Richmond BC Conference: 2007
Table of Contents
The 7 Churches Ephesus & Smyrna
Luke 12:1-9
Reading
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I'd like to suggest we read the 12Th chapter of Luke's Gospel.
The hymn that we had in the prayer meeting, 250.
And to him we've just had before us now in 160.
Suggest a chapter like this that's been on my heart for a little while.
Wonder if we could read the 1St 40 verses of Luke 12.
12.
First one.
In the meantime, when they were gathered together innumerable multitude of people, in so much that they trolled one upon another, He began to say unto his disciples, First of all, be ye Beware of the leaven by the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in the darkness shall be heard in the light, and that's what ye have spoken in the ear. In the closet shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill, kill the body.
And after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear. Fear Him, which after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. ASA unto you, fear Him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? And are not one of them is not forgotten? Sorry, is forgotten before God. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore hear of more value than many sparrows.
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. But he that nigheth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God, and whosoever.
Shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. But unto him the blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues and unto the magistrates and powers, taking no thought how or what thing you shall answer, or what you shall say, for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say. And one of the companies said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
He said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he speak a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? Because I have no room wherewith to bestow my fruits. And he said, This will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, Thou has much good laid up for many years, Take thy knees, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.
Than those sorry, Then those shall those things. Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So he himself that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, and what you shall eat neither for the body what you shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the Ravens, for they neither S sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature? 1 Cubit. If he then be not able to do that thing which is the least, why take he thought for the rest?
Consider the lilies, how they grow, they toil not, they spin not. And yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothed the grass which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, and neither be doubtful of mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that you have need of these things.
But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
00:05:00
Sell ye sorry, sell that ye have, and give alms. Provide yourselves bags which wax not old a treasure in the heavens that fail not or no thief reproaches neither moth corrupt us. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. It's your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding.
That when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them.
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them, so blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the good men of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be therefore ready also for the summer man cometh at an hour when you think not.
In this chapter we have what should characterize the disciples in the time of the Lord's absence.
You'll have noticed in what was read to us that the Spirit of God has put together.
In Luke's Gospel, particularly, a moral order.
And certain events are brought together in a different way than in the other gospels. And in this chapter you see a collection of 19.
It talks about speaking in darkness. In verse three we have the rich farmer businessmen that.
His at night, his soul was required of him.
We also have the disciples in the second and third and watch waiting for their their Lord to come, which again is another night scene and it depicts really that period of time in which the Lord's people would be here on earth and he would be absent.
And So what we have in the chapter is really what should characterize the Lord's disciples in the night of his absence, which is today.
And there are five particular things that we see in this first 40 verses that.
I think we should look at in detail in these meetings because they're good for our consciences and for our hearts as well.
I'll point them out in a minute, but just to give you sort of a run up to the chapter that we're looking at here.
In the 8th chapter the Lord goes forth and sows this good seed of the word of God.
Seeking fruit for the Kingdom that he was about to set up if he would be only received by.
The people as their Messiah. And then in the 9th chapter he appoints his 12 disciples and they go forth to spread the news to even a broader field than he administered. And then in the 10th chapter we have the Lord appointing Stephanie Moore disciples and they go forth even in a more Broadway to announce the coming of the Kingdom and the Messiah that was present.
But sad to report, in the 11Th chapter we find him rejected.
And not only that.
They, uh, they attribute his works to the work of the devil.
And they formally reject him.
And then in the latter part of the chapter he turns, and he rejects the nation in these six woes that are given in the latter part of Chapter 11.
And being rejected, He now turns to his disciples from this chapter forward and would seek to prepare them for the time of his absence.
And I think this is what we need more than anything else, this late day in which we live, a right attitude in the time of the Lord's absence. And so on this 12Th chapter, he seeks to set them free from certain things that would only spoil their testimony in this world.
First of all, he would set them free from hypocrisy. That's the 1St 3 verses.
Then he would seek to set them free from the fear of man.
That's verses 4 through 12.
Then he would have them free of hip, uh, covetousness. That's versus 12 or 13 on to.
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Verse 21.
Then you would seek to set them free of worry or care. That's versus 22 to 32 or 34.
And then lastly, he would seek to set them free from carelessness and settling down in this world that they would be watching and waiting as we heard in one of our prayers yesterday.
And so if I could just summarize those, we could say he would have them to not try to be something that they're not.
And don't be afraid to speak the truth.
And don't get occupied with material possessions, don't worry about the future, and don't let go of the eminence of the Lord's coming. If these things would characterize the disciples, they would be in a right state to really.
Be a witness for him in the night of his absence. So, brother, I just think that we should take this up and look at this for our hearts, for our consciences. It's intensely practical. It's not much doctrine here at all. And we need some things that would touch our hearts and our consciences.
So may we uh, look at this chapter for?
The application of these things to our own souls.
As you say, it's a night scene and, and as the darkness becomes more of a reality, uh, for his disciples, he really is turning the light of heaven on the, that which is accepted as normal in the eyes of the world. And as we read through these things that you've enumerated, these things to be careful of and so on are things that are very normal and acceptable in this world in which we live.
Umm. And many of them are promoted as, uh, a good way to live.
And so here in this chapter, the light of heaven is now turned on these things in the midst of the darkness and we see them for what they are. And I think it's, it's a great thing for us to appreciate how the word of God sets things in their, in their proper, uh, light and exposes them for us. However, in this chapter, uh, they are exposed as within us and the evil is within and.
This may be a difficult chapter for us to go through if we're not gonna go through it as Pharisees.
A as the first, uh, verse springs before us, there is a particular evil that heads the list and it is the, the leaven of the Pharisees. And may I say that you're looking at a Pharisee? I have that principle within me, as do you. And as we go through these very practical things, it's very easy for us to think of someone that represents.
What we may have before us, someone other than ourselves that we would like to, umm, have the light of these scriptures expose. And it's good to see that other person exposed there and we walk away, uh, just a little higher than what we came in. May the Lord help us to see that he's talking to us. He's talking to his disciples. And these are things that we get hung up on. And as those that are gathered for the Lord's name, we are very particularly.
Umm, guilty of these things that are here, Uh, at least I can say that I am. So may the Lord help us then to be solemn and, uh, weigh these things as the Lord speaking to us individually. May, uh, this be a prophetic time where the Lord is giving us something for the present moment, for our own present condition.
Verse 41. We could have read it perhaps, but verse 41.
Peter speaks up and says, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even unto all? Just like you say, it's for us. Never mind, there are others, it's for us.
These Macintosh title in this chapter as living, living time and respect of eternity. We live in this day, but we live for another day because that's the nowaday. Everybody says live for today, but we live in this day, but we don't live for this day. And that's really what this is gonna try to show us. It's gonna give us a different hope, a different look. Looking, living now, but looking forward.
00:15:03
Somebody has said that there is, uh, there's three.
Things that characterize our life, there's our public life. That's what you will see of us as we're together in these next few days.
There's the private life, that's what your wife and your children see. There's a secret life, and that's what God sees. And so I believe that this is what we're talking about here. It's what I think in my mind and.
My communion with the Lord or my fantasies, whatever they are, they can. The Lord sees those things. He judges according to, uh, I was, I was thinking there's a verse, uh, uh, in Romans 3 where he, he speaks of judging according, uh.
To the if I can find it here, uh, at the bottom of the seat.
He says the 16th verse of the second chapter in the in the day when God shall judge the secrets.
Of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gods. But that's very if we're gonna go on with the Lord, it's very important that that secret life.
That we face up to it, the exposed, you know, when things come into our mind that are not commensurate with Christianity, that we own to the Lord. That's me and turn away from that and turn back to the Lord and that's no way who knows the spirit of man save the spirit that's in there.
So I'm the only one that knows about that. Not even my wife knows everything about me. Do they? She doesn't but and I and I and I don't know everything about my wife, but God knows. And those are that's very important that we live that secret life in his presence.
There's something else that's not, umm, mentioned here, and that's really the heart. And that's because hypocrisy doesn't involve the heart. The heart is gone for the one that is mentioned here, that's the Lord himself. He lays the background as Brother Bruce has already laid out in Chapter 11, and he was rejected. And so in the new translation, it says in those first few verses few words of chapter 12 in those times.
In the times of his rejection.
What was it that was going to characterize the Christian profession? Was hypocrisy really just not the heart for Christ, just the going on with an outward form. And that's the danger that we have. Our hearts need to be engaged with that blessed man who loved us and gave himself for us. And there sometimes, you know, we go on with an outward show. And that was the leaven sin. Levin is always a picture of sin in the Scriptures. Never ever spoken of in a positive way in any way.
And so the Lord says, beware, be very, very careful.
And aware of that snare of the enemy, it's a sin in the sight of the Lord to go on.
In a secret way with sin, but it's also a sin to go on in an outward form without the heart being engaged.
Why is it that at the breaking of bread there are so few that stand up and give thanks to the Lord?
Why is it that there are so few that stand up and read a portion of scripture?
Why is it that there are so few? It's because perhaps I suggest that our hearts aren't engaged with Christ himself during the week. And then, you know, we've gone on as those outwardly perhaps as Christians during the week. But then when it comes to the Lord's Day, you're coming right into the presence of the Lord. No one's fooled there, and he's not fooled either. And so there isn't that that we could give out. He longs to have the heart engage with himself.
The Lord is emphasizing the importance of being real. This heads the list. As Wayne said says, first of all, beware of a certain evil that marked the Pharisees. He was concerned that it may come in amongst his own disciples and he gives this very clear warning. And so he's giving us the importance of being real.
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It says in Psalm 51 Thou requires truth on the inward parts.
There is a side of our flesh, the religious side of our flesh, that would like to be something outwardly that we are not inwardly.
And it is very dangerous. And the Lord is saying this has got to get out if you're going to be suitable witnesses for me in the time of my absence. We need to be real with God and real before our fellow men. Thou requires truth on the inward parts. So that's the emphasis of what's here. There is that side of our fallen nature that wants to appear before our fellow man as something that we're really not.
Perhaps it's in the sphere of divine things among our brethren is to appear more devoted than we really are. That was the sin of the Pharisees. They wanted to look pseudo spiritual in front of their fellow men, but inwardly the Lord said they were like ravening wolves.
And they were the ones who, uh, turned the nation away from the Lord and LED the nation to reject Him.
And that sin.
It's it's possible for that sin to be among the Christian company and the very first time that you read about it is in Acts chapter 5. It came in very quickly. The story in Acts chapter 5, as you know, is the story of Ananias and Sapphira.
They lied to the Holy Ghost and kept back a certain of the portion of the money that they had acquired through the sale of a piece of land. You say. How do you figure that that is?
Hypocrisy. But let me explain. In the end of the fourth chapter there was a great display of grace upon the disciples, and there was a great devotion of heart. People were taking that which they owned, converting it into cash and bringing it to the apostles that they could use it for the furthering of the testimony of the Lord. I don't say it was altogether intelligent, but there was great devotion there. And it mentions one man in particular. His name is Barnabas, who had a piece of land and he sold it and brought it and laid it at the apostles feet.
And Ananias and Sapphira said, well, we have a piece of land, too.
And if we sold it, we could lay some of the money at their feet. We would appear as devoted as Barnabas. That would be a good idea to look as good as Barnabas. And so they came, but they held back some of the money, and they gave a part of it to the apostles. But the Spirit of God was working. And Peter said, Why hast thou lied to the Holy Ghost?
And, you know, this is in all of us. It crept in in the very first chapters of the church's history in Acts there. And it could be, and I believe it is in our hearts, too, that is to try to appear more devoted than we really are. Let's cut out the facade, brethren, and get down to reality. God wants us to be real. There's a type about this in the Old Testament with the priests. You know, it says they were to wear linen garments.
They were to have uh, linen bonnets on their head. They were to have linen coat, they were to have linen, uh, uh, outer garments. And then it says they were to have linen breeches or breeches. Those are like their inner trousers that no one saw.
You say, why would they have to have that? No one would ever see it. But it's just a little picture of God wanting us to be pure on the inside. Because Lennon speaks to purity, pure on the inside as well as appearing pure on the outside as well. And that kind of consistency is so needed.
The matter of 11 needs to be, uh, uh, discussed 11 of the Pharisees. Uh, I would suggest that this brings before us that it's something that will spread and it's a culture in more than one way. You know, 11 is a kind of a culture. It will affect the mass, but it's a culture in another way too, uh, that they had to be aware of it. Is it possible that the Christian company can become a pharisaical culture that, uh, has power over your conscience more?
Than the word of God or the Lord himself has power over your conscience. And I can say, yes, that has happened and I've been exposed to that. I've fallen under that. That is, uh, we can, uh, wish to control the Saints with a culture of Pharisaical culture. And if you want to be part of this inner company, the remnant within the remnant, here's what you need to do. And we will subliminally lay out that which is required by criticizing those who don't fit the mold and so on.
And produce a mold. There's another word that has two meanings, uh, mold. It's a culture and it produces a culture. And so there they are to be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. So let's be careful that as we get on in years and younger ones look to us that we do not, uh, produce a culture that we, that is control and that they come under our influence and our control and we control our consciences.
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What we wanna do is hand them over to the Lords so that the Lord is controlling that. If we control that, we are introducing a culture amongst God's people that is Pharisaical in nature and it will spread, it will become a movement and it will result in a sect.
Let us be very, very careful. We we ought not to want to control the conscience of any of our brothers or sisters in Christ. And the Lord is saying that that's going to be exposed the the very elements of that will be exposed in verse two in the coming day. Well as we think of this coming day.
Uh, as, uh, Brother Dave reminded us is that it is, uh, time in the light of eternity. And it really helps us to not wait for the judgment seat in many ways, but to live as if it were going on right now. And by the way, this chapter is a little bit of a judgment seat. Here we, here we are before the Lord and the Lord is examining our hearts. And as Brother Vern had mentioned, it's those private thoughts that we have.
That are really coming under, uh, the light here this morning. And so as he says, there's nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither head that shall not be known. That is going to happen. And we need to in some senses fear that. But the, if we expose ourselves to that light today, we'll have no problem with that coming day.
There are three levels that the Lord.
Warned his disciples of and as we said already, 11 is always a figure of evil. There were three main sects among the, uh, the the children of Israel, the Jews at that time. There was the Pharisees and there was the Sadducees, and there were the Herodians.
Are not mentioned as much. They are found in chapter Matthew 22 and also in Mark 8.
The 11 of the Pharisees, he tells you right here is hypocrisy. The level of the Sadducees is rationalism and and rank infidelity. They were the sect among the Jews that uh, frankly just denied scripture. The Lord exposed that when he says, uh, ye do air not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God and it says at that time that they denied the resurrection and.
A number of other things they were in infidels I in their approach to the things of God. The Herodians were another sect of Jews. They were not Gentiles, they were Jews, but they were Jews that basically had this this doctrine or belief that they should just give up to the Roman authorities that had come in and sidle up to them and make life as easy as possible. If you go along with the Romans and basically sell out all of their principles that they had grown up with and had been given to them.
Through, uh, their fathers in tradition, namely to keep SEC, uh, keep separate from the gentiles basically to give up kosher if you want to use it in modern terms. And these were the, the tax gatherers of Republicans and so on and those people that just went along with the.
Herod and His Roman authority in the land, and it would speak to itself. The leaven of Herod. There's eleven of the Pharisees, there's eleven of Sadducees and you get that. Matthew 1611 and Sadducees. And then in Mark chapter 8 you get the 11 of.
Of Herod or the Herodians. And that is, uh, the evil of materialism. They went for material things.
And gave up all of their Jews religion that they had been brought up with. They sold the ranch to get things a little better for themselves in the present condition. And there are three times that the Lord warns the disciples of that they needed to be aware of that. And we need to be aware of it too. But the subject here is the hypocrisy. I mean, rather the leaven of the Pharisees particularly. And that is, as we said, trying to be outwardly something that we're not inwardly, you know, Robert mentioned.
00:30:02
Or ask the question, why is it that there's such weakness when we come together in the presence of the Lord? And there's weakness, as he mentioned, because there isn't the inward life of communion. But you know, this is exactly, uh, the other way around here. He's rebuking that idea of trying to carry on outwardly in the presence of the Lord or in the presence of your brethren when there isn't that inward impetus to do it and the communion that should be there. That's what we really ought to fear, and we have seen it.
We've seen it in our souls. We've seen it among our brethren. Sometimes, you know, I can remember one particular situation of your brother, and I won't mention the names of years ago, that you would never take part in our meetings week after week after week after week after month after year, never take part. But he would when there was an all day meeting, when some of you brother would come to join, then he was on his feet doing this and he was doing that. And we often wondered, now what's all this about?
What's all this about? Of course, your brother didn't know anything about that because, uh, and you just thought that that was the normal order of life for that brother. He was active in, in public ministry and so on.
But that was being something outwardly that he was an immigrant. I've seen younger brother in a conference. One brother wants to take part for whatever reason. I'm not going to judge motives here. And as soon as he sees his friends see that, they say, oh, this is 1 upmanship. I know how to play that game. So he's going to take part, too. And after about 8 or 10 follows, get into the fray of things, you begin to wonder, what's this all about?
And then when it comes time for the prayer for the Gospel, meaning when a few 4050 men may get together and pray for the Gospel, where you'd think young men would like to be and to give forth their prayers and so on, there wasn't one of them, except there was but one of those men. And some of the brother noticed that and pointed that out. Now how is this, that when they were before all their brethren in the room, when there was 800 people or whatever there was there at the conference, they were very glad to stand up and read verses and say some things and and pray and so on. But when it came time to be in the backroom, when nobody would see you but a few men.
They didn't even bother to be there.
President, I'm putting my finger on these illustrations so we get the point.
The point is trying to be outwardly something among our brethren that we're not inwardly. Now, it's good to take part. I'm not saying that you shouldn't, but let's make sure that there's the inward life to back up the outward so that there's consistency. If we're gonna have power before our fellow man, which is the next series of verses, it may, it's gonna have to begin with having, uh, being real before gone. See, there's a moral order here. Luke puts things in a moral order, as you know.
And we need to be real before God if we're gonna have power before our fellow men.
Hebrews in chapter 4 verse 13 was a bit of a help. It says neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do and Speaking of the Lord Jesus, if that scripture is deep in your soul, it doesn't matter whether it's your public, private or secret life. You are fully aware that the Lord Jesus Christ knows 100% of everything that you think do or an Vern mentioned The Secret Life.
So that he said it should be exposed. Well, not to me, not to your brother and that is to be exposed before the Lord. You go back to John one when Philip finds umm and Andrew are walking, they find Nathaniel and they go up to him and says we have found him. I'm sorry, that's one verse 45 Philip finance Nathaniel and saith on them. We have found him who who Moses in the law and the prophets did right Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph Nathaniel uh and Nathaniel said.
I'm Jim. Can there any can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? And Phil says come and see. Well, Nathaniel didn't try to hide anything so he didn't jump up and say, oh great, let's go take a look. He was honest. He was completely honest. Can anything good come out of Nazareth or was Jesus indictment of him? Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and saith of him, behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile. He wasn't trying to be somebody that he wasn't. He was walking forward and he says.
Prove it to me. And when he was proven, he wholly accepted the Lord Jesus.
And I think that's the whole point is don't live what you're not except who you are, except who you are, because they're not accepting who you are in front of your brethren. You're accepting who you are as the Lord Jesus made you. And if there's changes that come, Hallelujah, because there are changes through communion with him. We hope in the word of God.
00:35:03
OK, I think that we we know now we have a problem.
How do we fix this?
Well, what's the, well, what's the instruction here? We could go on for quite a while here and there'd be a lot of blood leading here and maybe have to be some confessions too. Uh, because as we identify these things, we're really probably from our own experience, you know, and I could give you plenty. Umm, but what is the, what's the remedy?
My brother once stated that, uh, all these things are true with every one of us, But if we judge the little things that nobody sees, if we judge them before the Lord, I will never fail. But if we don't judge them, I sooner or later we're just about all going to fail. But it's encouraging that the when we see these things in ourselves, we can confess them to the Lord.
And, uh, sleep could be, uh, delivered and to go on with him. And it's a constant thing.
And, uh, I enjoyed the brother, Hey ho, Harry Hayhoe's statements on these things. We judged the little things. We won't have to judge the victims.
I want to suggest too, that it doesn't all happen at once. And you say, what's the, umm, remedy? Well, some of these situations develop in our course of life, and it's very subtle. The enemy in his.
Tenacity with us and his.
Persistence is subtle, and so I've noticed in Mark's Gospel Chapter 7 that there's a progression when it comes to.
That course of things with the Pharisees and it had to do with the word of God. They set aside the word of God, but they didn't do it all at once. It says in Chapter 7 of Mark and verse three that uh, right at the end, holding the tradition of the elders. And then in verse five it says.
Walk. Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed and hands.
Then verse eight he says laying aside the commandment of God.
Ye hold a tradition of men as the washing of pots and cups and many other such like things. And then in verse nine goes even further full well you reject the commandment of God that you may keep your own tradition and then in verse 13, making the word of God of none effect through your tradition which you have delivered and many such like things you do well. The word of God is that which needs to govern our hearts, needs to govern the conscience.
And if it's something other than the word of God, if it's just the way the brethren do things and the, we need to be very careful. It needs to be the word of God. We know that, umm, we ought not to, uh, umm, what is it, uh, despise the ancient landmarks or seek to move them and so on. We need to respect that which godly brethren have gone on with. We start our hymns with the, we start our meetings with him and there's prayer and so on. And there's godly order, but, umm.
When it comes to our personal lives, these things creep in and it's the word of God that needs to have power in my life, has has to have an effect and I ought to be afraid to displease the Lord. And I have to know what will displease the Lord and what is it that will tell me? It's the word of God. I need to read the word of God. And So what we find in the day that we live in, I believe, brethren, I speak for myself. We get so busy. The enemy is so subtle. We're so busy. We barely have time to read in the morning. We barely have time to read in the evening.
And, umm, sometimes we're just speed reading and we're not even meditating on what we're really reading. And, uh, the word of God doesn't have that effect with us. Well, then we're liable to allow some of these things to creep in and we go on in a spiritual way, outward form. But there isn't the heart engaged with Christ. All you want is the heart, my son, Give me thine heart. And so we need to read the word of God to find Christ in it. And Christianity is Christ as a person.
And the Pharisees wanted the outward religion, but they didn't want Christ. They didn't want any part of that blessed One in whom the Father found all of his delight. So I suggest that, you know, it's progressive. We need to be careful. It doesn't creep. It just creeps in one little bit at a time. And we need to judge it. We need grace to judge those things that we might be delivered from them.
00:40:18
Well, let's move on to the, uh, the next point.
Or the umm, the next thing that the Lord seeks to set.
The disciples free of.
And that is, uh, to be free of the fear of man.
That's in verses 4 through 12.
And as I said already, there is a moral progression. I believe in these two things, and that is that we need to be real before God if we're gonna have power before our fellow man.
And the Lord speaks here about the need for confessing Christ and not being afraid of what men, uh, might do to them. So he was preparing his disciples to be bright and shining testimony and witnesses in the time of his absence.
And that they would confess him before their fellow men. But Luke is laying down principles here. Let's not leave this only in the in the form as that he lays it down here as confessing Christ in the gospel. It really involves the the, the courage to speak the truth, not just the gospel, but all the truth of God. We need to have that kind of courage.
To speak the truth of God.
And that is so necessary in this day, in the time of Christ's absence. There's a proverb that comes before me. It says, uh, the fear of man bringeth a snare. See if I can find that. It's in the latter chapters. 2925. Thank you.
The fear of man bringeth a snare.
And so when we allow, uh, ourselves to be affected of what men might think or what men might do, we will get ourselves doing things that our consciences.
Would tell us that we shouldn't be doing and it's an old tactic of the enemy to shut us up.
But as we've had already, and one of the prayer meetings.
Let's not be afraid to speak the truth. And if there's ever a day when this world needs the truth.
Is now. And so, brethren, let's learn from this, not let's take from this not just the the courage to confess Christ as the God in the gospel, but also all the truth that has been committed to us that we would be courageous enough to live for, to stand for it and to to speak the truth.
We have in these verses.
Some wonderful assets, or perhaps we could call them resources found in the Trinity in this time. So the Lord points to the fact that he would be away. They would be here in the night of his absence, but the power of that the of all three persons in the Godhead would be there with them. First of all, you get in verse 4 where he says, I say unto you, my friends, not isn't that nice?
We will have the friendship of Jesus.
By this.
And then it says in verse six and seven, are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and are not one of them has forgotten before God, but Eve? So being forgotten before God, isn't that beautiful?
There we have the, uh, the care of God, our Father.
And then down in verse 12, he says, For the Holy Ghost shall teach you what in that teach you in the same hour what you ought to say. So here we have the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
The friendship of Jesus, the care of God our Father.
And the teaching of the Holy Spirit, even though the Lord would be away personally, physically, He would be with them in Spirit. And all three persons of the Godhead would be here to aid and help us to confess Christ in a way that would be pleasing to God.
He gave me a ride to the cottage that he had for the young married men. And as we rode up from Ottawa to the cottage, why we picked up a hitchhiker and he was a college student who had just graduated from college. And, uh, Gordon was driving and I spoke to this young fellow and, uh.
00:45:27
Gave him and the feeble way the gospel.
And he had a comment for everything I said, and with as much speaking and as eloquent control of the English language, while he had me just bowled over, he exposed everything. But then, after we got done, my Gordon Hayhoe went one by one. He chopped all the the.
Things that this college boy said just chopped him right out from under him and, uh, which the fellow couldn't take it. He says I'm getting out of the next crossroad, but I've, uh, thought since why, uh.
That's, uh, it's been a difficulty with me to, uh, mention the, uh, the gospel and the truth of God to, uh, various ones. Because I know that they're just gonna, you know, with their quick thinking and, uh, the command of the English language, they're just gonna bowl me right over. So that, that is the influenced me and not seeking to, uh, uh, speak boldly for the Lord, but I just bring that out to, uh, now I don't have a Gordon Hayhoe to.
Backed me up so.
You're on your own and it is a tendency for us to hesitate to bring the Word of God before others, that we we can rely on the Holy Spirit who is greater than we are.
This fear of being a faithful testimony has the same thread that we picked up in the first part of this chapter and it's not rightly seeing the Lord. And so, uh, in the first portion with the regards to the, the hypocrisy that the Pharisees were so good at, they had really lost sense of the Lord seeing everything that they were going through and doing and so on. And they had a private life that they really didn't care, it seems, whether the Lord saw or not.
Uh, they were ignorant of that. Now in this portion, we have, uh, faithful believers who are seeking to be a testimony, but the fear of man looms up before them and shuts them down. As we've been saying, we all know what that's about. I don't think there's anyone who, uh, doesn't fear this fear, but it is to be compared to, as we've just mentioned, we have the whole Trinity on our side here and we are involved in to go forward.
And to think about this God who really wants us to be a testimony for him. And so here's this little person down here on the earth, and he sows a seed, as our brother has said, trying to witness to someone and they come off with all of their ideas. And we get disheartened about it. And well, we should because this is a real living soul that's gonna live forever in eternity in one of two places. And we need to feel that. And we should still go forward.
But the Lord encourages us by saying, you know, you're not the only one who's laboring here. There's others. And so you go ahead and plant your seed and you leave it with me. Just leave it with me. And if there's gonna be reproach, don't fear. Uh, these puny, uh, men and women, they want us to stand before their tribunal. We've already had the sense that there's a judgment seat. Let's keep that in mind. That's the only tribunal that we're gonna stand before.
The worldly man puts us, even if it's on the street corner and they put us before their tribunal and all of their brilliant, uh, uh, arguments against the truth of God. It matters nothing to us when our hearts are occupied with the Lord and with his approval, this sort of stuff begins to fade in its power over us. And so as we said, the remedy is more seeking the approval from our God as we take up the word of God and read it in the morning and the evening and in the middle of the day and whenever we do.
We need to be looking to the Lord to speak to us through His precious Word and to develop in our souls a fear of Him. This is not dread or I'm afraid of God, but this is a healthy, godly respect for this awesome God, and He ought to just fill up our our view more and more as we do spend time in His Word. Now of course, the Pharisees did know the Scriptures, and they must have read them.
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But they didn't read them to get to know the Lord. And so here He is wanting us to get to know, and He's reminding us of His care over us. He's reminding us of the teaching that's available to us. And as was mentioned as we get there, that special word in verse four, my friends, I have that circle in my Bible that's precious to me that the Lord wants to be my friend. And He looks down and He sees me on this earth trying to make my way and trying to be a testimony in some simple way.
And he says, there's one of my friends there and here's the resources that I give him. So we need to have our eyes open and don't we? That's the remedy. Get our eyes open and see really the big picture of what's going on. He didn't instruct them as to, uh, when it comes to, uh, confession of him before the world. He didn't instruct them to meet their intellectual arguments with clever, uh, sophistry.
And so on, not a word about that, but to rely solely upon these three persons in the Godhead. They'll help us through and to confess for Christ. Sometimes we think we need to be articulate in all that to confess Christ and I confess that that has has been my thought and it's not right. It's what comes from the heart that will go to the heart. It's the power of the Spirit of God working and what bringing this the word of God before ones that will do an awful lot more than all my intellectual arguments, even though I may try to argue for the truth.
I never learned that so clearly as years ago, Wang, when we used to pass our tracks in the downtown of Vancouver and there was one person that came along.
Uh, well, for he was a young brother and knew in the faith.
And he was walking in communion with the Lord. He was nearly restored. Actually, he had known the Lord for some years but got away.
Anyway, he was bright in his soul and he was there helping us pass our tracks. And along comes this person, just as our brother had mentioned, wants to argue about these various aspects and quite articulate too. And so I tried to meet all those those arguments with all my intellect. There was these two intellects going back and forth. And this young, this brother was watching carefully and he waited for an opening in the conversation. And I was getting nowhere. I'll tell you right now.
He said, oh, all you have to do is believe. It's so simple. All you have to do is believe. That had more power of that person than all my many words. And I never forgot that to this day that it was coming from his heart to this person. And he turned and he went away. That was the end of the conversation.
So, brethren, let's remember to prepare, to be prepared to confess Christ before this world is not to meet them on the level of the flesh that they have, but to come from the presence of God from within. Our hearts rely upon the Spirit of God to make it good in their souls. Would you agree with that, brother Robert? Yes. There's something else is that the Lord desires that we would have fellowship with Him.
In his rejection in this world. And so he brings this before them that they're to confess him before men. I'd like to sometimes leave off some of the verses, some of the words just surrounding some of these little statements that the Lord Jesus makes and he says in verse 8, confess me before men.
Just confess me before, ma'am. Don't confess the church, don't confess even the assembly or anything like that. Just confess me. Confess me before men. And then he says in Luke's Gospel chapter 22, it's a very touching scene. He's just about to go to the cross. And he says in Luke 22 and verse 28, ye are they which have continued with me.
In my temptations. And he valued that, he said. You know, there's something that meant a lot to me in this world that you continued with me. Now we know that they all forsook him and fled. But there was fellowship with him in his rejection.
And you know, there were those that Peter tried to argue, perhaps, and he tried to, uh, he used a sword to try to defend the Lord and all those things, but it wasn't anything but the word of God that was going to bear any fruit for the Lord. And so he brings us before them. Confess me the four men. The Apostle Paul did too, you know, he, he went to Athens and there on Mars Hill, the Areopagus.
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What did he speak of? He spoke of Christ.
He confessed Christ and he spoke of Christ as that one that was raised up from among the dead. Then they didn't wanna hear him anymore. But you know, we need to preach a re resurrected Christ, a crucified Christ who bore the judgment for our sins and shed his precious blood to cleanse us from all sin. And that he raised up on high in the glory and that God has appointed him a judge. He's going to judge this world. But now he's presented as.
A deliverer.
He turned over to Matthew chapter 10. You have the same account given from Matthew's standpoint, it's not contradictory, but there's something I'd like to point out. Matthew 10 verse 28 For not them which kill the body, which are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him that is able to destroy both the soul and the body in hell. It's Ghana, the eternal place of damnation for the lost. Verse 29 is the verse I'm thinking of. Are not two sparrows sold for a Farthing and not not one of them? Or fall to the ground without your father?
And so it tells us here that two sparrows are sold for Farthing. But in our chapter it says 5 sparrows are sold for two farthings.
Is not a contradiction. Just like we have a Baker's dozen today.
Uh, sparrows were so, uh, worthless that when a person was to buy them, why, if he was to take, uh, uh, two, it would be for one Farthing. But if he was to take five, they could get one thrown in for free. If you spent too far things that's just brought in to indicate how small and insignificant and worthless a Sparrow is. And yet he says even that creature, uh, uh, God is watching and is caring for. How much more will he care for you in these times when you are pressured from the, uh, the people of this world who reject Christ?
And there may be suffering, there may be persecution, there may be reproach. Someone said that God attends every funeral of asparagus.
Is there any significance in the fact that here he called God, He said God. Now one of them has forgotten before God. But when you read that in Matthew it says, uh, are not two sparrows sole for a Farthing, and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father?
Is, is there a little touch there where he could have said God? But it's, it's more personal, isn't it?
You, you, I, I suppose what you're saying here is you can't expect. If you're a believer and want to enjoy a hard, you can't expect to be popular. You just can't, you know, it goes with the territory. You're not going to be popular. And we all, you know, one can speak for others. We all want to be popular. We want to be accepted by people around us, but you can't expect to be popular.
And confess the Lord. It's not that they don't like you.
They may like you, you may have a nice personality when you don't like the Lord and you mentioned the Lords and they don't like you.
And that may result in a little change in your lifestyle.
Isn't there a little thought of that here? Here you are. You're going to, uh, be a testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. You're gonna identify his with him. You're gonna use the name of Jesus rather than talk about God.
It's, we all know what that means, don't we? Well, it may affect your lifestyle. It's, uh, it may be harder to get along in this world. And he said, look, you don't count the hairs of your head, but I do. I know everything about you. I know your needs.
And so as we step out from under the eye of man into the full sunshine of God's love and care, I want you to really know I'm gonna be looking after you. It may be difficult, but I'm gonna be looking after you. When you take a, a position like that of vulnerability to speak for, uh, to use the name of Jesus as your friend and you're confident this world is, is not gonna, uh, treat that well.
But I'm going to treat you well. I am going to take care of you. And that's a comfort to us, isn't it? Because we feel the reproach and we count the cost and they go, oh, not this time, Laura. I'm just, I just not now, not with these people.
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The hairs of your head are counted. I know all about you and the Lord knows our fears too. And that's why we have these intimate expressions here letting us know that he really, really cares about us and and he values this in verse eight, he said I will you you confess me down in this wretched world and I'm gonna confess your name in the highest court there is.
And I'm going to allot your name and so.
It it. Yeah. That's verse 8 is really a wonderful thing. And as our brother Robert has reminded us.
It's confessing me that's a precious thought, just to talk about Jesus.
When we mentioned the fear of man bringeth a snare. There is a other side of this too. The Lord would seek to bring us out of our closets that we would no longer be closet Christians. That is a secret Christian and not let anybody know about it.
But if we don't, there's a danger of falling into the ways of the world and being pressured by the unbelievers into a path that, uh, would dishonor the Lord. And the example of that is Peter himself.
There was a moment in Peter's life when he was following the Lord afar off, you remember. And then there was that certain girl whom he gone before, and she asked him, are you not one of his followers? And he couldn't confess his Lord before her, and it led to his fall.
Remember what I that if we do not confess Christ, it could lead us to being pressured through the Like I said, the fear of man bringeth a snare. It could be a snare to our feet that we get pressured to go on a path that we know is not right and we talk about peer pressure. Boy, Peter felt it right there and then.
And there's, there just seems to be, there's certain persons that we have in our contact with our life and business and school, whatever.
That it's more difficult to confess Christ before him, and the enemy knows who those people are. But you know, if we don't confess Christ and identify ourselves with him, it could lead to a fall in our lives.
This matter of friends is a really sensitive one, isn't it? And as we look at our children, we see them struggling, really wanting to have friends. And maybe for whatever reason, uh, we're in a small assembly or whatever it is, it's just not that companionship for our, our young people. Uh, one of the things that was a great help to me, uh, and I don't know whether somebody told me or the Lord impresses upon my heart is take this blessed book everywhere you go.
Take it to work, try and read it in the lunch room. Then you know what fear is all about. Uh, you know, and it's, it's kind of hard to talk about the Lord, the people who don't wanna hear about it, but just take this book everywhere. Black ones are good and, uh, it is pretty obvious gold letters on a black book. There's no question what this is. And umm, you don't really have to make a decision too much on who your friends are gonna be.
And that's a great thing.
Uh, when, when, uh, they come here. Come with us.
Let us lay wait for this and that and the other thing. I don't know if we really want you around if you've got this.
This is a powerful book and so, umm, I have to confess I don't take it with me as much, uh, if I go down to the save on to go grocery shopping.
But, umm, maybe I need to go back to that. In my early days, I took it everywhere, never went anywhere without this book always in my hand, developed special muscles here actually, for it was great. And you know, but it's, it's true, uh, that, uh, the word of God will decide who our friends are without you even opening your mouth. And so that's a great thing. What a deliverance that is. And, uh, so.
We have this wonderful statement, my friends.
A man fears God. He doesn't.
I don't fear anything else in the.
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Broke it down, uh, it was five things that the Lord would deliver us from and that would, those would be, those would present negatives, things that we need to look out for and that we've looked at two of them. But I believe that in looking at what is the antidote, how we would be delivered from them is really what would give to us what should characterize us in this day. We look at the first two and the first one being hypocrisy. And if we could put it in a word, the antidote that should characterize the, the waiting Christian self judgment. If there's hypocrisy, the way that it will be dealt with is by way of self judgment.
And then the second one.
Fear of math If we are going to be able to meet the opposition of the enemy and it it will be, uh, by way of communion, we can't do it by our own strength or wisdom. It will be only as we are. Our hearts are engaged with Christ and we we meet man not on his own ground, but as having been with the Lord Jesus.
Stop.
#13 in the back.
The Book of Malachi
Address—Jim Hyland
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
With me, please look at Malachi.
Malachi chapter one.
Malachi chapter one and we're going to read the 1St 2 verses.
The Burden of the Word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi, I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau, Jacob's brother, saith the Lord. Yet I loved Jacob. We're gonna stop there for now. I have it on my heart this afternoon to just look at a few things in this little book. The book of Malachi, this book that ends the Old Testament.
Books. It's the last words given by inspiration before the Lord Jesus came into this world in incarnation.
It closes the Old Testament and I believe there's something very good for us to consider in a book like this.
I realize it's a book that has often been taken up, and perhaps I'd like to take it up just a little bit different this afternoon.
So often when we take up the book of Malachi we perhaps dwell, and I'm not saying it's wrong, but we perhaps dwell on, shall I say the negative side of things that which was wanting. And we're going to mention some things that we're wanting in Malachi's day and there was there was much wanting. The book of Malachi for God's people in the Old Testament is very parallel for God's people today. Write down at the end of our history, just before the Lord Jesus comes. We had something of that expressed in the meeting.
Earlier this morning in connection with the seven churches and how the last days are always described by indifference to the claims of Christ, and that everything that is committed to man breaks down and he fails utterly in. But I'd like to go through the book of Malachi very quickly this afternoon and just know and just notice how God still encourages his people and that he notices those things too that were for encouragement.
Because brother and I believe that while we don't want to be indifferent to our to the state of things in our lives, individually in our family life, or collectively as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. Yet I believe, brethren, as we've had before us already, we can still be overcomers even in these last days and difficult times. These are perilous times. These are days of utter giving up, but we can still go on for God's glory. I was thinking of how Timothy.
At the end of Paul's ministry, Paul writes to him for the last time by inspiration.
And he writes of the appalling days of giving up on every hand, not just in the world, but in the professing church. You read about perilous times there. It's not a description of the world at large. It's a description of what it crept in amongst the amongst professing Christians. But what does he say? Oh, it's you gotta give up. Just just try to go on with your head down. Oh, no, he says. But continue thou. I go back to those words time and time again. Continue thou.
In other words, he said, Timothy, don't look at the condition of things around you and blame that or use that as an excuse for personal failure in your life. And you know, it's interesting. Even before he told him continue thou as an individual in the third chapter, he says in the second chapter to go on with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. I love that because we often say the last days are characterized by individual faithfulness, and that is certainly true.
But I believe God maintains A collective side right to the end. So there's a place for us when the Lord Jesus or when Paul, my inspiration said that we were to remember the Lord till he come of sometimes said that the Lord wouldn't say till he comes if he wasn't going to provide a scriptural ground on which to do it. Lord never asked us to do something that he isn't going to himself maintain a place, a clean place where we can do it on a scriptural ground as long as he has asked us to do it. And so I'd like to take up the book of Malachi in this way and just notice a few things, perhaps make a few applications.
That I trust rather, and will encourage our hearts not to be indifferent to what we see around us, not to be indifferent to our own state of soul, or to my state of soul, but to just be encouraged to press on the few moments that are left. There are just a few moments left. We're just on the eve of the Lord's return. And won't it be worth it all when you look in his face another day, and he says, well done, thou good and faithful servant, to know that you sought to be an overcomer right to the very end.
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You know the last words that Eric Smith ever spoke to me the last time I visited him, that he could talk. He said, Jim, always remember, we can still be overcomers, not be overcome. I've never forgot that he was 100 and some years of age when he said, when he said that he'd gone on against all kinds of odds and difficulties in his Christian life for many years, but he was still enjoying the fact that we could be overcomers no matter what the situation. And so we find that the Book of Malachi is written.
At a very dark time in Israel's history, Israel was at its lowest point, morally and spiritually, Here in the Old Testament. It's the last writing by inspiration, the last and final pleading of God to his people, Israel and to this little remnant particularly, that had what's going on in the right position but a wrong condition. You know, it's possible to be in the right position, but a wrong condition.
And we're gonna notice this as we go through some of these verses and principles. You know, there were really three groups of people at this time in Israel's history. There were those who had remained in Babylon, those who did not answer to or respond to the invitation back in the book of Ezra, the call to come back to the land. And there were many godly men that remained in the land, but that for some reason they didn't respond and come back up at that time.
There were those who had come back but had degenerated into a form of things. They were going on with outward things, but it was just a mere form without the heart being engaged. And then there was this little company. It was a little remnant who were seeking to go on for the Lord's glory amidst all the darkness. And so we find here that it's the burden of the of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. I said this was particularly to a little remnant. But, you know, God recognizes all his people, wherever they are. Isn't that wonderful? You know, on Lord's day, we're going to have a loaf on the table.
When we remember the Lord Jesus in death and that loath to our hearts, I trust, speaks of every believer alive on the face of the earth, there is one body. Oh yes, outwardly things have become fragmented, and man has not been faithful in endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. But that doesn't change the truth that there is one body, there is one church. And so he writes the burden of the word of the Lord.
To Israel by Malachi. Now our brother Eric mentioned this morning that names in scripture have a meaning and often a significance. And it's interesting that the name Malachi means God's messenger. In other words, God had, even at this dark time, a messenger for His people because God uses His people. Aren't we thankful for messengers from God today? Are these times of weakness amongst the Lord's people? Indeed they are. But isn't it wonderful that God has His messengers?
And you know, what Malachi had to say was not very pleasant. It might not have been well received.
But they were to take it as from the Lord. Maybe someone has brought you a message from the word of God. Maybe it's hurt. Maybe it's really pricked, your conscience. Take it not from the person, but recognize that they're God's messenger, that God has a word for us. But I'm encouraged to think that right down at the end here, no matter how dark things had become, God had a message for his people. And God has a message for you and for me. This book is good for all time. God's principles don't change. The truth doesn't change.
In the New Testament, the foundation that was laid at the beginning concerning the truth of Christianity in the church, has that changed? No. Times have changed, but the truth hasn't changed. And so we find here that it's not some new revelation that Malachi brings before them, but it's to stir them up now. Notice that this is not an appeal to go back to the land like it was in the days of Ezra. This is not an appeal to build the temple.
To rise and build the temple.
Like in the days of Haggai, this isn't an appeal to build the wall like in the days of Nehemiah.
No, this is to stir their consciences and their hearts as to the moral and spiritual indifference that had come in amongst God's people. And don't we need to be stirred, brethren? Don't we need to be stirred. I need to be stirred in my soul as to these things. And so the Lord had He had a word for them, not some new Revelation brethren. If we're looking for some new Revelation right down at the end of this dispensation, we're going to be disappointed. But it's to go back and act on 1St principles.
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In fact, that was all has always been the way of blessing for God's people when we back up in the history of God's earthly people in the Old Testament.
Those times of revival and real blessing in Israel were times when they went back to what had been laid down at the beginning. And even in the history of the church. There was a revival in the 1800s because Godly men in searching the word of God went back to what had been established at the beginning. We often speak of it as recovered truth, Not fresh truth or fresh light, but recovered truth or recovered light. And so I want to warn you, because I know there's a great movement out in Christian circles today to look for something new and fresh.
Not that the word of God shouldn't be fresh to our souls at all times, but to look for some new Oregon fresh principles or like.
I believe is not only wrong, but it's very dangerous. And so it was the same, it was, it was a new truth, it was the same message to stir them up, to go back, to act on what had been established at the beginning. And then he says, I have loved you, saith the Lord. Now I believe it's very significant that Malachi begins what are very serious exhortations with a reminder of the Lord's love for them, of Jehovah's love for them.
Their response may have been very small at this time, very feeble at best.
But what was it that was really going to stir them up, just to have certain principles brought before them, If I can put it this way, as cold, hard facts, as true as it might have been? No, he wanted to make an appeal to their heart as well. And before he appeals to the conscience, he appeals to the heart. I realize the conscience always must be reached, because the conscience is the channel, but the dwelling place is the heart. And when the truth enters in that way, as we were saying this morning.
Then I believe there's going to be true blessing following. There's going to be not just a knowledge of the truth, but will be doers of the word and not hearers only. And it's so interesting to me, I I know it's often been pointed out, but it's so interesting to follow through the times from the Old Testament right to the end of the New Testament, to follow out the times when God confirmed His love to His. People always are, usually at a time when they were going on poorly.
Did he love them when they were going on? Well, indeed he did. But he knew if they were going to be stirred up to return that he had to stir them up as to his love for them. Because divine love is very different than natural love. Divine love, while it delights in the response, is not dependent on it. I say it delights in a response. My son give me thine heart, but it's consistency is not dependent on it. Natural love is to at least some degree dependent.
On something lovable in the object and to be maintained it has to have a response or it will wane and even die. But let's just notice a few. I know they've been pointed out before, but we'll just notice them in passing. We find it was read to us yesterday. I think at the beginning of the prayer meeting, it was read to us how that at the end of the wilderness journey in the book of Deuteronomy, he said it says he loved the people. All the people are in his hand. You know if that had come in the 15th of Exodus.
At the beginning of the wilderness journey, why, you'd say, of course there was Israel in the freshness of redemption and deliverance. They're singing, giving God the glory. And yes, I could see if he confirmed his love to them then. But when does that confirmation come? Not at the beginning of the wilderness journey, but at the end of it. And what kind of a journey was it? Why, it was a journey that was stained with murmuring and fault, finding and complaining and questioning the authority of God's servants and sin, and the governmental hand of God heavy upon them time and time again.
Did he love them any less on the banks of Jordan as he loved them on the banks of the Red Sea? Not for a moment. He loved them. He loved all the people. Then you come over to the book of Jeremiah, where they had he had to accuse them of adultery, because they had, uh, turned to idolatry, and it was a very serious thing. He disposed them to himself. What does it say? It says, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. His love was just as fervent for them as it when he had confirmed it to them at the end of the wilderness journey.
And then you come over here to the end of their history in the Old Testament. Did he love them any less than the days of Malachi, when there were appalling things going on even in the temple?
And the sacrifices, No. Yeah, it says, I have loved you. This is unconditional love. You know what's interesting? At the end of the Lord's pathway? It says, having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Again, notice where that confirmation comes. If he had, if it had said that at the beginning of their history and walking with the Lord Jesus, you'd say, of course, but at the end of those years that they had walked with him during his public ministry.
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He loved them unto the end. And there was plenty more failure to follow. Peter was going to deny him. Judas, an unregenerate man to the end, was going to betray him. All the disciples were going to forsake him and flee. Was his love any less than when he had called them from their occupations to follow him and be with him? No. And then we're taking up the seven churches. You know, it's interesting. There are two churches, 2 assemblies that he confirms his love to.
We are so beautiful. The first one is Philadelphia.
And you say, oh, I can understand that why he loved them in Philadelphia. They were seeking to keep his word and not deny his name. Oh, I can see why he confirmed his love to them to come to the next one, Laodicea.
Many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Did he love them any less? And laodicea because of the condition of things, no. He loved them just the same. He didn't love what they were doing. Just notice verse 10 in the middle of verse ten of our chapter. Here he says, I have no pleasure in you. You say that conflicts. You just said it just said in the first second verse he he loved them. But one is uh. One is his purpose, the other uh.
The other is their actions. He didn't love their actions, he loved them, but he didn't love what they were going on with. We sometimes say in the gospel God loves the Sinner but he doesn't love their sin. And God loves everyone of us. But he may not be pleased with the way we're going on in our Christian in our Christian pathway and so he he I have loved you, saith the Lord. And I just want to say before we pass on that I believe there's nothing will stir our hearts brethren and cause us to return to first love and 1St principles.
Like a deeper appreciation of his love for us not to be so much occupied with our response. You've heard me say this many times, but I'm going to repeat it. You know the bride in the Song of Solomon, as she's awakened in her affections to the bridegroom. What is it that awakens those affections? Being occupied with herself, with her response? To be occupied with what she is to him? No, it was to be occupied with himself.
As she enumerated his love for her, as she went over his qualities and beauties and glories, why it unconsciously awakened and affections and appreciation in her heart that at the end of it she could say he is altogether lovely. Her affections were deeper by the end of it, not because of self occupation, but because of occupation with the bridegroom. That's what's going to deepen our affections and I say if there's going to be a going on.
In the truth of God the affections must be awakened, the affections must be brought into play. And so I have loved you, saith the Lord. Then just notice verse five, it says, And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, the Lord will be magnified from the borders of Israel. Now as I say, we're just going to make some applications relevant to us today from this, from the these chapters, and I would just say as we read this.
So one of the beautiful things that brings before us, and I realize this is going to have its fulfillment in the coming day in connection with God's earthly people, Israel, and he is going to establish them in the land with borders that they've never known and appreciated before. But brethren, what it brings before my own soul this afternoon for our purposes is that the purposes of God are never going to be frustrated. God is greater than our failure. God is greater than our sin. His purposes are never going to be frustrated. The work of the enemy.
Is never gonna be frustrated, the Lord Jesus said on this rock. I will build my church in the gates of hell. Shall not prevail against it. All the failure in our personal lives and our family lives in the assembly, and I'm not excusing failure in any way, but all that failure is not going to frustrate the purposes of God. The wrath of man shall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain. He's working all things after the council of his own will, and can't we rest on that brethren?
You know, sometimes even when practical things arise in the assembly, things that need to be dealt with for the Lord's glory.
The tendency of our hearts is something has to be done to straighten out this problem. We've got to jump in there and get this rectified. Well, brethren, let's remember God doesn't need any one of us, all he delights to use us. And yes, we must be faithful. Sin is a thing that's not fit for the presence of God or for his people, and we need to be faithful. And there needed to be faithfulness here in the days of Malachi, what he's trying to bring before them. But in the final analysis, brethren, every purpose of God through the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be brought to fruition. We can rest in that. Why aren't we out today trying to change the world?
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And lobby against the abuses of humanity. Because we know there's one who sits on the circle of the earth and one who's in full control of everything. Isn't that true in our lives too? And in the assembly? You know, there's two verses that have been a great comfort to me in the assembly in recent years. He's head of the body and his son over his own house. There's one who's in full control and one who's going to bring it all to pass. Naomi, understanding that there was one in control of a difficult situation in her day, encouraged another.
Sit still, my daughter, until they'll see how the matter will fall. For the man will not be in rest until he bring it to pass this day. And then in verse nine, we're just going to go very quickly here. Verse nine we read. And now I pray you beseech God, that he will be gracious unto us. This has hath been by your means will he regard your person, Saith the Lord of Ho, saith the Lord of Hosts. Well, again, I just want to make a little application here. We're going to find you find all through the Book of Malachi.
There's a call to repentance. And maybe I could just say this, while I think of it, that brother, no matter what failure there has been in our lives, personally FA as families or as assemblies gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is always a way back. I'm not saying there aren't consequences, and the older I get, the more I realize the government of God is very real in our lives. But there is always a way back, and there is a path for personal faithfulness even amidst utter ruin and failure, as we've been saying on every hand. You know, I don't believe that the church collectively.
Is ever going to return to the fervor of first love. It's a point that we've noticed this morning in connection with Ephesus, a point of departure to which the Church collectively will never return. But it is possible for a person individually to be in the enjoyment of first love. Ought to be we ought to every one of us, be exercised to be in the enjoyment of First Love. We're never going to return to the Pauline days of the Church, but we ought to seek grace to go on and keep His word and not deny His name.
I trust there's no thought, even in corners of our hearts, as to being Philadelphia historically, but we ought to covet the Lord's commendation. They had His approval, and isn't that what we really covered in our souls? The Lord's approval? And so he He speaks here of beseeching the Lord and on the grounds of grace, Brethren, It is where sin abounded. Grace did much more abound, and His grace always supersedes brethren. And if there's real exercise and a looking to him, then His grace comes in. Oh, I know, as I say.
We reap what we sow. Whatsoever man soweth actually also reap. That applies to a believer just as much as an unbeliever. If we reap to the flesh corruption or sow to the flesh corruption, we're gonna reap to the flesh corruption. So we see a couple of nice examples that have often been pointed out. You know, Abraham sinned and he sinned grievously. And this world in the Middle East particularly, are still suffering from Abraham's sin. But you know, Abraham was happily restored to the Lord in his own soul. All there were consequences. And Ishmael and his descendants have become the constant enemies of the people of God.
But there was restoration and usefulness for Abraham. When David sinned, it was grievous, and a sword never departed out of his house forever. But he was a man after God's own heart. And God did use him in the blessing of his people, and used him in a very mighty way. And so God is gracious. Let's never limit the grace of God. Yes, he's holy, as we've been saying, but his grace super abounds. Well, we find at the end of the chapter 2, I'll just read the last verse, but cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male.
And voweth and sacrificed us under the Lord, a corrupt thing. For I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts. And in my name is Dre. And and my name is dreadful among the heat. And again, I just want to read this in passing to confirm what we've been saying and to realize that there is one, as we said this morning, who's in full control. You know, again, sometimes we think those who are older or those who take the oversight, they're in full control. But God has his purposes. God is in full control. You know this world.
Seems out of control on the world stage and men in high places are shaking their heads and saying where is it all going to end. But the Christian who's reading his Bible with exercise is more intelligent as to what's gonna happen in this world than all the wise worldly statesman. Because we know there's one who's going to reign in righteousness and Princess are gonna rule in judgment. The kingdoms of this world are going to be the kingdoms of our Lord in Christ and he's going to reign and bring everything under control according to his sense of what is righteous.
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And what this world should be. And so we can rest in this, but again, can't we bring it right down to our own personal situation?
Our own assembly life today to realize there's one in full control of every situation. But we're not going to make much comment on the second chapter. But suffice it to say that this whole second chapter is a rebuke and a an admonishment to those who are in a place of leadership and influence amongst God's people. It's a rebuke to the Princess. It's an appeal to the Princess. Now I realize that in the first chapter, he does. He has already spoken directly to the Princess.
But in the first chapter, it's more in connection with the people being a reflection of the print. What was in the prince's heart and what they were going on with was reflected in the people you know. That's solemn for any of us to consider who are in a place of leadership and influence.
And that solemn to think about it, stirs my own soul. It stirs my own soul to think that God looks at his people, and He saw He sees them as a reflection of those that he has placed in a place of leadership and influence amongst them. It ought to stir the souls of some of us in this room this afternoon. And I only point to my own finger. And if I have to point, I have to leave it pointed at my own heart, and leave it there.
But you know, in this chapter it is direct to the priests. And so he takes up this whole chapter. It perhaps was mentioned already in these meetings. But we're all responsible, you know, all the people of God are responsible. As we notice, this book opens to all of Israel, although he's addressing certain ones at different times, because there are those who are more responsible and those that God raises up in a place of leadership and influence amongst his people are not only more responsible, but more vulnerable to the attack of the enemy.
Because I believe that the enemy understands very clearly that if he can trip up those in a place of influence amongst the people of God, whether it's on the local assembly or on a wider sphere, not only do they miss the path, but they usually take others with them. You know, we've seen in the history of the Lord's people that sometimes those who miss the path, who have been in a place of leadership, come back by the grace of God, but they rarely, if ever, bring their followers back.
There's irreparable damage that is done, and so the enemy is busy. And perhaps that's why the Apostle Paul particularly gathered the elders at Ephesus together and gave them those words that we referred to in the 20th chapter of Acts. Because he realized that they were in a place where they could influence others, and his desire was that they would, after his departure, not be tripped up by that which was from without and that which would rise amongst the people of God.
And so this chapter rebukes and admonishes and appeals to the Princess. And it's very interesting that in the second verse he says if he will not hear it and if he will not lay it to heart, isn't that interesting. See again, he's appealing to the heart, not merely to the intellect, but he's appealing to the heart. And we find in verse five that there are those things that ought to have characterized them but weren't verse five and six. In fact, there are seven things. Just notice them quickly in passing.
He says my covenant was with him up. Notice this life then peace, the fear of the Lord, the law of truth. There was to be no iniquity in their lips. They were to walk with God, and they were to be a blessing to others, seven things that ought to have characterized them but weren't. And we see this when the Lord Jesus came in his day. You know, those who were in a place of leadership and influence ought to have been standing for rectitude and righteousness.
They were the very ones that ought to have recognized the Lord Jesus as the Messiah and pointed others to Him, the populace in Israel. But they not only Not only did they not see him or want him themselves, but they hindered others who would have entered in. And that was why it was such a serious thing for the Lord Jesus to pronounce woe. Those woes are not on the general populace of Israel. Yes, everyone is responsible individually, but those in that place of leadership were very responsible. God was going to hold them responsible because they ought to have been pointing the way.
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And as I say, standing for rectitude and righteousness, and we don't have time. But it's interesting you can trace this out if you notice in Mr. Darby's translation. Five times in this chapter he accuses the priests of being unfaithful. It's translated treacherously in the King James, but Mr. Darby translates that that they were unfaithful. Isn't that solemn to think that those who ought to have been taking oversight for the flock of God, and ought to have been carrying out the service of God in a way?
That would be for the blessing of the people of God. They had to be accused five times.
Of unfaith. Of unfaithfulness. Well then, I want to just notice we're going to move very quickly here. But let's go down to the third chapter. I just want to notice verse 6. For I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Well, here we find another little expression that ought to encourage our hearts. Brethren, I am the Lord. I change not. We sometimes sing that hymn. We change. He changes not. I'm thankful for that. Aren't you? You know, there's very little that stays the same in this fast-paced world today.
You know, I'm a person. I'm a very conservative person, and I don't like change. And I love routine and I don't like to, as the young people would say, get out of my comfort zone. But I've had to learn there's very little stays the same. Everything seems to change all about us in this world today. But there's one of whom it says, But thou remainest, he doesn't change, brethren. And it says in Timothy, if if we don't abide faithful, he abides faithful, he cannot deny himself not that that excuse is unfaithfulness on our part. It did not excuse the unfaithfulness.
On the part of the priests here and the people of God. But we can rest on his faithfulness.
He never changes. And so it says, Ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. I like that because if it said ye sons of Israel, you'd say, of course, because Israel is what we are. By grace Israel means a Prince with God, and he has indeed brought us as beggars from the dunghill and set us among Princess. But so often, especially at times of failure in the Old Testament, it's not Israel that it's addressed, it's Jacob that's addressed. In other words, he says, even if you act like men in the flesh.
I haven't changed. It's not wonderful to think of Jacob's what we are by nature. And so he says.
Ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed.
And so we can go on, brethren. I know it's difficult. Maybe there's somebody sitting here today and you say, Jim, you just don't understand. When I go back on Monday, I'm going back to a very difficult situation, maybe at work, maybe in the family circle, sometimes in the assembly. You just don't know what's going on in our area. Well, perhaps I don't. But I do know one thing the Lord is sufficient. He's able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. I just want to encourage you to hold fast, not to give up. It's easier to give up.
To just throw up our hands as the old expression. To hang crepe, to say it's all over. But oh brethren, we have everything that we need. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. And it's interesting in this little book.
So 24 * 24 times in these 4 short chapters, Jehovah is referred to as the Lord of Hosts. We're gonna notice there was a very feeble company seeking to go on, but they had the Lord of Hosts at their disposal. They might have said how can we stand up against the tide of indifference and all that's coming in. Oh, he says, you've got the Lord of hosts on your side. You know, it's like the man who said to the prophet, the young man said to the prophet, he said, we can't stand against this host, they're surrounding us. We can't stand against them.
And you remember what happened? The Prophet prayed, and the veil was taken away for a moment, and the Chariots of the Lord's hosts were seen. And he realized that there was more with them than more with the enemy. Oh, there was a vast host. And I don't want to underestimate the work of the enemy. I don't want to underestimate the problems and difficulties associated with going on in the truth and at the Lord's table in the last days. But what I do want you to realize is we have the Lord of hosts on our side. There's more with us than with them.
Maybe we can't see it. It's only discerned by the spiritual eye, utilized by spiritual energy.
But be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We can go on brethren and brethren, If we give up in some sphere of our life, what excuse are we gonna give at the judgment seat of Christ? Are we gonna stand there and say, well Lord, we couldn't do it. We just didn't have the wherewithal to do it. Sometimes I've given my children a task when I've gone away. And when I got home from a trip, they didn't hadn't completed it. And they said, Dad, he didn't give us everything we needed to do it. And I looked over the situation and I had to admit it was true.
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But he's given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. He's going to say to us in that day, look, you had everything you needed. Get all things and you if you had to give up, oh brother, let's be strong in the Lord. We have the Lord of hosts. I can't stress this enough. And he doesn't change and we're not consumed. I just want to notice in verse 7 two to emphasize something I said earlier, even from the days of your father's. Are you gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them.
And then I want to notice this return unto me, and I will return unto you. They'd given up the truth. They'd given up that which had been established at the beginning by God. But does he tell them to return to those ordinances? No. He tells them, return unto me because he knew if their hearts returned to him, then it would take care of those other things. And, you know, sometimes we stress the importance of walking in the truth, of knowing the truth, of walking in it, of holding it. It's all part of it. It's certainly true. I don't want to.
Take away or mitigate anything that's been said in the even in these meetings as to uh, that aspect of things. But again I stress, if we're walking in communion with Christ, if our hearts go out more to Him when we leave these meetings, if we're left here at the end of this weekend, then there's going to be that desire to walk in His commandments. Because the Lord said me said if a man loved me, he will keep my commandments. It's a heart motivated, you know, we talk about.
Purpose of heart. But purpose of heart is really a heart is really the affections motivated by an object. It's having Christ before us. And then those other things are going to fall into place. So they had departed from the truth. But the key was return unto me. Oh, I say I can't stress that enough. Can you remember a time in your Christian life when you walked closer to the Lord, when there was more sweet communion and fellowship enjoyed from day-to-day? If you can remember a time in your life like that.
Then we need to be exercised to get back into the presence of the Lord, that there might be that desire.
To walk in his truth, And then in verse 10 he says, Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing.
That there may shall not be room enough to receive it. I just want to point out that this was his heart, and the heart of our God is still the same today. All again, we're not going to return to great days of great power and great testimony, and the days of the early Acts and and so on. But he does delight to bless his people, and I've been encouraged, as I've had opportunity, to travel amongst the Lord's people and to preach the gospel a little bit in other countries.
To realize that God is still blessing. God is still working by his spirit. Oh, it's not 3000 saved in one preaching, or 5000 saved, or great multitudes coming together in the assembly like we have in the Acts, but one in another being saved. We just had a brother last Lord's Day took his place at the Lord's table in Smith's falls. It was an encouragement to us to realize that the Spirit of God is still working. We had someone come into the gospel the other night and.
Really listen and I think the exercise, the spirit of God is still working in little ways and I'll just say this in passing. Having said that, for every one of us, there's no shortage of opportunities. Don't ever think there's shortage of opportunities for the gospel or to encourage your brethren. The the shortage is diligence and energy on our part. There's no shortage on His part of sometimes said when we get up in the morning, we don't need to pray and ask the Lord for opportunities as much as we need to pray and ask the Lord that we will avail ourselves.
Of the opportunities that are presented to us, and so he desired to bless his people. I just want to make a little comment, and I don't want to be dogmatic about this, but I'll just say it in passing and as a suggestion. You know, we know from the history of God's people, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, and from our own history as well. That declension comes in very quick when when God commits responsibility into the hand of man, He fails very quickly in keeping his responsibility.
And I would suggest that perhaps the book of Malachi was written during the second visit of Nehemiah to Jerusalem. The reason I say that is on the basis of this verse, because you remember when Nehemiah returned the second time that he saw failure and declension and a lethargic attitude had already come in between in his absence between those two visits. And he rebuked them at that time, and one of the things he rebuked them for.
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Was that those who ought to be devoting their full time to the service of God in his house?
Had to return to their fields to make a living, that the tithes had not been brought into the storehouses, as had been made provision for in the first visit of Nehemiah and back in Ezra and so on. And he rebuked them for this, that the Levites and the singers had had to return to their field. You know, I believe that's one of the characteristics of the last days, and I'll just leave it at that. But I I just make that suggestion that if you compare this verse with that, that perhaps that's how quickly the spirit of things came in amongst the Lord's people.
And that in itself ought to exercise us and solemnize our hearts as well. So I'll just drop down to the 16th verse. These well know, this well known verse we often enjoy. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, And the Lord hearkened and heard it in a book of remembrance, was written before him for them that feared the Lord and the thought upon his name. You know, there was perhaps very little of the fear of God in Israel in these days, but there were those who were seeking to go on in the fear of the Lord.
They were seeking to go on and honor the Lord in their conduct individually.
But also in their conduct collectively, and that's why I said at the beginning of the meeting that there's always a path of faith for us.
Collectively until the very end. I say that because I've heard many say, well, you know, it doesn't matter. At the end, it's all broken up and there's no corporate side of things. At the end. All brethren, be very, very careful. Young people be very, very careful. God always maintains a ground for us, not only as individuals and families, but collectively until the very end when God sets up and establishes something for the blessing of man on the earth.
He always maintains it until the end and so they were seeking to go on together.
And the Lord observed it. Isn't that wonderful? The world wasn't observing it. Their fellow brethren in Israel who were going on in indifference, weren't observing it. But there was one from above. He might have said, you might feel very small. It's like the Lord said to his disciples, Fear not, little flock. It is your father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. He said, Do it for the Lord's approval. Do it for his approval. And so here it's the Lord who, uh, if you notice Mr. Darby's translation, it's not hearkened but observed. And so he was looking down, and he saw this little company.
And again, I say, brethren, isn't that what we really want? Do we want the Lord's approval? Do we want the approval of other Christians? Paul said we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. That was a great labor of Paul's life, to have the acceptance of the Lord. I know when we're younger, we desire to have the acceptance of our peers and of others, but let's learn to first of all desire his acceptance. And so he heard it. And not only did he hear it, but he wrote it down in a book of remembrance.
Business touching to think that so much did he value this little company seeking to go on together in faithfulness to him that he wrote it down, jotted it down in his book of remembrance. You know, every act of faithfulness is jotted down in his book of remembrance. Maybe you say when we come to the assembly meetings, you know, there's just two or three brothers and or maybe even just two or three in the little assembly and you know, we read a portion. We don't get much out of it.
We come for prayer, and there's long pauses. We come on Lord's Day, and there's such weakness. And I'm not saying we shouldn't be exercised about that. But, you know, every time we come together to honor him as gathered to his name as A and at his table, he so values it, brethren, he jots it down in his book of remembrance. Think of a day coming when that book is gonna be open. And he says, oh, on such and such a Lord's day, you met with that little company. Maybe you didn't have the approval of many people.
But you have my approval, and I'm going to reward you for it. I value that in the scene of my rejection.
You met and sought to be faithful and to honor me. And so for those that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name, right down to a thought he valued so much that he jotted it down. And then he says, and they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts. In that day when I make up my jewels. Well the children sometimes sing that Sunday school song precious jewels and we we it's applied there to the children, but here it's applied to to believers. Now and again I realize this has a prophetic character and.
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Looks on to a coming day for Israel and so on. But you know, the jewels are taken up in different ways, in scripture, different places. We find that on the breastplate of the high priest there was a separate stone for every tribe of the children of Israel for each of their names. Why? I believe that Jules often in scripture denote the individual preciousness of believers to his heart, the individual preciousness of believers to his heart. You realize you're a jewel to the heart of the Lord Jesus. You're precious.
We sometimes think of how he ought to be precious to us, and he should be, but to think of how precious we are to him. And it's interesting in the heavenly city in the coming day, in the millennial city, in the End of Revelation, that there are those precious stones there again that make up the walls of that city. Why? Because even in eternity, eternity is not a melting pot. There's going to be distinct individual preciousness of each believer to the heart of God. I I love that and that precious. To think that we're for all eternity, yes, we're gonna be the bride of Christ collectively.
Yes, there's gonna be a vast host, a multitude of different families in heaven, but we're all going to retain an individual preciousness. And so as we read this, to think how precious we are to his heart, the world says, oh, they're just the people, they're just those crazy people. They don't even go along with us in our programs and our ways, he says, Never mind, you might not be valued by the world, but you're precious to my heart. Let's always remember that, brother. You ever feel rejected? You ever feel like you just didn't belong, but you weren't very valuable?
Remember the value that you have to his heart. Well, in the last chapter he it speaks of the Son of righteousness rising. And again, it's in connection with Israel. There's a day coming when equity and justice are going to prevail in this world and the Son of righteousness is going to rise with healing in his wings. And Israel is going to be brought into blessing and association with himself. But we sang of the morning star for the church. It's the morning star, not the son of righteousness. But we're going to turn over in closing to a little portion in the New Testament. But I just want to notice the last word of this book.
A curse.
The Old Testament ends with the word curse. But now let's turn over to the end of the New Testament.
Last chapter of Revelation, Chapter 22.
Verse 7 Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Verse 14 I I'm sorry. Verse 12. And behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give. Every man according as his work shall be. Verse 20 he which testifieth these things Seth, surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Well, I think we see the difference very quickly. But it's interesting that three times on the pages that the last page of God's word, there's a confirmation of his coming, lest there be any doubt in our minds. Brethren, he says three times.
A divine testimony. Behold, I come quickly and it's in connection with something different each time. Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is He that keepeth the prophecies of this book. Now I realize when it says the prophecies of this book, it's referring to what is just preceded in the Book of Revelation. But there's a broad sense to what we have here. I've sometimes said that in this verse we have reaction because, you know, when we come to meetings like this, what is our to be our reaction that we would seek grace to keep?
What we've heard so we might walk in the good of this book. What we've heard, the truth that has been given to us in God's book, the word, the Bible. And so that's ought to be our reaction. And in connection with the Lord's coming, what ought to be our reaction that we would seek to walk in faithfulness, the footstep or two that are left to us. But in the 12Th verse, then it's reward, because if there is any faithfulness He says, I'm coming, am I? Reward is with me. He'll reward for any little faithfulness, as we've been saying, even to a cup of water given in his name.
But then we come down to the end and it's not reaction, it's not respo. It it's it's not reaction, it's not reward, it's response. And it to me, it's just as if he says that's what I've been looking for, I've been looking for a response. And so over the third time, he says, surely I come quickly and there's an immediate response. Is that the response? I mean the true response of your heart and mind this afternoon? Do we really look up and in our hearts say Even so come, that's what he wants, brethren, now.
He has to allow sometimes circumstances to get that response, looking for the mercy of our Lord, and the longer we're left here, the more of a mercy it's going to be to be gone. But that's not really why he wants the response. He wants a response out of the heart, so attracted to himself that we want nothing less than to be uncloudedly and unhinderedly and physically in his presence there in the father's house. That's what he desires, brethren. And when he gets the response, he never repeats it.
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This is different. So I don't have to say I'm coming quickly again When there's a response, you know, when you ask somebody or tell somebody something that loves you, and there's a response so I don't have to tell that person again and so he doesn't repeat it here, surely I come quickly. Someone has said that this is the last promise of Scripture. Do you realize these are the last recorded words of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible?
Last recorded words of the Lord Jesus. This promise, surely I come quickly. It's the last promise. Then we have the last prayer.
What are the last recorded words of the people of God in the new, in the in the word of God? Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus. So we have the last promise, the last prayer, and he closes the book. Not quite. We need the last provision as well.
My grace is sufficient for the and so he says here, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. In other words, he says, if I leave you here another few moments, if I leave you here a little bit longer, remember my grace is sufficient. And it is, brethren. We have, as I say, the resources. And if we get nothing else out of this little talk we've had this afternoon, let's just remember that we have everything in Christ that we need to live for His glory and to go on not only. Individually.
As families, but as collectively as gathered to the Lord's name until the very last moment when the Lord Jesus comes and the resources that you and I have in Christ today are the is the same limitless supply that has always been available to the people of God. It was a dark day in Malachi, but there were those who were seeking to press on. They had the Lord's approval, all breathing. Let's covet that for our own soul. Don't give up. Let's go on now. I see so many young men here, and young women.
Such potential. You know, I was a young brother sitting in the meetings, It doesn't seem that long ago, but I was a young brother sitting in the meetings listening to the older Brethren minister on these things, and I wondered how I was going to get along. And as I got older, well, I've learned one thing, at least it takes utter dependence and availing ourselves of the resources that we have in Christ. But perhaps I've learned another thing too, at least in some measure, that it's all there, if we're willing to draw on it. I say again, he's loved us. His purposes don't change.
Let's seek to press on. So we look into his face and hear those glorious words. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. And are thou into the joy thy Lord father? We're thankful for the encouragements of thy word, Lord Jesus. We're thankful for the resources that we have indeed blessed Thy word to our souls. We pray in Thy precious and worthy name. Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Achan and Jericho
Address—Robert Boulard
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Let's sing together #285.
The last verse says this to us. Thy cross is life and health. Twas shame and death. To Thee our present glory, joy and wealth, our everlasting stay #285 blessing on our meeting.
Our loving God and our Father we thank.
Just before I turn to the passage of Scripture that I'd like to read here this afternoon, I'd like to turn to Colossians chapter 3 and verse 11 and just read it.
In the way that the new translation reads it.
Just at the end of the verse Colossians chapter 3 and verse 11 Says there just the last sentence it says but Christ is all and in all or Mr. Darby's translation he translates it this way. Christ is everything.
And that's the truth. For a believer, Christ is everything. Everything else in this scene is going to be left behind.
None of us is going to take anything out of this wicked world. And we live in a scene that is governed by the God and the Prince of this world, and he desire us to reach out and take something that he hasn't given us. But God has given us Christ, and he's everything He should be the one that satisfies our hearts in every way. And so he satisfied God and that work on the cross finished holy work. And so we're made fit and presentable to a holy God.
This afternoon. But He desires to have our hearts affections, He desires us that we would just lay hold on that which is really life.
And go on together, waiting for his coming, waiting for the coming of the Lord, while we.
Just go on together in fellowship with himself. Well, I would just like to turn to the book of Joshua.
And I'll read just Chapter 7. Perhaps we could, uh.
Let's read the the last part of chapter 26, Joshua chapter 26 or chapter 6 and verse 26, and then we'll read all of Chapter 7.
Joshua chapter 6 and verse 26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, cursed be the man before the Lord, that rises up and buildeth the city Jericho. He shall lay the foundation thereof in his first born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was noise throughout all the country.
But.
The children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing, for Akan the son of Carmi the son of Zabdai, the son of Zira of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
And Joshua sent min from Jericho to AI, which is beside Bethaven on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed AI. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite AI, and make not all the people to labor thither, for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about 3000 men.
And they fled before the men of AI, and the men of AI smote of them about 30 and six men.
For they chased them from before the gate, even unto Shibarim, and smote them in the going down. Wherefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord, until the evening tide, and the even tide, he and all the and the elders of Israel.
And put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan?
To deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us would to God we had been content, and to dwell on the other side. Jordan, Oh Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies? For the Canaanites and the all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth. And what wilt thou do unto thy great name? And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up.
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Wherefore Elias, thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sin. And they have also transgressed my covenant, which I commanded them. For they have taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and have dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turn their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed.
Neither. Neither will I be with you anymore.
Except ye destroy the accursed from among you up sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against the moral. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee. O Israel, thou canst not stand before thine enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you. In the morning, therefore, you shall be brought before brought according to your tribes, and it shall be that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof.
And the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households, and the household which the Lord shall come, shall take, shall come man by man. And it shall be that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire. He and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath brought wrought folly in Israel. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes.
Judah was taken, and he brought the family of Judah, and he took the family of the Zahra Heights, and he brought the family of the Tsar Heights, man by man. And Zabdai was taken, and he brought his household man by man. And Akan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdai, the son of zero of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Eakin, my son, give, I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him, and tell me now what thou hast done.
Hide it not from me. And he can't answer Joshua, and said, indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done. And when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and 200 shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of 50 shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them. And behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran into the tent, and behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and set and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. And Joshua, and all Israel with him took a can, the son of Zeera, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his ***** and his sheep, and his tent.
And all that he had.
And they brought them under the valley of Acor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised up, and they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of the that place was called the Valley of Acor onto this day. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed. Take all the people of war with thee.
And arise, go up to AI, see, I have given into thy hand.
The king of AI, his people and his city and his land.
And thou shalt do to AI and her king, as thou didst unto Jericho and her king.
Only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves.
Lady in ambush for the city behind it. So Joshua arose and all the people of war to go up against AI. And then let's just read one other verse in the New Testament. We'll read, we'll read some other verses, but I'd just like to turn to Revelation chapter 3.
And, umm.
Let's just read verse 17. Well, let's read verse 16, Revelation chapter 3 and verse 16.
So then, because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and thou anoint thine eyes.
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With I sell that thou mayest see as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.
Well, you know, we read this portion in Joshua chapter 6 and Chapter 7 and a little bit of chapter 8, and they're difficult. Uh, it's a difficult passage sometimes to read and to think of oneself in connection with it, you know, But, umm, I feel the weight of it in my own soul. And that is that, you know, this city of Jericho is a picture of this world and this particular character, and that is.
That umm, Jericho, the name means the constant pleasant odor. And Jericho as a picture of this world is a constant pleasant odor to the flesh in your life and in mind. Even though we're the children of God, the fleshiness desires to have something that Jericho has. And Jericho as a part of this world would also speak to us as that which is the good life, the good life.
You know we live in North America.
And we have a good life. Many of us in this room have had a six figure income. Perhaps some have had even more than a six figure income. And we know what it is to have whatever we desire to have in our hearts. And sometimes I have to say with shame that has been to my own spiritual detriment, that I've been able to go out and buy things that I ought not to have had. And so, you know, the Spirit of God brings before us the seriousness of what covetousness is, the seriousness of it in the sight of a holy God. And that is we pass through Jericho as the Lord Jesus did you know it says in.
Luke's Gospel chapter 19, that the Lord Jesus entered into and passed through Jericho. He entered into the scene that was the curse, the city of the curse, and he didn't touch anything and take it for himself. He couldn't the man of God, perfect, sinless.
Holy man of God, he didn't take anything that God didn't give him. But you know, we find in this little picture.
In the Word of God in Joshua, a little picture of that which hinders the people of God in the path of faith and how quickly communion is lost because of covetousness and it wasn't even discerned. You know that we'll just briefly go through this in Chapter 7. It's Chapter 7, verse one. It says there that in verse one, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
You know, there have been just a great victory. Rod Jericho had fallen.
It had been judged, the walls had come crashing down and Joshua had taken it says in verse 21 of chapter 6.
That they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both men and women, young and old and ox and sheep and *** with the edge of the sword. There was a great victory. And you know, you find a little bit earlier on, I think it's Chapter 5.
Yes, chapter 5 and verse 13. I'd just like to read this, it says.
Joshua 5 and 13 It came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, or stood a man over against him.
With his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him, and said, Art thou unto him? Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as the captain of the host of the Lord, am I now come? And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loosed thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest as holy. And Joshua did so. You know the Lord gave him instruction as to how Jericho was going to be taken.
And Joshua, the book of Joshua really could be parallel to the book of Ephesians, that little letter in the New Testament. And it you know, the children of Israel were going to go out and go into possess the land and they were going to be given a good land that flowed with milk and honey and God himself was going to give it. But it was going to be the Lord that was going to give them direction as to how to take that land. And you know, we find that communion was lost because of disobedience and inverse Chapter 7 and verse one, the first word there says, but the children of Israel committed a trespass. I want to read it the way it's.
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Written and translated in the New Translation. But the children of Israel committed unfaithfulness in that which had been brought under the curse.
Let me read that again. The children of Israel committed unfaithfulness in that which had been brought under the curse.
And so God saw what had taken place and God seized what's in your heart and mind. God sees what we reach out to take with our hands that God didn't give us. And you know, I often think of how Abraham it says in Genesis, I think it's chapter 13, he says, umm, I have lift up my hand unto the most high God. It's chapter 14 and verse 22. He says to the king of Sodom, I have lift up my hand unto the Lord, the most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth.
And so Abram is a man of faith, wouldn't reach out and take something from the king of Sodom, but he would in dependence upon the Lord, wait for the Lord to give him what he needed. And if he had something, he had an empty hand and he needed something, he would turn to the Lord and receive from the Lord what he needed. Well, we find here that the communion is broken and Joshua is part of the oversight in Israel. Didn't even know it. And whole house subtle. The enemy is beloved brethren, I feel it in my own soul how often communion with the Lord is broken so quickly.
And we don't even know it because, you know, there's a progression and I want to just read it just a little bit further on in Chapter 7.
It says in verse 21.
There's a progression when it comes to.
The communion being lost, and it was very quick. Just took a look, it says in verse 21 when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment.
So he saw, that's the first thing he saw, 200 shekels of silver. He saw a wedge of gold of 50 shekels weight. Then it says I coveted them. That's the second thing. And then it says I took them.
He took them and behold, they are hid. That's the thing, what he did. He took them and he hid them. And so, you know, there's a progression. I saw, I took, I coveted, I took, and I hid in the earth in the midst of my tent. And so the household was defiled as a result. But how quickly our communion is lost because we took a look at something that we should never have taken a look at.
As it were. And so this is what took place in Akan's life, and his whole household fell as a result.
Well, it says here in verse two that Joshua sent men from Jericho to AI, which is beside Bethaven. You know, Bethaven means the House of vanity. And so it was on the east side of, uh, Bethel. And when it speaks of the east side of the city and so on, or the east side of the altar in connection with the sacrifices, the east side really has to do with that which is done in the sight of God. The sun rises in the east.
And what was done there in umm AI or in Jericho was done in the sight of the Lord, and it was the House of vanity there. Its picture of the emptiness and frustration of that which has to do with this world. And so we find that communion is lost and then there's no inquiry of the Lord. You know, Joshua didn't inquire of the Lord as to how he was going to take AI. And sometimes we get the idea that we're going to go in and possess the truth of God going and possess something of the.
Truth and enjoy something of the Word of God, but we don't get down on our knees and we don't ask the Lord to make it good to us. I think it's good for us to, as we take up the Word of God and read the Word of God, read ministry. We need to pray and ask the Lord for help to understand what we're reading and to enjoy it in our own souls and to apply it for ourselves. Well, Joshua didn't make that inquiry to the Lord. That's the second thing that we find here in this.
This scene there's no inquiry and then it says they return in verse three to Joshua and said unto him, not let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite AI make not all the people to labor thither for they are but few. Well, you know there was self-confidence. There wasn't that dependence on the Lord. You know we find in first Samuel chapter 13 Saul had the same idea. King Saul, he took he called 3000 men out of Israel after two years of being king and he took 2000 men himself and then he gave 1000 men to Josh to Jonathan his son.
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Well Jonathan we find acted in faith and he went and he smote the Garrison of the Philistines with that 1000 men. But you know there were 3000 men chosen here and it wasn't in the dependence upon the Lord. There was self-confidence and they were going to go out and do what they were going to do. You and I can't enjoy and enter into the truth of God except we walk independence upon the Lord and if we have any self-confidence ourselves that we're going to be able to understand the truth of God, be able to walk in it.
Why it's there's going to be?
That lack of communion, and we're not going to walk in it the way we ought to walk. And so it says in verse four that, uh, they went up thither and they fled before the men of the AI. So there was no victory. So in verse one, there's no communion.
In verse 2, there's no inquiry of the Lord. In verse 3 there's no dependence upon the Lord, there's just self-confidence. In verse four, the result is that there's no victory. And then in verse five says there they smote them in the going down and wherefore the hearts of the people melted. And so there was no courage. And then it says that they the hearts became as water. So there was no strength really six things there. It's a downward course.
And it starts with a lack of communion and not even knowing it, just someone in the camp, just someone in the assembly, if I could use that term, going on and taking something from Joshua, from Jericho and living the good life as it were, and desiring to have it. You know, it's very striking here, that and it speaks to my own heart, is that if I take out, reach out and take something of the good life of this world.
Then it may affect my brethren, it may affect my brethren, may not, as it were, be detectable on the outside, but that which is hidden in my tent and my home may affect my brethren. And so there was this secret thing that had gone on. We spoke of that this morning, the hypocrisy, and there was nothing that showed on the outside, nothing detectable, but the eye of God was upon His people, and He knew what was going on.
And so it says here in verse six that Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord.
Until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads.
Well, you know, they did a good thing. They went Joshua's oversight among the people of God and those that were with him. They fell upon their faces when they saw that there was a defeat and there was the discipline of the Lord, they fell upon their faces. And you know, I think that Joshua here, he did the right thing, but I like to say that he did it in the wrong spirit, you know, because he started to blame the Lord and he doubted the goodness of God.
He doubted the goodness of God among his people. He saw what had taken place among the people of God.
And.
He said here in verse seven would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side. Jordan. You would have thought if there was one man among the children of Israel that would never say such a thing. It would be Joshua. He would never say that it was just built into the children of Israel to be discontent, but you would think that Josh was a man of faith who had gone into the land and spied out the land came back with Caleb and still the people.
And spoke well of that land. You would have thought that you never say this. But you know, beloved brethren, we often say things. We often have a heart that's colder than what we admit. And we often say things that we thought that we'd never say. And hear Joshua said something perhaps that he never thought that he would say. And he, as it were said, you know, the Lord wasn't as good as what we thought he was. Well, he was, He is good. And he did desire the blessing of his people.
But God is holy, and He will not have sinned in His presence. And so he was dealing with Israel. And so it says here that they turn their backs in verse 8 before their enemies. For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it. And shall environment round and cut off our name from the earth. And what shalt thou do unto thy great name? I want to point out some things here. You know Joshua, he ran his clothes.
And that's really personal testimony. The oversight needs to feel that, uh, when there's sin, when there's discipline among the people of God, that there is that personal testimony, their personal testimony is affected as well. And Joshua felt that and then he fell to the earth. Why you might say he, there was confusion of face among his, the, in the, in the oversight go over this matter that had taken place that he really didn't understand, hadn't come to his attention yet. There hadn't been that discernment.
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And then it says that he fell on his face before the ark of the Lord until the even time. And so it says that they put dust upon their heads, and so that glory of not authority of the oversight had been marred because of what had taken place. And then he says here, Wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan He lost his confidence. And then it says.
Would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side. Jordan, he lost the hope of what it was to be in in that good land. And then it says.
Oh Lord, in verse eight, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies? He lost his strength and then it's he didn't have peace. He lost his peace. He thought that they Canaanites would surround them and cut off their name from off the earth. And it says, what wilt thou do unto thy great name? And so there was.
Because of covetousness, because of that which had come in in a secret way, there was a loss to the corporate testimony in verse 9 right at the end there. And so, you know, there wasn't that ability that Joshua saw that that ability to see what had taken place because of this lack of communion and.
I'm not standing up here so that we can point fingers in any way, because I say I feel.
The effects of living in a country that is characterized by Jericho living the good life and living in a place that's a constant pleasant odor to the flesh. You and I don't suffer hunger in the way that other people in this world suffer. We barely suffer anything unless we really expose ourselves. If we expose ourselves even in mentioning the name of the Lord Jesus, why there isn't that reproach as there is in many other countries?
We won't suffer the reproach of Christ as we would in India or some of the other places in this world. But you know, this little picture that's given to us in connection with Joshua at the beginning of his oversight here, There was a great victory and then there's a great failure that takes place. And there's nothing that speaks to me on my own heart. There's nothing that will destroy our communion, your communion and mine with the Lord. There's nothing that will destroy it like covetousness.
When I see something and then there's a progression in my life, I see something and then.
I covet and then I take it and then I hide it, and then it's in the midst of my tent. There's a progression and there's nothing that destroys the communion and a walk with the Lord as there ought to be, as covetousness. You know, there's in Hammer Bay. It's a small community.
Just one St. really, if you go through Hammer Bay, we don't even have a post office. There's a little town 10 minutes to the South macked here and we get our mail there. And, uh, if you took, uh, a drive from Hammer Bay down to Mcteer, you'd find that there were storage units for stuff.
And uh, if you took a drive from Hammer Bay and you drove N to Parry Sound, which is 20 minutes, you'd probably pass three different sets of storage units.
For stuff, there'd be stuff parked outside motor homes and trailers and boats and all kinds of things. And umm, those storage units never existed. Not not very long ago, perhaps 10 years ago in Hammer Bay there, there was no storage units. We didn't need them. People didn't have stuff. But now, you know, even the locals have stuff and they have to store their stuff and they won't get rid of their stuff.
And they keep buying stuff and instead of justice having one storage unit, some have two storage units, some have 3 storage units, some move from a 10 by 10 storage unit into a 10 by 20. And then it's pretty soon it's a 15 by 20. And you know, these units are just filled and filled. But there's unhappy people that have those things that are there in that in that in those storage units. And I just suggest to you, beloved brethren.
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That we have too much stuff and we have got into the habit as this deer man that came under the judgment of God, a can, he reached out and he took something that God didn't give him. And I often think of that verse in First Corinthians chapter 4.
That speaks there to my own conscience.
And the apostle Paul was speaking to the Corinthians.
And he says there.
Let's read umm.
Verse seven. Who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou dost not receive now? If thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hast not received it? Now ye are full, now ye are rich. Ye have reigned as kings without us, and I would to God you did reign, that we also might reign with you.
Not an indictment of what was taking place in Corinth. I say it could be an indictment. It was taking place in our own country, here in Canada and in the United States. Everyone of us could read this verse and say he was speaking to us. And so, you know, we've gotten to the habit of reaching out for things that God didn't give us. Well, it says here in, let's just continue in verse 10, the Spirit of God records that the Lord had a conversation with Joshua.
And it was a serious thing of what God had seen. And you and I get a pretty light notion of what we reach out and take and.
God sees it and covetousness is sin. It's wickedness in the sight of the Lord. And it says here in verse 11 That Israel has sinned. I think there's six or seven things that God tells Joshua. He says he sinned, Israel has sinned. Sin is lawlessness. That's what it says in first John three and verse 4.
So Israel is sin and also have also transgressed.
Now transgression means the breaking away from authority, the authority of the Lord and God had given them His word and they weren't to take anything out of the accursed city. In verse chapter 6, if you turn back to chapter 6 and verse 18, it says ye in any wise keep yourself from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed. When you take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it, but all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron are consecrated under the Lord, they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.
Well, God continues here. He says the first thing that Israel has sinned, they've acted in a lawless way, and then they've transgressed. They've broken away from the authority of the Lord in this thing. And then they've taken of the accursed thing. They reached out and took something that wasn't theirs. They touched it and it says they've stolen, they took something that God didn't give them. And then in verse, just the end of verse 11, there they have put it.
Among their own stuff. And so they have stolen, confessed, took it, taken it and concealed it under false pretenses. It says they dissembled. That's really concealing it under a false pretense. And so they'd done this. And then it says in verse 12, right at the end, it says because they were accursed, neither will I be with you anymore, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
Well, they.
Really made themselves.
If I could use this terminology, unpleasant to the Lord, they the Lord takes pleasure in his people and he delighted to bless them. He delighted to bring them across the river Jordan and to bring them into the land of promise. And instead of enjoying his people, the Lord had to look down and he had to say that they'd sinned, they transgressed, they'd taken the accursed thing, they'd stolen, they dissembled, they'd put it among their own stuff and then made themselves filthy in his sight. And so he says to.
Joshua here that there's going to be a remedy.
There's got to be the thing has to be dealt with. And so I just point this out. You know, I read this portion of Scripture and it speaks of the seriousness of sin.
00:35:01
And you and I might take and buy something that we can afford and every one of us and just not think a whole lot of it. We looked out and saw something that we wanted. We coveted it.
We laid our hands on it, we took it into the house, we hid it, and perhaps no one, no one knows about it, but the Lord sees and, umm, it's a serious thing. It's a very, very serious thing that God brings before Joshua, the children of Israel. And so it needed to be dealt with. And this is what we have here in this portion of Scripture. That covetousness needs to be dealt with. It's just not going to go away. And we might think that God's going to make an exception.
For me, God's gonna make an exception just for this one thing that I have, just for the one thing. It's just he didn't take a lot. And Akan took something that God didn't give him. He didn't take a lot, you might say, and all that city, But you know, he was wanting to live the good life. He had a covetous heart, and he wanted to live something of a good life. He wanted to live in Jericho, as it were, but not be in Jericho, not a part of it. And so you and I, if we really confessed and judged our own spirits in this thing, we would confess that we do like the good life. We do like the things that we see in Jericho. And it's a constant pleasant odor to us as we see these things. And we hanker for those things that might give us comfort and ease and luxury in this scene.
But it was a serious thing in the sight of the Lord, so it says in verse 14.
That there was going to be a drilling down to the get to the root of it. And God was going to do that. He was going to take the tribes, the families, the households, and then man by man and he was going to get down to the root of it. And so that's how sin needs to be dealt with. We need to get to the root of it. And you know, if we've gone out and taken something that we ought not to have, we need to get to the root of it and we need to in the presence of God.
Recognize what it is before him. And you know, that's what characterizes Laodicea is I am rich. I have need of nothing. And we're so used to going and getting what we want, what we saw and just laying our hands on it that, uh, it just doesn't touch us the way it ought to. We don't ask permission to buy what we buy and we just go out and take it. You know, our dear brother Dave Hurlbut and his wife, they, uh, lost their house in a fire. They lost everything.
You know, I looked at the that dear brother and sister after the fire and and saw what was left of the house and, and they felt a loss, you know, that there wasn't the photographs that they had grown up with their wedding album and all kinds of things that were burned up in the fire and what they were happy, they were content. They had the Lord, they had what they needed. And that's why I read, you know, Colossians 3 and verse 11.
Christ is everything. You and I perhaps have stuff all over the place. We have stuff and there's not discontent. There isn't that communion with the Lord. There isn't that satisfying of the heart with the things of God because the covetousness have come in and dulled our senses. And so this is the picture that we have in this little story. And so it says in verse 15.
That there was going to be the government of God in connection with it, and it was going to be according to the word of God.
And so the Lord says, that he that is taken with the accursed things shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. And so you and I affect one another. None of us liveth unto himself, and no man dieth unto himself. Every one of us has an effect on one another. Every one of us has an effect upon the assembly here. Every one of us has an effect upon the family in which.
In the home that we live in and what we take into that home, we have an effect. None of us liveth unto himself, and no man dieth unto himself. That's Romans chapter 14, verse seven. Well, it says here in verse 16.
That Joshua rose up early in the morning, I want to point out.
Several things here in connection with Joshua's dealing with this situation. Perhaps seven things that we could draw out. It says that he rose up early in the morning. And so covetousness when it's dealt with, requires the energy of faith. It really does. We need to rise up early in the morning and it needs to be something when the Lord points it out to us that we need to deal with. It's not going to get dealt with unless we rise up in faith early in the morning.
00:40:12
Not just slide along and just hope for the best, as it were, but you know, if we really want to walk with the Lord, if we really do feel the emptiness of all of the possessions that we have and all that we've just laid our hearts upon and that have divided our hearts with Christ, why we need to rise up in the energy of faith early in the morning and deal with it. Well, it says in verse 17 that he brought the family of Judah and took the family of the Tsar heights. And he brought the family of the Tsar Heights man by man. And Zabdai was taken and he brought his household man by man. And a can the son of Carmi, the son of Zab die the son of Zahra of the tribe of Judah was taken.
So the second thing is that we need to, in dealing with covetousness, we need to be obedient to the word of God. And so Joshua was obedient. He had a desire that that communion with the Lord would be restored. Is that how you and I desire it? You know, I have to confess that sometimes I've bought things that I've been sorry that I've bought, but once they're bought, you know, it's hard to, to get rid of. And the, some of you know that, umm, we sold our house about a year and a half ago and Ohio, it was a nice house.
Nice brick face house, 3 car garage and just a lovely house and I think oftentimes of how I miss that house and.
You know, that house was filled with furniture and all kinds of things. And then when we sold that house, well, we had a house in Hammer Bay and that was filled with furniture too. It was filled with furniture and it had all the appliances and it had dishes and all that kind of stuff. But.
You know, it was striking to me how much stuff there was in that house in Massillon. And it's amazing to me that you and I that live in a country like this, we could even have two houses. We could even afford to have two houses and have them all furnished and everything. I'm ashamed of myself when I think of it.
But I had to get rid of that stuff. I had to get rid of a whole house full of stuff. Some of it went into the little apartment in Cuyahoga Falls for Jonathan and Annette as they go to college. Just a little apt, 2 bedroom apartment. But I had to get rid of a lot of stuff. And you know, it's hard to get rid of stuff.
Sometimes it's hard to get rid of stuff because it's just stuff. It's not really a value. But you know, thankfully there were those that needed some stuff and they, by the grace of God, were provided.
Some stuff at the same time my father and mother-in-law were declining in health and their house sold on September the 28th and they had to get all the stuff out of that house.
They've been married for 65 years and they went down into a one bedroom apartment and they had a lot of stuff and it was hard to get rid of a lot of stuff. It just had to be got rid of because they didn't have any room for it and they didn't need it anymore. Well, I just say these things, you know, for my own conscience and for yours, a trust that will bear fruit for the Lord that we often acquire those things that are extraneous that we really don't need, but we just see them and we just desire them. We want to have them, we want to possess them and they just don't.
Do anything but hinder us in our walk with the Lord.
Well, Joshua was faithful, he was obedient. Covetousness requires obedience to the word of God if it's going to be dealt with in verses 17 and 18. And then we find in verse 19 that Joshua said to Akan, my son, give, I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him. Tell me now what thou hast done. Hide it not from me. Well, you know in this verse 19, I think that really covetous requires.
Just the faithfulness of confronting the fact that it's sin. We need to be faithful and just to confront it needs to be confronted. And Joshua was faithful and obedient and he dealt kindly with a can. If he could use that terminology, says my son, tell me, hide it not from me. He was faithful in dealing with it. But sometimes, you know, we're just not honest about it. We're not honest about it with ourselves. I don't have too much stuff I need that I might need it someday.
You know, I have a canoe in Hammer Bay. It's sitting under the cottage up at the top of the hill, an aluminum canoe. I haven't used it for years. I don't even remember the last time I used it. It leaks a little bit. So aluminum canoe. I bought it in 1973 and I still have it, but I don't need it. It's just there because I like to have it and I don't have the heart perhaps to get rid of it. It's just stuff. And if I spent time trying to fix it up, I probably would just be wasting my time. But we need to confront these things. I need to confront that issue.
00:45:18
And to deal with it and not to try to hide it. Well, in verse 20 it says they can.
Answered Joshua and said, indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done. And so he was faithful. You know, Joshua was faithful in requiring confession of what had taken place. And the Lord wants to hear it from your lips and from mine and from my heart, and say I got something that I shouldn't have.
I wish I hadn't got it. I'm sorry I've sinned, that I made a mistake. That's that's true. Maybe I made a mistake. But really what Joshua heard was good says he sinned.
We sin and we don't like that word. We don't like to use it. Someone else sin, maybe, but I didn't sin. No, we need to say we need to tell the truth. We sin. We need to confront these things honestly. And so he said what he took. I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonious garment. I want to just read it the way it reads in Mr. Darby's translation. It says I saw a beautiful mantle of Shinar.
I saw a beautiful mantle of Shinar.
That's what he saw. You know what Shinar means? Means a casting off of restraint.
I saw something in JA, in Jericho. There was a casting off of restraint. If I put this mantle on, it would be wonderful. I wouldn't have any restraint that I have here among the people of God. The law and all those things were just such a restriction. But boy, this sure would be good to wear. I can just see myself wearing this garment.
A beautiful mantle of Shiner.
SMS You know, my wife went into a grocery store when we lived in Ohio shortly before we moved in Massillon, OH. She went into the grocery store and she had her cart there and she took the groceries, laid them on the counter. And the girl that was ringing up the at the cash register, she said to her, she said, what church do you go to? Janet kind of looked up. He says, what do you mean? He says, uh, lady, what church do you go to?
I said why? Why do you think I go to church?
He says.
Lady, you're dressed like a Christian. You go to church somewhere where you go. And so, you know, Janet spoke to her of the Lord and, uh, I thought to myself, you know, she didn't have the mantle of Shiner. She wasn't wearing that. And we were speaking, you know, of confessing Christ before men. And you sisters have a wonderful, wonderful privilege of confessing Christ before men in a way that I can't do it, that other men can't do it. But a very, very gracious, kind way you can minister Christ to those that.
Are in this wicked world if you just dress in a way that will display the love of Christ and the deportment of a godly woman. Oh, it's a wonderful thing. What a testimony. You know we had a conference in Hammer Bay not too long ago in Canadian Thanksgiving and uh, we use the hotel down the street in Parry Sound actually almost in Parry Sound, a little motel called the Almar and the lady there.
She uh.
We went to pay our bill and, umm, she said, uh, to us, she said this, uh, Janet, uh, said to her, umm, did uh, did you have any difficulty with the folks that, uh, came out to the conference and stayed in your motel? And, uh, she said, Oh no, she said, she said this, She said, oh, the girls, the girls, they were beautiful. All the girls were beautiful. She said, uh, they were wonderful. They weren't made-up.
And she said, I wish I would be, I'd be brought up that way too. He says, you folks can come back anytime. Oh, she said the girls, they were beautiful. And uh, you know, the world sees how you dress, young sister want to encourage you to dress not with the mantle of Shinar, the mantle of a throwing off and a casting off of restraint, but Minister Christ to those that are in this world, the Lord is going to value it. He's going to say in the coming day.
That year they.
Which?
Were my companions in Tribulation always going to?
Just be so thankful that you, uh, went in that way. Well, it says here in uh, verse 22 That uh, Joshua sent messengers and they ran into the tent and behold, it was hid in his tent in the silver was under it. Well, there was an urgency that needed to be dealt with.
00:50:21
You and I, perhaps when it takes a loss.
To ourselves, something that we have, something that we treasure, something of the flesh that we allow in our own lives. We're very slow to deal with it. And I'm speaking this afternoon very pointedly, and I'm not trying to scold my brethren.
Oh, anything, I would just encourage you. I'd just like to see every one of us go on with affection for Christ, and to lay aside the weight and the sin that thus so easily beset us, and to run with patience the race that set before us.
And to acknowledge that we have things that are weights and we just don't have the urgency to get rid of them and to set them aside in the presence of God. Well, it says in verse 23 that Joshua, he laid them out before the Lord. That's the fifth thing. So let's just recount them here. It says the first thing in verse 16 that he rose up in the energy of faith. Covetousness to deal with requires the energy of faith.
And then in verse 17 and 18.
It needs requires to deal with covetousness. We need to be obedient to the Word of God and then in verse 19 we need to confront that sin.
And then in verse four we need to be faithful and to confess it before our God. And then in verse 23 we need to bring it before the Lord. We need to lay it all out before him. And then a little further on in verse 25, it says all Israel stoned him with stones and burned them with fire. After that they had stoned them with stones. Well, you know this man, because of covetousness he lost his family.
He lost his family.
He had so much stuff that he shouldn't have had. He lost his family.
He ought to have judged it. He ought to. There was mercy. If it says whoso covereth his sin shall not have mercy, shall not prosper, that's whoso confesses and forsake us shall have mercy. But he hid it. He didn't come out and confess it before he was found out. And beloved brethren, I'll just say this. Let's uh, get into the presence of the Lord and confess it before he finds us out.
Let's confess that before he finds this out, and let's seek flea, just sue for mercy for his kindness, because we're affected by these things. And so the stones here speak of our own estimation of what sin is in the sight of holy God. And when I take a stone, as it were, and it's there's judgment among the people of God, there's government of God. The stone that I take is really my own estimation of what sin is in the sight of a holy God. I have an estimation and it's formed by the word of God, and I take that stone.
And it's, uh, I agree, as it were with that government of God in connection with, uh, how he deals with sin. And so it says here in verse 26 that the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. And so, you know, in the grace of God, sin can be dealt with and there can be that communion restored. And then we find in chapter 8 that Joshua goes out.
And he's given direction now from the Lord himself as to how to get a victory.
Over the King of AI and he got that victory. Well, our time is gone. I'd just like to sing #46 in the appendix.
The 7 Churches Pergamos & Thyatira
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Verse 18. Psalm 119.
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law as the Lord's blessing.
Revelation chapter 2.
Uh, verse 12.
And to the Angel of the Church in Pergamos right these things, saith he which hath a sharp sword with two edges.
I know thy work and where thou dwellest, even where faith and seedeth, and thou holdeth past my name, and hath not denied my faith, even in those days where an antipath with my faithful martyr who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because I'll have there then that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel.
To eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
So half thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate, repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
He that happened here, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and we'll give him a whitestone, and in a stone, and the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. And unto the Angel of the church in Thyatira right these things, the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works.
And alas, to be more than the 1St.
Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou suppress that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not.
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and then that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reigns and hearth. And I will give unto everyone of you, according to your work. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many have, have, have not this doctrine.
And which have not known the depths of Satan.
As they speak, I will put upon you none other burden but that which she already.
But that would she have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works until the end. To him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I have received of my Father, and I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
We noticed the, uh, meaning of the names of the first two churches. Ephesus again means desirable.
And we've noticed how the failure begins with decline in affection for Christ. What a lesson, a practical lesson that is for us too, isn't it? And then, uh, we noticed the seeds in that. We didn't really notice it, but in verse six, it speaks about those that thou hateth the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Those seem to be more serious seeds of decline that come out later on.
00:05:08
Smyrna then means Mer, as we noticed, or refers to suffering. And yet in that suffering there's great blessing.
Because the priorities were correct. But Even so, in verse nine we read about that counter element. Uh, I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are synagogue of Satan.
They're a formalized system which was perhaps originated by God at the first time, but they've combined with the world in some sense. And it seems then that though they, uh, they, uh.
Knew the blasphemy of those that nonetheless the seeds were in place. And so as we come down to Pergamus, it's well known that the meaning of Pergamus is marriage. And there the professing church as a whole seems to enter into that position, which was perhaps represented first by those that say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. It was an earthly system combined with some Christian teaching, but it was unfortunately a marriage, an illicit marriage.
Between the true Church and the world.
It was in the time of Constantine, when he was emperor, as you mentioned. Apparently Constantine's mother was favorable toward Christianity. Whether she was a true believer or not, we don't know, but she somewhat influenced him and.
He allowed Christians to move around in his emperor a little bit more, uh, and as he saw them and became more acquainted with Christian principles and teachings, he could immediately identify that they were Christians were far better subjects in the Kingdom and in the empire than the, uh, the pagans who were always marked by uprisings and insurrections and, you know, this sort of thing. Christians were law binding citizens and they were, uh, quiet people and.
And so, uh.
To keep the Kingdom under himself and to establish his power, he put out an edict to, to force the, uh, the pagans to give up their Pagan religion and to become Christians. And so at gunpoint, or shall we say sword point, he forced all of those in his, in his, under his reign to take up with Christianity, whether they were real believers or not. And so the mass of profession began to really, uh.
Mushroom here, where many, many people took up the outward sign of religion, uh, over sign of Christianity, but there was no inward reality. And so it led to the much marriage that you speak of where the church really married the world and the Christian testimony became greatly marred at this point.
I used to puzzle at this expression in the 13th verse. Even where Satan's seed is. Thou dwellest even where Satan's seed is. But when you read the history that you're Speaking of, it's very interesting to see that when Constantine.
Brought these things into effect. He set himself up as the head of the Christian Church, but he never relinquished his being head of the Pagan church. And that's what this the really the import of this statement is. And so it became an unholy alliance where these two things were linked together. And we find from secular history too and there's even carries over of it today in so-called Christendom where there were practices and festivals and things brought in.
And introduced with the banner and guise of Christianity.
That we're really and still are Pagan in their origin. But it was a very serious thing. And so he refers to it as dwelling even where Satan's seed is. And so we need to be very careful, don't we? The origin of something is, is important. And we need to be careful that we don't get caught up with things that are not Christian or biblical in their origin at all, but that were introduced even back at this time that are Pagan and of the world.
Find confirmation of this So listen marriage and sporting as well. And umm comparing it to the doctrine of Balaam or what did Balaam do? Balum told the the enemies Bala of the children of Israel.
To give their daughters to the throne of Israel and thereby become one with them and destroy the Israelites, separation from their enemies. And that's exactly what happened in the time of Constantine. And one of the very, he, he did, uh, try to do it to some extent with the sword, but he found something that was much more effective than the sword. And that was to combine Chris, as you mentioned, Jim, Christian, uh, festivals with Pagan ones. And so even at this time of year, Easter, we think of this, this time of year as Easter as a Christian time.
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It's not really Christian at all. Uh, Easter is supposed supposedly linked with Passover, but it's not at all. The Passover is at least three weeks different from Easter. And so he used these different ways of joining the pagans with the church, thereby convincing the pagans to join the church and thereby bringing the church down to the Pagan level. Yes. They weren't asked to give up their, uh, their Pagan practices and their deities and so on. What they did was they Christianized them. They gave them some a Christian character to it. So the pagans were not so.
Torn from, been taken away from their idolatry and so on. And so this is where idolatry and Christian things were married together. And that's an abominable thing. So the Lord has much to say to thee, to the, uh, Angel of the Church in this, uh, address.
Good to point out too in this uh, umm, in connection with the Smyrna says in verse UH-10 right at the end of verse nine it says uh.
There at the synagogue of Satan. And then in verse 10 it says, behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison. And umm, I just go back and say this, that that the enemy of our souls is seen and is working in three different characters. One is Satan. He's the adversary. And so he's the adversary of the assembly because the assembly desires to honor the name of the Lord Jesus and only his name. And so he mounts up in opposition to that which names the name of Christ and would be for his glory. But then as the devil.
He's really the tempter. You see that in, uh, Matthew's Gospel chapter four. He came and the devil came to tempt the Lord Jesus. And so if there the adversary couldn't do his work, there was going to be a more subtle work. He was going to be act as a tempter to try to seduce the church into unfaithfulness. And then the final character you find even at the very beginning in, umm, Genesis, where the, it was the serpent, the, uh.
Deceiver, you know, he's he's the very subtle and as a deceiver. So we have Satan as the adversary, Satan as the umm tempter, and then Satan is a deceiver and in all three characters he shows himself in connection with the assembly and he wants to destroy that which has bears the name of Christ. But what a what a savior we have. He's over. We're able to overcome in all of those circumstances.
In a certain sense, now we come to Antipas.
It would be hard to be a martyr under these conditions, wouldn't it? You're dealing with such deceitfulness, and it looks like you're just in Smyrna. They said that the light was so bright that there were those that went to the state and they weren't sure that they were Christians at all. I believe they were, but still there was such brightness. But to lose your life under these circumstances, how difficult that would be.
The enemy, the enemy of our souls, wants us to think that we're out of step.
But if we're with Christ, we're not out of step.
But it cost him his life to be a witness.
It shows too in this portion that God is working amongst a difficult time. And we find at this time that Canon of Scripture is completed. You might say, uh, it's not that the books were not always always there, but we have them nowadays in the 66 books which they canonized at that time. And I believe that was a work of God during this time.
Would that be connected with what he commends them for? There thou holdest fast my name, and has not denied my faith. So there was something going on that was of God, even though much of it was negative as far as their testimony was concerned. It's nice that you point that out.
00:15:17
The Lord does not present Himself to this church like He does in Smyrna.
As a comfort, these in verse 8 to Smyrna, these are the ones who are under the terrible, terrible persecution. And he says these things sayeth, uh, the 1St and the last which was dead and is alive. What a comfort for those who are facing martyrdom and death, uh, that the Lord communicates to them as one who's risen from the dead. What a great comfort that is. But how does he present himself to these ones? These things verse 12 Say, if he which half the sharp sword.
With two edges and so he is taking a position.
As judge, as we see, this is really the context of these chapters, uh, but sharply opposed to the position that they have taken and a as if to suggest that to his own people, you need to use this two edged sword. If you have the word of God canonized all in 66 books, then why don't you apply it and so.
Because there would be a a practical application for us here today then.
Is there a sharp distinction in your practice between you and this world, or are you mixed up with this Pagan world that we are part of that is around us now? Don't get the idea that this is a Christian nation or that the nation to the self-service is a Christian nation. If you think so, you're blind, very blind. This is not. We have a similar situation as they have here.
And there is. We need to be separate.
Uh, from this world, our, our path needs to be very, very separate. And the only way to do that is to have this sharp sword N is 2 edges. And it's often been said that that sharp sword with two edges can cut you and others. And these relationships that we have formed that trap us into, could we say Pagan, uh, relationships and, and practices and so on, things that dishonor the Lord. There needs to be that sharp distinction that comes in, will it hurt you? Will it hurt others? Yes.
Is it worth it? It's for his glory. And that's what we have in the Book of Revelation. It's his glory. And we're moving on toward that in this book. And so may this be a lesson here to us that that that Satan is seeking to draw us away from a position of being separated unto him.
To a mixture that is abominable and it will be formed into a doctrinal, umm, not so much a doctrinal thing, but into a systematized error, which is the Nicolette thing and which he said which thing I hate. And so Satan, if he can, will form a system to lock you down. And so may the Lord help us to verse 16 repent.
Find the Santan Holy Union creates a very quick degeneration from emphasis where we find, uh, commendation that they hated the doctrines of the Nicolaitans, as Resort himself did to verse 15 here and Pergamus where they had the doctrine of the mutilators, they no longer hated it. It was amongst them. So in other words, this union between the world and the church resulted in a loss of discernment.
It's the deeds of the Nicolaitans, isn't it? In verse seven, First there were the deeds that they hated. They were still recognized for what they were, but now it's been formalized into a system and uh, uh, and it, and it doesn't even say that they hate it there in verse 15. So hast thou also them that hold that not the deeds That was true, certainly, but it's gone beyond that and become systematized, hasn't it?
So that has cell also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Often times the deeds start 1St and we think maybe it's not such a bad thing, but then it's not long if it's not judged that it becomes a systematized doctrine. And that's exactly what happened here.
You might just mention too, it's been pointed out before, but it's been a help to me, uh, concerning Balum, there's three things that are mentioned in Balaam in the, in the second Peter, in Jude and also here. And each way he's mentioned a little differently. And second Peter, it's the way of Balaam. What is the way of Balaam? Well, the way of Balaam was that Balaam was simply a prophet.
00:20:18
Who wanted to make uh, uh, make money out of his gift? so-called. He was actually a demon medium. We would say today he used the Lord's name as some people do, but it was connected with demonism. In fact, he was surprised when the Lord met him, wasn't he? So he was actually a demon medium. All he wanted to do was make a healthy living and get advancement for himself by the use of his so-called gift. That's the way of Balaam. And some people look at these things, even religious systems to get ahead.
That's their main purpose, perhaps to make money or at least to gain a place and position for themselves in society. That's the way of Baylor. When we get to Jude, we're warned, uh, about the uh, that we might just look at it verse 11 of June, the error of Balaam. Well, what's the difference between the way of Balaam, the error of Balaam and the doctrine of Balaam? Maybe some have clearer thoughts on this, but my understanding is that.
The error of Balaam was the fact that he could not reckon on the grace of God. He thought that if Israel's sin that God's purposes would be frustrated. He could not see how a holy God could bring a sinful people into the land of Canaan. And so his error was that he did not reco reckon on God's sovereignty and did not reckon on God's grace. That was a great error, wasn't it? Sometimes we do the same thing. We say how can there be blessing?
God is sovereign, brethren, isn't He? His purposes will not fail. He will have his purposes carried out in in the end. And so we cannot work against the truth because God will always, always end up on top, if we want to put it that way. And so the great error of Balaam was that he left out the grace and sovereignty of God. He reasoned for natural reasoning that this is the way it must sow. A sinful people cannot be blessed.
But God's purposes cannot be frustrated, though many failed, there were those who were faithful because God always preserves a remnant as we had this morning. And now in our chapter here we have a third thing regarding, uh, Balaam that our, our brother Andrew spoke about, and I think quite correctly, the doctrine of Balaam. And what is the doctrine of Balaam? Well, he mentioned it for us, but just again, the doctrine was that he, uh, taught the, taught Balaam to corrupt the people of Israel.
And thereby defile their separation. And he thought that that would be the end of Israel. Well, thank God, God's purpose is overruled, didn't they? But nonetheless, that's still the doctrine of Balaam that, uh, the people of God can be corrupted by, by, uh, falling in love with the, with the young ladies of Moab. That's what it came down to, didn't it? Uh, and thereby their separation was defiled and thereby they began to worship their gods. What a sad doctrine that is.
Nonetheless, there were those that held the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel. This was in the assembly, if we can put it that way. Remember, when we speak about the church here, we have to be so careful, don't we? It's not the body of Christ. The Spirit of God maintains that. It's the House of God or a candle holder. It's the House of God in the sense that it's been committed to man's responsibility.
There is an aspect in the Word of God where the House of God is preserved by God's sovereignty, and that of course, can never fail. But there's another aspect in Scripture, in First Corinthians 3, for instance, where the House of God has been been committed to man's responsibility. And in that sense their cannon is failure. That's the sense in which we have the churches brought out in chapters 2 and three, isn't it? It's important to make that distinction. The church per SE never fails.
But as committed demands responsibility. Indeed there can and will be failure, and we're called to be overcomers.
I enjoyed somebody saying that he counterfeited John 14 six Balaam dead where the Lord Jesus could say I am the way, the truth and the life. He counterfeited that there seems something so heartbreaking about this experience with the children of Israel and that they're in the last encampment. They've gone all the way in this last encampment. They can look across the Jordan and see that land.
00:25:15
That was going to be theirs and to think of them falling into this trap, and I believe in the 1St Corinthians 10, it tells us that 23,000 fell in one day. Now there's 24,000 when you go back to the Book of Numbers. So there's 1000 that are unaccounted for. I don't know if anybody has a thought concerning that, but it's just an, it's not a discrepancy, but it's singled out 23,000 perished in one day.
But I would just suggest that perhaps there were those who had entered in and they didn't suffer the consequences. So what did they do? Separate. No, they just went on to see how far they could go.
And so the government fell and they did not get to go into that good land.
I think Antipas is his name means against everyone and I, I think that really characterizes the stand that he took in a very difficult day. So if he's against everyone, it means the movement that Christianity was going at that time. He stood against it and that the world was coming in amongst the believers. He stood against the world.
So he was against everyone and so you might say he was a ruler that had God's thoughts in a week and and and terrible day. And so he was martyred for what he stood for. Now these other ones too. We want to remember that again.
Uh, the the Spirit of God is addressing.
The angels, he's addressing those who were responsible to be an encouragement to the flock of God. And so they're really the ones who took up with the doctrine, doctrine of Balaam, isn't it? They're the ones that allowed the commingling instead of being like Antipas against everyone. And so he's really rebuking the angels here, isn't he, for what they've allowed to come in and.
And, and I believe it, it presents the responsibility.
To, uh, those who in an assembly have been given the care, the responsibility to nurture and help along the flock that these things that, that are being brought out in these three churches and in all the churches, umm, are really to speak to the conscience of.
Our inability to maintain what the Lord has given us in our responsibility to do has an effect on those around us, and so this carries on through a whole period of time because those in responsibility would not stand for the truth and would allow the doctrine of Balaam to come in.
That's part of the danger of the DOC doctrine of Balaam is that the teaching of the doctrine of Balaam is that it's OK.
It won't, won't cause any problems. It'll be OK. You can evangelize the world better in this way. You know, the arguments go on and on and on, but that's really what, uh, historically speaking, Constantine did is that he, just as a doctrine of Balaam here, he told the Christians, this will be good for you. This will be good for the church. You won't have this, uh, persecution that was taking place in Smyrna. You can join in with our society. It'll be good for you.
That's part of the doctrine available. It's alive.
The the church, rather the Angel of the church is uh, held responsible and guilty here of two things. And the first one is in verse 13, which we said, is this the tolerating of unjust treatment of the faithful?
We didn't, uh, defend the the individual.
And exonerate. And then the second thing is in verses 14 and 15, they tolerated evil doctrine.
And it's very interesting to see in this decline of the church and its testimony that in the first one, which we've already mentioned in verse six and the, uh, the Church of Ephesus, that they were such that they hated the deeds of the Nicolas.
00:30:00
There was a, uh, a righteous indignation against that, which was, uh, creeping in. But here these, uh, what the ones who constituted the Angel at this period, they tolerated the doctrine of the Nicolas. They, uh, doesn't say that they hated him like the others. And I think this is important to see that if there isn't a righteous hatred against it, it'll come down tolerating it.
But notice it does not say that they they held it themselves. The Angel is not held at least pointed out as being guilty of holding the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, but rather allowing some in their midst to hold it.
So while they said, well, we don't hold it ourselves.
They did not speak out against and to silence those who did hold that kind of thing. So there is definitely a downward progression here.
It's interesting too, that in Ephesus, as was pointed out this morning when he speaks of coming to remove the Candlestick if they didn't repent, but the word quickly really doesn't belong in the fifth verse. And it was pointed out, and I think rightly so, that God is very gracious and bears with weakness and so on. And we know in Ephesus, as we've said to some at some length, there was a lack of affection and so on. But when it's the deeds of the Nicolaitans, he said he, he tells them to repent or he's gonna come. He doesn't say quickly.
But isn't it interesting in what we're considering now that as it had deteriorated to the seriousness of becoming a doctrine that he says, I will come quickly if you don't repent and I will deal with things. Just notice verse 16, repent or else I will come unto you quickly. And I believe Mr. Darby leaves that word quickly in showing the seriousness of what had taken place. And you know, false doctrine is so serious because it's often harder to take up.
It's often hard to detect, first of all. It's harder to take up and deal with. Sometimes those that propagate it propagate it in a way that it's very difficult to to take it up and deal with it or with the individuals who are propagating it. And it often defiles and does more damage to more than false practice. Not that false practice and false deeds are not serious. And we have certainly plenty of scripture that shows us when there are actions.
That are not right. They are to be taken up and judged for the Lord's glory. But when things become a doctrine then it becomes very difficult to take up and it defiles more and often in the end will lead more.
Away from the path and away from the truth. And so there's an added warning here, not just that he'll come, but that he'll come quickly because it had deteriorated from simply deeds to A to a doctrine.
Is there anyone here that can perhaps help out and explain to people that may not understand what the doctrine of the Nicolaitans were?
We've talked about Nicolette and says this evil doctrine, what is it? I'm not supposed to hold it. And if I'm supposed to hate it?
How do I know what it is?
Do not break down the word.
Break down the word into its two forms.
Where we have, I mean, I'm not a Greek scholar by any means, but I've read a pamphlet, I think it's called The Deeds of the Nicolaitans, the nickel. There's two words, nickel and leitens. I think I might get it wrong, but nickel means Lords and laity. As a pupil, there were those that were taking the position as Lords over the people. In other words, put putting themselves in a position where they were above.
The the assembly they were.
Taking the place of what we could look at today with all due respect to their work that they do so the clergy system they took a place usurping the Holy Spirit and usurping the the gifts given to the Church as people who were.
Were in the place of.
Of direction, or you know, they took the place upon themselves as as the Angel of the church, so to speak. They were they were the ones that were.
Doing ministry, clergy work, they separated themselves as a people more important than others in the work of the body of Christ. But it's and it's false, utterly false. There is no truth to that whatsoever. There isn't as there are people that are raised up that have gifts. There are people that are raised up because we know there's many gifts in the body, but there is nobody that is set up to.
00:35:15
To Lord over the people as a as you have in in Christianity Today we're one minister stands up and his responsibility is to the laity, the congregation he separates. His job is to minister well, we know that the truth of scripture that's not true at all. Every single blood bought believer has a right to be a priest.
And so that has someone to say that they're above you in that I just suggest that there's commentaries on this. And, uh, it would be it behoove us to recognize that that, umm, these things are, are scripturally wrong. The scriptures for that that you're Speaking of might, you might want to turn back to first Peter 5. And this is Peter speaking to that exactly issue, uh, first Peter 5 and verse one, the elders, which are among you, I exhort who I'm also an elder and a witness of the suffering of Christ.
Uh, verse two, feed the clock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but have already mined neither of being Lords over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock.
Verse six Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Part of the uh, the evil and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans was exactly what you were Speaking of. To raise oneself above the flock, to put oneself in the place of.
Of authority, but also of power and, uh, respect, but taking a place that was not theirs to take. And so Peter's call and the call of these epistles, these short epistles in revelation over and over again, humility, humble yourself, uh, cast yourself upon the Lord. Uh, repent. In verse 16, as Bruce was mentioning, the Angel of this church was not guilty of the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, but they did allow.
The doctrine of the Nicolaitans among them. And because they did that, because they allowed it in, they too had to repent.
Our word Jesus have to say to them here, he's directly speaking to them. And he said that that, uh, in verse 14 now has there then that hold the doctrine of Balaam. And then in verse 15. Now, so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. And so there was, uh, something, two things that they were holding that the Lord hadn't given them to hold. It wasn't of God at all. And so, you know, if we turn back to, uh, Second Thessalonians, I just wanna call to attention here. It says in, uh, Second Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 15.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions or the traditional teaching which we have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle. And so the apostle Paul had spoken, he had ministered the truth of God, and he had revealed that mystery which was given him to reveal that the Church was a heavenly body and that it was to be separated under Christ. And, uh, so they were to hold that doctrine.
And so whether by the word or by our epistle now we haven't heard, so to speak, we haven't heard the Apostle Paul directly. We've been able to hear an address this afternoon and we hear our brethren minister the truth of God. And we need to be very careful to take up and, uh, enjoy the word of God in connection with the traditional teaching of Scripture and don't go after strange things and try to develop strange new, uh, directions and try to dig up something out of the Scriptures that our brethren haven't taught. We're in the very last days and we have the revealed mind of God and we have very good ministry that we can read.
And So what these deer ones had here, they were holding something in their hands that God had not given them to hold. Let's not be guilty of that at all. It was adding to what God had given in Christ. And I believe that's why the over one of the reasons why the overcomer was to be one of the things he was given was to eat of the hidden manna. The manna speaks of the simplicity of Christ. It speaks of the the man Christ Jesus in this world, in the circumstances of life.
Passing through this world in separation, the manna fell on the dew. It never touched the earth. The Lord Jesus was a man, was here in the circumstances of life, but he walked through this world in the power of the Spirit and in separation from it. He was wholly harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. And it's interesting that the children of Israel, one of their great sins in the wilderness, was that they despised the simple manner that God gave for them in the way God gave it, in the simplicity in which God gave it. It was palatable.
00:40:14
It tasted like honey and wafers. It was nutritious. It satisfied their their souls. It tells us he satisfied their souls with the bread of heaven. But when they tried to do other things with it, beat it in a mortar, bake it, put it in ovens and whatever what happened, why it tasted like fresh oil. It wasn't palatable and it was a great sin. God didn't look lightly on it, but he says if you just seek to go on not adding to what I've given to you, not adding to the the truth which is in Christ, he said I'll give you to eat of that simple manna, the person of the Lord Jesus. It's very personal here, isn't it? It's hidden manna.
It's personal communion and then this Whitestone speaks of the, uh, with this new name speaks of purity and this new name that no man knows saving he that gave it again, it's very personal. It's personal communion.
I sometimes illustrate it this way when I enter the homes of the Saints of God.
I find that often the man of the home has a little name that he uses to refer to his wife, something he calls her that would be very inappropriate for me or anyone else to use in addressing the woman of the house. It's something that's just shared between the husband and the wife, something that I say nobody else could could use in addressing the lady of the house. And I thought of it in connection with this new name, how personal it is.
Why, if I entered that home and addressed that man's wife in the way he addresses her with that little name of affection, it's why he'd say he'd, he'd tell me that's very wrong. That's something that's just shared between my wife and I because of relationship and because of our love for one another. Well, brethren, if we seek to go on, keep ourselves unspotted from the world, to not take up with that which is Co, which goes beyond what we have as to the doctrines of Scripture.
And go back to the simplicity which is in Christ. Why we can enjoy this too, this personal feeding and of on Christ, this personal enjoyment of communion as we walk through a very difficult world.
Another aspect of the overcomer in in this name that is given to them is that Nomad newest saving he himself. That's exactly the opposite to the doctrine of the nucleus. And Nicola, Lord of the people wants to have a name. He wants to be known as so and so by the people that the overcomer in this in Pergamus received a name from the Lord himself that no man would say. He himself and the Lord it was again, it was a place of humility. It was not a place of.
Of having a name amongst the people.
It says to him that overcometh verse 17, not to them that overcometh. The overcomer has always looked at it in, in that singular way. And so it's the idea of, uh, individual faithfulness in a time of failure and ruin and eating the man, the hidden manna is really in contrast to what the mass of the people were doing under the teachings of the doctrine of Balaam. And that was to eat things sacrificed to idols or I think it could be translated or, uh, to eat idle sacrifices.
And so while the masks were eating those things, the overcomer was enjoying sweet communion that the Lord would grant. Is it worth it to be an overcomer to stand for the Lord and faithfulness at a time when all are giving way to the sway of the things of the world that's flooding into the church? Indeed it is. And then also the Whitestone, I think that's taken from the court of law, is it not, Wayne, when they would give a Whitestone or a Blackstone as far as the judges, uh, uh, either approval or disapproval of the individual when the case was decided?
In any case, here the Lord pick, uh, at least the, yeah, the Lord picks up on this here and uses the whitestone that he gives to the overcomer. And it speaks to himself having a conscious sense of having the Lord's approval that you cannot trade or explain. And so the, although they're, uh, persecuted and, uh, reproached by the mass of those who have taken up with the name of Christ in the profession, there are those who are true to the Lord that were going on enjoying fellowship with him.
And had a sweet sense of his approval. And that was enough. Isn't that beautiful?
1516 it it says repent is that repent addressing umm the VM14 uh uh uh, I I have a few things against D those that allowed umm this error uh those those that that exercises air to come in or is it or is it re re reflecting to those who were practicing the air? Do you understand my question yes, the Angel.
00:45:15
Yeah, he's calling the Angel to repent. He addresses the Mass in verse 17. He that hath an ear that's going to change. And Eric will probably mention that to us when we come to it a little later in the progression of the churches. But right now we find that the, uh, the call to the overcomer is put after a call to repent. So, so somebody gave us a practical in the here we are, We're in this room, we're in the day we live in, We're not in this day, but it speaks to us.
What's the responsibility?
To the Angel, what he's he says repent. What what's he saying to repent? Is he saying that this this those who exercise this error, you need to deal with them. You need to you need to address that problem that you might correct it is that what would have happened if they would have corrected, if they would have heeded to the to the Lord's call to do this, umm, he wouldn't have removed the Candlestick.
I wonder if, uh, he is saying here that to the Angel that is the leadership in that gathering, Repent, or else I will come to thee quickly. That's that assembly and the leadership, and we'll fight against them with a sword of my mouth. He's gonna bring a controversy. He's gonna bring this to a climax, and it's not gonna be pretty. And so if we are as responsible persons in a local assembly are going to allow.
These things going on, could we say under our nose and acquiesce over these things and say, well, you know, we don't want to offend the young people, so we just let this go on?
He said, do you want me to come and fight against your children, against these persons in your gathering there? Uh, so how do you repent? It's gonna be hard because you've allowed it. And are you just going to read the riot act now? I don't think so. I, I, I bring this up because, umm, because I think it's important to recognize that the Lord has put those.
That would be referred to as the angels here, those who have a care and a love for the people of God. It's not always an easy path and, and sometimes it, it may even seem controversial. And and so there there are those I'm I'm speaking, I'm speaking to others who, who may look over and say, Oh, your brother is your legal or your or why do you, you know, it's not that big of a thing. It is a big thing. It is a big thing to the Lord And, and I, I think it's important to recognize that that sometimes that these, these.
These brothers in these different assemblies that have this responsibility and this care and a love for the Saints, sometimes the actions that they have to do are not easy to, umm, not easy to, to hear or not, not easy to see. But, but if one's gonna be faithful, if these brothers would have heeded and been faithful, it would have been a different story at the end, but it wouldn't have been pretty, as you said, it would have been difficult.
But I just think it's important to understand that that God the Father requires of us, the Lord Jesus requires of us, uh, of, of those who, who have this responsibility to be faithful. Holiness becomeeth thy house, O Lord God, forever. Is it not a matter of us and them, but it's a matter of the Lord and the midst, isn't it? And so it's been said sometimes that if I refuse to judge myself, the assembly may need to step in.
If the assembly refuses to judge sin, the Lord may well step in. And that's a serious thing, isn't it? And so in a sense, that's what we have here, isn't it? If the leadership refuses to step in, then the Lord will fight against them with the sort of of of my mouth. But notice, as we've been seeing, they are called to repent the leadership. It's not the leadership coming down with a heavy hand and forcing something through as such, but it's.
Them showing the place of those who have erred by taking the place themselves, that's such an important principle, isn't it? It's not by an iron fist. That's not Christianity. There is faithfulness indeed, but there's love. But I remember reading, I wish I could have quoted exactly. I think it was from Mr. Darby, but he makes that comment. He says the proper place for the leadership is to show those who have erred their proper place by taking it themselves. That's true repentance, isn't it? That's what they're called to do.
00:50:06
Well, I think that in the end of verse 17, we wanna move on. If I understand right, the hidden mana perhaps is a reference to that mana. That was that Omer of mana that was hidden in the ark. What a wonderful thing. And that's just what we were speaking about. It speaks of that individual communion with the Lord Himself. The Lord himself is the ark, as we well know from Scripture. The hidden man, it's not the manna that was open for everybody. We know that was true, but the hidden man is that.
That the secret in that sense, uh, that the, uh, the leadership particularly, or the rest here in this case were to enjoy that was hidden in the arc learned by communion with the Lord Jesus himself, The Whitestone, the same thing used in judgment, or I understand if I think I have this right, also used in elections. They would take a Whitestone and write a certain person's name on it. And, uh, that was a secret thing. The elections were secret until they were counted later on.
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will show him his covenant. Show them his covenant. What a wonderful truth it is, isn't it, brethren, We covet these things or ought to, but if we if we pronounce ourselves overcomers, we're about to fall, aren't we? But it's a secret. The secret is that we have that that secret between US and the Lord that we're walking in the pathway that pleases the Lord. That's a tremendous secret. And I think that's what's brought out in these two things. They hidden mana.
And the whitestone a secret between US and the Lord, that were we have his approval.
We have that in the deepest recesses of our heart, brethren. There's no pathway like that in all the earth. Well, then, the next church is Thyatira. The meaning, as I understand it, is burning incense. Incense was generally known as a Pagan thing. This is the triumph of the world over the outward church, if we can call it that. We see that the path of faithfulness has become narrower, narrower. The professing church has become more worldly.
Or someone has said about Pergamus, it's when the church became worldly and the world became churchy, and that's that illicit marriage we were speaking about. It's not a true marriage. It's an illicit marriage. That's why fornication is spoken of in the end of verse 14 with Thyatira. It reaches a low point, doesn't it? The triumph is so great that as we'll see at the end of this, that the word to the overcomer, uh, the, the word of uh, in verse 29, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the churches sayeth under the Spirit saith unto the churches.
It's no longer to all of the profession as it has been in the first three churches. It's only to those who have overcome. Look at verse 262728 are written specifically to the overcomer, the masses given up. This is what we call the fall of the church. This is the foundation for what we speak of as the remnant of the church, the remnant testimony which is so poorly understood.
But the remnant testimony comes in when the Lord can no longer go along with that which claims His name. And this is the very reason why Israel, for instance, the two tribes were rejected. Why is it, I used to often wonder, why was it that the Lord allowed the two tribes to be carried away? Why would He do that? That's where the temple was, that's where the priests were, that's where the Shekinah glory was. And as a brother, we were speaking this morning. The Lord doesn't leave that place quickly.
He, uh, he bore with a great deal for many, many years. And if we turn to the book of Ezekiel and we find, uh, that, that Shekinah glory, the Shekinah glory was the place where the Lord the, the evidence of the Lord's personal presence over the Tabernacle that leaves so slowly from that loved place in Jerusalem. But the time had come if we read that book carefully and read the book of Jeremiah, perhaps two of the most neglected books in the Bible.
But if we read those books carefully, we see that the reason the Lord had to leave that place was because that which had His name was no longer faithful to him. He could no longer have His name identified with it. That's what happens here. And we know that later on, after 70 years, there was a revival in Jerusalem, and the Lord identified Himself with that remnant. But this is the beginning of the remnant testimony from henceforth.
There's never the thought that the whole would be restored back to the pristine days of Acts. The Lord's coming is brought in now, and it's brought in for each of the last four assemblies. You notice that. Not to jump too far ahead, but our time is limited in verse UH-25. But that which ye have already.
00:55:20
Hold fast till I come. His coming is now mentioned in each of the last four assemblies. They look forward now to the Lord's return.
There's never a thought that all, all the profession would ever be back together again. That's man's thought. That's not God's thought. He separates out a remnant at this point, just as he separate out, separated out of remnant in Israel's day. Would that be in verse 24 when it says, But unto you I, I say, and unto the rest. And that word rest could be translated remnant exactly.
So what we have here is a further decline in the church's history in in testimony from what we had in Pergamos in Thyatira. We have a condition of things where the Angel of the church refused or did neglected to deal with the evil doctrines and practices that were going on. And so now what has happened is a system of things has risen up and he has.
The Angel has merited, you see that brought out in verse 20.
Thatwithstanding I have not a few things, those words, few things are not to be there, because he has a lot to say about this, uh, the evil that's here in this church, notwithstanding, I have against thee, because thou sufferers that woman, Jezebel. Those two words, that woman apparently have been translated in a number of other translations by wife.
Buy one. So here now, uh, the Angel of a church is held and is charged with having married this wicked system. So what? First, the Angel in the at the beginning. Now just to go back over this, in the first church, the Angela church hated the deed of the Nicolaus and the third church, we find that they tolerated it as far as a system being taught among them and not didn't do anything about it. Now they're married to the thing and takes on a different name.
Called that woman Jezebel, and of course that's taken from history of Israel.
When Israel was, uh, took on idolatry in a wholesale way, Jezebel is guilty, you see, of bringing into the, uh, the 10 tribes there, the, uh, idolatry in a, in a wholesale way. And Ahab, who was married to her, was held responsible and accused of such by the Apo, by the, uh, the profit, Elijah.
Just like to emphasize, I have great gravity against the not a few things great gravity. And so this woman, Jezebel, we say it carefully, but she was the most wicked woman in all the word of God and her system is well and healthy today. And we need to be aware, be aware of being drawn in to the the.
Fornication of this world and all its varied forms.
And the day is going to come when that system is going to be dealt with by God himself. But meanwhile.
Let us keep far away from this system of things and you can always identify it as that which is putting out the light. That's what she did. Anybody that showed a little light away with them. And Elijah knew the issues, that if she said his head was coming off, he didn't call that into question and ran for his life.
But it's scary if you want to look at it for what it is. But there is a path, is there not through this as an overcomer and to have his approbation in our lives and as you were mentioning, brother Bruce, to have a conscience that's void of offense toward God and man.
The religious side of the world is really the most wicked side there is because it propagates itself as being the truth. But we often think of the raw side of the way. We think of the political side of the world, the social side of the world, and the raw side of the world and so on. But I just repeat, the religious side of the world is the most dangerous and wicked side that there is, and that's what Jezebel represents to us.
01:00:14
So this is the period in the Church of history which we might call the Dark Ages and so on, or the Catholic Church.
Or, uh.
Put out all their influence. You know, it's interesting to see the contrast between Pergamus and Thyatira. And Pergamus the world ruled in the church, terrible state of things. But in Thyatira the church ruled the world. This is the place where or the time and the period when the church entered into the political arena and controlled kings all across Europe.
And so this woman as she controlled her husband.
I'm talking about in history now, Ahab. So what we have here in the Church is history, that there was a time when the Church and all of their wickedness entered into political sphere of things and controlled the governments across Europe and kings were at her beck and call. Incredible. The rise of poker, isn't it? It is. Potpourri has strength, isn't it? There's an important distinction now that we have to make, isn't there?
Think of a verse, uh, that's been helpful to me over in Matthew chapter 5, uh, distinction that Mister Kelly points out in his writings on these verses and, uh, Matthew chapter 5 and verse 13, Ye are the salt of the earth.
But if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on the hill cannot be hit, neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a Candlestick, in a giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men.
That they may see your good works and glorify your Father, which is in heaven. There's an important distinction between the word earth and world. The world is that general world we speak of, made-up of believers and unbelievers alike. And so we are indeed, as we often hear, we are the light of the world. We're to be a light to this Dark World. But what is the earth? Well, there's another term too, that's that's used in Scripture sometimes. That's the land, isn't it? The land is the land of Israel.
The earth is the prophetic earth. That's the place where God's testimony has been known. And the world is the whole world, everybody in the world. So there's those 3 distinctions. The land is Israel, the earth is the prophetic earth. As we read in prophecy about the revived Roman Empire and so on. That's the prophetic earth. And then we read about the world, which is the whole world. And so there's a distinction now.
Between being the light of the world, which is evangelical, and the salt of the earth. In other words, there must be that preserving element among the profession itself. Now we're called to be a preserved element among the Christian profession itself. That's the earth here in Matthew 5, verse 13. And so Jezebel, what we have in Thyatira.
This Christianized system has so taken over the world that it's indistinguishable from the world, and it becomes really what we call the camp, isn't it? Isn't that what it's become? And so we read in Hebrews 13. I know that the situation is a little different there. It's speaking about coming out of the formalized system of Judaism. But in our day now, it's a similar parallel thing. It's not a question of coming out of Judaism per Southeast.
But it's a, it's a question of coming out of that which has become Judaized, Christianity. Judaized. That's that system which we call the Catholic Church, of course, or the camp. And so we're called in Hebrews 13. Uh, let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. There's a distinction now between the camp and between the remnant. And brethren, these things are not well understood at all.
I think one of the greatest principles or greatest movements in Christendom is back to what's called the, the historic church. A coworker I work with who's a believer mentioned that to me, said, yes, we're trying to, trying to get back to the historic church. I said, what do you mean the historic church? Don't you mean the scriptural church? Oh, yeah. He said that's what I mean. He has a master's degree in Bible, but, uh, he didn't mean that really. He meant the historic church. And there's a lot of interest in reading the fathers and so on.
01:05:23
The Reformation is being reversed, let alone the, uh, restoration of 170 years ago. That's being all reversed now. And the great trend is back to this great system, which here is called Jezebel. What an awful thing. So the truth of Scripture is that with, with Thyatira now there's the church has fallen. That's an expression you'll see even, uh, John Wesley wrestled with that in his day. Should he leave the established church or not? He wrestled with that. Well, he died in Anglican, but.
He certainly was exercised about it. Mr. Darby and others in his writing speaks about the same thing. Are we to leave the professing church? And at least as far as the system goes, uh, what is the call of God? Well, the call of God now is distinct to a remnant apart from the professing church, because God can no longer be identified with that which is called by His name.
How Historically we've seen the first two searches, they have a stopping point, but then then tarot here we find that it goes all the way into the tribulation.
And so these next churches that we're gonna be looking at, we're in their day and age right now. That's correct.
In the first three churches, there could have been a restoration back to the days of Acts. With Thyatira, that's no longer true. And so the last four churches go forward to the Lord's coming, and the Lord's coming is brought out in each of those churches. But the message to he that hath an ear now is only to the overcomer for the last four churches.
It's no longer to the mask because that will not be restored.
It'll only be those that hear the call.
We've seen 22 in the appendix and #22 in the appendix.
Luke 12:10-21
Reading
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Would you like to begin at, uh, verse 10 or 13, which?
Maybe 13 to 40.
This is sometimes there's a lack of clarity as to what verse 10 really means, so it would be good to take it up, OK?
Luke chapter 12, verse 10. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him. But unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto the magistrates and powers, taking no thought how or what ye shall answer for, the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say. And one of the companies said unto a master, Speak to my brother, that he divided the inheritance with me.
And he said unto a man who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed and beware of the covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. You speak a parable unto him, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? Because I have no room where to bestow my fruits. And he said, This will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, Thou hast much good laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.
Then those shall then who shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life what you shall eat, neither for the body what you should put on it.
The life is more than meat, and the body more than raiment. Consider the Ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature? 1 Cubit. If ye then be not able to do that which is least, why take He thought for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow. They toil not, they spin not. And yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothed the grass which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not that sorry, and seek not what ye shall eat, what ye shall drink, neither be doubtful of mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that you have needed these things. But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
Cell that you have, and give alms, provide yourself bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens, which faileth not where. Where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your thought lights burning. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for the Lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh the knocketh they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh.
Shall find watching. Verily I say unto He shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, and come in the third watch, and find them, so blessed are those servants. And this know that if a good man, if the Goodman of the of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have suffered his house be broken through.
Be therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when you think not.
As we mentioned this morning, this chapter takes up what should characterize the disciples in the day or the time of the Lord's absence.
He was rejected and He was preparing them to be suitable witnesses in the time of His absence. And as we mentioned that there the chapter is a series of 19 depicting the night of his absence. And he mentioned that there were at least five different things that he seeks to set them free from that would make them bright and shining witnesses in this world as they waited for His coming again. 1St 3 verses we mentioned that really He set them free from hypocrisy.
00:05:09
And verses 4 through 12. We set them free from the fear of man.
And then from 13 to 30.
To to 21, we'll have to set them free from covetousness, and then from 22 to 34 we set them free from worry or anxiety.
And then from verse 35 to 40, we set them free from worldliness.
Supposed to be summarized those five things. No covering, no cowardice, no covetousness, no care, and no carelessness.
These things were rid of the lives of the disciples and our lives. We would be in that right posture.
Looking for the the coming of our Lord.
Where we began reading this afternoon is in the middle of that second point, setting them free to of the fear of man to confess Christ in this Christless world.
And you had a thought there on verse 10 about the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. You thought we should touch on. Well, it's really, uh, in connection with, uh, those that.
Reject Christ and reject the Savior. They reject the King.
And really, the Spirit of God presents Christ as the source of all blessing.
And if I sin against God and reject Christ as the source of all blessing, the source of eternal life, why God has nothing else for mankind. And so the children of Israel here the, the Jews, they rejected Christ. They sinned against the Spirit of God who was really bringing before them Christ as their king. And they said that they really accused him of casting out devils by the Prince of the Elizabeth. And so then he goes out. It's really, I like the term.
The terminology that used in Matthew's Gospel chapter 13 in that connection, it says, uh, verse one, Matthew 13 and verse one the same day went Jesus out of the house and sat by the seaside and great multitudes were gathered together unto him. And so he went out of the House of Israel and he sat by the seaside. So the gospel is now going to go out to the Gentiles, the the Jews, the Jews had sinned against the Spirit of God and.
They wouldn't receive Christ. He had. God had nothing else to present to them.
Pick up that ninth verse and uh, but he's a denieth Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. Didn't Peter deny him before men?
And is he speaking here of disciples that are real? Because there can be false recycles and in fact he was talking to one if he was just talking to the apostles, he was talking to one who wasn't real. So is is this more?
What characterizes a man's life rather than just denying the Lord like Peter? What?
I'm asking a question.
Well, I think you get a little bit of that answer in Second Timothy chapter 4.
Umm, I think it's verse 10.
Dimas hath forsaken me, having loved this.
Present world. And then does that mean that he wasn't a believer? I believe he really was the believer.
But he departed, and he went, having loved this present world, and departed unto Thessalonica. And so he denied the Lord in a sense that in the practical expression of sharing his rejection, he would rather go on in the present age, in the present world, and forego the association with a rejected Christ. And beloved brethren, this is the only opportunity that you and I are going to have to identify ourselves with an.
A rejected Christ as right now and if we shrink from it, there's not going to be that reward. There's not going to be that. I don't find identification with Christ and the glory as those that have shared in his rejection.
00:10:01
There's not going to be that reward as it were, be thou over 5 cities and umm, so we can deny him in our practical walk, but umm, where is it that says as well if we deny him? Yet he is faithful, he cannot deny himself. Second Timothy 212.
Let's read that as well. Second Timothy 2:00 and 12:00. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us.
If we believe not yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. And so it's this little picture is given to us that we're going to be denied a reward. We're going to be denied the privilege of being identified as those that suffered in rejection with the Lord. What a privilege it is for us. We have no idea what it means to the heart of the Lord Jesus to have us identify ourselves with a crucified Christ.
A rejected Christ.
But the day is soon going to be over. We're going to be in the glory with him and will wish, I think all of us, if we're honest with ourselves, will wish that we had identified ourselves with a more in this scene.
Could mean too that a believer will endure and so that this man shows that he wasn't saved at all. This is of course fact, but I I think it can be pliable at waste.
Yeah.
What is the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost?
Is that Chapter 11 and verse 15?
Yeah.
It's really.
Well, speaking in an unrighteous way of holy things and of a holy person, speaking impiously of that which is holy. Now you and I that have Christ as Savior, we know the Lord, we love the Lord. That's not our course. We speak lovingly of our Savior. But those that are in this world that have heard and received some of the testimony of Christianity, it's possible for them to even come to a gospel meeting, come to the Sunday school, all that sort of thing.
But when it comes really down to it, they have no appreciation for the person of the Lord Jesus or for the work that he did on the cross of Calvary. And they will make impious statements and, uh, just, uh, set aside entirely the work of Christ.
Well you know the Lord knoweth them that are his, and we can never look at one that has rejected the Lord Jesus.
And in this scene, while I'm still alive and say, well, that person has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there's no, there's no opportunity for that person to be saved. That's not true. We need to recognize that the grace and the kindness of God is such that he can turn the Sinner around, but the Lord himself sees. And so he says the Lord Jesus sees if there is that evil heart of unbelief.
And that's really what it speaks of in, uh, Hebrews that wait, that the soy's, uh, that uh, sin that does so easily beset us is really the sin of unbelief.
But this is really speaking when it speaks of the sin against the Holy Ghost is an outright rejection.
Of what the Spirit of God is presenting.
We might want to just.
Close this one now with a comment about apostasy, because I know that the intention was to move on into the rest of this, but want to be careful that we do not leave something for a troubled soul to be occupied with now for the rest of these meetings and not have peace.
00:15:07
Let's, umm, let's say that.
An apostate can never be saved. It's a very solemn thing for a person to be alive on this planet and not be able to be saved. What is an apostate? An apostate is one who has known and professed the truth and turned his back on it publicly.
Traveling under foot, the blood of Christ. And uh, Hebrews tells us that it's impossible to renew that one again to repentance. Can I believe or ever do that? Can a believer become an apostate? No, and I'm gonna read 2 scriptures real quickly. If, if there's ever a scripture that you think a person could be saved and lost, it fits into Matthew Chapter 7, verse 21. Just quickly. Now, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
And many will say into me that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and then cast out many devils, and in thy named on many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you depart from me that work in equity underline those words. I never knew you. Now John chapter 10.
Verse 26 addressing that professing multitude. But ye believe not, because you're not of my sheep, as I said unto you, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them. Underline those words for comparison purposes, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Now there shall any man pluck them out of my hand. So one that has made a profession in Matthew Chapter 7, but has been unreal, and may or may not have.
Uh, been an apostate, but in any case, that person has made a profession without being real, he says. I never knew you. How does?
The person from John chapter 10 fit into that who? He says I know you.
Those two that those two verses should put to bed any who may be troubled as to the eternality of the salvation, the, uh, perfect finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ giving us that in place where we stand before God fully justified. Uh, so this thing of apostasy that we see ought never to trouble a believer, but it ought to trouble a believer to come across one that they might think could be. And as Robert has said, we're not in a position to make that call.
On another.
Well, if we keep them before us, the moral thought that the Lord is laying down here, that is delivering the disciples from any.
Uh, fear of speaking the truth faithfully. He goes on in that 11Th and 12Th verse to tell them that the Spirit of God is going to come to assist them and to give them what thoughts to say and what words to utter in order that Christ would be confessed brightly before this world.
And this is not talking about a man preparing for a lecture, uh, that he may be asked to, to take with the Lord's people. This is talking about confession of Christ before the world.
That, uh, we don't need to take with thought we should, uh, or how or what we should answer. There are some who have taken this out of context and context is very important to get the understanding of the, the, the lines in scripture and think that you should never even take a thought as to what you're going to say before you ask to get up there. And then whatever comes to mind, uh, that must be the spirit of God and, uh.
That sort of thing. And this is the verse that they would use for such, but I don't believe that they understand the context of the passage. This is public testimony before the world when you're confronted with regards to questions with regard to your faith, your faith in Christ.
I'd like to apply it a little differently, uh, see if this application would work And, and you know, sometimes when we deal with souls, umm.
We sometimes after we walk away, we said, I, I, I wish I would have said this or I wish I would have said that. And uh, then we are, are sometimes when we were talking to someone and thoughts will come to us that we didn't have before, but we see that that is something that the Lord had for that soul. So is it right to say that when we, when we do deal with ones at work or whatever circumstance we're in?
00:20:09
That we ourselves, of course, uh, need to be obedient and, and independence on the Lord and of course in communion so that if the Lord wants to speak through us to someone, we realize that the work is his, that he's dealing with the soul. So just to make application, would you allow this, that the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour? What you ought to say is perhaps allowing that to use that in that reference, Would that be OK?
As the moral thought of it, I think it's more to do with your, your confession of your faith before, uh, those who would confront you and so on. Whereas the other, the, the misapplication that I was referring to, you know, this idea that you just get up on the pudding and wing. It is just not scriptural. And the verse that I would use for that would be first Timothy chapter 4, verse 6, where Paul was encouraging Timothy to be a good minister of Jesus Christ nourished up the words of the faith.
And in sound doctrine, and he says, where unto thou hast fully followed up, you fully follow up on a subject to you know it well enough till you get on your feet. You know which direction you're going and you know what you're talking about at least somewhat. You're never going to feel like you have a grasp of any subject in Scripture. That's infinite, of course, but at least you feel comfortable that you know what you're presenting to your brother is a good doctrine. And sometimes that versus this verse is used in this wrong way.
To excuse laziness to to excuse rightly dividing the word of truth and studying the scripture, just get up and wing it. But that's not, uh, rightly dividing the word of truth. This is talking about what George has just mentioned, being confronted about your Christian faith before those who are posers.
God will help you to say what you need to say, and the Spirit of God will use it to convict their souls.
If he's working with them.
There's another principle that, uh, we find in Proverbs 11 Chapter, uh, Chapter 11 and verse UH-25 The liberal soul shall be made fact, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. And so often times God works with the vessel that he's using, and so the Spirit of God will give something to give out, but then it says he that water shall be watered also himself.
Well, the Spirit of God, I sometimes you say, brother George, you know, you, you speak to someone and perhaps, or you take a gospel meeting or something and you, and you think, oh, I should have said this. I, I should have said that. And what was, I just wasn't thinking, you know, and I, I should have done this. And, well, I used to, uh, think that way. And, uh, but now, you know, I, I, I drive home or something after a meeting and I, and, uh, something comes to mind and I say, well, thank you, Lord, That's a nice thought.
Something else comes up and oh, that's, that's nice. Thank you. I appreciate that. And then just enjoy something of communion with the Lord about the passage that was taken up.
And I believe that this is really what's taking place Shall be watered also himself. And so we're not to premeditate the confession of faith, as it were. We're umm, we ought to be always ready to give an answer for the reason of the hope that is in us. But we don't need to have a prepared statement. If you want to use that terminology. It's going to be a work of the Spirit of God because every soul that comes before us is going to have a different need. But be prepared. If you open your mouth, God is going to speak as well. He's going to water as well.
And I just say this as a word of encouragement to my father-in-law had a man, a Finlander that worked for him and he didn't have very good English, but, and he was a Carpenter, you know, And so he would cut a piece of wood wrong or something and he would use this statement. He would say what man he works, he makes the mistake. No, what man he no work, he no make the mistake, you know.
If you're going to take up the Word of God, there's going to be mistakes, there's going to be a little bit of stumbling. If you try to start a hymn. It's not going to start right every time and that sort of thing.
But what man, he works, he makes the mistake. The man he no work, he no make the mistake. And so we need to be exercised with before the Lord and just to exercise our priesthood. There's going to be mistakes. They're going to be a little bit of stumbling. The Lord is going to show us our humanity and how weak we really are. But let's just per persevere, let's just move forward.
00:25:04
So we have the support.
With the three persons of the Godhead, the whole Trinity. With regard to the confession of Christ before this world, as we mentioned, we have the friendship of our Lord. Jerseys in verse 4.
And then we have the, uh, the care of God our Father in verse six. And then we have the teaching of the Spirit of God, verse 12.
But this assurance should give us to be free of the fear of man and the confidence to speak up for Christ and not be afraid to speak the truth. And as the meeting closed this morning, I'd just like to repeat what Brother Dave said. And that is, if we fear God, we will not fear man. Our problem is that we don't live sufficiently in the fear of God, and we allow ourselves to get affected by.
Man.
Well, we should move on as we said verses 13 to 21, the Lord would seek to set them free from covetousness, another thing that is a great hindrance from being a bright and shining testimony in this world while we wait for Him to come.
And uh, the Lord doesn't introduce the subject. There's a man that is anxious about something, obviously a man that's got a problem with covetousness and he actually speaks up and interrupts the Lord in the middle of his, his discourse. And this is not unusual in Luke's gospel. You'll find the Lord is such a lowly man in this, what we might call the social gospel. Luke's gospel is a social gospel and he's conversing with individuals and you find over and again people just interrupt him.
In fact, he's such a lowly man, even a woman who in those days were near their place better than the average today.
Had enough courage to be able to interrupt our Lord while He was discoursing. Turned back to Chapter 11 and verse 27.
It says, And it came to pass, that as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed be the woman's one. How do you like that?
And the blessed Lord never says, wait a minute, I'm speaking, let me get finished first.
He just answered her and then used it as an object to teach more things. He's such a perfect savior. How many times we got offended when somebody interrupts us because we think what we have to say is so important?
But not the Lord. And so this man does the same thing as that woman, and she speaks he he speaks up right in the middle of the Lord speaking here and asked him to help him with regard to.
This, uh, getting the inheritance that he thought should come to him. And the Lord immediately discerns the man's spirit. He's covetous. And so the Lord uses that as a platform or a springboard to teach some lessons to his disciples of the need to be free of covetousness.
We've had some of that already in the address and the Lord has ordered it that we should have it now again in this Bible reading. And as one brother said to me, it must be that the Lord has something to say to us about this.
If it's going to come up again this afternoon and all I could say was Amen, brother.
To say about the Lord's perfect response, would that be the the fine flower and the meal offering as a perfect man? There was always that perfect evenness, that perfect response, part of the moral glories of the Lord Jesus.
Never said one word in a wrong tone of voice.
That's pretty condemning of me at least.
I think that's the reason why that they're called the Gospels. We take up a synoptic look at his life and as Matthew, Mark and Luke and his life, as you study, it does one singular thing to the Sinner. It condemns them. It condemns us too, even as believers. We fall so far short. And then if you find at the end there's a perfect sacrifice there, as you see him dying, shedding his blood to put away our sins, that's why it's called the Gospel. And those are the elements of the Gospel.
Message that the center would realize that he's a center in the presence of God. But there's a provision been made. And so as you read through the Gospels, you feel condemned by this perfect life. You get to the end and you find there's a sacrifice for you to put all that sin away and you brought into blessing. That's the element of the gospel.
00:30:02
So he tells the disciples, take heed and beware of covetousness. We're told in Colossians chapter 3 that covetousness is a very serious sin. It's akin with idolatry. In fact, it says Colossians 3.
And covetousness, which is idolatry. Now you say what? How could that be? Well, the principle of idolatry is something climbing into our hearts and displacing the affection that should be there for Christ. And it goes out on some other thing. It displaces affection for Christ is what an idol is. And so if we allow anything to come into our life, could be some project, some hobby, some interest, some sport, that that it gets out of proportion in our lives. We begin to think about it and dream about it, to talk about it, to live for it.
It's become an idol in our lives and uh, we want to acquire everything as part of that endeavor and we end up with building all these stuff that you were talking about, Robert, and possessions and so on that come into our life. It comes through the gate of having a covetous heart. And I know what I'm talking about, brethren. I have to humble myself here and say I'm no much better than anyone here with regard to this point, but the Lord has given us this chapter and these things need to be said.
Even though the persons that may be saying these things here this afternoon need to check their own lives.
The list of awful things in, uh, First Corinthians 511, uh, fornicator, idolater, railer, drunkard, extortioner, but included in that, also in that list of awful things I've written into you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother B includes covetousness.
So what is coverage system? Uh, what is covert's simply defined?
Mr. Darby tried to place an unbridled desire, I believe in the verse that you were mentioning. Unbridled desire, unbridled lust.
And, uh, the flesh, a picture of the flesh out of control, wanting its own way, regardless of the authority of God himself, is it not A desire for something that God has not given me very simply. And I think we could, uh, that that's going to encompass a lot more, uh, for our souls, you know, this matter of, uh, abundance here in verse 15, as you were telling us, uh, Robert, we don't really need to be told. We know it, but we live in an abundant society.
And it's all about our needs. It's a need driven thing. And we get completely out of synchronization with what really we need and what we don't, apart from covering and things like that. But in verse 15, he says a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And I think we're honest. Don't we tend to rate people on what they own, Even the Saints? Oh, it must be a godly brother.
Or, you know, because he has a few things and that.
That Jewish thing tends to creep into our Christianity. And so then there is, uh, the other side of denying, uh, these things. And that can be sort of an acetic thing and pride can get, uh, going with that too. And I'm thinking of a verse back in the Old Testament where, uh, in, umm, Proverbs chapter 30.
Two things that I require that they deny me them not before I die. Remove far from me vanity and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Doesn't that sound like a good solution to all this? Feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor in steel, and take the name of my God in vain.
I'd like to suggest that's not the answer. The answer is in Philippians chapter 4 verse 11 where the apostle Paul.
Says, I have verse 11. I have learned in whatsoever state or circumstance I am therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things. I am instructed to be full and to be hungry, to be to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. And so the Christian position is.
To be able to handle things of this world responsibly. What is addressed here is going beyond and hoarding up or uh, packing away and to the point of it completely shuts the Lord out of everything in our lives. And you'll notice here how many times I is used from verse 17 and on the comment.
00:35:19
Uh, about the ground of a certain rich man and so on.
It's all his, it's his little Kingdom, and he doesn't see himself as part of God's Kingdom where there is a king who has authority. He has authority in his own life and things have, uh, and that's really the danger of the abundance of things and stuff as we have been considering earlier, isn't it? But it's a great thing for us to know how to abound and to be abased and to take both of them from the Lord and to be responsible with both.
Because we can crash on either side of this road very easily.
Somebody has said that it's, it's not a sin to have money or riches, but there's always a danger. And I think that's what we we need to. This is a matter of the heart. And as one has said, the water is free, but somebody has to pay for the plumbing. You know, the ministry here is free, but somebody is going to have to put in the plumbing, pay the bill at the at the motel and different things. And so I, I think that.
You know, it's it's useless for the Lord. That's one thing. This man was aggrandizing himself with it and so the scripture says.
Love not the world, you know, the things that are in the world for all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and what will give you the ability to satisfy each one of those things? Money. And so there's always a danger, but it's not only money that that I think that the Scripture that.
Our brother Bruce read, uh, in, uh, in Colossians there it's connected with.
Last full sexual sins, every one of those things that are mentioned there, uncleanness, fornication, inordinate affection, evil, concupiscence, all of those things. And then it says covetousness. I, I am I pronouncing that right? I hear it pronounce covet chestnuts. I think it's covetousness. I, I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but covetousness and, and uh, so it can be other things.
There there's people in this world that don't they, they don't care what iota about money. They want drugs, you know, where they want to have fun, they want these other things. So covetousness is a matter of our heart desiring something like the brother said, that God hasn't given us, and it's desiring something to make us happy outside of God.
Now the younger people here, perhaps somebody could explain?
We're saying, you know, it's something that God hasn't given us. They're looking at some of the older people here that have homes, cars, clothes. Where is the spiritual balance there? I mean, you can't say God gave me my house. I mean, he doesn't. Somebody didn't just hand over the mortgage papers and put my name on it. So perhaps a brother can explain that so the younger people don't get stumbled and think, well, where does this all fit? Maybe these guys are all liking the beginning of chapter. A bunch of hypocrites. That's not what we're saying.
It's a spiritual, well, I'll say what I say if something you guys can add to it because there's a balance there. If you, if you come to the place in your life where you grow up and you're looking in your future, you're going to need a place to live. But you don't go out and mortgage yourself to the eyeballs so you can have that place. So all these guys can say, whoa, that's a nice house. You have to have that balance. Like where, where does your income take you? What do you actually need? It's not what is, what do you want? It's an actual need. I need a home to, to shelter.
Two or three children, I need a car to take me downtown to so I could do my job. Well, I don't need a Jaguar or Mercedes-Benz to do that. Volkswagen Jetta do just the same thing. So I think there's a balance that we have to understand that COVID is, is, is something you're, you're, you're, you're desiring something more of a want than a need. The Lord will provide the needs and he provides that. So you go get a job, save you money, get the home. But you know, there's many people we're talking about stuff.
How many of those people are so far in debt because of their stuff?
00:40:02
And Exchange backed in the back in these storage rooms, they, they're not even using. It's just packed up. It's stuff. So there's a, there's an intelligence here that needs to be looked at also.
And one reasons why we do things and, and, and both of them are wrong. One is that somebody has said this is not mine, but uh, we can afford it and I want to. So those are two things that are selfishness. You know, God hasn't given things just to aggrandize yourself or to keep it upon yourself. That's what men use it for. That's why it's called filthy lucre, because it's that medium of exchange that men have used.
To satisfy themselves outside of God, but you can make friends to that filthy lucre. You can make friends. You can send it on ahead. You can get out the gospel, uh, or you can spend it on yourself and.
I don't know.
All I can say, and we have to be careful too, if you think about these things, that I think our brother mission balance, umm, that we don't in some cases think 'cause that brother.
Is wealthy that therefore he must be blessed of the Lord or on the other side, because he's poor, he must be really a spiritual man. Umm, all those things, uh, have to be held in the presence of the Lord. And I think the parable that the Lord expounds here, uh, illustrates that is how he held the things that he had and he held it for himself. And we have to be careful about judging one another and say, well.
Uh, brother Billard, uh, he's holding that in covetousness, uh, covetousness, sorry. And, and, uh, we have to be careful how we express those things because we don't know that brother's heart, that sister's heart. We need to let the Lord, uh, work with that and, and to be thankful when the Lord gives us, uh, things, uh, we have to be, make sure we hold it as, as really he's the giver and we're thankful for it and enjoy it before him.
And to use it, like you say, to use it for him, These are things that, but when we hear an address like we heard just recently, certainly there's things that we can say, whoops, maybe there's something in my life I can, uh, own that is, needs to be judged and needs to be dealt with. But I think, uh, again, if you notice how many times in this parable, not to skip ahead, but notice that the, the pronoun I, the first person pronoun.
Uh, he thought, within himself. Himself. There's a pronoun himself.
What shall I do? Because I have no room where to be so my fruits. And he said this will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater and there will I be so my fruits and my good. I mean, I counted 8. There's probably more than that, but just how many times? It's all. And I will say to my soul there's more, so two more and say how much?
Good laid up for many years, take, dine easy, eat and eat, drink and be merry. It's all held with his own self and selfishness. And that's the opposite of a shepherd, isn't it? The shepherd is into the relationship for the sheep, but the the one who is the hireling or the the one here, he's he's into the relationship for me. So we need to judge that and it's not for me to look across.
And judge another brother for what he holds or doesn't hold. This is for me. Am I dealing and holding things for myself or am I holding things before the Lord? Now let look at Habakkuk chapter 3.
Not always wrong to deal to have to do with the first person. There's other verses too that people could draw that draw you to verse 18. Habakkuk 3. Here's the first person pronoun.
I will rejoice in the Lord.
I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like hindsight and he will make me to walk upon mine high places, etcetera. And then Galatians one more verse, Galatians chapter 2.
Talks about a couple of eyes there and.
Someone could help us understand that a little better but in Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20.
00:45:02
There's two eyes. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, in the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the face of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Just to not to hammer this too hard, but just to realize that the Lord writes, presents these things for me. Not necessarily.
To point it and think about some of my brother, there may be need for that. Like for instance, in First Corinthians 5 when it, it has deals with sin, There may be the need for, for really judging someone who has behaved in such a way to where it's clearly a case that that has affected, uh, his family and whole assembly needs to be dealt with.
I think the word in First Corinthians 5, I'm not sure, but I think in Mr. Darby's avaricious, which has a, a connotation of, you know, grasping, uh, no matter how it's gotten. And then that would be dealt with, but certainly not, uh, what we have in the, this chapter.
I like the little definition that uh the Spirit of God gives in Proverbs chapter 23 of uh, covetousness, verse UH-17, Proverbs 23 and verse 17. Let not thine heart envy sinners, let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end, there is a future, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
So there's a warning for each one of us that not to let our hearts envy sinners and what sinners have, why it's all going to come under judgment, every single bit of it. And so if we set our hearts on what sinners have set their hearts on why it's the end is not going to be good. But he says here be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. So if I'm in the fear of God, I'm being governed by the thoughts of the Lord.
I want to be acceptable unto Him. Wherefore we labor that, whether absent or present, we may be accepted of Him. That's what we really want.
But the Sinner, he wants what he wants to. As you have been saying, brother George, it's just to satisfy himself. Just the lusts of the flesh, that's all he wants to satisfy.
Psalm 17 also illustrates that verse 14 men of the world which have their portion in this life, and then verse 15 says, But As for me, I will behold thy face and righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. I mean that that's the thing alone that can satisfy us, isn't it, this Christ?
The Lord brings in the parable here in verses 16 through.
21.
Before the disciples to exercise them. As to the principle, you see the he speaks in the most abstract terms possible. The most extreme case of all is a man who lives without reference to God. He's not even saved. He's not a child of God at all. He ends up in a lost eternity.
The Lord is not teaching that the disciples could lose their salvation, but He's laying down a moral principle that's broad enough to be used in the gospel, as we would reach out to some who lives like that, or to his own disciples who perhaps may be governed by that very principle that this lost soul is governed by.
And the, uh, the object of this man's life was satisfying himself, and he left, uh, the God out of it all together.
And uh.
You'll see here that he didn't have room for two things. He didn't have room for his increased goods, so he had to build barns to get bigger, and he didn't have room for God. And that was his mistake. And the route, the lesson that the Lord is trying to get across to us in this parable, to the disciples, to his own, is that they should not live for increasing possessions on this earth.
And that's the, that's the principle that's behind this. He doesn't exactly speak about what he had in the barns and enumerate those kind of things and use it very broad just to say that this man here had nothing but himself before that his, uh, his soul mentions himself, as you've mentioned, George a dozen times or so. But what you do see is that, uh, a great lesson for us. And the lesson is simple. And that is do not spend your time laying up treasure on earth.
Let me repeat that.
00:50:01
Do not spend your time laying up treasure on earth. That's the main point that he's trying to bring across to his disciples here.
You've missed the purpose and point of life altogether if that's what's going on.
So whether a person has more or a little less than others, that's not the point. The point is, do not spend your time laying up treasure on earth. The object of a disciple is to represent his Lord in the time of his absence, as we've been speaking. And if we get sidetracked into getting after these kinds of things and put our faces and our nose and our object and our life and energy into just amassing things that we think will make us happy, we've been sidetracked by the enemy of our souls from the primary purpose for which we've been left here. That is to represent Christ.
And so he's warning his disciples of this very deceptive thing.
That could climb into our lives unawares and sidetrack us. That's the point that we're getting here.
Something I heard a long time ago that helped me so much. I'd like to say now, I asked a brother one time if he had a house where he lived. It was just conversation. I was possibly thinking about buying a house and he says, well, the Lord has a house and such and such a city and he lets me take care of it. Uh, that was just a very nice way to put it. It really put it in perspective at stewardship. Mr. Jefferson said that to me one time when I met him for the first time, he was a label amongst the Lord, his people, and been off the scene for probably 25 or 30 years. And I miss a young man.
I ran into him at a conference and I said he introduced him. He was, oh, I remember I heard of his name before and I said, well, where do you live? He says, uh, well, the Lord has a house in Kentucky and I'm living in it.
I thought that was good, just the same point you make there.
He exposes the.
The root principle of.
Man in the flesh and what he lives for in verse 19 when he says take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. That's the character of this world, people who live without reference to God. Plenty of pleasure, plenty to eat and drink, plenty of fun and amusement. And I think that's the end all and be all of life, but not for a disciple, not for the Lord's servants. And so the man's object was all wrong.
And that's brought in here to show us that we can be affected by this, just as he speaks about the leaven of the Pharisees, not saying to anyone of his disciples will become a Pharisee.
In that sense, but he's saying that there is that principle that could be at work amongst the disciples and they have to be on guard of the same. With this principle, we have to be on guard ourselves. That's why he concludes in verse 21 and says so is he that layeth up treasure for himself is not rich toward God. So let me just say that again, the great lesson here is do not spend your time laying up treasure on earth. That's not the object of a disciple.
I suppose that verse 19 is retirement, isn't it?
And how many times have you heard someone say, you know, poor Bob or George or Fred, He got this. He got early retirement and he had a heart attack within the first year and passed away. How often? But you can see the spirit of it here. He's looking forward to this soul. Thou hast much goods laid up for many years and and now we facilitate that in our culture. It's a new thing relatively. Take that easy, drink and be merry. Or the Young's literal translation puts.
My soul be resting. Isn't that retirement? Isn't that what we're looking for? And so pardon say that again. Young's literal raised it as my soul be resting.
And so there is that sense of this deceptive rest. And, uh, should there ever be a time for the believer to kind of what you're saying, Bruce, where we are, we do not labor for the Lord. And if we're not accustomed to that, then, uh, this is really what we're doing. We're either laboring for the Lord or we're laboring for ourselves. It's one of the two. And so you can see it taken out to the extreme in this man. Uh, and as we verse 20, the Lord calls him up.
On that fateful night.
And who shall these things be for which thou hast provided? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
The principle of Jericho that we've had really before us in the address, as we said, you know, scripture has a number of cities that, and places that are typical of this world in different aspects. Egypt's the type of this world and independence of God. Sodom's a type of this world and it's moral corruption. Babylon's the type of this world and it's religious confusion. But Jericho is the type of this world, uh, that, uh, pertains to, uh, the good life, as Robert was saying, and just, uh, pleasing self, you know, it's called the city of the palm trees. The whole idea is.
00:55:28
Take your ease, just have a rest, get on a spiritual holiday, to quote Wayne and that idea. And there is that in our natures that wants to take that and have that little, uh, rest, you know, and it's just not, uh, for the child of God, the city of the palm trees. Who was it? What enemy of the children of Israel took the city of the palm trees? It was that fat king.
From Moab, he went across the land of Israel, the.
River that Jordan there and he took the city of the palm trees because he was interested in ease and relaxation and the good life. And so it it it's it's a it's a real bane to us.
I wonder if a lot of these things don't come in in verse 17. The beginning of it, he thought was in himself.
You know, we have on our laps today God's thoughts about these things. If we're gonna think within ourselves, there's all kind of counselors in this world will tell us all kinds of things. Are you gonna aggrandize yourself and you can have the city of palm trees? Let me show you how to do it. This is out. Step one, Step 2, It's all laid out.
But beginning with thinking about ourselves, if we follow that on through, we find ourselves in, in verse nineteen of those things take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Now if we're gonna take our ease, that means I'm not working for anything.
I'm not gonna do anything. I'm not gonna serve anybody. I'm gonna take my ease. And if it says eat, drink and be merry, it's saying I want everybody to serve me. Now there's the 1St man full blown. That's what we're after in this world, in in nature. We don't wanna serve anybody. We want everybody to serve us. And what a horrible thing for a Christian. That's not why the Lord came here. He came here to be a servant. He came here to give himself on the cross. He walked his life in service for others.
Can we fall into this breadth? It's a sad thing, though we can.
And I was thinking too, in verse 15, nobody read that in the new translation. It's a little, uh, little bit more condemning there. He says instead of a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, it says it is not because a man is in abundance that his life is in his possession.
Now think about that a minute. You don't have to have a lot of things. You can be sitting somewhere else watching a brother drive a nice car or live in a nice house, and you can be coveting that. You don't have to have a lot to fall into this problem.
It's not because a man is in abundance that his life is in his possessions. You have a little kid playing with his his brother on the floor and he's saying that's mine. He's gonna have hardly anything but he wants more. He wants what his brother has. And that's the principle of this whole thing. It's it's so anti Christian and yet we find in our own hearts, we find ourselves falling into it. May the Lord help us brethren. Another thing too, when the Lord says this night thy soul shall be required of thee.
You see, he thought he had many years and he said, you know, laid up for many years, but we don't have no lease on life as you we all know. But, uh, I think the lesson here is that time is lent to us and we don't know how long much we have been given to us. Every one of us has had our hand open and God has put into our hands time and it's been lent to us. What am I doing with it? This man was just going to try to build bigger and better barns to amass more and more possessions.
But that's not what a disciple of Christ should be doing. And so each one of us need to be exercised about what we're doing with what has been put into our hands, because our life is going to be required of us too, before God. We have to give an account as to what we did with what the Lord put in our hand.
Man, I used to work with uh.
Several years ago I talked to a coworker of his and and he said, Did you hear about Jorge?
Uh, no. What? What's going on? He said. Well, he retired, and the day after he retired, he got a cerebral hemorrhage and died three days later.
01:00:01
You know, I don't know where Jorge is, I don't know, umm, but it is certainly very powerful as we see this expression, thou fool. I was struck, uh, reading some time ago with a story of Nabel.
And first Samuel 25 and, and it's a real, it's a real picture to us that can be used very vividly in the gospel. Here's a man that, uh, builds things. And when David comes.
For what's required with, with a message of peace, he rejects it and he dies with a heart of stone. Solemn thou fool. Nabel means fool. Same word as in Psalm 14. I think it's Psalm 53. The fool has said in his heart there's no God or no God. It does not reference things with God in view. So it's a solemn thing. But now that that's, that's an unbeliever. Now you take it to a believer like our brother was mentioning.
Older brother, one time when I was a young man threw me aside and you know, he said, when I was young, I spent a lot of my energy building my business and I, I didn't spend the time over the word and, and in the ministry. I built my business, I got my business going. And as I, as I and I raised my family and I was really occupied in those things and I put my full heart to it, but I didn't spend the time in the word in the ministry. And now that I'm older.
I find my mind's not working as as much as I'd like it to, doesn't retain the things I'm not able to retain all that I read and I I just feel like played the fool.
All right, well, now I'm a young person and, and I, and I have a family and, you know, I'm anxious about this. I, I, I, I'm responsible to provide for them. And you know, I, I'm, I worry about that not being able to. I mean, isn't that what's taken up next? You know, I mean, uh, this is pretty hard. It's pretty hard to transfer to something like this, you know?
I mean, he's talking about taking care of you. And, uh, you can just see the Lord anticipating the disciples saying, but Lord, we've got to make some preparations, don't we? We, we, we have to have a little of this life. Uh, you know, this world is good and so on, don't we? And so he comes right in and says, don't make that the object of your life. And now he seeks in these next series of verses to set them free from, from worry.
Worry about the future.
You know, the enemy would like to distract us again from being what we should be in the time of his absence as bright and shining witnesses. And that is to get us worried about the future, worried about 1000 things, not just maybe looking after our family. There could be anything. And some of us are worried about our business and some of us are worried about if we're gonna get married. And some of us are worried about.
Whatever and, uh, we can get worried about our health maybe and, and we can get so worked up and so sidetracked thinking about those things that we spend our time in those things and we get sidetracked from the real issue. That should characterize a servant and a witness of Christ. So he's going to deal with that next. We don't have any more time now, but that's the thought here next. And that is to set them free from worry.
And anxiety, I understand that the uh, the word in verse 29 neither be of doubtful mind should be neither live in anxiety.
Neither live in anxiety.
You know, we can spend most of our time furthering, as Wayne said, uh, use up a lot of calories thinking about worrying about tomorrow when when tomorrow comes. It seems to work itself out.
So we have to be taught by experience to trust the Lord, you know, and it takes some time to learn how to trust the Lord. An old expression, you've probably heard this, it's written on our fridge for, not for any haphazard reason either, but it's written in our fridge that I look at every morning and it says if you worry, you do not trust, but if you trust, you do not worry. And I think that's helpful.
Just trust the Lord, you know, having your own business like some of us do have I, it's different than perhaps having, uh, being on a set salary working for a big corporation and, uh, you have to every day, just every week, just say, well, hope the Lord is gonna help us this week and we're gonna make the sales. We're gonna do whatever we have to do to make ends meet. The time Friday comes and you roll up the, the desk and you go home. And somehow he made it work week after week after week. You think I learned to trust him? But still Monday morning.
01:05:12
Now look at that fridge and I remember that little expression. If you worry, you do not trust, but if you trust, you do not worry. And so the great lesson is to learn to trust the Lord. Now I realize those who work for corporations and so on that have the, the, the, the guaranteed salaries and all this kind of stuff, we'll learn the same lesson that we seek who have our own businesses have to learn. You'll just learn it in a different way. The Lord has a school that's made for every one of us. And, uh, so we're all going to learn this lesson, but I see.
That it is a slow process and we have to learn by experience to trust the Lord and bit by bit we learn to let go and do not worry and just trust Him for the future. And that's what He wanted his disciples to be, to be completely free and trusting so they could be free to be busy in His service and His vineyard as responsible witnesses. That's what I covered from my own soul. I used that word covet and and the scriptural sense.
What about the ads that, how come he doesn't bring the Ant in here? He just, uh, kind of does the opposite of this, doesn't he? You know, the Raven, he just, he just trusts, you know, the day the seed is gonna be there or, and, uh, the Lilly, it just, uh, just, uh, trust the nourishment. It's gonna be there. But in Proverbs he talks about the ACT too. So I'm gonna just say that and give us because the Ant he's storing up for the winter. So there's both principles.
And and I just wonder why didn't bring that in.
It's the object. It's the object if your whole aim and focus is story out. I mean, I think we all have to use little wisdom and Bruce stops his business and he has nothing.
That's what he's got, but if he spent his entire business building up a retirement fund, he could drop dead the day before he gets it. So there's there is wisdom there. Again, we started with the balance. Where is your focus? It has to be upon Christ, not upon.
The world.
Well, maybe we can talk a little more about that because we just put our nose into this, uh, this subject of worry and there's much more we can say on it, I'm sure. So when we come back to it tomorrow, we can follow up from there.
We see #59 in the back.
#59 in the afternoon.
Not at all.
Gospel 1
Gospel—Al Cantrell
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Maybe we could turn first of all to some verses in the Gospel of John, uh, very familiar verses. The gospel needs to be simple that everyone can understand from the smallest to the oldest. And I would like to begin in the third chapter. This is a chapter where the Lord Jesus is speaking to, uh, Nicodemus. And we're not gonna read the whole chapter, just a, a section of it here.
Uh, beginning at the 14th verse. And as Moses lifted up the serpent and the wilderness, Even so must the Son of man be lifted up. And he says in another place, if I be lifted up, I'll draw all men unto me. And so the Lord Jesus is inviting you this evening to come to him. He has his arms open wide, coming to me all either a weak and heavy laden and I'll give you rest and he wants each of you.
Whether you're a little one, whether you're an older one.
Whoever you are, He wants you because He died on the cross for you. It says about the rich young ruler, the Lord Jesus, looking upon Him, loved Him, and He loves you. He's manifested that love to you upon that cross when He died there for your sins. So won't you listen to the Word once you believe on Him and accept Him as your own Savior this night?
Let's go ahead and read in here that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already.
Because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation that lighters that come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Now if we can drop down to the 36th verse.
He that believeth on the sun hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.
But the wrath of God abideth on him.
While these are so familiar verses, especially this John 316, and it's probably the most well known verse in all the world.
For years I never knew whether my my father, my own father, whether he knew the Lord Jesus as his Savior or not. He had heard the preachers. Matter of fact, Billy Sunday had come to him one time when he was sick and visited him. Many of you probably have heard of Billy Sunday, a great evangelist of bygone years.
But Dad never made an open confession to me or to anyone else I know of. And when he was dying, upon his deathbed, uh, Jimmy Killcup went to visit him. And Jimmy asked him, what are, what are you placing your trust in for eternity? Because your time is just about up down here. What's gonna happen to you?
What's going to happen to you? What verse do you think my father quoted to him?
John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. And you know, it's just that simple. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's all you have to have deceiving. Reach out with that hand of faith, however weak it is, and the Almighty Son of God will take take hold of that hand of faith.
And draw you to himself.
And so this is a wonderful verse. God loved the world.
Every the whole, every mankind, all of mankind, God loved and He manifested that love in giving His both only begotten Son. It says the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. He sent Him to be your Savior and my Savior. He sent Him knowing well that men would reject Him.
And the first, uh, chapter John that says that he came onto his own.
And his own received them, not his own. Jewish people didn't receive them. They sat away with him. We'll not have him. We'll not have the man to rule over us. Crucify him, Crucify him, they cried out.
00:05:07
But then the next verse says, but as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. And you know this goes out to you here this evening in this room. The message goes out.
To as many as received Him, have you received the Son of God as your Savior? As you sat there in your seat, do you know Him as your Savior?
Have you made a transaction with the Son of God?
To them gave he the authority, the power authority to become the sons of God. Even to them that believe on his name, it's just believing on his name, trusting him. Now let's turn back to that third chapter.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
There's a lot in this world that God can condemn and he and he is gonna condemn it in the coming day. But you know, this is a day of grace. This is a day when God is reaching out to mankind, reaching out with salvation for everyone that will hear and believe.
In love, he sent his son into this world, didn't send him to condemn it. There's going to come a day like that, songs that we just sung, that every knee is gonna bow to him, every knee is gonna bow to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so in this day and age, you have the privilege of bowing the knee yourself. But in the coming day, it's gonna be a forest valve.
Every knee shall bow.
But that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned.
If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are not in condemnation.
You've been turned from darkness, and the light you've been given turn from death unto life, and that's what the Son of God has come to give you, and that's life. The Lord says in this very gospel, he said I've come to give them life.
And that more abundantly.
It's a wonderful life that he gives. It's a life just like his own because he is at eternal life from the Father.
And God wants you to have that same life that the Lord Jesus has.
But he that believeth not is condemned already. And so there's two classes, you might say, in this room.
You're either in that first class, not condemned because you trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
Or you're in the second class that has not believed, and you're in you is you are condemned. He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And then we have in that last verse, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
And so God is for you. He manifested it at the cross, when the Lord Jesus gave up his life there on Calvary's cross for you, suffered there for you while you were sinners.
While you're in at enmity with God, while you were his enemies, the Lord Jesus died there for you. And you can just be, you can be like that thief on the cross that was.
Crucified next to next to him on that other cross, the thing he said, Remember Me, Lord, when thou cometh into thy Kingdom.
And the Lord Jesus said today, shall thou be with me in paradise?
That thou shall call the Lord Jesus Lord, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.
And so there's a warning that we need to give. There's a message that we've we've read here, that of God's love to you. But this day of grace is going to end. One of these days. It's gonna come to a climax.
00:10:06
And then all the believers that are know the Lord Jesus are going to be caught out of this world unto himself. And if you're not a believer this night, you'll be left, because the Lord could come this very evening.
He that will come, will come and not tarry.
And so the Lord Jesus could come and pray, take all the believers unto himself, and then the wrath of God is going to come upon this world. What a terrible wrath it will be. But you know God warns you ahead of time. Flee from the wrath to come. Where are you to flee to? To the blessed Savior.
So the one that gave his life for you, that you might not have to go into death, that you might not have to face judgment, He faced your judgment for you. He did everything on the cross for you.
You know, years ago, I think it was probably 1979.
Uh, we camped the last time at the, uh, Mount Saint Helens.
We camped down by Spirit Lake, which we encamped there many times. I swim across the lake before when at that time and you could look down and 30 feet of water and see the bottom and see face swimming around down there. Beautiful area, pristine forest, all growth hadn't been touched by by a man's hand as far as logging or anything right around that lake.
And we don't have it on the mountain side.
There was huckleberries on the mountainside that was big as your thumb. You can sit down at a Bush and pick.
And, you know, the following year, that mountain started to rumble.
It sent up a steam plume up in the air and then it had a couple more small eruptions.
And then, uh, the front of the north flank of the mountains started to expand. And these are things were warnings. They were warnings. God's giving you warning this evening. Judgment is coming.
And you know the Lord Jesus is going to be that judge that you're going to face. You face them this evening as a Savior inviting you to come unto him. But in the coming day, you'll be facing him as a judge.
There was a man that lived at the base of that mountain. His name was Harry Truman. Wasn't any relation to the president, very ungodly man. And he was in defiance of that mountain. He was going to stay there no matter what.
There was other people that were in the proximity of the mountain. I think there was 50, some people that were killed.
When the eruption happened.
And but there was warnings that had gone out before.
Warnings to stay away from that area. Harry Truman was told many times. You've got to get out of there, Harry. You're gonna be buried where you are. You're gonna be buried alive. But they didn't hearken.
He didn't hearken. He was stubborn. Are you stubborn this evening?
I knew a young man once that he was stubborn. He thought he had his own way to God.
But the Lord was long-suffering to him.
And eventually that young man was saved when he was 16 years old.
And so God is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And he's long-suffering at this time. But you know when that when that mountain erupted?
The long-suffering and the warnings from the mountain was gone.
And one moment of time, Harry was buried under 300 feet of mud and ash.
There was people that were miles away in the line of the blast.
They saw the fire coming. They saw the dark cloud.
00:15:03
But they never escaped. They couldn't outrun it.
There was people that were in vehicles, they couldn't out drive it.
And there's no way that you're gonna escape the judgment of God in the coming day. God's wrath upon this world, if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ, He's the only way to escape judgment.
The Lord says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
And the 12Th of, uh, fourth of Acts, maybe we can turn the Acts chapter 4. There's a verse there I want to look at.
OK.
And uh, verse 12 Neither is there salvation than any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. There is no other name other than the name of Jesus.
He is the only savior.
Whatever men may say to you, there is no other savior but the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one that God sent into this world to be the Savior.
No one else, only the Lord Jesus There is. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, and that's the only way of salvation.
Is through him.
And not through any other now.
We talked a little bit, uh, in the reading meetings about the seven churches and you might say they're prophetical.
And you know, the time, the prophetic clock will not start until we're taken out of the scene. I understand that. But there is moral prophecies that are given that shows the time that we're in. And we might turn to, uh, Timothy, second Timothy, and we'll see some characteristics of these moral conditions that would give us an indication.
Where we are in God's time frame that we're close to the Lord's coming, close to judgment that will come upon this world.
Umm, chapter three of Second Timothy and and uh.
Well, maybe I could read the first part. Umm, first verse. Know this, that in the last days, perilous times shall come for men. Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedience to parents.
I'm thankful. Unholy, without natural affection, truthbreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce despisers of those that are good.
Traders heady, high minded lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Now this in a in one, uh, paragraph phrase here really tells of the time that we live in right now.
Lovers. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
You think on Lord's Day, when we should be setting around the Lord's Day table, men and women should be setting down thinking about the Lord Jesus Christ?
Where are so many people? They're at football games, They're at music places.
They're at every place where there would be entertainment in this world, and there's a lot of that in this day and age. And when does it happen?
Many times upon the Lord's day.
And so they're lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. That's a characteristic of this day and age that we live in, more so than any other day, because in previous centuries, men had the word to earn their living. But now we're in a we're in a stage that we can enjoy pleasure because in this country, Canada and the US, there is.
00:20:01
Money and abundance. It's easy to go out and earn a good living.
For men and women used to have to work from day sun up to sundown and so they can enjoy pleasures.
So I think it has a time frame, a prophetical time frame, a moral time frame that God is giving, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away.
Now down to the 13th verse. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.
Deceiving and being deceived.
And isn't that right, what we're having at this time?
We have conditions that I will not even speak about that exist nowadays and the open.
I'm not saying that they haven't been before, but now they're in the open and people accept them.
Sin being accepted.
God's gonna come down in judgment.
The moral time frame of this world is drawing to the end. The clock's almost to midnight.
So there's just like that mountain. It gave warning.
It gave time for people to escape.
Harry Truman willingly stayed there and was buried. Are you gonna be willingly stay in your sins and be buried in your sins under the judgment of God?
Let's turn to.
Romans, because we have some very plain verses in Romans.
Romans, the third chapter, probably first of all.
Romans chapter 3 and verse 23, another well known verse. It's nice to have well known versus brought before you.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All have sinned. There's not a righteous man in this room by his own merits. The only righteousness that we have is what the Lord Jesus Christ gives us, the righteousness of God, and that's because of His death there at the cross.
Our sins can only be forgiven through Him.
And John, it says the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses me from all sin. And so if you turn to Christ this evening, every one of your sins is going to be forgiven, covered by the precious blood of Christ. He's paid the price, the full price.
So won't you turn to Him and accept the gift that He wants to give to you, and that's eternal life?
Now let's turn to the 5th, 5th chapter, some more well known verses and I thoroughly enjoy reading them.
5th chapter.
And the six verse?
For when we were without strength.
And due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die.
Yet per venture, for a good man, someone even dared to die, but God commended his love towards us.
We didn't reach out to God. There's no one that reaches out to God. God reaches out to you because you and your natural state is helpless. You're helpless to reach out to God, so God reaches out to you. Dear center.
He reaches out to you because he loves you.
He loves you, He wants you to be with him forever in heaven, to be his companion for all eternity. And so he reaches out. He commends his love towards us.
When did he do it? When we were centers.
When we were sinners, while we were yet centers, Christ died for us 2000 years ago. More in 2000 now. The Lord Jesus died on that cross.
00:25:10
2000 years, one sacrifice. God accepted them because he was that holy, spotless Lamb of God.
He was that one that God sent into this world, the only one that.
My sins could be laid upon, and your sins could be laid upon. And that he could die and suffer there. And God accepted his sacrifice for me.
For my sins as being a Sinner.
Much more than being now justified by his blood.
Justified by his blood.
We spoke about the blood just a moment ago. The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanses us from all sins.
That precious blood that flowed from his side.
That sphere that pierced the side?
And forthwith came out blood and water.
That very side that he told Thomas. Thrust your hand into my side, thrust your fingers into the wounds of my hand.
That very side that gave forth the blood to save.
The Lord Jesus gave, gave forth, gave it forth.
For if when we were enemies.
And you think of the apostle Paul.
At one time he was an enemy of God, wasn't he? He went from house to house searching out for Christians, those that were the Lords, and condemning them.
He was an enemy. But on the way to Damascus there was that bright light that shone down from heaven. That light in another place, it says, was above the brightness of the sun.
And the Lord and Paul was stopped in his tracks and he called out Lord.
He called out to the Lord Jesus. Lord, what wilt thou have me do?
Will you call out this evening to the Lord Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul said. I'm the chief of sinners.
Chief of centers persecuted the Church.
For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.
Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
You know, isn't it a wonderful thing we have the death and burial of the Lord Jesus?
That, you know, death couldn't hold the Lord Jesus. He rose from the dead. He rose victorious from the dead. And now he's at God's right hand, Soon to come back, soon to come back for me. Is he coming back for you? I asked that question. You know, time and opportunity goes by very, very swiftly, swiftly.
And so we need to seize upon the opportunity that we have and the saving you have an opportunity to accept the Lord Jesus.
To ask him into your heart and it all it takes is a very simple.
Yes, Lord Jesus, I want you to be my Savior. Just look to the Lord Jesus and He'll accept you. There's none that He's going to reject if they'll come to Him.
He that cometh on the knee I will no wise cast out.
So come to the Lord Jesus this evening. You have this opportunity. I can't say that tomorrow you will. The Scripture tells us today is the day of salvation, and so today is a day that you need.
To make your choice.
There is the long-suffering of God, but how long does that long-suffering last? So come a time when it comes to an end. It could come to the end this evening.
It could be this evening.
And where will you be? Where will you spend eternity? You know, when I was a a boy, we had a lot of big fir trees in our backyard.
00:30:03
And I used to build tree houses in these fir trees, and I had one tree house that was about, oh, 30 feet up in this fur tree on some limbs.
And, uh, my friend Gary.
And his cousins came over and I told him I want to show you my new treehouse.
And so we all started climbing up the tree.
And, uh, we got up to the tree house and, uh, Tommy and Larry, Gary's cousins, they got over into the tree house. My friend Gary was a heavyset young lad and, uh, a little clumsy. Gary was a good kid. I loved him very much, but he just, he was a very clumsy little kid too. And, uh, Gary got up, uh, to where the tree house was and there was a little lamb that went across the tree and so.
He had to step over into the treehouse. He stepped on this limb with this only about that big around and Gary probably weighed 160 a 170 lbs At that time at 12 years old or so 11 or 12 and.
Needless to say, the limb gave way under his weight and he fell.
Now in 30 feet there was probably umm, I would I would wager.
I would say that he had, uh at least to go by at least a dozen branches.
Each one of those branches was an opportunity for him to reach out and stop his fall.
And I lo I, I looked and here goes Gary plummeting down.
Fast layer after layer of branches.
Got down to the last branches before the ground. There was two branches that there was actually 2 trees that was right together and there was two branches that was.
Uh, sticking out just like that. And they acted just like arms to catch Gary and rolled them off under the ground.
And he wasn't hurt.
Gary was a believer. He knew the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. And so if he had fallen the 30 feet and been killed, where would he have been? He would have been with his Savior in heaven, but he had those opportunities. How many opportunities have you let go, let pass by?
Are you gonna wait until that last range and say, well, I'll accept the Lord Jesus?
When I get to the last range.
It may not be there.
Today is a day of salvation, not tomorrow.
Maybe we can get our hymn books.
And maybe we can sing #5.
And truly the IT is a happy day when we trust the Lord Jesus as our Savior. We have then one that loves US1 That will be with us for all eternity.
Oh Happy Day of the fix my choice on thee, my Savior and my God. Well, may this glowing heart rejoice and tell its rapture all abroad. Happy day, Happy day when Jesus washed my sins away.
He taught me how to watch and pray and live rejoicing every day. Happy day. Happy day when Jesus washed my sins away and He can do that for you. This very night some brothers started Please.
Umm.
00:35:17
757 95.
Yeah, umm, it's not a great.
Transaction.
I am my Lord and He is my.
He is going to Take Me Out and I fall alone.
Glad to come around but once he's by.
Hi, I've been to the end of the day. I'll have to ask you to see if I'll have to take a second.
Phone 07156 Dollar Way.
841 and brave and reap, Lord.
Sleeping every night.
Uh, I have a lot of kids on where you can't hold on a great time and I'm falling down.
John 524 Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word. And this evening you've heard the word of God, you've heard the Lord Jesus invite you to himself, and believeth on him that sent me.
God sent the Son, the Father sent the Son to be the Savior, He that believeth on him, that sent me half everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation that is passed from death unto life. Shall we pray our blessing that the message can still go forth, the gospel message?
Gospel 4
Gospel—David Whitaker
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Before we start the gospel meeting tonight, I just wanna say that, uh.
A lot of children here in the in the age of UH-4 to 8IN that I just I see 1234, I see many men, so I better tell a little story for the children.
My employee is from the Ukraine and he was talking to an old man that, uh, had a farm.
In Ukraine and this farm had chickens, of course.
And all these chickens, there were two Roosters, and these Roosters would fight. They would fight, They would fight to, uh, I suppose control the chicken house.
And one rooster would get beat up and so it would leave the coop, it would fly up into a tree and it would sit there because it got run off.
Well, the old farmer knew this well one morning.
This odd rooster started making some noise, children making a lot of noise. And so the farmer got up and he, he looked out the window and I suppose he was thinking in Russian or Ukrainian. And he said, what's that noise out there? And he looked and there in the tree was this rooster. And on the ground beneath the tree was a fox. A fox, yeah.
Now I'd like young people to listen to this story also, not just the seven-year olds. I had 7 year olds on my mind.
There's several of them there.
And others. OK, he looked out and here's this fox underneath this tree. And the fox was looking up at the rooster, and the rooster was looking down at the fox.
And lo and behold, if that fox didn't, didn't start going around that tree, around that tree, round and around and around and out, Farmer thought. What is that fox doing? Uh-huh. That rooster is looking down like this at the fox, down like this fox, down like this, the fox going round.
And round and round. It is funny, really it is. But not in that rooster went round and I want a 7 year old to tell me what happened. Went round and round and round and round and round and round. That tree and that rooster kept going around and around looking at that fox. Can you tell me what happened?
Well, let's put it this way. If I were to put you in the middle of the room and say I could go around about 15 or 20 times around and around, well, what happened to you?
Huh. You get dizzy, right? But this rooster got dizzy and what happened? It fell right out of that tree.
And the farmer saw that happen. That's his rooster now. He liked that rooster and that fox. Fox was just getting ready to have his breakfast. And the farmer opened the door and he said in the Ukrainian language, get out of here, I suppose. Don't you think so?
Well, what kind of illustration is that? I'm asking young people to listen to this.
This world through which we're passing young people and children.
As an enemy.
And he's going to try to get you off balance.
He really is, and when he does, he gotcha.
I see so many young people.
My business, I visit with them all the time. They start out in a home where the mommy and the daddy love them. Maybe sometimes they're even brought underneath the sound of the word of God and Sunday schools and things like that. And then they get in the wrong company and they start looking around and around and around this world and then what happens? They fall down they go. And there's many, many ways.
Satan has of snaring our young people.
I think that story that that young man told me should be written down. It's a very serious story, and it has.
Uh, lots of, uh, thoughts you could put with that. Don't you think you could write a story about that, put it in a Sunday school paper, and I suppose you could think of some real good verses too. Couldn't you put underneath that story? Sure could.
Well.
I heard that story, I said. That is a good one.
00:05:04
We have here tonight the word of God in our hands. This is a book that we were Speaking of earlier today and the brothers said just put this book under your arm and it will do a lot for you.
It'll keep you out of the world, it'll keep you out of parties, and it will and dangerous places that will get you in all kinds of trouble.
This precious book is God's word. It's powerful, and there's a name that you can place with this book, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a powerful name.
You speak about God and people are very willing to listen about God.
Almighty God and they'll put all kinds of nice names in connection with Almighty God and His great power and so on.
But you bring in the name of the precious Lord Jesus Christ. That's enough. That's enough.
Yes, we have a book here that's divine. It's God-given.
Now every word of God is pure.
I'll be looking at some verses tonight. We'll start with this one. I think it's Proverbs chapter 30.
We'll be reading some parts of verses. Every word of God is pure.
Proverbs 30, verse 5.
Turning to several scriptures.
I want you to rest your eyes upon that part of that verse.
What we're gonna have tonight is the I trust the pure Word of God.
Every word of God is pure. Now I'd like to take that verse.
And put it right next to the verse in the 12Th Psalm.
Verse 6.
Psalm 12/6 says.
The words of the Lord are pure words as silver.
Tried in a furnace of earth, purified 7 times.
This word that we have in our hands tonight has gone through.
Many occasions in its history here on earth, men have tried to stamp it out. And what has happened? Well, as a matter of fact, there's nations right now that don't want it.
A good friend of mine, his name is Don Argue.
He, uh, is the head of a Bibles. Well, he's part of a Bible society. I think it's the American Bible Society. And he says in Russia right now there are 40 vans. I don't know how big or how small. There are 40 vans going out every day delivering Bibles. That's one organization in one country, 40 vans every day delivering Bibles.
That's in the country understand that doesn't appreciate the word of God.
Yes, this book that we have here has been tried.
In a furnace of earth, purified 7 times.
No, there's no dross there.
Will go on.
In the beginning was the word.
And the word was with God.
And the word was God. That's John's gospel chapter one and verse one.
We're not gonna talk about evolution tonight because there is no need of it whatsoever. I mean to refute it. We're not gonna refute evolution because in your heart.
Or rather, in your conscience, you know over one. You know that there's a God. God has placed that in you. I suppose there's a technical term called hardwired.
I'm not up on that stuff, but it's in there. You have got a knowledge that there is a God, and that is not from your intellect, that's from your conscience. Your intellect doesn't tell you that, your intellect.
00:10:06
Will make gods out of wood stone.
Uh, animals.
Uh, ball players, umm, your intellect will make God out of anything, but your conscience is way deep down inside there and that tells you that there's a God, There is a God above. And therefore we will not take up the subject of evolution. It's not necessary. Creation is God's answer to all that.
Go on.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. The Word was God and here it is. We have it in a printed form tonight. And what a blessed thing this is. We can, we can trust it. You know, there's maybe 25 or 30 brothers in the backroom. Without a doubt, they've hung their whole future. It's like having a big nail in a sure place. They've hung their whole future on this book that we have here tonight.
God's Book. Holy Bible.
Now it's a wonderful story. God the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. I think it's 19 times in the book of, of John that we have that the Father sent, he was sent into this world. What a blessed thing that was. And it he, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God meet, has met us in our need and we're gonna talk about that.
Little further on here.
Philosophy, that's what men conjure up in their own minds, is just rubbish. God is the one that sets forth who God is. The Bible is the one that sets forth who God is and the wonderful, blessed salvation that he has to offer.
All right.
Isaiah chapter 44. This is such a precious little.
Saying here, I just noticed this one day and it just caught my eye and made me rejoice.
It says here in Isaiah 44 turn with me please to that.
And verse 24.
4424.
Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb. I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone. And this sentence here is wonderful. That spreadeth abroad the earth by myself. He did it by himself.
You know, men, uh, lately I've seen on, uh, computer these images at the Hubble telescope and I'd encourage you to take a look at them. They're absolutely phenomenal. The images that this.
Camera and space is able to take of God's creation and those tumbling, uh, there's no way to explain it to, to see those stars in their majesty and their color and their design and their pattern and all that.
Fan has been allowed to look out there in that vast, vast universe and see this. Awesome.
You know, men like to call a ball player awesome. I'd call him a weakling. They like to think that man's intelligence was awesome.
No, man, nothing. God is awesome. He's the only one that really deserves that title. And so he's brought this whole unit, this part perhaps of this universe into the lens of this Hubble telescope and to see that power.
And that majesty and the color and the brilliance and who knows the distance, you know, when you go back to the book of Genesis, the 1St chapter?
You would have thought that he would have developed at least four or five chapters there, developing the solar system and telling us how he did it. Let's look at it. Genesis, chapter one. This is wonderful.
Verse 16 of Genesis chapter one.
00:15:03
God made two great lights, a greater light through the day, lesser light through the night. That's the sun and the moon, isn't it?
But it's almost like this. It's almost like saying, you know, I better mention this before I forget it. We know that's foolishness.
Well, that's what we speak as, man. Look at this.
Take the italics out the stars also. 3 words, 3 words the stars also.
Majesty Beautiful.
He spread it abroad by himself. Colossians, chapter one, verse 13.
Who have delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, and whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature for by him?
Where those mighty orbs put in place, and those stars by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be Thrones or dominions.
Our principalities or powers of things created. All things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things and by all, by him all things consist and subsist that wonderful. And then we find out in His wisdom back there in the book of Genesis, those earth's earliest beginnings there.
He formed a man of the dust of the ground. What a humble, humble thing that was, you know, and later on you find various ones in the Scriptures that were deeply humbled by God.
And they had enough sense to humble themselves, and they repented in dust and ashes. Dust and ashes. Dust. Just what man is made out of. Throw a little water in there. Dust and ashes. Ashes. The fire has done its job. Self judgment. You'll find that some of those men of old, they got down dust and ashes and repentance.
Have you ever gotten in the presence of God?
Have you ever said?
God, here I am.
Or if you've been in deep trouble.
Have you ever said, oh Lord, let me just climb up into your arms and just hold me, hold me.
Are you a center tonight? Yes, you are.
Yes, you are. Adam is your father, Eve is your mother, and they led you down a steep place.
They died, they brought in.
A whole family of death. The Lord Jesus came in and brought a whole family of life. He's the head of it.
Well, it is appointed now unto men once to die. They fell to that lie of the devil, and that's where we are tonight.
Men, women, boys and girls.
Are headed down that same trail and the Lord Jesus be not come every single last one of us.
Will feel the effects of death.
But there's more to the story than that. We'll talk about that in a moment.
God looked down from the height of his sanctuary from heaven.
Said the Lord, Behold the earth to see what Psalm 102.
Verse 18. This shall be written for the generation to come. That's you.
00:20:01
And the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. That's me.
And you, if you know him.
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary. From heaven did the Lord behold the earth were reading in Psalm 102.
Verse 19 For Hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary from heaven.
Did the Lord behold the earth to hear the groaning of the prisoner to loose those that are appointed to death, appointed unto man once to die?
And after this the judgment.
Psalm 53.
Enverse.
To Psalm 53 verse two, God looked down from heaven.
Upon the children of men, to see if there were any.
That did understand, said did seek God. Every one of them has gone back.
They are all together, become filthy. There is none that doeth good. No, not one, not even one. I saw one of my children grandchildren today. I just can't imagine my grandchildren doing anything wrong, you know?
Tugging at a toy. Tugging at a toy that didn't belong to him.
Making sure that he had it and he had all three or four of them and the kid brother could just stand there watching. Do you mean at such an early age?
We do these kind of things, yes, we have a nature, a broken and fallen nature.
I'll add to this Isaiah 53.
Don't need to turn. We know these verses.
Uh, most of us do.
All we like sheep.
Verse 60 We, like sheep, have gone astray, We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
When we were yet without strength.
In due time.
Christ died for the ungodly. Now, lest this meeting should close early, I better speak the gospel.
There you sit in your chair in the ungodly, unclean condition. There you are now, if you'll reach out by faith, and you'll say, Lord Jesus, save my wicked soul.
Let that precious blood cleanse me tonight, right here.
He doesn't start cleaning you up and washing you up and trying to rehabilitate you, put you on some kind of a probation.
No Sir, He makes you all brand new in Christ.
I told this story once before, forgive me if you've heard it. The girl's name was Michelle Provette. She was a customer and she had a Subaru. And, uh, I painted it and I did, uh, apparently, according to her, a very lousy job.
So she came with a list.
And so I went around and tried to find the pics and I'd sand this and Polish this and so on. And so I thought, when am I going to get done with this girl? So pick, pick, pick, more or less. And, uh, distressing indeed, I thought, I don't like dealing with this woman.
So all of a sudden she's gone. She's gone and four years or four or five years go by, I'm in a different shop in a different area, and here comes the same Subaru. I don't know.
I said Michelle, how are you? She says I'm fine. How are you? I said I'm I'm fine, I'm fine.
She's, she said. I came to tell you that I've been up in Alaska and while I was in Alaska, I took.
Lord Jesus as my Savior.
Living with a man up there, she said. And when I got saved, she said, I started.
Putting verses on everything though the dishwasher and the refrigerator in the wall. She loved calligraphy and she would write out these beautiful verses and she'd stick them on the wall.
00:25:06
And now he's gone.
She's a new creation in Christ and she was coming back down and she was going to go down to Southern California to live Christ before her mother and father, Michelle Privette was her name.
Well, that was a good ending to a bad story, I said. She said, Would you like me to to make some birth, make a verse for you with my calligraphy, my handwriting? Oh, I'd love to have you do that. What verse would you like? I said. This is it.
Let's try Second Corinthians.
Chapter 5.
And verse 17, oh, what a beautiful thing that is.
Therefore, therefore.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Whole things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. That's a beautiful verse. And she did that in about 5 different translations and you could see these different, these different translators bring in the sweetness of that verse out. She did all those different translations. Beautiful. She was a new creation. Are you a new creation in Christ tonight?
Are you still stumbling around an Adam?
Our need was desperate.
Paul said.
I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Romans chapter one.
What a beautiful verse that is.
And here we have the power, the dynamite, the ability, the strength of God.
I'm not ashamed, Romans 116. I'm not ashamed.
As the gospel of Christ produced the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.
Everyone that believeth to the June 1St and also to the Greek for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written that just shall live by faith. So we're going to get around to that word grace. We're going to get there. But now we're going to talk about faith isn't believing what God said. He said it and you have the privilege tonight to believe what he says and this gospel is concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
And the gospel is First Corinthians 15. Let's try that one.
First Corinthians, chapter 15.
And verse one Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel.
It's OK to preach the gospel to the brother, he says. So here.
Uh, but tonight we're preaching it to the brethren and to any that may not be brethren.
Which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand, by which also you are saved, if you keep in Memory what I have preached unto you, unless you believed in vain. Well, if there is no resurrection, you have believed in vain, but there has been a resurrection.
Four verse three, I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins.
According to the scriptures, we're pre preaching facts here.
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and he was seen verse 5. Verse six, he was seen.
For seven he was seen. That testimony is there.
Seen.
And there was one time he was seen of above 500 brother at once. So I trust that 200 or so that are here would be seen. He would be seen of us also.
In this case was after his resurrection. No unsaved person, no lost soul. So I'm I don't believe.
And I was wondering earlier what, uh, those people that were guarding that grave and that were wondering about who they put him in there. What did they think?
When they heard that message, what did Pilate think when he heard that message? What a fearful thing. Resurrection for the unsaved.
00:30:02
You know what it says for a Christian to fear God? Oh, that brings such peace into his soul. Fear. God loves you, He died for you, His Son did.
But for a lost soul to fear God is sheer terror. It is a fearful thing to fall.
To drop into the hands of a living God.
Right.
That's right.
But when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Gospel is good news from heaven. There is no good news coming out of heaven tonight.
Apart from the gospel, there is a fearful looking for of judgment, the wrath of God.
Wrath of God is revealed from heaven.
Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold truth and unrighteousness.
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them.
And the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. You know, sometimes I go down the street because I'm in the car business. I'll see a beautiful, long, sleek automobile. Two things come to my mind immediately. Who made it and who owns it?
Well, I started looking around. If there's no little Insignia on there, I get very inquisitive because someday I might have to work on one of those things. At least want to know what it is. And if it's a beautiful machine, I want to give credit where credit is due. But then who can afford to own a thing like that? See. Well, who made this world? Who made this world?
The Lord Jesus made this world. Who owns it?
Is temporarily the God of it is the Prince, and the God of this world is Satan.
So there's no good news coming out of heaven for you tonight, apart from the gospel.
He that despised Moses law died without mercy, under two or three witnesses.
Of how much sore punishment suppose he shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?
And counted the other. Where is that?
Someone help me with that verse.
Thank you.
How much sort of punishment suppose ye? Shall he be thought worthy?
Who have trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant. We're with you as sanctified an unholy thing.
And hath done despite unto the spirit of grace. We're going to get to that word.
For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again the Lord shall judge his people as a fearful thing, to fall into the hands of thee, living God, not a God.
The living God.
Yes, I believe there's a verse that says God is angry with the wicked every day.
But we'll have to put with that that beautiful verse. For God's soul love the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
What a what a charming, uh.
Beautiful bell that is ringing around the earth. Think of a Lord's Day morning. You go from this time zone to this time zone to this time zone, the 24 of them around the circle of this earth. Hymns going up, praise hymns going up, adoration to Christ.
It's continuous, I would be willing to say at this very moment.
This being a Saturday night, even, it's Lord's Day over there someplace already, and there's hymns of praise going up to God from companies of believer, companies of believers.
Have you ever ever lifted up your voice to God in Thanksgiving and praise?
00:35:06
Have you ever done that?
So mankind now we see, has dropped down to the level in Romans chapter one. Romans chapter. Well, let's just do Romans chapter 3. I'll read these things.
Mouth is full of cursing, bitterness. There's 23 things. Throat is an open Sep girth tongues. They've used deceit. The poison of ASP is under the lips. Mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Feet swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, the way of peace. They have not known. That sounds like the headlines on the paper newspaper. No Fear of God before their eyes. Sounds like the school teachers, professors.
Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, that saith to them.
Who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight, For by the laws the knowledge of sin, but now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets.
Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all that believe, for there's no difference.
For all of sin.
You know the wages of sin. The wages of sin is death.
The wages of sin is death. I got a placard on my wall that says minimum wage.
And gives a number minimum wage.
Must be paid. The law says it must be paid.
The minimum wage of sin.
Is death.
All have sinned come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, to declare. I say at this time His righteousness, that He might be just, and He just He is. But look at this and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
Do you believe?
Where is boasting then is excluded? By what law of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified. And that's more than just as if I'd never sinned. Because if that were the case, you could slip back off into that awful dread condition that Adam got into. No, this is placed altogether on a new position in Christ, as secure as Christ himself is.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not of the Gentiles also? Yes, of the Gentiles tiles also. Seeing it is one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith, do we then void the laws through faith? God forbid we establish the law. Chapter 5, verse one.
Romans chapter 5 and verse one says Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
By whom also we have access, by faith.
Into this grace when we stand and rejoice in hope for the glory of God.
Verse six For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Are you ungodly tonight? If you are, the door is wide open for you to come in. If you're not ungodly, there's no chance, there's no opening, there's no door for you to go through.
Because this salvation that God has to offer is going to bring glory to God.
And if in his sovereignty he's chosen to pick up the poor, the.
This spot, let's get it right. Go out into the highways and the hedges, get those that are broken and maimed and spiritually dead, and bring them to that wonderful great supper provided by the great God.
Yep.
What a wonderful thing that grace is. God commendeth His love. When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Listen carefully yet per adventure. For a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us. And that while we were yet sinners, here we are, and the sinners bench lost. And there's hope. If you come on the righteous person's bench, there's nothing for you.
00:40:17
Nothing. You've got nothing coming. But if you take your place tonight as a poor, guilty, lost, hell deserving Sinner, there's mercy. Beautiful. And then God gets the praise. God gets the glory.
God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Oh, for by grace you're saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.
There's a translation out I, I I have yet to see it. I was told that that this is how it went.
Very, very bad. I'll read it and then I'll read it correctly, and then I'll read it very wrongly.
For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves is a gift of God. I'm going to read this translation. Wicked.
For by grace are ye saved through faith. After that you have done all that you can.
So now we have amidst this awful scene of sin and darkness.
A a world that's stained with blood. It's the it's, it's a huge cemetery, if you please.
Because of sin through all this gloom.
How light is shining? It's the glorious gospel of the blessed God. It's shining and it's shining on you tonight. And in that light you're going to see those hands of the Savior.
Those arms are reaching out for you tonight, Sinner.
Back here you'll see Calvary's cross, where the spotless Lamb of God yielded up his his life and his blood for you. Terrible thing happened, the crime of all crimes, the.
The story of all stories.
The love pulled out like a love story never told before to that magnitude.
God put his stamp of approval upon it all when he raised him from the dead, and he set him in his own right hand in heavenly places.
Well, that's the gospel story. So we have this wonderful gospel reaching out, not by works righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy.
This Council of Peace that took place.
In the heart of God the Father, God the Son, and the past eternity.
Let's save them, Let's save them. Let's save them. It will be to the glory of my dear Son and the praise of God. Let's save them. So he said, we'll go, we'll go, we'll go. Here am I. Send me.
Wages of sin is death. That's still true grace. Grace is God acting.
Freely.
According to his own nature.
As love isn't that beautiful Epistles of John, you'll find God is light.
One time God is love, twice beautiful.
And he wants to bring you in tonight. He wants to save your soul, Sinner. And I use that rather funny illustration that I heard of that rooster sitting up in that tree.
And following that fox round and round got dizzy and it fell out of that tree as that you And is that the world is that the Satan got you, uh, buffaloed, like we say. My, my hope not.
You want to end up an everlasting burnings? No, no, don't do that.
Grace is uncaused in the recipient.
00:45:01
This cause is holy in God, the giver, that beautiful. This is something that God has devised. It's altogether a new plan. It's the plan of salvation. Grace is sovereign. It doesn't have any debts to fulfill. Now, if you want to work for your salvation, you're making God a debtor. He owes you something now. Oh, no, no, Sir, no. It's free. It's out of the sovereign goodness of his own heart.
That he's brought this to light in the gospel.
It has no unfulfilled conditions on man's part to wait for.
He doesn't. He's not waiting for man to finally rise to such a level where he can come in and help you over the top.
I have a man that is a very dear friend of mine and about 3 months ago he wrote me. Oh maybe four months ago now.
He wrote me and I thought the man was clear on salvation. He loved the Lord and he just reads the scriptures all the time and he acknowledges the blood of Christ and he acknowledges it by faith and all that. But he wrote me a 95 page letter.
Well, he gave one to his son and one to someone else to look over. He said I'm not going to sign my name to this because in case it's not right.
95 pages to tell me how that that's true. Christ died for our sins and he shed his precious blood.
And he wants us there in glory. But after we're saved, we have to do the last and final.
Purchase We have to perform for God. We are on probation.
On probation, Oh, does that bring glory to God? No. If that were the case, there would be nobody in heaven #1 and #2 if there was somebody there, they would be boasting. And God can't have that. In His presence, we boast in Christ, we boast in our God, we sing of His love, we praise Him for what He's done. A little bit more here on Grace.
Grace can act toward whom and how it pleases. It can and often does.
Place the worst deservers and the highest favor.
You can have a God like this tonight to be your God. You can have Thor Jesus to be your savior. You're not a Christian. He has so much. If I look out and I see these men that I do business with all the time and they work in the complex.
Poor godless wretches.
Gentlemen, very gentlemen people.
But.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness like like the poison of a snake.
And I lookout there and I say, does that poor man? Does that poor man?
Is he gonna spend his eternity in the darkness?
Bound hand and foot so he can't exercise his lusts anymore.
Apart from God, not one ray or one.
Not a ray of hope for eternity. Think about that.
Why not reach out by grace tonight?
Grace cannot act where there is either ability or desert. Grace does not help.
That's so wonderful. Grace does not help. Grace is absolute. It does it all.
The place, the place a man has under grace, he has been accepted in Christ.
Who is his standing?
Grace, once bestowed, is not withdrawn. I think the man that got these little things up here is just choice, dear man. To believe is to consent to be loved.
While unworthy is the great secret, that's the secret. You're there, you are. You were a Sinner, you were lost, and God took and he put you in Christ and he cleaned you up in that past life. The cross is gone forever.
Your standing is perfect now, and when you put your head down at night, you're not worrying about your future.
You're safe in the arms, Jesus, precious Savior. He did all that for you when he went to the cross.
00:50:04
Now, if you're gonna make resolutions as a believer.
And vows that's to trust in yourself.
To expect to be blessed though realizing more and more your lack of worth.
And for the rest of your days to testify of God's goodness. What a thing to do you have. You can have Christ in your life. You can have him in your home. You can have him in your job. You can have him on your tongue. You can have him with your grandchildren about you, that precious, precious name of Jesus called over them.
A believers in such a blessed and wonderful position tonight he can call God his Father. He can call the Lord Jesus Christ his Savior.
The Spirit of God is his comforter through this world.
The Bible is his guide book.
God's people are his companions. Look at us here at this conference. Precious time.
Heaven is his home.
And the Lord's coming is what they're waiting for. Perhaps tonight.
7 year old boy, 7 year old girl tonight. That is a quite an age, the age I was saved.
It's the age where a lot of children get saved because they're starting to wake up and see that there's something wrong in this world and maybe something wrong within the heart.
And they have intelligence, they can reach out. I'm not talking to the 8 year olds, I'm talking to the seven-year olds.
They can reach out by faith and take the Lord Jesus as their own savior. Now concerning the 8 year olds, they're a year late there, aren't they? So if you're 8 years old, you want to listen to this, You want to hurry up and get saved right now. If you're 9 or you're 10 times passing, quickly passing.
I said to a young man one time. His name was Robert Trot.
I said Robert.
What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? This man was 21 years of age and he was the high jumping champion of this particular place.
I said, what shall it profit? He was. He was bugging me about something. So I asked him that question. What shall it profit a man if she'll gain the whole world and lose his own soul? What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? He said nothing, Nothing. Get that? Nothing.
The next night, that young man, Robert, who, by the way, was raised in Sunday school.
His grandma called her Grandma Trot. She would take little Robert on her knee.
And sitting there in Sunday school, hold up message of the gospel of the grace of God was presented to him.
And he would listen and he would hear. And he grew up saying no, no, no.
Willa asked who was a couple of witnesses there. I said, Robert, what shall I profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? He said nothing the next night.
He and another fellow riding a motorcycle.
Careless, perhaps even a little bit drunken.
Passed a car and hit another car head on and kill them both.
Came to work.
Following day and they said, David, you hear what happened to Robert, said no, what happened? He died last night. He what?
And these men, these workmen, were standing around a circle.
And they were quiet. Why? Because they knew. They knew.
One of them said to him, Robert, if you don't stop living that way, you're going to die. You're not going to make it to be a ripe old age. And he said, what do you consider to be a ripe old age, Roberts? Roberts said. And this guy said 25 years.
In a few hours, that man was dead.
God is not mocked, is that right Al?
God is not mocked. Let's pray.
Grace.
The Lord Specially Liked Little Children
Children—Gordon Whitaker
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.
Kids, does anybody know the verse that was on the paper for this day? Would you like to say it?
Very good. Somebody else, Do you like to say it?
Wrong name. Your body must be safe at 412. Very good.
Is there salvation in any other?
I'm to heaven.
Very good one. Go ahead.
Neither.
Neither is there salvation.
For there is none other.
Somebody else?
T Morgan.
OK. Anybody else got you?
Good. Julia, did you have that?
OK, how about you?
Neither.
Good. How about over there? Any of you kids want to stay universe?
Neither.
Is their salvation.
So basically and and to me, I don't know.
Umm, no, haven't get.
Did we get everybody that wanted to say it?
OK.
Neither.
Is there salvation?
Any other?
There is none other name.
Under heaven.
Very good. Anybody else would like to say it?
OK.
Neither.
Neither is there salvation.
In any other.
Where there is none other name.
Under.
Given among men.
Whereby?
That's right.
Thank you. So there's people out in the world that tell you this thing or tell you that thing, but God says the news to you is there is no other name. If you can look from this end to that end of this world, you won't find any other name by which you must be saved except the name of the.
Lord Jesus Christ.
That's the message today. So it's not complicated, is it?
One name you must be saved. Are you saved?
Everybody here is saved.
Oh boy.
Oh, we got some time here. Let's talk about what I've got in the bag under the table here.
00:05:02
Well, it's wonderful to know that the Lord Jesus loves you, loves each one of us. He especially loves little children.
What if the Lord Jesus didn't care for little children and said, don't bother me with the kids, I got to talk to the big people? Wouldn't that be sad? He took the little children up in his arms and he blessed them and he said, let the little kids come to me. I like that. You know why he liked that? I wonder if anybody can guess why the Lord liked little children especially Anybody like to guess that one? What do you?
He cared for little children.
That's right.
He was going to give himself on the cross, wasn't he? To save little children. Those children had never heard the name of Jesus. He made a way so they could be safe.
You're attracted to a man like that.
Well.
Let's see here.
The love of God, we can't say enough about that.
Well, I have something to show you.
What do you see there? This is a little fellow we're going to use to illustrate something.
See the sky? She looked pretty happy.
See that guy?
Let's call him Billy, shall we?
What would you say about Billy? Do you look like an all right guy?
Do you, uh, His clothes are OK, aren't they? Well, So what more do you need?
Do you think, do you think everything seems fine? Is he smiling? Well, yeah, we can smile sometimes and fool people into thinking everything's all right in here, right?
How about this guy you see in his heart?
And we see in his heart, I want to read your verse.
About hearts.
First Samuel 16, seven. I'll just read it to you. The Lord seeth not as man seeth.
For man looks on the outward appearance, the clothes, the face.
Shoes.
But the Lord looks on the heart.
Oh, So what you see right here, that's not the whole story, is it?
The Lord can look, Where did he say?
Into your heart. What does he see when he looks into your heart and my heart?
That's the truth of it, for all have sinned, right? So we all have this problem about sin, don't we? But what are we going to do about this matter of sin?
This little guy, Billy, he looks OK on the outside, doesn't he?
MMM. So what if we just for this illustration, say maybe the Lord will help us to see inside of Billy's heart to see if everything's OK in there. So let's just have a look.
Oh, oh, see that?
What does Billy need?
Jeff, he needs salvation.
Well, if Philly was a real person and it was your job to tell him about salvation, what might you say to Billy? I'm looking for anything you might think of, a verse or a song. What would be a good thing to tell Billy?
Quote it, would you?
Forgot the world of the world and the image only begotten Son that goes to our earth.
Yeah, and never perish, right? That would be an excellent verse to tell Billy girls. Do you have any idea another verse in mind that we might tell Billy?
I'm thinking of a song that we sing. What can wash away my sins?
Nothing, nothing but the blood of Jesus. So Billy looks like he needs something to cleanse his black heart, make it clean. And it's the blood of Jesus that does that, isn't it? That would be excellent thing to tell Billy about the blood of Jesus Christ. His godson cleanseth us from all sins.
00:10:19
So we can ask this question again, what does God see in our hearts? We sort of got a little picture into Billy's heart and it's not good. Is it not good in there?
So if Billy would hear these words that you said and he was a real person and maybe the Spirit of God would work in Billy's heart and.
I say, Billy, you know that what those kids are telling you is true. You need to be saved. And maybe he would start saying, oh, I know God says I'm a Sinner and I I am convinced of it. I know I am.
And I should accept the offer of salvation from the Lord Jesus. And what would Billy have to believe? You remember in Acts 16 where that man says, what must I do to be saved? He was in real earnest. And then the man answered him. What did he say?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Now what do you think he really needed to be the when it says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, what would you say, Jeff?
OK, that he died, that's a very important thing. What else about would you say?
That he rose again, and can anybody think of another thing that would be nice to believe about him?
To know him. Wonderful. What were you going to say, Amanda?
That's right, he is sent. From where? From Heaven. So he came from heaven. Whose son was he? Morgan.
Godson. So that's a good thing to believe. That's an important thing. So his godson, he's sent down here to suffer and to die for sinners. I'm a Sinner. We're all sinners if we're honest. So He came just for us to meet us in our need, and he was put on the cross. And what happened on the cross? What did he do?
Yes, and, and what else, Amanda?
He died before he died. What did he do?
The punishment for what?
Oh, so sin has to be punished, is that right?
And so these naughty sins, these naughty sins, those naughty sins, they all had to be answered for in other words, a payment had to be made. And the payment was you take a holy sacrifice or a victim that had never sinned, and that's Jesus. And he becomes the one who takes your place, takes my place. So when God looks down, he says to his Son on the cross.
He says, look at all those children, all those men and women, They're sinners. They need to have their sins taken away.
This was in the plan, God's plan. I'll take all those sins. I'll put them on the Lord Jesus.
And then I will punish the Lord Jesus for each and every one of those sins.
Tell the punishment.
Is all gone.
Then what did the Lord do after that punishment?
Yep, but before he rose, he was put in the grave, wasn't he? And before that, what actually happened? What did the soldier do?
And why did he do that?
Did he love the Lord?
No, and what value did that do have?
From his point of view, he was angry. He was just being mean to the Lord, right? But from God's point of view, what was the value of the shedding of the blood?
Morgan, do you know why did he shed his blood?
00:15:02
Yeah, because it's the precious blood of Christ that washes our sins away, and it's a witness to the fact that he died. Jesus died under that punishment.
So now what? You'd already told us he was buried. He rose again the third day. And where is he right now? You tell me.
He's in heaven and what's he doing out there?
What's the Lord doing up in heaven right now?
He's watching, he's looking down right now. He's looking in your heart and your heart and your heart and your heart and he's knowing. He can see just plain as day. Is that hard clean or is it not clean?
Do you want your heart clean? You know how to get it. We talked about it, haven't we? It's it's not hard, say the Lord Jesus. I am a Sinner. I want to be saved. I know you can do it.
He died for me.
So.
What do we do then?
To give this man a clean heart. Does that look better?
Now look at Billy.
There we go.
He's got those sins washed away.
Clean and the precious blood of Christ. And that, O evil faith, is gone. All those black sins, they are gone.
When a person gets a new life in Christ and he's clean every whip, can he ever be lost and go to hell in the end? Is it possible? Hmm.
Can he ever go to hell once he's been cleaned by the precious blood of Christ?
No, can't never do it. What happens if he slips and says a naughty word sometime he really didn't mean to.
That's right. First, John, if you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. So something happens in Billy. Maybe he used to be kind of a bully. Maybe he stopped somebody that wasn't nice and he realized that and he said, I'm sorry, Lord Jesus, I didn't behave like a Christian. Lord Jesus takes care of that sin. They're gone.
You'll never have to answer to God for that, because Lord Jesus died for that one and every other one He might commit, right? So that's a wonderful thing. Once you have had your heart cleansed by the precious blood of Christ, you will never have to worry about ever spending eternity in the lake of fire.
I want to talk just for a minute about a difficult verse.
And it may be troubling to some of the older young people.
And turn to Galatians chapter 2, would you please?
Galatians, chapter 2.
And in verse 20, Galatians 220, I'll read this verse to you kids and you might say, oh, that's pretty hard. I don't quite understand that. We'll talk about it a little bit.
I am crucified with Christ.
Nevertheless, I live.
Yeah, not I, but Christ liveth in me.
And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Does that seem a little bit confusing?
Let's put Billy's face back on him here.
Let's say now that Billy is a Christian. We've seen his clean heart, right?
What we haven't talked about is this question about.
Our the new U and the old U OK. Do you think since these two guys, now that Billy is the Lord, do you think they get along very good together? This one and this one because they live in the same body here.
00:20:08
But do you think they are always in agreement and they get along like their friends, This guy, this guy, do you think? No, absolutely not. As a matter of fact, they're quarreling all the time, This one.
He's their new life, given to us from God.
He cannot do any wrong, whatever he couldn't even do if he tried, but he wouldn't try. But the point is that this one never does anything wrong, and he can't do anything wrong. This one, he cannot do anything right.
Even if he tried, he couldn't do anything right. He can only do wrong. Discipline only does right. And the Christian has both of them at the same moment, living inside.
That is a problem if we let this man have his way.
If you let him come first and then you know, can see that he's misbehaving. This man, though, he is responsible to let this man run his life for him, not this man. This is our old nature. This is the new life we have in Christ. So that's a problem that young people might have, they might say.
Why? No, I'm a Christian, I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus and I found out that I was thinking some wrong thoughts the other day and it bothers me because I know I shouldn't do that.
And so how do I deal with this situation? I feel like it's a battle going on inside of me between my new man and my old man.
So what is this? First, we just got done reading In Galatians 220 it says I am crucified with Christ.
Oh, so this is the thing. We have to learn how to deal with these two inside us. We have to learn what to do with them.
This is a precious life we have from the Lord Jesus. We want to hang on to that and we want to let Him control every day everything we think and say. We do not want this one to take and run my life. That would be no good, right? But this one, and we need to put this one somewhere. I just read it. Where do we put him? It says I am crucified.
With Christ.
If you say for the moment I'm speaking as though I'm this man, you say.
I that's just I am crucified with Christ. How do we do that?
It says, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin. Or you think about it. You say, OK, I'm going to think about I, I tend to do this certain naughty thing. Now why is it that I do that? Because this guy still lives in me. My heart has been washed clean. I know that. But this fight goes on, right? So I have to deal with this. This is a problem and we have to think about it.
Since.
I am crucified with Christ, let's say. How do we do that? Here's a little stand.
What have I got here? What is this?
Across.
What do you do to put somebody on a cross?
So we've got to think about our old man and we've got to say I've got to keep him in a place of death.
Does this look like a place of death?
Is that what we need to do with our old man?
Think about it that way.
Whenever you think I want to. I wish I could do this naughty thing. Will anybody be watching? Will anybody see me if I do a naughty thing? Yeah, it will. Even if Mom and Dad might not, the Lord does. See. So the secret is, think about this old man that's trying to make me do that. I'm responsible not to let him do it. But here's how I have to think about him right there on the cross.
00:25:10
Put to death, put him out of business so he can't get me to do those things that I would like to do. Let this man.
Run your life.
So let's read that verse one more time.
I am crucified with Christ. That's this eye right here.
Nevertheless I live this man here in the body. He says, yeah, I'm alive, I'm not dead here. I'm walking around. Nevertheless I live. Yeah, not I it's, it's not me, The flesh and bones, the eye. But but what? But Christ liveth in me. So Christ is connected with this man.
And so he's in your heart right when you're a Christian. All right? So I'm living by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I'm living in the new man. See how that helps?
And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Let's sing another song while we're waiting here. Who has another choice, Jamin?
67.
Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see.
The 7 Churches Thyatira, Sardis & Philadelphia
Reading
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Reading in route chapter 3.
And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis right these things, says he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. I know thy works, that thou hast the name, that thou liveth and are dead.
The watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. For have not found thy work perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. If, therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon me. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white.
For they are worthy.
He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name.
Out of the Book of Life. But I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
And to the Angel of the church in Philadelphia, right these things, that he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth.
I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door. No man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength and have kept my word.
And has not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee because I have kept the word of my patients. I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation.
Which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 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. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
It was mentioned close to the last reading in connection with the, uh, the Lord's coming mentioned in the last four churches. And I wonder if it would just be helpful to, uh, have a little overview as to this coming, which means so much to us. And what I'm thinking of, and that is that when the church settle down to the level of the world, they lost the, the, the heavenly calling of the church by doing that.
And so, uh, now we have via Tyra, which ruled for 1000 years and we call it the dark ages. And they had the Lord in the character of I and verse 28, I will give him the morning star. Now the truth of the rapture was lost, was it not during that time?
So what I'm asking is what is the character of the Lord? Is the morning star? Is it? Was it the hope of like the wall dancing? He was their hope and anchor.
And all to sustain them and their hardships.
Uh, I wonder if that could just be illuminated a little bit and, uh, as the last four churches.
Take this up.
00:05:16
Well, as you say, corporately, collectively, the many of these things were lost in the dark ages. The truth of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the hope of the Lord's coming, and other precious truths that the apostles had brought out at the beginning when they laid the foundation. And particularly the apostle Paul, who gives the hope of the Lord's coming and the true character of Christianity and the believer and their calling and so on. But isn't it beautiful to realize that there were individuals all through those periods who were individually in the enjoyment of those things?
And sometimes when you look at the dates of some hymns that were written, you marvel that there were those who were in the appreciation and enjoyment of things that outwardly seemed to have been lost. And so God always has his silver thread and he always has his ones here and there. Things might be lost in an outward way as they were in the dark ages, but God doesn't give up on his own on, on, on individuals. And so I think it's a great encouragement just in a practical note for us today.
Sometimes we feel there's a great deal of giving up, of certain aspects of the truth and so on. And certainly we have to hang our heads and own that we're all a part of the failure and ruin that has come in. But as we were saying yesterday, it's possible for individuals to be in the enjoyment of that which perhaps collectively, uh ha, has been, has been given up. Just like as we noticed in Malachi, there was a little company, a little remnant who were seeking to go on outwardly.
Things were defiled and polluted, the sacrifices, the worship, the temple, all these things, the, uh, God center, all these things were in ruin. But there were individuals seeking to go on. And so as we've said, as Eric pointed out, the overcomer in these last churches, uh, it's, it's, it's intensely individual. It is in everyone, but comes in a different order, as was pointed out, and not to go back over it.
But I, I just think I just wonder, Ron, if part of what we have before us, your question is that yes, those things were for the most part given up, but there were individuals to which these promises were held out and who did lay hold of them by faith amidst the general ruin and declension. Would maybe you have a comment on? I would just say that in generally that was not taught. And I'm only bringing this out, not to be technical about it, but to think of the time that we live and the expectation that we have.
That we know what's going to take place, this the Lord is going to call us. Every St. of God, whether in the tomb or in the sea or alive, are going to be caught up together. And we know that our bodies are going to be changed and we're going to have a body like him, both morally and physically. And so I'm just saying that they have very little light during the dark ages, but it was enough to sustain them and help them to go on through the persecution.
And things that they had the Lord didn't come to them in an inferior way. But just to think of what we know and are taught in the assembly today is a thrill to my soul. And for us. We have had it set before us through godly men and by the Spirit of God, the our hope in its proper context. There were those who had hope. Hope has always been the people of God have always had hope. God has al even in the Old Testament.
Was a little different, but they had hope. How many times does David speak of hope? But the re the reformers had hope before that. They had hope, but they didn't understand the, their, their, their real hope and their calling. The hope of the Lord's coming for his Saints and with his Saints wasn't generally understood. The hope of the Lord's coming as to what we refer to as the rapture and the hope of the appearing, It wasn't, it hadn't been, uh, clearly set forth. They were moving towards the light, but they did have hope and they did have understanding.
That there was something beyond what they had, what their circumstances, something beyond the ruin that they saw all around them. It wasn't clarified yet because as I say, they were moving toward the light and it took some years for it to be brought up. God. When God recovers light, he doesn't flip flop something. He moves us. He moves men back toward it slowly. Uh, the path of the justice is a shining light that shineth more and more under the perfect day.
00:10:07
So they were moving toward it, but they did have hope that, as you say, can't we rejoice that this hope has been fully recovered and that we can sit here this this morning with a clear understanding. And it's not hard. It's not difficult, but with a clear understanding as taught from the Word and the power of the Spirit, the difference between the imminent return of the Lord for us to rapture us away and then His coming back and the fact that we're going to appear in glory with Him.
It ought to rejoice our hearts, and we ought to live in the expectation and joy of it.
Just like to read the last uh.
Times of hymn #119 It was written by Bernal de Clairvaux and his name means Bernard of the clear valley. There was the valley of darkness and of the shadow of death that these dear men walk through spiritually as it were. But uh, there was clarity brought out and it was a work of the Spirit of God that some of them had light. Some of them could see the person of Christ. And as, uh, often as we desire to have Christ before our souls in the sea, something of the person and finished work of the Lord Jesus, the light will shine. And so this dear man, he could write this.
119 It says, we give thee thanks on fainted, O Savior, Friend in need for what thy soul sustaineth. When thou for us didst bleed, grant us to lean unshaken upon thy faithfulness until the glory taken we see thee face to face. He saw the bright in the morning star.
I think, uh, I'm sorry. I was just gonna say that it wasn't the general rule. There was little lights here and there.
And the Lord revealed Himself to those that wanted to see him.
I don't know the year of that one though.
Yes, yeah, Bernard was actually a champion of Catholicism, wasn't he? Uh, sad to say, uh, though he was certainly a true believer, we know that. But there were men like John Hus, weren't there, who was a little bit later, and he was certainly, uh, one of these. I think Jim, what you're saying, uh, is really the key. That is they were moving in the direction of light. What they understood what, what we have with Thyatira is a watershed. A watershed is the concept of a watershed is important to understand, isn't it?
When we drove over from Eastern Washington and we started to go up the Cascade Mountains, we noticed that all the water went east and went from the top of the Cascades and it flowed towards the east. When we got to the top of the Cascades and started to come down the other side, all the water flowed towards the West. And that's what we commonly know as a watershed. And that concept is used in a broader sense oftentimes, and what we have here is a watershed. In other words, there's a fundamental difference that's come in now.
And, uh, with Sayatyra that, uh, there, there was no longer a question of going back to the first Prince of the, to the first days, what we might call primitive Christianity. That was over now. Uh, and furthermore, these people didn't look for a present deliverance, did they? What did they look for? Well, I think we can truly say they look for the Morningstar. They may not have understood it quite, quite well, we do, but they look for deliverance from the Lord at the end of the dispensation.
They didn't understand that very well, but they didn't look to go back to primitive Christianity. They saw that it all was ruined. John Hus paid with his life because he saw that he, uh, counted on the honesty of good conduct from the emperor. And as soon as he showed up, they, uh, they burned him in a stake. That was, that was the kind of, uh, good conduct that you can count on from, uh, from Jezebel. Uh, there was none at all. Uh, but.
He had the Morning Star. He knew that he would be vindicated in the future day.
And he knew, like Luther later on, that what else could he do but honor the Lord, even if he didn't understand the full issue? They didn't look for present deliverance. They didn't look for a return to primitive Christianity. They thought that that was spoiled. They looked forward to that future day. I wonder if that isn't the Morningstar. Now we know it with more clarity, don't we? We know it's the Rapture, but they look for that future deliverance, whatever it happened to be. And the Lord certainly blessed and honored those dear men, didn't He?
They live their their names live in great honor today, and they ought to.
We ought to be careful to read church history. It's, I think I was mentioning to our brother Robert when he was by, uh, visiting with us a couple days ago, that I understood that, uh, when many of the believers, many of the Protestant believers went W over the Oregon trails and the other trails in the mid 1800s, that, uh, they had a little Conestoga wagon, which as I understand was about the size of a piece of plywood, about four by 12, not very big.
00:15:14
And uh, and uh, they had to be pretty careful.
What they took, they had to only take the things that were most valuable to them. And I understand that along the Oregon Trail, you'd often see things thrown off, uh, perhaps an oxidized or or some such thing. And they could no longer carry the things that they valued at the beginning of that trip. So they had to further, uh, prune down the things that they had. But I understood that very, I've understood that many of those, many of those people who went W had two folks with them. The one book was the Bible, of course.
The other book I'm told often was Fox's Book of Martyrs. Interestingly enough, they they wanted to be reminded of what the true character of Jezebel was. They didn't wanna forget what that true character is. And I wanna mention it speaks of in Jezebel in verse 23. And I will kill her children with death. That's a remarkable statement, isn't it? Not only was Jezebel tolerated, as we saw with the Nicolaitans early on.
But now she has been so entrenched in the church that she actually reproduces herself. Remember what it says in Revelation 17, The mother of harlots, the day the ecumenical movement brethren is the mother of harlots calling all of her children back to her. That's exactly what we see here. And I don't mean that that's every denomination of Protestantism. I don't mean that at all. I don't think they started out as children, but they end up as their children.
And they're all coming back to Mother Rome. Now. It starts with these children being born in what they call the church. It's not the church as far as, uh, the body of Christ goes. But, uh, at any rate, I've gotten off the subject a little bit, But I, I wonder if the key isn't, as you were saying, brother Jim, that they, uh, maybe didn't understand the, the truth of the rapture as we see it, but this watershed difference for all these last four assemblies with the overcomer.
Is that they don't look for a return to primitive Christianity. They don't look for present deliverance necessarily, but they look forward to the Lord's final deliverance of the believer. And now we understand that more clearly, thank God. But certainly they had the Morningstar. Wasn't that the assurance that they would be delivered in God's proper time?
We want to go on with this first verse of our chapter here. I would just make one little comment in connection with what Eric said the other day about how the in Acts 20 verse 7 to 12, there's a little dispensational picture there of church history. I sometimes have called it church history in a nutshell. And to just to to show how the Spirit of God has put these things. When midnight came, Paul preached till midnight and midnight came in the dark ages and Eudicus falls down to the level of the street, a picture of the church.
Getting down to the level of the world, what has encouraged me in connection with all that's been said here already this morning is there were still many lights in the upper chamber. God still had His lights here and there who were seeking to go on individually, who were bright shining lights and who they were still in the upper chamber, so to speak. In other words, though things were lost outwardly, corporately, outwardly, yet there were those who were going on in separation. And as Eric said, though they didn't see things clearly, they had an understanding that there was something better and that there was deliverance and glory at the end.
I'd just like to make a comment as this chapter opens in connection with Sardis that he speaks here of these things. Seth, he that have half the seven spirits of God. Now, when I was younger, I used to puzzle at this expression because when you go to Paul's ministry, Paul is very careful to talk about the one spirit as Paul's ministry guards that very carefully. But throughout Revelation, beginning in the first chapter, you have these seven spirits brought forth.
And I would just suggest that what it denotes to us seven is God's perfect number. And it speaks to us of God's perfection in the diversity of the work of the Spirit and connection with judgment. Whether it's judgment beginning at the House of God, as we have in these opening chapters of Revelation, or whether it's the judgments that are meted out on this world later on, God acts. The mighty power that God has always acted in is the power of the Spirit of God.
The power of the Spirit, it's the energy in which he has always acted, but there's diversity in his his actions. It's by 1 Spirit, of course, but just perhaps this is an illusion. Just turn it back to Isaiah 11 for a moment.
00:20:25
Isaiah Chapter 11 and verse one. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall go out of its root. And this of course is prophetic of the Lord Jesus. And notice this. And the Spirit of the Lord that's one shall rest upon him, and the spirit of wisdom that's to an understanding that three, and the spirit of counsel that's for and mighty the spirit that's mighty five and the spirit of knowledge 6.
And of the fear of the Lord that seven so there we get that delineated for us. And so in his actions in judgment. There's there's diversity by the by that mighty energy. But I suggest that this is at least part of the reason why the southeast is brought before us as the seven spirits in different places in Revelation as we enter this third chapter and we look at the church the Lord's address to the Church of Stardust. It's important to see that this is not a description.
Of, uh, the Reformation, many have said, well, that's the Reformation. No, it's not. It is what's the Reformation deteriorated into. It describes really what, uh, existed in the church after the impulse of the Reformation had passed. And So what we have described in Thyatira is what uh, existed before the Reformation, but we have described in Stardust is what existed after the Reformation.
What we have in between is the brothers have been saying versus 24 to 29 in Chapter 2.
Is a little remnant that had been separated inside Tyra and had looked for the Lord to vindicate their faithfulness and so on. And this would be those who would, as you say, the Waldenses, the Albancies, the, the, uh, pre reformers like John, uh, Witcliffe and Hus, as you've mentioned, and even, uh, the Lutheran them, uh, would all be in this category, but, uh.
We know that what happened that wasn't long after God had begun to revive, uh, an interest in the truth.
And these, uh, reformers were used to, to, uh, recover some very important truths, particularly too, and that is the supremacy of the Bible and also salvation by faith. And, uh, they brought this to the church in a, shall we say, in a more wholesale way. There were individuals that had rays of light before that, as you brothers have said, but the reformers were used to bring it to the church, uh, in a more wholesale way. But, uh, because of the tremendous, uh, pressure that was put on them and persecution from the Catholic Church, their faith.
Sales, their faith gave way and they appealed to the authorities, uh, the national authorities in Europe and, and then they established in, under the power and with the money of the, uh, various nations in Europe, uh, the national churches. And that is what gave birth to what we speak of as Protestantism. Sardis describes Protestantism, not the Reformation in itself, not true. Luther and them were at the time of Protestantism, but in the early days of Luther's work.
Uh, it was, uh, totally of God, but what it deteriorated into was something that was dead. And that's why it speaks of, uh, in verse two it says, for I have not found thy works perfect. It should be complete. There was a revival beginning, but it was halted because their faith gave way and they leaned upon the arm of the flesh and the world and God could no longer identify with it. And so we have their, that revival halted for some time, for about 200 years or more.
And So what we have described in Philadelphia, it's important to see that another distinction about this church that we should point out this is the first one that we where we have the Lord does not find one thing to commend.
OK, commend.
And every church, he, he even say Tyra, he found something to commend, but here he can't find anything to command. This is the first of, in the list and it's, uh, it's striking, isn't it? Because it really speaks to us of the deadness of Protestantism or what we might say ecclesiastical deadness. And as we mentioned at the beginning of the meetings, I think that we need to not only lay down, uh, the historical applications so we understand what the Spirit of God is giving to us, but not leave it there.
00:25:08
Bring it home to our own souls in a practical application. Now, what can we get from this for ourselves as far as a practical application? Well, brother and I suggest this.
We can fall and default into forms amongst those gathered to the Lord's name in the sense that we, uh, just do what brethren always did. We don't know why we do it. We just do it because that's what we should do, because we've always done it. Someone wants to be received well, We have a formula. We go through a procedure. We don't know why we do it. We just do that because that's what we're supposed to do, right? We're supposed to do that. There is not to do that. Not understanding the principle upon which we do those things. I'm not saying necessarily they're wrong, but we need to understand.
Why? And so there's a danger for us to have a deadness as well, and justice have outward form, and we pass through the motions without really understanding why we're doing it and have any devotion of heart to go with it. This is important, and we need to let the application of this come to rest in our own soul. But can I just say this, Bruce, to temporary remarks because I agree with you wholeheartedly of what you've just said.
But rather than just push something off as former tradition, we need to be exercised to look into the Scriptures to see why those things were established at the beginning. Because often what we feel is just the way brethren have done it for 100 and some years. When you go back, you realize that godly men like Mr. Darby and those men that God raised up in the revival and recovery of the truth, they didn't just establish forms of things, they were exercised as they looked into the Scriptures.
As to the way that they did things and some of those things we still carry out and so perhaps they can deteriorate. We don't to just form because we don't understand or appreciate the scriptures and the scriptural basis and the exercise that there. I'll just give you a couple of little examples and they're out of context, but just a couple of little examples. I've had young people say to me, why do we always start our meetings with a him? Well, rather than just brush that off as being tradition.
We might realize that brethren, back then, when they began to meet us, gathered to the Lord's name and the leading le, leaving it to the leading of the Spirit, they were exercised about a scripture that says, Let us come before His presence with singing.
I had someone and I'm not saying we should or shouldn't do this. I'm, I'm not saying this, but I had someone question me about why so often there's a cover on the cup on Lord's Day morning. But I'm not saying there should or shouldn't be. But when you look at it, brethren, we're exercised every unclean vessel, every open vessel is unclean under the Lord. I'm not saying that's really a reason to cut, but I'm just saying there were godly exercises back then by men that lived a lot closer to the Lord than perhaps generally we do. And this.
Down at the end of our history.
And let's be very careful and, uh, can I just say this? That's why it's good to go back to those writings. Those I know, they're not inspired, but God caused many of those men to record those exercises for us, their patterns laid down at the beginning. Things lay down for us. And that's why it's good to go back to that old ministry, young brothers, get out Mr. Darby's letters and read them. See what the exercise of soul was that they went through as they were, as these things were being recovered and as they were seeking to meet on the ground of the one body and in a scriptural way with the leading of the Spirit of God.
And the Lord in the midst.
I didn't mean to contradict you. Uh, because I agree what with what you say?
I was just going to say what has been said and we use the word reformation. We'll stop using it when we realize that reformation is walking backward into hell. Is that too strong of a statement?
Well, it's been said that, uh, what, uh, Luther and Swing Lee and some of these ones that were used of God was that they, uh, rose up and God used them to break the power of Jezebel. And there's a type in the Old Testament of that. There was a, a, uh, a very energetic, uh, man that was raised up in Old Testament history to actually break the power that Jezebel had over Israel at that time. His name was Jihu. Everything he did, he did it with his might. He really speaks to us of the reformers.
And God used Jihu to break the power that Jezebel had her and her daughter, she was, uh, controlling things in the Northern Kingdom, but her daughter was controlling things in the Southern Kingdom. And he took care of both of them. And it's a, a, a real picture of the energy and the zeal of these reformers. But alas, sad to say.
00:30:08
Well, they came out of Catholicism. Catholicism didn't come out of them. And So what they did is they started these national churches, but it was just patterned after a lot of Catholic ideas.
Toned down somewhat, but it was quite a bit the same. And so that's when the deadness came in. Dead formality. And, uh, this is where we wanna get an application for ourselves. We wanna be careful they're not just allow ourselves to carry on in a formality that we don't really know why, what we do and when we do it and so on.
Another comment I'd like to make with regard to the seven spirits that are mentioned in the first verse. I think we should have mentioned it earlier in our readings, but each time that the Lord presents Himself to the church that He's addressing, He presents Himself in a character of the very thing that they need. Now keep that in mind as you go through and you'll get a great help. Well, you see, what had happened was in these national churches, they had set up an order of things, what we call the clergy system, the clerical system.
Where the Spirit of God was set aside as far as leading in the assembly. And so now the Lord comes to this church and he speaks to them about the, uh, having the seven spirits of God and the seven stars and so on. So he is the one who has what they need. What this church needed was the liberty and the leading of the Spirit of God, but it wasn't there was set aside. And so that's the way in which he presents himself to them. And they had displaced his authority too.
It's interesting that it's the seven stars here, but they're not mentioned as in his right hand. I think that's significant because in just what you're setting up just what you said, they displaced the authority of the Lord. And so these men rose up and they became the authority on teaching and direction and and so on. And don't we see that the that still Arkansas around us and Christendom on every hand and Mr. Darby made an interesting comment and only an application, but he said.
Dispensationally they sent the sin against the rise of clergy ISM dispensationally with the sin against the Holy Ghost. Very interesting comment. And so here it's the seven spirits of God, but it but the and the seven stars still the elders here, but they're not in his right hand because they had displaced his authority.
That's what really Li liberated Mr. Darby and those that were exercised in that day that here the clergy have bought the church to total ruin. He said how can we go on in total ruin? And so they were delivered out, realizing that the Spirit of God leads and directs accurately, happily, and that's what we need. And if we don't have it, why it brings us even to unhappiness if in the assembly we get into some kind of convulsion and begin to look at one another and lose the.
Sight of the Lord in the midst. Why we understand this and so we thank God that they left because they never would have recovered the truth if they hadn't them.
We can, uh, be, uh, chargeable, guilty of, uh, not allowing the Spirit of God to lead in our meetings too. We can't just point at the denominational order that we see in Protestant Christians on today and say, oh, they set the Spirit of God aside. We could do that here today. Maybe there's someone here that just, uh, loves to speak, just to love to hear their voice go on and on and on and not let the Spirit of God lead the meaning. Brethren, let's put the shoe on where it fits.
The.
Mr. Darby, remember Mr. Darby, uh, referring at his day and, or maybe getting a little ahead of ourselves, but he quoted Isaac Newton. Isaac Newton, we know, was one of the greatest names in modern day physics. And Isaac Newton said I stand on the shoulders of giants. And he referred to the work of men that had gone before him. And he felt that his work, uh, though it was not certainly great, but he felt greatly indebted to those who had gone before.
Well, Mr. Darby and his day quoted that same expression because he realized how indebted he was to these men. We, the, uh, the, uh, during the Reformation, there was certainly a work of the Spirit of God. Let's make no mistake about that. And in a certain sense, those men can be forgiven for, uh, for, uh, uh, they made a quantum step forward, if we can speak of it that way. Maybe they didn't go as far as the Spirit of God would have let them.
00:35:07
But they certainly made a quantum step forward, didn't they? Look at the face of a Luther, uh, in his early pathway. How could he stand there at the, uh, what was called the Diet of Worms before all the, uh, all the Princess and the emperor himself and stand alone? What grace that's up? That was without question, uh, a work of the Spirit of God, wasn't it? Well, later days, perhaps it was not so clear, but there's no question.
That in those days that, that there was certainly a great work of the Spirit of God. It's, and so in a certain sense, I think we have to say those men from our perspective at least, have to be forgiven. Uh, be when, when all I could see was the pulp and so on. When they read of the Antichrist, worst thing they could think of was the Pope. What was the effect of that? The effect was they didn't understand prophecy. And so though men like Isaac Newton and others wrote volumes on prophecy, they didn't understand it because they, their, their vision was so.
So myopic compared to what they had come out of, but I think we can say in many respects they can be forgiven for that, can't they? It certainly was a work of the Spirit of God. And later men like, uh, uh, Mr. Darby, and we can even say John Wesley came in the, the, the Reformation, of course, was largely a work of the 16th century. Uh, and then the work went down as we see here, this is post reformation, as we've been saying, so into the 17th century.
Uh, the, there was a great deal of deterioration. Uh, the name Sardis is a little more difficult to find the definition for, but I have, I found a definition that says the remainder. This is the history of what happened to that remainder in some respects, perhaps not all good, but uh, and perhaps not as as happy as we would like. And so, as I say, in the 17th century, it went down. In the 18th century, there were men like Mr. Whitfield.
And, uh, and the, uh, and the Westlies who were raised up of God without a doubt during the great, uh, evangelical awakening during the 18th century. And so in the 19th century then, as we know and, and uh, we see men like, like Darby and Kelly and others, they realized how indebted they were to those who went before much of the hymnology, for instance, we were speaking about EMS came out of that 18th century, men like Isaac Watts and so on, and Newton came out of that 18th century. And so how indebted.
Uh, we are too to those giants that went ahead and you were saying that they could be, uh, in a sense forgiven. I like the way I like that. And, uh, the reason why I'd like to mention that there is a, uh.
In the history of Israel, a parallel to the recovery of things that we've seen in the history of the church. And it was in two steps in the, in the Book of Kings and Chronicles, in the days when Hezekiah came in, he was a good king and there was a tremendous revival. And then it rose a little higher shortly after his generation when Josiah, uh, became king and the word of God became more prominent. And they were, they kept the Passover with more detail. But in Hezekiah's date is very interesting that they, uh, they kept the Passover on the second month.
Uh, which we're supposed to do on the 1St, but there was provision given in the law that they could keep it on the second if things weren't just right in order. And there were certain other things that came to, uh, light that they were not doing exactly right in Hezekiah's day. And they came and they told the king, they said to Hezekiah that the priests haven't done things just as they ought to, as it is written, Second Chronicles 30, verse 18. And so Hezekiah says he prayed that the good Lord would pardon them all. I like that. Oh, he said, let the good Lord pardon them all, like you said. I mean that it was right desire, but there's a little ignorance connected with it. There was zeal.
And the Lord pardoned them in that, and there was a tremendous revival. But as we said, when it came to the days of Josiah, then the book of the Law was found and they really got more detail. And it says that they kept the Passover as they had not in days, even right back to the days of Joshua, because there was more detail.
Wonderful to note that during this time, uh, even with man's pay or as Eric was bringing out, the Spirit of God was working in individuals and not only in individuals, but think during this time the printing press was developed and so Bibles were able to be mass produced. So the scriptures was gave. Every man was able to have the scriptures before him, before him. He described what a year to reproduce the Bible and written.
00:40:07
And so God, the Spirit of God, worked in this to prepare the ground for when Darby and other men come in.
They came in with everything prepared for them and that was the Spirit of God that was doing it.
The word reformation is not a scriptural expression, but I think it's enlightening to look at the word a little bit. Isn't it reformation? What does that mean? Well, that's what those reformers were trying to do, was they were trying to reform the existing church. We've seen according to the Spirit of God, that that wasn't the right thing to do, that henceforth there was to be. The church was to be a remnant testimony.
With no thought of returning to primitive Christianity, but looking forward to the future, to the Morningstar. And so the whole principle of reformation in that sense is faulty. The church could no longer be reformed. The Jezebel was deeply entrenched in the professing church in that sense and could no longer be reformed. So I think it's important to recognize that a more accurate term, I think for what took place, uh, if we do start to look at Philadelphia.
Again, it's not a scriptural term, but it's restoration. It's a term I prefer. Because that's really what happened, wasn't it? So the Reformation was only partial, wasn't it? They didn't leave the church. In most cases, they were excommunicated. They wanted to reform the church, and they would have gone back and they've been received again. But that was not according to the mind of God. From henceforth, the true testimony must be a remnant testimony. It could no longer be Jezebel.
But the thought of restoration and and brings in the thought of that which was taught in Scripture from the very beginning, and I think that's what we see in Philadelphia.
I'd like to just make a practical comment too before we move on, just to encourage perhaps those who seek to shepherd the people of God as elders in their local assembly that take the oversight. I had a brother come home from a brothers meeting one time and he's I was staying in his home and he said, Jim, there's one verse I really struggle with taking the oversight willingly. He said, I find that a very difficult verse. So that's just a little aside from what I want to say. But you notice here the exhortation in verse 2 is.
That they are to be watchful and strengthen the things which remain now I believe this is a good word for us in our in our day it's difficult and it's a thankless task to seek to be watchful watchful to keep out those things that are not for the Lord's glory watchful for the sheep we Bruce read us the verse the other day about those that watch for our souls as those that must give an account it's difficult to strengthen the things that remain because.
A shepherd and elder, a Bishop, whatever expression you want to use, they're not always appreciated, are they? You know, I've often said a sheep and I know nothing about the care of sheep. I, I'm a city boy. But I, I do understand this, that when a she, a shepherd goes after a sheep and wants to bring it back to the flock, pull it back with his, his crook or whatever, the sheep doesn't appreciate that the sheep wants to go its own way. I'm not gonna turn to it because you know the verse very well, but it's interesting that there's a reward offered.
In first Peter chapter five, I think it's about the third or fourth verse to those who take the oversight, to those who are watchful, seek to strengthen the things that remain care for the souls of God's people, They're given a they're offered a crown of glory in the coming day. Now I've pondered why it's a crown of glory. You know, the crowns that are offered as rewards are given as rewards. The judgment seat of Christ. They're always in contrast.
A crown of life for one who lays down his life, an incorruptible crown in comparison to a corruptible crown, a crown of righteousness in the day of, uh, for living righteously and unrighteous world. They'll be the part in that righteous reign of Christ. They're always in contrast, and I just suggest this little contrast of the, the elders, the shepherds, the bishops are promised a crown of glory for faithfulness. There's no glory in shepherding the key people of God now.
There's no glory in being watchful and seeking to strengthen the things that remain now. But he says, never mind. You might not be appreciated now, but I'll give you a crown of glory that fades not away. You just go on watch for the souls that and care for the souls that I have put under your care. And he says I'll reward you properly in the coming day. Well, I don't wanna get off track, but just I think because I think there's some here and some brothers perhaps you say, oh, you, you try to watch and strengthen the things that remain in the little assembly. I come from. I'm just not appreciated. I go home from the brothers meeting. I go home from the assembly meetings and.
00:45:30
I just I'm just not appreciated. Never mind it's for the good of the sheep and the chief Shepherd, when he appears will reward in a proper way.
Because somebody shepherded us more than once, more than one shepherd. And so we may not even go back and thank those who stepped in the breach to help us across the difficult time in our life. But today we're thank God for them. And they're going to be rewarded when the chief shepherd shall appear. Here's all the under shepherds right there with them. And he's handing out these rewards.
We're gonna have some surprises.
Letters are great. I'd just like to refer to Matthew chapter 14 of brother Eric brought that before us yesterday. It says there, uh, just, I'll just read verse 31. It says immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him, Oh thou little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? I just wanna bring before our souls. You know, sometimes we think that the Lord, uh, was really scolding these assemblies, but I don't take it that way at all. He may have spoken very sternly to fight higher and he may have spoken sternly, but he never, ever scolded.
His disciples, He spoke kindly to them, and as that Chief Shepherd, He longed for their recovery. So I take it as a yearning, loving heart of the Savior that spoke in this way. And He longed for their recovery. He longed for them to just to take these words to heart and that there might be some affection for himself in the day that they lived in.
I just encourage one another, you know, if we have uh, uh, work of oversight among our brethren, let's not scold them. Let's not scold the sheep in the assembly meetings. We need to touch their hearts and present Christ as the object, bright and fair, and to seek to bring the weight of the word of God to bear upon the issues that need to be brought before their hearts and consciences. But we don't need to scold.
Not too long ago, a few months ago that, uh, he was at the Montreal conference and he was asked to speak. He had an address and he, he said to him himself that he felt that in all the years that he had been given opportunity to have it addressed, this was the time that he seemed to have the most liberty. He said, I really gave it, you know, I just came down in there and, uh, he felt, he really, uh, laid it on the Saints. He, uh, after the conference was over, he was, uh.
Leaving, and as you were going out the door, Mr. Hale caught up to him and took him by the arm and said, Brother, don't whip the Saints.
He said that went right to my soul. He said I thought that was the best meaning I've ever given in my life. Here. He says this to me. He said I had no peace for four days. So finally I accepted that that man was speaking to my heart. Don't whip the Saints. Now, I'm not sure why he told me that story, but I suspect because I needed to hear it.
Where is that verse in Genesis that says lead on softly?
I can't. I can't believe 3232 Chapter 32 Says lead on softly. That's a very good expectation for all of us.
Don't OverDrive the flock, lest they should die in a day.
Over driving, over driving, Jacob said. A wonderful precedent for every father in this room and don't under drive, there is always a beautiful balance. It isn't the children ruling the parents and.
And getting everything they want, that's not leading rightly but to OverDrive. Let's not do that. There's let's keep the balance. But could we have a little word on the overcomer here in Sardis before we leave it?
Well, there's one thought that comes to mind here, and that is the Lord speaks about not blotting his name out of the book of life. Of course, these would be real believers and their Li, their name would be in the book of life. But it's given in contrast to the fact that they were stroked off of those human registers and those church denominations, the annex communicated for their faithfulness and so on. And the Lord is just telling them you, never mind, they may have stroked you off of, uh, their books.
00:50:25
But I'm not gonna brought you out of my book and that would have been a nice commendation for them to strengthen them to carry on.
In that time I'd like to tell a little story in that regard. Many have heard much about Brother Garvin Seymour, who laborers for the Lord in the lower Caribbean and some here have met him on occasion. And I, he told me a story about his conversion that illustrates this very well. Before he was saved, he was being trained in one of the so-called denominations and if I said the name would be very familiar to most here and, uh, he was being trained to be what they call the lay preacher and he was taking part in this, uh.
Amongst these believers and was given quite a part, but he was not saved, and one night he was saved on the streets of Georgetown, Saint Vincent by a young man who passed him a Gospel tract as they passed on the street.
And Garvin had heard the truth of being of salvation and so on. He'd been to the little meeting room that's still there and, uh, heard the gospel many times and knew the way of salvation. But as a man of 19 or 20, he received this gospel tract. The plowing had been done. The Spirit of God had been working. He stepped over under the TR, the, uh, light, street light, and he read it and he got saved. And he was so excited when he got saved there on the street corner that he immediately went up to the manse where the minister lived, who was the, uh.
The head of this, uh, this, this church in Dickson village and he was ushered into the, uh, study and he said to this man, he said, Sir, I just got saved tonight. And the so-called minister looked at him and he said, you what? He said, I just got saved. I received the Lord Jesus. He said, you what? And as he said it, he reached up and he took down the church records.
And Garvin told me. To this day, I've never asked him why he did it, but he took a red pen and he stroked his name out.
Everywhere it appeared on that, on those records, Gavin said I don't know whether he did it because I had been participating and not been saved or whether I had got saved. He said it was the best thing that ever happened to me. He said I walked out the door and down to the meeting room where the gathered Saints were meeting. And he's been there for, I suppose, fif 5045 years. But I only tell that because I think it illustrates this. His name was blotted out of those church records.
But his name was written eternally in the Lamb's book of life, and the Lord used that incident to exercise him as to being gathered to the Lord's name. And he's a brother who appreciates very much and against all kinds of odds through his life has remained, I believe, very faithful to the name of the Lord Jesus and appreciates the truth of being gathered to his name.
When we come to the Church of Philadelphia, I think it's important to see that this is not another revival in the history of the church, but a, uh, a continuing of the revival that God started through the reformers but had laid dormant or had gone, petered out, I suppose we could say. And so now we find in Philadelphia, what is described here is a full recovery to 1St principles.
And it's a beautiful picture of what happened in.
The 1800s, when men completely separated from denominational order and, uh.
Kept His word and did not deny his name. But notice again the way in which he, the Lord, presents himself to the, uh, Philadelphian Church. He speaks about him having the key of David and the openness. And no man shutteth and shutteth, and no man openeth. He said, wha? What does that mean? Well, I believe it was at this time that God opened the treasure houses or His treasure House of truth and opened it up for the Saints.
And the fact that he would open it and no man could shut it and shut it and no man opens the idea it was a sovereign work. God stepped in and no man could stop it. It says in Job 37, He sealed up the hand of all men that all might know his work. And it was definitely a work of God at this time that God allowed the truth to be recovered to the church. And we're thankful for what we have now today as a result of what happened.
00:55:07
In what's described here in Philadelphia. Having said that, perhaps we could get what the meaning of Philadelphia is because we've been looking at the meaning of each of these names thus far.
That's well known to be brotherly love, isn't it? And it was a practical expression of the one body. It was not a return to primitive Christianity. By that I wanna be careful. But it was a return to 1St principles, wasn't it? It was no longer possible, as we pointed out, to return to the Act's condition. Some people have tried to do that. For instance, our brethren the Pentecostals have tried to do that. And they said, well, we should have the first days of primitive of Christianity again.
But that's not God's way. What we have is a remnant separated from the whole. And, uh, or, or perhaps they should be even a little more careful there. When we read about, uh, uh, these chapters here, uh, we find that, uh, there's the whole of Christian profession. We spoke of that in a general way yesterday as the earth, for instance, in Second Timothy have spoken of as, as having become a great house. Now, we don't leave that. We wanna be careful with our language here. We don't leave the Christian profession in that sense, do we?
But what we're instructed to do, and Matthew 5, for instance, by parallel at least, is we're instructed to be salt of the earth, that, uh, preserving principle, being faithful to that which God has entrusted to the church from the very first days. And uh, second Timothy, for instance, it speaks of the house might just look at that very briefly because there is some confusion about this and we wanna be clear.
In Second Timothy.
Uh, it says in chapter 2 as we well know, umm, nevertheless, verse 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God stand is sure having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ or the Lord it should read depart from iniquity. If we bow to his authority, we cannot connect his name with iniquity.
If a man therefore pure purge or purify himself.
From these, that is these vessels that dishonor, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified in meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. What's the call here to leave professing Christendom? Oh no, of course not. To lead professing Christendom would mean mean to say, I'm no longer a Christian. We can't do that. But what's the call here is to separate the part of the house where the Spirit of God is given his due place.
That's the call. Now that's a little different, brethren, and that's, uh, that's a little different from the concept of the camp, isn't it? That we get in Hebrews 13. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. In a certain sense, that's what we have in the verses we've been reading. Thyatira had become the camp. It had become a system that at one time had its, that God had originated Himself. But it is so thoroughly fallen into corruption.
That he could no longer have his name identified with it. And so the believers were called to separate from that corrupt system. So there's a little difference between the camp and the house. The house, of course, is professing Christendom. We cannot leave professing Christendom and still be a Christian. But on the other hand, the camp is that corrupt system that had its origin in God, but God can no longer be identified with it.
And, uh, so we're called to separate entirely from it. I just wanted to make that point because the remnant is that which is separating from the corrupt system of Thyatira. And even that which was merely a reform of Thyatira. Uh, it's a, it's a, we're called to separate. We don't go back to primitive, primitive Christianity. That cannot be done. It's a remnant testimony now, which means it's of the whole, but it is not the whole.
And that's where many dear believers are confused. But it's a remnant testimony. It's separated from the camp, but it's separated within the house to a place where the Spirit of God is given his rightful place and the Lord Jesus has afforded his proper authority.
01:00:00
Brother Chapter Brown made this helpful statement when I was a young person. He said the house is bigger than the foundation because man is scabbed on his ideas to it and so on. And so the Spirit of God has free access to go throughout the house to minister to individuals that are not gathered to the Lord's precious name. And I appreciated that because you otherwise you're just kind of lost. You're saying we can't get out of chrysanthemum, we can't get out of the house and that's true.
But, uh, sometimes we wanna think that we have the same liberty that the Spirit of God has, but we don't. He has gathered us out and around the person of the Lord Jesus Christ living glorified man in our midst, and evil is there detected. The Lord knows the heart of everyone that's gathered around him, whether that heart is is moved in affection.
Or whether it's critical or whether I'm looking at my brethren, I'm saying, well, you know, our assembly would be a whole lot better if we didn't have so and so and so and so. If we have that difficulty and we've got trouble within, don't we? Let's bring that down to 0. As we look around this room, there not be a single one that we wished wasn't here because we have a little better. If they weren't, no, it won't work.
The man during the pitcher of water is a picture of the Spirit of God.
Demand is a picture of the Spirit of God. He brought them to the house, but He didn't stop there, did he? He brought them to a certain room in that house. And so the man was in the house, but then there was a certain corner of that house, a certain room in that house where they could sit down in the presence of the Lord Jesus. And I know it was the Passover that was anticipated there, but the Lord knew that was the very spot where He was going to institute the Feast of Remembrance and have sometimes said if they chose any other room in the house.
They would have been in the house, the man was in the house, the pitcher of water was in the house, but had they chosen any other room in the house that night for some other reason, they would have missed the blessing of the Lord Jesus being in the midst as He was on that occasion. Just to illustrate your point, very vital. What you're saying, very vital.
That large upper room.
It's large because it embraces all of God's people. It's an upper room because it's separated from the world. And it's also furnished, isn't it? That's the principle of restoration we were speaking about. You know, so many dear believers today think they have to come up with creative ideas, creative ways of worshipping God. But the room is already furnished, isn't it? God has his way, and that's the way that honors him. So it's a restoration we're talking about, not imagination.
God hasn't forgotten to give us what we need, has he? But he supplied it to us. And there is a ref, uh, not merely a reformation, as we were speaking about in Sardis, but it's a true restoration because the room's already furnished. We don't need to bring our own thoughts. In fact, to the extent we bring our own thoughts, we defile the place, don't we?
So with TARDIS you have what resulted from the Reformation, but here we have restoration in Leia to see we'll get retrogression.
Just like.
To say in closing that it's been a comfort to my heart that we're the work of the Reformation went on was primarily the work where the awakening of the 1800s took place so that the efforts of those that God used to stay the powers that were gonna crunch the light that it wasn't in vain. Their laborers. Is that right?
Right.
Actually, I could sing #166.
Lord, Thou has drawn us after Thee.
Now let us run and never tired #166.
01:05:07
Lord, Thou had thrown us after the beginning, Now let us run.
And never die.
I pressed the shore, comforting.
Life S powerful. Our soul did, however.
Our present.
Day for wildlife.
Norris and can come.
If thou art there.
Are presentation overwhelmed or fearless dollars and can come in.
Thumb Artillery.
Heartbreak.
To the same.
Our strengths are chilled by all of them. I heard from the big world.
From.
Our experience of our children.
I'm saying blah blah blah.
Blah blah blah blah.
And close the skin on my neck.
Be Ye Followers of Me
Address—Ron Klassen Jr.
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Let's turn first of all to a verse in First Corinthians Chapter 11 to introduce the phrase that's on my heart and the subject.
First Corinthians Chapter 11 and verse one.
Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Hmm, we've had before us in the reading meetings.
The history of the Church.
Picture to us in the seven churches. We were also given to other little, uh, word pictures of the history of the church, and it was brought out how that these churches were in Asia.
The place that Paul could say in in uh, second Timothy, one that all day which be in Asia have turned away from me. And so that's what's on my heart this afternoon to speak a little bit of what it is to follow the apostle Paul who was who followed Christ.
And I I don't want to be misconstrued in what I say in any way.
By anyone thinking that the Apostle Paul is an object that God has set before our souls. God is set before our souls. A blessed person of the Lord Jesus, a glorified man in the heaven.
And he's drawing us even today and and in these meetings by his spirit, drawing us to that perfect object, forming us after that object.
Why then does it say be followers of me even as I also am of Christ? Well, I want we might say this afternoon, perhaps glibly. Well, yes, whose faith follow? And certainly that applies. But I want to just enforce this on our hearts with a couple more scriptures. This thing of Paul following the apostle Paul who followed Christ, First Corinthians chapter 4.
Verse 15 For though ye have 10,000 instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel, wherefore I beseech you be followers of me.
And then in Second Thessalonians.
Chapter 3.
Verse 7.
Well, we can start with the verse six. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us for yourselves. Know how you ought to follow us, for we have behaved ourselves. Behave not ourselves disorderly among you. And then First Thessalonians chapter one.
In verse 6 just to notice how closely the spirit of God ties this together of following Paul who is following Christ verse six and ye became followers of us.
And of the Lord, having received the word, in much affliction with joy.
Of the Holy Ghost.
There are more, but I would just like to look at one more in Philippians chapter 3.
00:05:21
No, pardon me if I read it in the new translation.
Philippians, Chapter 3.
Roster could start at verse 15. As many, therefore, as our perfect. Let us be thus minded, and if ye are any otherwise minded, this also God shall reveal to you. But where? Until we have attained, Let us walk in the same steps. I was thinking of this verse. Be imitators altogether of me, brethren, and fix your eyes on those walking thus as you have us for a model.
For many, walk and so on.
Well, what is this exhortation to follow, Paul? I believe that God gave it to us.
As a safeguard, because, you know, we're often blind to our own pathway.
There's something like this. I've from little on, I've, uh, grown watermelons out of this big dirt field that I have.
And I like to keep it in a straight row because I've got to drive the tractor on either side, and the the more wiggly it is, the more wedding I have to do.
And I, it took me a few years to realize that I could put a post at the end and I could start down at this end and go towards that post thinking that if I kept my eye right on that post, I'd be just fine. But I turn around and see that there was always a big wow in it. And I thought maybe if you, if you kept doing it, you'd get experienced at it, but it doesn't happen.
Hmm. And so you know, and the apostle is writing to Timothy in the first chapter, and he speaks about the grace of God that laid hold upon him. I'll read it.
This.
So I don't misquote it.
Hmm.
First Timothy, Chapter One.
In verse 12 he says, And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious, But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly and unbelief, and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of whom I am chief, albeit for this 'cause I obtain mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all own suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him.
To life everlasting.
Yes, God, in his wondrous grace he reached down and picked up this man who is absolutely opposed to the Christ of God.
Who sought to stamp out his name?
And one day God reached down and took him for himself and turned him completely around. And then he was, you might say, the the greatest champion for the Lord. And God did that. Paul is saying here that in me, the chief, he might display the long-suffering of His grace in forming a vessel for his glory, a pattern vessel.
A vessel which?
God was going to display the.
The richest activity of his grace and so then he can say by the Spirit of God, follow me as I follow Christ because I believe that you would find and it could be very true of us.
This afternoon, many dear believers.
Who, if you ask them in their earnestness would say, you could say to them, are you following Christ? They could say, I certainly feel I am. I believe I am. Well, God has given us, can I say a guide, a check for the Dave. Perhaps we'll have to set me straight in connection with this, but.
00:10:12
When I took the class of aeronautics, and it was a long time ago and I don't remember what you call it, but it's, uh, something like a pre trip planning. And we would get the map out and we wanted to start here at our, uh, starting point in our destination. And we would see where they're going north or South, decide which, uh, how many 1000 feet in the air we would be flying. And one thing that was important is you look for landmarks along the way because when you're up in the air there, you don't have signs to read.
And so if it was a mountain or something else.
The God has put there in his creation. Why? It was a guide to the pilot. He could look at it and say I'm on course.
And so I believe that that's what God has given us in this dear Apostle Paul, one who, as we read in, in Philippians, you know, at uh.
It might surprise us, as we say, as he, he, uh, writes. Fix your eyes on us.
But if we look in that same chapter, we see what he had his eye fixed on. Awe was an object with which he counted everything that he lost. Everything that would have been to his game. He counted it as loss.
Because he just wanted to know the Lord Jesus Christ he wanted to get ahold of.
The reason for why he had been laid hold of it isn't that the desire of each one of our hearts this afternoon.
The God and grace out of how many millions? He said. I want that one.
Then isn't the expression of our hearts is I want to be for him while I'm here, I want to for whatever reason, he laid hold of me. I want to be found in that path and answering to it. Well, we saw, we've seen in the seven churches the result.
Of turning away from the Apostle Paul.
And we know that that really, when we speak of the apostle Paul, he's not here for us to follow this morning.
But we have is that what's the spirit of God used him to write Let's turn to Peter because I want it. I I trust to something that is very real to us. I trust it's a burden on my heart put there of the Lord second Peter chapter 3.
Verse 14.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that she may be found of Him, and peace without spot and blameless, an account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation.
Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to wisdom given unto him.
Hath written unto you, as also in all His Epistles, speaking in them of these things.
In which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, rest, as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction. Here I believe that through the Apostle Peter.
The Lord is telling us that there is going to be and we we can vouch for that this day and we can. We don't have to look farther than our own hearts to find that there is that you know when you rest something.
It's really you're trying to work it to the angle that you want. And so that's the tendency of our hearts, isn't it when it comes. And I believe it's especially that which is given to us through the apostle Paul, though Peter says as they do also the other scriptures, because I trust we're going to see shortly that they do not. We do not leave one alone, but but cling to the other. They're all the word of God is.
All tied together in a wonderful, harmonious way.
And so if we're going to give up that which we have been given through Paul, it will follow on that will give up others scriptures as well. And so this resting.
It's, it's the will inside me, isn't it? And I believe that again, there perhaps has not been scriptures that have been more arrested.
00:15:06
By believers.
Than the things that were given to us through the apostle Paul. Let's turn to second Timothy three. We have this scripture before us last night and and yesterday during the day.
And I don't wanna read the whole thing for sake of time, but just to note.
What Paul brought before Timothy as that that was going to be a means of preserving him for what we have. In this first part of the chapter, we were reminded that this condition of things that we have in the first part of chapter 3 is not a condition of that which we find in the secular heathen world, but in fact is a description of as we have in verse 5, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. It's a description.
Of the Christian profession in the last days.
And it it does, doesn't it? When our our brother spoke last night of being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, each one of us can feel happily the edge of the the sword in connection with that. We live in a land given to that, and it's some of those pleasures are so delightful. Not really.
Wicked in themselves, but we find that too easily. They take our hearts affection. They take our time, our energy, our resources.
And the Lord is the one that loses.
And we are really. And so he says after he describes this.
He says, and he speaks about the imitation, that that imitates God.
Godliness through godliness that really is false in its character. But then he says as an antidote to this verse 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine.
Manner of life. Purpose.
Faith long-suffering.
Charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured, but out 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.
Haven't we been encouraged in this? But continue thou on the things which thou hast learned, and hast 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.
And so on.
Well, here Paul is saying in effect, Timothy, I want you to be preserved from this that is coming on the whole Christian profession and the way you're going to be preserved is thou has fully known my doctrine. Well, I would like.
If I would have had the ability this afternoon to to take up Paul's doctrine, because we know that it's perhaps consists of four revelations given to him of God in the Ephesians chapter 2, that the Jew and the Gentile were formed into one body. 1 Newman, Christ being the head.
Umm, uh, that was the Lord delivered to him in uh.
1St Corinthians 11, the chapter that we're very familiar with the expression of that body, for we know that while the Lord Jesus instituted that when he was here, he confirmed that, would you say to the apostle Paul, he received it directly from the Lord?
So that you and I would be privileged to remember the Lord Jesus as we hope to do tomorrow if he doesn't come. And then the, uh, wonderful truth of the rapture, uh, and it's been spoken of this morning, wasn't it? It was lost. And what a change it made in the church. Why, how dark things became. And so, you know, we're in danger, aren't we, of the same, the same difficulty, this truth being brought before us again, revived to us in the goodness of God.
We are in danger, maybe of well, I doubt that anyone here this afternoon would say the Lord isn't coming.
00:20:06
But Paul said to Timothy, my doctrine and manner of life, because those two things go together.
And don't we feel that perhaps?
The great danger that we face.
Is still to hold, as we've been reminded to still hold those doctrines, as uh said in in Ezra's day by major but not by weight that it doesn't have a practical effect in our life and that's a dangerous place to be So brother at home and he's here today and I hope he'll forgive me if I don't say it right. But he said and, and he said it's, it's fairly well documented that.
The right in the writings of the early Church fathers you can find that within 50 years of the Apostle Paul writing.
As he says, fulfilling or filling full or completing the Word of God within 50 years, there is little trace.
Of his doctrine found in the early the writings of the early church fathers. That's really it's exercising, isn't it brother? Because we're in that same danger this morning, this afternoon. And that's the burden of my heart that we wouldn't lose because again, I believe that the the doctrines aren't giving up at the beginning the manner of life that accompanies it. And then after a bit it seems almost contradictory and little by little, as we saw in the doctrines and the Nicolaitans first it was just.
The works. And then there was a doctrine to accommodate it and then it just grew on and got worse. And so he says to Timothy Medallist fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose.
I want to just read it that purpose.
Uh, very briefly in Philippians chapter 3.
Rather in chapter one.
Verse 20, Philippians chapter one and verse 20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. That was His purpose. Isn't that a glorious purpose?
I want whether it's in living or whether it's in dying.
I want him to be magnified in my body. A searching isn't that young people for we live in a in a day when there is such moral corruption and the bodies are being given over to lust. But Paul having a sense a deep sense of the love that laid hold on him and having the Lord Jesus is that object in glory. He didn't want to this body that he was given. He wanted it to be for the Lord.
And you know, it says about he and, uh, Barnabas in the 15th chapter of Acts, it says these men who have given up their lives for the work of the gospel, you might say, well, they're very much alive, it seems like to me. But, you know, they had given up their lives. They had turned over their bodies, their lives, their energy, their resources, their strength. They had given it to the Lord.
And they didn't know because Paul said daily, I die, he didn't know which one of those days that would be final.
But he had already surrendered his body. He had already surrendered his life.
To the one that was worthy of it, and we're called to that same path to imitate him.
Oh, it's quite.
That's quite a model isn't to have put before our souls, but the Lord gave it to us. And again I say I believe it's a check because I may say I I am following the Lord.
But then I began to read Paul's doctrine.
And I find that.
In what I'm seeking to serve the Lord in.
00:25:02
I am going contrary to what I was given. We were given through the Apostle Paul.
Let's turn to.
The other word picture and ax.
Chapter 27.
Well, before we do that.
Let's look at the, uh, second epistle just briefly. Second Epistle of Corinthians.
What was it? What is it to follow Paul? Certainly it wouldn't be to deny his doctrine in any way. But you know, I believe in the second epistle, we went over this not long ago and, and our home assembly and the and the weeknight reading meetings. And I was just impressed that that path, the path to which you and I are called, what a path it is. I think you see it especially in the second epistle.
But just to read a little bit of where that path could take us.
Verse eight of chapter one.
Or we would not brother, and have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia.
That we were pressed out of measure above strength, and so much that we despaired even of life. But we have the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet.
Deliver us and then just notice.
Verse 5 For us The sufferings of Christ abound in US.
So our consolation also aboundeth by Christ, and whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.
Or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
Let's read in verse 13 of the second chapter.
Well, verse 4.
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many tears, not that ye should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. Verse 13. I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went from fence unto Macedonia. Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ.
And make us manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish.
To the one we are a savior of death unto death, and to the other a savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
Let's go into chapter 4 and verse 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us, but we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed.
We are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus.
Might be made manifest in our body, for we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. That's a purpose that the life of Jesus might be made manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in US, but life in you.
Verse 16. For which 'cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day for our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. But the things which are seen are temporal. The things which are not seen are eternal. We know that the apostles spoke of.
The faith.
His faith that Timothy was well acquainted of. We really have that, don't we? In the 18th verse.
00:30:01
Looking not at the things which are seen, but the things which are unseen, because those unseen things.
Or eternal there is that that holds us on our course because we are far too inclined.
To be governed by the sight of our eyes. Even in our Christian pathway, we sometimes evaluate, try to evaluate what worked for this person or what worked for that person. And we find ourselves not walking by faith, but by walking by sight. But I perhaps just.
For lack of time, let's go to the 11Th chapter because I want just to see this path that the Apostle Paul was called to, the same path that you and I are called to.
It's not a path that we would choose naturally. In fact, the flesh within us does not wanna tread that path.
Verse 23.
First Second Corinthians 11/23 Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more in laborers, more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons, more frequent in death of the Jews. Five times received I-40 stripes save 1 price. Was I beaten with rods?
Once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day. I have been in the deep, in journey, and often in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen.
In perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often.
In hunger and thirst, in fastings, often in cold and nakedness, besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak.
Who is offended, and I burn not. I must needs glory. If I must needs glory, I will glory in the things which concern my infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed forever, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus. The governor under Arteus the king, kept the city of the down seams with a Garrison desirous to apprehend me, And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall.
And escaped his hands.
Well.
You know, a brother said to me, it was an encouragement this morning because it just seemed to come out of nowhere. And having anticipated speaking on this subject, he said to me, the Apostle Paul wasn't very successful, was he?
And I said, no, he wasn't.
Because of who he was following, you know?
You know, it says of the Lord Jesus prophetically said, I have labored in vain and I have spent my strength for not. And so in this chapter Paul describes the suffering of that path to which you and I are called, and he speaks of being let down.
By his brethren Lieutenant, chapter 12, he speaks of being caught up and I've enjoyed Chapter 11, you know the Lord Jesus says.
In the Gospels he said, if any man will serve me, let him follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant be. And I believe that we see in this 11Th chapter the path as He followed the Lord Jesus in service.
Let him follow me. You know, you can trace these beatings, this nakedness, hunger, thirst, and uh, so on and see that you can trace that He's following the footsteps of the Lord Jesus.
But then in chapter 12, where I am, there shall also my servant be. And so God in His wondrous grace, caught the apostle up to the 3rd heaven.
He saw Christ in glory because he was going to use this vessel in a special way. He wanted to show him the end. He wanted to show him the glory. And then he brought him back down again. And you and I, he testifies to us with that path ends.
00:35:07
Perhaps you've heard of the story of the martyrs. We've spoken to martyrs here, they and yesterday two martyrs that were awaiting being burned at the stake.
And no doubt is often our faith is weak and feeble in itself if it's not sustained of the Lord. As they contemplated what it would be to be burned to death, they were in trepidation. And they came to this agreement between themselves that whoever went first, that if they could somehow confirm to them that that the Lord was with them and that it it was all worth it just to holler back because the other one was standing there waiting, they didn't know who would be first.
And sure enough, in the morning, one of them was taken out, the other one watched and listened as the fire was lit and the flames began to get hotter and, uh, suddenly.
That one saw the others had raised and said in a triumphant way, it's true, come on, come on. And so the second one went to their death in in peace. And then, you know, I think it's a beautiful thing, isn't it, that the Lord gives us this path and he tells us where it's going to end. And we'll read of that. We'll read of the end of the apostle Paul. But I want to let's turn to Acts.
27.
As we were told reminded, it's a very detailed picture and I believe that primarily it's a picture as we've had of the history of the church, but particularly in its relation to the Apostle Paul.
But for this afternoon, I also want to apply it to ourselves individually and especially to families, those of us who are raising families and feel how much we need the Lord's help and feel that the effects of the enemy against them. Acts 27. We know that Paul was taken on board here as a prisoner.
Verse seven. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against night, as the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete over against Salome, and hardly passing, it came unto a place which is called the Fair Havens.
Nigh wherein? Who is the city of Lathia now in much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already passed, Paul admonished them.
And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lady in the ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship more than those things which were spoken of by Paul, and so we get the effect of that.
Now be and because the haven was not commodious to winter in you know, that really speaks to us, doesn't it, of this pathway.
The flesh in US wants to be pampered, but the pathway that you and I are called to, as we read in Two Corinthians.
There is not a place for the flesh.
No, it's a manner of life, a Commonwealth.
That's from heaven and because it necessarily is, it requires suffering. And so no wonder that very soon in the history of the Church.
It left Paul because we don't want that, do we? We don't want suffering. Well, and we we won't the fleshiness won't. But all he's given us a blessed object to to take us on. But I just want to see in this how that the fast was passed and it wasn't commodious to go there. And so they went on. And you know, in verse 13 it says when the South wind blew softly, supposing they had obtained their purpose, losing fence, they sailed close.
Vicrate.
You may be here this afternoon.
And debating.
Whether you can afford to turn away from Paul, for I believe, and we've heard recently, and it just bows the heart and you weep of those who have turned away from Paul.
All they assure us they haven't turned from the Lord.
But they've turned away from Paul.
A couple that have recently done this that we our hearts still bleed for, someone went to visit them and they said.
00:40:05
They were really looking into hard the, uh, women's head covering.
Well, I believe that there was time, and the Lord gives that time.
To ponder do I want to turn away from Paul? Can I afford to turn away from Paul? What will I lose if I do? Because, you know, there's great promise out there. Promise of a broader field of service, promise of more law.
I don't think we're going to get to it, but you know, that's often the cry. And it is humbling and searching to our hearts because the assembly gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus ought to be characterized the most by love, shouldn't it?
And so it is a voice, but I want to say this.
That if you're turning away from Paul to find love.
It was him that the Spirit of God gave to rote. Write 1 Corinthians chapter 13. And that which is often put out is love. But contrary to the truth we'll find is not really love at all. You know the apostle John and his epistle, he said the elect a lady whom I love in truth. Because the desire and the purpose of the enemy is to try to separate those two things.
If you go on in truth, if you follow Paul, that's a path of not loving. Really. It's too narrow the path, but ah, indeed, it's the broadest path and it really is you. We cannot separate. Don't allow the enemy of our souls to put in your mind that you can separate the truth from love. How do we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments? And so this ship.
It seemed like at the beginning, the South wind blew softly. Can't you hear them saying, you know, that's the best decision? I don't know why we haven't made this decision before.
Why? Just look how things are going. They sailed in close to Crete. If you if you look at it on the map, there's sort of a wonderment. And I don't think that anyone that has been raised under the sound of the truth, there isn't some misgivings when one turns away from Paul, but the thought that you stay close to the shore just in case.
I remember a sister who said if we've made a mistake, we'll come back.
Well, I'm not sure that she doesn't realize she's made a mistake.
But coming back is not as easy.
Verse 14 But long after there arose against it a Tempest tempestuous wind called Uroclidin, And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
That's what we don't count upon, do we?
When we turn away from the truth, there is a blindness that comes over our eyes. We were reminded of that yesterday. And so this that we think is working out so well. What we don't see is the thing that catches us from behind Ural Clyde, and means a storm from the east. And I believe that the East springs before us the wisdom of man, the reasoning of man. And you know when the apostle, as he wrote to the Corinthians, who are in danger of turning away from him.
He said, casting down reasonings and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought unto the obedience of Christ. We need to exercise that often, don't we? Because I believe that that's what is pictured in this Ural Clyde. Because if I give up any measure of the truth.
Where am I going to stop?
If I feel that there is vital truth and not so vital truth.
Who's determining that? And am I saying that I can dispense with any of the truth? I so appreciated what was brought before us. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, if the Son therefore shall make you free.
Oh, you know, there's often a promise of liberty and and turning away from the truth, but all if we learn the Lord Jesus in connection with the truth, if it becomes living to us.
You know, the apostle Paul said in, in Philippians chapter one, and I think it's helpful to look at it in the new translation. Just keep your place there. I'll just turn to it for a moment because it's, it's the exact opposite of the way it reads in, in the, uh, King James. And I think perhaps it's because the translators couldn't reconcile it in their mind.
00:45:15
It says in in Philippians chapter one.
In verse 6, having confidence of this very thing, that he who has begun in you a good work will complete it unto Jesus Christ day, as it is righteous for me to think this as to you all.
Because ye have me in your hearts. Ye have me in your hearts. Well, how is it that we can have the apostle Paul and I want to speak now on what in connection with what God has given us through him that that is the tendency of my will to rest and to turn away from how is it that we can have him in our hearts? All I believe.
That as we see the truth in the Lord Jesus.
And it becomes dear to us that we can no more turn away from the truth, and we can turn away from the Lord Jesus because He is the truth.
On were set free indeed. Then we see that this one who followed with a single eye the Lord Jesus. He becomes precious, and that which He gave us becomes precious to our hearts.
And we can't turn away from it.
Well, we know the story here. It's a sad story. Things get out of control and you know they will because I believe that as as parents especially, and you know, as you go, you grow up and you're tested by things in your family to realize how important the apostles doctrine is in connection with the family. You might say, well, that's truth that Christ and the Church. Yes, it is.
But the manner of life and again, the truth that we have been given through him, we can't dispense with any of it. Is it practical in raising families? It's very practical in raising families. And so this ship takes off.
They couldn't get it turned around and pretty soon it says.
And verse 19. On the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship, and when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small Tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was taken away. But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, you should have hearkened or listened unto me, all beloved brethren.
Don't let that be the voice that we hear down the road.
The Lord's coming.
And may it not be that their shipwreck in our own personal lives that just at the end, we turned away from Paul, we gave up those things that we've been, we've learned and been assured of to adopt what seems to be better and to find ourselves in this darkness. What would it have been to just be speeding through the ocean? You can't. It's dark. You don't know where you're heading. You're out of control.
But you know, that's not a long ways off if we give up any part of the truth of God.
You know it, It was solemnizing to me to think, because I believe that the enemy says to us, you can afford to give a little up.
You won't get too far away, but you know, as we went through Second Epistle of the Corinthians, Paul said.
That he was jealous over the Corinthians with godly jealousy because he had espoused them to one.
And his fear was that they would adopt. Now, these are not unbelievers, these are believers.
That they would.
Receive.
Another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you received, Another Spirit whom you have not received, or another a different gospel which ye have not accepted. Isn't that solemn?
Do you know any heart that loves the Lord Jesus?
It's an awful thing to think of, isn't it?
Another Jesus.
Could it be a believer truly, really. Yes, we're warned of that there. Can you and I afford to turn away from Paul? No, he can't. Do we want to? Oh, you know when you see that pathway says thanks be unto God who causes us to triumph in Christ, Then he says we are pressed beyond measure. But then he says this light affliction, you see that path he goes on and if he would have come to the end of it, and I want to turn there now because our time is up.
00:50:20
Where does that pass?
How does it end?
Second Timothy, chapter 4.
Uh.
He speaks to Timothy in these things. He's not to give up. He's not to give up the work on evangelists. He's not to give up reproving and exhorting. He's to endure wrong.
But he says in verse 6, But I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand. I thought should be the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge.
So give me it that day, and not to me only, but also to all them that love.
Is appearing, and then he speaks of Demas, who had forsaken him, having loved this present world. And I believe that each one of our hearts are solemnized when we think there was one who followed Paul, but he came to the realization.
But if he was going to be anything here, if he was going to enjoy this life, that he and Paul couldn't go on together. And so he forsook Paul. But then it says in verse 11, only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
You know, I think one of the cries when there are those that leave, they speak of service.
In fact, the brother told me last week, he said his son who was raised under the sound of the truth, he was speaking, his father speaking to him of the preciousness of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. And he said it may be, but he said, you know, I'm with a company that they know.
What service is? He said the meeting talks about it and then goes home and sits around. You know, that was a voice to my own heart and I hope it doesn't stop. I can only hang my head and it is not for me to judge.
All that my beloved brethren and Christendom are doing for the Lord. There are many that are giving their lives, many that are giving of themselves and their substance.
For the Lord and His work. But all be careful, beloved.
You know, I thought this, we have Luke here. And if you read the book of Acts and you think of all that that beloved physician passed through as he followed Paul, and he doesn't even speak of himself, you can't even find the name Luke in that book. But surely he went through much as he sought to serve the Lord.
Maybe not in a way that the Corinthians would appreciate, but in a way that God appreciates.
And so he could say at the end, there are those that have forsaken him, but Luke was still with him. And then this one, Mark.
I didn't have opportunity to go over it. I know our time is up. There are three occasions in which Paul addresses separation.
We had that before us, didn't we? The Church marrying the world. How practical and real.
Is separation to the Lord in our lives? We know Paul separated from Mark. You'd say to him, Paul, you've lost your chance. Mark will never, never have anything to do with you again. Isn't it wonderful to see this encouragement that if he went on in that path of following Christ, that young man, maybe not so young now, is turned around and he could say he's profitable to me for the ministry having been truly restored in his heart.
Did it make Mark and Luke Paulites? No, no. God took those two vessels and they wrote of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A gospel? And isn't that the desire of my heart and yours?
00:55:02
That I might know him.
I want to say if we turn away from Paul.
That will not increase, Paul said. I am confident that the work of God is going to go on in your soul because you have me.
In your hearts, I just want to read one more verse if you'll have patience with me.
Verse 20 Erastus about a Corinth patrol Femis have I left at my leading sick.
And why don't you wonder why Paul speaks of that? I can't say I know, I know it's it's been mentioned. Well, Paul had the the power that he could have healed Trophimus, but he didn't. But I just I've been impressed as as we thought to come up here to be with our brethren, to be over the sound of the word, to be encouraged in the Lord. We knew that our brother and here were passing through.
Deep waters.
And you know.
You just ask the Lord to know how to behave yourself when you come here in that way.
It just seems to me that Paul said I've left trophies there, Timothy, because you know, this path that we're so prone to leave, it's often made very real in those who God has chosen to leave sick.
And I think we've experienced it as we've been here because often as they near the glory.
Experienced it in my own dear sister, she said to me.
Hold on just to see his face. I want out more than anything else.
And so as the Lord has left, dear ones here.
Maybe not for very much longer.
Sick. I believe it's that the glory might be more shed upon our souls as we see them nearing that and the reality of it so that we would be strengthened to continue on to fall. Paul who followed Christ. Let's pray.
Our God and Father.
Again, we thank thee this afternoon.
For our Lord Jesus Christ in glory, we thank Thee for the path that Thou has set our feet upon this afternoon.
We thank Thee where it ends. We thank Thee for Thy preserving grace in this pathway. And blessed Lord, perhaps there are those who have pondered or even this day, pondering, turning away from that path that has been set before us. We pray that they'll speak to their hearts. We pray that they would see there is no other path. There's just one path, the path that our Savior trend and that we might indeed.
Test the pathway of our feet against Lydia's servant without its raise up. We might check our feet, the blessed Lord. We might be found as a servant of all, said I, being in the way. We want to be found, Lord Jesus and the path of Thy choosing, we want to be found truly following Thee when not us come. So again we thank Thee for Thy goodness.
And ask thy blessing further upon us this day, and thy precious name, Lord Jesus.
I know.
The next meeting is next meeting is at 3:45 and our brother Walt Porter has some pictures, uh, that from his trip to Japan that he's gonna show, umm, they just project them on this wall here. Uh, that's gonna be in about 10 minutes, uh.
So anyone who would like to see those can enjoy that. I have two things were lost and found here. One is a white scarf. I'll just put that on my chair. And the other thing is, umm, some pills don't ask me to pronounce the name on the back of the pills, but I'm not sure what they are, but I'm gonna keep them in my pocket. So, uh, young child doesn't get them. So just come and ask me for them. Yours.
Luke 12:22-40
Reading
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John, 1723.
Halfway through the verse, that the world may know that thou hast sent me.
And has loved them as thou hast loved me.
Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which Thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world.
Sing of thy love and.
Continue our Bible reading on Luke 12.
We suggested we just begin with verse 22, although we did already speak of this a little bit. And as was mentioned in the prayer, we'll just move along so we get to verse 40, OK.
Luke 12, verse 22 He said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat, neither for the body what you'll put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the Ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn.
And God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature? 1 cubit, If he then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow. They toil not, they spin not yet. I say unto you that Solomon and all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothed the grass which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms. Provide yourself bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that feedeth not.
Where no thief approaches, nor sorry, neither moth corrupteth. For your treasure is there will your heart be also, but your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for the Lord.
When he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them just sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or in the third watch, and find them, so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the Goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Be therefore ready also, for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Well, if you remember the threat of things that we took up yesterday.
This carries on, of course, with it, and that was simply that the Lord was preparing His disciples for the time of His absence and He would have them to be bright and shining witnesses in this world. Yet there were certain things that would hinder that and so He sought to set them free of those things so that they would be, uh, what He intended them to be. As we mentioned yesterday in the 1St 3 verses, we have them setting them free from, uh, hypocrisy. And then, uh, in verses 4 through 12, we had the sending them free from the fear of man.
And then, uh, setting them free from covetousness, which was, uh, what we had finished up with verse up to verse 21. And now today we have in these verses the awards work to set the disciples free of worry or anxiety and care.
And then we'll get from verse 35 to 40, the Lord setting them free from from carelessness and worldliness.
And I think these things are so very helpful that we too would be not just like the disciples, we would be like the disciples watching and waiting.
We also mentioned that there was a remedy, uh, for each of these things, hypocrisy. And I just would like to recount those things. And that was, uh, first of all, for as we say, hypocrisy was to judge the little things in our lives as they come up so that we don't become a hypocrite in the, to the degree that he speaks of here, that this would be no hypocrisy at all in our lives. Then the remedy for the 2nd.
00:05:20
Thing which was the fear of man is so that we should fear God. Because we fear God, we will not fear man.
And the third one, of course, to be set free from hypocrisy, I mean from covetousness, would be to not spend our time laying up treasure on this earth.
And I think the words were used simplify. We need to simplify our lives. And much was said there about getting the stuff out of our lives that really hinder us from being free to witness for the Lord like we should. And so I would just like to say for that third one, simplify, simplify, simplify. And then the remedy for what we have before us here is to realize that we are an object of God's providential care and to trust him for our needs.
That's what the Lord brings in here. Why should we be worried about the future and caring about all the things that the average person would care about, You know, food and raiment and clothing and all that kind of thing.
When we have a father up above that cares for us more than the spouse, isn't that beautiful? So we need to realize that we are an object of God's providential care and to trust them for all our needs. That's the cure for worry. It's to trust the Lord. And maybe we could say here, it's just trust, trust and trust.
And we also mentioned that this takes time. We learn through experience to trust the Lord, putting circumstances where we.
Are a little concerned and we learn to trust him and we find out he's as good as his word. He looks after these things and so when our hearts are set free from that, we can be busy in his things. And so these verses tell us that we're not to seek those things that are just mundane as far as life is concerned and making it an object, but we should seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all those things would be added unto us.
These are very clear and simple messages that we get here. And, uh, I think what we've noticed in our previous readings is that we've got sidetracked occasionally on, uh, reading between the lines and we're, we, we're trying to figure out, uh, if we're not to, uh, store up, uh, and hoard as we get earlier on, then maybe, uh, we get confused as to how do we even work and things like that. We need to forget about that. We come to this.
Portion now and uh, verse 27 says they toil not and they spin not. Don't get hung up on that verse.
Should you work? Of course you should work. Should you spin? Yes, but it's the spirit in which it's done and for to get the setting go down to the end, verse 29.
And it is this type of seeking that is, uh, condemned. Seek not what you shall eat or what you shall drink, neither be of doubtful mind. And if you go to the new translation, it says and don't live in anxiety. And so if that kind of seeking, it's that worrying that just obsesses us. And we've all been there and it is a sin. It is, it is doubting God's provision. Now as we go back through this portion from 22 on.
We see that we are told the remedy is in verse 24, to consider the Ravens and to consider these other, uh, of God's creation. God has this ordered, uh, economy of things that he manages providentially. Bruce used that word providentially. He's behind all these scenes and he's caring for even these lilies of the field. He's caring for the Ravens. And I don't know if they're anything like crows. We don't really appreciate them a whole lot.
Uh, but there is this thing I can just visualize of the bird rising up in the morning when the sun rises up, just looking forward to the provisions, uh, that the creator has, uh, set aside for it. And, uh, that's a, that's a wonderful thing. And so it's not that we don't provide, of course we do, but it's the spirit in which we go through our world, uh, not being so occupied and so burdened and so anxious.
Philippians 4 talks about that and, uh, it takes us a while to, uh, come into various necessities of life and trials and tribulations that we realize our anxiety and our worry and our stress didn't add anything to the outcome. Nothing except made us a little embarrassed before the Lord because he is going to provide. And so we, when we look at the creation and all this ordered economy and how he cares for all of it.
00:10:23
And then we find that we are such objects of His care that he gave his Son to redeem us all that He's done for us. It really should.
Put us completely at rest. There should be none of us. I mean we we really should be the most unstressed people on this planet. And yet is it really true?
Well, I'll be the first one to confess that even though I've said all these things, I feel like a hypocrite.
Should we all know that?
When is the sanctuary?
In this sense, absolutely, yeah. It's really pride in a sense, because it's really looking to myself for the source of blessing or provision for myself. And I think that I have the energy and the wisdom to accomplish something that might be for my own good. The Lord just says, you know, every good and every perfect gift cometh down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow turning. And he says you're looking in the wrong direction.
You can't affect anything for your own blessing. And it, if it wasn't for the sovereignty of God, you wouldn't have what you have. And so he says, uh, just, uh, remember that the source of all blessing is from above, from the father and from his heart of love. I'd just like to turn to Colossians chapter 3. And it says there in connection with our energy, it doesn't mean that we should just sit at home and just hope that the paycheck comes in and that there's enough sales in the office and so on that.
We're all very wonderfully provided for. There's energy that's required, it says in Colossians 3 and verse 23.
Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men. And then it says in verse chapter 4 and verse two, it says, continue in prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving.
And so when we pray for what we need, we're to watch for it. He's going to provide, perhaps in a way that we didn't expect, but the heart trusts the Lord. The heart feels the provision has been provided before, and there's a heart of love. And the Father has been petitioned for what's needed, and we just wait and trust Him for it.
Sometimes our thoughts are very active within us and we put ourselves in a situation, well what is this or what is that and we start developing a case and puts ourselves into a lot of stress. The Philippians four I think may help us there. Verse four says rejoice in the Lord Alway. And again I say, rejoice, let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing.
But is that sort of anxious there anxiousness there? Be careful for nothing, but then everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds or your thoughts through Jesus Christ. And, and, uh, it's wonderful, uh, sometimes when we find ourselves anxious.
And realizing that we are.
Umm, burdened about many things and we all of a sudden realize and remember that we have a resource and we began to lay those things on the Lord. Things change, don't they?
When he says here, take no thought for your life, he's not saying that we should just live carelessly and don't have any plans that we may make tentatively, uh, in, in, in the presence of the Lord. That's not what he's saying. I know there are people that will come up with this idea that we should just sort of live like transient people because after all, that's what the Lord said. Sell everything you have and go and give alms to others. And that's not the point here, as Wayne mentioned, and we're going to say it again.
When he says take no thought, he's talking about a certain type of thought that is anxious thoughts, anxious thoughts, thoughts that are are worried and essentially sin and worry is a sin. And so he's talking about that sort of thing. Well, before we close in the last Bible reading was asked what the difference was between the ants and the Raven. Well, the Ant, you see, he stores up for the winter. So there is such a thing as storing and having umm, some something in a bank account.
00:15:11
Uh, but the man that we had before us in verses 16 to 21 was a man that did not just have a bank account. He was hoarding material possessions. And that's the difference. You know, an Ant, he stores up for what? For winter? What's that? A few months ahead? He's not storing up for 27 winters like this man was. So there's the difference. You know, we should be wise with what we have and look to the future. The apostle Paul did in first Corinthians chapter 16, he laid out.
To the Corinthians, his itinerary that would last some four or five months, he said, Lord willing, he sought, uh, to be here in this place and in this place, and then he was going to winter here and there, and then he was gonna go on. So it's right to make plans before the Lord and to, uh, have thoughts and take thought about where you may, uh, the Lord may lead you and what exercises that are before you in life and all that. But it's another thing to, uh, to hoard. And that's what the Lord is decrying here.
So the thoughts here are not planning, thoughtful planning in the presence of the Lord. It's anxious, anxious thoughts that are outside the Lord. Really, it's just in the flesh that the Lord is seeking to take away from the disciples.
They'll pass through times of stress, and some more than others. Uh, and during those times, umm.
I think the Lord uses those times of stress to teach us things. And umm, in Psalm 94 there's a verse, uh, 19 in the new translation I'd like to read.
Umm, in the multitude of my anxious thoughts within me. So you know the the psalmist knew what anxious thoughts were, but in the multitude of those anxious thoughts within me, it says.
Thy comforts have delighted my soul.
Who is the resource there that it's not that we may not get anxious thoughts, but when we do, we're able to give them to the Lord because umm, you'd be, you wouldn't be human, would you? If I say you heard news of an accident and your child was involved, Would you not be inhuman if you didn't have some sort of anxious thoughts? But then you're able to take those anxious thoughts and give them to the Lord and help trust knowing that.
No matter what is happening, as we already mentioned, I think as you, Wayne, that or maybe when you were brought Robert, the Providence of God, nothing happens as we had here with even the sparrows. Nothing happens on this planet without God's knowledge. It just does not happen. And that's sometimes it's well, it should always be a comfort, but it's us that is the be are the barriers. I think the passage that George read in Philippians chapter four really give us what we should do when those kinds of situations come to us.
When the anxious thoughts come and you know some of them are, they're beyond your control, that you, you give them to the Lord, as you mentioned, they'll let your request be made known to God. You, you bring it to him. He'll give you a piece about it at such times. And again, I don't speak from experience because we fall. I feel like I've failed in it. But if my father was here this afternoon, he would have turned us not only to the verse that George mentioned in Psalm 94, but also to Psalm 55 and verse 22.
Psalm 55, verse 22.
Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. And that word burden, there could be a signed portion cast. I assigned portion on the Lord. So he's given this to you to bear for him. And if you do it in the right spirit, in the right way, you can actually bring glory to God in it. And I understand that that word cast could be translated role. Sometimes the burden is so heavy you say I can't cast it.
I couldn't move it, move it in and Charlie said, well, just roll it over on me. Just roll it over and I'll take it. Isn't that lovely and Psalm. Now Proverbs 16 is another verse, a little different. Proverbs 16 verse three, commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thought shall be established. Here you get the idea of planning for the future and this could be translated role, not just commit, but role thy works unto the Lord and that word works apparently has the thought it's a different word in the original language that's usually used for.
Working and so on. I am I'm told that it has the thought of plans.
00:20:04
Plans, role, or commit thy plans unto the Lord.
And thy thoughts shall be established. So the Lord wants us to be orderly in our lives and not just live like transient people because of a misunderstanding of these verses. No, we're to have an orderly Christian life, but it's to be free of worry so that we can be occupied with his Kingdom and his things, the cause of Christ in this world. And we will not be as long as we're taken up with the worries of the mundane things of life. Now notice it says here what you shall.
Turning back to our chapter now, it's, uh, it says what you shall, uh.
Uh, for meat and ramen, what you should have put neither to eat or for the body. So you've got two things there. And as you probably have seen that he brings in the illustration of the Raven to take care of illustrating how God's providential care will look after us in the Department of food. And then he says that brings in the Lilly's to illustrate God's providential care and with regard to clothing. But I have noticed in first Timothy chapter 6 that Paul says to Timothy.
Having food and raiment therewith, let us be content. That's First Timothy 68, which is a verse that goes along with what he's saying here. But I understand Brother Tony mentioned this one time that the word raiment in First Timothy 6 is a broader word than just clothing, and it refers to a covering of any sort. And he said that that really has the connotation of not just the clothing to cover us.
But also a roof over a head. And so the Lord is interested not just that you have some food and have clothing, but also you take care of a place for you to stay. Isn't that nice? And those are the three things you really need when you think about it. I need a place to sleep tonight. And it's, uh, he said, it's implied in that, uh, eighth verse, at least the meaning of that word is, is broad enough to imply that.
What we are brought to face to face with here is a sovereign God who is controlling everything for his own purposes. Now that there are some that lapse into something that's called fatalism, and that is that I have no control over this. Here it goes again. I'm going downhill. Things are going bad, and I realize I can't fight against God. So I just drift on down like a dead fish and I'm not enjoying this one bit. That's fatalism.
Is that what Allah wants us to do? Is, is that what the sovereignty of God, uh, teaches us? Now this is a loving father who is teaching us, uh, along the way. And so when what may seem to be calamity comes, uh, he is just drawing as near to himself. And a sister just recently made this comment.
Uh, after visiting with my wife, ** *** said, you know what? She's participating with the Lord in her death.
And that was an amazing thing for me to realize and it changed right there, uh, some things that needed to be changed for me. And I, I'd like to pass that on that when things come that are difficult, that, that may cause anxiety, even these simple things of life, uh, that are that, which are daily a trial and an exercise. And we don't deny the fact that we do get anxious, that there is stress rises and concern about it. We, we need to participate with the Lord in his discipling of us.
And that's a precious thought to me. So how do we do that as a child with the father? Uh, it is to submit to him and enjoy his love and try to get what he's, what his message is to go there. And so as we come down toward the end of this portion here he is saying that the nations of the world in verse 30 are struggling after these things. I've got something else entirely, uh, beyond that for you. I'm gonna take care of those things.
But I want you to live like the Kingdom is yours. You are you're sons of the king, you're a Princess and you belong to this Kingdom. And I don't want you having the world view of the peasant. Well, you don't know what's going on. You're not participating with the king and anything as a peasant. But I'm going to give you the Kingdom. And so he says here, rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. All of the things that we get hung up on that give us stress.
We should be concerned about the Kingdom, we should be concerned about advancing his causes in this earth. And the more that we do that, we'll find out that's the real cure. It's not some psychological way to deal with worry and stress. Take a course, read a book or whatever. Uh, we need to lose that stuff. The only book that we need is this book here and we need to get involved in his Kingdom. That is to advance his purposes here and.
00:25:25
We find out that we become, there's this little flock that we are moving with and he says, fear not little flock. I've got all of these things under control and it's my good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. I know I'm pushing the chapter on, but, uh, we're half done already. So, uh, Wayne, you mentioned, uh, that fatalism is one of the, uh, the dangers in this and it's like two side, 2 ditches in either side of the road. You have on one side fatalism. On the other side, you have presumption.
You know, we live without plans, we don't live with any thought of of being responsible and having an orderly life and we presum per we presume upon the Lord is gonna look after us. That's wrong too. And down the middle is where we should be walking and that's faith.
So presumption like well I could put this way, faith acts on the revealed mind of God.
But presumption tries to harness God to our plans and try to, uh, manipulate God to support us in our carelessness and so on. And so you have fatalism on one side, but you have on the other side presumption. And both of them, of course, wrong. But down the middle of the road is faith. Faith trusts the Lord. And by the way, I just like to pass on with another older brother. Mr. Keating used to tell us that.
When the Lord said fear not, he said you can count them up in your Bible, but there's some 365 fear knots in your Bible, one for every day. My wife and I looked at it one time and we didn't come up. We had 280 or something. We couldn't find them all. But then someone said, well maybe you should be checking fear thou not. So if we get them all contractions of the thing, you'll apparently come up with 365 fear knots, one for every day of the year.
Isn't that nice? Could we, uh, would the difference be between the resignation? That's what you're talking about? Just I resigned myself to?
Whatever comes into my life or like Romans five and three, it says, you know it talks about our position there in the 1St 2 verses. What we have in Christ can be taken away from us, but we're in a wilderness and so he says and not only so, but we boasted. Mr. Darby says it's glory here but we boast in what tribulation boast in tribulation, yes, because.
The fibulation works, patients and patients experience and experience hope and the hope of one day being with the Lord, but it's going through these circumstances with the Lord and there is great value to that. That's different than resignation, which you're talking about, right? It's a verse that you gave us here, uh, Romans 5. Three is probably the best scripture to put with that expression, participating with the Lord in his ways with you.
The glory and Tribulation also realizing that he's working something that's gonna bring glory to his own son.
I know we've already quoted from Assam, but I'd like to read in the the 37th Psalm. We know that the psalmist really brings out the feelings, the deep, deep feelings and affections that are as they remnant to really go through that tribulation period says in the 37th Psalm verse three, trust in the Lord and do good. So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. That's the principle.
That they're going to really be taught there. And then it says something further and it's for the heart. God doesn't want to have us say, well, you know, the Lord is going to provide and then not have our hearts engaged with them. And so they're going to have the hearts engaged with the Lord. And verse four, delight thyself also in the Lord. That's really what he wants. He wants the heart to be engaged with himself and to just delight in him and to the Spirit of God just gives us this instruction and gospel that our hearts and our minds might be set free.
From that which is characteristic of those that are in the nations around us. And they think that they can do it themselves, but they can't. And for the believer, he's not to act on those principles. So he's going to delight himself also in the Lord. And he shall give thee desires of thine heart. What do we really want as those that belong to Christ? We want what He wants. We want his way to prevail in our lives. That's really what we want. If we wanted, if we were really honest with ourselves, we would say, you know, what I want in the flesh is not going to give me anything that's good. But what the Lord wants, I want by faith, that's what I want. And if it's a light meal today, then I ought to be thankful for a light meal.
00:30:24
And if it's, uh, you know, the consideration for the clothing and so on, it's just a base requirement. But what he wants is the higher motive to be taken up with himself personally. And then it says in verse 5, roll thy way, I think is what it reads in Mr. Darby's translation. Roll thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.
Later that same sum, doesn't it say I've been been young and I'm now old and I've never seen the righteous forsaken or begging bread. Now he looks after his own. And as we said last time we were together yesterday, that and we've proven it in our little experiences with a little business. And I know that everyone of you have proven it in your way, in your circumstances, in your life. And yet how slow we are to trust teaching us in this school that we're in to trust Him for the future.
And the more we can get to that point where we've rolled everything off to and to him and, and because he's going to care for us, we can be free to be occupied with the Kingdom of God and the interests of Christ. That's the very point of this here. So he says sell you have and give alms. Now this doesn't mean again, to live like a transient person and just get rid of everything and don't worry about even having $5 in your pocket. Somehow somebody will give it to you and basically.
Uh, that, umm, lifestyle that Scripture elsewhere condemns. Uh, that's not what the Lord is saying. I think the idea of selling is that we, we, there's a change of ownership. We put what we have as far as our possessions are concerned into the hands of the Lord who owns it anyway because he says the cattle upon 1000 hills are mine. But if we were to put it consciously in his presence, in his hands and act as stewards with it.
Really, that's the essence of what the Lord is teaching here. He's using figures of speech and symbols in his teaching. And so it's not a literal selling everything that you have, but the idea of a change of ownership and own that it really belongs to the Lord and put it in his hands and use it As for him. Your car belongs to him, your house belongs to him. Use it for the Lord and that's the point. And then give alms. Well, that's just.
Be free and liberal with the material things that pass through your hands.
That's, uh, that's always a good sign. When you see people that are liberal with what they have, it shows generally, generally I say that there's a good state.
Bruce, what would you say, uh, when a scripture tells us that we're blessed with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places? And I have heard, uh, that we don't have promises for material things as believers and Jews did. But, uh, and, and that verse that you quoted, uh, Paul Wilson one time says some Saints have seen what David never did. You know that God might call us might, might not God.
Call us to.
Uh, die without having food? Uh what?
How? How do those things fit you? You know what I'm I'm saying. The 1St that I quoted was which?
What's worse, did I quote that you're referring to that, uh, have you never seen that? Saw 3722?
Thanks. Yeah, 22 or 23 for Saint Vegas for Grant. But, uh, I've heard of, uh, stories where Christians have, you know, not had enough.
George, what's the answer to that?
Could I suggest John 11?
John 11 And it says, umm, the Lord Jesus, uh, says John 11. Let's read verse three. Therefore his sister sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. And so the Lord is ordering our circumstances, so that every one of us differs in glory from one star to another. Everyone of us differs.
And when we get home to the glory, our circumstances will have been ordered in such a way in this scene that every note of praise will be slightly different in that glorious scene above. And so one may be called to be martyred, one may starve to death, but one that one that didn't have the food that he ought to have had, perhaps from a natural perspective, Oh, he was glorifying God as he went to the grave, as it were. But there was a there was a purpose in the heart of God.
00:35:23
That that might take place, we don't know the purpose, but you know.
What does it say that, umm, what I do? Thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. We know that was in the Lord's, the upper room ministry, but in, in that connection, you know, we just need to trust the Lord, roll the way upon him and, uh, in that submission, there's gonna be fruit for him. We've got a few things from the eternal perspective.
We're, we're finite creatures and we often view things, uh, on the finite basis. And God wants to lift our eyesight and our view from Mount Pisgah or to view things what he is going to do from an internal perspective. And, and, uh, I'm sure that, uh, when James was martyred, it was a real blow to the Saints. Umm, and then a little while later, Peter was preserved, delivered from prison.
Umm, Herod had thought to do the same thing he did to James, but the Lord said no, umm, why? But we don't know all the answers. But you know, the enemy of our souls. And I'm thinking that all the enemies, the world, the flesh devil, all of them are, are built in such a way to where they're always questioning the goodness of God. And uh, hath God said that started in the, in the, uh, in the garden, right? Always questioning the goodness of God. But faith would rise above that and say.
God is for me.
Period. And that all these things are for good, for my good, that, uh, you know, how wonderful to view things from that way. And so when a trial comes, if we have to say it's difficult, uh, we do get into anxiety, but when we look at who God is, then we know that I don't understand it now. It doesn't make sense to me now, but the God who is weaving things perfectly in his tapestry of love.
It's going to make it all clear to me someday, and I wanna understand it. But for right now, he just wants me to trust. He wants me to wait. And then there's gonna be a wait time when it's all gonna be clear. Hallelujah.
Who am I to question God?
Quote another Psalm. It says in the end of the 84th Psalm. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Now do I believe that I I'm ashamed to think of it. I often times don't and reach out and take something that the Lord didn't give me. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. I didn't mention this yesterday, but sometimes, you know, we think that we need something.
I have a watch that doesn't work very well. It quits at night. And I've been thinking I should get another watch. So I went shopping for a watch and I saw a couple of nice watches and I thought, well, you know, maybe I'll just wait. Let's just wait. And I, I think that exercise of soul has been good just to wait and not to just instantly want it. And that's the way we are. We just instantly want it. And I thought to myself, well, you know, there may be a time when I'm walking through one of the shops and the Lord will just show me that there's a watch for sale here and I may pick up a watch.
And, uh, you know, no good thing will he withhold these. These verses that we're reading today are practical verses. These are not good theories for other people. This is for me. This is for you.
And then when you go through the exercise while you're waiting.
I just thought of Psalm 105, verse 19 until that time his word came the word of the Lord tried him. That's that's Jacob in prison. It was the wasn't wasn't the fetters, the chains and the ball and the the dank dark conditions he lived in that tried him. It was the word of the Lord because he believed it. He believed it and then you could just imagine him saying like I could have sworn God said this thus thus.
What am I doing here? Why hasn't he provided what he said? So it's not wrong to go through the exercise. It's good for you to go through the exercise because in that exercise, in the depths of it is what changes your character to be more like him.
00:40:04
You have to live in a, in a society where there is instant gratification does absolutely no good for any character at all. Well, as you speak of learning to wait, the, uh, reminds me of the latter part of the chapter. We need to wait patiently. Wait for what? A watch? No, the Lord's coming. He may provide the watch in the meantime if we need it. And he's been very good to us.
But isn't that nice to think that?
Uh, we have the Lords coming before us and we need to be waiting.
That's verse 36. We need to be watching. That's verse 37 and we need to be working. That's 43. Verse 43. When he cometh, he shall find his servant so doing.
Washington watching, waiting, watching and working are what should characterize us in, uh, this time when we look for the Lord to come. Just one comment here about verse 33. Again, I know I'm going backwards. I made mention that, uh, the Lord uses, uh, figures of speech and symbols when he teaches as elsewhere in the Bible, and you need to understand that. But you can see the context of the whole passage that he's speaking figuratively when he says, uh, to sell what you have.
The reason why I say that is as you read on in the verse.
He says provide yourselves bags which wax, not old. And he's talking about a treasure which is in heaven. So a bag is where you would collect something or keep something, but yet he's saying it's in heaven. So you can see very well he's speaking figuratively of some store place or something in the heavens. He's not Speaking of a literal bag here. And as you go all the way through, he's not, he's using these figures. The same with the treasury. He's not talking about a literal, you know, little box with the gold and silver trinkets and diamonds and things like this. And he's talking about what would be very valuable.
And so he's using figures here and let's not stumble over this, that when he says to sell what we have that we're literally just go out and just sell the ranch. But anyway, uh.
He brings in His coming here, and this brings us to the conclusion of really how He's preparing them. And as I say, He's preparing them for the time of his absence, that they would be proper witnesses during that time as they wait for their Lord to come. And it's important to see that when He brings his coming before us here that He's not so much speaking about the rapture or the appearing. He's giving the moral side of things.
That should and the posture that should suit the Saints as they wait for his coming. Luke is a moral book. So if you're gonna start looking at the events of prophecy here, you've missed the point. Let me say that again. If you start looking for the events of prophecy in these verses, you've missed the point. It's a moral application for the soul that we would be ready for Him. And I said waiting, watching and working, or what should characterize us. But he brings us up here because it's possible to be taken up with the theory of the Lord's coming, and yet it has no practical effect on our lives.
And the Lord wants to set that one right. And we can get that way too. Where we were standing in the hallway, we were talking about define nuances, exactly when the Lord would come. And then this would happen and this would happen and this would happen. And we had it, as far as we could tell, all the perfect doctrinal order. But the Lord is saying, but it's got to go farther than that. It's got to get to the point where it has some practical effect on our lives, that it would change our lives. Give you an illustration, Mr. Hajo, This is Albert Hajo.
He said to me one time that, you know, we need to do everything in our lives with the expectancy of the Lord's coming. He says when I take out my lawn mower and I started up, I like to think this would probably be the last time I'll be using this. And he said I'd like to go through the day just thinking in that way. He had the eminence of the Lord's coming before him to such a degree that he was holding things very, very lightly down here. Even though there was responsibility to cut along, Heather's responsibility to work and all this, but we should be doing it in a certain.
Spirit, and that's what the Lord is addressing.
I believe in these closing verses, uh, 35 to 40.
The verse for that verse is verse 45.
Uh, but if that, but, and if that servant say in his heart, so this is not a, a giving up of the truth of the rapture, but it is giving up the heart that is anticipating the Lord, that treasure. And so that takes us back to verse 34. And as we move on in verse 36, it's really a picture of communion of a servant that loves the master.
00:45:01
And is waiting for the Lord when he will return from the wedding and so on. And so it reminds me of Abraham. That expression has always charmed me. Where instead of Abraham that he was in the tents door in the heat of the day.
Out there in the middle of the wilderness, or wherever it was in the desert, maybe in the tent store, in the heat of the day.
Why not just give up Abraham, come on, your life has been so hard. He was there waiting and what happened? He got to see pre Incarnate Christ. All I can say about that is wow, what a, what an incredible answer to someone not leaving their post. And so it's not just floating downstream like a dead fish as as brother Verne, uh, referred to it as resignation, but it's waiting for the Lord when he will return from the wedding and so on.
When he cometh and knocketh, he may open to him immediately if that anticipation.
We we need to live like that. More figures are used first 35 your loins girded. He's not talking literally what? What does that mean?
That's being, that's being active, being, uh, girded up so you're not getting entangled by things of this earth. Gird up the loins so that you're ready to, to serve in an unobstructed way or unhindered way. Is this the treasure Then it says where you're TRA 34th verse where your treasure is.
There will your heart be also if this is your treasure, you know, the Lord and his coming, you know, that's a relationship, that's a relationship that you can never lose. You know, my dogs have died, my pets have died, you know, and, uh, my friends have died and, uh, marriage relationship has died, but there's one relationship that'll never die. And so that's where my treasure is, isn't it?
In this relationships that are important, so he says well your treasure is there. Will your heart be also not in a four car garage.
Fills with automobiles.
No, yeah, that can, that can't make you happy. And it, and it can be, uh, destroyed and the thieves can break in and steal. But this treasure is something that your heart will follow. It doesn't say where your heart is your treasure will be. It says where your treasure is there, where your heart will be. So if we have that, like you say, communion with the Lord.
That's something that will draw our heart and that's our trader will be in heaven, not on earth a amidst everything that's on earth. That'll be our treasure. But what did we really saying in that him? Uh, Norley's by sweet retreat. I heard a, a brother one time speak on that and he said that, you know, I can be in the midst of a crowd.
I never have to leave my sweet retreat. I can still be talking to the Lord and all these things are going on around me.
But I California, I don't leave my sweet retreat.
Can I ask a question? Is this portion, when we're looking at it, if you wanna see it all the picture, especially taking verse 35, it's looking at it as a servant. But is it like if I had asked my wife, I phoned her at lunch time and said, honey, when I got off work, I'm coming home and I'd like to take you out for dinner. Be ready.
Then when I arrive at 5:00 and I get home and find out that she's in her nightgown, nightgown sitting on the couch, that's the way the Lord might find us. We're not. We're not ready. Our loins aren't dirt. We're not ready to move. Our lights aren't burning. We're not standing at the door waiting to open it and go. Is that what this is saying? He's saying no, I'm coming.
Be ready, I'm the one you're supposed to be waiting for. Yet we're down here occupied doing doing things with stuff to put all those phrases together. Is that what this is talking about?
Indeed, you mentioned 2 yesterday that in this discourse of the Word there's a progression. And I think when you get to this last point, if we get that really clear and we are occupied with the Lord and His coming, it will help us with those things that we've talked about before.
Is, if you look at it, all the problems that the Lord wants to set us free of in the beginning of this chapter, Sol Problems that come in when we get our eyes from heaven and down on earth. It's all things on earth. It's like hypocrisy. What does men think of me down here on the earth? It's the fear of men. What can men do to me down here on earth? But when we're occupied with the Lord and our treasure in heaven, those things will be a lot easier to deal with. They just won't come up like that. And the Lord himself, when you study His life as a perfect example of that, He has things in the right perspective. He was there.
00:50:08
On the earth, but in communion with the Father, he didn't have to deal with all those things.
Mm-hmm. Well, he's telling us that we need to serve him, as you've been saying. Uh, uh, Wayne. But what is verse 37? Tell me he's going to serve us. Wait a minute.
What?
Well, that's what it says when he takes us home, we're going to he's going to come forth and service. And somebody asked Mr. Darby, what will he serve? He said he'll serve them heavenly happiness. Isn't that wonderful? You know, I, I thought that we were going to heaven to, to sing the praises of to God and to serve him for all eternity. And I read my, my Bible that when I get there, he's going to praise me and he's going to serve me.
I'll give you 2 verses, First Corinthians chapter 54.
And five it says, Then shall every man have praise of God? God is going to praise us.
What I thought I was going to heaven to praise him. Well, that's true, but here's a verse that tells us that he will actually praise us. Now you know what it means. It's, uh, well done. Now, good and faithful servant, uh, enter thou into the joy of the Lord and so on. And here we have a verse. I thought we were going to heaven to serve him. It turns out that when we get there, he's going to serve us. What a savior.
Heavenly happiness.
What is Ambien?
In other words, heavenly ambience. Is that what you said? He'd service heavenly happiness? Oh, heavenly happiness. It's a Son of Man of Sorrows by Darbion Luke's gospel. He says there you'll serve as heavenly happiness.
Islam has made him so vulnerable that he has become a servant.
And he's become a man, and he's never going to give it a.
And it's just something in love that delights to serve. It does not expect to be served. And that's why the Christian marriage works out so well, because here's two people who are committed, not 5050. They're committed 100% to love each other and to serve each other. And there's no limits to that service. There are no limits to that service. It goes all the way. And so you never see it really until you see it in the Lord.
It's not a one way street, is it? We're not going to just be there.
And be satisfied with the Lord, He's going to be satisfied with us.
One chain of thy neck. That's what what happens when he gets two chains or he sees, he gets both eyes devoted to him. You know, it's a he speaks of being overcome. I can't wait till over to see him overcome and to think that I could do that while we'll collectively do that.
Therefore, be ready also.
Bruce 40 time to close. Maybe somebody could just summarize this a little bit now.
Well, that could be so bold. Don't try to be something you're not.
Don't be afraid to speak the truth and be afraid of men.
Don't be occupied with material possessions, don't worry about the future, and don't let go of the imminence of the Lord's coming.
19 in the back team number 19 in the appendix.
Why Do You Go to the Meetings Where You Go?
The 7 Churches Philadelphia & Laodicea
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When will the Lord see me and Thursday?
And never lasted.
That night are blinding.
The sound we heard.
The progress was where you're going to play some sleep again. Strange.
Laughing.
Right.
When we let them show me.
Some time.
Or.
Till our hearts come on, we cry.
Good morning.
And we're not sure.
No hard disk for our home shall be.
No longer.
In the.
MMM.
That we have learned to love.
Last round falls off in the rain.
I'm waiting for us and your hair.
Get out quickly.
Come again?
So may our hearts love our that day.
And two, and wearing grace on them straight.
Continue thus, Lord God, man.
Got it.
N.
Made in, uh, Revelation chapter 22.
00:05:08
Verse 12.
First praise. Behold, I come quickly.
Verse 17.
And the Spirit and the Bride say come.
And let's hear that here they come, and let him that as a thirst come.
Verse 20.
He which testifies these things that surely I come quickly. Amen.
Even so.
Come Lord Jesus.
Revelation chapter 3.
And suggested we read from around verse 9.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
And 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. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, and unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans, right?
These things saith thee. Amen. The faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works.
But thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou Wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth, because I'll say it. I am rich and increase, and have need of nothing, and knoweth not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire.
That thou mayst be rich and white raiment.
That thou mayst be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. And anoint mine eyes with anoint thine eyes with. I saw that thou mayst see as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. 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 fit with me in my throne.
Even as I also overcame, and I'm set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
Before we go on with this ninth verse, I would just like to make a comment about the previous verse in the last statement of it, which is the Lord's commendation of approval to the assembly at Philadelphia. And that they had kept His word and not denied His name. And as we've already said in these meetings, isn't that what we really covet, brethren? The Lord's approval, not the approval of man, not the approval of other Christians even.
But the approval of the Lord. And so he looked at this company. They had little power, little strength, but, uh, they were seeking to go on with the resources that they had and to keep his word and not deny his name. But I'd just like to for a moment notice the order. And I thought of it in connection with what our brother Ron brought before us in the address, in connection with the list of things that Paul gave in Timothy, where he said, thou hast fully known my doctrine.
00:10:01
Manner of life and so on. I sometimes said it's been helpful in your study of the Word of God to notice that when God gives a list of two or more things, there's always an important order to the lift He has given. You know, I might list certain things and you might ask me why I listed them in that order, and there may be really no purpose. I might have just listed them as they came to mind, or there may have been no real order of importance, just the number of things that I listed.
But God doesn't list things haphazardly. There's always an order, and I'm afraid the tendency of our hearts is to, especially today, is to reverse the order of what we have here in this commendation. It doesn't say here that they didn't deny His name and kept His word. That's not what it says. Timothy didn't or Paul didn't say to Timothy, Thou has fully known my manner of life and doctrine.
No, there was a basis, there was a foundation with the apostle Paul.
He did have a pious manner of life. You look at his life and it was a pious Christian life, but it was based on solid doctrine because there are many and I've heard it said, well, there are many Christians who don't go along the Lord's table. We're not in fellowship with. And they put us to shame as to their personal piety and manner of life. And I have to hang my head and admit that that's true. But notice, it's the doctrine that Paul put first. Notice here it's.
They kept his word and not denied his name. Now just hold your finger here and bear with me a moment.
But go back to the 138 Psalm.
Psalm 138 and I just want to read the last part of verse 2.
For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Now here we get the same order, brethren. It's the Word 1St and then the name. And I used to ponder why he's magnified His word above his name. But I just offer this, that you know, in Christian circles there are many things that are done in the name of the Lord Jesus. But I'm afraid when we go to this book, we find they're done without the sanction of the word.
And brethren were never justified in doing anything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Without the authority of the Word of God for what we do, we profess to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But there are others who will say that tomorrow morning right here in the city of Richmond and in the province of British Columbia, that they meet in the name of the Lord Jesus. But when I go to this book, I find He's magnified His word above His name. We cannot claim to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus if we haven't sought grace to follow the man bearing the picture of water that we spoke of.
Earlier today, sometimes people say, well, the only thing that matters is that souls get saved, that the name of Christ is made known in the gospel. Now, brethren.
It's wonderful to make known the name of the Lord Jesus in the gospel, but if you go out to make known the name of the Lord Jesus in the gospel, it must be in a way that conforms to the Word of God. Can I bring this down a little, another step? Sometimes in the assembly things arise, difficulties and questions have to be taken up, and sometimes the initial reaction is something has to be done for the glory of the Lord to straighten out this problem.
But brethren, he's magnified his word above his name. We must go to We can't profess to act in the name of the Lord Jesus unless we have the authority for the of the word of God for what we do.
If a question rises, a problem rises like a rose at Corinth, what do we do? We act in the name of the Lord Jesus. But we go to 1St Corinthians 5 and we say, here's the word, here's the authority for acting in his name. And so I just say that as a burden of my heart. And I know there are young people here and you hear these things from your Christian friends in other circles and fellowship, but be careful. They kept His word. That is vital, that is.
Utmost we must keep his word, It must be the doctrine, they continued steadfastly.
In the apostles doctrine, and that was the basis for fellowship, for breaking of bread, for prayers. And so it's vital, brethren. And again I say, don't we covet the Lord's commendation that He gives to this little assembly at Philadelphia? They kept his word and had not denied his name.
There are three things that.
00:15:00
Characterize these Philadelphian church.
That the Lord speaks of in this verse, and you've mentioned two of them. And remember, we had shadows. We closed the meeting before that. Uh, the Church of Philadelphia marks that period in the church's history where there was a great recovery of the truth that had was once delivered to the Saints in the 1800s. And there are three things that characterized the Philadelphia Church of the same three things that characterized the Saints that were connected with that divine movement.
And that is first of all, a little strength and also that they kept his word and did not deny his name. And having a little strength really was is what flows is the power could be translated power, but it's what flows out of communion. So there were ones who knew what it was to abide in Christ and to live in communion. And more than that, it says that they kept his word. That means that that that that would be something that characterized them as.
Being diligent in the Word of God. They were characterized by being diligent in the scriptures and notice kept my word as more than just knowing gets into the practice of the life. And then the third thing is not denied my name.
And this will, you know, when the when the Lord's name is used in Scripture, it's in a couple of different ways. One is that it could imply his authority. And also it also is used in a sense to speak of character.
A good name is to be sought after and so on, and I believe that's the thought that's mentioned here. They did not deny his name. That is, they had the character of Christ and their lives. They were Christ like.
And this was a beautiful element to live in and to have fellowship in among the Saints. No wonder they were, uh, Philadelphia means, uh, brotherly love. And so it was a, a, a beautiful time in the church's history. And isn't it striking as you read through these seven churches, we now come to one and only one where the Lord does not call them to repent.
Isn't that striking?
Proverbs chapter 23, the term is used three times in that chapter, my son and in verse 15 it says my son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. And my son in that character really speaks of the builder of the family name. He's characterized of the as one that walks in wisdom and is building upon the family name as it were honoring that name of the Lord Jesus.
And so, you know, these dear ones, they had to go back to the point of departure. And our brother brought before us that the point of departure was a setting aside of the word of God. And so except they went back to the word of God and sought to get back to those first principles and to understand the truth of God and to search it out. And I believe too, to repent, uh, really in a public way to confess the failure. Then there wouldn't have been that recovery as in a strong measure as there was.
I'll just call attention to Daniel Chapter 9 and it says there it's good to remember in verse five, it says we have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments. And so if there's any departure at all from the word of God, then we don't live as true sons of God. We don't value that which he is committed to us to, uh, entrusted to us to uh, hold fast and to hold dear.
In this scene, and that's where its strength there, as you said, could be translated power. And that's the same word that is used in the original language in chapter 4 of Acts when it says that there was great power upon them, the apostles did miracles and so on in the early church. So it's the same power of the Spirit of God, but it's a little power. As you said, they didn't go back to the primitive church, but there was a return to 1St principles.
Who Among Us?
Gospel—Wayne Coleman
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
I had on my heart tonight to, uh, speak a little bit about the various times in, uh, the scriptures that the Lord by the Spirit uses those that little word must.
I felt that urgency.
Uh, but umm, that's somewhat changed.
Maybe a little more urgent. I went to see my dear wife in the hospital, uh, yesterday and there, she's in palliative care. It's interesting because that part of the hospital you go to, uh, palliative means apparently that it probably has a better meaning than this. But, uh, that means that you have less than six months to live.
Palliative care, there's a special kind of care for that and umm.
Seems like a gospel meaning would be appropriate for that. But uh, in any case, palliative care is one door and on the other door is the maternity.
And it's really impressed me.
These dear little souls, all these little plastic tubs with babies in them in there, and all the people, the family coming in and gathering around the little ones and rejoicing.
And on the other door, the families gather around and weep.
And I I saw it like I've never seen it before.
Christy and I were sitting, I was sitting there and holding her hand and talking and I heard all this commotion in the other side of the curtain. And I looked over there and here's this very elderly man out of his bed and the four is in his arm and tugging at it, trying to get it off, trying to get disconnected from the pole. And so I went over the curtain and, and, and I remember Christine in the hospital before and it's good to have the pole, not drag it with a little.
A hose. So I got on the pole and he tried to get out and they hustled him back to bed. And I thought, you know, this fellow is really doing pretty good. He's getting around well, he's better than my wife was. And, uh, then I went in the next morning and I heard him coughing and so on. And then there was just this breathing.
And then I came back just a few hours later and Christie said he's gone.
And all the family was there. And the weeping.
And I thought, where is he?
I don't know where he is. There was not anyone there. There was no scriptures read. There was nobody praying. There was silence in that regard.
Isaiah chapter 33 and verse 14.
The centers in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell fire? Who among us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings?
I'm really, uh, deeply stirred.
With this reality.
You know, we we live in a world where everything we do insulates us from the reality of death.
And I have never seen it like I've seen it in the last few days and particularly coming in that one door.
Palliative or rather maternity here palliative. And it just seems like the journey is so short. We're talking no more than 10 feet between these two doors.
And you've had a lot more than 10 feet. You've had a lot more than 10 years.
Our Him.
Says, Will you be there? And I, that's a question that I want to ask you tonight in the most solemn terms that I can Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who shall dwell in the everlasting burnings? Is there someone here tonight that, uh, is not saved?
You have deceived, possibly your parents, you've deceived maybe your friends, maybe you've deceived yourself. We're going to look at someone shortly who possibly deceived himself and he's in hell tonight.
Revelation chapter 21. The question is who?
Revelation chapter 21.
00:05:00
Verse 8. The fearful, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the ************ the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Chapter 20. Verse 11.
Now this is reality, my dear friend, if your heart should stop tonight. That's what really struck me with that man laying in that bed. He was up and able to move very well, and he was able to cough with great gusto. He did not look seem to me to be a dying man. I guess I just don't understand those things. And then he was gone.
And uh.
It's a reality and Hebrews Chapter 9 tells us that after death, the judgment, there is no coming back. There is no reincarnation. I work with people that believe that there is reincarnation. What a rude awakening that's going to be. This is what it's about. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 11. If you die in your sins, this is what it looks like.
Revelation chapter 20 verse 11 And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it.
From whose faith the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. Think of this. These are real people.
That.
Are suspended in space before God. Even the planets are gone. At this time the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. I saw the dead, small and great stand before God.
And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which are written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.
And they were judged, every man according to their works, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. You know you're going to have your name written in either one or the other of, could I say, these sets of books. There is the Book of Life, and if your name is written in there, you will not be here.
But if in these multiples of other books that are are recorded here, these are the itemizations under your name of your trespasses against God.
And what is stirring to me that it appears that at this time there is an individual standing naked before God there in eternity.
They're in their sins, and it almost appears that a check is made at the very last moment to see if their name is written in the book of life. That's the heart of our God.
This one, who's sitting on the throne, from whose face the planets flee away.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ whose arms are outstretched to you tonight? His hands have those holes in them from those nails that nail them to the cross. His side has that hole in it where that spear pierced His side, that that blood was shed to cleanse you from your sins. But you wouldn't have it. And now He's your judge.
But tonight, He's your savior, and I beg you to accept him as your savior. Accept Him as Lord tonight.
2nd Thessalonians, chapter one.
Now the question again is.
Who will be in that terrible scene?
2nd Thessalonians, chapter one.
And verse seven, part way through verse 7, the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels inflaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God.
And that obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a clue right there. Have you obeyed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? If not, you are bound for hell.
00:10:00
And an eternity in the Lake of Fire is what is waiting for you, John.
Tells us that the judgment of God is hanging over your head at this very moment because you believe not.
Them that know not God, and them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. What a contrast those that are admiring him.
As our brother spoke a little while ago about his sister.
Speaking about wanting to see the face of the Lord, My wife is speaking that way now. Nothing really much matters. You know, there's various things that are not done in the house that trouble me, and I've been asking about it. Oh, it doesn't matter.
And it's really helping me a lot. In my perspective, she's just really waiting to link the Lord and admiring him even now. You admire him now.
If you're saved, you do and.
But these ones here that obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ are going to be punished. And it's not just a short punishment, it's eternal. I can't weigh in on that, and I know you can't either. So repent now and be saved now. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That's the word of the living God to your soul.
That's your ticket.
Of the judgment to come, Hebrews, Chapter 9.
These are simple gospel verses that most of you I know.
Know very well Hebrews Chapter 9 and verse 27. And as it is appointed unto men wants to die, but after this the judgment.
That situation is so critical and so horrible. What has God done? Verse 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time?
Without sin unto salvation, you can be saved now.
Chapter 10, verse 14, four by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. I want you to remember that verse because in the next few minutes we're going to dig very deeply and we're going to challenge your profession with the word of God.
For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
You are. If you are saved, if you have truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are resting in His finished work upon the cross, you are saved. You are justified. You are in a position in which you can never come under judgment again. Ever.
All of your record of your sins has been blotted out by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you've been brought into a position in which you've never a charge again can be brought against you.
Justify.
Perfected, that is what the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is for to bring you into favor with God, in which you can never fall out of. If you are saved, you are eternally saved.
And you can never be lost again.
John chapter.
5.
And verse 24.
Verily, verily, or truly, truly I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on him that sent Me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is past.
From death unto life.
Are you passed from death unto life? Are you saved, or are you still lost?
Is the, uh, the glitter of this world still having a hold on your soul so that you're putting off, you're playing with God, you're playing religion, you're going to meeting.
Maybe is is it even possible that you have asked for your place at the Lord's Table because some, uh, dear brother stood up after the breaking of bread and made a possibly an unwise evangelical call for everyone who is not breaking bread to take their place at the Lord's Table?
00:15:20
And you felt the pressure.
And you started that in motion?
And the brethren received you at the Lord's table, and you've been breaking bread, and you're not saved.
That chills me to the bone.
Does it happen?
I know what happens. I have talked to persons.
That have been, well, I've talked to one person that sticks out in my, uh, memory that was received at the Lord's table, not here in another place. None of you here know this person, I don't think, 12 years old en masse with others. And uh, that person is now living in what is known as an alternative lifestyle.
Romans chapter one.
And doesn't understand.
That chills me to the bone. How does this happen?
I can tell you how it happens.
Obeying not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is nothing.
Nothing worse than turning your back on the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Spirit of God puts it, treading under foot the blood.
I I just this is horrible.
Could that be in this room tonight? Yes.
And you know, I'm sorry, but I wonder sometimes at the behavior and the way in which young people dress and carry on as to who is their Lord.
Who are you following? Are you following Jesus or are you following someone else? Who's your Christ?
There's many Christ in this world now. There's many religions.
What about you? What's your religion?
I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent Me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is past from death unto life. May the Lord have mercy on you, if you've been playing religion without Christ.
John chapter 10, just a little further on.
Now let's go to Romans chapter 10.
Romans, chapter 10.
And verse 9.
Well, no, let's start at verse 8. Uh, the word is near thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the Word of Faith which we preach. It's so close. It's been so close since you were a baby, most of you in this room. And you can sing the little children's hymn book from cover to cover. You know the truth of the gospel. It's so near.
That is the Word of Faith which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, it should properly read.
And believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed. There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord overall is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Are you troubled tonight?
Is what I'm saying to you? Is it troubling you? Are you uncomfortable?
It's probably because you're not saved, I can tell you right now.
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Why is it that Lord is used so much here? That's something I would like to impress upon you.
00:20:01
And that is, have you?
Asked Jesus into your heart. I'm not really too sure what that means, to tell you the truth.
Umm, have you said the sinner's prayer? Have you read something on a track and reiterated those words in some kind of a prayer to God? Written your name on the track and mailed it? Someone got a Bible back? Do these things make a person a Christian?
Are you saved? Really.
How do you accepted Jesus as Lord?
Or not.
I can tell you my experience and forgive me for that, but as a young person.
I many times asked the Lord to save me when it when there was a gospel meeting going on and, uh.
I never thought about it again until the next time there's a gospel meeting preached and I was mighty uncomfortable. And that went on for many years. And it went on until a time that I remember distinctly to this day, praying to Satan to remove my conscience because I couldn't stand it anymore.
And I can tell you what happened after that. As the expression goes, all hell broke loose in my life and things came apart very, very quickly.
And then finally.
Lord got through to me.
Finally, He saved me by His grace and mercy.
So when I say that, I know a little bit about what it is to play the game.
And to deceive people and to deceive myself. I know what I'm talking about.
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I am afraid of a cereal box conversion. Something that's cheap and that has no value. Just a phrase, just like a mantra.
You need to recognize that you're a Sinner before a sin hating God, and that if you were to stand before him without Christ, you'll be damned. And the only way that you can avoid that judgment is by admitting that you're a Sinner before God and seeing the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, the one who bore your judgment, and accepting Him as your Savior and in in however you.
Can express that to God. I cannot give you a formula. I cannot give you words to say.
But understand that you're a Sinner before a sin hating God, and that you need to be saved and Jesus.
Made the sacrifice that will get you right before God, and express it to God in the words and in the way that you understand, and He will save you whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord.
Shall be saved. Do you know what it means to accept Jesus as Lord? We've been talking a little bit from time to time in these meetings about.
Uh, earlier on the Church of Smyrna when there was suffering where people, when a person accepted the Lord as their savior, it pretty much was a death sentence. I remember reading to the boys, umm, when they were little.
Uh, that book Martyr and the Catacombs, and I've never forgotten those stories. Persons that got saved pretty much took a few things and went underground.
We don't do that now.
The idea of saying a quick prayer and going on in your sinful lifestyle.
Is not accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and I want to challenge that tonight because I draw in question your salvation.
If there is not a life that is glorifying to God.
If you're living like the rest of this world, there's no distinction if they're not ready to martyr you and martyr me, which may come very soon, particularly in this country of Canada.
00:25:05
There should be some difference. Why is there no difference?
I wonder if it's.
The idea that we have.
Just ask you this into your heart and just go on your way. A fire escape out of hell. Just a few words and there's no change in your life. That's not salvation. That's not conversion. I don't know what it is.
I wanted to go to John chapter 10.
John, Chapter 10.
Says verse 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Are you following the Lord Jesus or are you? Are you following this current world?
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. You know I do not for a moment want to disturb a soul.
That is struggling.
In Romans Chapter 7, the good that I would, I cannot do that struggle of trying to please the Lord, being under the law.
If you have really been saved, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me is greater than all in. No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my father are one. Matthew, chapter 10.
For those of you that struggle with eternal security.
Are not clear in your souls as to.
The truth of Scripture have not come to really rest in the finished work of Christ and our troubles.
This verse may trouble you deeply, and it's not intended to trouble you.
No, I'm sorry. Matthew Chapter 7. Excuse me, Matthew Chapter 7, verse 21. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
Many will say into me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? Can you not hear the agony of these souls as they find themselves at that day, and the door is shut, they're outside. These are people who deceive themselves.
This is how bad it gets.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, in thy name of cast out devils, in thy name of thine many wonderful works, and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you the part from me that work in equity. Who shall dwell? Who among us, us shall dwell in the everlasting burnings?
This verse used to disturb me deeply.
I would like to draw your attention to verse 23. Notice that the persons in this category are those that have, well, first of all, the verse 21 and 22, the category is those that have professed faith in Christ. What's troubling is what about you?
Is your profession real or unreal?
If you're not saved, I want this to trouble you.
They have done many wonderful works. They've probably done a lot more than you and I have cast out devils.
In his name and so on. But notice verse 23. He says to them, I never knew you. Now I have my finger back in John 10 verse 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.
If you are truly saved, Jesus has said to you.
I know you.
Every person who is one of his sheep, he has said, I never I, I know you.
He will never turn and say I never knew you, not I once knew you and now you've fallen from grace and now you're lost. If you're truly saved, he says. I know you.
00:30:05
I get this point please.
Those that go out.
Into, uh, lost eternity. Who have had an experience with Christianity of some sort, but have not been real, he said. I never knew you, and that's the problem. I never knew you. You never were saved at any time.
Second Peter chapter.
Two.
1St.
12 verse 20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled there and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it has happened unto them. According to the true proverb, A dog is turned to his own vomit again, and a sow that was washed.
To her wallowing in the mire. This is not a backslide in Christian. This is an apostate. Is it possible that we have the beginnings or the groundwork of apostates among us? Yes.
If you're not saved and if you have taken up a profession of Christianity, and if at some point you turn your back on it.
Do you know that you can never be saved again?
That's not a threat.
Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 6.
Verse four. It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put in to an open shame. Now I'm not accusing a person who has heard the gospel, has been raised in a Christian home, and has not saved, and has become worldly of being an apostate. I want to make that clear.
But I wanna make it additionally clear that to take that one step further.
For you to publicly turn and deny Christ and His work and take a public position against Christianity is apostasy, and from that there is no recovery. This scripture tells us that it is impossible to renew them again to repentance.
It was my intention to talk about Judas, but as I said, I have a hard time staying within the limits of time. Uh, or being on time. Umm John chapter.
12.
I wanna notice something about Judas.
There was a meeting there, John chapter 12. Jesus came before the Passover to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which has been had been dead, whom he raised, and that there there they made him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, who wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the order of the ointment. Then one of his of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him.
Umm.
Said Why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor?
This is one of the signs of a Judas.
He was hanging around without faith the people of God, and he was habitually critical in the in the presence of worship and people who were adoring the Lord Jesus Christ. He found a way to find fault. He thought it was maybe funny the way that the brethren sung hymn or whatever else.
I'm going to tell you something. If you sit in the back row and mock the Lord's people, this is the beginning. This is one of the first steps.
Chapter 13.
00:35:03
Fertile ground, someone who's hanging around the Lord's people. I don't want to say that you shouldn't be around the Lord's people, please, but to associate with the people of God, to go to the harvest party or whatever it is that Christians may do from time to time, to come to the meetings, to go out for a pizza after, maybe that's really what it's all about.
With Judas, it was about hanging on to that money bag. He he had a reason for being there. You have a reason, too.
You're not saved.
Maybe you don't have any choice, you're brought.
Uh Judas 13 one now the before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world under the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end or through everything. The supper uh being ended or pro placed during the supper, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him.
This is the pivotal point.
Did Judas have to do what he did? At this point, no.
Satan only put something into his heart.
I don't know what Satan has put into your heart.
But you have an opportunity, you have a responsibility to act for God, to bow, to obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now verse.
Umm 21 Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one upon another, doubting of whom he spake. This is the kind of a deceiver that Judas was.
Even those that he lived with and slept without under the stars did not know it was Judas. That's how good he was.
If he was good.
Verse 23 Now there was leaning in Jesus booze and one of the disciples whom Jesus loved. Again the setting. Simon and Peter therefore beckoned to him that he should ask who it was of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus breast, said unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He, It is to whom I shall give a stop when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the SOP, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the SOP Satan entered.
Into him.
That's a very solemn verse. It's over for Judas.
Everything after this is just history.
A very solemn history.
Satan put into his heart something.
He took a hold of it, he ran with it, and then Satan entered. It's over.
The apostasy is sealed.
And he said, And Jesus said unto him, that thou doest do quickly.
And then verse 30, he then having received the SOP, went immediately out and it was night. What was the saw?
I'm not exactly sure, but I have heard that it was.
A symbolic action of taking a piece of the bread at one point in the supper, dipping it into the broth, and handing it to a beloved friend. A dear friend. It was an act of kindness and of intimacy and of love.
That's the gospel.
I would like to hand you the SOP.
Tonight.
John chapter 3 and verse 16.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. God soul loved the world.
He loves you, He extends to you.
That hand that is pierced with that bread, with that sauce, or whatever it was on it as the last appeal to your soul.
00:40:00
I cannot guarantee you one more minute.
Now, as I pray, I invite you to pray.
And ask the Lord Jesus to forgive you.
For being a rebel against him, because I know every person that's in this room here tonight has had this opportunity many times, and if you're not saved, there's a reason.
You are on the precipice of hell.
You must accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord now.
Yeah.
The Heart of God - Covered Him With Kisses
Two Books
Gospel 5
Naomi's Restoration
In Our Heart We May Find the Church of Laodicea
The Lord the Overcomer - the Overcomer in Laodicea
In a Day of Ruin Going Back to the Word of God and Acting on It
The Lord is My Shepherd
Gospel—Jim Hyland
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Let's begin the Gospel meeting this evening with hymn #10. On the Gospel hymn sheet. There is a Savior on high in the glory, a Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree. A savior is willing to save. Now, as ever, his arm is almighty, His love great and free. I'm going to suggest we stand up to sing this hymn #10 and if someone will please start it.
All around, yeah. And all that. It's a turn from 700 like me. Oh God.
I mean, I'm.
Sorry for its standards.
On how the rings crossed all for the day and the lawn.
While beginning at the storm.
And then uh.
Transparency, Anderson. Trust him and said by raising me thou just.
Five months ago, so we shall have our thy father and the little day of river to fall under the ring, sleeping with me like that.
Their heart.
00:05:23
Let's ask God's help and bless. I'd like to read 5 different portions of the word of God. One of these five we're going to speak from particularly. But I would like to read these five different portions beginning first of all in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah, chapter 53.
Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 6.
All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. And then I want to go to John's Gospel, chapter 10.
John's Gospel chapter 10 and verse 11.
I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Hebrews, chapter 13.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 20. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And then the portion that is particularly on my heart.
In Luke's Gospel chapter 15.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 15. And we'll begin reading at verse one, then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners, for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners and Edith with and he spake this parable unto them. Some of you having 100 sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the 90 and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it.
And when he has found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over once more than over 90 and 9 just persons which need no repentance. Just hold your finger here. We're gonna come right back to this portion. But I do want to read a phrase in the Psalms.
Psalm 23.
Psalm 23 and verse one. The Lord is my shepherd. Well, as these versus and portions of the Word of God clearly indicate, I have it on my heart this evening to speak in the gospel of the Lord Jesus as He's presented in the aspect of the Shepherd. You know, as we go through the word of God, we have different figures and types used so that the youngest child can grasp clearly.
What it is to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, what it is to have one who cares for us all along the path of faith and service. And one of the beautiful ways that the Lord Jesus has brought before us in the gospel is in the aspect of the shepherd. That's why I read that verse in John 10 that says the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. We know that the Good Shepherd is the Lord Jesus who came into this world and went to Calvary's cross.
And died there for you and for me. Died and shed His precious blood, so that salvation could be offered to lost sinners. You know it is beautiful to go through the Old Testament and to notice particularly the two perhaps most complete types of the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament, Joseph and David. And at the beginning, when they are introduced to us, they are both introduced. At 17 years of age, Joseph was tending.
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His father's flocks. We find that David, when he is called by his father to be anointed by Samuel as king, the future king of Israel. Again, what was he doing? He was keeping sheep. Oh, how beautiful to see that the Lord Jesus is presented in this way. And those who are beautiful types of the Lord Jesus, they begin in that way. But I read here in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah to begin with.
Because here we find our condition, our true condition, the condition of every soul born into this world and everyone of us here. It says we're like sheep and we've gone astray. And I want to impress upon our souls at the beginning of this gospel meeting that everyone of us, young and old, are sinners. We've gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way.
But, you know, it's it's easy to say, oh, we like sheep have gone astray. It's easy to confess that the whole human race has fallen and that all have sinned. But it doesn't just say all we like sheep have gone astray. It says we have turned everyone. That brings it right down to the individual. And that's the way I want you to look at it this evening. I want you to see that individually, the gospel is for you, but you will never receive the gospel as an individual.
In the way God intends you to do unless you individually realize.
That you are a Sinner. That you have sinned. Let me tell you a little story. My wife and I and my youngest daughter had opportunity just a couple of weeks ago to be in Asheville, NC.
Asheville, NC, is a beautiful city nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
And there in Asheville, NC, is what is called Biltmore Estates. And we had opportunity, as I have done before, to walk through the grounds and the House of Biltmore Estates. It is a castle like home built by a man named George Vanderbilt. I don't know if George Vanderbilt came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, but let me tell you about his grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt.
When Cornelius Vanderbilt died in New York City he was a railway tycoon and when he died he was the richest man to date to die on American soil. He was a multi multi millionaire. But you know, as he lay on his deathbed at the beginning of the year 1887, he realized that he was not ready to meet God. With all his wealth around him, he realized that eternity lay ahead.
And that he must make preparation. And he was distressed as family members came in, as his servants came to tend to him, as the best doctors were brought in to make him comfortable. And on the 4th of January, 1887, Cornelius Vanderbilt called for an elderly servant that had attended his gardens for many years, because Cornelius Vanderbilt remembered that there was a colored servant in his employ.
Who, when he went around doing his chores saying gospel hymns, and this dear colored man was called to his bedside, and he was only too thrilled to come to the bedside of the man that he had worked for for so many years.
And Cornelius Vanderbilt said to the servant. He said, sing something. And this servant stood beside his bedside, and with tears streaming down his face, he sang that old gospel hymn that perhaps some of us have sung many times. I sang it in my youth, growing up come ye sinners, poor and needy, we can wounded, sick and sore. He sang through every verse of it by memory. Every.
Every inch of his body portrayed the feeling that was in his soul as he sang that precious gospel hymn. And when the last word and note died away in feebleness, Cornelius Vanderbilt reached out and took the servant's hand.
And he said to him, Cornelius Vanderbilt is a poor and needy Sinner, and I accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior. And that was just a day or two before on the 4th of January of that year, he went from his 5th Ave. mansion in New York City to the courts of glory to be with the one that he in his last moments has had received as his savior. But he had to come to the realization that he was a poor and needy Sinner.
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And you need to come to the realization tonight that you are a poor and needy Sinner, because the Lord Jesus said they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. It says He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And so all we like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to His own way. But all there is a remedy tonight the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, and the Good Shepherd has given his life at Calvary's cross.
And not only as he laid down his life, but as we read in Hebrews 13, that great shepherd has shed his precious blood. All the blood of Jesus is the cure tonight. It's the blood of Jesus Christ that cleans us from all sin, that cleanses from every stain of sin. I see these children here tonight. Oh, I trust everyone of you are washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know there was a skeptic, a man who didn't believe in God or believe the gospel, and he was walking down the street of the town where he lived one time. And he was walking with a Christian man, a man who had had uh, received the Lord Jesus and was washed in the blood of Jesus. And this skeptic, this one who didn't believe, he said to the Christian man, he said what good is the blood of Jesus. Look at this world, it's in ruin, it's sin. Man are going on in sin.
Look at all the corruption and sin that's rampant in this world today. What good is the blood of Jesus?
Well, you know, the Christian man very wisely didn't answer for a few moments and they walked along together in silence. I have no doubt the Christian man was praying for an answer and as they came to the street corner.
They saw two little boys playing on the side of the road. Now this skeptic who didn't believe he was a manufacturer of soap, he had a factory.
Where they made soap? Right there in that town. And here were these two little boys playing on the street in the mud. And they were filthy dirty, absolutely filthy dirty and enjoying it too. And so the Christian turned to the skeptic and he said, Sir, what good is your soap? Look at these boys, people in this town and you tell us your soap is good and you advertise your soap to be the best and what good is it? Look at these kids.
All the soap manufacturer said, don't you realize my soap is no good unless it's used unless you apply it? You ever been sent from the dinner table to wash your hands and you went to the bathroom to wash your hands and you didn't use soap? And what usually happens when you come back to the table? Mom or dad say to you you better go and use some soap. This time it wasn't that there wasn't soap available at the sink. It wasn't that it wasn't a good kind of soap, but you didn't use it.
All the Christians said, just so it is with the blood of Christ.
It's of no avail unless it's applied. And tonight the blood of Christ is of no avail unless it's applied. But if it's applied, it cleans from every stain of sin. We're justified by the blood of Christ. Oh, I'm thankful for the cleansing power. We sometimes sing a hymn. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. But you know that verse we read in Hebrews also tells us something else about the shepherd.
That he's risen from the dead. That God brought again from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep. And that's really why I gave out to him, we sang, There is a savior on high in the glory, a savior who suffered on Calvary's tree. A savior is willing to save. Now, as ever, his arm is almighty, His love great and free. You know, the Lord Jesus died and shed his precious blood here in this world, here at go, at Golgotha, here on Calvary's hill.
But you know the Lord Jesus after being laid carefully by those who loved him.
In a tomb he rose from the dead, he died, he died, he was buried, and he rose again the 3rd day according to the Scriptures. And I am so thankful, and it rejoices my heart every time the gospel is told to hear of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Because if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain and ye are still in your sins. But thank God he was raised again for our justification.
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And that Lord Jesus who's up in heaven, It's just as if tonight he's bending low over this gospel hall, just waiting to receive somebody. Just listening to hear somebody in their heart say, yes, Lord Jesus, I come, oh how simple it is. But before we pass on, I want to impress upon our hearts again the fact that we are sinners and there needs to be repentance. All we need to believe it's true, but it's repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
And that really brings us to what we read here in the 15th chapter of Luke. Because preceding this story of the sheep that went astray and the shepherd that went after it, preceding this story, it tells us then drew near all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. They knew they had a need, All people that thought they were pretty good people that thought they had it all together, They didn't want to hear what the Lord Jesus said.
But those who realized that they were sinners, they drew near to hear what the Lord Jesus had to say, How important it is to draw near and hear what the Lord Jesus has to say. Because, you know, we've come to the end of these meetings. And, you know, we think, well, won't it be wonderful if we have meetings again like this next year here in this building or somewhere in the Richmond, BC area? But you know, the Lord Jesus is coming very soon.
He's coming very soon, three nights. The gospel has gone forth in this building. But we can't promise that there will be another opportunity. These publicans and sinners here, they had an opportunity to hear the Lord Jesus speak on this occasion. But I'm going to tell you about a 13 year old boy who was very, very sick. He lived on the island of Saint Vincent down in the West Indies.
And he was so sick that he was in the hospital and he was dying.
And there was a nurse who I knew very well. Her name was Dorcas Dublin.
And nurse Dublin lived in the town of Brighton Village, Saint Vincent, and for many, many years she was a nurse at the large hospital in Kingstown, the capital.
And I sat in her home one afternoon, mopping my brow. It was about 110° in humid, and I sat in her home and listened to her tell this very interesting story. She told me that one night she was making her rounds at the hospital in Kingstown, and she came to this cot where this boy was lying, and she could see that his breathing was very labored.
And that he probably wasn't going to live until morning.
And nurse Dublin has been for many years.
A Christian love the Lord Jesus and she never missed an opportunity to tell others in that hospital of the Lord Jesus and the need for salvation.
She bent over the caught of this young boy. She wasn't sure if he was conscious. She didn't know if he could hear her or not. But she bent over his cot and she said to him, She said, boy, if you ever need to be needed to be saved, it's now. And she began quoting Gospel verses from the word of God.
And she told me some of those verses that she quoted, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him.
Should not perish, but have everlasting life. And several other verses. And finally she quoted that verse believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. And that boy opened his eyes and he looked into the eyes of nurse Dublin and he said, nurse I believe, And he took one more breath and he was in eternity.
And I listened to that story.
And a wave of emotion came over that sister as she told me that story. Long retired from her profession, she was probably in her late 80s when she told me that story.
But the reality of it swept over her as she retold it, and it swept over my own soul as well. And I wonder if you knew that you just had a few breaths left to breathe, if it would make a difference tonight in how you listened and responded.
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To the gospel story.
But God's word very plainly tells us, behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. And we're not just told to remember our Creator while we're young, but remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. You know what that means for our purposes tonight? It means you need to get saved. And you need to do it right now, not just while you're young, because, you know, I look at these.
Girls on the front row and they're pretty young, but you know, they look at me and I'm sure they don't think I'm very young. But then you I look over at somebody like Brother Coleman. And I am sure that Brother Coleman has a little different perspective on me. If you were to ask him if he thought I was young, he would say yes. And so it's from it's it's all their youth is from our perspective. I realized one day that my girls thought I was old.
I realized when I looked at my father, I thought he was old and he was about the same age I am now. You see, it's all from our perspective. And so it's not just being saved while we're young, but there's even something more urgent than that. It's being saved now. It's not waiting until we leave the Gospel Meeting. It's not waiting till we get home. It's not waiting till next week. It's getting saved now. It's receiving the Lord Jesus.
Immediately. There's always an urgency connected with the gospel and the Lord. Jesus told this little story, a little picture, a parable to put very simply and clearly before those ones who had a desire to hear his words, what it was to have a a savior seeking, a shepherd seeking, one who was lost. You know, I heard this story from the very early days of my childhood.
And I'm thankful I did. But let's just notice a couple of things. In the few minutes that we have this evening, we find here that there's a shepherd and he loses a sheep. You know the nu, the number HU100 has significance in scripture. Numbers have significance in scripture. And I believe that you'll find that often when the the wor, the number 100 is mentioned in scripture, it denotes complete salvation.
You know, when they pulled the net out of the sea, there was 150 and three fishes. The 100 there denotes complete salvation. Here there was 100 sheep, but one went missing and something was incomplete now. And so we find that the shepherd goes out and he seeks this sheep. He goes out to look for it. It's a picture of the Lord Jesus coming into this world, seeking the loss.
The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Do you realize that you're lost tonight? You realize that you're lost tonight. If you do, We have wonderful news, and that is that there's a shepherd that's seeking the sheep. And so he goes out to find it. And what does he do? Just look for a little while. No. He saw it until he found the sheep that was lost.
I am thankful in my own experience that the Lord Jesus found me when I was five years of age. Yes, I was just five years of age by the grace of God. Five, five years of age. The shepherd found me in my bedroom in my parents home, alone in the dark and afraid. The shepherd found me and he saved me. And you know, by the grace of God, and I know it's only by the grace of God, but by the grace of God I've had.
Never had a doubt as to my salvation. I've had lots of other questions. I've got away from the shepherd. I've been rebellious, A rebellious sheep. I've ex exhibited self will in my life. I've had a lot of other questions about a lot of things in my life, but by the grace of God I can say before God.
That for the last 42 years of my life, I have never doubted that the Lord Jesus is my shepherd, my Savior. You know you can have that joy in your soul too.
You can have that assurance in your soul too, to know that you are saved, that your sins are gone in the blood of Jesus, and that you are on your way to heaven. My youngest daughter and I. One time we're in the city of Toronto and we wanted to get from point A to point B. And in a city like Toronto, the best way to do it is on the underground subway. And so we boarded a car on the underground subway and we were quizzing along under the city of Toronto.
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And I looked across in the subway car and there was an advertisement. And there were this advertisement. There were two young people facing each other and they were speaking.
And one young person was saying to the other, Where will I be 10 years from now? Now this advertisement was simply an advertisement for Ryerson University, a university in the city of Toronto, and it was an advertisement propagating higher learning and getting an education so you could get a good job and get along in life and so on. But the one young person was saying to the other, Where will I be?
10 years from now and the other young person was saying back, I wish I knew.
You know, I thought of that in connection with the gospel. Where will you be 10 years from now? Where will you be 10 days from now? Where will you be 10 minutes from now? Where will you be 10 seconds from now? You don't have to say. I wish I knew Michael Faraday, that great scientist, the father of modern electronics, was lying on his deathbed.
And a friend came to his deathbed to try to comfort him and he said, Michael, what are your speculations for eternity? He said Speculations. I'm resting on certainties. He wasn't speculating. And we don't have to speculate or wonder what lies beyond this world. Wouldn't we be sad? We wouldn't have any gospel to tell tonight if it was just speculation? No, there are certainties that we rest on tonight.
And I know with certainty if I draw my last breath while I'm standing at this table, or if the Lord Jesus comes before I step down and the meeting concludes that I'm going to go to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. I know on the authority of God's Word, what is ahead, The Father's house, singing the praises of the Lord Jesus, forever seeing the shepherd there with the marks in his hands of Calvary and in his feet and his spear, Pear sighs.
And so the shepherd goes out here, and he seeks for the lost sheep, and he seeks until that sheep is found. And then you listen to what I'm going to say next. And when he finds that sheep, he gives it a good scolding and he gives it a slap and he tells it. Now you get home with the rest of the sheep. You've been a very bad sheep, and I want you to just find your way home. And you deserve to be cold and tired and hungry. Is that what the shepherd did? All you know the story?
You young children, you know the story so well. You've seen it even illustrated in a picture book, perhaps, how that shepherd so tenderly reached down. Oh, it's a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus coming right where we are.
He reached down and he picked up that sheet and he put it on his shoulder.
And you know, that sheet might have struggled and he might have got a foot or two loose on the way back, but he never got off the shoulders of the shepherd again. And in Scripture, I believe that shoulders speak of the place of strength. It's the eternal security of the believer. And so the Lord Jesus said in John 10, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them.
And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. I am not afraid of ever.
Getting out of the arms and off the shoulders of my shepherd, he has me securely there. The devil himself can't pluck me from the hand of the Lord Jesus or off his shoulders. He's carrying me safely home to heaven, to glory. He'll never let me go. I like to tell stories to illustrate points, and I'm gonna tell another story, particularly for those who are younger, because.
I'm very exercised and challenged when I see these dear children here tonight. I know they've heard the gospel many times and yet I wonder in my soul if they really come to know the Lord Jesus as their savior. I come from a town of about 9 or 10,000 in Eastern Ontario. It's called the town of Smith Falls, Ontario, and some years ago there lived in the town of Smiths Falls a man named Mr. Lee. I never knew what his first name was because everybody called him.
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Moose Lee and they called him Moose Lee because Moose Lee was a great big strong man and Moose Lee was the Fire Chief for many years in the town of Smiths Falls where I live. We have in Smith Falls what they call a Volunteer Fire Department. They're not always the fastest on the scene of a fire. And one night Moose Lee, who always kept his two way radio on in the night so he gets a fire, calls. He was awakened early in the wee hours of the morning, I suppose two or three in the morning.
Via fire call, he listened to where that call was coming from as he hastily dressed and he jumped in his vehicle and instead of going to the fire department first the Firehouse, he went straight to the scene of the fire. He knew his men would be along in a few moments.
He got to that house. It was a two-story frame house.
And he looked around the yard, and he knew there was a mother, and some children lived in that home. He could see no one around. And so, without thinking of his own safety, he rushed up to the door of that home, pulled it open, And there he saw the top of the stairs, a mother and two children. And this mother was frozen with fear. There was flames and smoke all about her, but she just couldn't seem to get it together enough.
To get those children down the stairs. And so, again, without thinking of his own safety, he rushed up that stairs. He took that mother and he slung her across his shoulders. He picked up a child in this arm. He picked up a child in this arm.
But as he turned to leave, he realized that in a carriage there was a baby as well.
From his experience as a firefighter, he also realized that he probably didn't have time to go down the stairs, deposit his heavy load and come back for that day.
And so he bent over that carriage, and in his teeth by its clothes, he picked up that baby.
And he turned, and he staggered slowly and clumsily down that stairs. The smoke was choking him. The heat was intense, but he finally got to the bottom of the stairs.
He staggered out the door. He sat down one child, he sat down the other. He took the mother off his shoulders and he handed her back his her baby. And as he was in the process of handing the baby back to that mother.
The stairs behind them collapsed.
And you know, in the town of Smith Falls, for many years, that heroic deed was never forgotten. And that mother was so grateful that Moose Lee risked his life to save her and her family. But all tonight, we're talking about one who didn't just risk his life to save us. He gave his life at Calvary's Cross. Sometimes we sing that hymn we'll sing of the shepherd who died.
Who died for the sake of the flock. His love to the utmost was tried and firmly endured as a rock. And you know the shepherd here, he carries the sheep on his shoulders, not just one shoulder, but he carries it on that place of double security. And he brings that sheet safely home. And oh, there was rejoicing because there was a Sinner that repented. And you know tonight if you get saved.
There'll be joy. And where will the greatest joy be tonight? In heaven, in the presence of the angels of God. There's joy over 1 Sinner that repents. You know, I wouldn't want to press this and this is just a little aside, but you know those who have gone on before, who died in faith like my Father and so many of our loved ones.
They are so in the eclipsed by the glory of the face of the Lord Jesus.
And by being in His presence that they're not occupied with what's going on on the earth at this point, they're there in the full enjoyment of the presence of the Lord, absent from the body and present with the Lord. But I do wonder. I do wonder if there is one event on earth that stirs all heaven, and that those who are around the Lord Jesus realize that something momentous has happened to get on earth when there's joy.
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In the presence of the angels of God over 1 Sinner that repents. You want to make heaven reverberate tonight. You want to bring cause joy in the presence of the angels of God? Oh, bow your head and tell the Lord Jesus you're a Sinner, but that you're sorry. That's what repentance is. It's just to be so in the simplest form tonight. It's just to be sorry that you're a Sinner, Sorry that you've wronged God, Sorry that you've sinned against the Lord Jesus and received the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
Oh, I say what joy it will bring in heaven and all, what peace and joy it will bring to your heart. All I say, are you gonna bring joy in heaven? Because if you don't, if you're lost tonight and in your sins and you go out of this door one more time without Christ, oh think of the sadness in the heart of God tonight.
Think of the sadness in the heart of the Lord Jesus as you turn away and you say one more time. Not tonight. Not tonight. Not tonight. We heard about that boy who got saved on his deathbed with his last breath. But you know we don't know when our last breath will be. God was very gracious to that young boy. But what about you tonight? Are you gonna come and receive the Lord Jesus? And I concluded by reading that portion.
In the 23rd Psalm, perhaps one of the earliest verses we memorize in Sunday School, the Lord is my shepherd. Not just the Lord is the shepherd, but the Lord is my shepherd. You see how intensely personal it is.
And I plead with you before God tonight. I plead with you, and in love to your soul not to go out of this room until you can say the Lord is my shepherd. I'm not saying can you say the Lord is the shepherd, but can you say the Lord is my shepherd? Have you received the Lord Jesus as your savior? Can you say that he is yours?
Are You redeemed by His Precious Blood?
The Lord is my shepherd, I rejoice to be able to say tonight the Lord is my shepherd. You know, I think sometimes at the end of a gospel meeting, souls wonder, well, how can we really be saved? I'm going to tell you before I pray just how simple it is. I'm going to pray in a moment.
And if you, realizing your great need as a Sinner and realizing God's great salvation through the Good Shepherd, would like to be saved tonight before you get up off your seat, it's this simple.
You can close your eyes. You don't even have to close your eyes, but it would walk out any distractions. But you can bow your head and you can talk to God in your heart. You can talk to the Lord Jesus in your heart. You know he hears what you say.
Whether you utter one word aloud or not, and right here, you don't have to be any special place or in any special position. But you can talk to him in your heart tonight while I pray, and tell him you're a Sinner, but that you want to receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior. And if you do that, I have a verse that guarantees that you will go out of this room saved. It says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
If you'd like to do that, do it in your heart right now.
And if you do it, tell somebody, If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, Thou shalt be saved, for with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
And with our confession is made, and the heart believe it unto salvation. And so I plead with you, be saved, be saved. Now it's that simple. The shepherd is seeking for you. Will he find you right here in one of these chairs? Before we leave, let's pray our God and Father.
Open Mtg. 11
Open—A. Scharf, R. Klassen Sr., E Staggs
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Kind of laid upon my heart as a result of it.
In regards to the Church of Laodicea.
Yesterday we spent much time really discussing the church that we would all like to be a part of Philadelphia. We would all like to be Philadelphia. And yet I think when we search our hearts, we find we do not find Philadelphia.
We finally had a seal.
We look at the world around us, at the church around us, in we see Laodicea.
The story is told of a professor who, the first day of every semester, wrote one word upon the upon the board Apathy.
And one of the students leaned over to the to his fellow student and said, what does apathy mean?
And he replied, I don't know.
Who cares?
That's apathy. I don't know who cares. My brother this afternoon mentioned that we really have take it or leave it Christianity.
And sometimes we have the tendency of saying that that exists in Christian circles around us, but forget to point the finger to ourselves.
To say yes, we are part of Laodicea, yes, we are lukewarm.
Why was this, uh, this pronoun or this adjective here rather lukewarm used?
Well, historically speaking, Laodicea was fed by an aquifer, the water supply for the city.
And it was that water had to travel quite a distance before it arrived at the city. And so the water that the inhabitants of Laodicea drank was lukewarm. They knew exactly what this, uh, epistle was telling them when they said that they were lukewarm. They hated it. They hated the water that they had to drink.
In the days of Laodicea, they did not have refrigerators where they could freeze the water to have iced tea. It was difficult for them to heat it to get hot tea, and so they had lukewarm water.
And there's one thing about Laodicea that I think is very striking.
And that is, is that nowhere in Laodicea as it mentioned, to keep what they had?
Most of the other churches had something to keep and they are exhorted to do just that. No matter how small or how weak they were, they were exhorted to keep what they had. There's no mention of that in Laodicea. In Laodicea, it says rather in verse 18I counseled you to buy of me. Gould tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich. We know why they had to do this, because they were weak and miserable and poor and blind and naked in the previous verse.
So they had nothing to hold onto. They had nothing to keep. They had to buy it. They had to buy something and it was gonna be costly.
Our brother also mentioned that what cost that man to purchase the truth and it will cost us something, it will cost me something, it will cost you something.
It will cost you everything.
Isaiah 55 One says, Ho everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money come ye buy any Yecom buy wine and milk without money and without price. Well how can you buy something without money?
You have to trade everything.
Now the question is, if any one of you in this room were given a guaranteed lottery ticket for money that you could never spend and could never count, but you only had to give one thing in exchange for it. You had to give up all your earthly possessions that you have at this present time. And you would be in return given that that lottery ticket that you could never spend and could never count. Would you do it? Would I do it?
That's what.
The Spirit of God is telling us in this in this epistle, the short epistle to Laodicea.
Are you willing to give up the paltry little, uh, temporary?
Pleasures that we have today.
For something that you can never count and never spend.
I counsel the Tobias me gold tried in the fire. This is not fool's gold. Fool's gold. You apply it to the test of fire. It melts into nothingness gold. You can turn up the fire as hot as you want and it remains the same. You will have the same amount of gold before as you do after.
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Gold tried in the fire.
That thou mayest be rich.
In that verse in Isaiah that I quoted, it says to buy of me.
Uh, wine and milk.
Wine, might suggest, speaks of joy and milk of contentment.
How many times in this world are we lacking joy and lacking contentment? And yet that's exactly what Isaiah holds out to us in that in that 51St, 55th chapter. And when we read through Isaiah, we can't help but notice that the day that Isaiah wrote of was very similar to the day in which we Live Today. Discontent, unhappiness.
Miserable.
So where must we go to find that wine and milk? Come ye to the waters.
Come to the waters.
The water throughout the Scripture speaks of the word of God, and that's the only place where we can find that wine and milk, that joy, that contentment.
And so it is at the at the end of the New Testament here in Revelation.
I counseled the Tobias Miguel tried in the fire.
And white raiment covering.
Covering for our sin and degradation. Covering for our failure. Covering for.
Our natural man.
And anoint thine eyes with isav, that thou mayest see.
We look around the world today. There is everything except sight blindness on every hand. Discernment seems to have been lost on the on the social stage, on the environmental stage, everywhere in the world, we look around us.
Nobody seems to know what to do.
They can't see the solution.
Because they are blind and the church is jumping on the same bandwagons that the that the world is following after. Because they cannot see either.
They are covered with the same blindness as those around around them and are not we umm, in danger of that same thing. To have our eyes covered with scales, to look around us and see the failure around us. To look around us and see the.
Weakness.
And not look within and see the same.
But here it does not have to remain that way. The Church of Laodicea was in a bad state, and the church today is in a bad state.
And we all want to return to Philadelphia. And in a collective sense, as it has been said, it's not gonna happen.
The church, collectively, is not going to return to the days of Philadelphia.
And yet individually, as members of the Church of Laodicea, perhaps we can find that place, that blessings of Philadelphia.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. What must we Rep, What must we repent of this lukewarmness?
This idea that we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.
Until pardon express, if you'll pardon the expression, We have the writings of the brethren, and indeed we do a great treasure. And yet if we place our faith, if we place our standing upon them, we are saying the same things as a church in Laodicea, because we have not bought it.
The Church of Laodicea had the truth of Paul's doctrine, had the truth of the other apostles doctrine, the epistles written to them.
But the council given to them is to buy it, to buy of the Lord this gold, this treasure.
That they would never have without purchasing it, without giving everything.
For.
Behold, I sound at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and we'll stop with him and he with me. Here again we have this individual, any man, if any woman, if any child. You don't have to be old to heed the voice of the Lord. You don't have to be old to realize that.
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I need something done in my heart.
My heart needs to be changed.
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.
As was mentioned in the readings.
Overcomer and Laodicea has the greatest reward of them all.
To be Co Regent, so to speak, with the Lord himself. To sit upon the throne with the Lord who is on the throne of his father.
The throne of the Kingdom of Heaven and Earth.
Once again I come back to that analogy of the lottery ticket that you cannot spend and you cannot count, and all you have to give is everything for it.
Are we willing to give everything?
For that, am I willing? Are you willing? So many times we count the cost.
And we overestimate our present wealth and underestimate future glory.
That is really the failure of the Church of Laodicea. They said I am increased with goods and have need of nothing. They overestimated their present condition and underestimated future glory. And so the the note to the overcomer in Laodicea is to forget everything that they think they have and they hold on to something that they will have, something that they do not have now, perhaps something that they will have to give up a lot to attain.
But something that really if we think about it.
With a heart led by the Spirit, we cannot help but realize that it is worth it.
It is worth it, but are we willing?
To give up what we have now for something much better.
So appreciate what our brother has brought home to us, and I believe that he, with others of us, readily admit that the overcomer and lay to see us does have the richest blessing of all the overcomers. But it's just in such few words where you turn to Philadelphia and there's something like 61 words.
To show what a Philadelphian overcomer has, but here is just a 14 words.
And yet sometimes the smallest gem is the richest, isn't it? And so the Lord Jesus as a man overcame in his day apostate Judaism. And to think of that tremendous tide that was against him every day, the blind Pharisees and their attacks, and to follow him into the regions where he went to try to break him down, He overcame as a man.
Well, we're not living in those days, but we're living in the days of apostate Christianity, and there is a tremendous tide that is rolling, and we get a look at that tide once in a while. We say, can we survive?
And as we look around, we say, well, I don't see how we can until we focus back on the man who overcame in his day. And we might say, well, he was the Lord. We would expect that, but he did it. Independence and direction of his father taking that.
Place of dependence to receive daily instruction as to what he should do.
Each particular day and there had to be blessing. There will be blessing when there is dependence and guidance day by day.
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And so I would like to just amplify perhaps what it means to be an overcomer and lay it Asia if we turn back to Exodus Chapter 33.
Uh, we'll perhaps pick up the divine recipe.
Of what it means to overcome in the darkest day.
Exodus 33.
And verse 11.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.
There it is.
There's the spirit of overcoming.
To be able to enter into the presence of the Lord, and to speak to Him as a near and a dear friend.
And to be able to unburden our hearts and to have his sympathies.
And so Moses was in a very difficult situation here.
And he has this access to speak with Jehovah, the God of Israel, face to face.
No distance there is there.
And so he says in verse 18, and Moses, he Moses said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.
You know this is an amazing request from Moses.
Prior to this, he had been up in the Mount Sinai, been up there for 40 days and 40 nights, and he didn't have to take time out to eat or drink or to sleep. Here was this sweet communion.
And during part of this time at least, the Lord gave him the whole spectrum of the Tabernacle and all the different material that would go into it and how it would all fit together.
Marvelous intricacies.
And if we turn to the 29th Psalm, it would tell us that whether it be the Tabernacle or the temple, that every wit of it uttereth the glory of Christ.
Isn't that something?
And so here's Moses saying, Show me thy glory.
You know, as Moses viewed all this and saw all the material.
He had a feeling that it was fragile. Here's the possibility of the gold becoming dim, the silver tarnished, the curtains dirty with the sand and the ropes breaking as they strap them down with the stakes.
And so he felt like, you might say, there was a glory that was missing.
A living glory.
That's marvelous, isn't it? And that's what we have to have, is we have to have that which is living or we can't overcome.
The Tabernacle is such a beautiful picture of Christ in so many ways.
And so the Lord says to him in verse 21. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon not a rock, but the rock.
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passes by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock.
I will cover thee with my hand while I pass by, and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen.
Well, here's the rock.
And Moses obediently stands on that rock, and he puts him in the cleft of the rock.
The Lord does.
And as he's in this.
Place he has a look down the avenue of time.
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To the time that this rock was going to be smitten at Calvary.
What a revelation to his heart. What an answer to his desire.
To think of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we read that that rock was Christ.
And that it followed them through the wilderness.
Let's turn to Deuteronomy Chapter 9.
Deuteronomy Chapter 9.
I'm sorry, before we read that, I would like to look at the 34th chapter of, uh, Exodus. The 34th chapter because.
We get to something here that's very special. Exodus 34 and verse 29 And it came to pass when Moses came down from the Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses hand. When he came down from the mouth, that Moses face Moses whisked, not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
Verse 32 And afterward all the children of Israel came. Nine He gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai.
Until Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. And when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out, and he came out and spake unto the children of Israel.
That which he was commanded, and the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses face shone, and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him, that is Jehovah.
Well, the question comes up here is a man whose face is shining. It didn't shine when he came down the first time, even though it was such a glorious experience to be up there and to receive all that he received there. But this time it's shining.
And perhaps there's two reasons why his face was shining now just uh, bearing that in mind will not be labor things that others might speak another. But back to Deuteronomy Chapter 9.
Verse 25.
Thus I, Moses, fell down before the Lord 40 days and 40 nights.
And as I fell down at the 1St.
Because the Lord had said he would destroy you.
You know, when Moses came down from the mouth, there they were worshipping a golden calf up.
Most pathetic sight, and he's got the 10 commandments in his hand and he breaks them there at the foot of the mount, lest that.
Those stones be brought in and the camp of Israel be destroyed. They deserve to be destroyed. And Moses is anticipating 40 years with this murmuring people. They just had got out of Egypt and their behavior was really disconcerting.
And so the Lord said to Moses, Moses, why don't you just get away from this people, and I'm going to make of you a greater and a mightier nation.
How would that affect your heart to hear the Lord say that to you, to get away from these these folks here in Richmond at this time, and I'm going to just make a better nation out of you.
Oh, Moses had been on the road long enough.
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To know they wouldn't be any better.
Throws himself right in the breach and pleads.
Brought me out, but not thy people, Lord. My own words in essence.
And so he carried, you might say, a tremendous burden. The Lord was going to destroy his people, and righteously so.
But now in chapter 10 of Deuteronomy.
He's up there a second time and he says in verse 10.
I stayed in the mount according to the first time, 40 days and 40 nights. Going to quote the new translation, it is touching.
It says and the Lord listened.
To me at that time period.
Jehovah.
Would not destroy his people.
He was in the cleft of the rock.
He saw the work of redemption, that God had a platform upon which he could turn and say, I will not destroy.
Israel.
You know.
This costs God everything to make this statement.
Cost him everything the brother was speaking about. What would we give up?
Give up everything for Christ. Well worth it.
I need my him. I'll get my hemlock here just that.
I love the thing that we.
Uh, him that we, uh, sang. And I'd just like to read a stanza which expresses what made Moses face to shine.
He got to see the glory.
And that had effect upon him, but he also had the assurance that he would not destroy his people, as he would pour out his grace. That was all, and that was everything. And so we have these words here. Thy bright characters known. Nor dares the creature guess which of the glories the brightest shone.
The Justice.
For the grace.
Don't ask me which of the glories shone the brightest. They stand united and sublime.
We have Israel go out before us, God taking them up. We read their history and we just grab our heads.
Say what a sad history.
But our brother was bringing before us the condition of Laodicea, having every advantage to be spiritually healthy and strong.
And living for Christ. And here is this deplorable condition.
He had to say.
Thou art de wretched, and thou art.
I wanna go back and read it quoting it from the new translation.
Yes, thou art the wretched and the miserable.
What a way to be addressed and does God have a remedy?
Yes, we have the remedy carried out after the crucifixion and there are those two that are walking away from Jerusalem.
Just giving up.
Say it's gone, no hope. Here comes a stranger that draws alongside of them. What does he do? He goes in and he sucks with them, restores their heart. Open their heart 1St and then their eyes. Then they knew who he was and he vanished out of their sight. Why? So that they could come and Sup with him.
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I believe that's the highest.
Demonstration if I can put it.
Of peace and rest, having our natural restlessness taken from us, and we're on the lookout for something better than what we have.
It's all taken away. We sit down. We did it this morning.
And could I say as we did it?
Sephora taste.
Of what it's going to be like to sit with him on his throne together.
I'm not Downing activity but I'm just saying this.
Is what is the essence of the best love, that love that sits down and drinks of the fullness that is in Christ Jesus our Lord?
So to think of being raptured home to glory as overcomers.
And just sitting down with him.
We might say we'll at least be excited.
Well.
Whatever excitement is, did we come here this morning with excitement as to what we were going to do?
No, I believe that we came in holy reverence, with a sense in our souls that we're carrying out his dying request.
And to sit down quietly and reverently singing him together.
Praise the Lord.
Worship Him in the beauty of holiness.
And so he's not going to take us into.
Unfamiliar things that we have enjoyed here, it's more of the same.
Brethren, may our priorities be where they should be. If any man open the door, I will come in and Sup with him. What a marvelous thing this is. He might say, Well, if you open the door, then you've got to come with me. No, it's going to Sup with us. And to think of those two in the effort that they made, they might have looked at one another and said, well, we'll wait till Daybreak.
Went back that night.
It was a difficult walk in the dark, but it didn't make any difference.
And so sometimes this up with him the way is like that.
But the heart, the values are right. We make the journey back.
Let's turn to John, Chapter 11.
John Chapter 11 and verse 49.
And one of them named Kifas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perished not.
And this may he not of himself, but being high priest, that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
You know this, high priest?
He got in there into this office by money.
Not there. According to the mind of God, He's akin to Balaam, a wicked prophet. We heard about him during these meetings.
And how he gave us some amazing prophetic scriptures, I guess, as I think of the knowledge that this man had.
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And he said that he was the man that had his eyes opened.
But he closed them against the light.
Here's another man akin to this.
There's a lot of tension in the air. There's a realization that things are coming to a collision course.
And out of all this pressure, he says it is expedient that one man should die for the nation. Those words came from uncircumcised lips, but they were true what the Lord had told Moses in the mount that made his face shine.
There would be a man that would die for the nation of Israel.
It's one of the reasons that the Lord Jesus went to the cross was to carry that out. That was said to Moses in the mouth.
And say this afternoon he died for the nation of Israel. But it doesn't stop there, does it? No, the apostle John says the 2nd chapter first. Johnny said he died for the whole world.
And here we have for the, uh, for the children of God, which are scattered abroad.
Marvelous that he would give an uncircumcised man to say this.
To all, every person in this world responsible.
To hear what their own people say. Should I say ungodly people?
He was an ungodly man, and this was a powerful testimony and it was a true one.
Let's turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3.
There's so much here and, and, uh, I would be.
On End of Time, but I'd just like to make this comment that the apostle Paul.
Went over the scriptures in the Old Testament.
Far more than what we did.
And he gives his evaluation of what happened to Moses in the mount here, and the giving of the law, if we were to read it from verse 7.
To the end of the chapter we would find this word glory and glorious 12 Times.
Sometimes when we think about what glory is, we say, well, it's something that hurts our eyes.
Because the heavens declare the glory of God and we can't walk outside and justice stare at the sun. The glory of it is too great for us.
And so when Moses face Sean, he had to put a veil over it while he talked to the children of Israel. He just couldn't take it.
But you know, if they would have looked at them and said, take the veil off your face, you know what they would have seen? They would have seen the love of God radiating from his face.
But they were so unworthy and so naked and so guilty.
It was just better for him to cover his face while he talked to him. You know what happened? That veil went over their hearts and it's there to this day as a nation. Nevertheless, he died for that nation. And that's the only reason, the only foundation upon which Israel will be restored in that coming day. They are going to go back to to Calvary.
And there will be that fountain to wash them.
And to deliver them and to unite them with our Lord.
Glory.
Someone made an effort.
To try and tell us what glory is.
I'm more glad as courage. I have not committed it to memory.
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But I'm just allow me to read it the attempt that he made.
We beheld His glory.
John, 114.
Glory is almost indefinable.
It signifies honor, majesty and dignity.
Effulgence, magnificence, radiance, and light.
It is splendor.
An excellent beauty.
And bliss.
John had seen it all in Christ. He had seen glory that was personal and essential.
And glory, that was moral.
He had seen glory. That was ministerial.
And glory, that was me tutorial.
And on the Mount of Transfiguration, he glimpsed glory that was official in Regal.
These 4 words.
Sum it up.
We beheld His glory.
Majestic sweetness.
Sits in throne upon the Savior's brow, His head with radiant, glorious crown.
His lips with grace or flower.
Brethren, that's what we have.
That which cannot be described, that which soon shall be our part.
And you know if you want to overcome.
The recipe as simple as it, not.
Yes, it's complex.
So what makes it simple is to look into the blessed the face of the Lord Jesus, to be able to commune with Him.
Behold His glory.
And just live for him.
In simplicity of heart, just being a light and attraction to others to link up with His blessed man.
We are in late to see in days. We might like to go back to Philadelphia, but as I mentioned, it's like a field for.
Philadelphia is like a field of grain, and maybe it's come up this high and it's all lush and it shows a promise of a great crop. But you know, adversity has to come so that the Lord is able to.
Have what we call a bumper crop. It's going to fill his barn with the fruit.
Of the riches of his grace.
To enjoy the riches of his glory forever. What a savior, what a Lord we have.
We've had a a lot before us in the last two brothers that were up here in connection with Laodicea.
And, umm.
It's solemn to think of of what those who've been given such great privilege and responsibility have evolved too.
And I think we can all own that in a measure. These tendencies are in our own heart.
And, uh, in a difficult day, when we see the ruin around us, there's a a tendency to wanna give up.
To say what's the use? Why?
What we have before us in our reading meetings that umm.
That Israel parallels the history of the Church.
And if you see Solomon and that wonderful day when the temple was there and the Shekinah glory was there and there was tremendous testimony, and the whole world could look at that scene and they could see that God had blessed and God was with this people in a unique and wonderful way.
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Isn't that really the way it was in the beginning of the church? It was a tremendous movement. Many souls were saved. God had direct intercourse with man, with those that had connection that that were close to him.
He spoke to the prophets, He spoke to the apostles.
There were healings. The Spirit of God, uh communicated through uh, with man, through tongues, that the gospel might go out further.
It was. It was wonderful.
It was beautiful.
But it doesn't take long, does it, for ruin to come in?
Doesn't take long for the flesh to have its way and we find the vision comes in in Israel amongst us.
And then we find it evolves into idolatry so solemn.
And those who've been so blessed with evolved to such a thing as idolatry.
And then we find it goes into the dark ages of the church.
Israel, uh, being carried away, Jerusalem, uh, Judah being carried away to Babylon. And we see those solemn years when there were these little lights like Daniel.
And others that caught it raised up, whose heart stood fast for the Lord in a weak and solemn day. They identified themselves with the weakness and the failure. And those that did, God blessed in the unique and wonderful way.
He unfolded his heart to him, gave him a view of the future and gave him a hope.
So did he, the church.
And then God raised up a faithful remnant. That remnant Days of Ezra.
Lept Babylon, and and by faith, not by some great movement of the Spirit, not by science of of miracles, not by the Speaking of tongues, not by the raising of dead. But they looked into the word of God, and in the Word of God they acquired God's thoughts for the day that they lived in, and they responded by faith.
To what God said.
And they went in, and by faith they went back to that divine center, that place where he had placed his name in the beginning and as feeble as it was.
There was rejoicing.
With about 140 years later, we come to Malachi.
And perhaps Malachi might speak to us of Laodicea.
Our brother spoke and we enjoyed what he had to say on Malachi.
So there's a few things that had really touched me as I've thought about this portion.
And it's these words, Malachi chapter one, he says the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel.
Could, could we say that the burden of the word of the Lord to the church now, what we've had before us over the last two days, last three days, it's the burden of the Lord to address the responsibility of those who have been given a place of the care, a given a place of who have a heart.
For the people of God in the day that they live in and it and it and it reaches out to each and every individual in this room. It's not just talking to the angels, it's talking to each and everyone in this room. And it's calling you to be an overcomer.
In a day of rolling.
You may look up and you might say, well, that brother, he's failed me. He let me down. He's a he's a ruler. That brother has been given to be a guide to me and look at he's let me down. I'm sorry.
It doesn't take away your responsibility.
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You are ultimately responsible for your own actions before your Lord and your Savior.
That's why it addresses the overcomer.
But think of these words.
In verse 2.
I have left you. I have loved you.
Saith the Lord.
Aren't those wonderful words? Where does it reach into your heart?
Where? Where does it? Where does it go when you meditate in your soul about the kind of love that this God has for you and had for you?
How far a blessing could he give us?
How much more could he have spent? How much more tender love could he have have expressed in the day that we live in that would give you the compromise in question, that kind of love. And yet you realize it's true. You can question that kind of love because what did they say?
And yet ye say, Wherein hath thou loved us?
Imagine those words, Wherein hast thou loved us?
You, you know, twice since I've been gathered.
I've had the occasion to hear two different believers make these make this comment to me. I am mad at God.
And I said, how could you be mad at God? What more could he have done?
If he hadn't done anything but saved your soul, you have no right to be mad at God. If He just left you in this world, you have no right to be mad at God. How could you say those words?
And yet, you know, I'm gonna tell you something. There may be somebody inside this room that does not publicly say that they're mad at God, but their whole action in their life dictate that they're mad at God.
That somehow God has let him down.
You become disgruntled.
I see it, I see it, I see it.
I have loved you, saith the Lord.
You know, I I have to admit that sometimes I get a little discouraged.
I maybe wish that things hadn't gone quite that way.
Somebody that I've grown to love has gone a different direction.
I don't understand why, but you know what?
I'm not mad at God.
I'm not mad at God.
But I think we should weigh that in our own soul. I don't have a lot of time, so I'm not gonna draw much on it, but.
In verse six he says a son honoreth his father.
And a servant, his master.
If then I be a father, where is my uh, where is my honor? Do you have a a a something I can?
Where is my honor?
Do you, do you own the Lord? You know, brother? Thank you very much. A brother came up to me a couple of years ago.
He says, What does it mean when you when you say that he's your Lord and your Savior?
Well, you know, you know, I, I thought a little bit about, I kind of had an understanding a little bit, but you know, sometimes somebody asks you a question and you're afraid you're going to answer the wrong thing. And so you just kind of him and haul a little bit, but.
But you call him your Lord.
You know when you make the Lord Jesus your Lord, you put your place, you put yourself in the place of his disciple.
And being a disciple, you're the follower of that man in his teaching.
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That's what it means to call him your Lord. And you look at the path of that Lord Jesus, that blessed Lord Jesus as a man in this world.
You see the conflict in his own life.
You see the end of the road of that blessed man.
You see how God has glorified that man for his obedient path?
You see all of these done upon Calvary's cross.
Now why now do we compromise His Lordship in our lives?
Why? Why is it we wanna follow a different path instead of that man?
Why is it we wanna have our own thoughts about things instead of God's thoughts about us for our lives? Oh, we're all happy to go to heaven. We just don't wanna take the responsibility for the path that we have to get go through in the wilderness land to get there.
We find here later on that that the the priest now they they OfferUp lame sacrifice.
They OfferUp lame sacrifice.
And I wondered about that.
What? What would be equivalent to a lame sacrifice today?
Well, you know, I'm gonna tell you something that that sometimes I I come in and the loaf is there and the cup is there and I am, I am about as inconsistent as, you know, sometimes I look at just about all I can stand to remember the Lord in his love for me.
And sometimes I can, I can in a moment I can think, oh, that's so beautiful, how much he loved me. And the next moment I'm thinking about something far off in another part of the world.
But that's not a lame sacrifice. That's just what I am is as a man who's who's, who's in this world. And and I have things that go on in this world and I have there's a, there's a part of me that we're all inconsistent in many ways.
But when you come to this, this privilege with the Lord in our midst, and I believe He's in our midst, when we remember Him on Lord's Day morning, I believe He's here.
And he wants our hearts. He wants us to be occupied with him. And we do have the privilege when our minds wander off for a moment, to gird up the lines of the mind and get right back on track again and think about what's before us. We have that privilege.
One of these days I won't have this, this, this body of, of defilement anymore. And I'll, I'll have a glorified body and I'll have the full liberty without any hindrance, nothing coming in. And I'll just have Christ as my object in a perfect way. And we'll all have that, that know the Lord Jesus as Savior. And we're thankful for that. But we're still here. But what would be equivalent to a lame offering?
It's, I believe it's coming here without any heart at all, without any heart at all about what you're remembering.
And you're gonna, you're gonna remember the Lord, and you're not really singing the hymns. You're talking to the person next to you.
And and then you're not reading the scriptures and you're not praying. And all that's going on is, is.
Formality to you. And then what do you do? The emblems come and you take it and you put it in your mouth and and then you, you turn around and you week after week after week, it's become formality.
The Lord wants your heart.
I have more on my heart, but I don't have the time.
One of the things that I'm just really quick gonna say this, I was struck about Ruth when our brother was taking it out.
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When did na? When did Elimelech really leave?
When, when, When was he really gone?
He had already left in his heart before he ever went to Moab.
There was already, there was already a compromise of giving up.
That when the famine came.
It was the excuse for him to go.
Because what happens is that you can reach a part of a place in your life.
Where you're in such a sad state of soul that you've really in your heart already left the Lord before you ever left. And I believe that was the condition of a limelight.
Let's pray.
Our God and our Father, we, uh, are solemnized by what?
Open Mtg. 27
Open—R. Boulard, G. Cook
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Just have a couple of portions of scripture on my heart this this afternoon. I'd like to read in First Kings.
Chapter 3.
We'll read in chapter three of First Kings and I'd like to read one or two verses in First Kings Chapter 9. And then we'll read just a couple of verses, perhaps in, uh, at the end of chapter 10 and a little bit in verse Chapter 11 and just get a little picture of King Solomon and, umm, just what the Lord had to say about King Solomon. I want to particularly bring out here in this little passage of Scripture, you know, that Solomon had to find what it was to come into the presence of the Lord.
And I just want to ask you a question this afternoon, and I don't mean to be irreverent in any way as I ask this question, but it's a question that each one of us needs to answer in our own souls. And that is, why do you go to the meetings where you go? Why do you go? Why are you in the assembly? Why do you go to the assembly meetings in the little place that you go? Is there a good reason why? You know, I asked the question to my Sunday school class, young people's class, I guess I should say, in Hammer Bay.
Perhaps 15 or 16 years ago.
And, umm, I had a lot of very interesting answers to that question, perhaps had a dozen or so young people in my class at that time. And I had, uh, answers given to me that were, umm, you know, something like this. Well, I was brought up in the meeting here and, uh, so my parents went here and so that's where I go. And, umm, I had other answers given to me that were similar answers. And there were two brothers that gave me an answer each one of them that were good answers.
And uh, one of them said, you know, I asked the Lord to show me the place where he would desire us to remember him in his death. I asked him and you know that brother, he lived in a place called Peterborough ON about 3 or 4 hours drive away from Hammer Bay. And he came to be gathered to the Lord's name because he asked that question. He called me up one day at work and he said, I want to work for you. And umm, I shook in my boots as I thought of it. You know, I.
I didn't need another employee of his caliber and skill, but, uh, just to follow through, you know, he, uh, he came to work for me and uh, he found that, uh, he was a believer and uh, he was searching for the truth of God. He was brought up in the United Church system. And then he went on and, umm, he had a girlfriend that was Pentecostal and so on. And then, uh, he started to come to the meetings and not very long after he was gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. It's wonderful.
And they appreciate that today he's gathered to the Lord's name. And, uh, there was another brother there and, uh, he said this very similar thing. He was saved sitting on a park bench beside a man that gave him the gospel. And he wandered from one church system to another and then finally said to the Lord, he said, I, I need to know where you need, where there is that place that you've chosen. There's got to be a place I'd like to know where it is. And, uh, he came to work for us too. And we explained the way of God more perfectly unto him. He was trying to keep the Sabbath and all the kinds of things like that, you know.
And soon he came to the to the meetings and very soon, you know, he sat in the back of the seat as Mr. Hammer was driving in a home one day, Mr. Hammer and his wife and he leaned up over the back seat. He said, you know, brother Hammer, I'd like to remember the Lord with you people. I believe I have found the place and I would just want to ask you this as we read this Que the about Solomon here. Have you found have you had assurance in your heart as to why you go to the meetings where you go?
There were brethren that paid the price to bring us into the knowledge of the truth and to the written ministry that's out in the little book room, that little bookshelves that Brother Bruce has, and the ministry that's written and that we have and we go on and enjoy. There's a reason why those dear Saints left the systems of men and then went and were gathered to the Lord's name. Well, let's read in First Kings chapter 3. I just want to read here from verse one.
First Kings three and verse 1 Solomon made an made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David until he had made an end of building his own house and the House of the Lord and the wall of Jerusalem round about. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built under the name of the Lord until those days. And Solomon loved the Lord and walked in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
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And when the king and the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice, therefore that was the great high place.
1000 Burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar in Gibeon. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David, my father, great mercy, according as he walked before the in truth and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee. And thou hast kept him for him, this great kindness, that thou has given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
Now, oh Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father.
And I am but a little child, and I know not how to go out or come in. And my servant is in the midst of thy people, which is which thou has chosen. A great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge this so great a people, thy so great a people? And the speech please the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing, and God asked him.
God said unto him, Because that thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast riches for thyself, nor has asked the life of thine enemies, but has asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment. Behold, I have done according to thy words. Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee, and I have also given thee.
Which thou hast not asked, both riches and honors, so that there shall be not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
And then just turn to chapter nine, I think it is.
Right at the beginning of the chapter.
Chapter 9 and verse one it came to pass when Solomon had finished the building of the House of the Lord and the King's house, and all Solomon's desire, which he was pleased to do.
That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.
While we're not gonna read all that the Lord said there to Him, let's turn to chapter 10 and verse 28.
First Kings chapter 10 and verse 28 and Solomon had horses.
Brought out of Egypt and linen yarn. And King's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150. And so for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria did they bring them out by their means. But King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zydonians, and Hittites.
Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, You shall not go in unto them, neither shall they come in unto you. For surely they will turn away your heart after their God. Solomon clave to them, or was attached unto these in love. And he had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines, and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart.
After other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
For Solomon went after Asterisk, the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord as David, as did David his father. Then Solomon built and high place for Camash the abomination of the Moab. Let's just read verse 9. The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice.
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And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he kept not that which the Lord commanded him.
Well, we could read the rest, but we're not. We don't have time. I'd like to just read one other portion of scripture in First Chronicles. I think it is chapter 21.
And you know the story of Oren and the Jebusite and the threshing floor there. So I'm not going to read that story, but I'd like to read from verse 28, chapter 21 of First Chronicles and verse 28. At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him in the threshing floor of Oren and the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there for the Tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the wilderness. And the altar of the burnt offering were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.
But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of the Angel of the Lord.
Then David said, this is the House of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.
Well, you know, we read in First Kings chapter 3 and it's a lovely story here, a lovely picture of Solomon's beginning. And, uh, perhaps at the beginning of his reign, he was perhaps about 18 years old. I believe he was around 58 years old when he died. He reigned for 40 years. So this would make him perhaps about 18 years old. And as a young king, he says that, uh, he did 3-4 things, I believe here three or four things, three things. It says, uh, he, uh.
Built his house. Actually. The first thing is he made affinity with Pharaoh, king of Egypt and Umm.
You know, I'm not gonna take this up in a prophetic way, but in a practical sense, he made an agreement with Egypt, with the king of Egypt. He made a, what you might call, umm, an alignment, an alliance with Egypt right at the beginning of his reign. And you know, it's a good thing to have a good beginning in our Christian life. And perhaps you're a young person here. You're 18 years old, maybe a little older, maybe a little younger, and you're going to lay the beginnings of your life. You're going to lay the foundations of life very early in life. And Solomon did this. He made affinity with Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Took Pharaoh's daughter and he brought her into the city of David. Then it says a little later on in the verse that he was building his own house. He had his priorities. You know, I think of this, his priorities as he became king. God tells us in the very first verse, as it were, of King Solomon's reign. He said the first thing is he made an agreement with an alliance with Pharaoh. The second thing is he took Pharaoh's wife. The next thing we find is that he was building his own house. Then he built the House of the Lord.
And then he built the wall of Jerusalem.
Why those five things characterize the beginning of of Solomon's reign and how the Lord records this, I wonder sometimes the solemnity of it. And the Lord says just about everything that could be said about the beginning of Solomon's reign there in one verse, and he ought to have built the wall of Jerusalem. Perhaps first it speaks of separation, and you and I need to have separation in a practical way in our lives before we go on and build other things in life.
And so he didn't do that. But you know, it says that, umm, Solomon verse three loved the Lord. Isn't that nice? Oh, that just thrills my soul to read that, that God saw what was in Solomon's heart. He said, you know, Solomon loved me. Solomon loved me. He had real affection for the Lord. And you know, that's a good thing to have affection for the Lord and a desire to have that communion with himself as you begin in the course of life. And it says here that there was a great high place in verse 4.
In Gibeon, and we read about that in First Chronicles chapter 21 in connection with David. And what we find is that David learned what it was to not offer in the high places and not offer to go to the high place. And Gibeon, you know, the Tabernacle was there in Gibeon, but the Ark of the Lord wasn't in Gibeon. The Ark of the Lord was in Jerusalem. And so, you know, there was a great show, a great place there.
And umm, the Lord hadn't chosen to place his name there in Gibeon. There was going to be a place you could read in Deuteronomy chapter 12. Maybe we should do that just to get the proper connection here.
It says in Deuteronomy chapter 12 partway through the chapter in verse 13.
It says, Take heed to thyself, that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest, but in the place which the Lord shall choose.
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Well, you know, David found that place. David offered a sacrifice in the, in the, uh, threshing floor of Oren in the Jebusite and umm, he wouldn't go to Gibeon anymore. He offered in that place on Mount Moriah. You know, that's where the threshing floor of Oren and the Jebusite was. It was in the place in Mount Moriah in Genesis chapter 2 of chapter 22. We read a little bit of that in.
That chapter this morning, that's the very place where the temple was built on Mount Moriah. God had his eye in Genesis on that little mountain in that place, you know, where the Lord Jesus was going to be crucified. God had his eye on that place. And God was going to bring David into communion with his thoughts. And David wasn't going to go to Gibeon. David there went, and it says in First Chronicles there that he bought the threshing floor. He bought it and he paid a price.
To be able to be there and to offer sacrifices and so you know I wanna just say this beloved brethren and young person particularly, you know the assembly is something that is very precious to the heart of God and the Lord Jesus paid a price that you might be able to be in his presence and to be able to remember him in his death. He paid a price that you might be able to come into his presence and the truth of God might be ministered but you know there's the enemy is the author of multiple choice and we find.
In Umm Solomon's day that there in verse three, it says only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. And so God is not the author of multiple choice. God his eye, God has his eye on Christ. There's only one man that's going to be exalted and God would delight to bring you into his presence to just enjoy his presence. Well, we find that the Lord appeared to give to the Solomon and Gibeon right where he was. Isn't that nice, you know?
I say this and I, I say it with reverence. I trust, but I, I'm so thankful to be saved by the grace of God. I was saved as I was maybe 7 1/2 years old by the railway in France, Ontario and umm, I was saved. And I'm glad I can say by the word of God in faith I'm saved. But you know, I, I took my place at the Lord's table.
In the early 70s and, uh, I used to say that I hope that I was at the Lord's table, you know, but I don't say that anymore because I feel that, you know, there is a place that the Lord has desired to bring us and to gather us where he is in the midst. And so it says in Matthew chapter 18, verse 20. For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them. And so, you know, he gives us that desire by faith to obey.
And to be gathered to his precious name. And now you know, I say I'm saved by faith. I say that, but by faith, I say I'm gathered to the Lord's name. I'm thankful for it. Have you ever thanked the Lord for being gathered to the Lord's name? You just take it for granted.
Well, it's an awful thing to take the truth of God for granted. It's an awful thing to just think of all the price that was paid to bring us into such rich blessing and not to.
Appreciate it the way it ought to be appreciated. Well, it says here that Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon right where he was. And God is going to meet us where we are, exactly where we are in the state of life that we're at and the state of soul that we're at. And if there's a heart's desire, a love for the Lord Jesus, he's going to speak to us. And so we find that the first time that God appears to Solomon, he speaks to him as the king, A young king Solomon asked the right thing.
But you know when Solomon awoke, you know where he went. In verse 15, Solomon awoke and behold, it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem. You know what Jerusalem means? The name Jerusalem means the possession of peace. God wanted His people to possess peace. He wanted them to dwell in His presence. And so he came to Jerusalem and he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He stood in the very presence of God. That's what the ark spoke of. And then it says he offered up burnt offerings.
There was that which spoke of Christ, the sweetness of Christ there as he offered those burnt offerings.
And then it says he offered peace offerings. You know what the peace offering speaks of? It speaks of communion with the Lord. He could have communion, common thoughts with God. Now he came and he stood in the very presence of the Lord in Jerusalem and he offered those offerings. It doesn't say how many in Gibeon it said he offered 1000 burnt offerings, but I think there was communion with the Lord. There were a few perhaps offerings that were offered there. And it says he made a feast to all of his servants.
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He made a feast there. There was that which spoke to their hearts, and there was communion with His servants. Well, that's the first thing that Solomon we find in the beginning of his Kingdom. He found that place, as it were, in Jerusalem. His father had worshipped in Jerusalem. He couldn't go to Gibeon, the high place. But you know, Solomon still went to Gibeon. And every one of us, I say, is going to have to have an exercise of soul as to where the Lord is in the midst.
And are we gathered or do we come to be in the presence of the Lord when we come to remember him in his death? You know, I, I sometimes mention it this way and I think of it in this way sometimes, uh, I would get home from work and I'd be tired and, uh, be kind of difficult, you know, to drive up another half hour to meeting in Massillon. OH, when we lived there and, umm, that just seemed like a long time, a long ways off. And I would say, well, you know, I don't know if I'm just tired today and I don't know if I have the energy to go to meeting.
But then you know, I I changed the words around a little bit and I suggest you might want to do the same thing for yourself. I started to say to myself, well, Robert, do you think you have pre you? You think you have the energy? Are you TI too tired to go and to be in the presence of the Lord tonight?
Are you too tired to go to be in the presence of the Lord to the reading meeting tonight? Are you too tired to go to be in the presence of the Lord? And you know, I found it pretty very hard to think that I was too tired to go to be in the presence of the Lord. I just suggest to you that, you know, we need to see the Lord in the midst, and when we come in reverence and we sit.
Around the Lord Jesus and we have our Bibles open and the truth is ministered. Perhaps even as in the prayer meeting, you know we have enjoyed the presence of the Lord. We come in the very presence of the Lord to make our prayers made known unto our partitions. We need to have that sense of reverence. Well, in First Kings Chapter 9 we have this.
Little picture given to us.
Of what it was for Solomon at the end of the time that he built the temple.
It says that the Lord appeared to him. Chapter 9 and verse.
Two, the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon, and the Lord had some things to say to him there.
And then in Chapter 11, God gives us the end of Solomon's reign.
He had said that he would have a long reign, he would have a long life if he walked in the ways of God. But he lived to be approximately 58 years old. He didn't have a long life. He reigned over Israel 40 years. But you know, the end of his life wasn't what it should have been because, you know, instead of really walking in separation to the Lord at the beginning of his life, he hadn't laid that foundation. And then when it came to the backside of his life, the the very end of his life.
Why you find that separation wasn't that which characterized his life in any way and he got his priorities mixed up at the beginning. And, uh, I just say, May God give us each the grace to judge those things to search out. Every one of us has got priorities that aren't right. And perhaps as you're young and you're just about to lay the foundations of life and make the decisions of life that will you'll build your life on why those, those decisions, those foundation.
Principles that you're going to establish your home on in your life, your work life, and all those things why they need to be laid in the fear of God and separation from that which is displeasing to the Lord is necessary, but it's also necessary to have the assembly as that which is the center of our lives socially in this world God intended.
That the assembly would be the center of our lives socially. And, umm, he intended that, uh, we would see that being gathered to the Lord's name is a precious privilege and it's the normal course of Christianity. Isn't that lovely? You and I walk in a normal way in the Christian life. I sometimes told the story, and I'm ashamed to have to say it, but I say it because I hope that there's other young people that won't make the same mistake that I made.
When I was young, you know, and I'd be on the schoolyard and the boys would ask me what church my parents went to or what church we went to. I would hang my head and I would say, well, we don't go to the church. My parents go to a place where they say they're gathered to the Lord's name. And I was ashamed of it. I was ashamed to say it.
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But now, you know, I just rejoice in my soul that I'm gathered to the Lord's name that, you know, we don't have any other name that we can associate with that, that we can bring glory to. There's only one man. There's only one name that will be glory honored and exalted throughout the eternal ages, and that's the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And oh, I love to mention that name to those that asked me, well, what church do you go to?
You'll be asked, what are you going to say? Are you going to mention the name of the Lord Jesus? Oh, it's wonderful. You know, just to say I'm gathered, I only associate myself just with the name, the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we read of how it is that the Lord desires us to confess his name before men. What a wonderful privilege just to be able to do that. And I say, I just give this encouragement to each one of us. It's the normal course of Christianity to be gathered to the Lord's name. It's normal. And I used to think as a boy.
That I saw, I drove through the streets of cities and towns and saw all these church buildings and everything. And I didn't think that I was going on perhaps in a normal Christian way. But the Lord opened my eyes and by faith I could see that that being gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus and taking no other name was a normal course of Christian life. Well, I just want to read at the end of Solomon's life here. He had horses brought out of Egypt. He had linen yard.
And it cost him. It was at a price.
And he had Chariots, the same Chariots. I take it that the, uh, Egyptians had, they manufactured Chariots And, uh, the Hittites, they sold them to the Hittites. They sold them to the Syrians and they sold them to the children of Israel, Same Chariots. They had perhaps a chariot production line going and they had good quality and so on. And, uh, the Lord had said to the children of Israel that they weren't to multiply horses. Deuteronomy chapter 17, I think it is.
At the end there, they weren't to multiply horses or wives or Chariots. They were to depend upon the Lord for their strength. And, uh, they weren't to multiply wives. And he says he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. And you take it perhaps he had a wife before at 18, but for the 40 years of his reign, if he'd got a new wife every two weeks, it would add up to 1000.
And you might say that's pretty foolish. You know, Solomon was looking for a wife. He needed to get a new one every two weeks. Well, you know, the heart of man is so deceitful, desperately wicked. We could justify just about anything in our lives that we wanted to have in the flesh. And Solomon perhaps justified it in one way or another. But we look back on the word of God and we say, what a loss for the people of God. What a loss that Solomon, the government of God came in with Solomon. And I want to point this out.
Beloved brethren that God spoke to Solomon about this, but the first time we don't read of it in first Kings three and the second time he spoke and appeared to him in Chapter 9. We don't read it not spoken of. But now the third time that the Lord appears to Solomon and speaks to him. It's a public thing. And So what you and I might go on with secretly and out of the sight of our brethren is that we're in our own tents and why?
It may be hidden and the Lord may be speaking to one of us and all of us in one particular way or another, and speaking to us of those things that we're allowing to go on in the flesh. And it's a private thing right now. But you know, if we go on with it, perhaps at the end of our lives it becomes a public thing. And the Lord will have to expose and say that I spoke to you when you were young about this and now you're older and it's come out and it's 11 That needed to be dealt with. Well, you know.
There was an end to Solomon in this.
Way but the Lord preserved a light unto his servant David. And so I just give this little message from the heart that there might be a heart's desire to appreciate Jerusalem and appear appreciate the assembly, the place of the Lord's provision. He's provided a a great expense that we might enjoy one another's fellowship on occasions like this, but God intended that the assembly would be the focus of our social life.
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And that we would desire to come into His presence and to be fed. And two, that we would be found at the end of our lives not characterized by idolatry, not characterized by indifference to His glory, but that we be characterized by faithfulness and affection for Him. While may it be so at the end of each one of our lives, when He comes for us that were found watching and waiting. I'll just give you 1 little story at the end. You know, I have four children.
And umm, I would go away on a business trip and uh, at the end of my trip, I would fly into Toronto airport land, pick up my car, and then it would be two hours to the time when I would hit the house in the driveway there. And umm, so I would call on the cell phone and say I've just landed, I'm on Hwy. 400 and I'll be there in approximately 2 hours.
And every time I would make that phone call, I would drive up to the house and there's a glass door on the front door. And there would be one of my children not only watching, but waiting with the nose pressed against the glass, just watching and waiting and affection. She was the first one that got a hug. She was the first one that got a little trinket out of the pocket, perhaps something that was brought. You know, she shared. She wanted the love. She wanted the hug of her father first.
And she was watching and waiting. Well, may it be that way with each one of us. Just affection for Christ, waiting and watching and seeking in our own lives to keep close to the Lord, communion with the Lord, and let nothing come in to disturb that communion.
Let's look together at Luke chapter 15.
We could go into the full history of uh.
This third story in Luke 15 about the father.
But I just have, especially on my heart. Verse UH-22.
But the father said to his servants.
Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.
You think of the Father's love.
You know the prodigal, the waster. He deserved nothing.
And, umm.
And yet. And he had rehearsed what he was going to say to his father.
And he was, uh.
Thinking that even to be a servant in his father's house was better than what he was doing then.
And, uh, but what is he met with?
He is met with kisses, covered him with kisses.
Trans New Translation says covered him with kisses.
You know that expression is, uh, used in a number of scriptures, one in connection with uh.
With that woman.
Who worshipped him?
He covered him with kisses his feet.
And then, uh, you think of Paul, the apostle Paul there in Acts 20 as he departed from the Ephesian elders.
In the original, it has the same thought, covered him with kisses. The Saints, the affection of the Saints. So we see the affection of the Father, we see the affection of a worshiper, we see the affection of the Saints for one another. It's it's so, so sweet, but.
When we think of the goodness of God.
You know, he says, bring forth the best rope and put it on him.
You know, the the the enemy, as we were talking earlier, would give us to question the goodness of God, would give us to question the heart of God.
The heart of God is so large. The best Rome, the righteousness of Christ.
And then the, uh, ring on his hand and the shoes on his feet. God would have us to have a clothes with the garments of the sun, not the servant, a son. We're children of God. Yes, sons of God. Now, when I was first saved and you know, I, I was thinking.
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And I may get to to.
Exhorting some of the children of the Saints, and please forgive me because.
I, I wasn't raised in a Christian home. I wasn't saved until I was 1/4 of a century old. Thankfully my mom did take me though to, to a Sunday school and I heard the gospel as a child, uh, thankful my mother was a believer. My father was not, but he didn't oppose my mother. He.
Yeah, even encouraged her from time to time. But the point is this.
And they exhort you as ones who are perhaps less than 1/4 of a century raised in a Christian home. Forgive me, I I don't know all that you pass through, but I think it's what I have in my heart is needful. And if you could suffer exhortation. But anyway, I just thinking of this expression. When I was first saved, I read a pamphlet A brother and the Lord he was uh.
He was a dear brother Shepherd. He gave me a pamphlet and, uh.
And he knew that it fit me. It was a pamphlet that really went through this chapter, especially The Prodigal Son.
And to know the love of God that would give one who has wasted his living.
And then the Father comes forth, and brings forth, and puts on that soul the righteousness of Christ.
And the shoes on the feet are given to walk in separation. But I'd like to think a little bit.
And the shoes were also what were part of the the elements of the garments of the sun.
But I, I was just thinking of the ring, you know, and there's different thoughts. I've enjoyed the ring as being the eternal love of God that we've been brought into and to enjoy. There's no end to it.
But the aspect of a of a ring that this brother and the pamphlet mentioned was a signet ring.
It was often the case during those times when a signet was used in the purchase of, uh, different things to really show that the resources of the one who had that signet were, were at stake here, the one whose reputation and testimony and resources were all available to the wearer of that ring.
You know, oftentimes we as Christians go around as we're poppers, don't we?
Go around wringing our hands and worrying about this. We're anxious about that and.
You've had that before us, these meetings. I just thought of the ring. God has given us the ring. We have all the resources of heaven available to us.
You know, if you had a huge bank account and had a deposit in your you, you had this checking account that this, we had tremendous amount of zeros behind it and you went around as a popper, there's something wrong with you.
You know we have all the resources of heaven available to us, we just need to ask.
Now the good thing too is our father won't allow us to, to, to use resources that we shouldn't. I mean, I was just thinking that sometimes we, we don't have, uh, maybe the money in our pocket to do things that maybe get us into trouble or to cause our hearts to be distracted. Sometimes when money comes in, it's a real test when, when there's a inheritance or.
Something happens, a bonus or something good happens that uh, to cause, uh, good, good financial causes of the the wallet to swell.
It's a real test. What are we gonna do with that?
So these things are real, but I just think of this, to apply this for a moment, the ring.
We have available to us all the resources.
Of the God of glory, let's look at uh Genesis 13.
I thought of this too in our last him that we sang had to do with the Pilgrim character a little bit, but I was just thinking of of during our our view in Luke 12 of two persons, Lot and Abraham.
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And on Abraham, a tremendous, uh, example, yes, he failed. He had times where he denied his relationship.
We talk about that too, you know, how we can really deny that we belong to the Lord Jesus. You know, this, this world is an awful tricky thing, you know, and, and, uh, as we slide alongside of, of this world, we can, we can do things that, uh, we said yesterday we wouldn't get close to and all of a sudden we find ourselves doing them.
And umm, and we have to watch our heart, he that trusts his own heart as a fool, you know, we have to watch our hearts. We have to continue to go back to the ancient landmarks, have to go back to what God's word says to us. Let's just thinking of and, and a meditation for, uh, for you, if you haven't looked at it before, is the expression lifting up the eyes in Genesis. It's a, it's a sweet, there's some sweet thoughts that look through, trace through those times that it mentions lifting up your, the eyes.
But anyway, a lot and verse five also, which went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents, and the land was not able to bear them. Uh, that they might dwell together for their substance was great. Here's another example of what could happen to when substance grows, when stuff grows. But anyway, so they could not dwell together. And there was a strike between the herdman of lost cattle and herdmen of Lo, herdman of Abrams cattle and the herdman of Lot's cattle, and the Canaanite and the Perasites dwelled.
Then in the land and Abraham, Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdman. For we are brethren, we be brethren.
Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me. If thou wilt take to the right to the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lock lifted up his eyes. OK, here's an example of what we're talking about.
What are you gonna lift up your eyes to behold?
He beheld all the plain of Jordan.
We hadn't read it, but previous to this, you know, those of you have studied the this course of Abraham's life know that there was a time he went down to Egypt. He got acquainted with things and a lot did too. You know, we have an effect upon those around us, don't we?
You know, that's, that's really so, uh, sobering, especially as you get older and you realize that, uh, you're not only influencing yourself and your wife, but your children, your grandchildren.
People you work with, they're watching you.
They're watching you, your friends.
Even you that are younger.
And are starting out on the path of faith. You're being watched and you're being an influence upon those around you.
Umm, I don't know if we'll get to it, but I'm hoping to to. I'll draw your attention to it right now in Daniel One, there's two expressions that really struck me years ago. Purpose.
And continued.
Daniel Purpust.
And there are three friends. Who are your companions? Who do you associate with? Who do you find yourself with when you leave a company like this? Where? Where? Who are your companions?
Are they companions that are encouraging you in the path of faith and faithfulness?
Are they ones who are kind of on the border or the ones that are outside? Who are your companions? Daniel had three friends, companions. There were others from, uh, Tribo, Judah, Princess of the royal family, brought to Babylon, no doubt. But there were these three, and these three were helped by Daniel.
And I would suggest that Daniel was helped by these three.
We need one another, we need to encourage one another, we need to be very careful about our selection of companions, Daniel purposed.
And he continued the annual purpose in his heart not to defile himself with the King's meat, nor with the wine that he drank.
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A lot of things the world has to give us to, to lose discernment, to lose things that, uh, are really give us to, to really have a heart that is really umm.
Really at unity with the Spirit of God and his thinking.
So Daniel, but it says that he continued until the first year of King Cyrus. Now in chapter 10 of Daniel, it says it's in the third year of King Cyrus saw. So what was the first year of King Cyrus? Well, what is interesting to me, and I don't know if it's perfectly accurate, but to me what is accurate is that the captivity of the 70 years ended in the first year of King Cyrus. So Daniel continued all of the captivity. You say you're in difficult situation.
Daniel continued in difficult situation. He was made a eunuch.
He was made unfruitful.
In the eyes of the world, but how many people have been encouraged by the fruit of that godly man?
You know, we're not limited by things of time and sense. God's looking at things eternally.
And how wonderful to be in communion and moving with God as He moves in those eternal spheres. Lot lifted up his eyes. What did he behold in chapter 13 and verse 10? All the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as al cometh unto Zor.
Have you ever moved on the basis of circumstances? I have.
Seem good? This lined up this way. This lined up that way. This lined up that way. Let's do it. OK, That must be the path of faith.
It got it. It gets in trouble.
It gets you in trouble.
It's, uh, it's back to the word and waiting on the Lord and what he would have you to do. But God is so gracious. He is a God of recovery. You ever noticed, uh, remember this, uh, years ago, brother shared this years ago in the book of Ruth is a book of recovery.
Begins with a man and his wife leaving.
The place of divine appointment, the House of bread, the place of praise, Bethlehem, Judah, leaving the place of God's appointment and going into the place of Moab, a place of self indulgence, but it ends with a child is born to Naomi.
Starts with in the days that the judges ruled and ends. The last word of the in the book is David.
King after God's own heart.
In any way, the point is this.
Lachos.
And uh, and it's a lot separated from, uh, Abram and verse 12, then Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan. The Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain and fished his tent towards Sodom. How sad.
Towards Sodom, he wasn't there. He's tent. He's still maintaining a Pilgrim character, but his tent was towards Sodom. Toward Sodom. Later on in chapter 19, we find he's got a house in Sodom.
Of course.
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. And the Lord said unto Abram, After that Lot was separated from him, Lift up. Now thine eyes, What a comparison. Lot lifted up his eyes to behold what looked to be fine, but it was in a direction that was dangerous for him, and was gonna be dangerous for his family. But the Lord had Abram lift up his eyes to what behold healthy inheritance of God.
The God, the inheritance that God had for him said, Lift up your eyes. He says, look from the place with our northward and southward, eastward, westward, all the land we shall see us. To thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that the man can number the dust of the earth. Then I shall thy seed be also numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it, and I will give it to thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mammary, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
You look at these two men.
As you read through the account, you see Abraham going up and down, up and down. But I should say it that he was constantly gaining in his FA faith. Yeah, he denied his wife in chapter 12, He denied her later. And then the Lord gets to the root of it and he owns his that that they root of why of his denial.
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And then a man child is born to him and and Sarah.
Last in unbelief, the later lasts in faith and calls to the boy's name Isaac. Laughter. But I just umm.
Notice that in verse 18, I think is a secret for you and I.
Abram was a Pilgrim.
And you know, we were talking about this during our meeting, a lot of its attitude.
How we hold the things that God has given to us. This attitude, isn't it?
Yes, we there's dangers associated with it. We think that we're our attitude as a Pilgrim and a stranger that it can be dangerous to us, but.
But he had a tent, so he was a Pilgrim.
And he came and dwelt in the plain of Mammary, which means fatness.
Which is in Hebron, which means communion.
And built there an altar unto the Lord, a worshipper.
You know, the enemy would say it's a lot. Look at all the plain of Jordan. It's, it's, uh, even as a garden of the Lord.
It says like the land of Egypt as I come to Zoar. This is wonderful for you.
And you know, but but it was a plane.
But Abram dwelt in the mountains, the places of communion and dependence, as a Pilgrim, one whose soul was in fatness and when and in communion with the Lord, and built her an altar. He was a worshipper. So in chapter 14, when these kings come down and take Sodom.
Having destroyed another set of kings, and they take Sodom and Lott along with them, who is it that's able to restore all?
Is Fitz Abram the one who was dwelling in the place of communion with the Lord? Hebrews, chapter 6.
You know, we talked a little bit about internal security.
Remember when I was uh.
First saved, uh, we were, uh, we found a sweet fellowship in uh, Irvine, CA and we were there for a while and then.
I prayed a prayer to deliver me to the northwest and then when things were a little rocky, I was working with, uh, atheists and he was pulling at me in my chain pretty hard and working with, uh, smoggy and bumper to bumper traffic in LA. If you ever been down there, you know what I'm talking about. So I said in a prayer of anguish, Lord, deliver me to the northwest where there's trees and I can worship thee better. I'm not only safe for nine months. So my prayers weren't very intelligent, but they were real and, and, uh.
I didn't have a lot of knowledge of Scripture, but the Lord just kind of let let us along and just said OK. Two weeks later, I got a call from a guy that unbeknownst to me and moved up to the northwest and working at the mill Camus or Phil Rogers was waiting for me. He didn't know it at the time, but he was waiting for me. So, but uh.
So things have smoothed out at work and I apologize. It was an atheist. It roughed me up a little bit. He apologized to me and I was enjoying the fellowship and smog wasn't bothering me too much. The track wasn't bothering me too much. I was pretty content back down there in the in the Orange County, LA area is content.
Got this phone call.
I prayed that prayer phone call so OK, so.
So, uh, anyway, make a Long story short or deposit this in the northwest and met Phil Rogers and, uh.
So what a what a what a wonderful thing to to be just in simplicity before the Lord and in that path. I don't know why I was going there. I'll maybe come back to me, but le looking at Hebrews 60. I know where it was. So we were about sorry, getting older, bouncing from from place to place trying to find.
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Us as where the Lord would have us to meet and come in contact with this brother who had a big smile on his face, worked with some real.
Hard men at the canvas mill, but he had a gospel testimony. Souls were saved, men respected him. And yeah, they called him Philly Graham, but they also ex respected him and, uh, so anyway.
There is, I went to a, uh, in the course bouncing around, I went to a Nazarene church and I don't wanna speak bad about any denomination, but as you know, these dear brothers in Christ who carry the gospel, uh, don't understand, uh, the truths regarding the eternal, uh, security of the believer.
So one of the, one of the brothers from the fellowship I was connected with in Irvine said, found out that he said, how you doing? He called, he called up, he came to the Portland area. He said, uh, the preacher asked me to come and talk and see how you were doing up here. And I said, oh, we're just trying to find a Swedish fellowship as it was that we were associated with down in Irvine. And we went to last week, went to the Nazarene church. He said, well, they don't even hold eternal security. And I said they don't. And I said, umm, what's eternal security?
Well, and then he told me and then I started reading the Scriptures and I saw the principles and the word of God. It is so vital and important a doctrine. So I saw Phil the next time in the in the office. I went up to him and I put my finger in his face and I said, what do you hold as far as eternal security? And he said it's basic.
And I said, well, what do you mean? Do you hold it or don't you? He says, yeah, basic. So I couldn't, I couldn't uh, well, I'll say that his group that he was associated with was, you know, questionable. But anyway, the result is is we began to fellowship. And so make a Long story short, it's very important to know and if the tax, if you doubt that you are eternally his, think how serious a doctrine this is.
You doubt the work, and it goes on. You doubt the person of the Lord Jesus. Why do I say that? Let's look at this chapter, Ephesians 6.
Now this is a difficult, I'm sorry, Hebrew 6. This is a difficult portion and I'm not going to be able to expound it like some others here could. But I I just share with you what was a help to me.
Verse 4. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the word to come, world to come, if they fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put them, put him to an open shame.
Who stopped there for a moment? Umm, this might sound like OK, see? See what you wanna mean? Seoul can be all the way in these things. Uh, enlightened tasted a heavenly, heavenly ghost, and they partake with the Holy Ghost and then depart.
You know, and Peter, uh, one of the pistols that Peter talks about the swine returning to wallowing and the dog to its vomit. You see, see, there's another example of how soul can be lost again, can be saved a lot, See, No, never in Scripture does it speak of a believer as something that's unclean. A sheep, yes, Sheep being silly, stupid creatures needing a shepherd. That's what we are. We are sheep, but never as an unclean animal.
Never does a scripture speak of us as being unholy, speaks as us to being Saints of God to the Corinth, to the Corinthians speaks of them as Saints. And yet they were allowing some pretty serious things in their assembly.
But they were holy ones of God, and you were a holy one of God-given the life of God.
And so, umm, here it says it is. This is what is so solemn that it is possible for someone to be enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift. But it doesn't say save, does it? We're going to see that in a moment. And we're made partakers of the Holy Ghost. You know that there are those that maybe even in the room tonight.
That have not closed in on God's offer of salvation.
That have heard enlightened thoughts and have tasted of the Spirit of God working.
But not yet in their own, in their own souls.
Having accepted Christ as Savior.
Verse 9 But beloved, now here's a switch. We are persuaded better things of you. So now he's speaking to believers.
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And things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Verse 18.
That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is set before us. It is possible for those to outwardly be associated with the people of God, and yet still be lost but one who is the Lord.
Things that accompany salvation.
It is impossible for God to lie and go on to read it says in verse 19, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul.
Boucher and steadfast and we could multiply scriptures. John 316. In itself, God is a giver God and not a taker God. He's a God that gives eternal life. And Can you imagine the affront to him to say that he would withdraw it? Election, the whole principle of election.
God has he chosen you before the foundation here? Would God choose you and then UN choose you? How terrible a thought.
How awful a thought that attacks the person in the work of Christ and God able to keep you.
He's able now. Now when we speak of these things, I'd like to speak of one other thing, and that's the government of God.
God loves you.
And as a father, he will deal with you as a son. And if you think that you can be careless with your Christianity, you got another thing coming.
You can't trifle with these things. God will speak to you and deal with you as a son. So there's a government of God, and I thank God for the government of God. I thank God for that. I need it to know that He loves me with a love that won't let me go.
So, so just with these thoughts, umm, our time is up, but just in verse UH-20, whether the forerunner is for us entered. Now my understanding of that was in the, in the days that this was written, it was a technique where the the sailors would take in a smaller craft and anchor and they would run that all the way to shore and then drop it and then they would pull the ship towards that anchor.
You know, in other words.
Christ is in, he is in Christ and we're, we're assured of a salvation that is, that is an heathen all the way home. Savior, remember Ernie Wakefield and, uh, and as he talked about that shepherd in, in Luke 15, he says all the government of the world is gonna be on the shoulder and I of one shoulder in Isaiah 96. But the shepherd takes and he places that lost sheep on his shoulders and we may be kicking and struggling.
But he's in all the way home, Savior.
And he's bringing us home rejoicing whether the forerunner for us entered. Even Jesus made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. So enjoy your salvation and live for Christ. And I exhort myself this way too, is that don't trifle with your Christianity realize.
And that is so important for you to press on in the path of faith. Choose your companions carefully. Choose those things that are going to lead you, not by circumstances, but by His eye, looking to Him and waiting upon him.
Gospel 28