Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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There are two things I'd like to speak about this afternoon, dear young people, and those are a purpose and power. There needs to be a purpose in our lives and we also need power to carry out that purpose. And first of all, I'd like to turn and speak about God's purpose and the power that is going to be, that is going to carry out all of God's purpose, so.
So let us turn first of all to Ephesians.
And the.
Chapter Ephesians, and the third chapter beginning at the ninth verse. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hitting God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church.
The manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Himself.
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. And then in the first chapter of Ephesians, the 18th verse, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that she may know what is the hope of this calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance, and His saying, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe.
To the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above our principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And I put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the Church, which is his body.
The fullness of him that Philip All in all, and justice. One more verse this time, and Isaiah, and the 14th chapter. Isaiah and the 14th chapter, and the 26th and 27th verses. This is the purpose that is perfect upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out.
Upon all nations. For the Lord of grace hath purpose, and who shall dismal it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? Well, we've noticed here in these verses that we have read that God has a purpose, and also that He has the power to carry out those purposes. First of all, in Ephesians 3, we have His purpose in regard to the blessing of His own. And then in the pathogen Isaiah we.
Purpose in regard to the earth and how God is going to accomplish his purposes in the earth. Well, in the first one it is indeed a great comfort to us to know, but God does have such a purpose and eternal purpose that tells us and that He's going to carry out that purpose too. And it's a song saying when we think that God has a purpose in regard to this world.
And he's going to carry out that purpose. Things are truly in a state of confusion in this world.
And if we didn't have such a book as the Bible and we didn't have such assurance as this, we might well be concerned. Men in the world are concerned. The Lord Jesus spoke about these last days, and these words destroy some nations with perplexity. And that's surely what we can see. Men just don't know what to do. They are perplexed.
They wonder what what is going to happen and isn't it a wonderful thing that you and I?
Not only have the Word of God to tell us what is going to happen, but to know absolutely assuredly that it is going to happen, because when God purposes something, it is sure to be carried out. And so God's great purpose is, and that His beloved Son should have his rightful place. This purpose in regard to the church and in regard to the redeemed is that the Lord Jesus should be the center.
Of a whole new scene of glory, heavenly and earthly, as it tells us in Ephesians one and verse 10.
That in a dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth. Even in Him. God has a man of His counsel. He has one who is going to carry out all these things, and it tells us in this passage in Ephesians 3, that it's an eternal purpose.
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Isn't it a marvelous thing, doesn't it, through your heart?
To think that a way back in a past eternity, before this world was ever made, before there was such a city as Toledo, that God had a purpose, and that purpose was that He was going to have a people who would be brought into blessing in association with His beloved Son. And doesn't it thrill your heart to think that you're one of those ones that he was thinking about?
A way back in a past eternity. Sometimes a person comes up to you, perhaps these meetings, and says.
I was thinking about you yesterday and this gives you a little lift to think that somebody that you didn't know was thinking about you. Perhaps he tells you he was praying for you and what an encouragement this is. But doesn't this sound still more wonderful that a way back in a past eternity? I say there was a purpose in the heart of God and that purpose was going to cost something.
In order to have a people who would be able to share, enter into His heart and share that glory.
A people that could hold fellowship with Him and enjoy all that he himself enjoys. And there was a cost. Oh, how great was the cost? We can never, never measure what the cost really was, because we'll never know what it is to have to suffer for sin. But there was one when that purpose was spoken about in the glory. I like to think of those words.
In Isaiah the 6th chapter and as it were, hearing the Lord Jesus himself.
A re echo those words Jeremiah send me. Just think of that blessed one. If God was going to fulfill that purpose, there was a cost and there was one who was willing to come and fulfill that purpose at so great a cost. We trace His blessed pathway through this world, showing kindness and love and grace to man on every hand. If man would only be reconciled, if they would only see what was.
Heart of God, Do we wish to know what God was like? Just trace the pathway of the Lord Jesus. And there we see God's heart in display. See him standing still at the cry of a blind man. And I say, that's the God who's my father. I see him weeping at the grave of Lazarus. And I say, that's the display of the heart of God my father, and of my precious Savior.
See him entering into all of his disciples.
Went through and giving them credit for things they would never have taken credit to themselves for when he would say, are they which have continued with me in my temptation, always say again, that's the heart of my Father. The Lord Jesus could say he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father, but man refused to be reconciled. They wouldn't, they wouldn't pay any attention to that blessed one.
They rejected Him and despised Him, but there was a purpose, and that purpose was for blessing. How could the blessing come when they despise and rejected Him? All it tells us we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. And so the precious Savior goes on to Calvary, and He takes the load of judgment that we deserve. He bore all the wrath and judgment and exhausted it.
He cried at his finish. His precious blood, as we have been having in the meeting, has cleansed us. And more than this, we are in a new position so that God looks upon us now not only as being forgiven, but be accepted in the beloved holy and without blame before Him in love. But I say again, what about the cost? Oh how great it was.
There was a cost to fulfill this purpose, and the Lord Jesus was the one who paid the price.
He gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time, and that glorious work is now completed. And there's a mighty power that has raised him and seated him up there at the right hand of God. He's head over all things to the church, which is his body. And God is now showing, as we have in our chapter, He is showing to the angels as they look down this purpose of God.
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Carried out that's the meaning of that word you'll notice in the ninth verse of Ephesians 3. It says and to make all men. The word man is in italics. It's really unto make all that's all created intelligences. See what is the administration of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hidden. God who created all things by Jesus Christ and so the angels look down and.
Most amazing thing taking place.
Men and women who had rejected God's beloved Son being brought out to share a place in association with Christ as his bride. There's a display that is being made before all creative intelligences of God's marvelous grace in bringing out from this world a people because God had a purpose, and I say as the power to carry out that purpose.
And then it tells us in the 12Th verse, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. Oh, isn't this precious for us? We not only know this purpose, but we have access to enter in, to enjoy it. We possess the life by which we can enjoy the very thoughts of God.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, man with an ignorance of God.
But God has communicated a life now to the believer by which we can.
Have a fellowship with God, enter into his thoughts. And it often amazes me as I think here, a group of people sitting together and entering into the very thoughts of God councils that were made in the past eternity, sharing them, enjoying them, talking about them to one another and singing about them. What a marvelous thing. Isn't any wonder that the hymn writer put it in connection with the gospel.
Poor Angel hosts are musing or this fight so strangely sad God beseeching man refusing to be made forever glad he looked down and they see this and then to think that you and I can enter into these things and as it tells us to in the first chapter that Christ is head over all things to the church, which is his body. I often.
Great comfort from that, and I'm sure you do too. To think that he's concerned. A husband who loves his wife is concerned about everything that concerns her, her happiness, her good, her enjoyment. He's concerned about it. Oh Christ has had over all things young people, do you have a problem? Do you have a trial? He's concerned about it.
He's the head, and we are the members of his body. And it says Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. But sometimes the husband might be concerned.
But he still has to say. But I'm sorry I just can't help in this situation.
I wish I could, but I can. But there's One who has all power, and it tells us that that mighty power raised him and seated him there, and he's above all principalities and powers and might and dominion. There isn't a force or a power in this world that he isn't above it, not even in this world or in the world to come. He's above it all. Oh, what a grand thing, this purpose and this power.
And then in regard to the passage that we read in the 14th chapter of Isaiah.
We see the world in a mass. We see things getting worse. New to your young people as you have to go out to school and to work and meet the world in its present state. We feel for you in some measure. We who are older try to enter into it. We can't fully because we don't just realize exactly what the situation is and what it is that you have to meet day by day.
But isn't it a good thing to know that there is one who has a purpose in regard to this earth?
And there is going to be a time when this earth will be brought into order.
Everything suited to the mind and character of God. And so instead of looking to some great leader or expecting that some new politicians or some new psychological approach to problems is going to clear them up, it's going to get worse. It's not going to improve. God says I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no more till he shall come.
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Right, it is, and I will give it to him. Things are just going to be overturned. It's going to be that way, and we can't expect it to be improved. But I say again, the one who has purpose for your blessing and mine and whose hide will not be satisfied until we are supremely blessed with Christ, is the one who holds everything in this world in His.
He's behind all the scenes, He moves all the scenes. Nothing happens by chance. God knows the thoughts of every man. He even controls people's attitude, as we have observed sometimes in the 107th Psalms. It tells us in that Psalm on one occasion that He said to great men, touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
And he wouldn't allow them to harm his people. But then on another occasion in that chapter, it says.
He turned their hearts to hate His people, to deal subtly with His servants. So I say God is in control of everything and He's going to bring everything into order in His time, in His time. close and hard for us to wait His time, isn't it? We're impatient people. We find it hard to stand still and just wait God's time.
To be still and know that he is God.
And to know that he is over all things. And so I say God has a purpose for blessing to his own.
And He's going to carry that out. He's going to bring us into that blessing. And what I wanted to impress upon you is what it cost God to bring about this purpose of blessing that He has. And then He has a purpose in regard to this earth, and He's going to bring it about. And absolutely nothing is going to hinder him who has purpose and brought it to pass when the Lord commanded it not.
No one can do anything to hinder the fulfillment of those purposes of God.
But now let us think of it in regard to ourselves. Dear young people, when we think of this purpose that God has in regard to His beloved sons and for our blessings, it thrills our hearts, it lifts us up, it reminds us of fresh of His wondrous love. But now what about ourselves? Isn't it true that today there's a great lack of purpose?
It seems that so many people are just content to drift along.
And sometimes we are incontent to go along with them, just to drift with the crowd. It's the easiest thing in life is just to drift along. And when you go to school, to just drift along with things that go on at school, when you listen to what people have to say, to just sort of go along.
It's easy, any dead fish can float down the stream. But to an Israelite?
There are only fish that were clean to him were the ones that had fins and scale. The ones that had the fins, they could go against the current. And if you've ever watched fish in a very swift current, well, I watched them one time in a very, very rapid river and it was really something to see them make a dash and perhaps the current would push them back.
They make another dash, they might only gain a few inches, but they never give up on that trial to go against the current because they had fins, they could propel themselves against that current. And then they have scales too. What were the scales for? Well, the scales were like an armor and we need the armor of God. And this civil scales kept out all the defilements that they passed through.
Water. Why? They could keep the muddy water out because they have the scales on. And so you and I need to go against the current of this world. Dear young people, we need to have a purpose. Do you have a purpose in your life? Do I have a purpose in my life? And if it is true that we have a purpose, I ask myself, and I ask you, what is our purpose?
Perhaps you, if I were to ask you.
What do you intend to do when you get through school? You could tell me what your plans are, what you have before you. Perhaps they may work out and perhaps not. But at least you evidently have some kind of a plan of what you intend to do. And we have plans about where we intend to live. And we have sort of in our minds, a pattern of the kind of people that we like to choose for our.
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And perhaps every boy and girl has some kind of a model in their minds of the kind of boy or girl that they would like to have for their partner. We all have some kind of a purpose, but it's a sad thing to see young people and older people who have no real purpose in connection with their spiritual life.
No real decided purpose to go on for the Lord Jesus. When we think of His purpose, when we think of what it costs Him to fulfill His purpose, when we think of His marvelous love to us and that He is not going to be satisfied until we are supremely blessed, until we're eternally happy in His presence. Nothing less than that will satisfy the heart of.
Savior. And when I think of that, does it not touch a cord in my heart? Does it not touch a cord in your heart and give you some kind of a purpose in life? And I say not only in natural things, but in divine things, in spiritual things. Do you have a real purpose? Let's notice about some young believers in the 11Th chapter of Acts.
The 11Th chapter of Acts and the.
21St verse.
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord, for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.
And much people.
Was added unto the Lord.
Here was the beginning of the work among the Gentiles are not speaking now what happened in the House of Cornelius, but this was the beginning of the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles. And isn't it very lovely to see what took place down here in Antioch at the hand of the Lord was with those who were proclaiming the word and a great number believe and turn to the Lord.
And Barnabas came down to see these young believers, and what was the exhortation that he gave to them? It appears that Barnabas was not characterized by being a great teacher. We're not told that he particularly seemed to have the gift of being a teacher, but it does tell us that he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. He was a man who had a love for these.
Can I trust in my heart? Dear young people, there is a love for you now. There is a desire for your blessing. And what was the particular exhortation? It says He exhorted them all that was purpose apart. They would cleave unto the Lord. Now it doesn't tell us, as I say, that He gave them a great deal of instruction at this point.
Although it follows on that they met together for a whole year.
And they were taught by Saul when he came down.
More of the truth of God. But this was, so to speak, the starting point of their Christian life. And there's a lot of young believers here this afternoon, many of you starting out in your Christian life. Oh dear young people, is this the purpose of your heart? Have you really looked up to the Lord Jesus and thanked him for saving you and then just sat in a simple way?
Lord Jesus, I want to live my life in Thy company.
I don't think there's anything that would please His blessed heart more than that. You say, well, there's a lot of things I don't know. Well, there's a lot of things I don't know either. There's a lot of things in life that are hard questions, and some of these questions will never get answered till we get home to glory. The Queen of Sheba had a lot of hard questions and she didn't get them answered until she met Solomon and saw the glory.
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And so I'm content to leave a lot of questions until another day.
But this is something that the youngest believer can have a purpose in his heart and this purpose is so simple. It's just put in such simple words and that is purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. Please just simply means to keep close to the Lord and all your young people. If I can say nothing else to you this afternoon, if it's one thing I could impress.
Heart and mind keep close to the Lord. You'll always be safe at his side. Remember what we were just reading the other day about David and how he said to Abiathar? He said.
There was danger for a biotherm. Saul was seeking his life and he was seeking David's life too. And so David said to him, he said that Arthur, stay with me. He said the person that seeks your life seeks my life, but with me you'll be in safeguard.
And you know, isn't this nice for us too, if we just keep close to the Lord? That's the place of safety.
We sang in our closing hymn this morning. O Lamb of God, still keep us close to thy peers inside his only there in safety and peace we can't abide. Oh how much we need to cleave to the Lord to keep close to Him in that nearness where there is safety. And if we are near to him, then he also says.
I will guide thee.
With mine I be not as the horse of the mule that have no understanding, whose mouth must be kept in with bit and bridle. The new translation renders that nicely. I will guide thee with mine eye upon thee. Don't you like those words now? That is, he's just watching us all the time, and when we have a little problem, when we look up, we see who's looking.
You know, even when dear Peter denied the Lord, he looked up, and what did he see? Well, he saw the Lord die was upon him. Jesus looked on Peter, and you know this is the way His eye is upon you. Dear young people, when you go to school in the morning, when you return, when you come to the meetings, in all your fun and pleasure, His eye is upon you. I will guide thee with mine eye upon thee. Are we always conscious?
This do we say, Lord, I want to keep so close that at any moment I can just look up and there see that thine eye is upon me. So this was the exhortation that Barnabas gave to these young believers, and it tells us.
That he was a Goodman, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith, and much people was added unto the Lord. And we're not told here that Barnabas did any preaching, but it seemed that his influence was so great, that not only was he an encouragement to these young believers, but also it says much people was added unto the Lord. I was struck by a remark in Mr. Darby's writings, in which he.
He said our testimony to the world is our joy in the Lord. Last night we were hearing about those people who had very little of this world's goods, who were suffering physically, but what a testimony their joy was in the Lord. And dear young people at school, there's a lot of those young people and they're trying drugs and they're trying.
All the immoral path of this world is treading today.
And they're telling you that they're having fun and they're telling you that how can you live without the pleasures that they are having?
But they are watching you just the same. And you know what? They are watching to see. They are watching to see whether you're finding joy in the path in which you're going. They're watching to see. And if you and I are near, the Lord will certainly find it to be a happy path. What impressed me as a young man as I watched others.
Without them, not so much what they said as to see their joy in the Lord.
Everyone has a desire to be satisfied and it has been said, you know, that the desire in every heart is to have two things satisfied, affection and understanding. And I believe that this is in every heart and that's why people are plunging into all these kind of things they're trying to find.
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Satisfaction for their affections. And so they think that the way they're going, they're going to find.
Satisfaction in these pleasures of sin, but they are only for a season.
The man that souls that way reaps and oh what sorrow they reap. If you could just watch the lives of many of these deer, these people that you have seen at school and see as a few years passed by, they'll have to acknowledge to you. There's nothing satisfying at this. But you have something and you and I have the privilege of being a testimony before others.
So here we find that the exhortation was that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord, and the testimony, the personal testimony of Barnabas was the cause that many turned to the Lord. Now there's also another passage that we have looked at before and Daniel, but I just like to turn to it in this connection.
Daniel chapter one and verse 8.
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the Prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
How The purpose that we were Speaking of in Acts 11 Could perhaps be called a positive purpose, a purpose to cleave unto the Lord. This might perhaps be termed a negative purpose.
You know the children sing a little song and always just a little word, and so is YES, but all the difference they do make no one could ever guess. And you know dear young people practice the habit of saying no, the habit of saying no never to the Lord, but when other things come along that you know are going to rob you of your.
Lord are going to lead you into a path of disobedience.
Why? It's a good thing just to be able to say no. You say, well, I, I can't always explain. Well, you don't always have to explain.
The man in the 9th chapter of John, when they perplexed him, he he was willing to admit there were things he didn't know, but he didn't talk about what he did now and he wasn't going to be LED from the path of making of following the Lord Jesus.
He was one of his disciples and that was settled in his heart. And in this day when such strong pressures are placed upon you to conform, to go along with what's going on in the world, some of us older ones, when we went to school, we went to school to learn how to prepare ourselves educationally.
For the responsibilities that we had of earning a living.
But today the school system has undertaken to train you in everything, to take over the planning of your life, in sports, in morals, in psychological affairs and just everything they undertake to take this over. I tell you what my father used to say to us and I thought it was very good scriptural sound advice. He said that.
Whenever they tell you anything in school about.
Mathematics and geography and a whole lot of subjects like that and physics, he said you can listen and take it in. They know a lot more about that than I do. But he said when they start to talk about moral and spiritual subjects, don't go by what they say, go by God's word. And I want to impress that on your dear young people.
I want to impress that on you. Remember these people who have not read their Bibles, They're not born again. They're not acquainted with the God whom you know. They will not give you good advice in moral and spiritual matters. But we do have a book. We have God's precious word. And when Daniel was going to school in Babylon.
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Didn't matter what the customs of Babylon were, he had a purpose.
And what was his purpose? His purpose was to please his Lord. And it didn't matter what they thought of the ancient Mosaic law that said that they were not to eat certain kinds of meat. That didn't matter to him what they thought about that in Babylon. That was quite immaterial. What they thought He was going to be subject to the God of Israel, his God.
And so when they wanted him.
To disobey his God. He had one little word and all and all. Now this cost him something. And as I was mentioning before that some of the others young people, why I've often thought of poor Daniel as he sat down day after day and had to eat that pulse that was given to him, how they must have reproached him. Can't you just see the other young people passing the table and saying, ha, look at those guys.
And laughing at them because what? Well, they were obeying their God. They were just doing what God told them. They had a purpose. They had a purpose. Did they have a power? Yes. They relied upon that power that comes from above and they were able to take a stand. And this is this is seen all through Daniel's life. It didn't end in school days.
Later on, at the very end of his life, when he was an old man.
He refused to give up his praying and he was cast into the den of lions. He had a purpose. And dear young people, I say, if you don't have a purpose in life, if you don't have a purpose in youth, very questionable whether you'll have one later on. The time to start is when you're young.
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the King's meat or with the wine that he drank. Didn't matter what anybody else said or thought.
He could have said, well, there's a lot of other people here and they go along with things, why shouldn't I?
That didn't matter. He was answerable to the Lord. So Daniel had a purpose. It was a negative purpose. It's true. It was the purpose to say no. And again I say, I hope the Lord will give you grace. Many and many of the young people person who wishes today.
He had said no, wishes he'd said no, but he allowed someone to push him. He allowed someone to influence him or her. And now they're sorry. They look back on it. They wish that they had said that little word and all. But in contrast with this, a dear brother, perhaps known to some here, he told one time when he was speaking about a businessman whom he knew, and he had.
Sign on his desk and it just had two words on it and that was those two words were yes Lord, yes, Lord. And that was on his death. And I've often thought of that. I hope, I hope it's always before each one of us. Why did he put it on his desk? He never wanted to say no to the Lord. He might have to say no to 101 Things that go on all around us day by day.
But never say no to the Lord.
Never. He and His wondrous grace had a purpose, and He has brought us into blessing. May we always say yes Lord, Yes Lord. So this was a negative purpose that He had. Now let's turn over to 1St A, second Timothy and the third chapter, Second Timothy on the 3rd chapter.
The 10th verse. But thou hast fully known my doctrine.
Manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience.
Persecutions inflict afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra. What persecutions I endured, but all of them, all the Lord delivered me. Yeah, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, but evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned.
Been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures.
Which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, or reproof, or correction, or instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works.
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Notice when Paul speaks about his life, he said, Thou hast fully known my doctrine.
Manner of life. And then he says purpose, faith. So how we find here that the life of the apostle Paul was characterized too by a purpose? He begins by Speaking of doctrine. Because, you know, we can be very determined in the wrong direction and we can do a lot of harm to ourselves and to others by being determined in the wrong direction.
So he puts my doctrine and manner of life.
Before purpose, because before we set our minds to something, we should be sure that we have the word of God for the stand that we take. We should be sure that we have that direction, because we know that very often that that unwillingness to give in has caused a great deal of trouble. But here we find with the beloved apostle that he could speak of my doctrine, manner of life.
And then his purpose, and his purpose was as we know to.
Honor the Lord in his life, and He tells us that it was a costly thing.
It was not easy for him, for he tells us that he suffered at Iconium, at Antioch, at Iconium and Lystra. In all these places he was persecuted. The persecution took different forms. At Antioch the people came and contradicted what Paul said. At Iconium they came and spread bad reports about him.
At Lystra, they took another approach.
They were going to do sacrifice to him and worship him, and you find this, This is the way the world acts.
They will contradict what you say. They may even spread bad reports about you that are not true.
And then they may flatter you. They will use any approach that they possibly can to try and trip you up and turn you aside. And unless there is a purpose in your life, dear young people, you and I may get trapped when people contradict. Why? Unless we have the word of God for what we say, and then we'll find that we have, we're unable to take a firm stand.
And then two and people spread wrong reports about us. Are we going to say, well, I give up because they're saying things that are not true?
Always remember this to your young people. The Lord always has the record straight. He never makes any mistake you can you can leave it all with him. There's a verse in the 27th Psalm that I think is very comforting. The apostle, the rather the psalmist said that he said deliver me for false witnesses are risen up against me and such as breathe out cruelty and there may come times in your life.
When all you can do is say deliver me, people will say things and you can't prove that they're not true and you just have to leave it with the Lord. But the Lord knows and you can say deliver me. So in the contradicted and blasphemed, when they spread the evil reports, and then when they were going to worship Him, then He refused their flattery and so they stoned him.
And he was taken for dead on that occasion.
But that might have been the occasion where he got the most wonderful revelation. Some have thought that was the time he was caught up to the 3rd heaven. I'm not prepared to say for sure, but perhaps it was. You can always be sure of this, that when you seek to please the Lord, He's going to repay you in a wonderful way. You may have to suffer, it may cost something, but it's a grand thing to commit your way onto the Lord and trust in Him.
But now just to notice these other verses here.
From a child Timothy had known the Holy Scriptures, and Paul brings this before him as being so important, not only as regards salvation, but he says that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. And this is another thing I'd like to bring before you in connection with purpose.
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Because he says here in connection with himself, that is, Paul says, thou hast known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose. And now he commends this to Timothy, that he would be well instructed in the Scriptures and.
It's a wonderful thing, as you have often heard me mention before, to store your mind with the Word of God when you're young.
You know, as we get older, we can't retain things that we hear as well. But there's no better time than when you're young. It's a grand opportunity. Or you say, I know I'm saved. I know the word of God tells me when I see the blood, I will pass over you. The word of God gives me the assurance and I know I'm saved. But you have the word of God for your pathway.
And if somebody asks you, well, why do you do this or that?
Why do you meet the way you do? Are you acquainted with the Scriptures? Oh, you say, well, my family has always gone to the meetings like that. Is that your answer or can you say, well, will you sit down and we'll look at it from the Scripture? Well, Paul not only encouraged Timothy in regard to going on in the past of.
Devotedness, but he brought before him the importance of the Word of God.
And my desire for you, dear young people, you know, some of us, when we went to school, we didn't go quite as far in school as some today. Many of us left school a little bit earlier than some others. But you know, you can get so you can spend so much time and forget the importance of the word of God. And I'm not against education. I thank God for those who have used what.
For the Lord. But I do say this, don't allow the education and all those things to take up so much of your time that you don't have time to read the word of God, the world, as perhaps you remember there was one the first judge in the book of Judges was the man who overcame.
Persia Seifer, and that means the city of books. And he was the first judge in Israel. He overcame the city of books. And you've got to overcome the city of books if you're going to be any good to the people of God.
The world is full of the making of books. There is no end. The Bible says it's just full of books. And you can just be reading these kind of things all the time. And I encourage you to read God's Word to appreciate the precious ministry that we have. And this is.
This requires purpose, you know, it requires purpose. There's a day set for exams and it requires purpose to get your lessons ready and someone says will you come out or have an exam tomorrow and so you study well, do we have that purpose in connection with the things of God? Are we really in earnest that we do desire to overcome the city of books and to be able to.
Be useful to the people of God. Dear Timothy wise, he had a purpose. And so the purpose was, I believe we could say in this to become acquainted with God's word. Now I'd just like to turn to one other passage, two other passages, one in in Acts chapter.
Acts Yes, the 19th chapter and the 21St verse. After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the Spirit.
When he had passed through Macedonia and Aqua to go to Jerusalem, saying after I have been there, I must also see Rome. I just wanted to speak briefly about this. And that is a purpose in connection with service. Now as far as Paul was concerned, he's going to Jerusalem, did not have the approval of the Spirit of God.
But what I wish to bring before you was that Paul did have a purpose in connection with his service.
And this only emphasizes the fact that in our service we need to be careful to be directed by the Lord, to be directed by him, because even the apostle Paul, wonderful person though he was.
We're informed by the Spirit of God that He did not have God's mind in going to Jerusalem. And you know, I hope you, dear young people, will grow up to be very useful. And the Lord has a service for every one of you. He has a service for me.
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And he has a service for you. Everyone has some part to fulfill in the Church of God. It says, Every man shall bear his own burden. Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. An American said to the young people. And I wish to bring it before you again, that I believe each one of us should seek to discover.
What the Lord has for us to do?
I believe he has something for every young person and every older person to do a little service. Every Levite had something. Some carried the board, some carried the pins, some had the service of carrying the holy vessels, the ark, but everyone had some service. It's a sad thing to go through life and never to find out what the Lord wanted you to do.
It tells us about a man named Archibus that he had a service but he wasn't doing it.
And Paul had to say in the epistle, he said, say to Archippus, take heed to the ministry that thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it. And I've often looked around and thought of young men of ability that I've seen and wondered if it wasn't possible for us to spend all our abilities on things that pass away instead of devoting.
Of those abilities to the Lord, I don't want to call anyone to service.
That's the master's call. He's the Lord of the harvest. But I do say he has a service for you and a burden. Do you have a purpose to find it out? Have you ever really looked up earnestly from your heart and said, Lord, what will thou have me to do? I believe if you do, he'll show you something. Mr. Darby once said it isn't the need that puts us to work. It's the Lord's call. He said there are needs everywhere, but.
The Lord has a call for each one of us, something for us to do for Him. Now, last of all, I'd just like to we spoke about purpose and power. So I'd like to turn to two passages about that. Philippians chapter 4, Philippians chapter 4, and verse 13.
I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.
And then in Colossians chapter one, beginning at the ninth verse.
For this 'cause we also, since we heard of it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that she might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.
Unto all patients.
And long-suffering with joyfulness always spoke in the beginning of God's purpose and the power that was going to carry it out. We talked a little bit about purpose in our lives. Purpose in connection with cleaving to the Lord. Purpose to be able to refrain from things that would be a hindrance to our Christian life and testimony. Purpose in connection with getting a knowledge of God's Word. Purpose and connection.
Our service and our pathway here for the Lord Jesus. But what about the power?
How did this great apostle do these things? And was it because he had such a strong character that he said, well, I'm just a man of purpose and I can accomplish this and that? No, not at all. He said, when I am weak, then am I strong? He said, I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.
And here he says to the Colossians, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power.
Unto all patients and long-suffering with joyfulness all your young people. It may and it does cost something to have a purpose in our lives, but oh, it's worthwhile. As Paul looked back at the end of his life and did he look back with vain regrets that he had followed his Lord? Oh no, He finished his course with joy. He sought to complete the ministry the Lord had given to him.
And all as I look into your young faces.
If the Lord doesn't come and he leaves us here, great responsibilities are going to fall upon you. You're going to face more difficult days than your elders and Janelle. The Philistines, a long while ago, they did their very best to keep all the Hebrews from having swords in their hands. He didn't mind sharpening their tools, but one thing he didn't want them to have a sword in their hand so they'd be weak in the day of battle. And he doesn't mind you coming and having a fine time with the other.
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People, and neither do I just love to see you together and having a nice time.
But oh, there's going to be a battle ahead. If the Lord doesn't come, days are going to become more difficult. May the Lord grant that we will have a purpose that will draw upon those resources of power that we have and that there will be in our lives, and that which will abide for His glory.
And when we find ourselves in that glory above and think of what it cost God.
To fulfill his purpose and bring us there and make us forever supremely happy. Do you think we'll be sorry for any purpose that we had? Do you think we'll be sorry for any sacrifices that we made for Him? All I believe we'll all say, oh, it's all worthwhile. Why didn't I live more for such a wonderful savior? Oh, May God grant that these things may lay hold of us now.
That the washing of water by the word may give us to enjoy.
More part with him.