a joy to his heart and so this woman.
She had a way of making herself attractive to her husband. And again verse 23, the focus is not the woman, it's not her works, but her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. So we've been united by the blood of Christ to that one who is going to have the highest place, who is seated on the right hand of God at this moment.
Who gave everything for us?
And what kind of a desire do we find in our hearts? And may the Lord encourage it and cause it to grow, to want to be here for Him and to respond to Him and all that He's done for us, and to see that then flow out to others, that there might be blessing among His people and with the loss that are all around us.
John 3:16
Gospel—Jim Hyland
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I'd like to begin the Gospel Meeting this evening with Hymn #7 on the gospel hymn sheet. God loved the world of sinners lost and ruined by the fall. Salvation full at highest cost. He offers free to all, owe to us, love to us, wondrous love, the love of God. To me, it brought my Savior from above to die on Calvary Hymn #7. If someone could please start it.
All of the world of sinners and.
My Lord.
Starvation.
In your face.
Oh, 1:00.
One hot under the flood.
Wholeness.
It brought my Savior from all to die on now.
My face, I claim in my life, unabridged countryside of all.
Reason.
I can't stand by client and by an endless sacred Lord.
I'd like to turn to one of the most familiar Gospel verses in the whole word of God. It's John's Gospel, chapter 3 and verse 16.
John's Gospel, chapter 3 and verse 16. We'll read this verse through twice.
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. 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.
When I was asked if I would take on this responsibility, I found myself talking to the Lord out loud, as I sometimes do when I'm alone in my study or any other place where nobody else is around. And I was asking the Lord what I should take up, what portion of scripture I should read and preach the gospel from this evening, And the Lord seemed to say John 316 And then I found myself arguing with the Lord a little bit.
But Lord, we often take up John 316. Lord, they've all heard me preach on John 316. Many people get up at a gospel meeting and preach on John. 316 And the Lord seemed to say, preach on John 316. You know, you couldn't prove it by me, But my father, who kept copious notes during meetings, he told me near the end of his life that he had kept track for many years of the Scriptures that gospel preachers began.
Their gospel meetings with and he had tallied up that the.
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Scripture that gospel preachers begin with the most in my father's experience, was John 316.
And so we're going to take this up again tonight, and I trust with the Lord's help, and it will only be with the Lord's help and a work of the Spirit of God that we can present once again, as has often been presented from this precious gospel verse, the simple gospel message. And our particular burden tonight, of course, is if there's someone here in this room, perhaps you've sat here today, perhaps you've sat in this very room other years.
And you're not saved. You're still on the Broad Rd. that leads to destruction.
You know, it's a very solemn thing. Often I have the opportunity and the privilege of presenting the gospel.
To a crowd where I feel perhaps most are not saved and that most have perhaps not even heard a clear gospel before.
Last night in the hotel lobby, we were showing some of the young boys, some of the crowds of children and young people that gather in the villages in the interior of Guyana, South America, and some of those places down there. And when we arrived, pretty soon the kids are coming from school and they'll meet in a little bamboo town community hall with a thatched roof. And you might have two or three hundred children, and they're all there to hear the word of God.
And in the evening, the adults come, and it's a wonderful privilege and challenge to present the gospel.
To a group of individuals like that, but you know, sometimes in a setting like this, I feel even more burdened.
I feel even more challenged in my soul because I am afraid there are people who sit in gospel meetings like this.
And they've heard it so many times that as the expression goes, it becomes like water off a duck's back. I remember one time Brother Garvin, Seymour and I were in Trinidad and Brother Seymour one evening at the gospel hall there he had lovingly presented a clear, simple gospel message, as he alone can do. And after that gospel message, a 16 year old girl stood up to confess that she had just received the Lord Jesus as her Savior.
You know what really shocked us? Because that girl was brought up in a Christian home. I had visited and stayed in her parents home many times. We had had readings in the home. Abigail had often participated or asked questions in the readings. She'd come to the meetings since she was a baby, but she was not saved. And that night she wanted to confess before us all that she had finally come to know the Lord Jesus as her savior.
And so I am not going to assume tonight that every child and young person here knows Christ as their savior. You know Judas passed amongst the other disciples during the years of the Lord's public ministry. And so clever was he in his cover up that when it came to the upper room and the Lord said there was a betrayer amongst them, they all looked at each other and said, is it I? Is it I? Is it I? You'd think, after being that close for 3 1/2 years that some, at least some of the disciples might have suspected who the betrayer was.
But Judas, I say as a professor, was so clever in his cover up that none of the other disciples even suspected. And I hope there isn't a Judas here tonight, someone who's passing as a believer and is not real. And so we we come to this precious verse and before we comment on the expressions here, it's important when we take up a verse of scripture to get the context. You know, this verse is the result of a man coming to the Lord Jesus.
One night now it's true, he waited till night, but never mind. He came and his name was Nicodemus. And he had a lot of questions for the Lord. You know, this man had had religious, he was a religious man, He had rank, he had reputation. But Nicodemus felt within his soul that that wasn't enough. There was still an emptiness in his soul and he wanted to talk to the Lord Jesus.
And he came to the Lord Jesus. And yes, his soul was satisfied, but he had a lot of questions, and there was a lot were a lot of things that Nicodemus didn't understand. And maybe sometimes that's the way it is. When we're children and young people, we come to the meetings and you say, well, the brothers talk a lot about things, and a lot of things I don't understand. And maybe this morning and this afternoon there were a lot of things in the meetings that you didn't quite understand.
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But don't worry about that. Don't let the things you don't know keep you from enjoying the things you do know. And the gospel is very simple. It's so simple, it says that the way of righteousness is so plain that a wayfaring man, though a fool, may not err therein. And we want to try to make this as simple and plain as possible. And the Lord Jesus very patiently answered the questions of Nicodemus. I'm thankful for those who in Scripture, raised questions.
Sometimes, perhaps they should have known. And the Lord did say to Nicodemus, art thou a teacher in Israel, and know us not these things? If Nicodemus taking the position religiously in Israel that he did, he should have known. If he had been reading the Old Testament with prayerful exercise, he should have understood what the Lord was talking about when he spoke of being born again, and so on. However, the Lord Jesus very patiently went over these things.
And finally the Lord Jesus says to him, 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. Is there anything complicated about that? Not one thing. Think of these simple words spoken by the Lord Jesus himself for God. Oh think of God the Creator. Think of the awesomeness and the greatness of God. People are finding out. Scientists are finding out.
More and more as to the.
Greatness of creation and the galaxies and the stars that they never knew existed.
And they're finding out how great this God is. But oh, tonight we want to bring this right down home where we are.
We are responsible to our maker. We are responsible to God.
You remember when Daniel stood before Belshazzar, perhaps the greatest king of the day. He said, The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways hast thou not glorified? We find that Belshazzar was living for the moment, living for himself. And isn't that what we find today, man living for himself? No thought of the future, no thought of having to meet God, even though Scripture tells it is, tells us it is appointed unto men once to die?
And after this the judgment.
Scripture exhorts us. Prepare to meet Thy God. You know, we spend a great deal of our life preparing for various things, don't we? When we as parents send our children off to school, it's for preparation, preparation for life. We send them to elementary school to prepare them for secondary school. Young people go to secondary school to prepare them for college or university or or a job in the workplace.
If a young person goes on to higher education, why he does it? Because he's looking forward to the day when he can get a good job or a better job and he can settle down. He can get some of the things in life that he wants, maybe get married, have a have a family. A person works hard during their.
During middle age. And why did they do that? Well, they say they're looking forward to the day when they won't have to work so hard or they can. They can retire, a person retires, and then what's ahead?
Very searching, isn't it? And so we spend our whole lives preparing for things in this life. But do we give consideration to the next life? Because there is another world. There is another life. This life is short compared to to eternity. You know, we sometimes talk about spending eternity, and I understand what we mean when we say that. I use the expression myself. But you know, you can spend a bank account. You can spend the money that's in your wallet.
We can spend time, but you really can't spend something that goes on and on and on and on. We really can't spend eternity. You know the Lord Jesus when he was here, he told about a man, Well, two men, Not a parable, but an actual incident where two men lived here in this world, a rich man. And Lazarus, when there's a name given in a story that the Lord told, it's not a parable. He doesn't give names in parables.
Parables were stories to illustrate a moral point, but the Lord also told actual stories and news events, current events, The Tower of Salom falling on those ones.
Herod mingling their blood with their sacrifices and so on. That was the current events of the day. But he told about two men you haven't recorded in Luke's Gospel, two men that lived in this world. They lived in this world under very different circumstances.
00:15:13
But that's really not the point of the story. The point of the story is they entered the next World under two very different circumstances. One went to a place of bliss. One went to Abraham's bosom. The other went to a place of torment. And that man wanted one drop of water to cool his tongue. You know, it's very interesting that when the rich man lifted up his eyes in hell and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom, he didn't ask to be released from the confines in which he found himself.
I believe he understood clearly that his destiny was fixed. What he did ask for was that someone would bring him momentary relief.
Did he ever get it? You know the Lord told that story 2000 plus years ago. You know that man is still in that same condition and he'll be there for eternity. Not solemn to think about 2000 years plus, but it's nothing compared to eternity. But thank God we have the glorious gospel to proclaim that God.
So loved.
You know, if it just said God loved, that would be wonderful and we'd have a message of the gospel of good news to proclaim. But so loved. You know, the dictionary tells us that the word soul gives intensity to the verb that follows. And I want to impress upon our hearts for a few moments the intensity of God's love. God has not just loved in Word, but he has loved. Indeed, he has proved his love beyond a shadow of a doubt.
And this was manifested the love of God toward us, in that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we that that we might be saved through through Him. The word manifest means to clearly show that's what a dictionary will tell you. And God has clearly shown His love to you and to me in the giving of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh to think of God the Father sending His Son, the Father sent the Son.
Isn't that more than if it just said God sent Jesus?
God did send Jesus, and here we find that God gave His only begotten Son. But it was the Father, a relationship that existed from a past eternity. You know, it's very interesting and instructive to realize that in Scripture when it speaks of the sun He's always sent or given. You know, the Lord Jesus did not just become the Son in incarnation. He was the Son from a past eternity.
And so we read in Isaiah, when it was prophesied of his birth unto us a child is born. That's his manhood.
And immediately the Spirit of God records unto us, the Son is not born but given. You know, I I never had sons, and I could never send a son to help you in a in a difficult situation because I don't have sons. But God had a son from a past eternity. And God sent God gave his Son. And I believe that's what Paul was referring to when he said, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
God has given many gifts to man. It tells us in the book of James, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning.
You know the good things that we enjoyed at the buffet today? They're the gift of God, Solomon said on 2 occasions in the Book of Ecclesiastes. For a man to eat and to drink and to enjoy the fruit of all his labor, it is the gift of God. That's why it's important as believers that we bow our heads for a moment whenever we partake of those good things to thank the giver. They come from the good hand of God, and God has given many gifts to man.
But the greatest gift that he ever gave, the unspeakable gift, is the gift of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Because every other gift that man has ever enjoyed is a result of the giving of his Son. God so loved the world. Can we understand a love like that? As I say, I don't have any sons, but I know there are many here who have sons. Would you send a son to die for someone that was your enemy?
That's for someone who initially at least had no appreciation for what you were doing.
00:20:06
I suppose if we were to go back to the Old Testament, two of the most complete types.
Of the father sending the son are the story of Joseph and the story of David. You know, when Israel, when Jacob sent Joseph to see how his brethren were who were tending the flocks some distance away. If Joseph, I'm sorry. If Jacob, if Israel had had any idea of how his other sons were going to treat the son he loved so much.
And the son he had made a coat of many colors for. And if he had had any inkling that he would not see that sun for many, many years and think that he was dead, would he have sent him on that occasion, I suggest he probably would have kept him home within the veil of Hebron. You know, Jacob didn't know what was going to happen on that occasion when Jesse sent David with some provisions for his his other sons.
Who were fighting the Philistines and their champion Goliath. If Jesse had had any clue as to what was going to happen, that his son was going to go down in the valley and meet Goliath with just some stones in his shepherds bag and a sling. And then he was going to be reproached and flee as a bird to the mountain and live in The Cave of Adalam. And fear for his life from King Saul would he have sent him on that occasion? I have no doubt he would have kept him home feeding those few sheep in the wilderness.
Israel didn't know, Jesse didn't know. But the wonder of the gospel story is that God the Father knew exactly what the end of the course was, and we read of the Lord Jesus. Lo, I come in the volume of the book, it is written of me to do thy will, O God. And did the Lord Jesus know where that will was going to lead him? Oh, he knew that it was going to be a path uncheered by earthly smiles that would lead only to the cross.
The Lord Jesus knew what it was going to cost to accomplish the will of God and to accomplish the work of redemption. And God the Father was willing to send him. And the Lord Jesus came in love and obedience to His Father and in love to you and me. God so loved the world. You know, the world is taken up in Scripture in three different contexts. Sometimes I put it this way so that we can remember it. Sometimes if we have.
Something that starts with the same letter, It's helpful. We have the planet, the program, and the people. I'll explain what I mean. Sometimes you find that the the word world refers to planet earth on which we live. In other words, when it says Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, that is the Lord Jesus as a man came into this world, came from heaven right down onto this little marble that's spinning in space.
This little speck in creation. He came down here, was born a babe, grew up, ministered for three years plus, and then offered him as that great sacrifice at Calvary's cross. That's the planet. There's the program too, because the sometimes the context of the word world is the system, a system of things set up by man, of which Satan is the God and Prince.
And it's that which is in going on in independence of God. It's the program.
But neither of those are the context that we have here. When it says God so loved the world, I speak reverently. He didn't love a planet. It's not this globe. It's not the program, of course. It's the people that inhabit the world. And so God so loved the world. He looked down in this sinful world and he loved the people in it. And he looks down into this room this evening, and he loves you, He loves me. And he desires your blessing far, far more than I do.
Are far, far more than the brethren that called this Gospel Meeting together. There's one who loves you.
And the very fact that you're sitting here and hearing the gospel one more time is a proof that God loves you. And remember He loves you so much that he has provided a way so that you can be in the Father's house with the Lord Jesus forever and ever and ever. God so loved the world. And then, as I say, He has proved He has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that great love.
00:25:08
And he has shown it in the giving of his son. He gave his only begotten son. It's like the parable where the Lord of the vineyard sent his servants to see how things were going. And they treated those servants so bad and finally said, I have one son, I'll send him, They'll reverence him. They didn't reverence him at all. It's a little illustration of the Lord Jesus coming into this world. You know, he was rejected from the very beginning.
Think of the Lord Jesus born in Bethlehem, Manger no room for him in the inn out and outcast from the very beginning.
The Lord.
Grew up.
He was misunderstood, even sometimes by his earthly parents. But as his public ministry began, it became clear from the very beginning that he was rejected. It tells us prophetically in the Old Testament He was rejected, despised, and rejected of man, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Here was the Creator of the world. You know, the Lord Jesus. When he was asleep in the boat, he was upholding all things by the word of His power. As they pounded the nails into his hands and feet, He gave the very breath that those.
Soldiers were breathing. He gave them the very strength to lift that hammer and to nail those nails through his hands and his feet. Here he was the one who by him all things subsist, it tells us in the book of Colossians.
God's only begotten Son, oh, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And let's go for a moment in our mind's eye to that scene that we've often gone to before as we go to Pilots judgment hall and we see the Lord Jesus so mocked and ridiculed, we see him scourge. We see them plot a crown of thorns on his head and beat it into his blessed brow. We see them bow the knee. We hear them say, Hail King of the Jews, did they believe he was their king? Not for one moment.
It was all in mockery and derision. There was a purple robe on one occasion. There was a scarlet robe, as another gospel tells us on another occasion, but hour after hour between the high priests and pilots, Judgment Hall. And finally they take him out and they lead him to Calvary. And sometimes we sing that hymn I trust I'll never tire of it.
On Calvary, we've adoring stood.
And gazed on that wondrous cross where the holy, spotless Lamb of God was slain in his love for us. Does that move your heart as we speak of the sufferings of Christ? Does that move your heart? Or can you sit here? And I think of how the poet expressed it? And where is the heart so hardened? And who is so vile as he that seeth the Savior suffer and saith? It is nothing to me. There's a question raised by Jeremiah in the book of Lamentations.
Is it nothing to you? All ye that pass by, Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, Is it nothing to you? Is it nothing to me? And there they nailed the Lord Jesus to that cross. And there between heaven and earth he hung as a spectacle for men and angels, crowned with a crown of thorns, that which was part of the result of the curse. And there were those, we are told, who passed by, and reviled him.
Others sat down and watched him suffer in his agony.
But you know, as awful as those sufferings, those physical sufferings of Christ were, they never atoned for one sin.
And there came a moment of high noon when God said that's enough.
And God shrouded the sun in darkness.
And God laid my sins on the Lord Jesus. And I'm thankful I can stand here and say He bore my sins in his own body on the tree. And I trust that you can say that too, because the most important part of it all no one saw there was a brother one time and he was telling me that he had seen the Passion movie some years ago.
And how impressed he was by how Hollywood had depicted the sufferings of Christ.
00:30:04
And after I listened to him for a while, I said, But you didn't see the most important part.
He said, What do you mean? I didn't see the most important part. I said nobody saw the most important part. The most important part were shrouded from man's view. When God laid my sins on the Lord Jesus and at the end of it all the Lord Jesus cried with a loud voice, he said it is finished. He said, Father into my hand, I commend my spirit because we want to be very, very clear that the Lord Jesus.
Gave his life.
A ransom for many. No man, he said of his life. No man taketh it from me. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my father. He gave his life in a way that no other could ever give their life. Only a divine person could lay down their life in that way. But I'm thankful that I can stand before you tonight and say he died for me.
Yes, He did. Because the wages of sin is death. Yes, it is. But I will never have to die for my sins. Oh, I may die physically if the Lord doesn't come, but I will never have to die for my sins because the Lord Jesus died for me. And it thrills my soul to confess before you again that I know the Lord Jesus as my Savior and I know that my sins are gone, that Jesus died for me.
Could you come up here tonight, if you had opportunity, and stand beside me and say the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me? I love to put my name in that verse. The Son of God who loved Jim and gave himself for Jim.
You know, there's a lot of sorrow in this world, but I heard of a young couple who had that text hanging in their living room after they were first married, the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. And the man came in to transact some business with them. And while they were out of the room, he was sitting there just reading that text over and over and over again to himself. And when they came back in the room, he said, no wonder you're happy if you really believe that. And we really do believe it. We know it's true. And I know there's so many here tonight who just thrill.
As we can speak of the Lord Jesus having given himself for us.
At Calvary's Cross, the Lord Jesus bowed his head. He laid down his life.
And then a soldier with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came throughout blood and water. I love that little word forthwith again. If it said there came out blood and water, that would be enough. But it says forthwith a non immediately.
The last crowning act of man's hatred against the Son of God was the very.
Ave. that God used for eternal blessing for souls forthwith, It's to me. It's just as if God was in a hurry to bless and forthwith came throughout blood and water and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. You know I grew up under the preaching of a man by the name of Ernie Wakefield.
I'm thankful that I was baptized by Brother Wakefield, but I grew up under his preaching. Some of you who are older will remember him, perhaps.
And he used to tell us, as young brothers, remember when you preach the gospel, preach Christ, and make much of the blood, and that's what we want to do tonight. We have nothing else. God has nothing else for you. We're not talking about theology or sociology or turning over a new leaf or anything like that, or trying to do better. No man is a Sinner through and through. He's dead and trespasses and sins. But God has brought in something by grace through his son, and it's the blood of Jesus.
We have forgiveness through that blood. We're sanctified. We're justified by that blood. We sometimes sing that gospel hymn. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. There is no substitute for the blood of Jesus. I know I've often said this before, but you know, in our home we might have our favorite detergents, laundry detergent, soap, We buy shampoo, whatever it might be.
But, you know, my good conservative wife, and I'm thankful she is, sometimes she goes to the supermarket or the store and she finds that there's another brand that's a little cheaper this week, or we have a coupon or something like that. And so she substitutes, you know, in the end, it does just as good a job, really.
00:35:09
There's substitutes for cleaning agents on every level in this world, but there is no substitute for the cleaning agent for sin. There is only one thing that washes sins away.
And that is the blood of Jesus. And not only does it cleanse from sin, but it cleanses from all sin. You see how those little words in scripture are so precious? Again, if it said it cleanses from sin, fine, that's wonderful, but it leaves not one stain of sin. You know, I'm not afraid tonight of one charge of sin being brought up against me, because it's all been cleared once and for all by one offering a perfected forever them that are sanctified.
I can't help it, but I got tell about a little boy I've often told about because it thrills my soul every time I tell this story about a little boy who went off to Sunday school. His mother sent him to Sunday school on every week and he came home one Sunday afternoon and he was so excited because his mother had always told him, Son, remember, God sees everything. God sees what you do, whether you do it in the dark, whether I see it or not.
God sees everything, all one Sunday afternoon. He was so excited, Mother. They taught me at Sunday school. There's something that God doesn't see.
Oh, his mother was a bit distressed. She wondered if she should be really sending him to a Sunday school like that. Now remember, Son, what I've told you, the eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good. Yes, Mother, but there's one thing God doesn't see. Now remember, son, even the Lord's eyelids try the children of men. Even when his eyes are shut, he still sees what you're doing. Yes, mother, but there's one thing God doesn't see. Sun. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.
Yes, mother, but there's one thing God can't see. Finally, she said to him. What did they tell you at Sunday school? God can't see. He said, Mother, it's my sins when they're washed in the blood of Jesus. I thought that was a good answer. And not only that, but it says thy sins and iniquities I will remember no more. You know, God doesn't forget. That's human weakness. But there are things God chooses not to remember. Only a divine person can do that.
You know, the things I want to remember, I forget. And the things I want to forget I remember. Isn't that the way it often is? My grandmother had an expression I forgive and forget, but I always remember.
But there are things God chooses not to remember, And one of the things God chooses not to remember are my sins when they're washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus. Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? That's a question for each one of us here. And again, I know there's so many of us who thrill as we think of the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus.
But something else took place, something that is again a very important gay, vital element of the gospel message. And that is that he died, he was buried, but he rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures.
Oh, I thrill when I think of the full exaltation of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus came forth from the grave. He rose again the 3rd day. He remained on earth long enough to give ample and complete testimony.
To his own that he had bodily risen from the dead, He said on one occasion. Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bone, as you see me have. He appeared to about 500 brethren at one time.
And then a moment came when his feet left the Mount of Olives, as he had led his own outside of Bethany.
And the cloud received him out of their sight, and they saw him no more, that is, with the physical eye. And the Lord Jesus went back to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, because the resurrection, the Ascension, and the glorification of Christ are God's. Amen to the work of Calvary. They are the proof that God is satisfied with the work that his Son accomplished here at Calvary's cross. And I love that old gospel hymn we so often sing.
There is a savior on high in the glory, a Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree.
A Savior who's willing to save. Now as ever, his arm is almighty, his love great and free. And so he says here that whosoever believeth in him, little girl was asked one time at Sunday school, what does the word whosoever mean? Why? She said, that's you and me and everybody else. No exclusions if the Gospels for everyone. It doesn't matter how young or how old you are. I've heard of young children getting saved.
00:40:16
Though young people getting saved, I've heard of those in middle age. I've even heard of deathbed confessions. I've heard of people in their 80s and 90s getting saved. But don't assume that you'll have time beyond this gospel meeting. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
One time we were driving our car and we saw a bumper sticker in front of us, it says said. Those who wait to get saved at the 11Th hour usually die at 10:30.
Saw a message, isn't it? We have no guarantee on life. How many lives as we've sat here in these chairs today have been snuffed out without a moments notice around this world. Never assume that you're going to have another opportunity. God's time is now whosoever believeth in him. How simple it is. There was a little gospel message preached in a prison in Philippi many years ago. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Not a very long gospel message, was it?
But it had its effect That Philippian jailer, it says he believed in God rejoicing. And we want you tonight to confess that you're a Sinner and have faith in Christ, because salvation is repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. That's all it is. And so whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
One time I looked up the word perish in a dictionary. I think it was a Random House dictionary, and it said to perish is to pass out of existence. I wasn't satisfied with that. You know, that's what man would like to think, that when he dies, it's like the beast and it's all over. I did. I looked it up then in Webster's dictionary, and I was more satisfied with what it said. There perish to die spiritually.
Solemn, isn't it? You know.
The soul that enters the lost eternity will exist forever. They will exist in a place of torment, a place of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth with a conscience and a memory that they sat and heard. John 316 The Lord said the word that I have spoken. The same shall judge him in the last day. Have you ever heard John 316 before? You probably have. And you've heard it tonight. And won't it be solemn if you lift up your eyes in a lost eternity? And this verse comes to mind.
But it not as to a point of refuge and salvation, but this verse will rise in judgment of you because it will condemn you as you realize you had opportunity, should not perish but have everlasting life. We spoke of the gifts of God and it says the gift of God is eternal life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord God is offering eternal life. And at the end of this gospel meeting I want to make it so very simple and plain.
Because I think sometimes when the Gospels presented, souls wonder, well, what do I have to do or how can I be saved? It is this simple. In a moment or two, I'm going to pray.
And if you're not saved, all you have to do is talk to the Lord in your heart. He hears what you say, even if you don't utter one word aloud. And all you have to do is, from your heart confess that you're a Sinner, and tell him that you want to receive that wonderful gift, the gift of eternal life. And it says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And I will guarantee you on the authority of God's word, tonight.
That if you simply talk to the Lord Jesus in your heart tonight, in the way that we have just mentioned. And it doesn't have to be complicated language, but if you will talk to the Lord Jesus in your heart and from your heart you can get up off these chairs. A saved person, no longer on your way to hell, a lost eternity, but on your way to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus. Because I want to warn you at the end of this meeting, the Lord Jesus is coming very soon. I can't tell you when.
But I know one thing for sure and certain that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. And I know one thing for sure and certain on the authority of this book, the Bible.
That when the Lord Jesus comes, if you have had opportunity to receive the gospel as you've had tonight.
You will be left behind with no more opportunity to receive Christ as your Savior, and you will be condemned and doomed at the great white throne, judgment to an eternity in hell. But oh tonight God loves you. God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Use the Opportunities the Lord Gives You
The Cockroach Wasn't Scared
Children—Tim Kaiser
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.
Good morning.
Who wants to sing a song?
OK, good, who has a song to sing?
Who wants to give one out?
We have a hem sheet here and it would be easiest if you look at one on the back sheet here.
OK.
#5 OK, that's on the front. Christ is the Savior of sinners. OK, let's sing #5 oh wait five, that's oh, happy day. Good thing I looked again.
Oh, happy day.
When Jesus was my sins away.
He told me how to watch and pray and let rejoice make every day.
I can say I want to be saved when trees are strong.
Transactions.
I AM my Lord and He is mine, He creeping me out, and I fall down for the truth and pass upon.
When till I swallowed, I stands away.
Hey.
When Jesus was my spirit.
OK, who has another song to sing on the Backpage? We have Sunday school songs if you want to look at that. OK, William.
Jesus loves me. That's number 40 and it is on the Backpage.
Jesus loves me.
00:05:02
He will wash away my sin.
What about a little child coming in? Yeah, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus likes me.
You have to drink some slots to me.
I need all the way. If I trust him, should I die, he will take me all my life.
Yes, She sighs. Loves me.
Yes, Jesus likes me.
Yes, she's lost me the Bible.
About one more song for now, and we can sing some more later. You already gave one out, Rosemary, so let's give somebody else a chance, didn't you?
Oh, I'm so used to you being the only one, I'm sorry.
#45.
Can you read that for us?
No, says song in previously printing. Previous printing not included because of copyright considerations. Oops. You want to pick another one? I don't know that song either.
It's 2 little eyes. How about that? Well, we can probably remember it. I can start it and someone else can keep it going.
Too little.
Ears to hear his word to the lake told me to walk his way.
Still and still work for him Almighty.
1 Let's go. Time to speak history.
One little heart for him now in my youth. Take them, Lord, as she's outside, glad that being always all the reason.
Thank you, Abigail.
That's an That was an interesting song, you know, because.
OK.
That's an interesting song because you know what, We just talked to the Lord Jesus. It's a prayer. What we're just saying, we just.
We just prayed and said, Lord, I've got, I think we started with what eyes and ears? I can't remember what happened, what came next? Feet and hands and a heart and a tongue. And we said, Lord, take these and let them be obedient.
00:10:16
Now.
Who knows what obedient means? OK.
Somebody tells you to do listening to what someone tells you to do. Yeah, and.
Acting like you listened.
Let's see now what did I say? That was the last song for now. I can't remember. I did. OK. All right. Who's? Let's not do the verse yet. I want to tell a story. Who likes stories?
Me too, and I like telling stories too.
Just a few a few days ago.
We were traveling and we.
We're traveling so long that we didn't get to where we were going, so we had to get a hotel.
Who likes to stay in a hotel?
Why? Why do you like this? Why do you like to stay in a hotel?
There's a pool.
You too.
The paper. Oh yes, there's no pads to write on.
Any other reasons like to stay in a hotel?
I like the waffles.
Yeah, pancakes are good. We don't get those very often at our house.
Well, I cooked at breakfast.
Yeah, well, this was, this one was a motel. It's a little bit different than a hotel. And they didn't serve breakfast there, but we were really happy to find this motel.
Because we it was getting sort of late and we knew we needed to find some place quick and we were very happy to find it, yeah.
You have to be quiet right now, Rosemary. All right, Wait for a turn.
So we found this place and we went and got some supper and it was good and we came back and we got the kids in bed and in fact I got in bed.
And I wasn't asleep yet, and my wife was just tidying up a few things and she reached over and tapped my foot. Sort of insistent, like tap taped.
I looked at her and she had a look on her face.
What does that mean when I do that with my finger?
What's that mean?
OK, Yeah.
And she looked like she meant it, so I got up.
And I stood beside her, and I looked where she was looking.
And what do you think I saw?
No, you don't know her. We made sure you didn't know.
Any guesses from the kids?
It was. It was.
Down on the floor and add little antenna like this.
And it was crawling towards my wife.
It was a bug. Do you know what kind of bug? No. Any guesses?
It wasn't a spider, Nope.
You think you know what it is?
A centipede? Nope. The good guess.
OK.
Oh, way to turn, Rosemary, Go ahead. It wasn't an Ant. No, it wasn't a Firefly. Rosemary, go ahead and sit on your seat.
No.
I meant to bring a picture here this morning. I don't know if anyone could pull up a picture of a German cockroach on their on their phone so I can show it around. I'd appreciate that. So there was a cockroach crawling towards my wife.
And suddenly.
00:15:00
I didn't feel as comfortable.
Cockroach is a bug, and I don't know that they're necessarily, I mean, they don't bite, they have a bad reputation.
Let's see here.
Uncle Phil, would you like me to bring a German cockroach into your home?
How about you, Anna? Would you like me to? No. OK, I've got one here. If it disappears, what do I do?
All right, so here's a picture of what was crawling towards my wife, and I stood right next to her bravely.
Yeah.
Would you like that to crawl towards you?
Thank you.
So.
So if one was crawling towards your wife, Uncle Phil, what would you do?
My yes, my wife was trying to scare it away.
And usually they're pretty scared, but that one wasn't. I stepped on it too. It, it wasn't acceptable to have it there. I, I'm sorry, but I wasn't OK with there being a cockroach right in the same room as me. Really. And is there anyone here that really would would prefer to have a whole bunch of cockroaches in the same bedroom as them? Is that what they look for? Anyone here?
Is there anyone here that you know, if they knew there were cockroaches in their home, that would just do nothing about it?
Who here would try to get cockroaches out of their home if it was in their home?
Ha, that's very interesting. Is there anyone here that likes cockroaches?
Yeah, you know what? We didn't just see one. We started looking.
And then I saw marks on the wall where other people had found them lots of times before.
There were a lot of them and our kids were already down and so we started zipping everything up and the the closet got full of things that were hanging and the the bathroom got stuff hanging off of all sorts of stuff that would make it difficult for things to get to. And some things went out into the van and and we didn't sleep real well that night. You know, when people around cockroaches, they.
They generally aren't comfortable.
They don't like them, they are dirty, they leave a lot of mess.
And then they get lots of them.
And if people know you have cockroaches in your home, sometimes they don't want to come.
We were worried about cockroaches getting into our bags and.
Coming home with us. So we were very careful.
To separate ourselves from them.
We left that motel and we're not planning on going back again.
I'm sorry, it seemed like a nice motel, but we're not planning on going back. We decided that now.
It seems like everybody else here pretty much understands why we don't want to go back to that motel. We don't want those bugs in our luggage. We don't want those bugs in our home.
So just remembering that, let's say the verse. OK, who is ready to say the verse first? How about how about we just.
Good. You look it up. Let's look it up. I think it's in Romans.
That's right, Romans 3, the end of 22 and verse 23. I'm going to read it.
For there is no difference. For all have sinned.
And come short of the glory of God. Romans 322 and 23. OK, I've been given permission to use this thing if anybody else wants to. Who's ready to say the verse? OK, how about we start over here?
00:20:10
All ascend and come short of the No. There is no difference for all of sin and short of the glory of God. Roman 322 and 23. Good job. Anybody else over here?
You can think about it, OK.
There is no difference.
For I'll have short of the glory of God, will win 322 and 23. Gotcha one more time.
There is no difference, for I'll have come, I'll have sinned, for I'll have sinned and comes sort of the glory of God. Romans 322 and 23. Good job. Anybody else?
Oh, I didn't see your hand, Lillian. Sorry. There's no difference. I'll have to come short of the glory of God. Romans 3 and 22 and 23. Good job. Okay, anybody else thought about it?
OK.
Now.
I told a story about cockroaches. Some of them were big and some of them were teeny tiny.
Yeah.
But they were all cockroaches.
I didn't even want a little one.
I didn't want any in my bags or to come home to my house.
Now our verse today was there is no difference.
All have sinned.
And come short of the glory of God.
You know.
Some of us are just teeny tiny.
And some of us are pretty big.
There you go.
But we have all what?
Send. That's right, Even though, Rosemary, you're small and I'm big.
You have sinned and I have sinned. You have sinned and I have sinned.
There is no difference. We have all sinned. There is a difference. You're small and I'm big. But when we look at the question of what are we sinners, there isn't a difference. All have sinned.
Is there anyone here that has not sinned?
Anybody at all? Can you think of anyone you know that hasn't sent?
You think you know someone who hasn't sinned? OK, tell us that's right.
Has he come short of the glory of God? No. So this verse is not talking about him.
But when we talk about the rest of us.
All, all of us have sinned and you know, just like, well, not just like we look at the example of when we were in that room and we saw that cockroach. We didn't want to be there anymore. We took our bags and we zipped them up and we hung them very carefully and then we got them out as soon as we could.
God looks at sin.
And.
He is holy, He is separate. He can't let sin in his presence. Rosemary, get on your seat, please.
God cannot have sin in his presence. We looked at that cockroach and.
God is holy, He's separate. We separated ourselves from those bugs, and God is separate from sin.
And it says here we have all sinned.
Does God want to be separate from us? Somebody raised their hand and tell me, does God want to be separate from us? You've answered a lot of questions, and so have you, Rosemary. How about somebody else? Does God want to be separate from us?
How about you? What do you think? Does God want to be separate from us?
No, he doesn't.
But all have sinned.
00:25:04
And fall short of the glory of God.
He can't have sin in his presence.
But he doesn't want to be separate from us.
What has God done?
What has God done so that He can have us in His presence?
Oh, and what do you think? He he doesn't want? He can't have sin in his presence. He's holy. He's he's separate from sin.
What has God done? Can you tell me a little bit of what God has done?
Did he do anything? Did he send anyone?
God sent his son, didn't he? What's his son's name?
That's right.
God sent his Son Jesus. And when we talk about Jesus.
What did Jesus do to help us get to heaven?
You can ask somebody to help you.
You think he can help you?
Yeah.
He was on the cross, wasn't he?
On the cross, the Lord Jesus.
Suffered and he died and he shed his blood. He paid the price.
To wash us clean, the Bible says that the blood of Jesus Christ.
His Son, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin.
Cleanses. Hmm.
Let's see, what does cleanse mean?
You can ask somebody to help if you want with this cleanse when it says the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. What does cleanse mean?
It washes it away.
That's right, the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son.
Washes away, cleanses us, cleans us from all sins. So the Bible tells us that.
All have sinned. There is no difference. All of us have sinned, but it also tells us that Jesus.
The blood of Jesus Christ.
Cleanses us from sin.
And if I'm if if I've had my sin washed away.
Is there?
If there's no more sin, If God looks at me and sees no sin.
And he welcomed me into his presence.
Yeah, you know that example of those cockroaches?
I'm not sure what to do with that because there's no way I want those cockroaches in my house.
But God, he looks at us and he says I love these people.
But they're sinners, and I can't have them in my house covered with sin.
And so God sent his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father sent the Son.
To be the savior of the world.
So that.
All of us filthy with sin could be.
Washed clean.
There's another verse that I know a lot of you have learned. It's John 316 who can raise their hand and and quote it for me.
You go ahead and find it. Who can? Who wants to raise their hand and tell me that verse?
You want to quote it, Rosemary? OK.
For God so loved the world that he gave His only.
And begotten some tattoos. Whoever believeth in him should not care, but have every lasting life. John 360 good job.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
You know what? I didn't love those cockroaches. I have to admit it, I didn't. But God loves us. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. I wasn't going to give my daughter to save those cockroaches.
God gave his Son to save you even though you didn't deserve to be saved.
God, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him.
If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that he's the Son of God, trust him.
00:30:04
And what he did on the cross to save us from our sin, we will be saved and made clean and a holy God, a God that's separate from sin.
Can have us with him, because cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, we are holy also.
OK, now I think we have a few more minutes to sing. Do we? Are we are we out of time?
OK, all right, let's sing some more.
Who has a son?
#46 All right.
Glad he.
Asked you the last night.
And he called and keep all of the deep that I love around us and give you an unsolved way of life.
OK.
#44.
Into a tent where Egypt.
Salvation with Mary, said he. Nobody ever has stolen to me.
Telling him how little I am salvation story really Lord and Lord.
No one can say all the children of men. Nobody ever has told me before.
You so love me a poor little boy and I could have been a good tidings of joy.
In my heart perish my hand will behold nobody ever The story has told.
It up again.
Nobody ever has told me before.
The last words of his friends.
Just as he entered the hell, God stretched his son true, so every said he.
Then I am sure that he sent him for me.
I'll tell him about you tell him about again, salvation. Salvation. So he creepy forever.
OK, how about one more song?
One more song.
OK.
A builder sign.
OK.
In the house and.
00:35:01
That knows how it goes.
Good.
Then how it starts in the house, not of doors.
And out of doors chopping wood.
Mandy.
I can do. I'll do.
Heart alarming. He's a need help me through a plastic good thriller.
Jesus Christ, I'm property genius science. I love you all for checking himself. Glory to honey Beverly soon.
Hope
Address—Jim Hyland
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.
We'll start the meeting this afternoon with him number 85. I'll read verse 2. But oh, the hope of being forever with the Lord. The joyful hope of seeing that face for us so marred. It fills our heart with comfort. It fills our lips with praise, so that amid our sorrow A joyful song, we raise hymn #85. If someone could please start it.
To bear our sin and say.
I am.
Still waiting. Why, Saints? Why he put the bread with the dreams are so hard on the head. In your head Every night snitches with me.
All the time.
To introduce what's on my heart this afternoon, I'd like to read 3 portions of the word of God.
The first one is in the book of Ephesians.
Ephesians chapter 2.
Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 11.
Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh.
Who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise.
Having no hope and without God in the world, and then in one Timothy chapter one.
First Timothy chapter one and verse one.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior.
And Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope. One more portion for now in Romans chapter 8.
Romans chapter 8 and verse 24.
For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeth, why did he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we, with patience, wait for it? In these meetings that we have been enjoying together, we've had a great deal of exhortation and encouragement in connection with the path of faith collectively going on together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart, the privilege of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
00:05:12
We've had exhortations in connection with going on as individuals as well. Because this has often been commented, and I think it bears repeating, there's full and abundant provision for us to go on until the Lord Jesus comes. As we said at the end of the Reading meeting yesterday, God never asked us to do anything in which he isn't going to provide a scriptural basis on which to do it and all the resources that are needed to continue on until the end.
But what I'd like to do for a few moments this afternoon is to lift our eyes above this world, beyond this life, and to speak a little bit of our hope, particularly our hope and connection with the hope of the Lords coming. Hope is a vast subject in the word of God, in fact.
Even in just in the Apostle Paul's ministry, he speaks of various aspects of hope over 40 times.
And so it's a very important subject. You have it in the Old Testament as well. David often spoke of hope. And so we're going to speak of it in connection, as I say, particularly with the coming of the Lord Jesus, and to see how our hope is presented to us in the New Testament in various ways. But I thought it might be good to begin here in Ephesians chapter 2, because here these verses remind us that there was a time when we were without hope.
You know, I suppose there's no sadder word in the English language than the word hopeless or hopelessness. You go to the doctor and he reviews your case and maybe he calls you in for a consultation and he shakes his head and he says, well, to be quite honest, your case is terminal. It's hopeless as far as this life is concerned. That's an awful message I'm sure to receive from a doctor. I say there's nothing worse than a hopeless situation.
Someone has said that hope is an indispensable quality of life. The story is often told of the S4 submarine many years ago who went down that went down off the coast of Massachusetts, and they sent divers down to see if there was any hope of rescue. And as one of those divers put his ear to the wall of that submarine, he heard tapped out in Morris code. Is there any hope? And so we find here that.
The Apostle Paul in writing to these Ephesians, they were saved. Now they had were Gentiles by birth, but they'd been saved and they were once without hope. Now if we were to read the context here, we would find that as Gentiles there were two reasons why they had once been without hope. One is they were Gentiles because you remember in the Old Testament, other than a select few of the individuals that were brought in by grace.
Like Rahab the Harlot and Ruth the Moabite us and a few others, it God was dealing with the Jewish nation.
The nation of Israel. And they were God's chosen people, a peculiar people to Jehovah.
And you were either inside the circle of blessing or you were outside. But there was another reason why these Ephesians had once been without hope.
And that is because they've been without God. They were sinners, and everyone of us born into this world, whether Jew or Gentile, were initially without hope, apart from something else, brought in by God on the grounds of grace and the basis of the work of Calvary. We were without hope because.
We work not only sinners by practice, but sinners by nature. You know, before anyone ever sins, The minute they're born into this world, they're sinners. They have a sinful, fallen nature. And so these Ephesians had once been without hope, but we read the context here. We find that now they had been brought in to the most blessed relationship that man had ever known with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a thrill it must have been to these Ephesian believers.
To have this precious truth brought before them, and I trust it thrills our hearts every time.
We hear the gospel every time we're reminded of what we were, what we've been brought into, and all that is ahead for us and prepared for us in that coming day of glory. I noticed on the schedule that this meeting is scheduled as a young people's address.
And I suppose when we're younger, we don't so much think perhaps of the Lord's coming and what's ahead. Oh, it's a doctrine that is presented to us from Scripture and in the meetings, perhaps by our parents. But you know, those of us who are getting a little further along in life, the Lord's coming is more of a reality than it used to be. And as we have experienced, a few aches and pains and little extra hardware like glasses and hearing aids and things.
00:10:25
The change is looking better all the all the time. I know it's not the purest motive for wanting the Lord to come, but it does say in Jude looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, and so it will be a mercy to be gone. But before we speak of that, we read in First Timothy chapter one, because here we find the Apostle Paul writing to this young man Timothy, a young man who had been saved no doubt under the ministry of the Apostle Paul.
Who labored with the Apostle Paul, And who Paul felt confident that he could pass on the truth to and that he would pass it on again to faithful men who would be able to teach others also? And here we find he speaks of the Lord Jesus as our hope, because the Lord Jesus is the only hope for man, whether it's the Jew or the Gentile, both are lost in sin. The Jew was a specimen of humanity placed in the best of circumstances.
To show what all humanity was hopeless without something brought in by grace. And so it's the Lord Jesus that is our hope. Now, I don't want to go too far with applications and illustrations, but I find this is a very unique way in which Paul begins his epistle.
And why is it to the to Timothy that he begins this epistle with the Lord Jesus as our hope? Well, I make this little suggestion at least an application. We find in Timothy combined Jew and Gentile. Because when he's introduced to us in the book of the Acts, we find that his mother was a Jew and his father was a Greek or a Gentile. But now Timothy had been brought in to blessing. He'd been saved.
He was brought into the Church of God and he had this wonderful heavenly calling.
And and this hope, and so I say again, the hope that we're going to speak of this afternoon is not to some particular race or nationality of people. Because when we get to heaven, we're going to sing of those redeemed out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.
And then I read in Romans chapter 8, and if we were to read the verses that precede here, we would find that we have our present state contrasted with the coming glory. And oh what a tremendous lift it gives my soul to read this. There are so many difficulties in life and you know, it just seems to me that every individual, every family, every assembly is going through some real trial and difficulty today.
Not just little things, but it just seems as we get closer to the Lord's coming. There are real tests and trials in the path of faith. And I have no doubt there's even young people here this afternoon whose hearts are burdened and maybe even overwhelmed by what you're facing and what you know you're going to have to face when you leave these meetings and go back to school, to work and to everyday life? But isn't it wonderful that we have the coming glory before us?
And young people and all of us. I believe that's what's going to encourage us to go on. What is going to give us the spiritual energy and fortitude to press on amidst the difficulties of life? Well, it says in Proverbs 29, where there is no vision, the people perish. If we lose sight of of heaven, if we lose sight of the glory before us, we're going to get discouraged. It's often been said that a young person maybe goes off to college or university.
And they live in a small room. Or they bored with somebody and they don't go out with their friends when they'd like to on the weekend because they stay in to study. Maybe they drive an old car. It's not exactly what they like, but it's an old car that they keep going. Why do they do that? They give up present advantage because they have an eye to the future. You say to that young person, why do you eat in the school cafeteria when there's a nice steakhouse down the road? Oh, they say I'm saving up to get through school because when I get my degree.
Then things are going to be better. I'll hopefully get a good job and maybe we can have steak once in a while and I can have a little better quarters, maybe get married or whatever it might be. He does that, he or she does that because they have an eye to the future, they have vision and brethren, We will never give up present advantage in this world and live for Christ and for God's glory unless we keep focused on what is ahead.
00:15:26
You know, when Lot lifted up his eyes back in the book of Genesis, he lifted them up only as high as the horizons of this sad world.
He lifted them up as to the when saw the well watered plains of Jordan, he chose that which was for present advantage. And we see we know the sad end of lot. We know he pitched his tent towards Sodom. He built a house and saw him. He sat in the gate of Sodom, which was the area, the place where the politics and wranglings of the city went on in those days. In those days he lost his family because of it and he lost everything.
He saw everything that he had built for come under the judgment of God, because everything in this world that we build for in a temporal way is reserved under fire. I don't mean that we shouldn't value the mercies and the temporal things that God has given us, and He's given us plenty. In a country like this and the country that I come from to the north. We don't want to despise those things. We can use them for God's glory. We can make friends of the righteous Mammon, so to speak.
But we want to keep it in the proper perspective. Abraham, on that occasion, lifted up his eyes too.
But he lifted them up to heaven, and it tells us later he looked for a city and it wasn't Sodom.
It was a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. And so we find here in Romans. It tells us we are saved by hope. Because you and I understand this if as long as there's hope, no matter how difficult the situation is, we can get through life today if there's hope that things are going to get better tomorrow. I went through some pain I had never experienced before in the last few months.
And every day there was always hope that things would ease a little bit tomorrow and that the pain medication would kick in and the things would get better. And so you get through a present circumstance with with hope, with an eye to the future. We're saved by hope. And that's why we need to keep our hope, the Christian hope, before us. And he says that, that.
For for we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeth, why does he yet hope for?
I would just say this, that the hope we speak of in connection with Christ is in no way uncertainty. Hope connected with this life and the first man is uncertainty at best. You know, we sit in these chairs and we've enjoyed these meetings. But suppose we said that beyond a shadow of a doubt, we were going to return to our homes after this weekend and the meetings were over. Why you'd say, Jim, that's presumptuous there things can interfere.
Often in our travel plans, things come in to frustrate, and where we hope to be and when we hope to be there doesn't always pan out the way we had thought it would, or had hoped it would. It would. No hope. Connected with this life is uncertainty at best, but as we go on to look at some other scriptures, we're going to see that hope in Christ is in no way uncertainty. It is only hope in the sense that we're not in the full good of it yet.
Let me illustrate it this way. There are some children here, and perhaps they will be able to grasp this a little bit. But we'll suppose that mom and dad promise you something on your birthday, something that you had really hoped for, something that you had asked for. And so they tell you, yes, the item has been purchased and it's put away in a safe place, and when your birthday comes, it's going to be brought out and presented to you. You don't have it yet.
Living in the anticipation of it, and I remember long ago though it was, I remember what it was to be a boy and live in the anticipation of something that my parents had promised they would get me or we would do. And so you live in that anticipation every day. You're still, in a sense, hoping for it, even though you know it's been secured for you. But on your birthday, when the gift is brought out and placed in your hand, you no longer hope for it, because now you have it. And so we hope for the Lord's coming in that sense.
00:20:00
Now abide his faith, hope and love. But there's a day coming when we will no longer need faith and hope, because it will become a glad reality and fruition. So he says. But if we hope for that, we see not, then do we, with patience, wait for it. And I would just say before we pass on that, well, I trust every believer here, young and old, is looking for the Lord Jesus to come this afternoon. We do, in a sense, need to, with patience, wait for it.
In Thessalonians, it speaks of the patience of the Christ. The Lord Jesus is the man of patience. He was the man of sorrows in this world when he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He'll be the man of joy in a coming day when he has his own around himself, and he'll joy over us with singing and so on. But at this present moment he's the man of patience. What is he patiently waiting for? He's patiently waiting from for a word from his father.
And then it says He that will come, shall come, and will not tarry. Well, with this in mind, then I want to go to several scriptures.
That, as I say, bring before us this hope, the hope of the Lord's coming in various aspects. We'll start in First Peter, Chapter one.
First Peter chapter one.
And verse three. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively or a living hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled.
And that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
Ready to be revealed in the last time. Just to get the context of this, we know that the Apostle Peter was writing now to those who had been saved from the background of Judaism. In Ephesians, Paul was writing to Gentile believers. Here the Apostle Peter is writing to those who'd been saved from a Jewish background. And if we were to read the context of this, we would find that these ones who had turned from Judaism to receive the Lord Jesus as their savior, they were suffering persecution.
In a way that I'm not sure any of us in this room have ever felt. In fact, Peter refers to it as fiery trials. They had been driven from their homes. They had lost everything, and they might have wondered what's happened. Because remember, under the old order of things, a Jew was promised material blessing and an establishment in his material inheritance in the land of Canaan, if he was faithful to his to his God.
And here these believers had sought to be faithful to the Lord Jesus, and they had lost everything, and they might have wondered what's happened now. And so the apostle Peter writes to them to encourage them that no, they haven't lost out, they've gained, they've gained far, far more than they could ever have imagined, far more than they had ever lost as far as materially. And so he speaks of it here, first of all, as a living hope.
Because as we stressed in the gospel last evening, every blessing is based not only on the death of Christ, but the resurrection of Christ. Because if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain and ye are still in your sins. But thank God he was raised again for our justification. And not only was he raised from the dead, but he God has seated him at his own right hand and given him a name which is above every name, And these Jewish believers were now associated.
With the Lord Jesus not as a man walking here in this world, not as the lowly man of grace, but they were associated now with the man in glory. They were reassociated with Christ as the exalted, ascended man.
And Christianity does that. Christianity really detaches the believer from this world in every sense except the fact that we're still physically in it. We're not connected with this world. Our hopes and goals and aspirations are not like the Jews. No, we are connected with heaven and a heavenly portion. And we find here and if we were to go to other scriptures, we would find that the inheritance has two aspects in Christianity.
00:25:02
If we were to go to Ephesians, chapter one, where he contrasts our spiritual blessings with the inheritance, they're the inheritance is all created things. And there we're waiting for the day when Christ is going to take his inheritance. He's going to come back and he's going to rule in righteousness in this world. He's going to have his rightful place on planet Earth where they despised him, spit in his face, cast him out, said we won't have this man, he's going to come back and he's not going to come back without us.
He's we're going to share in it. We're going to be Co heirs, joint heirs with Christ. And what a wonderful day that's going to be. But if we were to go to Colossians one, we would find there's a heavenly side to the inheritance as well. And this I believe is what the apostle Peter was seeking to bring before the Saints here, because you notice it's an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fades not away, reserved in heaven. There's a heavenly side to the inheritance.
It's all that we have in Christ. It's the unsearchable riches of Christ, and this must have thrilled the hearts of these brothers. They'd lost everything materially, and the inheritance as far as the earthly side was set aside for the time. It wasn't to be. The king was in rejection, the Lord Jesus had gone back to heaven, and so he brings before them the heavenly side of it, an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, that fades not away.
The earthly inheritance had faded away, but you and I have an inheritance that will never fade away. And notice what it says, who are kept by the power of God through faith. Well, first of all, in the end of verse four, it's reserved in heaven for you. Let me use a little illustration. You know, someone might tell you that they're going to leave you an inheritance when they die, that there's going to be a nice sum of money, some real estate, and so on.
You're going to get a nice little inheritance when they pass away. But perhaps that person in later life needed assisted care, living or something like that. And when they died, the inheritance was gone. There was nothing left. The inheritance wasn't reserved. But brethren, we have an inheritance we can't lose. Not only that, even if you haven't get an inheritance, every time you go down to the bank and draw on that inheritance, the inheritance becomes less. But we can go down to the Bank of heaven and we can draw on our inheritance every moment of every day, and it'll never get less.
Because, I say again, it's the unsearchable riches of Christ. But let's go back to the illustration of the person who promises to leave you an inheritance.
Maybe you predeceased the person and you weren't preserved for the inheritance, but here we're kept. Not only is the inheritance reserved for us, but we're kept for the inheritance. And so you you predeceased the person and somebody else gets the inheritance. In the end it goes to somebody else. But brethren, either. Either way, we can't lose. Oh, what a hope we have. Again, it's for our present enjoyment. You get that more that side, more in Colossians 1.
But here, it's something that we're going to enjoy fully in a coming day. Because as I say, we can draw on that inheritance now, day after day, year after year. But oh, to think there's a day coming when we're going to no longer know in part and prophecy in part, that day when we see the Lord Jesus face to face. And there we're going to enjoy both the earthly and the heavenly side of things without hinders, if that doesn't thrill our souls and give us the spiritual energy.
And desire to live for God's glory now and to live for Christ then. I don't know what goes on within our hearts. Oh, I say, the more this gets ahold of our souls, the more it will motivate us to press on. So first of all, it's a living hope. But now let's go for a little different aspect. The second Thessalonians.
2nd Thessalonians.
Chapter 2.
And verse 16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself.
And God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and Good Hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word, and work. Well here we have it as a Good Hope, and it is a Good Hope. Now again we understand this, but we'll go over it just very briefly. In these two epistles written to the Thessalonians, our hope is brought before us in various ways.
00:30:06
The Thessalonians had been idolatrous worshippers. There was very little hope, if any, in idolatry. Some of us have been to countries where idolatry is prevalent. It's a very, very sad thing to see people bow down and pray and put confidence and hope in something that can neither see nor speak or answer them or help them in any way. But these Thessalonians had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.
And to wait for his Son from heaven. They didn't understand all about it, how it was all going to play out. And the apostle Paul writes these two epistles to explain how it's all going to come about to fruition and how God has a plan and a purpose that will be never hindered or frustrated. And so here he speaks of this Good Hope through grace. All we want to stress that, you know, we've been stressing in these reading meetings.
That the position we've been brought into in any aspect of our lives, it's only through grace. We want to stress that, brethren, you and I have a wonderful hope. Young people, we have the hope of being with the Lord Jesus. It's a Good Hope, is it? Because there was something good in us, some little spark of divinity in US. I know that we're taught today in the schools of men that there's this little spark of divinity within every one of us, and if it's placed in the proper environment and fanned in the proper way, it's going to flame up into something wonderful.
That is not true. As we have had before us, we are dead in trespasses and sins.
But through grace we have this Good Hope. When I think of this little expression, Good Hope, I think of something we learned from social studies. When I was a boy in school, I was always interested in history and social studies, and we learned about the early explorers in the 1400s who were trying to find a sea route to the Far East, to the Orient, so that they could safely bring, or more safely bring, the spices and the silks and the teas.
To add to the comfort of European culture, there was an overland route called the Silk Road, but it was very dangerous and there were bandits along there, and often those who sought to carry those goods were robbed and even murdered. And history tells us that the first European on record to round the southern tip of Africa and to find a trade route to the Orient was a man by the name of Bartholomew Diaz.
And in 1488 he rounded the southern tip of Africa under such adverse circumstances that he aptly named it the Cape of Storms. But when he returned to Portugal and reported to King John the Second, under whose auspices he had sailed, King John the Second of Portugal decided that was not a very good name for the southern tip of Africa, and that it would not encourage further exploration, and so he renamed it the Cape of Good Hope.
And if you look on a map, it bears that name until this day. And yet it was quite a few years later. It was until 1497 that another European attempted to round the Cape. His name was Vasco da Gama. And Vasco da Gama found that route and it opened up a trade route so that they could bring those precious things and as I say, to add to the nicety of Western European culture.
But was it really the Good Hope that the Europeans expected? Oh, for a time it gave some comfort to that. To them, it gave them prestige to be able to purchase those things, especially for the wealthy and influential. But when it speaks of our hope, the hope of the Lords coming as a Good Hope, that is exactly what it is. In fact, I don't suppose any of us have any inkling of what a Good Hope it really is.
And what it will be like to hear that shout and to be called away, to be with the Lord Jesus?
You know, I often think of the Apostle Paul when he spoke of departing to be with Christ, and I realized he was speaking there, particularly going through the article of death. But when he said to depart and be with Christ is far better, you know that is more than if Peter or James or John or any other New Testament writer had penned those words, you say Why? Because Paul knew exactly what he was talking about. He'd been caught up to the 3rd heaven.
He'd been in the presence of Christ in the eternal dwelling place of God when he said it was far better. He knew exactly what he was talking about, In fact, so wonderful was it and so beyond human description that he didn't even talk about it for 14 years. And when he did, he was forced by divine inspiration to write of it to the Corinthians, who were questioning his authority as an apostle and his ministry as an apostle.
00:35:29
And when he does write about it, he writes about it in the third person, and he says he heard unspeakable words. He doesn't even mention what he saw that that was, that was so far beyond anything. He just says he heard unspeakable words that it was not lawful for a man to utter. And so when the Lord Jesus comes and the dead in Christ rise 1St, and we which are alive and remain are caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, oh, we're going to realize just the import of this little expression. A Good Hope through grace. But notice what he says here.
Comfort your hearts and establish you.
In every good word and work. If we were to go back to the 4th chapter of the first epistle, we would find there that after spelling out very clearly how this is all going to take place, he then concludes by saying, wherefore comfort one another with these words?
And, brethren, what comfort would we have today if it wasn't for the hope of the Lord's coming? There's not much comfort when you look at the circumstances of this world. We're seeing the breakdown of everything, the breakdown in the home, the breakdown in government. Every level of society is crumbling today. What? What consolation, What comfort would we have if we didn't look on to something far better? And some of us have had the privilege and opportunity of standing.
At the bedside of those who are about to pass out of this life into the presence of the Lord. What comfort would you have was for somebody if you couldn't speak of what was ahead? I remember one time it was with several brothers and we went to the hospital on a Lords day afternoon to visit a brother who was nearing the end of this life. And everything concerning this life had faded from his memory and as we stood around his bed.
I began to quote a verse of a hymn in connection with the Lord's coming.
And he opened his eyes, and his face lit up, and he started to quote a verse of a hymn about the Lord's coming.
And we burst into song. It was so real. I thought the Lord was going to come before we left that hospital room. But just to see the reality, that's all he had. It didn't matter about what he'd done in this life, didn't matter about what he'd accumulated. But he was looking on to the coming of the Lord, Jesus and all young people. I desire this for your heart as well. What's going to give you the proper value and perspective on things as you begin life, as you get through school, as you get a job?
As you perhaps pray about natural relationships and so on, and those things are all necessary and good in their place, but they need to be kept in the proper perspective. You know, it's interesting when you go back to the Old Testament that when the children of Israel entered the Land of promise and took possession of their inheritance, what placed the proper value on the things that they bought and sold was the nearness of the Year of Jubilee. Why?
Because when the year of Jubilee came, everything had to be returned to its original owner. In other words, if a man bought a field in the 49th year, he obviously didn't pay very much for it, because in one year he had to return it to its original owner. And our Jubilee is just about to break. I believe with all my heart that we're just on the eve of the Lord's return. I can't tell you exactly when the Lord is coming, but I know one thing. As we sit in these chairs this afternoon, we are closer to the Lord's coming than we've ever been before.
The Lord Jesus is about to come. And are we watching and waiting for that return? Well, it's Good Hope. It's to comfort your hearts but one other thing, and establish you in every good word and work. What I'm going to say now, I want to say ever so carefully, but I have observed that those who understand from Scripture the truth of the Lord's coming in the way that it is presented to us, they are those that are.
Established in as it says here, in every good word and work.
And I have found those who through Miss Teaching, don't understand the truth of the Lord's coming and the difference between His coming for us at any moment is coming back to reign over this world in a coming day. They are often very unstable in many aspects of their spiritual and practical life. It is the understanding and appreciation of this doctrine of the Lord's coming, and the reality of it in our souls, that I believe is going to give us stability.
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And if there isn't that stability, we become like a ship without a rudder. And a ship without a rudder turns into the wind and drifts. And we're going to leave ourselves open to every wind of doctrine if we don't open this book and establish in our souls the truth that we are Speaking of this afternoon. Now let's go to the book of Hebrews, Hebrews Chapter 6.
Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 18.
That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whether the forerunner is for us entered. Even Jesus made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Well, here we have our hope brought before us as a sure and a steadfast hope. We've already commented on this aspect of things. It is the only hope that we have that is sure and steadfast. As I said earlier, every other hope that we have is uncertainty at best. But we can speak of the Lord's coming and what is ahead for the believer with absolute certainty. Someone has put it this way, and it's certainly not original. It's been repeated many times.
Our hope, the hope of the Lord's coming, is simply delayed certainty.
Again, it hasn't happened yet, But is there any doubt in our minds, brethren? I'm convinced in my own soul.
That this truth is a reality, and that it is going to happen at any moment. And I trust from the word of God and by the power of the spirit of God, you are convinced in your own soul as well. And so we find here that it's a sure and a steadfast hope. And then he tells us why it's a sure and a steadfast hope. And that is because the forerunner is already there. The forerunner is the Lord Jesus himself, because the resurrection.
The ascension of Christ and his full glorification is God's. Amen to the work of Calvary. The fact that God has received him back to his right hand is the proof that God is satisfied with the work of his Son. The Lord Jesus spoke of it with confidence even before he went to the cross. It said the hour was come that he should depart out of the world under the Father. He was going back to the Father, and he was going back having glorified God on the earth.
And finish the work that he was given him to do. And if you ever doubt your salvation or your acceptance there.
Just look up and see the acceptance that the Lord Jesus has. Again, I want to say this ever so carefully, but if God were to refuse me entrance into heaven, having availed myself of the work of Calvary, he would have to refuse his own dear Son, and that is absolutely impossible. That is the security in which my hope is firmly planted in my own soul. But here we find there's the forerunner. Now I believe this is an illusion.
To something that these brethren would have understood in their day in connection with sailing in and around the Greek harbors. Because history tells us that many of the Greek harbors in that day were inaccessible at low tide, for various reasons. Sometimes because of rocks and Shoals and sandbars at the mouth of those harbors. Sometimes too, because in those days they would load the ships so heavy that they could only make the mouth of the harbor at high tide.
And So what they had on those ships was what was called the Forerunner. It was a small row boat or skiff like vessel. And what would happen is when the boat, the ship would approach the harbor, if it couldn't access the harbor because it was low tide, they would put the anchor of the ship firmly tied to the ship in the Forerunner and it would be rode across the mouth of the harbor and the Forerunner would drop the anchor.
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Safe inside the harbor and that I anchors dropped safe inside the harbor by the Forerunner was the assurance to the crew on that ship that at the right moment they too were going to make the harbor. So you would step up to on the deck of one of those ships that was waiting and you would say to the captain or the crew, Are you sure you're going to make the harbor? Oh, they say you see that rope tied to the bow of the boat. On the other end of that rope there's an anchor that the Forerunner has.
Safely dropped inside the harbor and that's the assurance that at the right moment.
We too are going to make the harbor, and our forerunner is there. A forerunner would denote the fact that there's after runners. And who are the after runners? That's you and me. By the grace of God, It's Christ. The first fruits afterward, they that are Christ at his coming. Oh, brethren, what a thrill this is to realize that the Lord Jesus is there, the guarantee, the forerunner, and he's there waiting for that moment when he'll have us with himself. The anchor in classical writing was always used as a symbol of hope.
And that's the way it's used here, and the only other time you have it in Scripture, and that is in the 27th chapter of the Book of Acts. And you remember when they threw the anchor out of the boat, they drifted. It caused shipwreck in the end. Because if we give up our hope, as I said earlier, we're going to turn into the wind and drift. We're going to make shipwreck. Oh, we must hold this hope dear to our souls and have it ever before us. Now let's turn to the Book of Titus.
Titus, Chapter 2.
And verse 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.
Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Before we comment on this blessed hope that's brought before us to notice, the context, I believe is very significant. We've spoken of grace in these meetings, and here we find grace brought before us as a teacher. It's grace that teaches us how to live in this world, and not just in this world, but in this present world or this present age.
Because His grace is sufficient even for the day in which we live.
I say that because I think sometimes when we speak about living for God's glory, living for Christ in the day in which we live, walking uprightly and so on, sometimes the argument is raised. Well, that was okay back in the days of Titus, or the apostle Paul. That was okay back in the days of the early brethren, or our grandfathers, our fathers. But this is a difficult day. You got to give a little bit here and a little bit there. You got to adjust to the times. No grace is sufficient to preserve us.
Right down at this present time where we are.
In fact, brethren, if the day ever gets so dark that there isn't sufficient grace to preserve us in the path of faith and service, then the Lord will take us home.
But until that moment His grace is sufficient. Do we need more grace? He giveth more grace. Does He give it to all of all we received of His fullness and grace upon grace. And so it teaches us to live, to deny that which is unholy, ungodly, and then to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world of this present age. It also teaches us something else to be looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing. Now it's very interesting that the two things are connected here.
The the blessed hope is what we've been Speaking of, that the momentary return of the Lord Jesus, what's going to take place perhaps even before this meeting or this day is completed. We're going to hear that shout and we're going to be called away to meet the Lord Jesus in the air and ever be with the Lord. But there's the glorious appearing. The appearing in scripture is always in connection with his appearing back in this world. When he comes to reign in righteousness, every eye is going to see him and and so on.
Now we often say that the hope of the Lord's coming for us, that's the rapture, is our proper hope. That's true, but it's not the whole truth. The two things are connected here. They're both part of our blessed hope. We're looking for the Lord to come at any moment. And the glorious appearing, Paul said at the end of his life to Timothy and all those that love his appearing. Why are we to love his appearing? Because it's a day coming when the Lord Jesus is going to have his proper place on planet Earth, not just in heaven. He has that today.
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He's crowned with a crown of glory and honor. He's been given the highest place in heaven.
But not on earth yet. And the Lord Jesus, seated at the right hand of God this afternoon, is sitting there thinking about that time He seated at the right hand of God. It tells us in Hebrews 10 henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, He's anticipating that day of his vindication, and we ought to be anticipating it too. Not only that, but I don't believe the heart of God will ever truly be satisfied until his his Son.
His beloved Son is vindicated here on planet Earth and has his rightful place. And so we're to be looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing. How much is that true? We're waiting for the Lord to come. That's true. We have no choice. We've got to wait. And I trust we're waiting with patience as well as anticipation. But are we really looking? The Lord said, Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching.
I heard of a young man and he had on his bathroom mirror those two little words we often see on a little motto, perhaps today.
I thought that was very good because he wanted to be reminded every day when he got up and prepared for the day. He wanted to be reminded that this might be the day of the Lord's return. I heard of another young brother and he had on his desk at work 2 little words, Lord Jesus come, because as he did his work, he wanted to be reminded that during that work day it might be the time when the Lord Jesus comes. Are we really watching for the Lord Jesus?
Do we look up during the day and anticipate his return? He not only wants us to be waiting, but he wants us to be looking for that blessed hope. Now, the word blessed here is translated different ways in the English, but here it's the thought of happy. And isn't it a happy thing again? Doesn't it rejoice our hearts? What happiness do we really have lasting happiness in this world? Oh, I don't mean there aren't those things that we can enjoy in a natural way. And so on. I'm not mean. I don't mean that.
And we've had a nice day of activity, perhaps, and we're happy with the way things have went. But true, lasting happiness is a result of the fact that we have a happy hope that we have something beyond the fun and activities of this world. Though there's nothing wrong with having some fun, some relaxation, and some activity in a in a natural way looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Let's go now for one more aspect of First John Chapter 3.
One John Chapter 3 and verse 2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God?
And it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. You know, if we were to go back to the Lord's own words in John chapter 14, where the Lord Jesus sowed the seeds of this promise for the comfort and encouragement of his disciples before he left them to go to the cross and then return to heaven.
He simply said, There I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also but the apostle John himself, who recorded those words of the Lord Jesus for us. He gives another little detail here that is very significant and special.
Not only are we going to be with Christ, we're going to be like Christ because as we have in other places, we're going to receive bodies of glory like unto his body of glory. Now again, I know perhaps the younger people here don't relate to this so much, but there's some of us who have sat in these meetings and been a little uncomfortable because of some physical maladies. Phil's had his foot up on a footstool. Some of us have squirmed a little bit with a bat with our bad backs and.
Maybe some have had a little headache and other little things that come in that distract and we wish weren't just the way they are. But brethren, when we sit down in the Father's house with the Lord Jesus in the midst, and I know that's going to be what's paramount, to have the Lord Jesus in the midst. But we will have nothing to bother us, nothing about our surroundings that we wish were different, nothing from within. The sinful flesh will be gone. Our bodies will undergo A tremendous change.
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I say they will be bodies of glory like unto his body of glory. Oh, what a meeting in the air.
That is going to be. And so it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, For we shall see him not as he was, but as he is, as he was was the lowly man of grace, sitting weary with his journey on sight. Carswell, as he was, was trying to get a few moments rest on a borrowed pillow in the back of a borrowed boat, as he was was hanging in his shame on a Roman cross crowned with a crown of thorns. But when we see him another day, we're going to see him as he is.
Going to see him as the glorified man. And I believe when we get one glimpse of his lovely face that's going to eclipse everything else, All there's going to no doubt be interaction with one another. Conversation will speak of his deceased that he accomplished at Jerusalem. Going to be aware of all the wonderful things that are going to make up the Father's house, but that's not what's going to occupy us. It's going to be the person that gave his life for us.
I say when we get one glimpse of his face, everything else is going to be pushed into the background and eclipsed. I would like to close by going to the last page of God's word.
Revelation Chapter 22, verse 7 Behold, I come quickly.
Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Verse 12. Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be verse 20. He which testifieth these things sayeth, surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus. Christ be with you all. Amen. Before the Canon of Scripture is closed, three blessed confirmations from the Lord Jesus himself.
Behold, I come quickly. He says it in the seventh verse and there it's in connection with, shall I say, reaction or responsibility. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of this book. In verse 12 he repeats it in connection with reward, because if there is any faithfulness to his word or to him, he's going to reward in the coming day. And then the third time it's in connection with response and he never has to repeat it. Once there's the response of the heart. That's it. But I want to focus just for a moment.
On these last phrases of the word of God, he which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.
Do you realize these are the last recorded words of the Lord Jesus in Scripture? The last recorded words of the Lord Jesus are this blessed promise. Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus. These are the last recorded words of the people of God in Scripture. And I trust that at the end of this meeting that is the response, the true response of your heart and mind because he wants us longing for his coming out of a heart that is so attracted to himself.
That we want nothing less to be physically, unhinderedly in His presence. If I can just back up, he surely I come quickly. That's the last promise of Scripture. Amen. Even so. Come Lord Jesus. That's the last prayer, and he closes the book. Not quite. There's the last provision, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. If he leaves us here another few moments, His grace, as we said earlier, is sufficient. May this blessed hope, then young and old thrill our souls, and may we be anticipating it every moment of every day.
Acts 20
Reading
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We wait for the power of the heart.
Was born in his beginning.
For God's abandoned latter rise.
Shall be our ears of being.
Pretty well finished up at Luke chapter 22 and we did look a little bit at.
Pauls doctrine in connection with remembrance of the Lord and some of those details that were particularly given to the Apostle Paul revealed to him. And so I wonder if it might be profitable to look at another upper room scene, perhaps the one in Trollis in Acts chapter 20.
Yes, I think that's a good suggestion.
I'll give you the first 12 verses.
Yes, with the we could read the 1St 12 verses and maybe particularly comment on the verses from 6:00 to 12:00, but.
Just for continuity.
Acts Chapter 20.
And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, and there abode 3 months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia, and there accompanied him into Asia.
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Supporter of Berea.
Of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Segundus, and Gaius of Derby and Timotheus.
And of Asia Tikka's and trophy miss these going before tarried for us at Troez. And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them in Troas in five days, where we abode 7 days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the Morrow, and continued his speech until midnight.
And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eudicus being fallen into a deep sleep. And as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with deep sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
And Paul went down and fell on him and embracing him, and said, trouble not yourselves, for his life is in him.
When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed, and they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.
If we look back at Chapter 19.
We have in verse 29.
The little indication of the type of environment that the apostle Paul labored in. It says the whole city was filled with confusion. Having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia pulse companions and travel. They rush with one accord into the theater.
You know, he was in the Gentile world and it was opposed to God, It was opposed to the light. And we know that Ephesus, I believe, was the capital city of Asia Minor. And so really he was in the heart of enemy territory, you might say, shining the brightest light that ever shone in this Gentile world. And so he faced the wrath of the enemy and the energy of the enemy. He was the focus of the energy of the Spirit of God in presenting the gospel of the grace of God.
And the truth of the mystery of Christ in the church and all of those things that we know that are a part of Paul's doctrine. And so he faced that opposition. And in the verse that we began here in verse 20, chapter 20, verse one, that when that uproar was ceased, when that riot was over, then you know, he could comfort the disciples. Can you imagine? You'd have thought that they might comfort him.
And that he might receive some comfort and encouragement because he'd been.
Just escaped the certain death of perhaps if they had got their hands on him, but he comforted the brethren. And then the Spirit of God just lists a little bit of his movement throughout the Gentile world. And I believe when he was at Corinth, he wrote the Epistle to Romans to the Romans and he was just moving. And then it says in verse four and five.
Those that were companions and suitable to be companions of his.
And everyone of these names is named. Their only name may be five or six times each one of them in the New Testament, but every one of them has a little bit of a lesson. And we're not going to go over those things here, but.
You know, it just points out as the Spirit of God unfolds the development of the church and the founding of the.
Those little assemblies and Gentile world at that time.
That there were those that were suitable to be companions of the Apostle Paul, suitable. They knew the truth of God and they were suitable companions to labor alongside with him. And so it appears that they.
All he named seven of them there and then in verse six they sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread and came unto them to throw us in five days we're abode 7 days and so there's.
A little time, just a week that the apostle Paul is there and throw us. We know a little earlier. I think it's.
Is at chapter 13 that he was intro us before and there was a work of God going on in that place. And so he came back. There was an assembly now after he had gone there the first time and so there was an assembly there. They were gathered to the Lord's name and so he spent a week with them. And so this whole story unfolds and it's very instructive.
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They find out that they met on the first day of the week.
So it might be helpful just to put it all in perspective as to what we've had already and the relevance of taking up this little portion here in the Gospels we have the seed, I believe, of every truth that is later developed in the epistles. It's sewn there in one way or another, either by story illustration, by example. With the Lord Jesus. We have the upper room ministry in John's Gospel that gives us the seeds of what is again later developed in the epistles and so on.
In the Epistles, of course, we have the development of the truth and laid out and the foundation of Christianity and so on. But in the book of the Acts we have the pattern, and these things are a pattern to us, laid down at the beginning, recorded by Luke.
By the Spirit of God through the instrumentality of Luke. And these patterns are very important and instructive for us.
And so we won't turn back to it, but in the second chapter, of course, well, in the first chapter, we have them waiting in the upper room, another upper room scene. The Lord had instituted the feast in the upper room, given them the upper room ministry, and there they are waiting in obedience to the word of the Lord, He told them to wait.
At Jerusalem until they were given power from on high. In the second chapter, we have the fulfillment of that. We have the Spirit of God descending on the day of Pentecost to indwell each individual believer and come to form the church and indwell the church collectively. And that's where the baptism of the Holy Spirit took place. Then we find at the end of that second chapter the things that characterize the early believers collectively after the day of Pentecost.
They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. The order of that list is very important. And I know it wasn't Paul's doctrine there, of course, but they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine because we must have sound doctrine if we're going to have sound behavior. And the apostles doctrine there was the basis for everything else. It was the apostles that remained at Jerusalem and taught those that were saved on the day of Pentecost and subsequent to it.
But it was the apostles doctrine, fellowship and fellowship, breaking up bread and prayers. And these might be what we would say are the assembly meetings, those times when we come together collectively for ministry of the word, for the breaking of bread as we had this morning, and for assembly or collective prayer. And that's what characterized them. Let me just say this in a practical way. They continued steadfastly. If you notice Mr. Darby's translation, they persevered.
You know, if you and I are going to go on collectively in the assembly, it takes perseverance. It's not easy.
And if I can just say this, I believe it's important, and I'll say this particularly to those who are younger and some who are just starting out together as couples and families and so on. I believe it's important to plan our lives around the Lord and the Assembly. Don't try to plan your lives and then work in the Lord and the Assembly. It won't work like that because the enemy is going to be busy to introduce every kind of thought and activity to keep you from being at the assembly meetings.
And I'm thankful that as I look back on my upbringing, I was brought up on a home where it was never a question at the dinner table on weeknight meeting, whether we were going to meeting or not.
Now sometimes there were extenuating circumstances and we couldn't or some of us didn't go, but it was the habit and plan of my parents lives to take be them there themselves and to have their families at the assembly meetings. Sometimes I hear young parents say, well it's such an effort to take the little ones and they just fall asleep. What better place to fall asleep than in the presence of the Lord at prayer meeting or reading meeting and get your children and young people use.
To going to the assembly meetings because we can't. Every generation is always a little bit weaker spiritually and we can't expect our children and young people to place a value on those things. If we haven't, they're going to place no more value on things than we have have placed.
And we're teaching them by example. So they continued steadfastly in those things. Then as we come to this little incident in Troas, we find here the carrying out of the principles in a practical way that we have had before us In the previous reading meetings we spoke of a lot of principles and things. But here it is carried out. Here's a little assembly and here's those gathered to the Lord's name. You know, in the, again, it's normal Christianity. And when you go through the Acts when people were saved, what was the next thing? They were baptized and gathered to the Lord, to the name of the Lord Jesus.
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There weren't any divisions yet. It wasn't a question of where will we go to meeting or what group of Christians will we associate with. You know, when Paul and his fellow laborers got to Troaz, they didn't say, I wonder where we can meet with some Christian, some nice Christians, and so on. They would have entered Troas, and if they didn't know already, they'd say, where are the Christians meeting in Troas? Because they were all together at that time. We know of what the enemy was working, and we know the sad results.
Subsequent to this, but at that time all were together. And so here we have this example, this pattern for us and showing even as Robert has said, even amidst difficult circumstances, here is a little assembly going on for the glory of God, coming together on the first day of the week, enjoying the breaking of bread, enjoying the ministry of the apostle Paul and enjoying fellowship one with another. And if they could do it in the dark heathen city of Croas, there's the resources for us to do it wherever, whatever town or city we come from to.
Say the seed plot is really given by the Lord, isn't it? And so in John's Gospel.
Right at the end, chapter 20, he met with them on the first day of the week. He appeared to them. It says chapter 20, verse 19, the same day at evening being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, sayeth unto them, Peace be unto you. So there was that example, and the Lord met with them not on the Sabbath day. Everything in Judaism was measured by the Sabbath day, and they were commanded.
To keep the Sabbath, they were commanded to begin some of their feasts on the Sabbath day. We know that the Pentecost was the day after the Sabbath, at the feast of the Pentecost. And so it was really looking forward in figure to the Christian time, to the time of the day of grace when the church would be formed. And so it would exist in this scene. So you'll notice.
That the Lord introduces it. Then here in the book of the Acts, Acts chapter 20, we have this in connection specifically with the assembly. It's the first day of the week. And then in John's ministry, perhaps maybe 50 years later, in the Book of Revelation chapter one, it actually uses the term the Lord's Day. So when he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and it's the only time in the Scriptures that that term is used.
But it's really written because of faith, and it addresses our faith as we understand that there is the Lord's Day and we can honor the Lord on that resurrection day and we have that liberty, but we don't have a Sabbath. We don't celebrate a Sabbath. It's not a holy day, you might say, but it is a day by the grace of God that we can separate and give the Lord the very first place.
The very first hours of the day of the week. And so in Israel's economy, they used the first six days, the first six days for themselves, and they made their living, they did their farming and all that sort of thing. And then they were commanded to give the Lord the last day of the week and they were to have a rest. And they were to, as I say, enjoy something of the presence of the Lord and something of a.
Godly portion on that day. It didn't work very well. They ended up using all seven days for themselves. But in Christianity, what a privilege we used the first day of the week. We give the Lord the very best first, and we do it voluntarily, not by command. We do it voluntarily. And He gets the portion for His own heart among His people. And what it must mean to the Lord to have us in His presence on the first day of the week, that resurrection day, we have a little sense of what it means to us.
But I believe, brethren, that it means so much more to him as he sees on that resurrection day that we haven't forgotten that he died.
And we give him the 1St place. And so they met on that first day of the week, and we know that it was an ordinary day of the week in those Roman times. And so they met in the evening.
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And many of our brothers still do that. They don't have the opportunity to have the Lords Day or the first day of the week as a day off like we many of us have enjoyed under so-called in so-called Christian countries. So our brethren in Egypt, Fridays, the Muslim holiday. So our brethren in Egypt on Lord's Day, they have to get up and go to work and go to school and go about their activities. But as soon as they are released from that activity.
Then they seek to meet usually about 8/30, 9:00 at night whenever they can get together. And so these ones, I believe they met in the evening as you say. In other words, Paul didn't preach as long as we in the western world or when I was a boy thought they did. But I want to make another comment about the Sabbath and that is.
That there's been a misnomer in Christian circles that the Sabbath is that the.
That Sunday is the Christian Sabbath, or the Lord stays the Christian Sabbath. It is not the Christian Sabbath. The Lord Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath of God had been spoiled, and the Lord Jesus worked and healed on the Sabbath day. My Father worketh hitherto and I work, and the Sabbath, which was Jewish, as you say, has been set aside. The Lord's day, or the first day of the week is really, I often say for a Christian, it's probably one of the busiest days of the week.
If we are coming together to remember the Lord Jesus may be involved in gospel work, if we have opportunity to visit those who can't make it out, those who are going through trials and problems, physical maladies, Sunday school work, whatever it might be. But you'll notice in some of the old writings, not, not, not so much amongst those who've been gathered to the Lord's name, but Mr. Ironside and Charles Spurgeon and those evangelists, they talked about Sabbath schools.
And they thought that Sunday was the Christian Sabbath and so they would have what they called a Sabbath school. That is, that is an absolute misnomer. Now, it's interesting here that when Paul and these ones that were with him arrived in Troas, I believe they arrived on a Monday. If they you do the calculation because they remain 7 days and they left on a Monday, why did they remain seven days in Troas? Well, there may be other reasons, but I suggest that one of the paramount reasons.
That they remain this long was so that they would have the privilege of breaking bread, of remembering the Lord on the first day of the week. Now, it's interesting that in the book of the Acts you do have the apostles and early Christians going to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, but you never read of a Christian gathering on the Sabbath day in the Acts. Why did they go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day? Well, that's where the Jews were gathered together and they went to present to them the truth.
They went to present to them the gospel and the truth of Christianity, because the evangelist always goes where the crowd is to the regions beyond, and he reaches out. And so we know evangelists today and they're always going where there where there's a crowd gathered together. But they never met for the breaking of bread or any kind of Christian gathering on the Sabbath day. So Paul remains with his fellow laborers because it meant so much to them to break bread on the first day of the week now.
Brethren, I don't want to criticize anybody. I'm not here to point the finger. But, you know, sometimes I'm sad and defined that we will take a holiday, we will go somewhere, and we're not too concerned about whether we end up somewhere where there's those gathered to the Lord's name to break bread on the first day of the week. Paul wanted to make sure he was somewhere where he could have this blessed privilege. Does it mean that much to us that we would try? I know there are, again, extenuating circumstances.
I understand that, but does it mean that much to us that we try to be somewhere where we can remember the Lord on the first day of the week?
Portion, we might just look at one of those incidents that you mentioned in Acts chapter 19, since we're already there in connection with Ephesus.
Let's read just from verse five. Acts 19, verse five. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them, and they spake with tongues and prophesied, and all the men were about 12.
And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the Kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyranus. Well, there was he went to the synagogue, as you say, there was a crowd, but the Word of God was also there.
00:25:24
And justice think they didn't have copies available like you and I. And so they went to where the word of God was available and the apostle Paul could read and he spoke boldly for the sake of for three months he was able to hold meetings in the synagogue and it was a place where the word of God could be opened and he had liberty to preach. But when there was a refusing of that word and really the persecution began to arise because they would not accept Christ as their true Messiah. And so he had to leave that. And so the book of the Acts is a book of transition.
So there is some activity that takes place in the book of the Acts on the Sabbath day, but it was because God was being patient with the nation. And so we know that the gospel that Peter preached was really a gospel of repentance for the nation. And then when they nation rejected that gospel, rejected the opportunity for repentance as a nation, then the nation that the there's a division in the book of the Axle Acts chapter 8.
Begins a new focus and that is upon the Gentiles and how God was going to do his work so it's interesting but it's very instructive God measures everything for the believer from the first day of the week and in the day that we live in we have the liberty to use that first day of the week for his glory but.
Really voluntary, if we could put it that way. It's not a command. So he uses the terminology and we read it this morning. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise and Thanksgiving to God continually. But it isn't a day of rest. It isn't a Sabbath as was commanded to the Jews.
All Terry at Troas for a week.
Verse 6 and I I think that's even more remarkable when you.
Notice in verse 16 of this chapter that he had determined the sale by Ephesus because he would not spend the time in Asia, for he tasted if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. So Paul is anxious to get back to Jerusalem before Pentecost, and yet he would tarry seven days to draw us. I think that's remarkable.
And as Jim said, no doubt to break bread with him. It's interesting also to notice that.
Even that was even in spite of the time it took to get to Troy House if you just turn back to the 16th chapter.
Verses 11 and 12 we see a similar journey, but Paul's going the opposite direction and that is from Trojans to Philippi. If you look at the new translation, it's a little clearer, but that journey between.
Trois and Philippi in this case took two days and here it says in our chapter that it took five days. So Paul has already been delayed three days. Perhaps there were contrary winds, I don't know.
And then, yeah, he stays another seven days. And then just to carry on that thought a little bit further.
In chapter 21, verses 4:00 and 5:00.
There's another journey, Paul continues on his journey. And again it says.
Verse four And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days, who said to Paul through the Spirit that we should not go up to Jerusalem. And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way.
And they all brought us on our way with wives and children till we were out of the city, and we kneel down on the shore and pray. I just wanted to draw attention to the seven days again, that Paul and tarry, perhaps, no doubt to break bread with these disciples. And then a little further, the last chapter of the book of Acts, we see again another reference to a similar thought, verse 13 of chapter 28.
The propensity to help us and came to regime and after one day.
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We found where we found brethren, and we desired to tarry with them. Seven days. So we went towards Rome. I just enjoyed.
The Spirit of God recording for us through as you said this, you know the blue these little details that would show the importance that Paul put on this institution of breaking bread that the Lord had given him by revelation and he wanted to establish the believers.
In these parts, in that that practice of freaking bread, I think it's the shows get this, this desire to encourage them in them.
And not only just Paul value this privilege, but from these verses those brethren intro as value the privilege too. You know, sometimes after a long week, we get up on a Lords day morning and I suppose most of us don't have breaking of bread till 10 or 11 on a Lord's Day morning, maybe Sunday school before, but we feel so tired and so weary. But think of these brethren here now has been pointed out. Troas was a dark heathen city.
Secular history tells us that they were worshippers of Jupiter mainly. It was a dark heathen city. These brethren were slaves to or employees or slaves to ungodly masters. They'd had to work all day and probably good long days too. They didn't have union breaks and all the things that we take for granted in, in our our jobs today and and so on. Lunch hours and all that. No doubt they were they were tired by this time. But can't you just picture these, these Christians as they wind their way now their obligations are done and in the dark they wind their way through the streets of Troas. They meet one another as they come on their way and what was in view.
1/3 loft with what? To break bread that scripture tells us. That's why they came together. They didn't come together first and foremost to enjoy fellowship with one another. They did have fellowship with one another. They did not come together to listen to the ministry of the apostle Paul first and foremost. They had that privilege on that particular Lord's Day as well. They didn't come together to see these other visitors and welcome them.
That we're with Paul, they had that privilege as well, but Scripture is very specific that the reason after their obligations were done, that they climbed these stairs to the third loft was because they were anticipating the privilege of breaking bread. Now, brethren, I can only speak to my own heart. When I get up on a Lord's Day morning, does it thrill my soul to think that another first day of the week has rolled around and that I'm going to have the privilege of giving him his portion?
His desire, the privilege of remembering him in the breaking of bread. Some of us were talking between meetings. I don't think we mentioned it in meeting, but you know, we talked about the breaking of bread and the simplicity of the loaf and the cup. You know, you can go almost anywhere in the world today.
And you will find at very little cost in some form, a loaf of bread and fruit of the vine. It isn't always like we think of it. Our brethren in Egypt can't get wine in a Muslim country, so they boil raisins and pour off the juice, and that's how they break bread. But.
I often think of the of the question that was raised to Naaman by his servants. If he had asked thee to do some hard thing, wouldst thou not have done it? Brethren, has he asked us to do some hard thing, or to try to secure emblems, items that are hard to get or at great cost? No, he's made it so very easy, so that even these ones in Troas could, after their obligations of the day, meet to break bread with a loaf of bread and fruit of the vine.
You might ask, since the breaking of bread is so significant and prominent in the book of the Acts, why is it so disregarded in Christians?
The Christmas seems to go to two extremes. Either they do it casually once in a while, or else they make a ritual of it like the Catholics do.
Why is it that it is so?
Abuse in Christmas?
Before and oftentimes, believers base their.
Getting together to break bread based upon their own state and the reason why they only break bread a few times a year is because they don't feel worthy and so they they don't feel they can do it every every week. I think it can only be set aside for special occasions, maybe when they they get themselves.
00:35:15
Fitted for the occasion, but.
Umm, we don't break that bread based upon our own ability to maintain some kind of a spiritual life. The breaking of bread is part of our spiritual life. I, I would like to just give an illustration of, of how I've enjoyed the Lord's Day when I was a kid. I don't know that I ever had one, but I know I had close friends that had Hot Wheels and it was a track. It was a circular track and at one spot.
In the track there was a supercharger and as the car went around the track, it would go through this supercharger and it would zoom out out of the supercharger and it would, it would zoom around the track. But as it got closer to the supercharger, it got weaker and weaker, but it had just enough strength to get back into the supercharger and then be flung around the track again. And I've often thought.
Our our spiritual life really shouldn't be that way.
There should be a maintenance of our walk with the Lord in such a way that we maintain an evenness. But you know, as a as as one who has been a father, I would have to say that our lives oftentimes have pretty heavy demands, and those demands often tend to.
Have an effect upon our spiritual life too.
Let's say we work a job and then our kids have a lawn business and when we get off and, and, and it just, there's just a lot of demands on us and but the Lord's Day is the day when our souls can be refreshed. I know that we're there to give the Lord.
The desire of his heart, but it also has an effect upon us. The time that we spend in Sunday school, the time that we spend in the breaking of bread, whether we have, sometimes we have might have a scene at a nursing home where the gospel goes forth. We get together again sometimes in the evenings and we're over. The Word of God, Spirit of God has the ability and the liberty to bring home to our souls that which we need.
Him knowing what our needs are, he has the ability to.
Refresh our souls. And so the Lord's Day. I have noticed it. I don't know if some of you have noticed it.
But it has a tendency to put a fresh charge into our.
Christian lives.
Well, those that decide that they can, that they they have to determine when they're going to have the remembrance of the Lord based upon their own ability to to give the Lord his due.
Will only create weakness and if if there is this following of scripture, all it is is plainly following the example.
The pattern that's been set in scripture, we will find that the Spirit of God will maintain our souls in such a way that we will freshly value the remembrance of the Lord, that the Lord will get something from our hearts, and our own spiritual condition will be maintained in a manner that will will be healthy.
There's another excuse that's getting started.
Say, I would add to that, it is a part of Paul's doctrine, isn't it, to remember the Lord in his death. And so we were looking at First Corinthians Chapter 11 yesterday and it says for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do sure or announce the Lorde death till he comes. So it goes along with what you're saying is often as we get into the presence of the Lord, and that's really the point, is to come into the presence of the Lord and to see the Lord in the midst.
Not just to come to the remembrance of the Lord and to come to the breaking of bread and to realize that perhaps it's the most important meeting that we come to, but to remember that we're coming into the presence of the Lord Himself, and we're coming with the purpose to break bread and to give him the desire of his own heart that we might remember him in death. But it is a part of Paul's doctrine. And what we find in Christendom is that the importance of Paul's doctrine has been let go.
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And so, if not entirely given up. And so Paul gives us the truth in connection with the church and how it should conduct itself. He gives us the details of how the meetings of the assembly should be conducted. He gives us all kinds of details of the difference between the man and the woman and the distinction of the roles of the man and the woman in the assembly as well as out of the assembly and so on, all of that.
Has been thrown overboard. So, Brother John, I would suggest that the reason the breaking of bread is so lightly esteemed in the Christian world is a result of not having a grasp of or an appreciation of Paul's doctrine, and not having that sense of coming personally on a Lord's Day morning into the presence of the Lord myself to remember him in his death.
Excuse that's given to and that is if we do it and every Lord's Day, it's just going to become commonplace. And I've often heard Christians say that, well, we only remember the Lord once a month. They're on a special occasion because we don't want to do it too often or we won't appreciate it. But I was thinking of the very verse you gave as often and I believe when the Lord Jesus instituted the feast of remembrance, He knew what not only the hearts of the the disciples that were around him on that occasion were going to be like.
But he knew what my heart was going to be like and he knew that I was going to need a reminder and that I was going to need it often. And so as often as she, I want you to notice this, eat this bread and drink this cup. I've often said that I wish the word eat and drink were in capital letters in our Bible. And the reason I say that is because I've talked to people and they say, well, I can remember the Lord in my heart. Well, I trust every day of our lives we remember the Lord Jesus in our hearts. Every day we need to have some reminder of what the Lord Jesus accomplished at Calvary for the glory of God in our eternal blessings.
But there is something physical that the Lord has asked us to do to give expression to what is in our hearts. Because God always gives us a way to give expression to what is in our hearts. Whether it's baptism in owning the Lordship of Christ in our lives, whether it's the remembrance of the Lord in honoring the Lord Jesus and showing forth his death till he come. And so sometimes I see on these precious occasions the loaf in the cup go by many.
Who I know really do love the Lord.
Can we sit there on Lord's Day and hear, as it were, the Lord Jesus say this, do in remembrance of me and eat and drink and not participate at his table? What would you think if you invited me to your table and I said, well, I'm going to come, but I'm not going to partake of the meal and I passed all the dishes by? You'd say, Jim, it's good to have you here, but that's not the only reason we invited you.
And so we sit down, not only in the presence of the Lord, but at his table. There's a feast prepared. There's something He's asked us to do, to eat and drink, to give expression to what's in our hearts. Are we going to give Him that joy? And then, as you say, not only does it give Him his portion, but then it rejoices our heart. And we need that reminder, and we need it often. When we get to heaven, we won't need a loaf and a cup. We're going to see the wounds in His hands, in his feet, and in His side. And we're going to be reminded for all eternity of the work of calibre.
But while we're here, we need that reminder as often.
The children of Israel, they were given the Passover and they ate at once a year. Now in Christianity, they've mixed a lot of Judaism and Christianity and perhaps borrowed some of that thought process, but you know, it didn't work very well. In Israel's day. They came to Passover time, and it says in Hezekiah's day that there was a Passover eaten and it wasn't, it wasn't wonderful.
They hadn't eaten the Passover like that since Samuel's day. My and then it comes to Josiah's day and King Josiah says he ate Passover and all Israel with him. And it wasn't like they didn't eat the Passover like that since Joshua's day. I think it was my goodness, you know, So it's obvious that they had taken it very lightly. But the Lord knows our hearts and he delighted to have remember we're members of his body.
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We're part of the bride of Christ and He wants to have our affections. He longs for our affections more than anything else. And so as often as we can, we eat this bread and drink this cup. I might just say two. And Mr. Darby's day, apparently when they were translating some of the scriptures, I believe it was in German and some other languages perhaps, but they felt so the need to be in communion with the Lord, that they broke bread every day just so that they were in communion with the Lord and they would be.
Sensitive to.
His portion in connection with what they were translating and tried to accurately convey what the Spirit of God was giving them.
In regards to what we have at the end of Acts two, I've wondered about this and wondered if we might have some clarification.
Acts 242 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers, And then a little later.
Verse 46.
And it says that they continuing daily or I think the new translation says that every day.
Being constantly in the temple and breaking bread from house to house to eat their meat with gladness and signalness apart and so on, is is this.
This isn't the Lord's Supper here, is it? This breaking of bread? It seems to me like that hadn't been instituted yet by received by by Paul from the Lord. So I wonder if this is more just a thought of fellowship, or maybe we could have a thought on that one.
In verse 42, it was really the remembrance of the Lord that's spoken of, but then they ate meals together and I believe you could apply it this way in connection with the remembrance of the Lord. They couldn't break bread in the temple. They would have been stoned, they would have been taken out, and they could never break bread. It was entirely distinct, it was Judaistic, and the temple really was in the process of being set aside and so.
They broke bread in the large upper room I believe is where they we didn't read it, but in chapter one it says they abode there. In chapter one verse 13, when they were come in, they went up into it should say the upper room where abode both Peter and James and gives a whole list of those that were there. That upper room is very prominent in the beginning of the book of the Acts and I counted perhaps eight different places where the upper room is.
Referenced and you can just see that it was very prominent in the day that they lived in. So they used that upper room and I believe the church was formed in that upper room in chapter 2. But they it was a time where they could enjoy fellowship one another breaking bread. They ate their meals together and then you have in our chapter the broke bread. They remember the Lord in his death on the first day of the week and then after this.
Incident with Euticus, it says in verse 11. Therefore when he was therefore was coming up again, had broken bread and eaten and talked a long while, even at break till break of day. So he departed. That was a meal. But there is a figurative aspect. There is a little church history compressed into these few verses of Scripture. So we might get into that a little bit later but you have the.
Breaking of bread at the in the brightest, in full fellowship with Paul's doctrine, in full fellowship with the apostles and so on. And then there's a fall to the street level of this world, and it looks like the church is dead. And then it says that eudicus was raised again and it was Paul's doctrine that was used to give him, revive him and give him life again. And then it says they broke bread. You could apply it that the remembrance of the Lord was restored to the church.
It had been lost at one time and they had ceased to break bread. And so we know that the truth was recovered in the 1800s. But I think that to answer your question, I believe it's distinct. We have to say that Acts 242 is the remembrance of the Lord and then 46, I believe, is meals. They were eating meals together.
To the naturalities place in reality, but then we make these applications because the Spirit of God brings before us these little dispensational outlines that we have and just to confirm that and to go on with this little portion in in Acts 20, we find that Paul preaches to them. So they're the as in the early church, they're in the enjoyment of Paul's ministry because Paul was the wise master builder.
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All the all the New Testament writers bring in the church in some aspect, but you'll never understand the real truth of the church and Our Calling, our heavenly calling, unless you go to Paul's ministry. We've already made comments on that, and that's why there's so much confusion about things today. But then just to to notice this little expression.
At near the end of verse 7, ready to depart on the moral. Now that was actuality.
Paul did, and we know from the end of the little story here that Paul, he left them the next day, but I believe there's an application here. Pauls ministry always brought before the Saints ready to depart on the Morrow. Pauls ministry brings before us the Lord's coming because that's another aspect of truth that you won't understand unless you follow it through Paul's ministry. Now again, as we had this afternoon earlier, we went to several other of the writers, Peter and and John and so on. They all bring in the Lord's coming in some little way.
But if you really want to understand how it's all going to unfold and take place and the difference between the Lord coming for us at any moment and then coming back and is appear the rapture of the appearing and so on, you've got to go to Pauls ministry so.
Paul was actually ready to leave the next day and continue his missionary journey. But we can apply this in the little dispensational picture that you pointed out, that as they enjoyed Paul's ministry, they anticipated his leaving the next day. And as we enjoy Pauls ministry, it gives us the anticipation of us.
Leaving this world at any moment to be with the Lord Jesus.
Well, in a dispensational way that the Apostolic age was just about to end and so God gives us this picture. Pauls influence physically there with them was going to cease. The Apostolic age was going to end and.
It says he continued his speech until midnight. So his words, his teachings, his the Epistle to the Romans and all of those epistles that he wrote.
Decreased in their appreciation. The Saints decreased in their appreciation of those words until the darkest part of the night. And so you have that little bit of a picture. The midnight is the darkest part of the night. And then we have this.
From verse 8 down to verse 12, this little incident in connection with Euticus. So I'll just say that if you read it as a dispensational outline, you can see that the the Spirit of God was saying the Apostolic age was going to end. You see it at the end of the chapter as well, chapter 20 it says.
Verse 36. When he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all, and they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, soaring most of all for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more.
And they accompanied him unto the ship. So God is giving us a little picture that the Apostolic age was going to end, and now that we're going to have to act upon the instructions that he had given them. So the Ephesian elders had received instructions from Paul from verse 17 down to the end of this chapter. And so they were going to be able, they were going, the torch was going to be passed to them, so to speak, and they were going to have to face the enemy.
And they were going to have to maintain the testimony.
That this midnight would, in that character of things, speak to us of that era called the Dark Ages, when the corporate testimony was lost.
Still many lights in the upper chamber. And so God still had his witnesses, didn't he? The corporate testimony was lost as to being gathered to the Lord's name, the remembrance of the Lord Jesus from week to week, and so on.
But some of us were commenting about some of the hymns that were written even in the dark ages. There were individuals who were personally in the enjoyment of the truth of God. So here there were many lights in the upper chamber. Not only shows us that they did meet at night, they needed light. But again, in that dispensational character, God had his lights even through that dark era. But I would just like to say this too, I'm going to digress from that for a moment to make a practical application for every one of us because.
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Scripture always has a has a present application. You know there's many lights in this room and I'm not talking about the ones on the ceiling. You know every one of us are placed in a Dark World to be a light for Christ. We're we're to be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, amongst whom you shine as lights in the world holding forth the word of light. You know light doesn't make any noise, but it illuminates the darkness and you and I are in a dark a morally.
And spiritually Dark World and the moral and spiritual darkness is deepening over the Western world every hour.
Are we seeking to walk as lights? And where were the lights? They were in the upper chamber. And I believe that you and I can only shine as lights for God's glory and a testimony to the world in the measure in which we walk in separation to Christ and separation from this world. Because as we mentioned the other day, the upper room or the third loft, it's a very real degree of separation from the world. And as you and I walk in separation from the world.
We can be lights in the upper chamber for His glory.
Add to that in John's Gospel, chapter 8. It says in verse 12. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. And so while the Lord Jesus was here, he was the light of this world, and he shone brightly and reflected the glory of God in a great measure. We know that his deity, the glory of his deity, was veiled.
And so they didn't see him as God. They saw the reflection, they saw in his ways the moral characters of God himself. But he veiled his Godhead glory. And then, you know, at the Garden of Gethsemane, when they came to arrest him, he removed that veil just for a moment, and they fell backwards in his presence because he had unveiled his glory. His God had glory just for a moment of time.
And so he was the light of the world. But then in Matthew's Gospel we know in verse 14 that he said, ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. And so in this time of the Lord's absence, you and I are a testimony of light in this world. And the world may not have the light of Christianity as it ought to have, but if you and I walk in communion with the Lord.
In obedience to the Word of God, in separation to those things that displease the heart of God and are inconsistent with the light of Christianity, then we will shine in brightness. And so there were many lights in that upper chamber. It speaks of testimony, and it speaks of how they were in that upper room. There's a responsibility that we have if we're gathered by the Spirit of God under the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
And we profess to be separated from that which is dishonoring to his name, and that names the name of Christ, and his dishonoring to him. We have a responsibility and testimony. So are we being a light and a testimony, even among our brethren, we need to be a light.
This young man named Eudicus. And it's interesting. I don't pay particular attention to names and their meanings as they appear in Scripture, but this one has often struck me. Utica's name means well off, and he was well off. He had no doubt had the light of the glorious gospel penetrate his dark heart. He'd been saved. He was associated with those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. Here in Troas. He had the privilege of sitting under the ministry of the apostle Paul.
Well, wouldn't we have loved to have been here when Paul was there? When Paul was there, tremendous privilege. He was well off, had fellowship with fellow believers, but he wearied of all that and he sat in a window, a dangerous position.
But before we criticize eudicus, I want to just say something to my own heart and perhaps it will strike a chord with you as well. You know, I have often wondered as Eudicus.
Moved over and sat in the window and began to nod off to sleep and lean toward the outside of the building. I have often wondered, wasn't there somebody who saw what was happening, somebody who could have gone over in love and put their arm around Uticus and said, you know, Eudicus, you're getting a little weary and you're in a dangerous position. You know, there's a chair over by me. Why don't you come and sit by me now? You know, if you're, if you're sleepy and meeting, you're never wide awake one minute and sound asleep the next.
01:00:27
It's a process of things, isn't it? Your head, your head goes down, your eyes are heavy, it comes back up. And if that process of things is allowed to develop long enough, you're going to find yourself ultimately sound asleep in meeting. Why didn't somebody see this? And brethren, what it says to my own heart is, do you and I have such a heart for our fellow believer that we have a watchfulness that when we see one drifting, one wearying of the assembly, one wearying of the ministry of the apostle Paul.
One taking up with something in a dangerous position. Do we seek to go to them or do we wait like they did in Troas and wait till he had a fall? You know, I believe if we would be watchful and.
More encouraging and being willing to be used before the fall. It would save us from many things. You know, it's not a happy thing to see someone leave and and that's it or someone leave and come back.
That's wonderful when someone comes back and there's restoration. I'm sure there was rejoicing in Corinth when there was restoration of the man that was disciplined in the first chapter and the first epistle. But I believe it's a happier thing to have a watchfulness. And it says that the members should have the same care one for another. Now, having said that, I don't want to excuse you to cuss either. He ought not to have wearied of the ministry of Paul. He ought not to have sat in the window. And you say, wasn't there a 5050?
Chance he'd fall either in or out of the window.
It doesn't work that way. If we leave our one year tuned to the Ministry of Paul, one year tuned to what's going on in the Assembly, and one year tuned to the world, one eye on what's going on in the Upper Room and one eye on what's going on in the street below, it's going to drag us down. The enemy is going to be successful. It's not a 5050 chance. So I just say that let's be watchful when we see one drifting before it comes to something like this. Are we willing to put ourselves out?
And to go to that person to seek to encourage them back before it's too late.
And I've experienced it.
Seek to give a word or someone seeks to give a word to you.
Someone who is nodding off to sleep isn't thinking very clearly, or perhaps is in pain of some kind. And.
They tend to they tend to snap and bite and not respond very pleasantly and.
It can be fairly discouraging.
And Justice want to encourage those that might be thinking of someone. Perhaps I should talk to them.
Don't necessarily expect it to be well received. The Lord can use what you say and.
Move it along. But hurting people, hurt people. Sleepy people don't talk or listen coherently. But that doesn't mean that if the Lord puts it on our hearts to say something that we shouldn't, do it and then let the Lord deal with what happens with it.
There were lights outside too, and so the lights of the enemy, the for even Satan himself presents himself as an Angel of light. So there were in the street lights. There were, there was things going on in the street, no doubt. And so Satan has an imitation of the light of what we have in Christianity. May I just say to that?
There was a young man in Mr. Darby's translation. It's interesting how the terms that he uses here translates, he says.
That Eudicus, verse nine, a certain youth by the name Eudicus, and then a little bit later on verse 12, they brought away the boy alive and were no little comforted. I just suggest that the temptation perhaps is more to those that are boys. We have an eye.
On sports we have an eye on a fast car, we have an eye on all those things.
And as young men, the enemy knows that if he can attract the young men and distract them, get them looking at the lights outside in the world and the darkness of this world, what the world is occupied with, then they might have that fall and fall from that third loft, not be occupied with the heavenly truth of the Apostle Paul's doctrine and the truth that they are heavenly citizens, not their strangers and pilgrims in this scene.
01:05:29
And rather than being taken up with the light of Christianity and the glorious.
Things that we have that are the blessings that are ours in Christ, in the heavenlies, in Christ, while we're taken up with those things on the street level that have a bright shiny appearance. So it's particularly the boys. Not saying that the sisters, the young sisters aren't vulnerable as well, but the enemy I believe we should see in Scripture targets the young men. And in Pharaoh's day, he targeted the young men. He knew that if he could eradicate.
Eliminate those young men in Egypt, those that were Israelites, the next generation, there wouldn't be a next generation. And so the assembly, that which is precious to the heart of God, those gathered by the Spirit of God in the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
If the young men don't go on, if they get tired of Paul's doctrine, sleepy and fall to the street level of this world, morally or spiritually, then it's a detriment to the assembly. And then there's, as you've mentioned, there's restoration. Thank God for restoration in the process of restoration. And then you see Paul's doctrine brought before one that has had a fall perhaps, or is in the process of perhaps drifting. Why? That's what will revive them.
We need that heavenly ministry.
Two with what Tim said, Oh, sorry, Joe, go ahead, go ahead Jim, finish your thought. Well, just I wanted to follow up what Tim said because I eudicus might not have appreciated someone going over and waking him up and encouraging me out of the window. But you know, Paul said when he truck ministered to the Corinthians, they didn't appreciate his exhortations either. They were treating him like the off scouring of the earth. They were questioning his ministry. But you know what he said The more I love the more I the more.
Yes, the more the more he has quoted.
The less I be loved, the more more I love.
I've lost my but, but the point is that Paul realized it was for the good and benefit of the Corinthians and he wasn't looking for some affirmation for himself or some pat on, on the on the on the back. Those Corinthians questioned everything about him, but he was faithful in his presentation in spite of it.
Read it.
So it says I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I beloved.
Just going to mention just a very practical thing, we might look at Euticus and identify with them because I certainly have had the experience of being sleepy and meeting and sometimes some nights I think I'm too sleepy to go to meeting. And I don't know under what conditions Eunice came to meeting that night. He may have been very sleepy when he got there. The question that you might ask as well, considering how sleepy he was.
And how careless he was because he was sleepy and because of the distraction he caused, should he have been there at all? And the answer is yes.
You look back in retrospect, was Utica's glad he was there?
Absolutely he had an experience.
That was remarkable, and so did his brother.
And the Lord Jesus took his disciples into the garden, knowing they would go to sleep.
He still wanted them there, he said of them. The Spirit indeed is willing.
The flesh is weak. He recognized what was in their heart. He recognized their weakness. He still wanted them there. And brethren?
I'm not saying there aren't times where there's absolutely too early to go to meeting, the Lord knows, but let's not least make it an excuse. If we can get there, it's very possible we can stay awake and get something out of it.
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Just to complete, it's interesting that when Paul goes down, Eudicus does not embrace Paul, Paul embraces Eudicus. And to complete the dispensational picture, it was when the ministry of the apostle Paul embraced the early brethren that there was restoration and they came back to the very spot they had left. You notice that they brought the young man alive back up to the third loft. And so when the early brethren, when the ministry of Paul embraced them by the Spirit of God.
They came back to the very ground that you have at the beginning that was established on the day of Pentecost and in the book of the Acts. It wasn't some new ground on which they began to break bread. So I just say that in completion to that little dispensational picture, it wasn't Uticus embracing Paul, it was Paul's ministry. It was Paul's taking hold of him. And we need to let Paul's ministry embrace us and take hold of us if we're going to be preserved till the Lord comes.
Apostle Paul until the break of day. And so there's another expression and it's a part of Pauls doctrine as we read in First Corinthians Chapter 11, that we're going to be able to do this till he come.
Can we sing 65 in the back of the book?
The second verse is what I'm thinking about, is what we've been speaking about.
But we sing the whole verse. Somebody started Please number 65 in the back.
Go tell I want to Jesus.
I'll be every gentleman.
Spread about like this place, I am lucky enough.
You know.
Novels you need to say for the truth for him.
Oh, praise the name of Jesus.
In life before.
That Night
Gospel—John Kaiser
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.
Welcome to the Gospel meeting.
The Gospel.
By definition is good news.
And in this world today?
We need more than ever to hear good news.
Let's begin this evening with number.
20 Excuse me?
34, I'm sorry #34.
Precious, precious blood of Jesus.
Shed on Calvary shed.
For rebels.
Shed for sinners.
Shed for me.
#34.
Precious, precious blood.
For me.
Gracious, gracious.
Blood of Jesus.
All right, escape.
Earth and fart and how is Hawker?
Being generally.
All thy sins are red light, grandson, deep and scarlet.
T jeez are a fresh thus blood and make the wildlife.
I believe most in this room tonight.
Certainly most of the adults have believed it and have received it.
And I don't know what issues there may be.
In various hearts and here this evening. But God does, and I know He has in His Word.
Wisdom to address every issue in our hearts and lives.
But it starts here, with the blood of Jesus. You know we don't.
Commonly sing about blood.
Blood is not a common theme of appreciated songs.
But if you're going to be in glory, if you're going to be in heaven, you're going to sing about blood there.
It's turned briefly to Revelation Chapter 5.
Revelation chapter 5 and we get a view of heaven.
Revelation chapter 5 and verse nine and they sang a new song saying.
Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. That's the new song.
That's the song that belongs to believers, those who have a new life through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The song we just sang.
Begins with precious, precious blood of Jesus shed on.
Calvary.
I commonly speak to young people.
A couple of times a week who don't know what Calvary is.
That's not part of their vocabulary. I have to tell them that's where Jesus was crucified. Well, they heard about Jesus. I'm not sure what crucifixion means, and Calvary doesn't register with a lot of them. I tell them it's a hill over near Jerusalem. They don't know where Jerusalem is. I tell them that's in Israel. They don't know where Israel is. I tell them that if that's in the Near East, and I don't know what that means either.
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And these are young people.
12/13/14 fifteen, 1617 years old.
Most here know about Calvary, where Jesus was crucified.
I remember singing this song as a child.
And I could sing precious, precious blood of Jesus. I loved the melody. And I knew what the blood of Jesus did for me. Precious, precious blood of Jesus. Shed on Calvary. Shed for rebels that word didn't register with me. Shed for and for sinners. Well, I knew I was a Sinner. I didn't think of myself as a rebel. But you know, as you get older, you realize we are.
By nature, we are rebels.
We object.
To what?
May be imposed on us. Sometimes we resist authority. Now we say, Oh no, I respect authority.
Well, you have to take that with some qualifications.
Because people tend to try to get by with what they can get by with just the same.
Shed for rebels?
And for sinners shed for me tonight.
Everybody here should take this message personally. It'll bless your soul. Don't think about it as something you need, something that's needed for the person beside you, unless you know that person's not saved and you're praying for them.
We're here to enjoy those of us who are redeemed. We can enjoy afresh what God has done and that much more effectively witness to others. And so I look, I say, I look in this room, and I believe most here heard the gospel.
So tonight.
Take what you hear.
And pass it on.
One more thing in connection with rebels. I was thinking about this him earlier and a verse came to mind.
Let's look in November and numbers 20.
Numbers 20 and verse 7 The Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together. This is verse 8. Numbers 20, verse 8. Gather the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock.
So thou shalt give unto the congregation, and their beasts drink.
And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him.
So far so good. Verse 10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together.
Before the rock. And he said unto them, Here now, ye rebels.
Now Moses Spirit wasn't right in this.
He was told to speak to the rock. It wasn't forbidden to speak to his to the people as well, but his attitude was wrong with the message still resonates.
Here now, you rebels.
Let's not resist it.
Everything in God's Word can be put to good use.
But he was told to speak to the rock. Let's speak to the rock.
You'll notice.
I have some things covered and one thing revealed the words this night.
This night is significant.
This night counts for eternity.
As does every moment of every life here. But this phrase occurs several times in Scripture.
And we're going to read about them.
There was a night that was described as this night that in many respects began like.
Thousands of nights before it.
And yet before that night was over.
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Thousands.
Had unexpectedly died.
Let's read about it.
In Exodus chapter 12.
Exodus chapter 12. We'll start verse 3.
Well, Mesel stars verse one, Exodus chapter 12 verse one. And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron, and the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.
Speak He unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, in the 10th day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the House of their fathers, a lamb for an Alice, and if the household be too little for the lamb.
Let him and his neighbor next unto him take it according to the number of the souls, every man according to his eating.
And make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish.
A male of the first year you shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats, and ye shall keep it up until the 14th day of the same month. And the whole assembly, the congregation of Israel, shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses wherein ye shall eat it.
And you shall they shall eat the flesh in that night.
Rose with fire, and unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs, they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire his head with his legs, and with the pertinence thereof. And ye shall let nothing ever remain until the morning. And that which remaineth of it until the morning, ye shall burneth fire. And thus shall ye eat it, with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet.
And your staff in your hand, and ye shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover.
And.
I will pass through the land of Egypt this night.
And will smite all the first born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the Lord.
Here is the Lord God, Jehovah, saying that he is going to execute judgment. Now, the Bible tells us that judgment is God's strange work. It's not something he likes to do. There are people who are who fear God because they know that he is the ultimate judge. And I want to tell you tonight that God's purpose.
For you tonight is blessing.
He wants to bless you. He wants to save you. That's always God's first thought.
Whence Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden and hid himself from God?
God did not come out in judgment.
God came out in grace, and God didn't come out accusing Adam.
He said Adam, where are you? God wanted Adam to recognize the broken relationship.
Do you have a relationship with God tonight? The Egyptians that we're reading about here, this happened in the land of Egypt.
Thousands of years ago.
The Egyptians had had many opportunities to repent.
To trust God, to obey God. They've been given many opportunities. And finally after 9 plagues, God says, all right, I will execute judgment.
God gives space to repent. What does the word repent mean? It means to.
Rethink the word, the section and the word repent. Repent section means is the Latin word for think. To repent means to rethink, to change your mind. We all have minds, and it's amazing how young.
We may be when we begin to use our minds and we need to repent.
We need to think God's thoughts instead of our own. Where do we get God's thoughts? We get them from His Word.
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Egypt had had revelations from God.
Sent Moses to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh had refused to hear. And because Pharaoh refused to hear, the whole nation suffered. And you know, by this time the nation was aware of what was going on.
But time was up.
Their opportunity for mercy was over, with one exception. I'd like to suggest we just read about it. We'll get to it later.
But God had said this night, this night.
I will execute judgment. You say, well, that that's then.
That happened way back then. That's not tonight.
Turn with me to Luke chapter 12.
Luke, chapter 12.
And this is a story Jesus told.
Luke chapter 12 and verse 16. And he spoke a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? Because I have no room where to bestow my fruits. And he said, This will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say unto my soul, Soul that has much goods laid up for many years, Take thy knees eat.
Drink and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool.
This.
Night, thy soul shall be required of thee. Now, if this man, we know this is a parable. We don't know for certain this man, this specific man ever lived. But the audience to whom Jesus was speaking knew about this night long ago in Egypt. They were familiar with that story. And maybe they were like somebody here tonight thinking, well, that's history that happened, but that's not tonight.
Here is a man who.
Met this night personally. It didn't happen in Egypt, it happened in his own home.
Where the Lord said to him, This night thy soul shall be required of thee, and you know.
What the Lord Jesus wanted us to understand from this is this could happen to anyone here.
Because the Bible tells us that God has appointed the bounds of our habitation. And God can say to anyone, this night, your soul will be required of you. And let me ask you, Are you ready to meet God this night?
Are you ready to meet God this night?
This man was not ready.
He had plans. He had. He wasn't thinking about this night. He was thinking about all the days and weeks and months and years that he thought were going to come.
And they never came.
I want to tell you, God says behold now.
Is the day of salvation.
This night.
You need to deal with God. Maybe there's something. Maybe you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, but there's something hidden in your life, something you've got planned down the road you've been thinking about.
And you need to deal with God about it. And you've left God out of your plans.
What happens if God says this night your soul will be required of you?
You see, God has control of these things.
He takes souls.
Where is he going to take your soul?
So the Lord God said to this man.
This night, thou fool.
He left God out of his plans. Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided? So what happens to all your plans? If God changes them? They disappear.
Scripture says prepare to meet your God. Everyone of us should be prepared momentarily to meet God.
Right now.
Well, these people in Egypt, a lot of them were.
I've no doubt sleeping in their beds that night.
00:20:03
Well, I imagine there might have been some who might have observed.
What the Israelites were doing.
You know the.
After all, the Israelites were slaves of the Egyptians, and God was going to deliver his people, and God had told his people what to do to prepare for this night.
And so I have here an illustration and I hope you can see it from where you are.
And.
If some want to come up closer so they can see it better.
There's plenty of empty seats up front because my illustrations that I prepare are gently.
Used in much smaller rooms with smaller groups.
The children of Israel were told to take a lamb. They were told to keep it for a whole period of time. It was supposed to be a perfect there was a good lamb as they could come up with. They're told to keep it.
For a certain amount of time I say as good a lamb as they could come up with, because perfect is a relative thing in this creation.
Says they were supposed to take.
A A lamb for a house and.
So on.
Anyway.
At the 14th day they were to kill the lamb.
And.
Verse seven, they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts on the upper door post of the Lamb of the house. Excuse me, an upper doorpost of the house. And so you see in my illustration here.
Two.
Well, two houses with blood on the door.
And one house.
With no blood.
Why was that? Well, for two reasons. One, God had only told the Israelites to do this.
And the second reason is that there may have been some who heard who didn't obey, and of course there were some Egyptians who may not have known at all what was going to happen.
But there were three. We have three types of houses here.
Two with blood on the side posts and the lentil.
And one house with no blood.
Why? Why?
You know, it's interesting. They could. God could see through the house.
But God wanted a testimony.
He wanted the blood on the door.
Let me ask you a question. You may say that you're a believer in Christ.
Can your neighbors see it?
Has that blood made a difference in your life so that your neighbors can see it?
And so.
We have 3 houses here and I'm going to move this podium closer because I noticed the microphone.
It's not picking up quite as well as I would like.
And you notice that some other differences in the houses.
One house seems to have light in it, suggests peace, comfort, and the other house more the attitude of the house without the blood.
Because you know, there are different types of believers in this world and you'll find them right in this city. There are those who they are covered by the blood.
But they don't enjoy it. They're not even sure it's been interesting. How many?
People I talked to, I say, are you, are you going to heaven? Oh, yes.
How do you know? Well, I don't know for sure. And sometimes they're they're totally ignorant. It's just their opinion. They're going to heaven. They think everything's OK because they feel OK. At least they felt OK until I asked the question. Then those other people that.
00:25:15
They're just not sure.
You ask him, do you believe Jesus died for He says yes. They say yes, I believe Jesus died for my sins. So are you saved? Well, I'd like to think so.
And you know, it's a wonderful thing. God wants us to know what he knows. God wants to share with us all that he knows. Isn't that amazing? It's no possible way we can comprehend all that he knows. But that's the heart of God. We we underestimate the heart of God. We just sang precious, precious blood of Jesus.
The blood that was carelessly spilled at Calvary was precious to God.
But who knew it then?
And says shed for rebels.
Does God love rebels? Yes, he does.
Why? I often ask the young people I talk to Why do you believe God loves you? Oh yes, I believe that. Why does God love you?
Well, because he created me.
Are you what he meant to create? Well, no.
The reason God loves us is because God is love.
It's that simple.
Everyone here is equally individually loved tonight.
We don't begin to comprehend who we're dealing with, one who is perfectly holy.
And yet perfectly loving hates our sin, but loves us.
Everyone in this room.
Scripture says God so loved the world, that's all inclusive, no exceptions, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever, whoever means, anybody, whoever believes in him, should not perish but have everlasting life.
Everyone of us needs to grow in our appreciation of the character of God.
So God said.
And the blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where ye are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you.
God had promised judgment to Egypt, but he said to his people, when I see the blood, I will pass over you.
I want to ask, are you covered by the blood?
You may not appreciate the blood.
Turn to Leviticus chapter 17.
Leviticus chapter 17 and verse 11. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. What is that word atonement mean? It means the cover we need the shelter, the cover of the blood. That's what the what the blood was for the children of Israel.
The blood.
On the doorposts and the lentil served as a shelter for anybody who was in.
The house that was marked with the blood and God said when I see the blood.
I will Passover you now notice how God describes it in the scripture, He says.
I have given the blood.
Do you despise God's gift?
Let me ask you.
Is God stingy?
Or is God likely to give the best? He gives the best. He gave the blood when he gave his Son who shed the blood.
You know the verse. Excuse me, let's look at it.
First, John.
I, John. Chapter One.
And verse 7.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another in the blood of Jesus Christ.
00:30:05
His Son cleanses us from all sin, all sin.
So this blood is a perfect covering. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect covering. It cleanses.
From all sin.
It's all that we need.
Because it takes care of all sin.
If you are cleansed by if you are covered by cleansed by the blood of Christ.
Could God legitimately keep you out of heaven? And the answer is no.
It's that simple. The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. You know, the statements of the word of God are just amazing.
They are so simple and yet so comprehensive.
So God passed over these houses.
And.
In the 1St house.
What was the result?
Death. No blood on the door. God kept his word.
And there was death in that house.
And my friend, tonight you either have the blood or you face death.
It's that simple.
There's no entrance into heaven without the blood. The Lord Jesus Christ God says I have given the blood.
And there's no salvation without it. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us. Us who believe from all sin, well.
The 2nd house.
Represents many.
Believers. They hear about judgment coming. They believe that the blood.
Needs to be applied.
But they're not sure. They're not resting in the Word of God.
Let me ask you a question.
Of these two houses.
Suppose a family in each house. Both houses have blood. Which house is the safer 1?
It doesn't matter how they felt inside the house.
You know this world.
Is occupied with feelings and you say people you're going to heaven. They believe. They say I have faith and they say when they say they have faith they're really often talking about their feelings and that's all they're talking about they feel good. I heard a politician.
Back in 19 Twenty 2016 presidential run, you may have heard the politician himself. Some famous politician won't mention his name.
State that he had a great relationship with.
So first anybody ever knew of it.
And justice. But there's lots of people that way. They think they have a great relationship with God because God doesn't bother them.
And how many people in Egypt that night?
Might have.
Thought that too. They had a great relationship and they're OK because God had never bothered them until that night. Yes, they've been through some plagues, but they came through them.
But that night, there was death.
There's other people who are confused, faith and feelings. God had said when I see the blood I will Passover you. There's two wills, he said. I will execute judgment that was absolute. But he says when I see the blood I will Passover you. That's absolute as well. And the folk in the anxious house.
Were just as safe.
As the folk in the trusting house.
Because of the blood.
That's why the song in heaven is about the blood. It's not us, it's not how we feel. It's what Jesus has done that makes the difference.
When times about up.
We talked about this night. Now I want to talk briefly about.
00:35:02
This life.
What was the problem in this first house? They didn't have the blood.
The blood makes me safe.
I want everyone here to trust that to be able to say someday, Lord Jesus, you are worthy because you shed your blood for me. The blood makes me safe.
Never doubt it, because if you've got it, you're safe. God says so. And that brings us to the second point.
What makes me sure?
The word of God makes me sure.
Want to look at a couple of scriptures in connection with that.
First John, chapter 5.
First John chapter 5 verse.
13.
These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know. These things have I written the word of God. God put it down in black and white for us, and it's just the beginning. The God who put down this wonderful piece of information has got a book full of riches for us. Don't neglect the Word of God.
These things I have written.
To you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. You can know it. You don't have to say I hope so.
People think that's that's a.
Presumptuous to say that you know.
Do you have eternal life? So often I ask the young people I talk to and I can ask the same question every 3-4 weeks because there's so much turnover. Do you think it's possible to know?
Before you die where you're going.
And most of them will say, no, of course not. And it's a wonderful thing to be able to go to the word of God and produce example after example of people who knew where they were going because God said so. The Lord Jesus told the thief in the cross, today you'll be with me and take, you'll be with me in paradise. The Lord Jesus told his disciples of John 14. I go to prepare a place for you, and I will come again and take you there.
He guaranteed their being there.
The word of God makes us sure.
Turn to Well, let's read this verse one more time before we turn to another scripture. These things I have written into you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. Now turn to John chapter 8.
John chapter 8 and verse 31.
Then said Jesus to those Jews who which believed on him. If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. You know, the world talks about they love this, this 32nd verse. You know the truth. The truth makes you free. But it's interesting God didn't leave it up to us to decide what the truth is.
People say all my truth.
May be different from your truth.
God didn't leave us.
The option of choosing the truth.
What people call truth is more often a lie, and lies don't make you free.
Jesus said if you continue in my word.
Then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. So how do we know? We know by the Word of God.
00:40:00
And there's so much God wants us to know. You know, when I was I raised a family, I had seven children.
And I look forward to the time I could introduce them to the things that I valued in life when they were when they were two years old. Did they appreciate everything I appreciated? The answer is no. But as they grew and as they listened and interacted with me, they began to appreciate more and more the things I appreciated.
God wants you to know.
To appreciate what he knows and appreciates.
That's boundless.
And it's through his word we know through the word of God. The Word of God makes me share the blood makes me safe. The Word of God makes me sure.
When I was in study school, I used to sing a song.
Now I can't remember.
He taught me how to watch and pray and live rejoicing every day. Happy day when Jesus washed my sins away and I used to sing that song and think, well, I'm I'm not happy every day.
Why not? I hadn't learned how says He Taught me how to watch.
And pray and live rejoicing every day.
Learning takes time.
And learning involves.
Obedience.
Obedience makes me happy. I'm going to close on this note tonight. You have 3 principles for life. Let's turn to John chapter 13 for the third principle.
Three life basics John chapter 13 this is true it's this is a verse that.
Comes back to me time and time again. It's very simple principle that comes back to me time and time again. Is a test of our character.
John chapter 13 and verse 17. The Lord Jesus said if you know these things.
Happy are ye if ye do them. Happy or blessed are ye if you do them. That's obedience.
You want a happy Christian life?
Just obey.
We sing about it sometimes. Trust and obey. For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
Now, which house are you living in tonight? If you were back in Egypt, where would you be had you been back in Egypt?
In which house might you have been that night?
Spiritually.
And thank God for the salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Passionate and Passive
Matthew 25:1-13
Reading
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Lord Jesus, come.
Also pray Lord Jesus song.
Lord Jesus.
Wants a man of patience.
Waiting now.
All of joy for every.
I must say, do what always.
Express my.
Lord Jesus.
Come on, praise us on the.
All I love you my Lord Jesus from.
Everything on you, please come back.
To us.
In Morocco.
We will fall again, voice say. Come.
Yeah, for thy word from black crying.
It is your king. I will.
Play.
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Please.
Revelation chapter 22.
Verse 20.
He which testifieth each thing says, surely I come quickly, Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen.
Exercise to suggest that we take up the in the Gospel of Matthew.
Chapter 25. Just the last similitude of the Kingdom.
In connection with the story that the Lord told of the 10 virgins.
And that's a little historical outline of church history given in that little passage. And as we have had Luke chapter 22 before us, a little historical outline of how the church was formed and the work of the Spirit informing the assembly and forming and gathering us to His precious name. And then the little passage of Scripture as well in connection with the large upper room in Acts chapter 20 that we took up yesterday.
I wonder if it would be a nice close to these meetings to be considering the coming of the Lord Jesus for us.
Verses. Is that what you had?
That would be nice.
Matthew 25 verse one.
Then shall the Kingdom of heaven be likened unto 10 virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept, and at midnight there was a cry made. Behold, the bridegroom cometh, Go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us, and you but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know not, for ye know neither the day nor the hour, wherein the Son of Man cometh.
If you'll just forgive me get into this, I'd like to just make a little comment that I think would be helpful for those who are younger in studying the Word of God and taking up the gospels in all portions of the Word of God. Some of the older brethren when we were younger gave us little hints as to our study of the Word of God and as to keeping things in their context and not miss applying different scriptures and having what Timothy was told as a young man to have an outline of truth.
I just want to pass along a couple of little hints now that we've turned to the Gospel of Matthew.
So we have 4 gospels. Now, we know that the four gospels, as we're often told, bring before us the Lord Jesus in four different ways. We understand that. But I want to give you another little hint as to taking up these four gospels and these stories, these parables, these similitudes, and the instances in the life of the Lord Jesus.
Matthew is the Gospel that is most dispensational in its character, and when you go through them, it's the most Jewish in its character, and yet it's the most dispensational in its character and when you go through these incidences in Matthew's Gospel.
Look for that little dispensational outline that you alluded to when you suggested this portion. It's very, very helpful. Another little tidbit in connection with Matthew being the gospel that's most Jewish in its character. It is the only gospel that introduces to us the church in its broad sense. In the 16th chapter on this rock, I will build my church and provision to go on in the local aspect of it in the 18th chapter versus 5 through 20.
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So that's just a little help. Matthew's the gospel, most Jewish in its character, yet most dispensational in its character. Mark is the gospel that's most chronological in its character. And the Lord goes from as the servant. He goes from one busy activity to the other. If you want to know the chronology of the Lord's life and activities, you've got to go to Mark's gospel. Having said that, Luke is the least chronological. People get confused when they read Luke's gospel. Even the incident we took up in the upper room.
It's given in Luke in a moral sense. Luke presents to us moral principles, not not the chronological.
Order in which things took place. You want to see the moral aspect of things, go to Luke's gospel. John is the gospel that's most doctrinal in its character. And as we said, the seed of every truth that is later developed in the epistles you're going to get in the gospels, but particularly in John's gospel, the Lord Jesus is introducing the truth of Christianity, just the seeds of it. True, because as he said to them in the upper room, there were many things that he'd like to develop, but they didn't have the Spirit of God or the capacity.
To take them in at that time. So that's just a little help, another little help too in taking up these stories and instances when you find the Lord Jesus in a house or in the ship.
Dispensationally, it has to do with his dealings with the remnant of Israel, or even Israel at large when he takes them up in a future coming day, when he's down by the seashore or out on the hillside speaking to the multitudes. It has more to do with this dispensation in which we live, where the truth and the gospel is going out.
Beyond the walls of Judaism. So bear with me. I'm glad you bore with me on that because those things have been a real help to me, given to me. My Mr. Lundeen and Albert Hayhoe and Gordon Hayhoe and Dan Anderson and those older brother, they gave us those little hints. And just keep those little hints, young brothers and sisters, tucked away. And it will help you to keep everything in its proper context and order.
Nick Simon has a little book, the BTP cells, it's called short Sketches and he goes over some of those very points in that little book. And so if you want to have a little outline of every book of the Bible, that little book short sketches is excellent. And so you can find a little outline as well in the Bible dictionary, the Concise Bible Dictionary, but that I highly recommend that next Simon's book, and we might just say introductory to I said that this is the last similitude to the Kingdom.
That's mentioned in Matthew's Gospel. The Lord Jesus gave little pictures, little illustrations of church history. The whole of the church history is not a surprise to God at all. He already knew what would take place. And so the Lord Jesus in Matthew's gospel gives us 10 stories that give us different perspectives of his as to the church history. So let's just look at, I'll just note, point them out.
And then you can read them in detail a little bit later on. But it's a help to understand the outline of Christianity if you read those and understand them, that the older brethren used to tell us there were three sevens that we should understand in Scripture. One was the seven feasts of Jehovah, a little outline of the history from a Jewish perspective of in those feasts. And we can study those feasts and understand what God's purpose was in connection with Israel.
And also what would take place and how it would mesh with the church, the Feast of.
What was it? Pentecost and so on. And then we have these 10 similitudes of the Kingdom, seven stories that are told in Matthew's Gospel chapter 13. And so those are another three sevens. Then we have the.
Seven churches. The address to the seven Churches in Revelation Chapter 2 and Chapter 3.
So that gives us a little bit of picture of church history. So the church was hidden as far as it's the truth that there would be a church. It was something that was hidden to the children of Israel. They never knew. So the Old Testament, it doesn't bring it out. And there were little glimpses as we looked back. God wasn't surprised. He already knew what he was going to do in connection with the church. But in Matthew's Gospel, Matthew's Gospel, chapter 13, we'll just point out these seven similitudes.
In so in the, in chapter 13, as Jim has said, he went out, he sat by the seaside. Now he's going to take up something from a Gentiles perspective. He's going to take something up that's entirely new. He left the house and figuratively he was setting aside Israel and he was going to deal with the Gentiles. He was going to deal with this in this world, but in a different way. And so he tells us how he's going to do his work from verse one down to verse 23. This is how he's going to do his work. He tells us that there's going to be 4 different responses as the gospel goes forth.
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And then he says, he uses this little term to introduce each one of these stories about the Kingdom, about the Kingdom period during his absence. Verse 24, he put a parable forth unto them saying the Kingdom of heaven is likened unto. Every time you read that little expression, the Kingdom of heaven is like an unto. Then you have one of those stories. So verse 24.
He goes over that similitude. Then in verse 31, the second one, the Kingdom of heaven, is like.
2:00 And then in verse 33, the third one, the Kingdom of heaven, is like to unto leaven. We've already spoken of that in these meetings. And then a little further in verse 44, again the Kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hidden the field. The fifth one is verse 45. The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls. Verse 47, the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a net cast into the that was cast into the sea. So that's the 6th, 1:00.
Then you find a little bit later on in.
This book and see if I can find them all.
I think it's chapter 18 that you have the next one. It's chapter 18, verse 23. Therefore is the Kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. So you have the story of having a forgiving spirit.
Christianity was going to be marked by forgiveness, having a forgiving spirit. And then a little bit later on you have, I think it's chapter 20.
Verse one for the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is in a householder which went out early in the morning, so there's a work of service for him. So that's the 8th similitude. And then you have another similitude. Chapter 22, verse 2, the Kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son. And then the last one is where we read in chapter 25 S, isn't it?
A little bit of an overview. And so there's a progression. The gospel of the grace of God goes forth and there's four different responses in chapter 13. And then he goes through a little history of how the church would conduct itself and the responsibilities that we have. And here's the last one. It has to do with the coming of the Lord. And so he gives the mixture. There's five wise virgins and there's five that are foolish.
Five that have divine life, five that don't have divine life. And so in Matthew's Gospel and in the Gospels particularly, there's a mixture of that which is real and that which is not real, professing Christianity. So there are people that think they get saved because they get baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. They go on in the Christian profession, but they're not real. And so this is the story that the Lord Jesus tells in connection with the reality.
And the reality and how it was, the appreciation of the Lord's coming, how it was.
Presented by the Lord Jesus in Seed Plot himself, John's Gospel chapter 14. But he didn't give details. He left it for the Apostle Paul. After the church was formed and the Spirit of God indwelled the believers, then they could understand.
But because it's a sphere of things in which the king is outwardly owned.
And so in Christianity, it's the great house that's taken up in another way in Two Timothy. That's why it's the Kingdom of heaven. As you say, it doesn't necessarily mean everybody in that sphere of things is a true believer. Garvin Seymour, who laborers in the in the Caribbean, he has a very unusual way of and simple way of putting things sometimes. And he was speaking on this subject in a gospel meeting. And he said there are three categories of people at this gospel meeting.
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Those who are lost, those who are saved, and those who think they're saved. And I thought that was very interesting because we're going to find that these five foolish versions, they thought they were OK. And I think there's people brought up, as you say, in in the sphere of Christendom or the Great House. They've been baptized. They've been confirmed in some of one of man's denominations and they think they're saved. You talk to them, they're OK. You've talked to people. I've talked to people tell them they're sinners and they're on their way to hell and they need to be saved.
What do they tell you? Oh, I, my parents brought me to this place. They had me baptized when I was a baby. I've been confirmed. I've gone through this, the Apostles Creed and so on. They think they're saved, but they're not. And these virgins, they in the sphere of profession, in the Kingdom of heaven, they thought they were OK, but to their detriment, they found out too late they were not.
Well, what's the difference between the Kingdom of heaven and the Kingdom of God? Well, we look at Romans chapter.
11 I think it is.
Now it's chapter 14, chapter 14, verse 17.
Romans chapter 14 verse 17 says for the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men. And so the Kingdom of God really has to do with the moral side of things and we might say practical Christianity and it's something that's not seen.
It's the evidence of it is seen, but the Kingdom of God has to do with our moral, the moral aspects of the Kingdom and recognizing the Lord reigns in our hearts. And so that's why in Matthew's Gospel chapter 567, you have the Lord Jesus outlining the moral features of those that are a part of the Kingdom. So the Kingdom of heaven really is the rule of the Lord Jesus from heaven.
And it doesn't have a little bit different. There's no territory.
That you might say the Western Christian world that professes Christianity, professes to accept the rule of Christ is his territory, but it's a Kingdom. It doesn't have a demarcation of territory. And so the Lord Jesus reigns and he reigns. Where does he reign? He reigns in the heart. We accept his authority and we acknowledge that he has a right to reign, that he is the King. And so he's not our King, He's our Lord.
And we're in relationship with him, but in this aspect of things, he's the king and we recognize his authority. And so he says, if you do recognize my authority, well, this is how you'll conduct yourself.
Robert told us there were 10 similitudes, and the word similitude just means that comparative resemblance. So it's taking something and comparing it to something else that's unrelated to teach a point.
And someone might be looking at their Bible and say, well what about verse fourteen of our chapter that we didn't read. It starts out for the Kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling and so on. But if you notice the Kingdom of heaven, there is an italics in a more literal translation like J and DS.
Takes that out so it's not one of the similitudes. Also in Matthew 13 where they begin.
The parable of the sower. Some might wonder about that, but that's really it's more of a general thing, isn't it? It's the Lord.
On this earth, taking the word and he's sowing it and how does it affect different individuals? So it's more general and it's not considered one of these ten that he mentioned.
That is that there are two phases to the Kingdom, and so the Kingdom is in mystery now, but it will be manifest very shortly. And so it's in mystery. As the king was rejected, he was crucified. He ascended on high in the glory, and so began the Kingdom in its mystery form. And so it will end in that form. At the appearing of the Lord Jesus. He'll come and the Lord.
Will reveal himself as the king. He'll appear in this scene and he will set up his Kingdom. And so the Kingdom will be manifest and it will be in existence until the end of that millennial scene. And so the Lord Jesus was showing here that there was a period of time when he would be absent, and this is what would characterize the day that we live in.
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So when the king returns.
And to give an account of our stewardship, the truth of God has been committed to us in his absence. So again, if we were to read on in this chapter, as John has pointed out, the king has taken his journey into a far country. The Kingdom wasn't to be for the time the king was rejected, but he is going to return. And what is our response in connection with his absence? Now we sometimes sing a hymn. Reign now within our hearts alone. When we were growing up, we often sang that him, Lord of my life, I crown thee now.
And we want to be very clear, brethren, because there's a lot of confusion today on this subject. We want to be very clear that the king is not outwardly reigning. Now here in this world, as we've been saying, the Kingdom is in mystery. And there are many Christians who are caught up in misteaching that this is the reigning time. Now the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians who had come to this conclusion that they should be reigning as kings. He said, would that you were, because he said if you really were reigning as kings, we'd be reigning with you.
And so it says in Hebrews 2. We see not yet all things put under Him. He has his rightful place in heaven. He's crowned with glory and honor, but we see not yet all things put under Him. And that won't be till He comes back to take the Kingdom and to establish the throne of His glory to reign over the heavens. In the meantime, though, He wants us to own Him as Lord and be faithful stewards of the truth that has been committed to us.
And brethren, we've sat in these meetings and we've had a lot of things before us in connection with our privileges here on earth, and we're going to leave these meetings. If the Lord leaves us here in a little while, what are we going to do with what has been committed to us? You know, you and I, having sat in this room this weekend, are far more responsible than when we walked in here the other day. Just let that sink into our souls for a minute. You and I are far more responsible.
When we leave this room in a few moments than when we were when we came at the beginning of this week. And why? Because we've had the truth presented to us again from the living Word in the power of the Spirit, and we are held responsible now as stewards. It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. And when the King returns, what are we going to have to say in his presence?
Production commenting but there the Lord Jesus himself gave the seed plot of the difference between the appearing of Christ and the coming of the Lord Jesus for his Saints. So the coming for his Saints is what we call the rapture. It's not really found that word in scripture, but it's really the thought of it is the Lord will ****** the church out of this world he'll rapturous.
There's a difference between the rapture and the appearing of the Lord Jesus. So the very next thing that we're looking for, the church is looking for, is the coming of the Lord Jesus for his Saints. And then there's going to be a little time of judgment, seven years, and then he's going to appear and he's going to appear with all of his Saints. Now, in the Old Testament, they knew about the appearing of the Lord Jesus to come and to set up his Kingdom.
They had no idea how the Saints would all get there into heaven and how they would have their bodies glorified, what they would look like. They had no details. But Paul is used of God to flesh out the thing, and he received those revelations from God. And he gives us a sequence of events that's going to take place in First Thessalonians chapter 4. And so we know how we're going to get there. And he tells us about the change that's going to take place in First Corinthians chapter 15.
But they didn't have any of those details. And so these, the translators at the King James Bible, unfortunately, were steeped in covenant theology. And so they didn't understand. They mixed the two together, the rapture and the appearing.
And so I'll just point this out. There's two comings that are mentioned in chapter 24, chapter 25 S. In verse 42 of chapter 24, it's the appearing of the Lord Jesus. He's speaking to them as Jews.
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Watched therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, but know this, that if the good men of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up every time it mentions a thief.
It's always the appearing and then it says, therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh. Now you look at chapter 25. It's the rapture that's being spoken of, and it says, let's just read verse 11 after the rapture. Afterward came also the other virgin saying, Lord, Lord, that's profession open to us. But he answered and said, verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. That's where it stops. They translators didn't understand, and so they added wherein the son of man cometh. That's not in the text. So just put a bracket. I put a pencil bracket in front of those words wherein and then after where the son of man cometh, and I just put a bracket there and a little light pencil line through it so that I know it's not in the text. So you can read it this way. Watch therefore, for you know, neither the day nor the hour.
And so we're not the subject of the Son of Man coming. He's not going to come at the Son of Man for the church. He's coming as the Son of God to receive his bride. He's coming as the man Christ Jesus, the glorified man, for his church. He's going to come at the appearing as the Son of Man. That's his title as a judge. And man is going to know that the Son of Man is the judge.
He's presented in Revelation Chapter one in all of the dignity, in all of his glories as a judge, and that's his title.
The Son of Man. So we need to see that distinction.
Thief comes we had our house broken in two years ago when we were away one summer. There's two things that characterized the thieves that broke into our house. They were unexpected and unwanted. And so for the the coming of the Lord as we had yesterday were to be watching and waiting. We're to be expecting the coming of the Lord for us as to the rapture we're to want it. Brother John read us this morning. Even so come Lord Jesus, that's to be the response of our hearts. So again.
These little things, again, are helpful hints so we don't misconstrue the truth or misapply it. The thief, as you say, just to echo it because it's important. The thief is unexpected and unwanted. It's never in connection with the rapture. The Son of Man is always in connection with judgment. That's not my blessed hope. My blessed hope is the Lord coming to take us out of this world that's under judgment, and to change our vile bodies, bodies of glory, like unto His body of glory, and to be with Him and like Him.
For all eternity. So these again, and I just say to the young people, if you can just get ahold of these little hints, it will really help you in your understanding and searching of the word of God. Just to go back to what we have here now because time is pressing on. So we have these five virgins and they all, they five had oil and five did not oil. As we often say, it's one of those invariable types in Scripture. It is always, I believe invariably a type of the Spirit of God.
And for those in this dispensation who are real, they are indwelt by the Spirit of God, because what characterizes this dispensation is the abiding presence of the Spirit of God both collectively in the House of God and individually in our bodies, which are the temple of the Holy Ghost. That was not characteristic of believers before the dispensation that we live in before the Day of Pentecost.
So the Spirit of God is the energy in which God has always moved, and the Spirit of God came upon different ones in the Old Testament, even unbelievers sometimes, because God moved by his Spirit, even using unusual means. But you never had the indwelling, you never have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit until the day of Pentecost, the formation of the church. And that's why the Lord Jesus in the upper room, Speaking of the coming of the Spirit of God, He said he will be with you.
He had been with them in a sense, coming and going before. But then he adds, and He will abide in you, He will abide with you, and He will abide in you, the abiding presence of the Spirit of God. So we find here that there were five wise and five foolish. Now if you were to look at these 10 ladies who were sleeping outwardly, you would not have been able to tell who was real and who wasn't. I think that's very searching. And I want to say something to those of us who have oil in our lamps, who are real, who are indwelt by the Spirit of God.
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Because when we take up this similitude in the Gospels, we stress the five that were foolish, and rightly so. And if there's someone here and you're not saved, you need to get saved and you need to do it immediately because the door is soon is soon going to close. But think of these five who had oil. Sad to say, they had sunk down to the same level as those that were not real. And it's dispensationally, of course.
A picture of the level to which the Church of God sunk at that ushered in the dark ages. And we took this up a little bit the other day. But let's think of it in a practical way and apply it today as we move about. Have we as individuals sunk down to a level that no one would be able to tell in the weekdays or weeks that follow if we're left here, whether we're a true believer or not?
You know, it tells us in Romans it is high time to awake out of sleep for now. Is our salvation nearer than when we believe what salvation is? That it's the salvation that's going to take place at the rapture, the salvation of our bodies when we're delivered completely from the power and presence of not only the power of sin, but the presence of sin. That salvation is almost upon us. We're almost about to hear the shout. It's high time to awake out of sleep now. Again, to keep things in their context, sleep is taken up in three different ways in the Word of God.
There is physical sleep, of course, the Lord was weary as he was crossing the sea with the disciples and he got a few minutes sleep in the back of the boat. Sleep is sometimes taken up in connection with the death of a believer. The body sleeps because it's a temporary state of things and it's only the believer in Scripture, an Old Testament, New Testament, only someone that died in faith. That is referred to as sleeping because when you lay the body of a believer in the ground, you know it's only a temporary state of things.
We lay down and went to sleep last night in our hotel rooms or our houses. We had every expectation that in the normal course of things, a few hours you rise up and you, you go on your way. So the believer is referred to as sleeping. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, the Lord said about him when he had died. But this is quite another thing. This is a moral lethargic condition that comes in to the Christian sphere of things. It's a it's being indifferent to the claims of Christ.
To the truth of God and becoming so outwardly like the world that they look on and they can't tell whether we're a believer or not. That's why when you come to Second Timothy and you have the great house, a similar illustration. The Lord knows them that that are his. But brethren, this ought to exercise us. What a sad condition for the four that were wise, who were real, who eventually went into the marriage with the bridegroom. But what a sad condition that they had fallen down to the level of those who were not real.
Say too, that when you sleep you're unconscious. And so they became unconscious of the coming of the Lord. The Lord Jesus said himself, If I go away, and I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. They forgot they became unconscious, and it was a very slow process, like Eudicus in the upper room. It didn't happen immediately, but there was, I think Mr. Darby's translation. It says he became overpowered with sleep.
And so he became unconscious of what was taking place. And so in chapter 25 here of Matthew, we have, I think it's four stages of the church's history that is brought out here. And so I'll just point them out. It's versus 1-2 and.
Three.
4 is really the.
Apostolic age and so it says they took their lamps and they went forth to meet the bridegroom. It speaks of spiritual energy to go forth a rise and go forth. Then you have in verse five the thought of the really after the Apostolic age. The bridegroom tarried. There was a time when he he said he would be gone for two days.
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And two days in Scripture speaks of the day of grace, and those two days are almost up.
And so here we are, the day of grace is almost over. God intervened. The whole church was asleep, unconscious of the fact that Christ was returning, and God intervened. And so it says in verse six that at midnight there was a cry made. Behold the bridegroom. It's not Behold, the bridegroom cometh there again, put a pencil mark around the word cometh. It's the person that we're waiting for. Behold the bridegroom.
The midnight cry went out as the truth was recovered in the early 1800s and perhaps in a sense during the Reformation. There was a little bit of lightness to the coming of the Lord, but the whole truth of it was not brought out. And the difference between the appearing of the Lord Jesus and the Rapture was not known until Mr. Darby's day. Mr. Bellette and those other brethren that were with them, it was revealed that there was a significant difference.
In a difference of time between the rapture and the appearing. And so that midnight cry went out and it's gone out now for almost 200 years. And then the last part of the story, verse 10, that while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. So that speaks of the rapture. And then as we know that perhaps you might say the fifth part of it is verse 11, the Lord Lord. It's always profession when it's Lord Lord. And so after the church, the true church is taken.
Why there is still going to be a professing church here, though Solemn.
To think they'll be gathered under the names of different church systems. And it's possible that those that have gone on in among brethren, there may be some that go on that have gone on professing Christianity, but not real and they're left behind and there is no second opportunity to receive Christ's Savior. So this is a part of the teaching of this passage, that there is no second chance.
So it's good to see this little outline. There was the Apostolic age. They went forth, and then the bridegroom tarried the second part of it during after the Apostolic age. And then into the dark ages, they fell asleep. They slept and slumbered. And then the Lord's intervention himself, where the midnight cry went out at the beginning of the 1800s, and then the rapture.
Just about to take place.
So, as we said yesterday, it is the truth of the coming of the Lord, firmly understood and enjoyed in our souls, that gives us stability in our Christian life, that gives us vision, and that gives us spiritual energy. We noticed yesterday in connection with the Thessalonians in the second epistle, that when Paul wrote about that Good Hope, then he spoke of them being established in every good word and work.
The being established in every good word and work was directly connected with the Lords coming. And our time ran out yesterday and I didn't have time when we went to first John chapter 3. But there we found that our hope is a purifying hope because again, I believe in the measure in which we have an appreciation and understanding in the right order from Scripture of the hope of the Lord's coming. It has a purifying effect, practical effect on our lives.
And I say to have it in the right order and to have things delineated properly because as we've been saying, and, and I think it's, we don't want to sound mundane, but there's so much confusion. And I know some of our brethren when they go to school and work, they're bombarded with the truth of the Lord's coming. But mixed up again, as you said, Robert earlier, the truth of the rapture mixed with the appearing and the appearing with the rapture and the Son of Man and the Lord coming for us and the thief in the night and all these things.
But you know, there are several good books and pamphlets that outline for us the difference between these things and the the problem in Thessalonians was they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven. But they didn't understand how it was all going to pan out. And some of their number died. Had they missed out on the Kingdom? And when how were how were they all going to be part of the Kingdom when the Lord came back? And so Paul writes and leaves nothing unexplained as to how this is all.
00:45:11
To pan out and there are there's a lot of good ministry that sets sets this out for us. Take time to read it, get this established. Go through your Bible, make some notes, make a little outline. Sometimes in the back of my Bible where there's some blank pages, I'll just jot down a few little scriptures that give me an outline on some of these things. These these things are helpful Study to show thyself approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly divided.
The word of truth.
How did it happen? How was it that the church fell asleep as to the truth that Christ was coming? How could such a thing happen? It's so profound. There was so much at the early church period. There was so much persecution, and there was. Why wouldn't you be looking for the Lord to come?
Well, if we look at Second Timothy chapter 2, I wonder if this is really perhaps a key to understanding what took place. Chapter 2 and verse two, Second Timothy, the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same.
Commit or entrust thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.
We live in a day of change. We live in a day when you don't, quite frankly, the church, the truth of the coming of the Lord and the distinction between the rapture and the appearing is in the process of being lost again and then the Christian profession. And the reason is that there are those that are changing the truth, changing what they want to accept. They try to perhaps introduce something of Judaism and the thoughts of the Lord's blessing.
And the prosperity gospel, all those sorts of things. And then what happens and there's a blurring of the distinction. We need to read Pauls ministry to be able to get the distinction between the appearing and the rapture. And so we need to read First Thessalonians and 2nd Thessalonians. Read it, I suggest, in the new translation, as I say, the King James translators.
Were steeped in the error of covenant theology and so they didn't understand the distinction and so it's not clearly demarcated as far as the King James in the 1St and 2nd Thessalonians. But read the new translation and as Jim has suggested, Mark where it speaks of the appearing.
Mark where it speaks of the rapture and be clear as to the distinction. And let's be sure that we continue in the same things that we were taught when we were younger and read that old ministry, the ministry that Brother Jim has been mentioning. There are those like Bruce Ansi that's read all those old books of ministry and brought it into a little synopsis. You might say he has a nice little booklet on the coming of the Lord Jesus.
And he goes over those things very nicely. And he goes, he has another little booklet on the similitudes of the Kingdom. He goes over those things very clearly. And so we can be sure of getting the same things that our older brethren taught when the midnight cry went out. Let's value those writings of those men and that were raised up of God. And when they wake up call was presented, a cry was made at midnight. Behold, the bridegroom, the very person of Christ was about to come for his own.
And another thing that really caused the church to sink to the level of the world and lose sight of their heavenly calling in the Lord's coming was when the world embraced the church. When the world persecuted the church, the light shone bright. But then Constantine came to the throne as the emperor of Rome, and he decided that these Christians aren't so bad after all. They're honest, they have integrity, they work hard. We'll just become Christian. He never relinquished.
His head of the Pagan church, but he set himself up as the head of the Christian Church. And what happened?
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It caused the Church of God to sink down to the level of the world. And even today, isn't it true in countries where there's out and out persecution, really, the light of Christianity shines far brighter in the Middle East. The light of Christianity is shining bright. We've been talking about our brethren in Egypt. You know when you're over there, you realize there's no neutrality in a country like that. You're either out and out for the Lord or you're not. You can't be 1/2 hearted Christian and float along in a country where Christianity is completely illegal and where there's where there's persecution and you have to be circumspect as to how you meet and.
And so on. As I say, the real believers are out and out for the Lord and they're happy and they give testimony and people are getting saved in unusual ways, remarkable ways. So that really did more detriment to the Church of God. When the world embraced the church, it really did more to cause it to sink into a morally lethargic, unconscious state of the person of Christ and his coming than out and out persecution.
But I want to just say this too, and Roberts alluded to it. But behold, the bridegroom, brethren, that's the key, isn't it? We can talk about all these doctrinal principles and we can talk, we talked at length about being gathered to the Lords name and all the principles about being gathered to the Lords name. We can talk about the doctrines of the Lord's coming. But if the person of Christ, if the bridegroom doesn't grasp your heart and mind, then it we can be as to doctrine, we can be cold as ice.
We can be clear as ice and just as cold. Doctrine is wonderful. We've stressed that. I don't want to take away from that, but it must be the truth as it is in Jesus. You know, it's interesting in John's Gospel, and I think Brother John alluded to it in the Gospel or one of his comments in the reading, there's two statements about being free. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. Absolutely true. But later on in that same chapter, it says if the sun shall make you free.
Ye shall be free indeed. Why is that more? Well, we can know the truth in an intellectual way, but if it's the truth as it is in Jesus, you can't know the Son and not have true liberty and freedom. And so it's the sun, it's the Bridegroom, it's the Lord Jesus Christ. And if He is our object and grasps our heart, how can we help but not be looking to be physically and unhinderedly in His company and want nothing less?
So I think this is very important. As a result of these meetings and all the principles we've taken up, are our hearts enlarged as to the person of Christ? If they are, then our feet are going to follow in the path of faith and service.
Share a little experience I had with one of the Lord's people that we love there in Saint Louis we've we've come into contact with them through work, relationships and and now there's even.
A. A marriage in connection with this relationship but.
We we do have to realize that as, as as we mingle amongst the Lord's people.
As we enjoy fellowship to some degree with others of the Lord's people.
That there are those that have been taught.
Truths that conflict with the simple truth that each one of us have enjoyed and raised in most of us. And these truths are precious to us, but there are those who have been mentored in the Word of God.
In ways that are contrary to what we have enjoyed here.
And I remember just recently we were sitting around a campfire and we were enjoying the Lord together.
And as the conversation turned to.
The Lord's return turned to I could tell that we were just about to get some truth that was going to be contrary to what we held and so I just with this dear brother that we were enjoying fellowship with, I just.
Explained to him that umm, you know we believe that God has a special.
Place a blessing for the nation of Israel and He is going to bring them into blessing.
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This was truth that.
And this dear brother just said, you know.
He said. I was. I've been raised all my life to believe something else. And so instead of that.
Breaking fellowship with another believer, we just, I just recognized that if these truths are going to come home to his soul, it's going to be by the Spirit of God. And there's a, there's a measure in which I can go on in fellowship with that brother.
Enjoying the Lord with Him and maintaining happy fellowship to the degree in which.
That which we have been.
Taught will allow us and.
We I I I specifically when when the the teaching which I thought was going to be hurtful to those who have been raised in the truth came up, I specifically sought to make a clear distinction in the way in which.
The truth was being presented, but at the same time I did not want to.
Hinder.
The fellowship of this dear brother from being able to enjoy what we do.
Share in common and I just want to encourage us that we do live in a condition when the church is in confusion and we we we won't be effective in bringing others into the truth if we cut off their ears. And if we have a spirit that would not be the spirit of Christ. And so I just I have not detected that.
One bit as these truths have been presented. I'm not saying this in any way to be critical with what has been brought out. I feel that the spirit has been the spirit of Christ. But when we do come in contact with those this brother, he just said he just simply said I wasn't raised with that and he's he's been very faithful and and seeking to be faithful in that which he has been brought up in and I I I respect that there's an energy.
To be faithful to the Lord. But there's also the ability for the Spirit of God to bring light to his soul when the Spirit of God has that opportunity. I want to be there when the work of God is taking place so that there might be the ability to help that soul come into more light.
And so I just bring these this, this out because we do live in a day of confusion, but that doesn't mean we can't go on as members of the body of Christ enjoying what we can enjoy together.
Proof being recovered, and you probably have read some of those writings, but those, dear brethren, they did suffer persecution for bringing out that truth and that distinction between the rapture and the appearing. We don't think of it very often, but we don't suffer reproach that way. We may in a sense, as the day gets darker and and the Christian testimony.
Falls into the error of covenantal theology at once again.
Darkness descends, so to speak, but at the time of the recovery of the truth.
Our dear brethren, that learn the truth of the rapture that was just about to take place in the person of the Christ that was about to take His bride to be with Himself. And they spoke of it and they wrote of it. They suffered persecution from those that were in the establishment, so to speak. But as you say, we the servant of the Lord must not strive. They presented the truth as they saw it from the Scriptures and these delineations as we brought out in Matthew 24, the difference between the appearing.
And the difference between the rapture, they brought those things out and they did suffer persecution. But I might just point out this little expression in Hebrews chapter 13. It says verse 13. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing His reproach. And so in connection with Hebrews, they were going to have to leave Judaism and all of their associations in Judaism.
And they were going to have to go forth in the energy of the Spirit, in obedience to the Word of God.
01:00:01
And they were going to have to go forth unto him, to go to that large upper room, to be there and to enjoy the truth that would be given to the church. But here we have that expression here in this verse. And it's really the going forth in the energy of faith and in response of heart affection for Christ, knowing that I need to separate from those associations and those things that might hinder me and go forth.
In activity and faith to meet the Lord, to be in a state that would be. He would delight to see me in at the time of His coming. Isn't it wonderful? The Lord Jesus is going to come for us very shortly? Wouldn't it be nice to be in a state of soul, a state of communion with Him, that we would go from the presence of the Lord in this world and to the presence of the Lord physically?
They trimmed their lamps, they arose and they all trimmed their lamps.
Now Fay and I, in the winter we like to get out these old fashioned coal oil lamps and use it on the kitchen table when we're having our evening meal. It gives a little ambience to the place and a little cheer on a drab winter night. But when you take that Wick before you light it, you've got to trim it. You've got to trim off that which hinders the light from shining. And that's what happened dispensationally, isn't it? A lot of things had come in to hinder the light from shining.
The true light of Christianity and as to the Lord's coming. And so those brethren were raised up of God. It began, I believe, with the Reformers. But God doesn't flip flop things. There's always transitional period when truth is given freshly like it was in the Acts, or when truth is recovered like it has been in the 1800s. And even in the Old Testament, those times of recovery, there was always a transitional period. God doesn't flip flop things. And so they trimmed their lamps, that is.
They got rid of those things that were, had come in and they weren't really truths. They were false statements as to the Word of God, as to Christianity and the Word of God and so on. And the truth began to come out so that the light began to flicker again. And then it flamed up into something beautiful, as you say, under Mr. Darby, Mr. Cronin, and those those early, early brethren. Now I want to make a little practical application. Let's bring this home to us.
What are there things in our lives that are hindering the light from shining and hindering our joy in the truth of the coming of the Lord? Do others look at us as those who are strangers and pilgrims and on their way our way to something far better? If that's true in my life, then I need to get out that little scissors and I need to trim my lamp. I need to get rid of those little things so that the light will shine brighter.
The other thing too, of course, is there has to be oil in the lamp. And you notice they all trimmed their lamps. And if you notice again, Mr. Darbys translation, when the five foolish came to the wise, they said our lamps are going out. Because if you light a lamp, a coal oil lamp, and it doesn't have oil, it will flicker for a few moments, it will flame up for a few moments and then it'll go out. And so there was this flicker of profession because it's like when they came out of Egypt.
There was a mixed multitude came out. There were those who made a profession and they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. But God brought to bear circumstances in the wilderness that showed that they weren't real. And so in the early days there were those who, I don't want to reduce this to some worldly expression, but there were those who joined the bandwagon. There were those who got on board because they saw the power. They were like Simon in the book of the Acts. He saw the power of the apostles and he wanted to join in and be part of it.
But he wasn't real. And so they all trimmed their lamps. Their lamps all flickered for all lit. But the five that had no oil, no reality, their lamps only lit for a little time. And they said our lamps are going out. And what did they do? They came to those who had oil, but they came with the wrong motive. They said, give U.S. oil that our lamps won't go out. Won't go out. Now, again, I'm going to make a very practical application.
You know, being brought up in the profession of Christianity, being brought up in a Christian home, we can't count on others to have the Spirit of God or to be saved. We have to make it real ourselves. And so they said you go to buy, you have to, you have to make it your own, you have to get it yourself. And children and young people brought up in Christian homes, the day comes when they have to make it real. Timothy had a God fearing mother, he had a godly grandmother. But Paul, as Paul said it was through faith, which is in Christ Jesus that had brought him.
01:05:17
To the good and the knowledge of salvation and the knowledge of the truth. So we need to trim our lamps.
The oil is that it has to be there, but it's something that we have to make good ourselves personally. Another cannot do it for us.
Time's almost gone, and the bridegroom came. You know, brethren, we're sitting here in these meetings talking about the bridegroom coming. Someday we're going to say, and the bridegroom came. And as I said yesterday in one of the meetings, we're closer to the Lord's coming than we've ever been before. And won't it be a wonderful thing to look back and say the bridegroom came? It's a reality. It's not just a theory. It's not just a doctrine. Brother, we need to get this down into our souls as a reality because that's what's going to have the moral, practical purifying effect on our walk.
Ye rather to them that sell. So there needs to be a personal transaction with the Father and with the Son. We need to be brought into relationship with them. And as you mentioned earlier, the oil is a picture of the Spirit of God inside the lamp. It's a testimony and in the upper room there were many lights there.
There needs to be that oil, the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God, that there might be a true testimony and the Old Testament Saints. David had the oil anointed to his head, a picture of the Spirit of God coming upon him.
And the Spirit of God was upon David all of his life, apparently right to the day that he died. But he was never indwelled with the Spirit of God. You and I don't have the oil anointed onto our heads, but we have the Spirit of God inside of us. So there's a little bit of difference between the Old Testament and the New, but in.
The final the Lord Jesus told this story and the very final thing that he said.
Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
So we need to be in anticipation, we need to be practically watching and waiting for him.
Door was shut the universe town and remind you of the ark that the Lord shut them in and when it's his work he he knows when he's going to shut the door. And so when they come they say Lord Lord open to us. That expression is used five times in the New Testament. It's used three times in the book of Luke. I'm in Matthew in this this gospel and twice in the book of Luke and every time it's profession Lord Lord, so you can look at that up.
Sing 23 in the appendix.
Those precious.
Savior went Wilt thou return?
Ours with both fulfill your to thee, our master term.
01:10:20
He all enters all good to see me who was small because.
That makes it great.
To lose great dust who can be sad? No, I love.
Forever.
Our smallest and.
Lord and Lord are trouble.
We're all joy and they will end.
Oh, that's so gorgeous.
Now we wait. Lovely.
The power that breathe the sun for heaven we see you.
We shall be happy.
Cheers and flower more.
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