Pella Other Meetings: 2005

Table of Contents

1. Laodicia Mephibosheth Pt. 1
2. Laodicia Mephibosheth Pt. 2
3. Gospel

Laodicia Mephibosheth Pt. 1

Address—R. Klassen
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.
Well, it's a special joy for my wife and I to be here once again with our brethren.
And all we can say is the Lord is good stronghold in the day of trouble.
And I was thinking about hymn #5 this evening in the appendix.
Perhaps you have all experienced having perhaps an old brother in the assembly and you associated him with him.
And we had a brother by the name of William Bland in Walla Walla and he was saved later on in life.
And he was a shepherd by occupation.
And.
He married a wife that was a very unique woman and she didn't have much light but.
She felt that there was something wrong with putting your name on a church roll.
And so even though they went different places and.
When the subject of signing the church role, she said I can't do that because I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, as the Lord would have it.
Someone is seeking for the truth that he brings around those circumstances where they were brought to the assembly in Walla Walla and the day came when they wanted to be received at the Lord's Table. And so a couple of brothers went to visit them and.
And they kind of ask him questions in connection with their lives and whatnot. And, and finally they got down toward the end of the conversation and, and they asked Mrs. Glenn, do you have anything you'd like to say? And she said to him, well, do you, do I have to sign a church role? And they said, no, not here. And she says, I'm at peace.
Well, he used to give out this hymn.
As an old brother.
And.
He impressed that third stanza.
On my heart, oath of grace, how great a better daily I'm constrained to be.
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee. I often used to look at them and think, you know, these seem so steady and steadfast. And yet this was him that he loved to give out. And I think that he had a wandering heart even when he gave the hymn out. I have one as I give it out tonight.
But I rejoice in being able to sing it as a prayer and and as a deep desire of heart so we can sing it that way tonight, all of us.
Let's open our precious Bibles to the third chapter of Revelation.
Revelation chapter 3.
We'll begin reading at verse 10.
Verse 11 Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God?
And he shall go no more out.
And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God.
Which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven.
From my God, and I will write upon Him my new name.
Again in verse 20.
Behold.
I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will Sup with him and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and I'm sat down with my father in his throne.
We notice.
These are words that are spoken to two assemblies. One is Philadelphia and the other is Laodicea.
And one has been impressed with the word, Behold as we have it in the Word of God.
00:10:06
You know, it's it's not a word that we use in our everyday conversation.
We hardly ever use the word behold because we have an expression come and see something of a really impression.
But just to say, behold, we don't use that on account of adding other words.
And so I've enjoyed the fact that there are some words that have been in reserve.
And used only in connection with divine things or in connection with the Lord Jesus.
And this word behold comes many times throughout the word of God and it has the has the thought of behold as something that's not quick, but it's something that's joy thinking of children. Sometimes they'll maybe a little girl will bring her doll to me and she holds that doll up for me to look at and.
I'm looking at it and she continues to hold it.
In other words, study this situation. She's had a lot of hours with that doll that she's looked at doll all over and and had a lot of thoughts about it. So she looks at me and she knows that I can't take all this in just at a glance or so she holds it there and I just enjoy thinking how God and his patience with us, He as a word holds.
A situation for us to look at, to feel.
To meditate upon and to get the good out of it.
And so here we have his words. Behold, I come quickly.
There isn't a heart here in this room that that doesn't mean something to and to think of the Lord saying behold.
And it's a situation that we don't take a glance. It's really a state of soul.
That were called to of justice, being conscious that perhaps the Lord may come today, but here it's in connection with what he has given to the assembly.
Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast.
Why does he say that? Hold it fast. You would think he'd say, well, you've got the truth, now share it with everybody and get it out. No, he says. You hold that truth.
And every bit of truth.
That we receive from the Spirit of God.
And we hold it, and we hold it in our affections. We hold it dear.
And.
We're going to hold it forever.
It isn't like going to school and learning what you can get out of the education system and then work with it and then.
One day it will all be over with. It won't be needed, but it's not that way in connection with the things of God.
And so he says, hold it fast.
And don't let anybody take your crown.
Now I understand that that has a Nazarite touch to it.
We will go back to the 6th chapter of Numbers. There we would find.
The Nazarite and the subject connected with anyone that desires to be a Nazarite and a Nazarite. The word means a crowned 1.
Now you know in this world in this way you're not crowned and till you've proved yourself and you've reached the goal or whatever it is, and it's OK to get a crown. But here's God, He doesn't take on man's ways.
Nobody says here's a heart that by my spirit I put a desire.
In their hearts to follow after me.
And seek to please me and to honor me in the very world where I have been so sorely dishonored.
By man his preacher.
So we're a crowned one as an azurite, and when we think of a crown put on our head, we would think, well, it got to be kind of careful where that thing could slip off.
00:15:01
But you know, you have Samson as an example of a Nazarite who a razor was not to touch his hair. And so he grew up, went on, and the enemy wanted to know where his strength was. He couldn't figure it out. If Samson was sitting here tonight, he wouldn't look any different than the rest of us. He wouldn't have big arms and big torso or anything like that. He just sit here. But here he has this tremendous strength.
And so Delilah is hired.
Find out where in his strength lay.
And she found it out because he told her He had to tell her, otherwise she would not have known.
And so she he falls asleep on her lap, cuts the seven locks of his hair off of his head.
You know, if you I would imagine having never had a razor on your head, you would be extremely sensitive to somebody.
Sharing your head, but he was totally.
Lost.
Not realizing the trap that he had fallen into.
Got to the point where he didn't worry. He had everything in control and he had a woman. Took his crown.
And so.
The world is still doesn't know what our strength is and they would like to find out and they'd like to take our crown away from us. So to lose our crown is not an easy thing, but it can be done.
Well.
In Philadelphia.
The very name of Philadelphia means brotherly love.
Brotherly love, and to think of what a delight that assembly was to Christ as he walked among the seven golden candlesticks.
He never rebuked anybody in Philadelphia. They didn't draw rebukes. The others did. Maybe Sardis didn't either.
Or Smyrna.
And so it's nice to have a Philadelphian spirit and they have that fervent love, one for another, and seek to be a help to one another.
And then we see the overcomers blessing.
And.
I counted the words of this blessing and it took 63 words to describe the overcomer in Philadelphia.
And I look over at Laodicea now and I just see a few words given there to the overcomer and Laodicea.
And.
Well, we'll get to that, but I just want to touch in on the difference between Philadelphia and Laodicea.
But now we come to Laodicea, and Laodicea means.
Sad to say that people rule.
The people rule, they have a voice, they decide things. And that's nothing less than the democratic system, of which we know full well what it is. We live in a democratic nation and the people have a voice.
They don't like the authority that God has set up start moving to overthrow it.
And to think of that spirit of things coming in to the assembly is a very painful thing to think about.
But it gets an inroad into the Assembly because we have Democratic cards.
And so we understand this system of things.
But that's not God's system.
It's not democracy, but it's theocracy that we are very interested in. Theocracy means that God is one, the supreme authority. And what does God have to say about any matters, as little as it may be?
And so we speak of truth, and it's been said about truth, and it's God's thoughts on any given matter, and that's the thoughts that we want to reign in our hearts.
00:20:10
But here in this system of things.
The spirit behind it is that I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.
What can the Lord do with something like that? How can He reach us?
Some of you may have noticed in the new translation the end of verse 17.
He said.
Thou art the wretched and the miserable.
And that's the result of that system that we've grown up in.
It doesn't solve man's problems, it doesn't satisfy his heart. The more the human heart expresses itself, the more errant, the more error comes down. And I feel sorry for politicians who who step into this circle of things and to try to rally the people to oneness. Why? It's an impossible job because we all have our own ideas and our ways and.
We're willing to express enough challenge.
Well, you might say right in the middle.
Right in the heart of this situation we have those words, that word behold again, behold. In other words, our I survey the whole situation, and we reason and.
And are lost in thought. And all of a sudden we hear a word. Behold.
In the lips of the Lord Jesus.
What has he got to say in this condition of things? He has something very special.
In fact, of all the churches, there's nothing so special to my heart is this Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
Now here we find the Lord is outside of this system of things. He's not welcomed in there. He can come in if he's going to give his approbation everything that's going on in there, he can't do that.
So he's on the outside and he's knocking.
On our hearts door.
Individually, I think of this dear sister Bland.
Having so little truth, but there was one thing that was so impressed upon her, and that is that the Lord Jesus Christ is everything, and to have anything come in to take away that holy, wonderful, precious thought. She had many sorrows in her life, and those sorrows made a sweet woman out of her. And there was one thing you weren't in her presence very long.
And you knew who her chief joy was.
And so he says, if any man hear my voice.
And open the door. Open the door.
What kind of a heart do we have tonight?
Let's challenge ourselves just a little bit. Is he welcome?
To come into these hearts of ours.
And we're willing to allow him to have every recess.
Every hidden corner of our hearts.
I can tell you if the answer is yes.
That you're happy.
He can't reign in our hearts and us be miserable. The combination don't work together. But it seems so beautiful when he says I will come into you and Sup with you and you with me.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Willing to suck together.
This is wonderful.
You know, it was my dear wife and I traveled among the Lord's people.
Just find that this is something you look to be able to do with whoever has time just to go out to eat together and have fellowship. There's a bonding power there. There's a spirit of understanding that comes and we're edified by it.
00:25:13
And so here, you might say, in this very pathetic situation of Laodicea is the marvelous provision of the Lord Himself.
Now that this democratic system.
You know when the Lord comes.
The Church of Laodicea.
In its apostasy is going to keep right on going like nothing ever happened.
The Lord raptures his own out of this world, and they function on it.
Oh, we say, how hard can the heart be?
How determined?
You know, we can get so determined in our, maybe even in our desire to serve the Lord.
Now we're going to take measures to.
Get our names spread abroad by various and sundry means, and we want the Lord to endorse it, and He won't endorse it, and we'll go on without Him if we have to.
Good, so these are sad days to live in.
But just to find a heart that wants to sit down.
And Sup with him and have that sweet communion together.
There's nothing like it in all the earth.
And so the the.
Word to the overcomer is to him that overcometh. Will I grant to sit with me in my throat?
I don't know how it affects you as you read that, but it seems like there's something missing. Because we visualize sitting on his throne with him, we can claim it as an honor.
Something that.
Would be a great thing in our minds to sit with him on his throne.
But I believe that there's something here.
That the blessedness of it and the wonder of it cannot be explained to our hearts.
Because we can't take it in.
What that means?
To sit with him, to be so intimately identified.
With him.
Perhaps it was about a year ago.
That somebody asked me a question that I thank God they asked me.
They said, Do you think that you could find the Assembly of Philadelphia?
And Laodicea in the life of Mephibosheth.
Well, I'll tell you, that just rocked me right back on my heel. I thought, how could anything?
Be connected that way.
You know.
Very helpful statement was made.
And I heard it when I was a young man. And the statement goes like this.
That most of the Old Testament.
Our prophetic scriptures.
I had no clue what that meant.
Most of the Old Testament.
Are given to prophetic scriptures.
And you know, it's like one day the light dawned on me as to what that meant.
To find those examples in the Old Testament that were written for us to read.
That were given in view of the future somewhere.
In the workings of God with men.
With the assembly with Israel in a future day and they go back.
To the beautiful picture book of the Old Testament. And we have Paul saying to the Romans that these things were written for our learning. That we, through comfort, patience and comfort in the Scriptures, might have hope.
00:30:09
Well now let me tell you, this puts a beautiful light on the Old Testament as we take the New Testament light and shine it back on some of these.
Old Testament worthies or circumstances the Old Testament.
And you think, did God go to all these things to give us an amphibious and give us details about him and that it was going to be meat to us in the heart of way to seeing days?
The answer is yes.
And so, with his help, we're going to turn back.
To Second Samuel chapter 5, I believe it is chapter 4 maybe?
Chapter 4.
I.
Reading verse 4.
And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son.
That was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. You know it's good when we read the Old Testament in this life.
As you say, why does God give these details? Because there's not an idle word in the Old Testament.
Here we have a boy that's five years old.
Now, I believe that most mothers here know.
That from the time a little child is born until they're five years old is the greatest development of their life. To go from helplessness to be able to begin.
Begin movement and to see them begin to work at crawling.
And to see them come to the point where they're trying to stand up on their feet and keep their balance.
These are marvelous things, aren't they?
And to think the day comes when they use those legs to run.
And to jump. And if mother isn't looking, they'll try climbing a tree.
With those good legs.
Like to apply that to Philadelphia?
The recovery of the truth in the 1800s was a marvelous work of God. The church had bottomed out, if I could put it that way, in its testimony to the world. And there was a a time of recovery, what we call the Reformation. But the Reformation broke down.
And so God comes in with the awakening of the 1800s, and the call goes out. Behold.
The Bridegroom.
Behold the Bridegroom, that personal acquaintance with the living, glorified man in heaven.
And there was that door that was opened up.
Open. And they went in, and they wet the floor with tears as they saw the ruin of the church. And what was God going to do about it? It was not open to any man's good ideas.
They sought the mind of God. You read of those days when there were those godly men that, like a child, they began to.
Take in the truth.
And the understanding of it.
And those days were so happy that they had the breaking of bread every day to bring them back.
To Calgary Cross.
To judge their hearts and any pride that may be sneaking in to come forth to ruin things.
00:35:04
Well, they recovered all the truth.
That was given to the church, however.
Dear ones, we have it tonight and we're called to hold it fast. In other words, we're not open to winds of doctrine. We're not open to those men that are going out and doing great exploits and service. We can pray for them, trusting the Lord in His sovereignty that He can use whatsoever He will.
We bring salvation to precious souls.
At all just to.
Tender in the rich legacy that we have as those gathered to the Lord's precious name.
And so.
This mephibosheth.
One day.
Can you imagine the news this little fella had to hear these words?
Grandfather is dead on the battlefield.
His father was dead and his two uncles, Laura, the royal line, the responsible ones, they're dead.
And they no doubt had a feeling and a realization that there was a man that God had prepared.
Where the throne of Israel by the name of David.
And so they're stricken with fear. They've got to get out of there. If I'm not mistaken, they cross the Jordan where the 2 1/2 tribes were that didn't enter the land there. He was in a place called No Pasture. And that's the very reason they stayed over there was because there were a lot of pasture for the cattle.
And David was his enemy.
However, he didn't enter into this.
But he's lame on both of his feet. Now what does that mean? What would the Spirit of God impress us with by that?
And that is to realize.
That we walk and felt weakness.
Somebody said our greatest weakness, the greatest weakness that we have is not knowing how weak we really are, and it takes a lifetime to learn that.
But is there anything the matter with that?
The spirit of dependence.
Upon someone to help us.
In our Christian pathway.
And so think of standing with Mephibosheth that the Lord calls us tonight and we're there and Yonder. Glory to be able to say Mephibosheth. You'll never know what your life meant to us as we feebly made our way in the pathway of faith.
Let's turn to Chapter 9.
Chapter 9 just has 13 verses.
Perhaps some of you have noticed.
At David's table, is mentioned four times.
Four times.
Sometimes it takes a lot to get our attention. It takes a lot to impress us. And we read a chapter like this, with a new light, with the light of the New Testament shining on it, and we begin to see.
Not in this condition of things. And lay the seed.
What we really have and what really counts.
We'll just read a little of this verse one and David said, is there yet any that is left of the House of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
And there was of the House of Saul's servant, whose name was Ida. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto Zeida, Art thou Zaida? And he said, Thy servant is he? And the king said, Is there?
00:40:04
Not yet any of the House of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him.
And Zaida said unto the king, Jonathan has yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
Now as a figure.
I would like to just point out the fact that Zyba is a picture of Laodicea.
He's he wants.
The position that Mephibosheth is going to have.
And he knows he can't come up and block David's way. He knows he can't do that, but he's willing to tell him about it. But he makes the point. He's laying on both of his feet. He won't really be an asset to your Kingdom.
I'm sound and I raise good crops.
And I'm diligent and I'm this and I'm that.
You know, that's poor language, is it not?
Hold to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be.
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter, find my laundry heart today. And that's the heart that He seeks.
Well, forsake of time, David summons Mephibosheth.
I'm aphibious, must have had tremendous mixed feelings. What is this man calling me into his presence for?
Well, we find it.
In verse 5 Then King David sent and fetched him out of the House of Maker, the son of Amio from Motobar. Now when the fibbies at the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul was come unto David, he fell on his face and did reverence. And David said, No, fibbish it. And he answered, Behold thy servant. And David said unto him, Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake.
And will restore the all the land of soul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
Can you imagine the heart of Mephibosheth to hear these words from the man that he thought was his enemy?
And.
It's just like the heart of God represents. David is so full and has so much for us to enjoy.
That we just are overwhelmed and we say who me to have this blessing?
And the first thing that he says to Mephibosheth is the promise is I'm going to restore to you all the land that belonged to your father, to your family. Why did he do that? Why did he bring that up?
Why? He knew my ship was just stripped of everything. He was a pauper and he wanted to clothe him with dignity and with promise.
And to ground him.
In the heart of the man that he is going to sit down and sublet day after day after day after day.
You'll notice 2 words that are used about eating bread at his table and first aid. And he bowed himself and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
Oh, there's there's the meeting point of blessing coming to the end of ourselves. No merit.
Nothing to commend ourselves to God. There we meet, and there we meet with Him.
And so we'll go on to verse 10.
Thou therefore, and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land, thou shall bring in the fruits, that thy masters son may have fruit to eat. The mephibosheth thy masters son shall eat bread always at my table.
00:45:01
Here are these two beautiful words, continually and always.
Is that the issue?
When he says open the door and I will come in and Sup with you and you with me, that's the issue.
All to be established in our hearts.
As to what He values above everything else is that place where we can open up our affections to Him and praise and worship.
And that's not enough yet in the middle of verse 11, As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table as one of the King's sons.
What is this, David? Add a number of sons.
And see this crippled man take his place at the table as one of David's sons.
What is this?
You know, while we're thinking about that.
I believe we all agree.
That perhaps David was closer to Mephibosheth than he was to many of his sons. I won't say all, but closer to Mephibosheth.
So.
Mephibosheth is not taking its place at the King's table.
As just a non entity, as just somebody that is just going to.
To be kind to him and look after his needs.
No, that's it won't be that way. And we don't come to remember the Lord on Lord's Day morning as just something that He's asked us to do, and so we do it. It was his dying request, so we do it.
The dear brother that drives three hours.
From the South and comes to Walla Walla.
Gathered when he was after sick after 60 years of age.
And he lived in a town where everybody knows everybody else in their business and, and there's quite a few churches in this town. And so they found out that he was going to Walla Walla 3 hours, having to spend the weekend with some Christians there.
And so they kind of got their heads together and they said, you know, we ought to, we ought to invite him out the restaurant, which they did. And we're going to find out what's behind this.
And so whether he knew this was coming or not, I don't know. But anyway, he told me the story afterward, he said, sat down there and I could see their faces were pretty fixed. And finally they began to ask me, how come, when you could be such a help down here and you could go to any of these churches and you would be welcome that you go clear up the Walla Walla. What have they got up there that you don't that we don't have here?
There it is. What's he going to say?
And this is what he said. And I've never heard this in my life.
He said Men, I would like for you to come with me.
To sit down with a company of people.
That remember the Lord in his death, as though he was just crucified during the week.
Have you ever heard that before?
That's the impact that it had upon his soul to be gathered. And he was raised in a Quaker church and went church hopping and trying to find something that would satisfy his heart. And when he came, that's the impact that came to his heart.
We don't take any credit for that, but he recognized that the Lord was in the midst.
And that this wasn't just some people coming together to keep some tradition from dying.
Oh, may it rain in our hearts more and more what this is all about to come together.
00:50:01
Lord's Day, mourning to sit at his table, continually and always.
As one of the King's sons.
We're daughters, not that I address the Lord as king, but that is that one who is universal and who is worthy, supreme in power and glory. And then he goes on in verse 13.
So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he did eat continually.
At the King's table. And here it is again. And was lame on both his feet.
Sometimes we mourn.
Make a mournful sound. Insane or so weak.
As we travel around, one brother said to me recently, he said, you know, it was a brother here in this assembly that if I were to say his name, many of you would know who I was talking about.
The Lord took him home.
And before he took him home, he said to this brother.
My desire is that there would be a testimony here in this place.
Until the Lord comes.
And if the Lord doesn't come, there will not be a testimony there much longer.
You know, that's we feel that and that's felt weakness and it's all right. And if we feel our weakness, it's his delight to come in and strengthen our hearts and help us on and to be a part of that testimony when the Lord comes.
And so here we have it four times.
To I will suffer with you, and you with me.
Now I understand that the Lord leaves us here. There will be another meeting Lord's Day afternoon.
Now I'd like to continue on with this subject and I'm just going to say in the interval.
Read Apart.
Of characters 16 in your home reading your personal reading.
Second Samuel 16 Read verse verses from 1:00 to 4:00 in this chapter.
And meditate on it and then turn over to the 19th chapter.
And read from verse 24 down to verse 30.
Just to be acquainted with that and pray that the Lord would give us something.
Special for our hearts as we press on in these last moments of the churches history.
And then we'll return back.
Just for a little bit again to let us see up in Revelation.
Well.
I was just thinking about Mephibosheth if he was here tonight.
He could sing out of this hymn book.
What he would think if we will turn to him #21.
Hymn #21 I was thinking particularly of verse Truth 2.
Once as prodigals we wandered in our folly, far from Thee, but Thy grace or sin abounding rescued us from misery. Clothed in garments of salvation. At Thy table is our place. We rejoice and now rejoices in the riches of Thy grace. Perhaps he would sing louder than the rest of us tonight and what he experienced in his day. Let's just sing that one stands in closing.
#2.
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Laodicia Mephibosheth Pt. 2

Address—R. Klassen
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.
In our meeting this afternoon by singing #44 in the appendix.
God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.
God is his own interpreter and he will make it plain #44 in the appendix.
00:05:19
Let U.S. Open our precious Bibles to Second Samuel, Chapter 9.
I know that there are those that were not here Friday evening.
So just kind of give the part of the matter before we go on.
Chapter 16.
But we're well acquainted with the last two churches, which are Philadelphia and Laodicea. Much has been said about it.
And it's been a real help to see it historically.
And the thrust of of the message is to see the moral aspect of the Church of Philadelphia. And Laodicea is seen in the life of Mephibosheth.
And you wouldn't think that in that life you could trace this out. But as it was mentioned Friday night, the Old Testament is like a mighty prophetic picture book. And that most of it is prophetic. And prophetic means that it's in view of the future that is going to turn to be a help and light from God to direct our feet through this world of confusion.
And so we know that from reading the word that Mephibosheth was lame on both of his feet.
Means the spirit of preservation today is to walk in felt weakness rather than in with an air of confidence, and we know just exactly what to do. The Lord sparis from that attitude.
So we noticed in the 4th chapter where Mephibosheth was introduced, connecting it with the spirit of Philadelphia. Here we have a birth of a child and he grows up to be five years old. And mothers know that that's the greatest development of that child that they will see in his lifetime. Connecting it with Philadelphia and the recovery of the truth that God had given in the early days of the church.
And now there were those brethren that prayed and travailed and acknowledged.
The church had totally failed outwardly and so the Lord in His grace allowed them to recover all the truth to be enjoyed in our hearts. Only God can do this.
And so the reason that I connect it with that first part of Mephibosheth life was that that church was the shortest span of tying of the seven churches. And that span of time lasted about 20 years before the ill winds of Laodicea began to blow. And so in 19 in 1848 was the First Division among brethren.
Very painful, very painful. And the pressure of the enemy was so great that you wondered if the testimony would survive.
And it wouldn't have except that God was behind it.
And so is the ill Winds began to blow. They've blown ever since.
And with the Lord's help to understand why God works this way.
And we'll see that in the life of Mephibosheth.
But here in the 9th chapter we noticed that.
David's table is referred to four times to give us some impression and some thought as to what the first value of the man that died on the cross is and ever will be. And it's the thought, the wonderful provision that you have in the dark and a prostate days of Laodicea.
The Lord says I'm knocking on the heart because I want to Sup with you and you with me.
Sometimes we stumble over the simplicity of how the Lord expresses His heart.
00:10:03
And we wouldn't think that would be so important that four times in this chapter, not by chance, we have Mephibosheth at David's table on the basis of continually and always.
And we hear the words of the blessed Lord as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you to show the Lords death till he come.
Well, it gets our attention, doesn't it?
So we think of Davidde Dining Hall.
And we look at that large table and all the folks that are sitting around this table.
Perhaps were there as Gentiles and there's somebody that knows what's going on here and he starts in. He says, well this is where David sits.
This is his table.
And beside him or his wife.
And his counselors and his mighty men.
And the visitors from other countries.
And the Fibbysha.
Well, we've been able to follow along why these would have the honor. David's sons that forgot them.
But what is this man here for?
What does he contribute to this Kingdom?
The guide says, well I don't know too much about it, but David for some reason or other took pity on him and and invited him to his table.
Not knowing.
What was in the heart of David, really, and what was found in the heart of the finisher?
Well, we don't know how long this went on.
David was there. Here's the table setting. Here's Mephibosheth, and it's a happy scene and everyone's well taken care of.
Now.
An ill wind is going to blow.
And Zaida is behind this in this way that he wanted to have Mephibosheth place.
He was a servant, but he wanted a son's place. But he didn't want it on the basis of sovereign grace like our proud hearts don't want it either.
And so he's, he's trying to get me finished out of the way.
For for chance, he could have that place.
And so they find.
That when the early brethren bought the truth with tears, that we were not there.
As Mephibosheth was not with David when he was in The Cave of Abdullah with four to 600 men, suffering rejection and waiting until God raised up his King, which was a man after his own heart. Oh, David answers so beautifully, does he not, to the Lord Jesus Christ?
And so Mephibosheth did not suffer the hardships of The Cave of Adolem, but those that did were trusted men.
And when David came into his glory, those men had a place in his Kingdom.
And David didn't have to worry about him.
And when he sets up his cabinet in the 101St Psalm.
These are my own words he could say to all the men there, he said. If any of your liars leave.
You don't belong in my cabinet.
Wires. Pretty easy to lie, isn't it?
Sadly, because we have hearts that are fallen. And I remember our dear brother Jevin and saying at a conference, he said, did you think, did you think I had to sit on my mother's lap and have her teach me how to lie? Well, we all kind of smiled at that because he was making quite a point. We don't need to be taught that.
So if we turn over.
Then to the fifty 16th chapter of this same book.
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It was a very painful experience.
An experience of such humility to David.
To have one of those sons that were sitting at his table rise up against him and push him, push him off of the throne.
Now Pebbishus was there.
As one of the King's sons, a most favored position.
And we mentioned it Friday evening that perhaps we know for sure that David was closer to Mephibosheth than some of his own sons.
And so the day comes when David has to leave Jerusalem.
Barefooted with his head covered and go for safety across the Jordan.
Now we'll read in chapter 16.
And when David was a little past the top of the hill, the old side of the servant and the fish of met him with a couple of ***** saddled, and upon them 200 loaves of bread, and 100 bunches of Raven raisins, and some are 100 of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. And the king said unto Zebra, What meanest thou by these? As IVA said, the ***** be for the King's household to write on.
And the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat.
And the wine that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink. And the king said, Where is thy master's son?
And Zaida said unto the king, Behold, he abideth that Jerusalem, For he said, Today shall the House of Israel restore me the Kingdom of my father.
Then said the king Desiba.
Behold.
Thine are all that pertained untimphish of and Zeita said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, O Lord, my Lord, O King.
You know, just casually reading.
We might say, well, you know, this was really nice of Zaiba. He really put forth an effort to identify with David in his rejection.
But you want to ask another question, why did he do it in this wise?
Why did he bring what he brought?
Is there something connected with the past?
The answer is yes there is.
Remember Abigail coming to David in an extreme situation when he was going to kill Nabal and Yarida is going to kill Abigail and all the males of that operation.
And she stepped in in the cupboard of the hill and presented.
A wonderful gift that's kind of like this one.
And how she humbled herself before David and stalked him from doing that dastardly act that would have haunted his conscience the rest of his life. You'd never kill anybody for not feeding you.
And that was the issue.
Well.
Allow me to in this extrapolation, if you will.
That that would be a story, an account that you might hear at David's table as time went on about this wife called Abigail and what she did.
Is step into the breach of an awful situation and caused David to say to her, blessed be thy discernment. What is discernment? It's to be able to see through a sandstorm.
What the issue is?
Satan can cast a lot of dust and sand up in the air and we wonder, well, what's happening and where are we going? Discernment comes in and the only way we can understand is to seek the mind of our blessed Savior who paid such a great price for us. Don't go to any other source if you want to be happily established. It's in His presence. Maybe in tears. It will be in tears and in travail.
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And exercise. And what does his word have to say to me Sometimes I've heard the sweetest.
Expressions come out of this kind of a thing where someone has said he gave me one verse. It was like a money anchor to my soul.
And so it is.
A mighty anchor.
But we notice in this gift that Mephibosheth brought or Sabra brought, that it was like the gift that Abigail had brought. She brought 200 loaves of bread. She brought 100 bunches of raisins.
She brought summer fruits. She brought 2 bottles of wine instead of 1.
And then the heart of the meal is missing. And what is that?
5 sheep ready dressed.
To be roasted on the campfire, to be food for David's men out there in the wilderness and parched corn, all that speaks to us of the sufferings of Christ.
You know, Laodicea not interested in the sufferings of Christ. Why? Well, they're so rich and increased with goods that that's kind of a an oversight. It's not necessary. What about the five sheep? The death of Christ in all its fullness.
What a death he died. Nobody has ever died a death like the Lord Jesus Christ. The animal sacrifices. It was just the sword put to the heart and the animals dead and it was over with. With the Lord. It was a process of dying and giving up his life. You know, he had a life.
That was not subject to death.
Was not subject to death. Think of it.
But it was capable of it.
And so he could speak of that life in the Psalms as my darling, he is going to have to give it up.
What a process. He laid down his life for us that we might live forever and be possessors of eternal life.
And so I just simply submit this.
That is, Sava may have heard this story thought you know, I can. I can probably make some points with David if I do this.
Now we come to a very serious moment in our considerations.
And that is that David represents the administration.
Every assembly gathered to the Lord's precious name as an administration. They're called the stars of the assembly.
They are responsible for the care of the assembly and for judgments made and everything to be done in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now what decider do?
He brought this gift to blind the eyes of David.
And it will.
For all, for those that are in responsibility, I know what you feel.
And there are kindnesses that are extended that.
Oh, you feel like there's something behind the kindness, that there's some expectation to maybe do things in a certain favor.
And we find that David believed a lie.
You know it's a simple question and it deserves an answer.
Why do I?
Believe a lie.
When I'm told why, why do I believe it?
It's one of the reasons is because that lie that has been told me answers to something in my own heart.
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What is that?
Well, when he asked him about where Mephibosheth was.
I've A-frame amphibious and he lied to David. And here's how we reason with our fallen minds. We say, well, you might have been in those circumstances, you know, I might have done the same thing. But after all the kindness that I've shown in Mephibosheth, I just can't excuse them for that.
It also lets us know.
About our communion with the Lord, that it's not what it should be.
How should I react to a lie?
First, don't believe it.
There are some things that we hear that we may file away until we hear the truth. I'm glad to unload it. I'm glad we never said anything about it because it's an uncomfortable feeling in my own heart to pass what I thought was the truth to somebody and it wasn't.
So we need to weigh our words, lest we should break a tender heart by doing something like that.
And So what did Mephibosheth say to Zaida?
He said saddle me an animal.
So that I can go after my master.
That's all he said.
I will pick up on this.
But when David believes this lie, and then he says to Zaiba today shall the House of Israel restore be the Kingdom of my father?
Then the king says, Behold.
Thine all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth are thine.
And said, you know what's interesting? His answer, He said.
I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in my sight, oh Lord my King.
You know I use the word.
And I don't like it.
It's that word ambiguous.
Somebody says something to you, a sentence or two, and it's ambiguous. What do you? What do you? I don't get where you're coming from.
Why isn't it just plain so it can be understood? What does Zybus say to David here, in essence?
It'll be hard to tell, you know, if, if everything would have been upright, he might have said to David, Well, I'm not worthy of such kindness extended to me, but I'm very grateful for your love and kindness.
In giving us to me.
But not under these circumstances. You cannot talk like that.
And so the Lord preserve us from ambiguousness because we're trying to hide something and not really let the true facts be known.
And so I just think of Zybus. He walked away.
In his mind saying, I wonder what David thought. I wonder if I'm going to get caught for what I just told him.
You know what happens under those circumstances. You've got to figure out the next lie.
The next one and the next one.
Oh, let us love the truth, speak the truth in love. It may cost us something. We may be humiliated for having given a wrong impression, but if we want to walk in communion with the Lord, that has to be cleared out of the way. Said to the children this morning. Have you ever got down on your knees and told the Lord Jesus you were sorry? I still have to do that.
And it's just not going to work unless.
I have it out with the man who knows and sees all things.
Let's turn to the 19th chapter.
Time has gone on.
And you know, there's one thing that we can't do with time, and that is outrun it. It's going to outrun us.
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Don't try to outrun time.
So I will say that it doesn't work.
Keep short accounts with the Lord as you go on your Christian pathway.
And now Absalom's dad.
David is being restored back to his Kingdom.
Mephibosheth knows he's been framed.
And how is he ever going to prove to David that what Zaiba said to him was not true?
You know, I thought the Christian is the easiest person in the world to frame. Why is that?
Is because we have two natures, the world only has one. We have two. And so the world may say, well, you know, you know, they appear like they're godly and, and they do this and that and the other thing. But you know, underneath it all, you know, they, they got a horrendous record of things that they've done. And maybe some of them are true. I trust most of them are wrong.
But nevertheless, there's the foundation of frame.
And so Mephibosheth.
What a situation to think of this lie that David took in and believed.
What is he going to do about it? Let's read it.
Verse 24.
The son of Saul.
Came down to meet the king and had neither dressed his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. Now, I don't know how many days that was. Perhaps easily a month, 30 days. Can you imagine what shape we would be in if we didn't take it by and we didn't cut our hair and we didn't trim our nails?
What a sight we would be.
And so as David came into Mephibosheth's presence and saw this sight that was so far removed of what he has used, to see him there at the table, all dressed up and in keeping with one of the King's sons.
And David sees this, you know, we would say, you know, this is kind of radical. These radical people act like this, and some do.
But this wasn't radical on Mephibosheth's part.
This was that David in some little way might see that as he passed through the time of David's rejection now.
That is heart was in fidelity to David United to him 100%.
I just about can't make the application.
But here's the reason that there is division among the people of God.
To test.
Where the affections of our hearts really are. How easy it is to drift.
And the influence of the religious world creeping in and our thinking and think sometimes that we see greener pastures out there and they got more gift than we have.
Here we are.
Pretty.
Like a cloud, just with every wind blowing around.
You know the Lord is very patient.
He doesn't like to have to get out the discipline any more than we fathers discipline our children. We we don't want to and we hold back as long as we can. And then there has to come a time to search out the spirit of this child. Something is the matter.
And so discipline comes in and what happens?
Oh, it sweetens the spirit.
And gives tone to the soul. That's the result.
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Is God going to have a people?
That have been searched.
And it felt the testings and the sorrows of the way.
Yes, is.
That's his economy.
And so he must go about it.
And I think of dear Mr. Darby, a very notable servant of God, he said. I know that there's going to be a testimony at the end of this dispensation, and I want to be a part of it. It's not guaranteed to us if we're not going to.
Make him our All in all.
One brother whom I love.
I actually said these words, he said. I thought.
That I was untouchable.
I thought I had enough influence among brethren.
That I'd have plenty of support.
I was glad to hear the acknowledgement of that and to have that out before the Lord. Any prop that we think we have.
And have the Lord Kick It Out from under us so that we can go on.
With lying feet in the spirit of felt weakness.
And so in verse 25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore when it's not thou with mean of him?
You know when you have had such a close friendship with somebody and somehow there comes a rift in that friendship and you're pulled apart?
And you feel it. Your heart aches. You want to know how this can be healed up.
And.
The issue has to be brought up that's brought in this cleavage. David brings it up. Why didn't you come with me when you knew I was going out in rejection?
Here's the answer, verse 26 And he answered, My Lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For thy servant said, I will saddle me and ask that I may ride there on and go to the king, because I serve in his lane, and he has slandered thy servant unto my Lord the king.
This next statement. But my Lord the King is as an Angel of God.
Do therefore what is good in mine eyes.
What must David have thought?
When the fibre ship told him what the truth of the matter was as to why he didn't go after him.
Oh, to think of the battle.
I believe you're lying. I believed a lie.
Here is the truth.
You know, one of the hardest things to unload is a lie that you have believed. And so you've been told a lie and you believed it, and now it should be completely put out of the way. And yet you go into the mode of having to justify somewhat why you believe it. And the problem was right here in the first place.
Now, is there anything ambiguous about what Mephibosheth said? It was Sterling right out in the open.
No blind turns, no curves straight away.
Now again I say David represents the administration.
And he says to David.
That you are as an Angel of God.
Now he knew that David believed that lie, if that's what he said.
Oh, what a beautiful spirit this is. This is nothing less than the Spirit of Christ.
In the heart of dear Mephibosheth to be able to look at David and speak as.
00:40:05
The Angel of God.
I recall.
Quite a number of years ago in a certain care meeting.
Where there was an issue of a pretty serious matter.
And.
Things are heating up.
Sides are beginning to take shape.
And there was a quiet brother.
Sitting and observing all this.
And finally God gave him the courage.
To look at those that were in administration.
And say to them these words, You are as the angels of God.
Make the decision.
You know.
The angels of the Assembly are not infallible.
We share that infallibility will sink our ship.
And what did the administration do on this situation?
They simply let the Lord come in and give the answer for that issue.
And it caused.
To get down on our knees.
And thank the Lord.
To be able to get up, to embrace one another, to go home in peace.
How many divisions would have been saved among us if this would have been the spirit?
I was ready to show itself and we could respond to it.
And then he goes on in verse 28 For all of my father's house, where the dead men before them, my Lord the king. Yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table? What right therefore have I yet to cry anymore under the king?
And The Cave said unto him.
Why speakest thou anymore of thy matters? I have said, thou in Zaiba divide the land.
Here. Here we have the Spirit of Christ manifesting itself.
The spirit of submission.
Turning everything over to the administration.
And then?
My fibbyshift gets an answer back like this.
Well, I said. You and Zebra divided the land.
You know, I could feel my back stiffen.
I can say I've shown enough of the spirit of Christ and now I get a deal like this.
And I'd say to David with my finger pointing at him, David, that was the first thing you said to me when I came into your presence, that you were going to restore him to me, all the land.
Of my father, and bring back my dignity as one of the King's sons. And now this.
This is not an unusual thing.
There's that first smile.
And then there's a second mile.
And it's harder to walk that second mile than it is the first mile.
I'm not pointing my finger at any here tonight, this afternoon. I feel that as I say these things even it all be tested and have been tested and have failed.
But I see here.
Can later see in days and here's a secret of being preserved in these days.
As we mentioned is a democratic spirit that we've been raised in in this country.
Our hearts are democratic by nature and we have rights and we want others to know about it and we'll go to any extent to let them know.
Here's a man that laid down flat on the floor, but David walked right over him.
He said.
00:45:02
And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yeah, let him take all, for as much as my Lord the King is coming again in peace unto his own house.
Who saved the day?
Who saved this situation?
Mephibosheth saved the administration.
He didn't make them the object of contest.
And dare them to cross a certain line.
Oh, the victory.
I remember dear brother Sage Brown.
Making such a statement as this when I was a young man, he said. Remember, brethren, the highest has gone the lowest, and there's plenty of room there to go.
Plenty of room.
What a statement.
The apostle Paul could say to those men on the ship, unless these abide in the ship, we're all going to perish.
What a principle.
Well, let's go back.
To Mephibosheth City, once again at the King's table.
What about the Communion?
When the record is open, then that day I will not be surprised.
One day after David had got all of this out of his heart.
About believing this terrible thing about Mephibosheth, said Mephibosheth. You know, I don't want a cloud between us.
I want to have communion that exceeded what we had before.
And you know that's the way it's going to be when we are tested as we have been tested. I hear again and again our morning meetings are so precious.
The hands given out.
The theme is this by chance. No, it's not by chance. I hear the general meetings of the outpouring of the Spirit of God in these days. Is he doing it because we deserve it?
No, it's because of the good pleasure of his heart.
I mentioned.
That David was closer to Mephibosheth than some of his sons. Most of them.
Again, in that day, will we be surprised?
To find out that Mephibosheth was one of David's most able counselors.
Like it says of the men of Issachar that they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do.
Is this just reserved for the strong, powerful and influential? No, it's not.
Reserved for those who feel their weakness and their need of the true David.
And so to think of Mephibosheth, how that there would be those who would look at and say, you know, that fellow is crippled and probably isn't right in the mind. His feet don't work good. Neither does his mind. It's crazy.
To have that kind of conclusion, I say it crudely.
That isn't the way it works. It's the principle of weakness. I mention and say it again that our greatest weakness is not knowing how weak we really are.
But you know the apostle Paul could say these words that when I am weak.
Then am I strong?
And so that safety.
Like to carry this a little further?
In their love and communion with one another.
David says to Mephibosheth, you know.
I'd like to seek medical help for you. I'd like to restore you back to what you were before that incident when you were five years old.
And we're witnessing, wondering how Mephibosheth is going to react. And we notice that he doesn't even answer him.
00:50:00
Doesn't say anything. Why? Because he's not interested.
I'd like to just tell you briefly.
My brother in Brazil.
Whom we loved in the Lord. A marvelous trophy of God's grace in northern Brazil.
And he was in a situation where?
Up there, you know they talk with loaded pistols. You got a bad attitude? Well, here's something to make you wish you'd change your attitude if you don't.
Well, in this particular situation, he was hit with a bullet, struck him right here and lodged his backbone. He dropped to the floor. They thought he was dead.
A story goes on.
That he was paralyzed and the Lord used that to save his soul. He used that.
The doctors tried to they operated on him with a view of pulling that out so he'd be be able to function, and they saw that if they pulled it out that it would take his life and so they had to leave it there.
And so he was gathered to the Lord's precious name, and we saw him. This happened when he was 19 years old, and we saw him the first time when he was 29. I heard his story.
And some dear brethren here in the United States heard about dear Gustavo and this situation, went to a couple of clinics to explain this man's cause. Could you be a help to him who lives in Brazil and get him up here and you can look at him? Well, they said they would be willing to try, so they wrote him a letter to this end that.
They they would like for him to come. It wouldn't cost him anything. They would see him through and return him to his home, Brazil.
Well, when I heard this.
I just.
I thought of him getting out a piece of paper and writing on that paper these words. Thank you, dear brother, for your loving kindness.
But it took that bullet.
In my spine to save my soul and I verily believe it will take that bullet to preserve me in the pathway of faith. Thank you for your kindness.
You understand why Mephibosheth wouldn't have said anything?
Think if David could have done that for him. He knew what a good set of legs were under him at five years old.
And to think of getting those legs and feet back.
And here we walk into the dining David's dining hall.
And Methodist seats empty.
And we see him come rushing in about two hours later and said, I'm sorry, but I just got occupied way out there and I just couldn't get back in time. What happened? Oh, the spirit of independence. And that's the last spirit that we want to possess. This is a spirit of independence.
Now back to The Overcomer and Laodicea.
I will grant him to sit with me on my throne.
And I mentioned how that it seems like there's something missing.
And there is.
That is the blessedness of it in heavenly light.
And as close as we can come.
If we take time, that's running out in Luke chapter 12, there we have the Lord.
Saying that he will gird himself and come forth and service.
The continuation of what we enjoyed this morning to go throughout the endless ages of eternity. That feast of celebrating the mightiest victory that will ever be won in time and eternity.
The means of our salvation.
Bring us into the Banqueting House.
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There to enjoy an eternal banquet.
Well, we don't like to rate the blessing of the overcomer.
But if we're desiring the overcomer and let us see of.
There will be a preservation to us as we journey on.
And nobody.
Here this afternoon needs to fall out, by the way. So Joseph said to his brethren, might have if he had been standing there. He said, Joseph, your brothers are so happy to discover that you're alive and that you're ruler over Egypt that you don't need to say something like that. I want to tell you it was very important that Joseph said that to his brethren because.
I can just see them riding along.
Going back to their father.
Nobody's saying a word.
And the wheels are turning 90 miles an hour.
Finally, somebody can't hold it back. Somebody says who started this thing against Joseph anyway?
And you'd see 100 fingers pointing in every direction.
Accusation.
Doesn't help, does it?
But it's self judgment.
To acknowledge what I am before the Lord and openness.
And then to look forward to that day, I can't imagine I've seen him gird himself.
And service.
Let's just sing about it.
#194.
Sing 194 together.
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Gospel

Gospel—R. Klassen
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Tonight by singing hymn #14.
In #14.
God loves the world.
I say your results and happy birthday and I.
Love.
You.
Like the same 2 verses?
Of him 109.
Just the 1St 2 verses of him 109.
00:05:08
Lord is boundless, perfect.
Now it's at the time considers our ground us.
Love the source of all my blessings.
On me.
A lot of grandkids.
Love. Go love.
Let's go.
Oh, the cross sun rises one dress.
Where I learn God's heart to me.
It's the sun.
That is life.
I also see Holy Grail.
Just as Friday fall expression.
In that same.
Light as long as I traveling for what you are drawing.
It's all framing.
Let's open our precious Bibles Word of God to a verse in the Second Corinthians chapter 4.
Before I read the verse that's.
On my mind.
Like to share a little experience that my wife and I had when we were in Port Orange.
We went out with some of our brethren there to a restaurant.
And, you know, there's a lot of things going on in the restaurant and talk and so on and.
And as we were sitting there, six of us, we heard a conversation off to the right, and it was a woman that was speaking to a couple of older ones. And it was very obvious that there was an exchange of the truth of the word of God between them. It was just a sight that I just couldn't put together, just.
You know.
Sometimes things make sense, but this didn't.
But anyway, my curiosity was up enough to kind of glance out of the corner of my eye and and watch this woman with such enthusiasm and clarity speak, quote a verse and so on. And I noticed the the older folks were kind of nodding and entered into the conversation and so.
The they finished eating and went out and she went on serving tables and.
She come in our area and and I looked at her and I said, you know, I heard some conversation going over there that interested me very much.
And I said, are you a Christian? Oh, she said, indeed, I am a Christian. And I said, well, can you just tell us how you got saved? And. And she kind of shook her head and.
Down in Port Orange.
We were there one time when the motorcyclists come into that town.
Half the million of them right in these Harley-Davidson Hondas and showpieces. And, and of course it's going 24 hours. And, and what happens is there are a lot of prodigal sons and prodigal daughters who just want to kind of get away from their profession and, and come into this town and spend a week. And, and of course the merchants of the town is kind of their harvest time and it's in the month of March.
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While we were there to witness that one time and we make sure that we're not in the town in the month of March, but being down there, things were kind of just beginning to catch on, so we fled.
But anyway, this is what she said.
She said, you know, I was a biker and I was a real biker.
And that was my life.
And she said, I look forward to this annual meeting down here.
And she said, I don't know, it was last year, the year before.
That she heard the gospel preached.
And she was saved.
The darkness of her soul was dispelled, and so she got a job at this restaurant and she said, you know.
Just this last weekend, she said. I was with a group of druggies.
And she says, I know that life. I know what they're thinking.
And they know that they're sinners and they need somebody to bring it right home to them and no uncertain terms. And she said when I got finished with that bunch of tough fellas that said they were all down on their faces weeping.
In the misery of their sins.
Well, you know God is free to use whom so every well.
These sovereigns. And I just thought, cool, if I got involved with something like that, I'd be fortunate to get out of there with my life. So here's a vessel that is fitted for this. And with the happiest face, she says. You know, the bikers are coming to Port Orange and I'm just waiting for them to come and I'm going to speak to them. So when they come into the restaurant, the kind of a captive audience there for a little bit.
Well, this verse that we're going to read.
With Border, or I should say it connects a little bit with the story. We're in Second Corinthians chapter 4 and read verse 6.
For God, who commanded the light.
To shine out of darkness have shined in our hearts.
To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.
In the face of Jesus Christ.
Now I believe that this is what took place in her life.
She wasn't interested in religion. That had totally disappointed her, but somehow the speaker, as he was speaking, he brought forth the face of Jesus Christ and what you see in that living face.
Well.
The first thing we have here?
God we've been saying about God as light, and God is love.
There was a book room that had a lot of text printed up. One text said God is light and the other said God is love. And they sold a whole lot of text of God is love but not very many about God is light. But you know, that's where it starts, isn't it light?
That shows us what we are before a holy God. We try to hide from that light.
Does that light penetrate?
And it's good that it does. And as that light penetrates.
And exposes us what we are.
Then God now comes in with his love.
To break us down, to perform a work in us that's going to be for eternity.
Now God in Genesis chapter one verse three, it says that God commanded the light.
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To shine out of darkness. That seems backward, doesn't it?
It seems backward because we enjoy the light and we wait for the break of day and then we see the darkness take over and the even tide and go through the night.
But God commanded the light to shine out of darkness, and he separated a light.
From the night and to give us light for our way in Genesis chapter 3.
And Ecclesiastes tells us that the light is sweet.
Then indeed it is to see the sun come up this morning. I was coming up this morning and if you saw it, it was just a Crimson glow that spread out across the skies with a gold.
Border on it, I just thought.
You know.
The glowing splendor as we sing.
Of the coming of the Lord, what that's going to be like.
And I believe whether it's a sunrise or the sunset.
That God is reminding man.
That there's a glory beyond that he doesn't want to miss.
And so for those who have died in Christ, saved by his grace, they've gone beyond the sunset, have entered into a day where there's no night, no night there. And what a wonderful day that will be.
But this is not the darkness here that we're talking about. We're going to read a little bit about this darkness. You turn to Amos, the book of Amos.
I.
Obadiah.
Oh, Amos. Amos, chapter 8.
And verse 9.
And it shall come to pass.
In that day saith the Lord God.
That I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.
Oh, you know, this is a prophetic scripture.
And this did happen.
And it happened.
On the day of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world, and here he is.
And it's a clear day.
You know, if man has purposes that are not good, the weather has a bearing, the sky has a bearing upon whether he's going to carry it out or not. And think of man's intent on this day to crucify the Lord of glory.
It was a clear day.
It looked like it was a special day to carry out their purposes because sometimes we look at the sky and the elements and we say they're upset.
They're upset.
And it just kind of sobers us how upset the elements can get.
But here we have a prophetic scripture that says, and I will cause the sun to go down at noon.
You know, we had an experience.
Mount Saint Helen went off.
What it was like to have his son stop shining at noon, and it was eerie.
And we weren't expecting anything to happen, and we had the privilege of remembering the Lord on this Lord's day. I can look out the window and it seemed kind of strange out there that here comes the cloud and it doesn't look very good. It came overhead and the ash was dropping and it was totally dark outside a little bit after noon.
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Fast in an hour.
Oh, I tell you.
I just connected that with what it was like.
For those in Jerusalem and the whole land.
Have the son refused to shine at noon?
It's been said that.
Don't know exactly know what he was that he was renowned in something.
And as that day was progressing.
He said there's one of two things that's happening, he said either the universe.
Is falling apart or the creator is suffering.
He didn't say which one it was, but we know which one it was. Was the creator suffering?
God manifests in flesh.
Spend it on a Roman cross.
Condemned to die.
Because he was unworthy to live.
And there we have the greatest miscarriage of justice that has ever taken place in this world against that blessed man.
And yet he went to that cross.
In perfect justice to take away our sins.
That they could never rise against us again.
Well, you know that doesn't mean anything.
Someone in their sins, let's just talk and to be pushed away. But for my heart tonight, how wonderful to realize that in coming to Christ as a lost Sinner, my case was taken up there at the cross.
And justice was meant.
And the Lord Jesus met it.
And in those three hours of darkness, oh, to think of going into that horror of great darkness where there wasn't a glimmer of light.
And to be made sin for us who knew no sin.
Now we might be made to righteousness of God in him.
You know we all have a never dying soul. When you were born, you were born for eternity and every other man, woman and child in this world.
Have a never dying soul and they'll live forever.
And so it comes down to where.
Are we going to spend eternity?
Thankful for the memory.
Of the faithful preaching of the gospel of God's grace sat under many a gospel meeting. Now. Just like the hammer hit, and it hit, and it hit and it hit and it hit, and finally the stone was broken.
An old stone breaker who did a lot of breaking of stones. He was asked what blow breaks the stone.
He looked.
At the one that was asking him and he says they all do.
They all do. And so I might tell you whom God used to save my soul, and I thank God I can tell you who did it, that he was just a part of the hammer work.
And wonderful when the stone is broken and we come to the Lord Jesus Christ, just as we are have nothing to offer.
We come as lost in our sins. We know what we deserve. We deserve the judgement of God that God is love and God is light and God is love. And we can step into that circle tonight and be blessed for all eternity.
So if we turn to Matthew.
Where we read.
Those song words.
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Matthew 27 and verse 46.
45 now about the 6th hour.
There was darkness over all the land unto the 9th hour, and about the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Saved Eli, Eli, Lamisabeth and I. That is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Well, I enjoyed someone saying.
That during those three hours of darkness.
Eternity invaded time. Eternity that has nothing to do with time invaded time and performed an eternal work that will stand forever.
But oh, how great was that darkness.
I still don't like the darkness. I'm members of the little fella. I just dreaded the darkness. I didn't like to go out.
Unless I knew I could get back into the house before something happened. And I still don't like the darkness.
But I'm thankful that the Lord is with me and that he takes care of us in the circumstances that are very unpleasant.
He has promised to his own that he will never leave them nor forsake them.
And to think of that cry.
In that darkness.
When the Lord was.
Without any hope, he was in the place of abandonment. He couldn't call for help. He couldn't say, let me out.
No. And he bore stroke after stroke of God's wrath, all the fire of God's wrath that was upon that sacrifice, the Lamb of God, that is, that fire came upon him.
It could not penetrate that sacrifice.
Because it was holy.
And to think after three hours.
That the wrath of God was exhausted against our sins.
That wrath can never awaken again because God is satisfied with the work of Christ, and it's there that our souls have rest. What a rest we have.
You could go now to.
Verse 37.
I.
And set up over his head, his accusation written, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Now I understand.
That the full title that was there on the cross was This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
And it was written in three languages.
Written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
Hebrew, Greek and Latin and it was a known language as of that day.
And if you were to look on that.
Superscription, that board that was apparently nailed to the cross that as you looked at it in each language, it was all about the same width.
And as you trace it in the Gospels, you find that it's expressed a little bit different, but it's according to the language that was up there in our English language. Some would be, one would be a little bit longer than the other and the other kind of in between. So it wouldn't have been a even and start to finish.
So that helped me to understand why it says that a little different. But be assured of this, there is no contradiction.
Suffer would like to make an issue of this, but he can't.
And so when it comes to the Greek.
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Looking up there.
At that superscription.
He knew which one was his to read.
And the Jew.
Was the one that was given the oracles of God.
And I'd just like to reflect back to that verse that we had in Second Corinthians for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness.
Have shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge.
Of the glory, I'll just stop there. Three things.
And to take these three things and connect them with the three languages.
So the Hebrew would look up there at the cross, and he didn't like what he saw.
But here the Jew was favored.
To be given the oracles of God.
What a favored nation Israel was loved of God.
And plant it in a fruitful hill, and given every advantage. And what did they do with that light?
They corrupted it.
That's what they did. They corrupted that light.
And it didn't bring salvation, it brought misery. And that they took that and raided themselves about everybody else in this world because we're a favored nation.
God has given us the light.
Corrupted it.
Well, what's corrupted light worth? It's worthless.
And then we look up there the Greeks that were there.
They could look up at that superscription.
And what were they known for?
Well, the Greeks, you know, they were great philosophers.
You can pick up philosophy in school and here they are these slow down went through all that as a boy forgot their names and glad to do it. But anyway these men were intellectuals and they could figure out kind of the workings of creation and the universe and some idea of God and and so on and so there are many that have just spent the strength of their soul that.
Get into this philosophy and try to get something for their soul, and the end result is an empty heart. I don't care how great the man is in this world. I don't care what opinion men have of him and what the education system propounding this kind of thing. I don't understand.
When it's worthless.
And so how wonderful a day is when.
The Greek side of things pale out.
And we're left with one man for our hearts.
Well, then we come to the Romans. Written in Latin. The Romans could look up there and they had a big part in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They will come when you realize.
That a lot of the convulsion of this world that is going on is the fact that the Jew and the Roman was knocking hands and what's the issue? The issue is who crucified the Lord Jesus?
The Romans say the Jews did. The Jews say the Romans did. And this has been an issue for almost 2000 years. It has never been settled.
And the Pope, he's given overtures toward the Jew to try to overcome this situation.
And they can't overcome it.
And I'm not exactly sure how they're going to overcome it so that you have the Roman beast and the Jewish Antichrist.
Some kind of accord?
Having gotten a lot of power.
How they have been able to operate, so to speak, side by side. And this issue obviously is not settled and it will not be settled. God's going to settle the issue. He knows.
This world stands guilty of the death of his beloved son.
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And so the Romans are known for their glory.
Their exploits and conquering.
He said that the.
That the sun never went down on the Roman Empire as it made the whole circuit.
The Roman Empire.
The sun was shining on some part of it.
And they got to a military might so that their armies would come back and they would go up the Appian Rd. to Rome with their their spoiled their riches and brought it to the city and in their zenith of their pride they said.
All roads lead to Rome.
And that's still a saying today. But it's not true.
You can go to Rome. I was in Rome once.
I was glad to get out of there.
Darkness.
So we have these three things, the light and the knowledge and the glory And dear ones, tonight I write Ichabod over that which means of no value.
But if we turn back to that verse, 2 Corinthians.
Chapter 4.
Now we're going to find.
That when we read the rest of the verse.
Now it makes sense.
To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Oh, now the light.
The knowledge and the glory of God shining in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, sometimes we.
Here of efforts that have been made to portray the face of the Lord Jesus Christ and I have to say.
That upsets me because it cannot be duplicated.
And I look into this face of.
Beyond glorified man.
After his resurrection, after his blood was shed to wash away our sins.
That he appears to his disciples who had the doors shut in the upper room for fear of the Jews, and when he stepped in there, he didn't have to open the door.
He was there and they were terrified. They were visibly shaking as they looked at this man.
And what were they seeing that caused this?
The last sight they had of the Lord Jesus as he hung on the cross.
It was a lifeless victim.
And his head rested upon his breast.
And that's the last they saw. But here is a man whose face is radiant.
And his eyes are full of love and it took a while to get them calmed down and he he kept talking to them and working with them.
It is I be not afraid. He showed them his hands and his feet, and they still had mixed emotions. And then he says, have you anything to eat?
They gave him a piece of broiled fish in a honeycomb.
And as they saw him eat that.
They calmed down.
They realized it was the same man that they had walked with.
On the Sea of by the Sea of Galilee.
What a man.
What light, what knowledge, what glory we see in that face tonight by faith, that faith that we're going to see.
And we're going to feel at home immediately.
And at rest.
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And so how wonderful for the apostle Paul, by the inspiration of Scripture, to give us just this one verse and as we read it.
We perceive that there is a mighty volume in this verse that will take us our life time to feed upon.
Draw out of it.
And give us light and love for our pathway and to be a light to others.
What a privilege children have of taking a little light.
The stool.
Because you go to school.
And from the time you start in till the day is over, you find that what you're getting there would cancel out what you're getting here tonight. And there's just that constant Wayne, one against the other. But how wonderful to be established at what you have tonight, what you have of this verse will give you to realize what a privilege you have to be not only the light of the world.
To be the salt of the earth. Neither salt nor light make any noise.
But light dispels the darkness, the salt resists the corruption that would come in to spoil.
And so to think of being a light in this hour just before we go home.
Let me encourage you in that.
And then when we step.
Into glory and we're with that blessed man. We're going to be thankful for every little thing that we were able to do. Perhaps there will be reproach.
But you know what reproach isn't?
Something that we should be afraid of.
Because there are times when.
I experience a reproach to be my protection.
If things were being carried on that were pretty sad, the talk was not good.
They would move away from me.
Thank God for that wall of protection.
So in closing, we'll just read this verse slowly for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness.
Now shine in our hearts.
We spoke of the light in Genesis 1/3 to give us light for a pathway. But this light, it doesn't say it shined into our hearts, it says it shined in our hearts.
Why? To dispel the darkness that is in the fallen heart.
To dispel the darkness of a fallen mind.
Oh, what a deliverance.
To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.
In the lovely beautiful face of Jesus Christ, what an object God has set before us. May it make worshippers out of these hearts of ours.
Go back to him 109.
And sing the last two stanzas of this Stanley.
To the side in heaven is glorious.
Laying right, just not since there.
What's the big time now before it? Jesus.
Will take morning care.
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One story.
God helps us, and until Friday.
Forever.
Boy from God's eyes.
Near the long time.
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