Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
117.
Maybe someone can start it?
Lord Jesus heard this little prayer that we have just sung together. Come.
And it is indeed the desire of our hearts, we would say Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus, we long to be home safe in the Father's house with all the redeemed. But now, in the meantime, we thank Thee for this wonderful time we've had together and the privileges of this weekend and this day. And now, as we have the living word before us once again, we pray that they'll continue to instruct us, to edify us, build us up.
Thou knowest what the needs are of each one in this room.
We pray that we might have Christ much before us, and we might be encouraged and strengthened to press on the few moments that are left to us in the path of faith and service. So we look to Thee for help and blessing in the power of the Spirit. Take Thy word and make it good to our souls. Minister to us according to the need. We pray in thy blessed name, Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
So will you continue with Romans? Well or?
Another exercise.
You have a suggestion as to where to start today, John?
Yeah.
Number is 5.
Sisters, yes.
Romans, chapter 12.
Starting with verse 5.
So we being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone one of another, having them gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us. Whether prophecy, let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith. For ministry legislate on our ministry. For he that teacheth on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortation, He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity. Either rules with diligence.
He that showed mercy with turf.
That love he without dissimulation have poor that which his evil cleave to that which is good.
The kindly affections 1 to another with incredibly loved not preferring one another, not sloth from the business urban and spirit serving the Lord.
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, distributing to the necessity of Thanksgiving to hospitality.
Bless them which person is less than cursed not.
Rejoice with them to rejoice.
Be of the same mind one toward another. Might not I things who condescend to men of lowest statement? Be not wise in your own conceit.
Recompense to so many equal for evil, provide things honest, and the sight of all men, if it be possible, as much as lives in you. This feasibly with all men. Dearly beloved, events not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath.
For, it is written, vengeance to Spana will be faced afterwards.
Therefore sign enemy hunger people.
If he thirsts, give him drink, for in so doing I shall he colt a fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil.
But overcome evil with good.
There's a lot of instruction here for us as to the ministry in the body of Christ.
As we mentioned that we all have a place to fulfill.
In the body of Christ we are all in the ministry.
It's not confined to quotation marks, laboring brethren.
It's not, uh, a position that man can give us.
That gives the Lord has imparted to you.
He's given you a capacity in the body of Christ. You don't need man's.
Authority to exercise that gift.
00:05:03
Uh, and you don't need a training in a seminary or some sort of human ordination before you can.
Participate in the ministry.
Which is.
Outline for us in the rest of this chapter.
And it's important to note also that all the ministry.
Is not of a public nature. Some of these gifts here are of a private character.
But their importance?
So we are all in the ministry, sisters as well as brothers.
And we are all servants of the Lord.
We all have a gift to exercise in the body and as we have mentioned already, if one member of the body is not functioning in its place and capacity, the whole body will suffer.
If the whole body will feel it.
A ministry to fulfill, and we refer to that verse.
Umm, as everyone has received the ministry even.
Uh, received a gift or the ability?
Even so, minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. So in the verse that we started with here it says gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us.
Ephesians chapter 4. The Moment.
Verse seven of Ephesians 4. But unto everyone of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
When the Lord ascended on high, he received the Holy Spirit for the second time.
And he showered down the divine guest to indwell the believer. What a inestimable privilege.
But he also sent down gifts that brought out clearly in Ephesians 4 the quotation from the Old Testament. He has given gifts for the the ministry in the body of Christ. This is the way.
The ministry is fulfilled, it's through the gifts which an ascended Christ.
Has imparted to his body. This is particularly in connection with the church period that we are in now. It's not something that was.
Uh, active during the Lord's, uh, pathway down there. This is in connection with the Lord's resurrection and his, uh.
His position in glory as the exalted man. These gifts have been given to the church, not given to one man, and as I said, not requiring the authority of man for their exercise and so for their exercise. And so the apostle goes on to detail a number of these gifts and these are exhortation regions. 7 exhortations here for believers. Then he goes on to.
Describe our the practical righteousness.
In our activity, one to the other and then at the end of the chapter.
Uh, our relationship in the world, our activity for those that are without. So we have a responsibility for those that are within. We also have a responsibility toward those that are without. And that's what the apostle mentions that at the end of the chapter here.
So there are perhaps two things to be exercised about in connection with what Brother John has just said. The 1St is that every one of us then needs to be before the Lord as to what that little gift and ministry is.
Because we are to carry it out before the Lord for the good and blessing, the edification and building up of the body of Christ. And when Paul wrote to the Saints at Colossae, I think he was concerned that there was a brother named Archipus there who wasn't carrying out the little ministry that God had given him in the the assembly in Colossae. And that's why the second last verse of the epistle says and say to our tipis, take heed to the ministry that thou has received of the Lord, that thou fulfill it.
00:10:10
We don't know what that ministry was.
It may have been some little hidden, quiet ministry, but Paul felt that the Saints at Colossae were suffering because he wasn't carrying it out. We find that the apostle Paul then exhorted Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him. Timothy was reticent and shy, I think by nature perhaps, and he needed a little encouragement to use what God had given him for the blessing of the people of God and so on.
But I think there's something else to consider too, and that is that we don't go beyond the ministry and the gift and ability that God has given us because there can be just as much detriment to the to the body of Christ and to the testimony for the Lord by going beyond. There's a detriment when we don't carry out our little ministry and function, but there's also a problem when we go beyond. I'll tell you a little story about a brother.
Who was exercised to go out and to serve the Lord full time and in his home assembly his brethren had some brothers meetings with him and they said to him, when you go out to serve the Lord, as long as you you are yourself, you will be fine. When you try to be something you're not, when you try to go beyond the ministry and the gift and ability the Lord has given you, you're in trouble. I thought that was good advice to a young brother who had.
An exercise to serve the Lord in that way.
But that applies to everyone of us, whether it's serving the Lord in the little assembly we come from, whether it's in the family circle, extended family, whether whatever little gospel testimony he gives us. Because, brethren, we're not all called to give up our secular employment and go out to the mission field or some far off country, but we are all called on to stir up an exercise, the gift and ministry that God has given us.
And we are to be exercised, not to go beyond that, but to use what He has given us for His glory and the blessing of souls.
That's important again, because, umm, rivalry can easily arise there, Yeah. And, uh.
Damage can be done. Umm.
By trying to, uh, emulate, uh, another person's, uh, position.
God has given each one of us a place to fulfill. We can be happy in that ministry. Uh, that, uh, fear that, uh, the Lord has, uh, as we might say, appointed to us. You remember, uh.
At the very instructive study to look at the Book of Numbers and to see how Aaron appointed the various members of the tribe of Levi, the different families.
To specific services.
It's a very interesting study. Uh, Mr. McIntosh has an excellent article on it. Everyone had an appointed place in the Tabernacle. Some were right out in the forefront carrying the Ark. Everyone could see them. Others were just in the background carrying a few pins. It would appear they were very insignificant, but each one had their appointed work to do, given by Aaron.
There a picture of the Lord. Now there's no brother that we can go to and say, now what is the ministry that I have to do in the assembly or in the body of Christ? We cannot do that. We have to be exercised before the Lord, what He would have us do now, you young brethren.
Often have that problem.
What is? What does the Lord want me to do in the assembly? Well, do what comes to your hand. Uh, uh.
Our brother mentioned, I think, that line of truth the other day, Mr. Darby said. If there was more devotedness among us, there would be more gift.
That's a rather strange expression, you might think. Does gift come from devotedness? No, that's not the thought. But he said if there was more devotedness to Christ, then the gifts would be manifested. Some of them are buried. And we need to do what the Lord has given us to do the best of our ability, as it says here.
00:15:06
Down further in our chapter, not slothful in business.
Shouldn't be there. It's it's not the thought of secular work there at all. It's the thought of being.
Zealous in the Lord's service, Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.
Umm, that's an expectation that for every one of us. And so if we fulfill that little service, the Lord gives us. Now, you young brethren.
Uh, there's ample opportunities in the gospel. We are living in a perishing world and uh, do what comes to your hand. It may be, may not be in a public way, but those little services in the assembly for the Lord's people, visiting elderly people seeking to encourage one another, a word spoken in season, how voting is, you know, I can remember in my experience in Ottawa.
Some brethren who were not public speakers in any sense of the word, but they were faithful in the meeting, and with those they had a warm handshake and a word of encouragement.
It had a great effect upon me and uh, so it may not be any great service that is uh.
Last, uh, you might say, uh, in our, in our report or anything, but if you do it for the Lord, you will make manifest what your gift is as you go on in the path of faith and faithfulness. Is that right, brother?
Yes, I was thinking too. It's, uh, here in our chapters really in connection with our attitudes as well. It's not only the service and that's really what it means when it speaks of ministry in verse seven. It's our service. There ought to be a service of love for the Saints and love for not only for the Saints, but in service to Christ. And the attitude has a lot to do with how it's acceptable before the Lord and how effective it will be. And so.
As Jim has mentioned, it's the we're if we're to teach, if that's our gift, well, let's teach and not to desire to be have some other gift. It's interesting if you just turn to Acts Chapter 11, you have a little bit of an indication of tests these different gifts that were given. Now I know that we have other little works that are given that are mentioned here in Romans chapter 12, but we get a principle in Acts Chapter 11.
There were some evangelists that went in, uh, verse 19.
And it says they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution, that Roosevelt even traveled as far as unites me, and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to none, but under the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Sirene, which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord with them. And a great number believed and turned to the Lord. So there is the work of the Evangelist. The Evangelist says, you know, I need some help.
And umm, those that were in Jerusalem, they saw that there was work going on. And it says in verse 22 They sent forth Barnabas.
That you should go as far as barn as umm, Antioch, who when he came had seen the grace of God, was glad and absorbed them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave under the Lord. Now here is a true shepherd, a pastor, as it were, uh, among the people of God. And he comes, he does his work of pastoring, interpreting, and he knows that there's a teacher that's needed to bring him into the knowledge of the truth. And he says that says, uh, in verse 25, he departed, then departed Barnabas to Parsons for the seek Saul. And then it says in verse 26.
That they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people and the disciples were called Christians first and Antioch. So they're called and he's teaching, they're all working together. And then we have the prophet Agatha brought there, uh, brought before us. So isn't it nice that these gifts, if you have a little gift that God has given you in the assembly, even if it's a hidden gift, it's a wonderful thing to exercise that gift and in harmony with the right attitude.
To use it and there's going to be blessings and that's really what we have in Acts Chapter 11. And that's what the Spirit of God is really teaching us in connection with Romans chapter 12 here. It's not just the service, but the attitude. And when the Lord has something for you to do, he won't let your brethren stand in the way. He will work in their hearts so that they have fellowship with you and recognize that this is something raised up with the Lord. Brother Dave mentioned about proving.
00:20:07
The will of God yesterday. And I'd like to go to a verse in Galatians where we're to prove something else in regard to what we're saying, what we're Speaking of.
In Galatians chapter 6.
He says in verse 4, but let every man notice this, prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. Interesting We're not only to prove the will of God as Brother Dave brought before us, but were to prove our own work. Again, it's not another's work, it's the work the Lord gives us to do. How do we prove that work? We carry it out. We seek by grace then to carry out what God has done, given us that little ministry He's given us.
And others will recognize if it's truly of God, others are going to recognize because it says a man's gift makes room for him. And if you just quietly carry on the little service that the Lord has given to you.
I believe you'll find that your brethren will recognize, and they'll make room for that gift to operate. I say that because if we go beyond what the Lord gives us, our brethren may recognize this too, and have something to say to us. And whatever little ministry the Lord gives to us, it we are not to carry it out independently. We're members of the body of Christ as is brought out here in our chapter in Romans. And the body, as he says in the previous verse, it's like the natural body. It works together.
And when it carries out the function that it has been given, God-given in a natural sense, the body works properly. If I tried to walk in here today on my hands, it wouldn't be very good. I wouldn't make much progress and it wouldn't look very well. No, it's my feet. I walk in in on my hands are for other functions and and so on. And so when we, when we seek to carry out according to what God has given us in heart, it ha, it needs to be in harmony with the rest of the body. That is, I'm not saying there won't be criticism.
Sometimes there's there's always gonna be criticism. We try to do something for the Lord. So probably gonna be some that don't understand, some that criticize. But in a general sense, and I say this to encourage the young people, you feel before the Lord, He's giving you some little thing to do. Carry it out quietly. You may get a little criticism, but you'll find if it's really a ministry of the Lord, that eventually your brethren will recognize this and you will be given that room to carry it out.
And that it will be for the blessed blessing of soul. Remember too, that gift needs development. I think it was, Charles Spurgeon said. Nobody jumps into the pulpit full grown.
It's an interesting comment, isn't it? Nobody jumps into the pulpit full grown and maybe there's a young brother here and, umm, you're encouraged to take the gospel or to take some little part in, uh, the assembly meetings for ministry. You know, the first time you stand up to preach the golf ball or to give a little word of exhortation, it's not gonna be perfect. You may stutter and, and stammer. I remember Don's father-in-law telling us the first time he took the gospel.
He was shaking, his palms were sweaty, and I remember he didn't speak very long, and another older brother got up and took the rest of the meeting. Gift needs to be developed, and whether it's public gift or hidden ministry, you're not gonna perform it. You know, a person who bakes a cake doesn't bake a perfect cake the first time they bake the cake. No, it takes, uh, development in any aspect, practically or spiritually.
In our Christian life, so don't be discouraged if you've kind of floundered the first time you said something in the assembly or the first time you were asked to give a little word in the gospel. Don't be discouraged if the first time you handed a tract to somebody and they re, uh, rebuked your, reproached you and you didn't know how to answer, keep on. If that's the little work the Lord's given for you to do, He'll give you the grace and the faith to develop that gift and ministry.
Your life, you didn't really have a choice. No, you were in a certain family and your family was assigned a responsibility. If you were in the tribe of Levi, uh, then, uh, according to which, uh, family, in Levi, you had a certain role. You had to carry this or you had to carry that. But it's not that way in Christianity. Uh, we're all Levites, We all have Levitical service. And I think that's the point in Galatians 6, Let every man prove his own work.
00:25:12
Then shall he have rejoicing and himself alone, and not in another, for every man shall bear his own burden.
They're, they're the, the, the word burden is really your work. It's not the, the heat and burden of the day is earlier on in the chapter. Let every man bear, uh, bear ye one another's burdens And so fulfill the law of Christ. That's the word for the burden and heat of the day that you, that, that you bear. But in, in the verse six, it's Levitical. It's like John was saying, you guys, you carry the sockets and, and you carry, uh, this, these ropes over here and, and that kind of thing. So we don't have that direction and no one's gonna come up to you necessarily.
In your Christian life and tapped you on the shoulder and say, you know, I really think that you should be going with John Kemp over to, uh, wherever. But how does the Lord work as we had yesterday?
Discerning the Lord's will for my life can't happen if I just want to send a note in in in to, into God, into the Father, and wait for some distant response. I have to get into His presence and learn about Him, to learn what His mind is. And I believe it's the same with service.
That how does one serve? How does he direct us? He directs us by a burden. And so, as you say, getting after it. And we know there are certain fundamentals of the Christian life that are common to all of us. We get about them. We read the scriptures, we pray, we meditate, we, uh, we don't forsake the assembling of ourselves together. And the Lord begins to work in our, in our unique, uh, as a unique member of the body of Christ.
To give us a burden. And lo and behold, if we act upon that burden, we find that we have a certain facility that we perhaps didn't know we had, which is really a spiritual gift. The spiritual gift is not somebody says, oh, I can run, AI can run the 4:40 and X number of seconds. Well, that's a natural ability. But a spiritual gift is not a natural ability, but it's given in concert with the natural ability and the human vessel. And it's an inscrutable way, the way.
God is creator and Christ is head of the head of the Church.
And God our Father fits those things together so that a person can can respond to the burden and weakness, but respond to the burden and have the joy of peace in the Lord. It says that the at the feast of Cana that no one knew where that good wine came from, laid in the feast. And the governor says, wow, this is the best line we've had. Usually men put that out first and then when people notice less, we'll put out the inferior wine. It says no menu, but the servants who drew the water new and they had a special privilege because they were part of it.
And God doesn't intend for us just to sit and once a year or once every five years to get our pleasure and enjoyment out of the work of the Lord that maybe John Kemp does, or or or Don or Jim or someone like that. He intends for us to learn the lessons we learn through service and to have the joy and fellowship with Him in that unique way. Then shall every man have rejoicing in himself alone. It's not to be proud of what you do, but it's to have an insight into the Lord's ways and thoughts.
Uh, that we gained that way, and perhaps in no other real no other way.
In 3rd festival John, I was wondering what these others yeah, I will just read up the.
Who loved to have the preeminence among them received the snot.
And last reading meeting, I read a verse from James that said, we're jealous we're ending and strife is. There's confusion in every evil work. You might say, well, of course we're strife if there's confusion. But I think that kind of misses the point of the word. The word strike has the connotation of striving and free. And we're always trying to strive and free to show forth our gift. We're just gonna cause, uh, chaos in the assembly and problems for our brethren. And you're constantly going to feel, well, why my brethren keep shutting me down.
No, and I'm just repeating what's already being said. Don't be occupied with your gift. So many young people say, well, I don't know what my gift is. Don't be occupied with that. Be occupied with Christ and the burden will come and you'll have has already been said. Just repeating. You'll be given the the measure of faith, the grace to carry out that gift. But don't be occupied with your gift. Don't be occupied with your place in the assembly because it just causes chaos and confusion.
I think here's an illustration of a sister many years ago that.
I found very helpful sister.
00:30:01
But she said this about it.
She said I had asked the Lord, what's my gift?
He didn't seem to get me an answer. I said, Lord, what's my gift?
So I can do it.
And then she said, well, the Lord said, Catherine, children, children. That's not a gift, Lord, what's my gift? Said The only answer the Lord would give me was children.
So then she thought about it.
And, uh, the Lord put on her heart a burden for children.
And she started to work with children.
And she was, I would say, the most gifted child evangelist I've ever known in my life.
The Lord gave her, she went to the Lord and was occupied with him first. And the Lord gave her a desire in her soul or told her Lord, he said to Catherine children. And she started to work with children and, uh, she was incredibly, uh, gifted in communicating the truth of God and the gospel to children and yeah.
The Lord gave.
The work to do and then the enablement to do it, which was the gift itself and uh, also the spirit of doing it. Uh, she, she did it with great diligence.
Did you do it with great joy?
She was a happy woman.
It says here in Galatians chapter six we read it. It says, let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoiced in himself alone, and not another.
I think I've met an evangelist that's in this room in the hospital giving out gospel tracts and a big smile on his face as he goes from 1 bed to another and so on. And, uh, you know what? If we do exercise the gift that we have, there's joy in our souls. And the Lord, if we seek to desire to, to do it in humility and, uh, for his glory, for the blessing of his people and in the work of evangelism for the salvation of lost souls, there's joy in our souls.
And so maybe there's that question in connection with the some that are young, what is my gift? The Lord will fit you for what is suitable for you, and he will give you joy in your soul if you do it. But if you seek to have another line of things that isn't yours, you'll never be good at it. I'll give you a little illustration. You'll forgive me. I've said I've given it before, but my wife, when she was, uh, when we were first married, she worked at a hospital. She was a medical record person and.
There is a small hospital. They had nine doctors.
And there were three doctors that were excellent doctors. They were gifted. They knew how to give a good diagnosis. They worked hard, they whistled, they just had a wonderful time. The other six doctors were generally not very gifted and they had a struggle every day. Their charts weren't filled out. They had misdiagnosis, they had lawsuits. It was just the sad situation. But there were three of those doctors that were gifted. They were happy men. Well, it's the same thing in the things of God. There's if we.
Will abide in what the Lord has given us. Then there's going to be joy and there'll be fruit. Well, then it gives, uh, from verse 9 down, he gives some, umm, expectations that each one of us can bear.
And that, uh, we ought to read and take Part 2 Let love be without dissimulation or without pretense. Abhor that which is evil, plead to that which is good, be kindly affection. 1 To another with brother, brotherly love. All those things are very, very practical. And, uh, it kind of reminds me a little bit of first print in chapter 13, The oil.
That makes the machinery run smoothly.
And so each one of us needs to recognize that we need to use the oil and to recognize the need to do it with the genuineness. I, I believe that's really what he's bringing before us, genuine care, genuine love, genuine, genuine affection for our brethren.
Markovco.
00:35:04
Appreciated looking at the UMM.
The subject of, uh, gifts and working one with another.
In connection with the disciples.
What's in Matthew? What's in Mark? Once in Luke?
And once in patent.
In Matthew and Luke.
They're listed in pairs.
In Mark's Gospel.
In the book of the Acts.
They're listed in groups, some two, some 3, some 4.
N you know some people.
UH are good team players.
Some people are not.
Some people, they need to run the show themselves.
It's hard to work with a person like that.
All right, it's very easy to work with a team player and I, you know, I haven't worked here in this room over the last couple of days.
And those here who have been working with each other, you know, there's a lot has to be accomplished against, have to be placed. Uh, the meals have to be done. Uh, there has to be refreshments in between the meals. There has to be, uh, there has to be drinks provided. Uh, there has to be those that go to the airport. And I'm also smart enough to realize that it, it probably doesn't happen within some snacks.
Now the the disciple.
As you go through the gospel.
Uh, this is maybe just a little bit beyond me. I wonder who's really good at bringing people to Giva?
Mark chapter 3.
And the 1St 14 and it says he ordained 12. That's what he did.
Well, we get the reason.
That he ordained the 12Th and it's the same reason why he has chosen us.
And what is it?
That they should be with him.
You know, if that characterized us.
Characterize every one of us.
There wouldn't be a situation where we'd be occupying each other's gifts, we wouldn't be occupied with our own gifts, we would just be occupied with being with him.
And if that's the case.
Then the service flows from that. We had that yesterday.
But what a, what a?
What a what a good instruction we can get from looking at the disciples and how the more chosen, Sometime in pairs, sometime in groups, sometimes individuals, sometimes Lord has something forced to do just by ourselves.
Should be with him might.
Effective service really flows from the enjoyment of Christ.
00:40:07
Yeah, this is the simplest, yeah, and I think it would be possibly, Paul said.
And that second drinking is 4.
He quoted from the Old Testament, I believe, and therefore to write speak.
We believe also and therefore do we speak. Hmm.
And you mentioned Action 11. You know those believers, they went out there from Jerusalem.
Results. The Lord worked with them.
And so I, I feel that it's pretty important that, uh.
Your heart filled up with pricing the speaks of my own soul.
It's truly out of depth. Abundance of the heart from our feet.
And it will have an effect on you.
And you see that joy is working.
And would you agree with me, Wally, that that's why rewards are never to be the motive for service?
Reward is a nice little incentive that God gives us. The Lord gives us even on the last page of the Bible. His reward is with Him to give.
Every man according as his work shall be. But that's not the motive for our service. The motive is for our service has been pressed upon us in these meetings. The love of Christ constraineth us. Is Christ. When Paul was running the race and carrying out his service, what was it that was before him? That was the prize. And what is the prize really in the Christian life? The prize is Christ. And if it's Christ and his love?
Then the motive is going to be right. And when the motive is engaged, then there's real purpose of heart to carry out the little ministry that the Lord has given us. But I just say this too, in connection with what Robert said about rejoicing in our own work. There's something else that we should rejoice in too, and that is when we see the work of others. Not to covet what God has given you to do, but to rejoice when I see another member of the body of Christ carrying out something that.
May be very different than for what I have been given and I really think that's the thrust of the verse at the end of first Corinthians 12 where it says let every man or where to covet or desire the best gift.
It's not that we're to covet it for ourselves. It's not for me to say, well, I wish I was doing this and I wish I had that and I wish the Lord had given me that work to do.
No, it's to covet those gifts in the body of Christ for the blessing and edification of souls and to look at you and to see how the Lord is using you and the gift and ability. If there's the proper spirit, then I am going to rejoice that you have been given that. That's what desiring the best gifts in the body of Christ is. You see, again, as we've been saying in these meetings.
Christianity is not for self, it's not self-centered, it isn't all about me, it's all about Christ and his interests.
And what Christ has ordained, what Christ is doing, and whether he's doing it in me or doing it in you, there ought to be rejoicing now there. That's not to say, brethren, there won't be sorrows and tears along the way. The apostle Paul rejoiced in his ministry, but he said at the end of it, serving the Lord with many tears and temptations that befell me. By the way, he had lots of tears, lots of.
Exercises.
As he carried out his service, but he also said, sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
There was a rejoicing in his work and he was the one. He was one who could say that he fulfilled his ministry. He finished his course, He fulfilled his ministry. He could say that all Christians don't.
All Christians don't, and all Christians don't finish their course with joy. We all finish our course and we're all going to end up in the Father's house and in the joy of the Lord's presence and so on. But Paul said he finished his course in his ministry with joy. You want to finish your course with joy? Keep in the path and the abil. Use the ability and gift that God has given you. Fulfill the little work that he's given you.
00:45:08
Rejoice when you see what he's given others.
And you too can fill your minute, fulfill your ministry and finish your course with joy.
If I might add, don't be uh, uh, Chase at the bit during the training period. Now, Brother Dave mentioned the gospel of Mark and these dear ones here, he ordained to reappointed 12. Uh, just, uh, noticed in the past that there was really a divine choice. It was the Lord's choice to send them out. He appointed them.
And then it says that they should be with him and they were divine companions. They were those that were suited to his companionship. We know that there was 1 pretender there. But uh, he had a purpose that he might send them forth to preach that the divine Commission. And then you have the and to give power to heal sicknesses. They had divine power. And then he gave them the ability really to fulfill their ministry and then to cast out devils, really to have to give.
Liberty to those that were, they were being sent to.
But you'll notice that in Mark's Gospel chapter 6.
And verse seven, it says he called unto him the 12 and began to send them forth 2:00 and 2:00. So it took all that time for the training of the, the Saints of of those disciples. And, uh, so we don't often think of that little period. So as those that are younger, perhaps, uh, that don't get, uh.
Damascus, in the wilderness of, uh, Arabia. He had to spend two years in demand in, uh, Tarsus, and then he labored with Barnabas for a year. And it wasn't another maybe four or five years. And umm, he was sent forth, umm, by the Spirit of God from that assembly in Antioch, and he and Barnabas went forth. So, you know, you might say that Paul had a training period of 10 years.
And so the Lord knows what each one of us needs inviting, have to spend.
29 chapters in jokes, three friends.
You know, and I'm not gonna take up our time because I really wanna get through the chapter with you all. But on your own. Read, uh, Jokes 32 and see what lit a fire under your life.
I was just going to say that Jim mentioned the development of GIFT.
According to the proportion of gift or to the amount of gift.
It's one thing to have a gift.
It's another thing to be able to use it in a morally, uh, excellent way with the benefit of Saints.
And so we discover as we go along that.
That the limiting factor in our desire and ability to edify others is not how much gift we have, because we can have gift and really get away from the Lord and out of community. And then we're like can be like a power line that's just cut loose and or a high pressure hose. I've worked in tunnels in my life and when one of those big airlines gets loose, it's just, it's just a, it's power that is not controlled.
It says in First Corinthians that the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet.
And so let a man prophecy according to your proportion, not a gift, but a faith.
And so if God has given me grace.
To take something in and as one of my brothers said yesterday, to actually stand in as we'll walk in and make my own practically, I can say that I have that and I can usually and I will almost always enjoy that.
And if I am led to put it work to others for their benefit and enjoyment, it'll have a a solid ring to it. And that's how I'm to be governed. If I am LED as different ones are, and we read First Corinthians, we may all prophesied one by one that others make profit, that all might be edified. And so it's it's it's very exercising the proportion of faith. So Caleb was one of the men that went up to look at the land.
00:50:03
And Caleb was stopped.
That we can do this, the Lord delights enough.
We can everybody. No, no, no, and he maintained.
A spirit to avoid. It seems like a bitterness. 40 years he went with everyone else. At the end he did have that faith and he prophesied again. He hadn't changed his mind.
He had that, he had the faith in the beginning and maintained it and sustained in him. And he gave the same message 40 years later and he got a wonderful reward. But that was something proper to Kayla. It wasn't just, well, I've read about this and this is what we should do. That's a little hollow. It's the truth is always the truth.
And we ought to to receive it as such. But how wonderful if if someone who's made it their own and can put it forth according to the proportion of faith.
I'd like to also mention that.
The best person's life to study, to learn how to carry out one's service and gift is the life of the Lord Jesus.
That's part of why Mark's gospel being the servant gospel, it was so important for the disciples to be with him because they were learning by experience how he served.
And they needed equally the fellowship and communion with himself. But we can learn tremendous lessons in service from OPS, from meditating on the way the Lord Jesus as the man served in his personal life. And not only do we learn how he personally served well, we learn how he served with others when the disciples were in service with him.
Sometimes there were occasions when he would rebuke.
There were occasions when he would say nothing at that moment and then later put them into an experience with that gift.
Or their lack of service with himself. There were times when they had a mixed faith and yet he made use of it in umm, the way that they served him. When you see how he fed the 5000 and how he worked with them in it and what he did immediately afterwards to teach him some lessons than their failure in serving with him.
It's it's wonderful to meditate upon the life of the Lord Jesus and I will say that the central and my own soul point of his own service was every morning he got up in the morning and he said in his heart, I delight to do thy will, O my God. And that was the root principle of his own service and umm.
We would do well to, if you will, learn from him.
I was going to mention in regards to that chapter again in the 11Th of Acts. Bruce made a comment there in regards to.
Qualifier, for instance, to those who would go out.
Face fondness. Umm, I would ask this question.
In verse 22 of the 11Th after her back.
It says today the assembly there sent forth Barnabas. You should do as far as any off. Why do they send barns?
This is the 24th verse of this chapter. Answer that.
He had qualified patients there and be so gives me a Goodman.
All the Holy Ghost and of faith.
I think that's what Bruce was trying was expressing and that.
Elaborate a little bit more, not to take away from our chapter, as I can see in the short, but it just obstructs me that there was something about this individual that those there, uh, on, on that church and through some, uh, saw that qualified him.
He was a real, uh, Barnabas, uh, he was a real pastor. He had a, a real shepherd. He had a, a heart for the Lord's people. It's interesting to follow the life of Barnabas through the book of the Acts. There were, there were mistakes in his life, undoubtedly, and that his mistakes in our lives too. I remember our brother Gordon Hayle.
You'll remember under whose ministry I was brought up for many years, staying on one occasion. We are all unprofitable servants.
00:55:09
He was the last person in the world that I thought that would apply to, but, uh, he took that humble position and that I think brother, that, uh, the brethren realized that here is the man that really has a love and care for the people of God.
And, uh, we're going to encourage them. They didn't. Uh, I don't think they, uh.
The ascension marks, you might say they uh, insisted that you go, but they presented the, uh, the opportunity to him and uh, he was of much help to the brethren. But what I was going to say in connection with our chapter.
About crop is being because sometimes, uh, there is umm, some understanding here Prophecy as mentioned here in our chapter.
Is not more, is not, uh, foretelling. It is foretelling.
Prophecy Here in this sense, is a brother who can give the mind of God in a situation in the assembly.
He can bring the word of God.
And apply it to a a situation that has arisen it's.
It's reaching the need of the assembly. In fact, it says in First Corinthians 14 that, uh, prophecy is divided into three groups, uh, edification that's building up, uh.
Exhortation that is stirring up. I like a brother that stirs me up because I can become very negligent in my service. I like a brother that stirs me up to get into the word of God, to get out with the gospel.
Umm, that's exportation, Uh.
Comfort is winding up, and so it mentions that in our chapter, doesn't it? Uh, either show us, uh, mercy with cheerfulness.
There's some that have the gift of visiting in the hospital and they can bring cheer and comfort.
And so we each have that, uh, that place, your Bill, maybe I haven't answered your question. No, I think it just seems that, uh, that's one of the threats that just of anyone throughout any kind of currency.
Their own conduct, their own, uh, awareness and realization of to whom they're serving and uh, and those 3 aspects in that verse 24, just trying to answer it.
You noticed with Barnabas too, when you trace his service through the book of the Act, it didn't start with great things either. If you go back to the 4th chapter, it started with something very practical. When they sold their possessions, they brought them. And Barnabas was one who was entrusted to divide those possessions and use them for the service of God and His people in a proper way. And I just wanna say this to the young people and to all our hearts.
It doesn't start with great things.
I have noticed that those who God uses in a greater way later on in their life are those who stayed behind after the fellowship lunch and helped pick up the silverware, turn the chairs for the afternoon meeting, maybe slipped over to the meeting room when nobody was looking, and, uh, vacuumed the carpet and and so on. It starts with those little things. Brother Robert was in business for years. I was in business for years.
And when you hired someone in business, you didn't start them at the top, you started them, as we said, at the ground level. You proved them. There was often a probationary period. And if they proved themselves, then you worked them up and you gave them more responsibility and a promotion. Now, if I can put it this way, does God run something more careless than we who are human? No, He starts us at the bottom, so to speak. And if we're content to do those little things.
In the everyday sphere of life, it says not to do I service as men pleasers.
But in singleness of heart is unto the Lord, knowing that of the Lord, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. Just a word about prophecy too. Prophecy in its simplest form, or a profit in its simplest form, is someone raised up for a time with a message to a certain people at a specific time concerning a specific situation.
01:00:18
You know, I have seen prophets in the assembly who in some situation or difficulty arose. They might not have been teachers, they might not have been brothers that took an active part in ministry or publicly, but all of a sudden they speak up and they had a word from the Lord. Uh, they were raised up for a specific situation with a specific message to a specific people. And it can be sisters too, in their proper sphere. You know, Philip had some daughters and they prophesied too, but they prophesied in the home.
And I have had sisters.
Who have been very faithful with me.
I could sit here and name them, but sisters who have known me all my life and who have had a message for me. Well, I'll I'll give you a little example. I remember as a young brother, I had a Sunday school class.
And I had been away for some time and I came back and I was apologizing in front of the sister for being away from my Sunday school class for two or three weeks.
This sister who I've known all my life, in fact, she taught me in grade school, she said to me, Jim, remember something, nobody's indispensable. That was a prophetess. You know, I have never forgotten that. That was a word from a prophet test for my situation to me at the time, and the Lord used that and I never forgot it. So, sisters.
If the Lord gives you a word in your proper sphere.
Speak for the Lord as a prophetess. We can all exercise that little ministry as God gives us the opportunity.
If I might add to your question or try to help, uh, in connection with it and with Barnabas, you find that there wasn't a selfish, uh, selfishness in his heart. And uh, I believe that brethren knew that if they sent Barnabas, they would send one that had a care for the Saints above his own reputation.
And so he loved the faith of God. He was a true shepherd, and he knew they needed more than what he could give them. And he went out and he sought Saul and he brought him, and there was fruit for God. So isn't it wonderful that we don't own a piece of service? You might say we don't own. God doesn't give us our territory, if we could put it that way. And by the grace of God, umm, when there's a need, often times others are brought in and there's.
Fruit for God as a result. I believe this is a part of what the assembly in Jerusalem saw in that man.
Like, uh, I guess continue on since we're on that man's life a little bit in chapter 13.
Umm, we have a pattern that's connected with this matter of service.
The use of gift first.
Umm 4 verses of the chapter. Now there was in the church that was in Antioch certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas and Simon that was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and McNair, which have been brought up with Herod the tetrarch and Saul. And they ministered to the Lord and fasted the Holy Spirit said, separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work.
We're with unto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed from Seleucia, and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. If you read these words carefully, you see the pattern umm, very often that the Lord uses in connection with choosing.
Servant for service or choosing servants to serve together in a service or in self. There was, you might say, a collection of people here that could.
And perhaps more than one of them had a gift that might be suited to a particular need.
And so their first place is we've already had in pattern in verse two was administered under the Lord and so they found their first place in the presence of the Lord.
And uh, we're fasting. That is, they put aside self-interest and so that they might more clearly enter into the mind of the Lord for them.
01:05:02
As fasting can do. And then it says.
The Holy Ghost said, oh, now there's a choice to be made. Who's making it? The Spirit of God. It says separate me, Barnabas and Saul. And I think there's significance at this point that Barnabas name is first in this matter. Saul is still under the name Saul and hasn't become Paul by name yet.
Umm, Barnabas is gonna take the lead here for the work we're unto. I, the Holy Spirit have called them.
And then it says when they had fasted and prayed, they didn't just jump, they further were in the presence of the Lord about it. And then it says they laid their hands on them. That is, the assembly gave expression to their also realizing that the Spirit of God was sending Barnabas and Saul for work. And as such, uh, they expressed their fellowship with them and their understanding too, that it was the Lord that it called them to the work they were going to do.
And, uh, so then it says they sent them away. They didn't make the choice and send them away. They weren't appointing them. But we see that expression. That's where they said, OK, brothers, now go. And uh, so they went.
But also, just a word of warning in connection with these things is found a couple of chapters later in connection with Paul and Barnabas, if you turn over to the 6th, the 15th chapter.
Uh, it's ready to start another trip.
Is it going to be just as happy and just as spirit filled as the previous one? Well, sadly no.
In chapter 15, verse 36, some days after notice, the orders changed. Paul said under Barnabas, he's now got the name Paul. In contrast to Saul. He's grown in the place that the Lord is giving him in work. And so he says separate. Uh, let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do.
And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was marked. I didn't notice it in the previous chapter, but it it in the 13th. But it said they took Mark with them in that first service and he ministered to them, uh, as a helper. But here it says Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought it not good to take him with them and departed from them.
John Mark was a relative of our assistance and the Apostle Paul perhaps discerned that this brother isn't ready for this. And the first trip had manifested that he wasn't one that would be suited to, uh, a second. But Barnabas is an affectionate man and he's turned aside by his family affection and, uh, he insists. So they separate and, uh, it says.
Verse 39, the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the other. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. And that's the end. We never hear a Barnabas service for the Lord again. It's not mentioned again. We at in the book of the Acts, what's mentioned is Mark grows and later on Paul uses Mark and he is seen, uh, as serviceable in the ministry. In contrast, Paul chose Silas and departed.
And the brethren seemed to see it without hindering Barnabas from what he was going to do. He did it. But the brethren I think we see in verse 40.
Departed being recommended by the brethren under the grace of God. And it's a solemn thing if our brethren can't, uh, express their fellowship with us in service to the Lord. But we also need to recognize that one trip is not a lifetime and we need help to.
Be in the mind of the Lord every time.
The last part of our chapter, we're not going to have time. I know the time is. I just received a note that BBQ is about 15 minutes late, so if we want to go, maybe.
5-7 minutes longer I would say that's feel free to.
It's really good, brother.
Uh, we didn't uh, get into the latter part of the chapter here. It's more in relationship to, uh.
Or, umm.
Our activity, uh, toward those that are without.
01:10:00
But I think it also applies to, uh, our relationship with our brethren.
The apostle says here, uh, well, in relation to, uh, the world, we are to provide things honest in the sake of all men.
Those that are without.
Uh, our testimony.
In business, or whatever capacity we are called to fulfill is important because the world is looking on and they will very quickly pick up an inconsistency in the life of the believer.
Some people say it doesn't matter what the world thinks about you. It does matter very much how we conduct ourselves in the world, in our interactions. Our behavior before those that are unsaved is very important. It brings dishonor on the name of the Lord if we do not act in an honest and upright way in our dealings and business matters or whatever it is the world is watching. They're not reading their Bible.
But they're reading you and I.
But the latter part of the chapter UMM brings out the thought of UMM.
Retaliation.
You know the Lord there was no one who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself as the Blessed One. He never defended himself.
He left the world without being cleared of the charges that were laid against him, but he never retaliated. He prayed for his enemies on the cross, you know that.
I think that's who affected the speed from the cross very much, as he heard the Lord, with all the ignominy and shame, praying for his enemy. Well, this is the line of truth the apostle is thinking up here. We're gonna have this situation rather than rise in our lives where there's going to be danger of bitterness towards someone who has.
Offended us.
This is going to arrive and Satan will capitalize upon it, and we have to be very careful.
How are we to treat that situation? Retaliate. Are we going to say, well, I'll avoid that brother behind his back or I'll get even with it? That is not the spirit of Christ. You know, we're all we have an old nature.
He likes to act in that way, every one of us. What if God acted toward us in that way, brethren? Where would we be?
The way we have acted toward the Lord and the grace and the mercy and the compassion that he has shown to it. So the apostle said, if thine enemy hunger. Now I'm looking at this in a broad sense. I know our brethren are not our enemies, but they may act in a way that.
Offends us and hurts us.
How are we going to act? Well, we should be in prayer. But if thine enemy hunger, feed him. If he thirst, give him drinks. For so doing thou shalt keep coals of fire on his head.
Showing kindness.
Brother has done an unkind act towards you.
Look for the first opportunity to do a kindness to that brother. Don't hold feelings. They'll they'll escalate into bitterness.
And beware, many can be defiled. Uh.
That root of bitterness, not judge, will spring up sooner or later, and many can be defiled. This has happened amongst the gathered things many times, you know. But the point that I'm trying to make here, keep all the fire upon his head. So kindness to him.
And that that kindness will lead him to self judgment. The fire here speaks of judgment.
Umm, you'll be ashamed of the way that he has acted and uh, it will lead him to to self judgment and to restoration. Be not overcome of evil with my bad temper.
Alas, I have too often, I'm afraid. Uh, if my bad temper puts you into the into a bad temper, you'd mean overcome of evil. But, uh, we.
BRT overcome this evil with growth. That's the spirit of Christ. Well, I think we have to acknowledge rather than how we fail in these things. But when we see the blessed Lord in the way we act.
01:15:05
Redid us just turned to that person closing that another brother has something to add here. Ephesians chapter uh.
At your board.
32 / 31 at all different and raw and anger and clamor and evil speaking, we put away from you with all malice.
Notice in verse 32.
Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted.
Member layer hearings on her late brother April.
Uh, when there was conflict in the family area, when the, uh, children, uh.
Some uh, situation would arise further like.
Upheaval, you might say. Used to have them write out this verse.
Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven youth.
What a wonderful life example you have there.
How do you explain verse 18?
Implies we have a limitation and then we can explode.
Well, first.
Don't you love?
Umm, as we are to uh.
Pray that we might be quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty. We shouldn't stir up problems.
I think that we in regard to our relationship outside the assembly.
Did you think that certainly would apply within the assembly too? Not to compromise the truth, no. But, uh.
Let's not be a cause of, uh, of strength in the assembly, but we don't, we don't go looking for trouble, you know, whether it's in amongst the people of God or whether it's in the world. We don't go looking for trouble. We seek to be a faithful testimony in the measure in which God gives us and have.
A sensitivity to the to the situation. I I'll just give you a little example.
When I'm in Egypt, I do not give out gospel tracts in Egypt.
Because the first time I ever went there, the brethren said to me, Jim, if you give out a gospel tract on the streets of Cairo.
And you're brought up to the authorities because you're Canadian, you will be given a warning or perhaps sent home. But they said we will be the ones that are left behind to pick up the pieces because we have there are two of our names on your visa form and we are associated with you. Well, I don't do anything, well, I mean Egypt that would stir up strife either in the, the connection with the government, the authority.
Or that would cause a problem amongst my brethren after I'm gone. We need to use wisdom in our testimony for Christ, in our service for Christ. You know, some of us can have more zeal and wisdom when it comes to our service for Christ. And if we have more zeal than wisdom, then we may not be living peaceably with all men. Would that be right, John? There's the other side, of course, that, uh, we can expect persecution if we're facing.
What what Jim says is very true. I've been arrested in Egypt for giving out drugs.
Flew over and it didn't uh, develop into anything but uh, I have to get to the police station and then.
I was delivered over the mouth of the line.
Probably closed, but I think we should close the meeting, let's say 33 in the appendix.
Thought of this hymn at the beginning of the meeting as well, and particularly the last couple of verses.
Come my soul, take up the cross, count the game, despise the loss. Labor for and with the Lord brings exceeding great reward. Hymn #33 in the appendix.