Scranton Conference: 2013
Table of Contents
2 Timothy 1:1-7
Reading
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Lord, thou hast drawn us after thee. Now let us run and never tire, 166.
Lord, thou test.
Standard.
Never.
Come to my present shall.
Thyself honorable, thy soul dreams time.
Our president.
Save the wild dwarf care North and flowers here.
I.
Our strength, our.
Shape of.
Our world.
Change the world, thy gracious.
And in life.
Being hard to the world, I can never hear.
I mean, God and Father, we just thank Thee for the opportunity that we have to open my word this morning. We just pray that now by Thy Holy Spirit, I might direct to the passage the portion that would be planned by Thee, our God, to feed our souls. We pray for each one who is led by Thy Spirit to participate, that they've been given wisdom in what they say, and to that glory would be brought.
To the name, our God of thy beloved Son. We thank thee so much, Lord Jesus, for dying for us and providing for us in our life down here. And we just thank thee for our brethren. Pray that we would enjoy our time together, first with thee, Lord Jesus, and then with one another. Give thee our thanks and our praise, Lord Jesus and my precious name, Amen. Amen.
Focus Second Timothy.
00:05:00
Chapter One.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus. To Timothy, my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father in Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience.
That without ceasing, I have remembrance of Thee in my prayers night and day.
Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance the unseen faith that is indeed which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice. And I am persuaded that in thee also, wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God.
Which is indeed by the putting on of my hands.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou, therefore a shame of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God.
Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but it now may manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality.
Light through the Gospel.
Where unto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles, for the which 'cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed.
And to him against that day, hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.
That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me.
Of whom by jealous and her MO homogeneous, the Lord give mercy unto the House of omniscience. For He OFT refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. But when He was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me the Lord. Grant unto him, that he may found mercy of the Lord in that day, and in how many things?
He ministered unto me at Ephesus. Thou knowest very well.
I think it's general knowledge that this is probably the last epistle that the apostle Paul wrote. In the 4th chapter and the sixth verse he says the time of my departure is at hand, so he's encouraging Timothy his.
Son in the Faith.
To continue.
And a word that seems to be interesting in the first chapter that occurs 3 times is the word ashamed.
Notice in verse eight he says to Timothy, B not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. And in verse 12 he says, for the which 'cause I suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed. And then we have Vanessa for us, who was not ashamed of Paul's chain.
00:10:05
You know the.
Lord's testimony in the day that we live is not a popular thing.
Times people look at what we are and brother and it's not about us.
It's about the Lord Jesus. But when they look at us, they say, what in the world do these people think they are?
And if you look at us, there's quite a few things to be ashamed of.
But when it's the testimony of our Lord that we're talking about, it changes the whole picture. And I think it's really encouraging to see the way the apostle Paul.
He was right at the end of his pathway here.
It looked like complete failure. Where was he in prison? What was ahead? He's going to get his head cut off.
And how about the brethren? Oh, all those in Asia have forsaken me.
It looked like complete failure. And yet Paul is not ashamed. And to me that is tremendously encouraging. Brethren, we have something that is so tremendously valuable. There is no need to be ashamed. But that's the way the world would project it to us so that we might be ashamed. Let's be encouraged. Let's not be ashamed of the Lord's testimony.
Might be helpful to.
Get a little insight into who this man was that Paul was writing to and what characterized Timothy. And we know Timothy was one who had no doubt been saved through the ministry of the apostle Paul, encouraged, gathered to Lord's name, and traveled with Paul. But I was thinking of a little portion in Philippians 2 That gives us a little insight as to the character of Timothy.
And what his desire was for the truth and the Saints of God. Let's go back and we'll just read it briefly in Philippians chapter 2.
And verse 19.
But I trust in the Lord Jesus, descend Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ.
But you know the proof of him, that as a son with the with a father, he hath served with me in the gospel. Him therefore, I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. And so we get a little insight into Timothy here. Timothy was a man who had a real care for the Saints of God, and Paul was encouraging him in the epistle we're reading.
To go on with that care and value of the truth, even though it was indeed the last days and perilous times. And Paul had confidence in writing to Timothy at the very end of his life. I know it was directed of the Spirit of God, but the but inspiration leaves room for the exercise and character of the writer to come out. It's very different than dictation. And so Paul at the end of his life had every confidence to write to this young man.
Of all people that he writes to at the end, it's Timothy. Why? Because Timothy was a man who liked the Apostle Paul, had a care for the Saints and a desire for their well-being.
He could earlier send them to Philippi with confidence. He could now pass the torch, so to speak, to Timothy with confidence, knowing that Timothy would take up that torch not only to hold fast the truth, but to minister to the Saints in the spirit that was needed in the last days, because it's possible to hold the truth. But we must, brethren, in these days in which we live, hold it in the proper spirit.
And pass it on with the proper care that is needed. And that's why at the end of the epistle he says to Timothy, the Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. It's a very unique way. And there's two or three epistles end in this way. But it's a very unique way for the apostle Paul to end his epistle, and especially to an individual. Why? Because he says, as it were, Timothy.
00:15:20
You're going to have to have your spirit preserved, your attitude, the spirit in which you take up the truth and seek to pass it on to the next generation and care for the flock of God at the end is going to have to be right if there's going to be a preservation of the Saints of God. Well, I appreciate this chapter being suggested because it's very relevant and needful for the day we live in. We're right down.
In these days, parallel to the days that the apostle was writing to this young man, Timothy.
You speak of the word ashamed brings to mind.
Verse in Romans Chapter 9, which is actually a quotation from the Old Testament.
Romans 9 and verse 33.
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion, the stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed, or my margin reads confounded. Well then, we have repeated in the next chapter in verse 11 of Romans 10, for the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him.
Shall not be ashamed.
I believe outwardly perhaps the Christian today may seem to be a loser because.
He don't seem to be.
Benefiting, you might say, from.
The advantages of pursuing the things of this world.
But.
The end of a thing is what really decides the true issue.
And there's a word that says, oh, that men were wise, that they would consider their latter end.
Now the Lord Jesus suffered in this world and he was despised.
And he was rejected of men.
And no doubt there were many that would say anybody would follow him.
Will be a shame, will be confounded. It's not the way to go. And then he ends up on a cross.
In humiliation and seeming defeat.
But last weekend we had in Saint John.
The wonderful future.
That lies before the Christian, but also.
How the Lord is going to reveal himself to this world in Matthew 24, it tells us that he's going to be.
Appeared in power and great glory.
And as Christians, we're going to be associated with him at that time.
Now, that's nothing to be ashamed about.
But I do believe that if we're going to be looking at the world's viewpoint today.
We could easily become misdirected, get our eye off the Lord.
And think that we're on the right track, but I do believe has have it here.
To put one's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Results in success.
And one in that category will not be ashamed or confounded.
God's answers and resurrection isn't it And.
I think that is very helpful because the Lord's life too, appeared like complete defeat.
His 12 disciples. One was a traitor, another one who promised to never deny him, denied him three times, and the rest escaped.
What did he have to show? He hung until he was dead on the cross. It didn't appear like triumph, did it? But I like the verse in the second chapter, and I think this is what it refers to in verse eight of the second chapter. Remember.
00:20:11
It says Timothy.
And then the new translation that that isn't in there, remember, Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. So he's encouraging Timothy this way. It appeared as if it was defeat in the case of the Lord Jesus, but God's answer was in resurrection. And oh, what an answer, brother. The Lord Jesus now is at the pinnacle of all authority.
His name is higher than any name in the whole universe. And so the apostle Paul, it appeared as his life was defeat too. But God's answers and resurrection, we should never forget that. And even things look discouraging down here. Let's keep our eyes on the future day. You know, going back to our chapter in the first verse there he speaks of the promise of life.
Which is in Christ Jesus.
You know, the life that we have in the Lord Jesus is a life that is beyond death.
It is on the other side. It is in new creation. That's the life that we have. That's the eternal life. It's a life that death cannot touch any longer. But it's not the life that we look at down here, naturally speaking.
And when you see young people full of life, that's great, it's natural, it's normal. But remember, the life that we're born with into this world is not the life we're talking about here. The life that we have in the Lord Jesus is a life that is beyond death in new creation. And so we need to live in view of that life, the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.
We have it if we're believers in the Lord Jesus, but we need to learn to live it. Not only just say I have eternal life, but live it.
Sometimes we live the natural life. We like to have all our comforts and we don't remember that that's not necessarily the life that we're we have in Christ. Life that we have in Christ is beyond death. Wonderful, wonderful truth.
And so the resources to live this even in the last days are as limitless as they ever were. And that's what Paul goes on to encourage Timothy. Because we might say, well, it's okay to talk about these things, but look at the day we live in. We're right down at the end. And it's true, brethren, we are down at the end. It's true that the moral and spiritual darkness is deepening over this planet earth every day.
But it is interesting that Paul brings out three things in the second verse that our resources for Timothy to go on in the last days and perilous times. The first thing is grace, because grace is what preserves us in the path of faith and service. And that grace is as available today and as limitless as it's ever been. And is it something that's just given to a special class of Christians?
A special group that have attained to some level of spirituality. No of all we received of his fullness and grace upon grace. Do we need more grace? It says he giveth more grace. So grace is what preserves us in the path. But then he says mercy. Paul only adds mercy at the beginning of an epistle when it's to an individual.
He never puts mercy in connection with the greeting to an assembly because the Church has never looked at collectively as the object of mercy. The bride of Christ is looked at as the object of love. But individually we are the objects of mercy. And if grace preserves us in the path, then when we fail, mercy is what restores us. And aren't we thankful for that restoring mercy of God?
Often we need his mercies. Maybe there's someone here this morning and you say, well, I've come to these meetings, but I haven't availed myself of the grace of God like I should. I've certainly failed. I've come to these meetings having let God down, let the Lord Jesus down. But this restoring mercy, David failed and he failed grievously in his pathway, But he said, the Lord restoreth my soul.
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And he said, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And then there's something else. There's peace, because peace is so that we can go through the circumstances without the worry and the trouble and being overwhelmed. And this piece, I suggest is the same piece that the Lord Jesus left with his disciples at the end of his pathway.
He said, Peace I give unto you not as the world give, I give unto you, let not your heart be troubled. He referred to it as my peace. What peace was that? The Lord Jesus walked through a troubled world amidst all kinds of obstacles and difficulties and ups and downs, with a peace and calm that came from walking in communion with His Father and doing the Father's will.
And you and I can go through the last days and perilous times, not with outward peace in our circumstances, but we can go through this world with the same peace inwardly in our souls, the peace of God that passeth all understanding. And what does it do? It keeps our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, so we can live the Christian life as Timothy was encouraged to do in these difficult times.
Not looking for better or brighter days down here, but availing ourselves of His grace, His mercy, and that limitless and wonderful peace.
I was thinking that the apostle.
Is speaking to a young man here who?
Have the tendency to be timid.
And he had various limitations, but.
He also encourages him in the verse six. I could be in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee, by the putting on of my hand.
I believe that.
All with.
He had imparted a gift to Timothy.
That does not happen now, but.
Had that authority to impart a gift to him, but there was the tendency to.
To be discouraged when things were in such a.
Low condition as depicted in this epistle, when all they that were in Asia had forsaken the apostle. They hadn't given up Christ, but they had. They did not want to walk in that path of separation from the world as a heavenly people. Timothy could have been discouraged and said, what is the use of ministering the gift that I have?
But the apostle.
Says, Stir it up. I was thinking of the verse in first Timothy 4:00 and 6:00, where we have this exhortation from Paul again to Timothy, If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, where unto thou hast detained. That was an exhortation for Timothy to.
To.
Give attention to the doctrine that Paul had imparted to him, Paul's doctrine, because generally it has been given up and Christendom today. And that's what we have brought before us in this epistle, the declension in the Christian testimony and Paul in his pastoral epistle. Here he exhorts Timothy.
Continue on in that path. He had learned the doctrine.
By diligent study that Paul had had given to him. But now he says, don't give it up, Timothy. Stir up the gift, strengthen the things that remain.
00:30:11
And that's what we have here in the first chapter.
In verse three we have something I find helpful.
He says, I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of Thee in my prayers night and day.
Conscience is something that every human being has.
When man was created and put into the Garden of Eden, he was put in in innocence.
And when he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
He got a conscience. If you look at the word conscience, you take off the con on it. What's left is science or knowledge.
With knowledge.
And innocence means simply without knowledge of good and evil. But it's interesting to think about this brother. And it's mentioned quite a few times in First and Second Timothy.
Question of conscience. Sometimes it's a good conscience.
And here it's a pure conscience. But how important it is to.
Walk before God.
In exercise of heart.
And Paul says it well, I think in.
Acts Chapter.
I think it's 24.
And verse 16 he says.
Herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.
Sometimes, you know, we kind of go along with other people. They do that. Well, OK, I guess I can do that too.
You need to learn to walk in exercise before God yourself. God has given you a conscience.
Somebody has said that conscience is like a pair of good eyes.
I've got good eyes, I can see everybody here.
But to be able to see, I need more than good eyes. I need light, and it's light that makes my eyes function properly. And so the conscience is not in itself a guide. Someone has said it's a good policeman.
But it's not a guide. The guide is the Word of God and the Spirit of God in US and that new nature that we have. But the conscience is a policeman, and when you do something, you know it's not right.
Your conscience immediately tells you you did something wrong. And sometimes, you know, we like to kind of quench the voice of conscience. Be quiet.
And we don't listen. That's not right. We need to exercise ourselves to have always before God a conscience void of offence. Paul didn't say I always have a good conscience. I hear somebody, people say that sometimes I don't have to. I don't have a conscience against that. OK, you might not, but maybe you need to get more into the light to see what the word of God says about it.
And then to exercise yourself, not because somebody else says it's right or wrong.
But you yourself in the light of the word of God, to discern, to be exercised, to have a conscience void of offence. Here it says a pure conscience. The end of Hebrews, Paul says.
Because we believe it was he that wrote the epistle. He says pray for us, for we trust that we have a good conscience. I like that. He doesn't say, yeah, I always have a good conscience, but says we trust we have a good conscience. That's a conscience that's being exercised rather than we're walking in a world full of problems and sometimes we slip into it and we need to be.
00:35:15
Constantly exercised, we're never out of danger as we walk through this world, and so may the Lord give us tender consciences as we do walk through this world.
The opposite.
Tender or sensitive conscience be what we have in First Timothy 4.
Where we find there are those that have their conscience seared with a hot iron.
And we read about those in the first chapter of First Timothy, Hymenaeus and Alexander.
It says about them that they.
Have put away concerning faith made shipwreck.
And of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander.
Well, I believe that there was a warning to these ones concerning.
Their beliefs, but apparently they ignored it and the conscience becomes hardened and as a result.
The doctrine concerning Christ, sound doctrine, it's set aside in favor of that.
Which accommodates their false teaching and helps to ease the conscience. And so the truth is lower.
Now I was told, and I hesitate to mention this, but there is a.
Translation of the Bible that's just been produced.
It's called the Queen James Version of the Bible, and it promotes homosexuality.
As though it's of God. Well, we know it's not. But the point here is that there are those that are trying to accommodate their false belief by putting out this that they say is scripture. So I think we need to indeed maintain a sensitive conscience, a tender conscience, and.
It speaks here about a pure conscience.
Which doesn't mean that we do everything perfect, that we don't make any mistake.
But if we do make a mistake, to be willing to acknowledge it.
And.
You know, it's been said.
There's something even worse than sin itself, and that is.
A unwillingness to admit it.
And that's a big problem. So I think a pure conscience involves continual self judgment.
So if I think wrong thoughts or if I say something wrong or I do something wrong to be willing to admit it.
You know, and to confess it and to repent of it.
And of course, then Communion is restored. It's a happy thing.
Pure conscience, very important, but it's not that somebody is going to be perfect all the time.
And it doesn't say a good conscience here, does it? It's a pure conscience. And he says, I've served from my forefathers that that's interesting. And I think Paul, even before he was saved, was doing what he thought was right. He was doing what he thought was right.
But he was having ****** of conscience, the Lord said to him when he arrested him on the road to Damascus.
It is hard for thee to kick against the ******. When he saw Stephen dine with his face shining like an angels.
There must have been tremendous tricks of conscience.
And so it wasn't a good conscience, but he was doing what he thought was right. That shows the importance of light on our consciences. That's a continual thing, brethren. That's why it's so important, the constant reading of the Word of God.
00:40:14
So another illustration, someone has said the conscience is like the eye. I might have 2020 vision, but if I'm in a dark room, I'm going to trip over anything that's in my way. You say, well, why did you trip? You have 2020 vision. Well, I didn't have light, but you turn on the light now and you see all the obstacles. You can navigate your way across the room in a way that is for your own safety and the safety of others.
And I really believe, as we've been saying, that that's what a pure conscience is. It's a conscience that's guided by the light. And where are we going to get the light? It's the light of God's word. And Paul sought by the grace of God to act on the light that he had at the at the at the time. And so when that light shone on him on the Damascus road, and he was brought into the light of Christianity in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
Then he sought to act by grace on that light. Before he met the Lord, he had light too. It was the light of the Old Testament, and he acted on that as well. And doing that he thought he ought to do many things contrary to Christianity. That's why he could stand before the council in the 23rd chapter of Acts and say to the council that he had acted in good conscience up until that very moment. He'd acted on the light that he had.
And so if I can just illustrate another way to a pure conscience is like everything run through the filter. You know, you may have some water, you may have some liquid that's not pure. What's the answer? There's really nothing wrong with the liquid apart from the impurities while you run it through a filter.
And when it's run through the filter, it's the same liquid, but the filter has taken out that which is not good. And how are we going to run things through the filter? Brethren, we have the Word of God here. But I'd like to just say this too. And before we pass on from this third verse, there was something else that the apostle Paul recognized was important in connection with the encouraging Timothy to go on in the truth in the last days.
He was also praying for Timothy. He knew that if Timothy was going to be preserved and to go on and to minister to the Saints and to utilize the gift that had been given to him, he was going to need prayer and he was going to need lots of it. And so the apostle Paul didn't cease to pray for Timothy. He prayed for him night and day that he would be preserved. You know, brethren, sometimes we can exhort one another.
And we need to. We can encourage one another. We can point out things that need to be corrected in one another. We can sometimes come down hard on our younger brothers and sisters and tell them they need to be living this way and that way and not allowing this and that in their life.
All fine and well. The apostle Paul does that with Timothy, but at the beginning of his exhortation here, he reminds Timothy that he's praying for him. How much do we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ? If we prayed for our brothers and sisters in Christ as much as we exhorted them and corrected them, it would have a tremendous effect, wouldn't it? It would have more effect on what we say to them on our ministry.
And it would have more effect on the reaction and the spirit in which it is received. And we would no doubt see far more blessing amongst the people of God, far more power individually and collectively, if we sought to carry out what Paul sought to carry out here. So he doesn't just exhort and encourage and correct and admonish Timothy, but he says, Timothy, I'm praying for you.
And that's where the power of preservation comes, doesn't it? And if we pray for one another, name by name and need by need, I believe it will give us the proper spirit and attitude in our interactions, one another with one another. And as I say, there will be more power in what we say and how it's received.
Might mention that the just to.
00:45:03
Make another comment about conscience that we do have in God's sight a purged conscience. That's part out in Hebrews and several verses you will remember.
That's our standing before God through the work of Christ. A purge conscience.
Will never be judged for those sins that we've committed, because the blood of Christ has given us the perfect standing before God.
But the pure conscience or a good conscience has to do with our state, and that's only maintained, as has been mentioned, through self judgment and a careful walk in the presence of the Lord. Is that right, Bob? That's Hebrews 914. That was, that's good. I was going to mention that too. I'm glad you did mention that.
Now that we've been brought to the Lord Jesus.
Do we have any consciousness of all the sins we used to commit?
Yes, I would say we do.
But it's a purged conscience, it's been taken care of at the cross completely, and it's a wonderful thing to realize.
I was going to comment a little bit more about what Wally mentioned in First Timothy. Four of the Conscience Seared with a hot iron. You know, they used to be blacksmiths that used to, they don't use blacksmiths so much today, but sometimes down in Latin America you still see blacksmiths.
And it's interesting to watch him work. And they get, they usually use some heavy gloves, canvas gloves, but sometimes they get so calloused in their hands that they just grab the hot irons with their bare hands. And their hands get extremely calloused. They don't feel it any longer. And when a person sins and sins and sins, their conscience gets calloused people.
In the Second World War.
Did awful atrocities of killing people, they come home to be with their family at night, hardly seemingly any conscience about it. Did they still have conscience? Yes, Conscience was still there. And I sometimes say, you take one of those blacksmiths with calloused hands, you take a pin and shove it down through the callus. Is he going to jump? You said he's going to jump. He still feels that.
And he still has a conscience, but sometimes it takes something to get down through the callousing. And that's what it is. And how important it is for us as believers now to be sensitive. And we see in our chapter here in verse four that Timothy was a sensitive person. He was a young man. And I think we can say from first Timothy 4 that he was a timid person.
And here it seems to.
Show that he says, being mindful of thy tears. It was a sensitive person. That's beautiful to see those things that affected the Lord. He felt Timothy and what you read there in second chapter, Philippians said I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state.
And when things weren't going right with the brethren, Timothy felt it. And there were tears about it. That's beautiful.
Well, Timothy had a godly heritage as we mentioned, as is mentioned here.
From his forebears. And we need to.
Think of our heritage to brethren, because the Lord has brought us into a place of.
Great privilege.
Having the truth in its purity.
Paul's doctrine, which generally is given up in Christendom today, and that full revelation of the heart of God and the purposes of God and so on. So we have a heritage, but we have also responsibility. And as we see in this epistle, there was a general giving up, abandoning the truths that the apostle had suffered to bring out.
00:50:04
And.
The fall exhorts Timothy to hold fast.
That which he had received, and to minister it, pass it on in the same way in which he had received it and.
That's our privilege as well as in my.
Like to just say a word about that because I realized there are some here this morning that haven't been brought up in a Christian home, didn't have a God, have God fearing parents. And it's wonderful that the Lord has come in and saved you and brought you to the meetings, gathered you perhaps to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think of what David said in the 27th Psalm. When my mother and father forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.
And maybe there's someone here and your mother and father aren't happy that you're at meetings like this. Well the Lord takes you up and evaluates it but has been pointed out. Timothy had a godly heritage. He had a God fearing mother, grandmother and A and a godly mother. And just go over to the 4th chapter and you'll see it developed a little bit.
I'll read first of all the 14th verse of the third chapter. I'm sorry, chapter 3 and verse 14.
But continue thou, in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of knowing of whom thou has learned them. Now in this verse, what Paul is referring to as the things that he had learned from Paul. Timothy had learned the truth from the apostle Paul, as we said earlier. He'd been saved, no doubt, under the ministry of the apostle Paul. He'd had the privilege of being with Paul on a number of occasions, and he had learned from Paul, and he was too, as we know from this epistle.
Take what he had learned from the apostle Paul and to pass it on to faithful men who would be able to teach others also. And that work is still going on today. That's how the truth has been passed down from generation to generation, not just to anybody, but to faithful men from one generation to another. And God has maintained that way of the truth being passed down. But now I want to notice in verse 16 of that third chapter, verse 15 of that third chapter.
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 again, Paul reminds Timothy that from a child he had known the Holy Scriptures. That would have been the Old Testament Scriptures that would have been available to him at that time. How did he know those scriptures? Because at least on his mother's side, he had had.
A godly heritage, and Paul reminds Timothy of this. But two things I want to say in regard to this. One is, for those of us who have had that kind of heritage, do we value it and appreciate it? And secondly, the day came for Timothy when he had to make these things good in his own soul. And so Paul reminds him that he'd known the Scriptures from the time he was a child, but then it came to the point where it was through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
It came to personal, individual faith, and not only to receive the Lord Jesus as his Savior personally himself, but to buy the truth for himself, to take hold of it for himself. And Paul, having seen that with Timothy, then, as we've been saying, had confidence to be able to pass the torch on to Timothy, knowing that he would pass it on to faithful men.
But for those of us like myself who had that heritage, do we value it? And for those of you who are younger, you know, I have to hang my head and say I didn't appreciate it. I didn't value it when I was younger. Like I ought to have learned to value and appreciate godly parents, godly grandparents, and learn to appreciate it while you're young. It will save you and spare you from many things.
Parents too, because there was a grandmother.
There was a mother and here was a son. 3 generations.
But faith is not something that is inherited naturally. How does it come? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And you know, I sometimes notice that sometimes in homes I see that there were scriptures are not read to the children or with the children.
00:55:20
And sometimes I've heard this excuse. I don't know how to explain it. It doesn't say that faith comes by explaining the word of God. It comes by hearing it. Just read it. Let it get into the ears and hearts of those dear children. What a tremendous blessing it is to fill those little fresh.
Recorders.
With the precious Word of God. And so it had its effect on Timothy.
A grandmother, a mother. We don't know much else about them except that they were women of faith. The father was All we know about him was he was a Greek.
And so we don't even know if he had faith, but what a man of God Timothy was because of the influence and help of a grandmother and a mother.
The exhortation here in verse 6 is good for each one of us.
God has imparted a gift and ability to all of us.
The sisters and the brothers, we're all servants of the Lord. As every man hath received the gift or the ability, Even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. We're going to have to give an account.
In that coming day as to how we have used what God has entrusted to us and that applies. That's a stewardship and that applies to everything. It applies to the gift that God has imparted to us. It applies to the use of our.
Temporal resources.
Our time and whatever. But here the apostle says to Timothy, stir it up, use it.
Don't, don't become, don't become dormant. You know, there's the tendency in difficult times to become dormant and become, become discouraged. But this is a good exhortation for every one of us.
The Lord has given you an ability. It's not for yourself. It's for the benefit and the blessing of the people of God and the Church of God. There's a responsibility connected with it, as well as a privilege to stir it up and to to use it for the Lord's glory.
It's interesting, John, I think you mentioned it before in First Timothy 4.
But in verse 14 he mentioned something similar. There he says neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given the.
By prophecy.
With the laying on of the hands of the presbytery or the elders. In other words, I take it that those were Timothy was those who were in positions of of guiding the Lord's people.
Discerned in Timothy a gift and they laid their hands on him. Just like we shake hands, say give you the right hand of fellowship, Timothy, the Lord has given you something special, Use it. And we're in fellowship in the use of your gift. That's that's beautiful, that's precious in Second Timothy. It's not the hands of the Presbyterian, it's just my hands, Paul says.
And I suggest that, Paul, because gifts really come.
From the Lord directly according to Ephesians four and 1St Corinthians 12, they're gifts of the Spirit and in Romans 12, there are gifts given by God. And I agree, John, that every person that is a believer in the Lord Jesus has a gift. We need to be exercised to use it in that day when we peer before the judgment seat of Christ and the Lord says to you.
01:00:23
Dear young brother or young sister, I gave you a gift. What did you do with that gift?
Are you gonna say I I didn't even realize what my gift was? I don't think it's necessary to specifically know your gift. What's necessary is to be responsive to the Lord's direction in your life. The Lord lays something on your heart. Do it.
And in time, in the use of a gift, it becomes apparent what gift an individual might have.
And so it's important, Paul here in Second Timothy, he says, stir it up in the Spanish translation that says wake up the gift of God that's in you.
I look around the young people in this room and say, man, what a lot of gift in this room.
Are you using your gift?
Remember, the use of those gifts will have implications for all eternity.
How important to be aware of it. Sometimes we're very intense about developing our natural gifts. If you have gifts in sports or music, those are natural gifts or talents perhaps we could say, but they're not going to have the implications that those spiritual gifts.
Have so be exercised each one, as to what the Lord might have you do.
Be faithful in that which is least, and if you are faithful in the least things, then you will be faithful when the Lord gives you more as well. Important to be exercised about it. But Paul laid his hands on Timothy and I think that was to encourage him.
And to say, like you mentioned, Brother John Timothy, you have a gift. And sometimes, brethren, we discern that there are gifts in young people we need to encourage in the right way, not to puff up, but to encourage. Remember some of the older brethren that were an encouragement to me early on.
Remember Brother Ernie Wakefield coming up to me after a meeting one time and he said the Lord keep you brother.
I really appreciated that.
What you're saying because?
Sometimes it's not just as easy as you're bringing before us the the thought of being able to exercise.
The gift that a brother has.
And I'll, I'll just relay just what the apostle is saying to Timothy here and the way he brings it to Timothy. He expresses his thoughts here in this epistle as a father to a son. He does that to Timothy. He also does it to Titus. Then in these 3 verses that we're looking at, he takes up the heritage that Timothy has.
Very good heritage. You've brought before us earlier that Timothy had the tendency to be a timid brother.
And that he has a tremendous heritage. He's had the word of God poured into him, not just by his mom, but by his grandma. It's there. And now not only does he have the word of God poured into him, but he's got a gift. He has a gift. And now, now the apostle says, you know.
Need to stir that up.
It's be nice to hear.
About this gift, well, he says here.
Wherefore I put the inner remembrance of thou Spirit, the gift of God, which is in thee, by putting out of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. Now evidently Timothy was not only of a timid nature, but perhaps was characterized by fear.
01:05:06
Now I'd like to turn to the end of First Corinthians for a moment.
1St.
The apostle writes to the Corinthians here who were an assembly that as we go through it, we realized there were gifted brethren here in Corinth.
Those that had a gift.
Now the apostle he, he has a desire that Timothy go and spend some time here amongst the Corinthians. Now notice what he says in verse 10. Now if this is First Corinthians 16 and verse 10. Now if Tumultius come, see that he may be among you without fear, for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I do, as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him, but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me, for I look for him.
With the brethren.
I read that verse. I'm also going to read the next verse which says, as touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren, for his will was not at all to come at this time, but he shall come when he shall have convenient time. Notice it does not say, the apostle does not say when he's speaking about Apollos in the Corinthians. See that Apollo's be be among you without fear. Why?
Because applause was of a very strong character.
Apostle was not going to ride there and just sit in the back row and not say anything. He was going to ride there like a bulldozer. That was his character we read earlier. He was an eloquent man. He was mighty in the Scriptures.
And there can be the tendency for us to give place to the Apollos character. And what happens? It's to the neglect of the Timothy character. Now let's get very practical.
This morning we have heard much from those that have the Apostles character.
Anything wrong with that? No, it's very good. It's very important. But there are those that have the Timothy character.
And because.
Of what the apostle is bringing before Timothy, that timid nature, that desire to stir up the gift, that desire for him to have the place to present to the Saints what he had because he worked the work of God, just like the apostle Paul did.
Because there's the the tendency of the strong character.
To take over.
The character of the Timothy is neglected. So yes, it's nice to to say to a young brother, stir up the gift that is within you.
But it needs to get placed to that gift as well. And so we find that with the apostle writing for the Corinthians, he knew that Timothy was was of a timid character. He knew that Timothy had something to give to the Saints at Corinth.
But he realized that those in Corinth were of such a strong character that perhaps Timothy was not going to be able to have a place. And isn't it nice? I appreciate, brother Bob, what you brought before us, the how, how in your your past life, there were those that had a tendency to encourage the gift and, and the desire for you to bring that before us this morning to seek to encourage the gift of a younger brother.
However.
It's good to give place to that gift as well as the apostle wrote the Corinth concerning 20 and how he did that. It's so instructive. You need to to look at the character of cost that we see throughout the word and see that the apostle doesn't say about apostles in Corinth. I see that he be among you without fear because he didn't have any. He really didn't have much, but Timothy did and there's going to be the tendency.
Because of character. It's not a question of whether the man is gifted, whether the man.
Has much to say whether the man has a gifted teaching. That's not the question. It's the question of character.
And it's the overbearing, I shouldn't say the overbearing. It's the strong character that has a tendency not to give place to the character of the Timothy that the Saints could so much benefit by if they were given a little space.
01:10:10
Should there not be fined even in a meeting like this? And we're waiting on the Lord to allow that to take place.
But sometimes we need a little excitation about it too.
Thank you brother.
No.
Well there is a scripture that says this space will be given to ones gift. I can't remember where I read that now.
That's Proverbs 18, verse 16. Man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great man.
That's what I was thinking.
It's nice to see a young brother.
With the exercise to.
Be a help to the Lord's people. It's an encouragement to us older ones, but it's nice to see him start in the prayer meeting.
Wouldn't be becoming for him to take perhaps a prominent place in public teaching, but.
He can gain that experience. Brother Gordon used to say, I like to see a young brother first of all begin in the prayer meeting. I thought that was good where he can I.
Express his feelings to the Lord in prayer and dependence, and then the Lord can enlarge this fear. What is in thine hand? The Lord said to Moses he only had a rod, yet that rod was used in a remarkable way.
So we all need that dependence upon the Lord and and also to recognize that the Lord has other servants that he can use.
I have an encouragement for the younger brothers there. It's my own experience.
When I have come saved and was gather the Lord's name that many times the Lord spoke to me to bring out of the hymn or something of his pictures, I would hold back.
And the power of the Lord was upon me so great, that sometimes I'd be so feel like I was going to be sick to give it out. But the Lord answered me by giving another brother to bring out the same verse or scripture.
Me, I told you to bring it out. If you're not going to bring it out, I'm going to have another brother to give it out. This was a lesson to me, encouraged me to start speaking when the Lord spoke to me.
That's just encouragement for the younger brothers here. Don't hold back. The Lord is talking to you to bring out something of the Lord if it truly went from the Spirit.
Just say before I know our time is gone. Lest anybody be discouraged. All gift is not public either. Timothy had a gift to encourage the Saints in a public way, as we've noticed from the scriptures that have been quoted and read. But all gift is not public. There are many who exercise their gift before the Lord for the blessing and edification of the body of Christ.
That have gifts that are not always recognized because they're not seen on the surface. And so everyone has a gift. I believe there's two things God gives every every person, every believer. One is natural ability and the other is gift. And God desires that we would use both our natural ability and our spiritual gift, be it great or small, be it public or hidden for His glory.
And it's required that as stewards of those two things that we will be given account in a coming day. And it's not the greatness of the gift that's going to get the reward, but it is whether we use that gift for the Lords glory or not.
Just say this to us, a little balance. In Corinth there was everyone had a Psalm, everyone had a doctrine. And we don't want to give the impression to that everyone can speak and just say what's on their mind or on their heart because that's wrong too. That only leads to confusion and God has given public gift as well as hidden gift. And again, it's the the question is, are we?
01:15:15
Using our gift as led by the by the Spirit of God for the Lord's glory and the edification of the people of God.
#13 in the appendix.
Child of God, my salvation.
Christ, Lord, say Amen.
Lord, you can find him every day.
Was sitting in the river.
All children.
Make it so. My prayer to praise.
Sweet pray, our God and our Father, we thank you for this time that we've had to consider.
These precious things from thy word we think of that life that we have that is in Christ Jesus and.
How?
Regardless of the things that are around us in this world, yet that is the life which we will have for all eternity and can take up and enjoy right now. By Thy word, we pray that Thou would help us to.
Spend more time with those things through Thy word, and especially that we may come to know that blessed man better through it. We thank Thee that we have Him as our object. We thank Thee that He is the One that.
Well, in that coming day, fill our hearts and our minds.
And that He can do so now. We pray that while we're here, we would be encouraged to continue on to take up more with what Thou has put in our hands to do, and to serve Thee while there's still time in this world where our Savior is yet rejected.
We thank you that it will not always be so, but soon He will come.
So we just look forward to that moment and give thee our thanks as we wait for it in the precious and worthy name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Four Men
Address—Jim Hyland
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Let's start this afternoon with 312. Lead on, Almighty Lord, lead on to victory. Encouraged by Thy blessed word with joy, we follow thee. 312 If someone could please start it.
We follow.
Pray so, I.
Let's ask God's help and blessing our blessed God and Father how thankful we are this afternoon for Thy blessed Word and the encouragement we receive from it. We thank thee for that which has been before our souls already today and now as we open and read it and meditate on it again.
We pray that there might be those portions that would again refresh and encourage our souls. We think of this meeting being scheduled as a young people's address. We pray that there might be a special portion for those who are young, but we pray that there might be that which would encourage each one of us so many needs here, lambs and sheep. We think of each one of us at different stages of our spiritual and physical growth, our God. We pray that there might be that which would edify us and build us up.
We thank thee most of all for the Lord Jesus Christ, who has made it all possible and is in his name. We pray and give thanks. Amen.
By way of introduction to some New Testament portions that I have before me this afternoon, like to read a couple of verses in the Old Testament in Isaiah chapter 40.
Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 30.
Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as Eagles. They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. In a few moments we're going to go to the New Testament, and with the Lords help, we're going to look at four men who are brought before us in connection with Paul's ministry. For men who were not told a great deal about, but in some way they encouraged and or exercise the Apostle Paul.
In his ministry and in his pathway here. But I read these two verses here at the end of Isaiah 40 by way of introduction.
Because while three of the four men were not given specific details as to their age, one of them, we are told, was a young man. The other three were not specifically told. But we're going to apply them in that way. As has been noted on our schedule, this address is particularly for our young brothers and sisters who are younger, those who are starting out in the path of faith and service and you know, when I was growing up and going to meetings like this as a young person.
I was always thankful for a special meeting where the young people were addressed, because I used to sit in meetings like this and wonder how am I going to get along through life. There's a lot of trials and difficulties and young people. If you think it gets any easier as you get older, not a chance. In fact, as you get older, they'll be, and I don't say this to discourage you, but there'll be more burdens and exercises. There'll be things brought to bear on your soul.
00:05:26
And I want to encourage you this afternoon, because as we said this morning, the resources that we have in Christ are available all through our lives. I like what the Psalmist said, David said in the 37th Psalm. He said, I have been young and now I'm old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. We sometimes sing a hymn through every period of my life, thy goodness I'll pursue, and so wherever we are in our Christian pathway.
Boys and girls here. There are those we refer to as young people. There are some who are raising families, some who are a little further along in the path of faith and service. But through every period of our lives and no matter what the circumstances, His Grace is sufficient.
But we find here a special word at the end of Isaiah 30 in connection with the youths, he says. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. If we were to stop at the end of this verse, it'd be a pretty discouraging message, wouldn't it? We'd have to say, well, there's no way, there's no hope. How can we get along through the circumstances of life? But he's going to go on and tell us here at the end of this chapter what the secret of spiritual energy and continuance.
Really is, and that's what I want to encourage our hearts today, because as we had this morning in connection with Timothy, Paul later on said to Timothy in that second epistle, continue thou. He and he wouldn't have said continue thou if there wasn't going to be the resources and the power to do it. We read in in John's epistle two of the young men, and they had strength. They had power not because they went to the gym and worked out twice a week.
Certainly nothing wrong with that, but their power and strength was because the word of God was abiding in them. And so he says, But but we don't have to faint, we don't have to fall in the Christian pathway, he says. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
You want strength for your pathway. You want power for your Christian life. It's only going to come by resting on the Lord Jesus. And then he brings before us three different conditions here. He says, first of all, they shall mount up with wings as Eagles. You know, we talk about soaring like an eagle. And when there's a problem, why the eagle? He rises above it. He soars above the problem. The Lord can help us to do that.
He can give us us Hinds feet so that we can leap over the wall. He can give us wings as Eagles so we can soar above the problem. But maybe there's a young person here this afternoon and you say it's okay to talk about soaring like an eagle, but I just can't seem to get above the problem. Well, there's something else. It says he shall run and not be weary. And a running person, maybe they can't get above the problem. But David said, by my God have I leaped over a wall. That's Heinz feet. That's to get over the problem, you say. No, I just can't do it. The walls seem so great.
But he also adds, by my God have I run through a troop. We're not going to see the removal of the enemy. We're not going to see the removal of the troop, Satan and his hosts. But we can run through the troop. You can't get above it. But the running person, he runs and he finds daily strength as thy day, so shall thy strength be. You say I'm not even running. They shall walk and not faint. Maybe you are this afternoon, just down to walking in your Christian pathway.
You can't soar like the eagle. You can't run like the athlete, but you're down to walking. They shall walk and not faint. And so we're going to go to the New Testament and we're going to see some men. And as I say, these men, some of them were a great encouragement to the Apostle Paul. Some of them were a burden and an exercise. Let's go, first of all to the Book of Colossians.
Colossians Chapter One.
00:10:00
Colossians Chapter one and verse 7.
As he also learned of Oregon, if you notice the new translation from Epifras, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ, who declared unto us your love in the Spirit, and then hold your finger, we're going to come right back here. But go to the 4th chapter.
Chapter 4 and verse 12.
Epifras who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you always.
Laboring for you, laboring fervently for you in prayers that you may stand perfect and complete in the will of God. For I bear him record that he hath great zeal for you and them that are in Laodicea, and them.
In Heropolis, and one more portion in the book of Philemon.
The book of Philemon and the 23rd verse.
There saluteth the Epiphros, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus. These references that we have read in connection with this first man I want to touch on Epifras are the only references we have to Epiphras in the word of God. And yet I believe they are a great encouragement to us. I'll just say this about these individuals that we read of in Scripture.
Some of them were told a great deal about there are men like Daniel in the Old Testament, the Apostle Paul and others, and we have a great deal of insight into their lives. Sometimes pages and pages taken up with their history, and it's certainly instructive and written for our learning. But then there are other individuals, men and women and young people that we only have a short statement or a few brief statements concerning.
And the difficulty sometimes is that these individuals, we often Passover very quickly, always spend a great deal of time meditating on the life of Daniel. Rightly so. We spend a great deal of time considering the life of Ruth and some of those women that were told a great deal about Esther and so on, and rightly so. But I want to just encourage you, in passing, to notice these individuals that sometimes there are just a few brief statements about.
Because no word of God is idle. Every word of God is pure, and if he makes a statement for some about someone, even mentions their name, notice the statement or the context in which it is made, you'll find it will be very, very instructive. And so we find this man Epifras, brought before us. Now, when I think of Epifras, I immediately think of a man of prayer. Again, we often consider those individuals of prayer in Scripture.
But here was a man of prayer. And yet there are some other things told us about Epiphras that ought to characterize each one of us. And these are things that encourage the heart of the Apostle Paul, and that Paul realized were a great blessing to the Saints first of all. And we didn't read the context in the first chapter of Colossians, but we find if we were to read the context, that Epiphras was a minister of Christ.
When Epifras spoke to the Saints, he spoke to them of Christ. You know, that's a good exercise for all of us, young and old, when we speak to one another, do we speak of the things of Christ? Now don't misunderstand me, young people. I'm not saying we shouldn't enjoy natural things. In fact, I get a little concerned sometimes when there are individuals who can't seem to enjoy natural things, and it is good sometimes to just chit, chat together, and so on.
But does our conversation eventually come around to Christ? Have we enjoyed something in our souls of the person and work of the Lord Jesus that we can share it with others? Epiphros. As a minister of Christ, he sought to encourage the Saints of God, and that's what we need today. Often we get together and we speak of things that discourage. Brethren, there's enough to discourage today.
We don't have to look for things that discourage today. There's plenty on every hand, and I'm not saying that we ignore things that sometimes have to be taken up and discussed and dealt with for the Lord's glory and so on. That's not what I'm saying. But when we get together, let's seek to share something of Christ, one with an with another. You young people, when you spend time in the dorms at night.
00:15:16
When you're together and with social media, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, with that, but use it to encourage your fellow believer in the Lord. And So what had Paul heard of from Epifras? It's not so much in the seventh verse of the first chapter that they learned of, but it's from.
Because when Epifras spoke to the Saints, he spoke to them of Christ. And when he spoke about the Saints to the apostle Paul, and I suspect anybody else, what did he do? He spoke of those things that he saw as positive in the Saints of God in that wonderful when he talked about the Saints at Colossae. When he gave a report to the Apostle Paul, he gave a report of encouragement. He spoke of what he saw of Christ in his brethren.
And we need to seek to do that. So often we get together and we say, well, you know, brother, so and so, Well, I better tell It grieves me to tell it, but I better tell you this. And sister, so and so she said this and she said that, oh, let's be careful, brethren, Let's when we if we can't say anything good about people, sometimes it's better to say nothing. When we speak about the Saints of God, we need to ask ourselves some questions. Is it true?
Is it necessary? Is it for the glory of God? And so Epifras, he had declared de Paul the love of the Saints. It's interesting. This is a little aside from our talk, but it's interesting that in the eighth verse, when it speaks of their love in the Spirit, it's the only time in the book of Colossians that we have the Spirit of God mentioned. We might ask ourselves why is it the only time that the Spirit of God is mentioned? Because I suggest that in the book of Colossians.
The Saints here at Colossae were losing their focus as Christ, as their object, as their head, and the main burden of the epistle to the Colossians is to bring before them Christ. Recently at a Bible conference, we took up this first chapter of Colossians, and I appreciated how different ones brought this very thing out, that it's Christ that our thoughts and our souls are directed to because they had lost sight or were losing sight.
Christ as their glorified head. And so He does mention the Spirit here. But it is the only time in the Epistle, it's Christ that is brought before us so beautifully throughout these these chapters. Well then, as I say, we find where we read later on in the 4th chapter.
We find that Epifras was a man who labored in prayer.
When he spoke to the Saints, he ministered Christ. When he spoke about the Saints, he spoke of their love in the Spirit and those things of Christ that characterized them. But he didn't stop there. He went to Christ and spoke to Christ about the Saints in that. Beautiful to see Do you and I, as we said this morning, seek by grace to do that? I'm going to mention something that really encouraged my heart. Recently I had the privilege of being at the camp in Michigan.
For a few days, and I think the thing that encouraged me the most was a little talk after the last hymn sing by a young brother who brought a laminated map of North America. And he pinpointed Grand Rapids on that map and he read a verse, I think, about prayer. I can't remember exactly which one it was. And he said, here we are today in Grand Rapids. Who are you praying for? Well, maybe you're praying for somebody over in Cuyahoga Falls. And he had a.
A magic marker. And he drew a line from Grand Rapids to Cuyahoga Falls. And then maybe you're praying for someone over here. And he drew another line.
And he kept doing that. And his point was, What does your prayer map look like? Who are you praying for? Is our if we were to draw lines on a map of the world, or any part of the world this afternoon, would our prayer map be a web of lines? It ought to be. I appreciated that. I I enjoyed that. I thought, what a good lesson for all of us, young and old. And so we find Epiphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ.
And he was a servant of Christ. He ministered to the Saints. But he didn't just minister to the Saints as a servant of Christ. He was a servant of Christ in praying for one another. You know, that's a service that we can all carry on for the Lord and the blessing of the Saints of God.
00:20:12
Perhaps there's a young person here and you say. You say, well, I just don't feel I've got a public gift. I just don't feel like it's given to me to some ministry publicly well be exercised. Maybe later on there will be a public ministry given to you. Only the Lord Himself knows. But in the meantime, you can labor in prayer for your brethren. And I take it when Epifras got alone with the Lord that He didn't just pray for the Saints in general.
You know it's good to pray for the Saints in Scranton and Smith falls in Vestal and wherever. We know there are Saints of God in a general way and that's good. But do we know what it is to pray for one another name by name and need by need? And not only that, do we know what it is to, as it says here, labor in prayer. Epifras didn't just mention the Saints names in passing, but I suggest there was real supplication involved.
And he knew many of the needs of the Saints of God. And I have no doubt he got into the presence of God in his closet.
Alone in his room. And he prayed name by name and need by need for the Saints. And so he's Epiphrasu is one of you, a servant of Christ saluted you, always laboring for you in prayer.
You know, I suggest too, that one of the reasons we don't always see the answers to prayer that we ought to is because we give up too easily. Epiphras was one who was always laboring in prayer for the Saints. I've been struck recently by a little expression in some of the epistles in connection with prayer. It appears several times, and that is continue continue in prayer and watch in the same.
Do we know what it is to continue in prayer? You know, sometimes even in our prayer meetings, I notice we pray for someone, we mention them on a Tuesday night or whatever night it is, and we pray for them maybe once. Maybe the next week we remember somebody remembers to pray for them again and then we move on. But do we know what it is to continue in prayer? I believe, as I say, we would see more results to prayer, more answers to prayer, if we would continue.
And what was Epifras praying in connection with the Saints? He was praying that they would stand perfect and complete in the will of God. He was praying that there would be growth and spiritual maturity amongst those that he was ministering to. Again, I believe we alluded to it this morning, but it's one thing to minister to the Saints, and I'm not talking now just about in a venue like this or a reading meeting like we had this morning.
But you know, we can all minister to one another as we have been saying. But as we minister to one another, do we spend as much time praying that those that we have the privilege of ministering to will grow and develop and that there would be spiritual maturity in their Christian lives? Now it's interesting when you go through Paul's epistles and you read of Paul and others who were praying.
It usually isn't in connection with the trials and difficulties and circumstances of life. Now don't misunderstand me. It's good to pray about the trials and circumstances and difficulties of life. And if our brothers and sisters in Christ are going through those kinds of difficulties, how good it is to pray for them in that regard? But you find that more often the Apostle and people like Epiphras were praying for the spiritual well-being.
Of the Saints of God, do we remember to pray in that way for the people of God? How about those that are at all the assembly meetings, those that show a real desire to go on for the Lord, You know they're a special target of the enemy. When I see a young brother or a young sister who has a real desire to please and serve the Lord, I say in my own soul there's a special target of the enemy. The enemy doesn't want to see you go on for the Lord. And if that is true?
Then we need you need to be a special target of prayer for prayer as well, because prayer is that great preserver and that power that we that we have. And Epifras was not only praying for those in his home assembly in Colossi, but as it tells us here, he had a burden for neighboring assemblies too. He knew brethren that Laodicea, he knew brethren at Heropolis, and those were assemblies that were facing problems and difficulties as well.
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There were real needs there. He knew the enemy was not only going to attack his brethren in Colossae, but in other assemblies gathered to the Lords name. Oh don't forget your brethren, wherever they are, to labour, to labor for them. And So what an example we have of a man of prayer. In fact, to my own soul he's one of the most outstanding examples in the New Testament of a man of prayer as Daniel is in the Old Testament.
But there's something else about Epiphros that we read in Philemon, and that is that he was a fellow prisoner.
Of the Apostle Paul. You know, we find as we know, those who associated with the Apostle Paul in his ministry and in his missionary trips. It was one thing to be associated with Paul the missionary.
It was great to be associated with Paul the preacher, but it was quite another matter to be associated with Paul the prisoner that was reproach that would even put one's life on the line. And if I can just apply it this way, Epiphras was one of those men who was willing to suffer a little reproach to be identified with Paul and the ministry that Paul had given. Are you and I willing to identify with Paul's ministry in that way?
At the end of Paul's life, Paul had to say all those in Asia are turned away. You know in the first epistle there were some who had turned away, but in the second epistle where it brings us right down to the end, it says all they. Now I know there were a few mentioned at the end of Second Timothy there, but isn't that a a sad statement? Again, it was one thing to be identified with Paul at liberty, preaching the word of God and going on those missionary journeys.
But there were not many, many who were willing to associate with Paul when it came to some reproach. And so if you and I are going to go on and enjoy the ministry that Paul brings before us, if we're going to walk as citizens of heaven with the hope of the Lord's coming before us as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and so on, it's not going to be popular. I know there's a great movement today in Christian circles to make Christianity acceptable and the popular thing and so on.
But true Christianity is not going to be popular. The Lord Jesus said if they've hated me, they will hate you. Also, we read the servant is not greater than his Lord. And so it's Pauls ministry that identifies us with a glorified Christ in heaven. And it's Paul's ministry that's going to give us the proper character of Christians here, and there's going to be a reproach connected with it.
Well, what an example we have in Epiphras. May you and I seek by grace to follow this beautiful example. Just a few short pithy statements made about Epifras, but recorded for your encouragement and mine.
Now I'd like to go to another man in Acts chapter 20.
Acts, Chapter 20.
And verse 6. And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to throw as in five days.
Where we abode 7 days, And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the Morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eudicus being fallen into a deep sleep. And as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
And Paul went down and fell on him, and embracing him said trouble not yourselves, for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread and eaten and talked a long while even till break of day, So he departed and they brought the young man alive and were not a little comforted. Well, there's no doubt in this portion that this is a young man that's brought before us. And it's a beautiful story. Just again we read the context. We don't have time to comment on each verse. It's particularly Uticus I have before me.
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But we find here the Apostle Paul and those who were traveling with him. They came to Troaz. Now I believe, if we notice the account carefully, they probably arrived in Troas on a Monday. And maybe I'll just say this in passing. Secular history tells us that Troas was a dark heathen city. They were worshippers, particularly of Jupiter, but the light of the glorious gospel had penetrated that dark city and many dark hearts.
But they arrived I believe on a Monday and they stayed till the following Monday and we might ask ourselves why did they spend a whole week in Troas? Well there may be other thoughts but I've just appreciated in this way so much.
Did the Apostle Paul and those that were traveling with him appreciate and value the privilege of remembering the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread with those in fellowship at the Lords table, that they remained there a whole week so they could have that blessed privilege on the first day of the week. Then as we as it says they left the next day. They left on a Monday having been there seven days.
And so we find they come and they have this blessed privilege. Now I don't suppose while it's it's true, it says that Paul was long preaching. I don't suppose he preached as long as those of us in the Western world might think he did. I've had the privilege of being in other parts of the world.
Where Lord's Day is not recognized in the way, it is here still, thankfully, to some degree at least in North America. And there are many of our brethren in other parts of the world who have to come together on Lords Day evening to remember the Lord and for fellowship and ministry.
I've just been in Egypt this summer, and our brethren in Egypt have to get up and go to work, and if it's school, time to school on Lord's day. Friday is the Muslim holiday, and so they meet at 8:30 at night to remember the Lord. And so I don't think Paul preached as long as we think he did because these, these brother no doubt were servants and employees to ungodly masters. Troas being a heathen city, Lord's Day wouldn't have been recognized the way it is.
Here in North America, and I have no doubt they had obligations that day to their masters and their employers. But after their obligations were done, I love to visualize these Saints winding their way through the dark streets of Troas with one thing before their souls.
To climb those stairs to the third loft so that they would have the privilege of remembering the Lord Jesus that Lord's day evening. Because the Spirit of God is very specific in telling us why they came together. They didn't come together to enjoy happy fellowship with one another, although they had the privilege of doing that. They didn't have the they didn't come together to have the privilege of sitting under the ministry of the Apostle Paul.
They did have that privilege, that Lord's Day. They didn't come together to see those of like precious faith who were visiting from another area. They did see visitors on that occasion, but know the Spirit of God is very careful to record. They came together on the first day of the week to break bread. Is that our joy? Is that our privilege as we think about tomorrow morning? Is it our anticipation to be at the Lord's table, to partake of the Lord's Supper, to sit down in his presence and answer to that request that he has made?
This do in remembrance of me, and amongst those who were gathered in the third loft in the upper room, we find there was a young man named Utica's. And we're not told, but I'm going to assume for a moment for our purposes this afternoon, that Eudicus had the privilege of remembering the Lord Jesus. On this particular occasion we find too He had the privilege of sitting under the ministry of the Apostle Paul, but he wearied of all that.
And not only did he weary of Paul's ministry, but he decided to sit down in a window. In other words, if I can put it this way, he wanted to keep one eye on what was going on in the assembly and one eye on what was going on in the world outside. One year tuned to the ministry of the Apostle Paul, and one year tuned to the world outside, and you might say, wasn't there a 5050 chance that he'd fall either in or out of the window? Young people, it doesn't work that way if you leave your heart open for the world.
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If you want to keep, as it were, one foot in the assembly and one foot in the world, it's going to drag you down to the level of the world eventually. We can't say, well, I know how far to go. Or I can walk the about I can keep a balance or walk the line. No, I want to encourage you. We see what happened with Eudicus. As a result, he begins to fall asleep.
You know, falling asleep in meeting is a process, isn't it? Rarely are we wide awake one minute and sound asleep the next. Usually our eyes get heavy, our head nods, then it comes back up. We try to move a little bit and squirm, and hopefully it'll wake us up. And then if we allow it, it'll happen again. And eventually you might fall sound asleep in meeting. And in that regard, I'd like to say a word to all of us.
And this exercises my own soul. Why wasn't there somebody who saw the plight of Utica? Somebody who could have gone over and put their arm around Utica and said, Utica, you're in a very dangerous position. Why don't you come over and sit by me? You're falling asleep. Your head is nodding. You know, it might have saved Eudicus, the fall down to the level of the street. He might not have appreciated it. He might not have moved.
But I have often wondered why it is that we wait till we see someone leave the Lords table or drift off into the world before we try to encourage and help that person. Maybe if we sought to be more of a help to them, an encouragement to them, a shepherd or a pastor. Maybe it would spare them from from a fall. Maybe it would spare them from some bitter experience.
And so Eudicus, he began drifting off. He started to lean toward the outside. Eventually he was sound asleep, and he fell down to the level of the world. And when they went down to see Utica's, to all outward appearances it looked like he was dead.
Isn't that a sad condition for a believer? It's like it says in Timothy. The Lord knoweth them that are his, and I have to hang my head and say that there are those I have known, some I have grown up with, and I have to leave them with the Lord. There's never been restoration and I have to say the Lord knoweth them that are his. But the happy ending to this story is that Paul goes down and embraces him. You know, it's interesting that he doesn't embrace Paul.
Paul goes down and embraces him. I know there's no doubt a dispensational character to what we have here, but I want to keep this as practical as possible this afternoon. You know, when we take up Pauls ministry and let it embrace and get ahold of our souls, that's what's going to give us life. That's what's going to bring us back up. That's what's going to cause restoration.
If we have fallen in our Christian pathway, and so Paul goes down and embraces him, confirms to the local brethren that his life is in him. And I love this little expression when they they brought the young man alive and were not a little comforted. You know, the was the local brethren at Troas that escorted Uticus back up to the third loft. It must have been a happy thing, you know It's not a happy thing when one falls out of the window, so to speak.
One gets away from the Lord and leaves the Lord's table and never comes back. That's not a happy thing, but it is a happy thing when there's restoration. And so we find that it was the local brethren here that brought him back up. Paul confirms that his life was in him. Now I want to be very careful. We never want to drag someone back to the Lord's table before the time. If there hasn't been a work of God in the soul, we only do more damage to them and to the assembly.
But here there was a confirmation from the apostle Paul, and the local brethren took the responsibility to restore Utica to his brethren and to the third lot. And no doubt there was rejoicing that night as they partook of a meal together and enjoyed happy Christian fellowship. Well, the grace of God in restoring is as limitless as the preserving grace of God. And how wonderful it is. Maybe there's a young person here, or someone not so young.
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You've got away from the Lord, perhaps? Oh, there's restoration. Read. Get the word of God out. Read it. Read Pauls ministry. Read your Bible. Let it embrace you. Let it get ahold of your soul. You'll find, like David, he restoreth my soul. And it's a very wonderful thing not only for you, but it'll bring joy to your brethren as well. Now let's go back to the Book of Colossians for another man.
Colossians Chapter 4.
Colossians Chapter 4 and verse 14.
Luke, the beloved Physician and Demas greet you again. Hold your finger here. We'll come back to this portion, but once again in Philemon.
Philemon and the 24th verse Marcus, Aristarchus, Dimas, Lucas, my fellow Laborers. One more portion in Second Timothy Chapter 4.
Second Timothy Chapter 4.
And verse 10.
Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica creations to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me.
For the Ministry, I'd like to speak now for a few moments about this Mandemus. Again, we're not told a great deal about Demas, but we find here in the first two references that we read that is in the end of Colossians and the reference in Philemon, he's listed with those who labored with the Apostle Paul. You know, it must have been a wonderful thing to labor with the Apostle Paul, but you know God still has a service for each one of us, as we heard this morning.
And I want to encourage you who are younger to take up the service of Christ and to begin by doing it in conjunction with those who are older and have experience. When I was younger, I appreciated being able to participate in gospel work, Sunday school work, hobby, class work, different mission work with those who were older when I first had the opportunity to go to the Caribbean.
Those first four years that I had opportunity to go, I was thankful for an older brother who took me and introduced me to the work and to the brethren in that part of the world. It was of great value to me, and I learned a lot from him. This is just a little aside, but an older brother who's long with the Lord told me one time, he said. Jim, in my day we raised horses and we didn't take two young Colts and seek to train them in the same yoke or harness.
We always took a young colt and put that colt with an older horse, and that older horse spoke that Colts language. And if that colt tried to get out of line, that older horse would often reach over and nip its neck or in some way make it realize that it wasn't doing what it ought to do. And I've thought of that in connection with those that labored with the Apostle Paul and others. And So what a good experience it is.
Perhaps I'll just say to those of us who are older, it's good to give our younger brethren that opportunity to learn the service of Christ in that way. But what a wonderful thing it must have been for Demas you say, tremendous to travel and to be listed in the word of God as a fellow laborer of the apostle Paul. But you know, there's a sad history commentary in connection with Demas at the end of his life. Again, up until the second Timothy, just two short statements concerning him.
In Colossians, where we read, he's listed with Luke, and in Philemon he's listed with Luke and Mark. And then we find that these three men are listed again in Second Timothy together. That is Demus and Luke and Mark. Before I comment specifically on Dimas in connection with what we have in Second Timothy, I'll just say this that these three men brought together on more than one occasion, I believe teach us a great, valuable lesson.
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That is, we have Luke. You know, Luke was one who began well and ended well because at the end of the apostles life, only Luke is with me. You know I love that statement. Because who better to be with the Apostle Paul at the end of his life than the beloved physician? God didn't forsake his servant. Paul had faithfully served the Lord for so many years and when he needed physical comfort and help the most.
God made sure that not only was there one with him who had gone on well all those years and could minister Christ to Him.
But one who could minister in a practical way to who better than the beloved position to be with Paul at this time? And then there was Mark. You know, Mark was one who who began badly but ended well. Mark now was profitable for the ministry. But if we were to go back to the book of Acts, we would find that there was a time in the life of Mark when Paul just felt that he wasn't up to the missionary journeys.
He sent him back. We know there was a problem between Paul and Barnabas as a result of it, but nevertheless, Paul faithfully felt that he wasn't ready. And so we find that Mark now is restored and he wants to have Mark because he's now profitable for the ministry. And then there's Dimas. You know, Dimas started well, but he ended poorly. And we never read in Scripture of Restoration.
In the in the pathway of Dimas Dimas, Dimas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world or this present age. Now you'll notice that the Apostle Paul doesn't say this present evil world or this present evil age as we have in Galatians.
No, it was. I don't believe it was something evil that Dimas went away into. It wasn't something wicked that took his heart away, but something became between Demas and his desire to serve the Lord and to be identified with Paul the prisoner, again, as I say, was one thing to be identified with Paul the missionary. Quite another thing to be identified with Paul the prisoner and how the apostle Paul felt it. His heart sorrowed as he thought.
Of Demas, who no doubt at one time had been a great encouragement to the apostle, Paul had helped him in one way or another, and now his heart had been taken away and he no longer followed on. I'm not saying Demus didn't follow the Lord.
But he wasn't willing to identify with the Apostle Paul. You know, I have known many who have gone on happily for many years in the assembly, though been gathered to the Lord's name. And I'm not saying they've gone off into a wicked world, but something has taken their heart away. I'm not going to say they're not following the Lord, but something has taken their heart away from that which the apostle Paul has presented to us.
I realized when it says all day in Asia forsaken me and Demas had forsaken him and so on I'm I realized it's in actuality here. But we apply this in connection with the truth and the ministry of the Apostle Paul today. Are we willing to follow on again? I say in connection with what the apostle Paul has presented to us? Are we like Eudicus who had wearied of it all and fell out of the window? Are we like Demas? Who?
Heart was taken away into another path. Oh, let's be careful.
If that's true, if we feel those tugs from the world in another direction, perhaps even, shall I say, the religious world, oh, let's be careful. And so Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present age, and he had departed again. He hadn't departed into some wickedness, but he had departed in identifying with the apostle Paul. But I want to end on a little happier note than that, and so I want to look at one more man.
And we're going to go to the book of Philippians to look at him.
Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians, chapter 2 and verse 25. Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heavy and heaviness, because the he had heard that he had been sick, for indeed he was sick nigh unto death.
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But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. And then notice another reference to this man in the 4th chapter.
Verse 18 But I have all, and abound I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.
Well, here we have this man Epaphroditus, and he was a great comfort and cheer to the apostle Paul. We noticed in the verses that precede this morning that Paul speaks of Timothy and he had no man like minded who would naturally care for the Saint state of the Saints of God.
But here was another man who had a similar exercise, a pafford itis. And the apostle Paul could in confidence send a Pafforditis to the Saints at Philippi. Why? Because he knew he'd minister Christ to them. He knew that he would encourage their their hearts. Paul wanted to come himself, but he was hindered. At this time he was a prisoner of the Lord, but thank God he had men that he could send with with confidence.
And so he speaks of Epaphroditus. And I want to notice five things that characterized A pafford itis, 5 things that encouraged Paul and gave him confidence in sending a Pafforditis to the set. Back to the to the Saints at Philippi you notice in verse 25. Yet it's I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus #1, my brother, and that wonderful. You know, as I look out into this room, I see my brothers and sisters in Christ.
It's a wonderful relationship that we have been brought into. You know, we spoke this morning of how maybe there's some here and you've been saved from perhaps a ungodly home or circumstances, a non Christian background and you've had to leave brothers and sisters and mother and father and so on as the Lord exhorted his disciples. But you know you've been brought into new relationships and sometimes in Christianity we're closer.
To those that we are brothers and sisters in Christ with than those that we are brothers and sisters and other family members in the flesh. And so Paul could address a Pafraditis as a brother, but then there was something else and companion in labor.
He was not just a brother in Christ. He was a fellow worker in Christ. You know, I have been thankful, especially as I get a little older. I have been thankful for young people who have been fellow workers in Christ, those who have helped in some practical and physical way. I'm not old, but I'm getting a little older and my energies are beginning to wane a little bit. I've been thankful for young brothers who are willing to pick up that suitcase of Bibles, willing to shoulder that box of literature.
And help in physical ways. And so the Apostle Paul, he was thankful that Epaphroditus was a companion in labor. But then something else. He was a fellow soldier. Because it is a battle, isn't it? We're not home yet, and we are exhorted in Second Timothy and other places in connection with.
Being sold good soldiers of Jesus Christ, I'm not going to stand here near the end of this meeting and tell you it's easy to follow the Lord.
I'm not going to tell you it's easy to associate with all that Paul brings before us. These men that traveled with Paul, they had a lot of hardships, too. When we read about Paul and all the things he passed through, why his fellow laborers felt many of those things, maybe not to the same degree, but many of those things, they knew what it was to be in the sea and to be shipwrecked and to be brought up to the council and all those things. Yes, we're still in an enemy's land.
We're still in a war zone. Satan and his hosts are opposed to everything.
That is, of God and of Christ. And in the measure in which you seek to be faithful to the word of God and the things you hear this weekend at these meetings, you're going to have to stand as a fellow soldier of the Apostle Paul and of Jesus Christ. But then we find, too, that he was a messenger. Isn't it wonderful to be a messenger? You know, it tells us in the Book of Proverbs that as cold as cold snow.
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At at at the right season.
So is a faithful messenger, and everyone of us can be faithful messengers. The in the Book of Malachi we find a messenger. Malachi's name means messenger. He was right at the end in the Old Testament, the last messenger that God sent. And he was a faithful messenger to present the burden that God had for his people at that time. Then we find too that he was he ministered to the wants of the Apostle Paul.
You know, we often, when we think of ministry, we think of speaking the word of God, and certainly that's part of it, but actually as we find from the reference in the 4th chapter.
Epaphroditus, as a messenger, brought some practical help from the Saints at Philippi to the Apostle Paul, and you know, he hazarded his life to do it. He was sick nigh unto death, and Paul was encouraged that the Lord had answered his prayer and raised him up.
But he ministered to the Apostle Paul through the Philippians.
In a practical way, you know, there's many practical ways we can be ministers of Christ. Are we willing to do that? In fact, I'll just say this to those who are younger. I suggest that those who minister to the Saints of God in practical, even mundane ways when they're young are those that God raises up for a greater service later on. Those who stay after meeting and arrange the tables for the meal, those who help clear up the dishes and.
Wash up after the meal at the meeting room. Those are the kind of young men and women God is going to entrust more to in a coming day. I've noticed those who just drift outside and throw a football around, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but often those are the ones that God never entrusts anything more to because he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful in that which is much. And so Epaphroditus was a very faithful servant.
In connection with the practical and temporal things that the Philippians wish to send to the Apostle Paul and it was an odor, a sweet smelling savour. He made a sacrifice. The Philippians made a sacrifice. He made a sacrifice. And how it ministered to the needs, the practical needs of the Apostle Paul at that time OB exercise. There's many things that you can do in a practical way. I had a young person recently bring some things for me from one conference to another.
Some things I couldn't carry in a carry-on bag. I believe there was a young brother who ministered in a practical way, and I believe he's going to get a great reward in the coming day. Maybe a greater reward because nobody knows who he who he is and nobody knows what it was, but he'll get a reward for doing it for the Lord. It was a great service help help me out in a difficult situation, and it was a great service for the Lord. And so it's not the greatness of the service.
It's not how public it is, but it's doing it under the Lord. Not to do I service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, knowing that of the Lord, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. While we've looked at these four men very quickly, there are certainly many others I'll encourage you to go through.
Paul's ministry and the acts and notice these ones that are just mentioned, scattered here and there. Just a time or two. Notice their context, notice the little things that are said about them and be encouraged to go on quietly for the Lord in these last days and perilous times, knowing that it is valued by the Lord Himself and there's a great blessing for your soul now and a great reward in a coming day. Let's pray.
Our God and Father, how thankful we are for these men and their history, so carefully recorded here in the word of God, for our learning and for our instruction. We pray that we might learn these practical lessons. We commit ourselves to Thee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
2 Timothy 1:8-18
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God and our Father, we thank Thee for Thy mercies to us this day. We thank Thee for what we've had already before our souls. And it is with fresh desire to be independence upon Thee that we are looking forward to this meeting and praying to thee, our God and Father, that Thou give us that which is suitable, that which is needful.
But we pray that they'll give us reality, each one in our own hearts, without this desire truth in the inward parts, and that these truths that we are enjoying in our ears might become the reality of our hearts day by day. And Lord Jesus, we.
Thank Thee that thou art that bright and morning star, that we have the hope of thy soon return before our souls and Lord Jesus, to see thee face to face and to be with all thine owns, to be supremely satisfied. Meanwhile, help us to be content as we go through the scene watching and waiting for thee, and we ask I blessing on the precious Word to our souls, our our heads, our head.
From whom all true ministry flows, and those joints of supply. And so we pray for leading of the Spirit of God. Now this meeting, our God and Father, we ask it and give thanks in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Second Timothy. Chapter One.
Beginning of verse 7.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel, according to the power of God, who has saved us, and called us with an holy calling.
Not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
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But it now may manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Where unto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the witch, 'cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed.
And to him against that day hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus, that good thing which was committed unto the key by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all they, all, they which are in Asia, be turned away from me.
Of whom I felt jealous, and her homogeneous. The Lord give mercy unto the House of Omniscient for us, for he of refreshed me, and was not ashamed on my chain. But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me the Lord. Grant unto him, that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day, and in how many things he minister unto me at Ephesus.
Thou knowest very well.
Before we pass on just so there's no confusion, I.
I think it would be helpful to not belabor it, but just to say a word on something that was perhaps a little muddy this morning. And that is when we read this, it's in the context of Timothy not being afraid to stir up and use the gift that had been given to him for the blessing of the people of God and so on.
But giving out a hymn in meeting is not a question of gift, it's a question of priesthood. Praying in the prayer meeting is not a question of gift, it's a question of priesthood. It's the privilege of every brother to take part and utilize the office of priesthood in the assembly. Publicly. The sisters are priests too, but they don't take a public part in the same way. And so we need to not have fear in that regard either. It's true.
And I think sometimes that there are those who hold back and perhaps quench or grieve the spirit because they hold back. Some are too forward, some are too backwards, be not as the horse or the mule. The horse is impulsive and has to be held back. The mule stubborn and has to be pushed forward. And we're creatures by extreme in so many aspects of our lives practically and in our spiritual life as well. But I think it'd be helpful just to clarify that.
Again, to take part in the assembly meetings as far as praying, giving out of him, so on, that is not a question of gift, and it is the privilege of every brother to do that. Then there is the question of gift, and that's what the apostle Paul was seeking to stir up. Timothy regarding Timothy was reticent and shy, as we've had before us this morning, and he needed to be encouraged to use his gift. Now, I suggest that Timothy had a public gift.
And he wasn't using it. And the apostle Paul stirred him up. I want to look at a verse in Colossians in connection with another man, one of these men were not told a great deal about, but.
In the Colossians 4, the end of Colossians, the 17th verse and say to Archippus, take heed to the ministry that thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfill it. Now Timothy, as we've been saying, had a public gift that was to be stirred up and used and he wasn't to be afraid to use it because God hadn't given him the spirit of fear. Archippus were not told what is gift and ministry was was it public or not? We're not told and I think for a good reason.
Because everyone of us have been given a little gift and a ministry to fulfill for the Lord in our home assembly, some on a broader sphere. And again, we want to have spiritual courage to stir it up. Paul felt the Saints at Colossi were suffering a lack because there was a man by the name of Archippus there who wasn't carrying out the little ministry that God had given him to fulfill for the blessing of the Saints at Colossi.
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And I believe there are many assemblies who suffer a lot because there are those in the assembly who do not stir up their gift and their ministry, be it public or private, and the body of Christ suffers as a result. So I just say that I hope that clarifies things a little bit. But again, I want to stress to give out of Him or pray read some scriptures in the assembly is not a question of gift, it's a question of office.
I like to think about verse seven in in light of the gospel and talks about we're not given a spirit of fear, but yet sometimes we're afraid to hand out a tractor to say a word to somebody.
And because especially in this country, you're going to get moth or the track is going to get torn up and thrown out. And we were just down in the caves down in South of here a couple days ago and we were down a couple, 100 feet down under the earth. And the, the guide, he turned the lights out and it was very dark down there. He was telling us that people after 20 minutes in dark like that, they start to hallucinate.
And they lose their mind after. Some people lose their mind after so many hours.
I made the comment while the dark was there to the crowd. I said, boy, this is I'm sure hell is probably a lot worse than this. And there are a few chuckles and some people made some comments about it, but it wasn't a reality to them. They didn't believe in hell. So there's a fear because we're going to get mocked if you give the gospel, if you give a tract, but it tells us we haven't been given a spirit of fear, but of power. And so there's power in the gospel.
And so we can give the gospel, but as we give it.
We can give it in power, but there also needs to be given in love. If the gospel is given a perfect gospel given in power, but it's not given in love, it is nothing. It needs to be given in love. Also the love of the Lord Jesus, what he's done for us and to present that love to the souls that we're speaking to, whether it's a one speaking to one person on the street or to a friend or to a whole group of crowd of people.
To give it in love, but then it says.
We're not given the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind. And so when we give the gospel, it's nice to have a sound mind. That is, I like to think of that as we need to know the gospel. We need to know the true gospel and how a person can get saved. We can give a lovely gospel message telling people of their need. We need to tell them how to get saved. So we need to have a sound mind to make it clear for them because if a person doesn't understand the message.
Well, then maybe it'll just fall to the ground, but I think it's good to give a clear message of how to be saved with a sound mind.
Related story occurrence that occurred several weeks ago.
There were several dozen young people that had an opportunity to take a tour through one of the caves.
Outside of an old city and in Romania.
And our brother Ernie Monk was with them, as well as brother David Bedwell and several others.
And the guide was talking about the wonderful acoustics.
In this case, and one of the brothers, I think it was brother Ernie said would you mind if we just sang hymn to test the acoustics? So they all sang together Amazing Grace and the other tourists that were going through The Cave, even though they they couldn't speak the language, they knew probably the words in their own language because that him has been translated into so many languages.
They stopped and when they were finished, they all applauded the group of young people. Well, we trust that they took some of the words to heart too. But here was an opportunity to testify the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It naturally we do fear, don't we, and I think that's been the experience of so many of us. But I just want to encourage young people too. Sometimes the Lord directs very especially I was in.
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Venezuela last year and Venezuela has become very anti American and is on a bus, quite crowded bus and it just seemed like the Lord.
Gave him by his Spirit, and gave me the desire to quote First Timothy 1:15.
By here I am in a crowded bus. Is that the place for a gospel meeting? Not exactly, but anyhow, there's a brother with me, so I said.
The Bible says Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
So I said to the brother with me, I said I'm a Sinner. So I guess that means me, doesn't it?
I said a loud enough so everybody could hear it.
So there's a lot of ways that we can share the gospel and sometimes we get fearful, but brethren, let's let it flow when the Spirit of God and gives you the impulse to do it.
Want to tell you another story? That's to my shame. The Dominican Republic, I was on a bus. It was very full.
And it seemed I was with Clem Buchanan. It seemed like the Spirit of God came up on me and said stand up and preach the gospel twice. Very definite impulse.
Lord, this is not the context to preach the gospel in the bus.
And I quenched the spirit.
A man behind us stood up and started ranting with communist propaganda about these Americans and made us feel quite uncomfortable.
So I say I felt it was a rebuke to me. If I would have given the gospel, I don't think he would have stood up to say his thing.
So it's not fear that God has given us. Think of the apostle Paul and the context he gave the gospel on Mars Hill in the midst of all those idolatrous philosophers. But he gave it with a sound mind in that he adapted the message to those people that were there. And I think that is included in a sound mind. Wise discretion, the New Testament says or the New Translation says.
So the Lord encourages, given us the power, the spirit of power, the Spirit of God dwells in us. You cannot limit what God will do by His Spirit and love. That's the thing that should move us and of a sound mind.
Thank God we can go forward with the message.
In the assembly context.
It has been pointed out that in First Corinthians 12 we have the power, we have the resource there we have.
The gifts that the Spirit of God has given.
Then in First Corinthians 14 we have the use of those gifts.
That the Spirit of God has imparted in the assembly wise discretion. We have instruction there for assembly order, but none of that is going to be a profit if it is not bathed in First Corinthians 13.
The love that should motivate any public ministry in the assembly if it's not motivated and.
Bathed in love, there's not going to be the prophet, as our brother has said. So power, love, a sound mind.
We have in those scriptures in the assembly character.
Little brother.
Christian ministry is the exercise of a gift that God has given. He'll not send us into any service without fitting us for it in some measure.
And so, as you say, corresponds the 1St Corinthians 12. But the motive, First Corinthians 13 needs to be love. And I thought of it this way. You know, if you came down the road and you came across an accident that happened, you might stop and maybe you really don't know much of what to do. But your heart goes out and compassion to the ones in trouble. And you might try and comfort and maybe there's a victim there. And you get a blanket out of the car and you cover them and put your coat under their head.
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And that's all you can do that that's all you know how to do. That's all you've been fitted to do. But someone comes along and maybe you get on the cell phone and you call 911 and someone comes along and their emergency first responder and they can do a little more and kind of keep this person from going into shock and or stop some bleeding or whatever it might be. And then an ambulance comes and they can do a little more and they get them in the ambulance and maybe get some blood going and off to the hospital and there they get to a doctor and he's able to get them.
Back to what they need to be. Each one has a different ability.
But the motive really on the part of each one, and that is care for the one that's been hurt, the one that's been injured. And so each one of us has something given to us of God, something that He's fitted us for in the Christian ministry. But it's exercised in love. And so it was brought out in the other meeting. If the Lord tells you to do something, do it. And I think that's in the context of He'll bring something before you.
And it's going to move your heart. You see a need.
You see a need in the assembly, or maybe it is outside the assembly, but you see a need. I'm thinking of the context of the assembly and you do what you can and maybe it's just this much and maybe that's all you've been fitted for and maybe that's your ministry and he's giving you what you need for that ministry. And then somebody else comes along, you know, they have a little different gift and they see that and they try and help out in the measure that they've been given.
And all works together, doesn't it? But it really starts with the heart seeing a need and the desire to meet that need, to be a help to our brother and sister or the assembly. There's the motive for the exercise of Christian ministry. He's fitted us. He's given us the gift for whatever that ministry is. But it's seeing the need and the heart wants to go fix that thing. The heart wants to do whatever it can.
To help my brother, my sister. And you see how that goes far beyond just public ministry. How many needs are there that reach the heart that we just wish we could fix? And maybe we can do a little. Maybe that's just what the Lord spitted me for. And then I can pray, as the apostle said, pray for better gifts, not for myself, but that the Lord would raise them up in the assembly to help that, to help the assembly or whatever thing has been brought before.
My heart where I see a need.
If there's something that's developed too, and I think that's how.
All of a sudden appear in a person.
But it's in the measure that it's used. And that's why I encourage you, any measure that the Lord puts something on your heart, do it.
Like I have a gift there. Well, maybe you don't, but if the Lord has put something on your heart, do it. It's the head that's directing, and we need to be sensitive as to his direction by the Spirit. But I remember Brother Albert Hayle, who is with the Lord many years now, but he told the first time about the first time he stood up to give the gospel in Toronto, and he was a gifted gospel preacher.
But he said I was so nervous.
My hands were trembling, and my hands were trembling so bad that my mouth went dry and I took a glass of water to take a drink. I had to hold it with two hands to keep it from trembling too bad.
That's the way he started. But as time goes on, gift develops and it's beautiful to see what the Lord is doing with young people. Tremendous gift. There is I, I have no question about it, that there's good gift right here. Tremendous gift, but it needs to be developed. And how does it develop? Through exercise. So be encouraged, young brother.
Young sister too.
Yes, Virgin, I think it was said no one jumps into the OR rarely does someone jump into the pulpit full grown. And that was the point he was making that just as you say, it takes development. But I'm glad you said something about the sisters because when we talk about the gospel here, we don't want to limit it to just the venue like we're going to have this evening. If the Lord leaves us here. The gospel work is often or more often.
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An individual work, isn't it?
And everyone of us can do the work of an evangelist. Maybe we're not all evangelists, but everyone of us can do the work of an evangelist. And one of the reasons God has left us here in this world is so that we will be lights. When the Lord Jesus was here in this world, he spoke of himself as the light of the world. But before he left, he said to his own, Ye are the light of the world. And Philippians tells us, we among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
Holding forth the word of life. And that's a responsibility that everyone of us, young and old who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior have. Whether it's going to school, whether it's in our neighborhood, whether it's at work, or wherever the Lord has placed us, All that this world is going to see and hear of Christ is what's seen and heard in your life and mine. But you'll notice in our verse in the chapter, there are afflictions connected with the gospel.
And so the apostle Paul says to Timothy, as we've had, he stirs him up, He tells him not to have the spirit of fear, but he doesn't tell him it's going to be easy either. So he says in verse 8, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner. And then he says, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, the afflictions of the gospel. It's not a popular thing to live and to speak for Christ in this world.
Now I realize in North America we don't know much about physical persecution. Many of our brethren, if they were to give out a gospel tract or speak for the Lord in certain parts of the world, they really suffer for it and they have to be very circumspect when it comes to their testimony. But I remember, some of us will remember Charles Whitaker, who was a missionary in Africa for many years, and he was fearless when it came to giving out tracks and speaking to souls.
And someone said to him one time after he had gone through a mall and given out tracks and spoken to souls, someone said to him, and the person who said it told me, so I got it first hand. They said to him, how is it that you're so fearless when it comes to giving up the gospel? Oh, he said, these people can't hurt you. He said when I was in Africa, I feared the headhunters. He said, these people can't hurt you. They might mock you, they might sneer, they might say something against you or the Lord.
And so it was to Brother Whitaker. It was all relative. And brethren, when we think of the opportunities that we have here and we're not afraid of having a gospel meeting tonight and the authorities coming in and shooting us, we're not afraid of going down town, Montrose or Scranton or somewhere and handing out tracks and being arrested. We might be told we can't do that or to move on, but we're not afraid really for our lives. And So what are we afraid of? What am I afraid of?
It's really a the reproach, isn't it, that we suffer. That's really the afflictions of the gospel that you and I suffer today. But he says don't be ashamed. Don't don't let the reproach of Christ. Don't let some shame, somebody sneering, somebody mocking you, stop you from propagating the gospel. And then he says there's the power of God. And so at the end of the verse, according to the power.
Of God, you feel weak doing the work of an evangelist.
That's OK. If you avail yourself of the power of God, there's a power there.
And he can give you the spiritual courage to overcome any little fear of reproach you might have.
Just a further comment here in verse 8 Beatbox therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. I think all of us here can.
Can picture.
Our brother Bob getting on a crowded bus in Venezuela and preaching the gospel.
Picture that in our minds.
It's not going to happen for most of us.
It's not going to happen to most of us. Most of us are probably not going to get to Venezuela.
We can also appreciate.
We can also appreciate the the two cave experiences that we've had our brother with real moral moral power to be able to make a comment in connection with the darkness of health.
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Our brother who's was in The Cave and and heard this, this, this, him Amazing Grace, you know, most of us are not going to find ourselves in those circumstances.
However, most of us have mundane, uninteresting lives it seems.
But how is it that we such ordinary people, not on a crowded bus in Venezuela, cannot be ashamed of the gospel? How are how are we able to do that? You know, it's interesting. Some time ago, I, I bought my gas at a gas bar consistently.
Not because it was the cheapest place to buy gas, but because there was a soul there that I was interested in.
And the time came when they quit their job.
And they went from that gas bar they went to, they went to Walmart. Well, you know, I started to buy things at Walmart.
And it was the same soul. I didn't buy gas there, but I found other things to fly there. I presently buy my gas at a gas bar. It's not the cheapest, but I bought it there for the last two years because there's a soul there.
There are many ways in which we can seek to share the gospel in our everyday lives as people that don't seem to have a lot of gift. But the Lord opens up opportunity. And yes, we may not be found preaching the gospel on a crowded bus, but there are many ways that the Lord opens up doors for us to share the gospel with some needy soul. It's good to pray about.
Opportunities to look to the Lord.
To give us opportunities and when they arrive, if we've been praying about it, we feel the Lord has opened this up to us and it seems like we've got a special boldness to go ahead because we feel the Lord is in it. So I think there are many opportunities and we all have a different way, I think, of presenting the gospel.
But surely?
There are Ways and Means that each of us can present Christ to another.
Now over in chapter 4 of this epistle, in verse two it says preach the word.
Be instant in season and out of season.
So I wonder.
What is the in season and the oddest season referred to Now I give the gospel one time to an individual and he said there's no place for this preaching here at this time. It belongs in the church. And his idea was preaching is okay on Sunday in the church. In other words, it's in season there.
But you know what?
I don't believe that should stop us from continuing to present the word.
The other six days of the week.
I didn't really take the hard work that man had to say, but.
I think there are situations maybe we need to consider, you know where it says.
No soliciting or no distribution and so on. Is it right to?
You might say close our eyes to signs like that.
And just go and start to distribute or to solicit with the idea. Well, you know, it's sort of an out of season situation.
Does somebody have a word on this in season out of season what this refers to here?
Remember one time.
You and I were on top of Machu Picchu and Peru.
And there was a.
Young couple probably living together, traveling around together, and you started giving him or her the gospel. She was an American.
And she got quite incensed. This is not a church. You shouldn't be talking about that here.
I don't think that daunted you, and you kept right on.
That I think that's maybe a place out of season.
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But I think those things you have to allow the Lord to direct in, in, in kind. In Muslim countries it is prohibited any kind of evangelization. So should we not do evangelization there? You have to leave that with the individual, with the Lord. He leads him. I say he has to work that kind of thing out.
Respect authority. We should always respect authority, but.
The first command is from the Lord to carry the gospel out.
The point is to be ready to give an answer to every man, to be in the state of soul that the Lord can use us. Sometimes, alas, we're not in that state of soul. We're careless and we don't have opportunities we allow to slip through our hands. But if we're in the state of soul and dependent on the Lord, He will certainly guide us and open the doors and give us strength to seize the opportunities redeeming the time.
Because the days are evil, buying up the opportunities.
Certainly they are there every day, but sometimes we're not to exercise to to.
Use those open doors.
Verse 8 Brethren, is beautiful. He says, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. I think that's beautiful. It's not our testimony, brethren, sometimes we talk about our testimony.
And sometimes our testimony is not really great. That's not the focus.
The focus is on the Lord.
I think you're mentioning this morning, Wally, when you consider the tremendous glory ahead, the earth is going to be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea and we are ashamed of Him. How can that be?
Another point, another motivating factor we have in Second Corinthians chapter 5.
Where it says, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
Just think of the terror of that judgment day as the things start to come apart in these countries. I think it's going to be awful here in the United States, president, awful right here in the United States.
When the Spirit of God is lifted his impeding hand.
On the course of evil and.
People in the United States are pretty well armed. You can just imagine the awfulness, the terror, the abject terror that's going to strike people in places, especially the big cities.
I'm thankful I'm not going to be around.
But it's going to be awful and knowing that terror of the Lord.
We persuade men, and so brethren, it's not the focus on ourselves. And I find that fear comes to me when I start thinking about myself. How are they going to treat me? How they're going to react? Because we all like to be accepted.
Brother, let's keep the focus on the Lord.
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
Then he says, nor of me, his prisoner.
Timothy, you associated with that man in prison over there. He's so radical. Look, he got himself put in prison. You associated with him.
Don't be ashamed, Timothy.
Of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner. But what encourages me so much in this chapter, brethren, is what He says, and I've mentioned it before already. He says in verse 12, just to connect it.
For the which 'cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless I am not ashamed. There was that man in prison, in bonds, nearing the end of his life.
I am not ashamed. Oh, that's so beautiful, brother.
For I know complete certainty.
Whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed my deposit.
Unto him against that day.
So he's looking forward to that future day, and he was not ashamed. May the Lord grant that we would be encouraged in that same way.
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Colossians 3 verse 23 says whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord he shall receive the reward of inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. Anything that we do in our little spirit of activity or involvement that's done for the Lord will not go unnoticed and the coming day will be stood out and rewarded each in our own atmosphere. A word that we say and an action perhaps.
Prayer, whatever it might be, might be unnoticed by the world around us, but the Lord will point that out and you'll reward it.
We can each do something for handings, given us gifts as was mentioned, and the Lord will be pleased to.
And we should be satisfied with knowing the Lord is pleased, not looking for the approval of brethren or family or whatever it might be. It might be persecuted for it, but just to be satisfied. The Lord knows and He understands, and He appreciates and values it too.
Bible says go into all the world and preach the gospel and says their sound went out into all the earth.
Your spirit might just be your friends that you meet. Most, most effective evangelization, I believe, is a personal relationship with somebody, building a relationship with with a person and then giving them the gospel. Another sphere is your home.
Couple weeks ago there was a little girl.
She found her cat had caught a mouse and mauled the mouse pretty badly and she picked up the poor mouse. It was all.
I won't explain describe your mouth, but.
And her brother said to her, oh, you're going to die because that that mouse probably has rabies.
Well, the little girl, she got all worried and she was afraid and she was crying. Her mother could not console her. So that night her mother was talking to her, trying to console her, and she said, well, if I'm going to die from rabies, I'm not going to go to heaven. And the mother was able to talk to her and to give her the gospel, explain the gospel to her that she had heard before. A little girl got saved. And so the sphere for the gospel might be right in your own home.
In John Gospel chapter one, it speaks of Andrew says in verse 41 he first find us his own brother Simon. And So what does he do? He brings them to the Lord Jesus. My uncle Guilford used to have a little piece of poetry. I think I've.
Recited it once or twice and the supply on words and I'll repeat it several times. If each 1111, how many one ones would be one for Christ? So we're using the word WONNONE and I'll say it again. If each 1111, how many one ones would be one for Christ?
And certainly that speaks to my heart too.
Testimony of our Lord and of me as prisoner.
As well includes that which the apostle Paul received from the ascended Christ, and he called it his gospel, or when he included Timothy, our gospel.
And it was helpful to me years ago, it was explained he might go to court. Joe's on trial and you have to go to court. And the judge says, I want to hear your testimony of Joe. And you get up and you say all nice things about Joe, says no, I want to hear what Joe said, what you have to say about what Joe said.
That's what I want to hear, not what things, nice things you might have to say about Joe. And that was helpful to me in this thought of the testimony of our Lord and of me as prisoner. It's what the ascended Christ had to say and what the apostle received from the ascended Christ that he called his gospel, and we call his doctrine as well those points. And Timothy was not to be ashamed of what the ascended Christ had given to.
Paul, not the prisoner of Rome, but his prisoner. He was Christ prisoner.
And so I think as well as the gospel which was mentioned, the afflictions of the gospel here, it's also Paul's doctrine that would be included in this. And that was certainly under attack in that day and being discounted because Paul was a prisoner.
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Has false doctrine was connected with heavenly position and place and christ's present position there in glorious head and.
It is in Christian circles even it's sometimes.
Spoken against because.
It removes us from the political workings of this world. And so Paul, in giving that truth, was made a prisoner. He was not appreciated. And so we need to appreciate that brother. And it it is a treasure.
What we have from Paul's doctrine wonderful, wonderful treasure.
Testimony of our Lord and me, His prisoner goes together.
And you go on with Versailles. Time is going. Here he is who has.
Saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. So it was in God's mind and thoughts to bless us even before the foundation of the world, and in time we were called. Our Calling, brethren, is a heavenly calling.
We're passing through the world as we have had before us, to be a testimony.
Is a wonderful privilege, but Our Calling is a heavenly calling. Certainly we had no part in it but our sins and God has a purpose to honor his beloved Son to give him the highest place and he wants you and I to share in that purpose. That's the the outcome of the gospel that we would share all the glory of the Lord Jesus. God has that purpose. It hasn't come to pass yet to but it's not going to be frustrated in any way.
And it's all the grace of God that has brought this, these marvelous blessings to us. And and then the teaching that we have in the 10th verse shows us that now we have knowledge of the kind of body we're going to have in the glory. The Old Testament St. did not know that we have now a divine life, eternal life.
Which is of a different character than the Old Testament Saints had. We can now we have the very life of God. We can enter into his thoughts, into his purposes, into his counsels, and then we have a body. It should be here incorruptibility. I believe this was not brought out in the Old Testament scriptures. Life for the soul, a divine life, very life of God now and incorruptibility for the for the body.
We're going to have a body that's like Christ's body.
Perfect, a glorified body that will, that will be just like his, apart from the marks of his sufferings. And it's through the gospel that Paul was given a special revelation as part of Paul's gospel, this glorious truth that we have of an incorruptible body and the very life of God, eternal life.
To enjoy.
That's an interesting expression too. He is abolished Death. That's in the new translation. It's an old death because death still exists, but it doesn't have its power now. It's annulled.
But it hasn't completely disappeared in the world we live in. I like to connect three scriptures in connection with this brethren.
Death has been annulled and in.
Hebrews chapter 2 we have another detail as to death.
And verse 14 it says that through death he might destroy or annul him that had the power of death, that is the devil. So not only has death been an old, but he that had the power of death has been an old.
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And then one further word in First Corinthians 15.
Verse 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption?
And this mortal shall have been put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory. Isn't that beautiful wonderful the work of the Lord Jesus? Death has been annulled. He that has the power of death has been an old and here is talking about a future time when?
There will be resurrection.
Death will be completely swallowed up in victory.
That word? Immortality.
And corruptibility, the verses you read there in Corinthians, we're going to have a body that's immoral with immortality, and that's incorruptible. Immortality means it cannot die. Incorruptibility means cannot sin. There is no sin.
And so we're going to have a body that's incorruptible. That means there's going to be no more sin. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. So we have bodies that are dying because of sin. But when we're when we're have our new body, it will be both immortal and it will be incorruptible. And so we'll have bodies that will not die. We'll have bodies that have no sin.
Won't get old.
No wonder the Apostle Paul says, for the which cause I suffer these things. Nevertheless I'm not ashamed, for I know whom I believed and and persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. New Translation Read uses the word my deposit.
I like that.
Paul had lost everything down here.
Was he ashamed for the way he lived?
I am not ashamed my deposit.
He has it for that day. O brethren, where are we depositing?
Somewhere here in this world.
It won't last down here. God grant us to deposit.
For that day.
I lived in Bolivia and we lived in Bolivia at the time of hyperinflation and it really impressed me, brethren, because.
In one year down there, while we lived there, it was 40,000%. Inflation almost has no meaning.
But the Bolivian peso went from 20 to the US dollar to 2,800,000 to the US dollar in the space of two years.
You think those people hung on to those paces?
You want to lose what you got, hang on to it. Hang on to it. That's not the way to do. It's using it and that's what they did. If they got pesos, they went and used it and.
That way this value is preserved.
But it was an impressive thing to me to live in that country at that time and it really makes us think, brother, and everything down here is losing value.
In Israel they had what they called the Year of Jubilee.
There was seven years. Every 7th year was to be a sabbatical year, and then after 7 sevens, 49 years, the 50th year was to be the year of Jubilee and everything would return to its original honor. So that if there was 50 years to go, you wanted to buy a piece of property from me, Bruce. Why, you might pay a pretty good sum.
Because you got 50 years in front of you, but if there's only one year in front of you.
And you'd have to give it back again. I don't think you'd be that interested in giving me much for my property.
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And it was because it's all going to go back to the original order. We're getting close to those times, brethren. Things don't have that much value anymore.
It's evident in the world we live. May the Lord help us to use what we have in view of that day that He speaks of here. Take it as the day of manifestation of the judgment seat of Christ. So.
In as you say, I want to read you what Pete, what the Lord said to Peter, because you are Speaking of percentages and the value of things. Just read it in Mark 10 here in verse 28. And Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake in the Gospels.
But he shall receive notice this on hundredfold now in this time, houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come, eternal life, you know, a hundredfold is 10,000%. I don't think you'll get a return on any investment down here. 10,000% in return. That's pretty good investment, isn't it? But that's what the Lord was telling Peter. Peter might have felt he, he did feel he'd given up everything.
We know Peter of all the disciples had a wife and he might have felt, well, I've given up more than the other disciples to follow the Lord. But the Lord said, I'll make it up to you. I'll give you new relationships now. I'll provide for you now and in the world to come, eternal life. And that's really what the apostle Paul had before him as thinking of how he speaks of this, this holy calling in Timothy, you know, three times you have the calling spoken of in a different way.
In Hebrews chapter three, he speaks of it as a heavenly calling. Why? Because in Hebrews it's contrasted with Israel. Israel had an earthly calling and their blessings were connected with this earth. But the apostle, when he writes to the Hebrew believers, he connects them with the Lord Jesus as the risen glorified man at the right hand of God in the third chapter there living for them as their high priest and the apostle of their profession and so on.
And he says, there you have a heavenly calling. It's not connected with this life. That's what the Lord Jesus was telling Peter, I've got something better for you than just things down here relate holding on to relationships and investments down here. It's a heavenly calling. In the third chapter of Philippians, the apostle Paul refers to it as a high calling, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Why? Because the apostle Paul before he was saved.
He felt he had a calling. It was a calling that had to do with earthly religion. It was a calling, but it wasn't the high calling that he received when he got saved and he was pressing then toward the mark. He could give up all those things that he once counted dear. Was it difficult? Not really. When he got a glimpse of the high calling, he got a hold of a better calling, and he had Christ before him as the object.
Here it's a holy calling because in Second Timothy it was a day of ruin. It was a day when there was a lot of things being introduced that weren't holy. And he takes that up in the next chapter. And we're to separate from that which is unholy and defiles and so on. It's a holy calling. And we are, as he says in Ephesians, to walk worthy of Our Calling, whether it's a heaven in the sense of a heavenly, a high, or a holy calling. We're to walk worthy of that, as Bob said, with the sense in our soul like the apostle Paul.
That there is something of eternal value, an eternal weight beyond this life. And when he speaks of afflictions, how could he suffer? You know, you think of Paul, and he didn't go out and look for suffering. We don't go out and look to suffer. There'll be opportunity if we're faithful. But he suffered much. How did he? How could he do it? Oh, he had the glory before him. It was a light affliction. Why?
Because it was but for a moment, and he had an exceeding and eternal weight of glory before his soul. And if you and I can get a hold in some measure of what is ahead and what is laid up for us there in the glory, then it's going to help us. Not to lay up treasure in heaven where moth and rust corrupt and thieves breakthrough and steal, but to lay up treasure not on earth, but in heaven where moth and rust do not.
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Corrupt and thieves do not breakthrough and steal.
And those are the things that are of eternal value and weight.
It's one thing to be laughed and mocked at by unbelievers when you're giving them the gospel. It's another thing to have other Christians mock you and and ridicule you because you're following the, the, the apostles doctrine. And Paul had had given Peter and I'm sorry, had given Timothy and Titus and these others an outline of truth.
And it says in verse 13, hold fast the form of sound words.
Which thou hast turned in me and faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. Hold fast the form of sound words. That's the form. There is like an outline. We need to have an outline of truth. What do you believe?
The way we practice is being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is that really the way God wants us to meet? Is that the really way He wants us to practice and function as a church on the ground of one body? We do it. Do we believe it? Do you have an outline of sound words that can prove what you believe? It hurts even more when brethren who are gathered with us start to ridicule the teaching that they've been practicing.
In law.
And mop those who continue to to be gathered to the Lord's name.
And so it's important to hold fast the form of sound words in verse 15. All they which are in Asia be turned away from me. They started turning away from the teachings of the apostle Paul and the apostles doctrine. And I'm sure he felt very discouraged because of that. And so he's telling Timothy, he's warning them him about this.
It's helpful to the outline of sound words. You mentioned the truth of gathering, but I think it's very helpful to go through, especially the New Testament Scriptures because the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and go through those New Testament books and get an outline of them. There is a way they're written.
That if you spend some time reading some of the good ministry, get an outline of First Corinthians, for example, extremely important because it is really a universal epistle. It's written to those who are at Corinth, but to all those in every place who call in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. And so it is written for all times, for all places. And so to get an outline of.
Of assembly order that is taught in First Corinthians is extremely important, very helpful I must say. I noticed that those young men who take time to read some of the good ministry and get an outline of scripture. What was Romans written for? Written for? Give the truth of justification by faith. What is the first and second Peter about?
Peter speaks of the Kingdom of God and in the House of God in.
The first Timothy, and I'm saying first Peter and in second Peter, it is in the world, the government of God in the world. So if you get the outline of of the epistles, John's epistles take up the family of God. And so those things are very helpful. If you can get an outline of Scripture and that's what Paul is speaking to Timothy about it is very useful and helpful and I encourage especially those who are younger, but.
If we're a little older, let's get the outline too. It's very helpful.
14 The power of God brought in.
As that which is at our disposal.
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In order to keep.
That good thing or that the positive truth in order to be able to carry it out in a practical way, which I think.
Sought to bring before Timothy the importance of not only knowing the truth, but also carrying it out in his manner of life. But it's all through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Which dwells in us. So we need to keep that in mind, don't we? That greater is He that is in US than he that is in the world. So we have the power of God at our disposal to carry out the truth of God in a practical way.
I was going to say what to follow up with. Wally is saying there that there is such a departure from Paul's doctrine today in Christendom. There's such a confusion that has come in.
Recently or in the last 100 years or so in Christendom applying Old Testament.
Promises that have no application to the Church bringing them in, spiritualizing them.
Calling them covenant to theology and so on. A person who is affected by those things will not have an outline of sound doctrine.
There's compromise and it's not rightly dividing the word of truth. So we can be so thankful to the Lord for His goodness in preserving to us the apostles, doctrine and fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers. Then in the last part of our chapter, it's beautiful to see onospheres. He identified with the prisoner, the apostle Paul.
He put forth energy to look him up.
And his family perhaps more reproach to it, says the House of Onus Ephraim. But he sought out the apostle and was not ashamed of him.
Probably had to go to many different prisons in Rome. There probably was a number of prisons there. But he put forth energy to find the apostle to comfort him.
Strengthen him, He sought him out diligently. The Lord valued that service of love that was shown here by unacciferous and it's recorded in the annals of eternity to be rewarded in that day. Well, it didn't. It wasn't something public that perhaps men would look up to, but it was a service for the Lord that was valued. And so I think of the sisters who work behind the scenes, we might say.
We don't need to mention specifics, but they do much work behind the scenes.
Not seen by the eye of man. It's going to be rewarded. The Lord sees those precious things and that sacrifice will will be rewarded in that coming day.
#31.
The Father.
In my bride, Jesus and Grandpa, I love grave rain time.
Before the world, we made our worlds.
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All our trust, our deployment of life and glory.
And soon thou bring us to my place.
Where we shall sit in place to pray and glory, if I glory.
Rain, rain, sandwiching and burn. Sing, sing, tell me.
Gospel 1
Gospel—John Kemp
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Well, dear friends, we welcome each one to the Gospel meeting tonight. Perhaps there are some here for the first time. We're glad that you came, and we trust that the message will be simple and clear and a blessing to each one. Now, we know that there are a lot here that that are are the Lords. So the message is not going to be new, but we trust it will be fresh.
And that the Lord will encourage our hearts.
To be more earnest in giving out this wondrous message that the Lord has entrusted to us. The angels are not here to do that work, but you and I who belong to Christ.
We're not the source, that's sure, but we can be the channel. We're going to open our meeting by singing a hymn here, number 25.
Life at best is very brief.
Like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheath. Be in time. This is a serious song, is it not?
And.
We want to think about these words.
Because you have no promise of another opportunity to hear the message of God's love, this may be the last gospel meeting that you will be able to attend.
And.
Dost thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return. Was not spoken of the soul, and you and I have an eternal soul that God has a deep interest in tonight, and that's why we have this gospel meeting.
Here in Montrose that we might point you to the one who can meet your deep need.
Whether your life is brief or long, you can leave the room with the assurance I belong to Christ. Shall we stand and sing #25 Some brother would start it.
Voice of Jesus.
And your pride is just today million times.
There are flowers soon behave and you already pass away over you have the laundry.
In time, while the Spirit gets to consider do the water roll nice, you see it on your whole place too, million times.
And to cry, because you may.
Dream time.
Through the arms of Jesus.
Time.
And their Christmas soaking love being hind.
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Time big in time.
Wow, Voice of Jesus called to be in time.
And continue on your way. You may find my world and get it. And you're crying because you may be in time.
When we're getting a warning voice, make the Lord your happy choice, and a happy will restore His name.
From darkness into light, run the way I see my pride.
And sorry for having too much.
Time.
And you're crying just today.
Bringing time.
Shall we pray? Our loving God and our Father, we thank Thee for the privilege once more afforded to us to proclaim the gospel of Thy grace. We thank Thee for that blessed One who came from heaven's glory to unfold the heart of God to us, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who came?
To display grace and truth.
To lay down his life, a sacrifice for us who were guilty and lost, and who is now offering a full and a free salvation through his finished work. We ask Thy help tonight. The message may be clear and simple. We pray for any soul in the company who is still a stranger to the Lord Jesus, who has never closed in with thine offer of mercy, that the Word may reach the heart and the conscience.
And be used in eternal blessing, that there may be joy in the presence of the angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth.
We commit the meeting to the Independence and with Thanksgiving in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
We're thankful for those who are able to sing this hymn tonight with real feeling.
We know that many here.
Belong to Christ.
And do not fear coming judgment. But you know, life is brief. You have no lease upon life.
As most of you know, my wife Eleanor comes from Brazil.
And a few years ago we were passing through the southern part of the country, Brazil, down in the state of Rio Grande do Sol, where Eleanor was brought up as a girl. And we passed by a town there by the name of Santa Maria.
On this occasion we did not go into that town.
But something happened, you may have heard, in that very town well known to my wife, in the area where she had lived in January of this year.
January 27th This nightclub was filled with young people, I don't know how many, perhaps 500 or more.
There for a good time living it up. Santa Maria is a university town, and this was just before the beginning of the summer term in Brazil.
Something happened and there was a fire ignited on the stage of that large room, which soon.
Became a conflagration and the doors outside were locked because people had not paid their fare to get in there. And panic broke out in that in that large auditorium and people were struggling to get out, a number did get out.
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But the final.
Fatality list was about.
233 young people just on the verge of entering university.
In some classes, only two or three students were left out of the whole class.
Gone into eternity.
Without any warning young people with life before them.
Ready to enter the field of education and prepare for a position here. Ushered into eternity that night.
Some put it higher than 233, but at least.
What a tragedy, you say. What a catastrophe. What a voice to Brazil.
And a voice to the world. And tonight we have a message from the heart of God for you, my friend. We don't want to frighten you, but we want to warn you of those words uttered by the Lord Jesus when He was here in his pathway. Strive to enter in at the straight gate. Luke chapter 1324 For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in.
And shall not be able, when once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us, the day of grace will be over.
There will be no second chance for those who.
Die without Christ in their sins.
We had another catastrophe in Canada just a few months ago. You no doubt have heard of it when again at a nightclub, 60 to 70, at about 60, young people were ushered into eternity in an inferno that took place at Lake Megantic. While these things are voices to the living.
And God has given you an opportunity.
To enter in.
The door of salvation which is wide open for you tonight. The Lord Jesus is reaching out to whosoever his arms are wide open. The desire of God is for your eternal blessing.
And remember that you are accountable to God.
You're not accountable to me. You will not stand before me in that coming eternity. You are accountable to the God who has created you, Romans chapter 14 tells us. Every man shall give an account of himself to God, you and I.
Are responsible before God. And if you're unsaved tonight in this room, God is giving you one more opportunity.
To be saved and it may be the last in his great long-suffering mercy he has spared us for another year. And here we are at Montrose 2013 because God is waiting for you to close in with that offer of mercy. You know, sometimes we hear people say I don't believe in God. I'm I'm an atheist. We meet those kind of people every day. I'm sure you do.
I say to them, well, you say you're an atheist, but in your conscience you know that you have to meet God.
I heard a story recently.
About a young man or a middle-aged man who was given a gospel tract.
And he looked at it and he realized what it was.
And he said, you know, two weeks ago I would have thrown that gospel track back into your face, But something has happened in my life, in my family just recently, a couple of weeks ago.
I was brought up an atheist.
I heard nothing else from my youth. That was all we had in our home. My father was an atheist and my grandfather was an atheist, and I was brought up as an atheist.
I had no use for God or anything of a spiritual nature, but he says my father was on his deathbed.
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His affairs were in order, we know it. It was the end for him because he was an elderly man.
And we thought he was unconscious as he lay on that bed, but all of a sudden he rose up with terror in his eyes.
And he shouted out, There is a God, there is a hell, and I'm going there. And he fell back on the bed and was gone.
He says this has affected me deeply because I thought there was number God, but this is what my father said before he passed away.
And I'm afraid he went into a lost eternity. Well, dear friends.
These things are real, and we want you.
To understand tonight this message of the Gospel, let us turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, reverse.
Verse three. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.
The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Here we have the gospel of the glory of Christ. We turn to Acts chapter 20. We see the apostle given the charge to preach the gospel of the grace of God. Well, it's the same gospel, but here it has more to do with Christ as a glorified man at God's right hand tonight.
He's exalted there. God has purposes in His.
Councils to honor his son, to give him the highest place in that coming scene.
And it's a gospel of the glory. And tonight God wants you to share in those purposes that God has in view for His Son.
In His love, He is inviting you to come and share in those purposes and all the glory.
That Christ will have in that coming day the gospel of the glory of Christ.
But it's also the gospel of the grace of God.
And where do we see?
Such a wonderful.
A revelation of the grace of God, but in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who came down from the glory, full of grace and truth.
To reveal the heart of man. To reveal the heart of God to man.
To open the floodgates of his heart to lost sinners. You know, I've noticed lately in John's gospel, which we may look at a little later, John four, that the Lord spoke to that poor Samaritan woman.
Who was in the very depths of moral pollution. She had no reputation or character and looked down upon. He spoke to her.
About her sin and her need. And at the end of that passage in John chapter 4, the Samaritans realized that the Lord Jesus was the savior of the world. You know, if you go back to the book of Genesis, you will see that Joseph was given the name Zaf Nathania by Pharaoh. What does Zafnafania mean in the Coptic language?
It means the revealer of secrets in the Hebrew language.
As the Samaritans understood it, it means the savior of the world.
So the Lord Jesus is presented in those two characters and we'll look at, we'll see that in the Gospel of John a little later. So dear friends, tonight we want you to know that the gospel is good news for you from the heart of God.
It has a warning to it, but it is good news. It is the revelation of God's heart of love.
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It was there in a past eternity in God's heart, the Lord Jesus came to fully display the heart of His Father. But that love for you, a Sinner, a guilty, lost and ruined Sinner, was in the heart of God from a past eternity. Dear friends, that love is reaching out to you tonight.
In all its fullness. And God wants you to leave this room with the assurance.
That you are a child of God.
With the knowledge that your sins are forgiven.
They have been purged by the precious blood of Christ, and you are fitted for eternal glory, not by any good works that you have done, not by your resolutions and your prayers and your promises, but by faith in the finished work of Christ. You can be sure of your eternity, an eternity of joy and peace with God.
I was distributing trucks at A at a fair a few weeks ago. This is held every year in a small town called Almont, about 30 miles from Ottawa where we live.
It's quite an interesting exhibition of Highland games with all the clans in their kilts. The music is quite attractive. But I was there to give out tracks by God's grace, and as I moved around the grounds there and was able to give out quite a number of tracks and bookmarks and so on, there was a lady there who had a stand.
A table where she was selling.
Souvenirs and so on. And she had a number of books on that table. And I looked at those books and I said, Lady, I see one word that is on all of those books. It's the word time. Now I don't have the opportunity to read these books, but there's something that is not complete here, lady, because you haven't taken into account.
That time is going to come to an end and you are going to be ushered into eternity.
While she had never thought of that, and she didn't seem to have much interest.
But I gave her that tract the rest of his time, which I hope she will read.
Carefully, time is going to come to an end, and then eternity.
Will burst upon you. And where will you spend that eternity, my friend? We want you to have a happy landing. A safe landing as I was coming back from one of my foreign tours.
I gave tracks out to some of the stewardesses on the plane and as I was coming out the.
The exit the exit door into the airport I offered a track to.
This gentleman in uniform, I said, I suppose you're the Stewart, a steward here. Thank you for your good service. No, he says, I'm the captain. Oh, I says, I'm pleased to meet you. And here I want you to have this tracked so that you'll have a safe landing in the next World. While his face lit up and he said, I know where I'm going to be. I'm going to have a safe landing with the Lord.
He says up here in the cockpit, I see things that no one else sees, and I realize that this is the handiwork, the majesty of the Creator. He recognized the Lord Jesus as the Creator, and you could see by his expression that he was on the solid rock. Well, are you going to have a safe landing in the next World? Dear friend, This is why we have the gospel meeting here tonight. Let us turn to John's Gospel chapter 4 for a few moments.
This, no doubt, is a familiar passage to.
00:25:01
To most of us here tonight.
We'll read a few verses, beginning of chapter 4.
When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself baptized not but his disciples, He left Judea and departed again into Galilee, and he must needs go through Samaria.
Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Saikar, near to the parcel of ground.
That Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about the 6th hour.
Will the Lord hear?
Had a special purpose before him. It was the blessing of this woman of Samaria. In the previous chapter, we have the quickening power of the Spirit of God coming down to awaken.
Souls like Nicodemus, who was a religious man with character and reputation, you might say.
And.
Standing before men. But this woman here, she didn't have anything like that. She was in the depths of sin and moral pollution.
And a lonely soul trying to satisfy her desires by the pleasures of sin in this world. And the Lord had a special interest in this woman.
It has been said we have here in this chapter a detected Sinner.
That's the first thing. Second thing we have, we have a revealed Savior. And the third thing we have we have a devoted St. I love this passage because it shows the Lord in His perfect humanity as He sat by that well weary.
With his journey, weary in his love for sinners, in his laborers to bring souls to God, the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. There he was, and we have this woman alone with Jesus.
And this is characteristic of the Gospel of John. You often find people along with Jesus. I wonder, dear friend, here tonight, have you ever been alone with the Lord?
Have you ever been in the presence of the Son of God?
Realizing your need and that person who came down from heaven's glory to be your savior, here he is sitting upon the well because he had in view the blessing of this poor woman. We're not here standing by the mountain of Sinai. It's not.
Creation in all its majesty. If this woman was at the Mount of Sinai, she would be stoned. But here it is, the full revelation of the grace of God.
Reaching out in all its depth, this woman here had tried the pleasures of sin, and she was thirsting again. And over every well of this world is written those words. Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. Dear friends, the water of life is offered to you tonight.
Whosoever will let him come and take the water of life, really.
There was a traveler in the deserts, I think it was in the United States, who was.
Abandoned, he was lost in the desert and dying with thirst, and he was rescued. He was found by some friends.
Who revived him? And they said, what were you thinking of when you were lying there on the ground?
With nothing to quench your thirst, he says. I was thinking of the many.
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Drops of water that I waste it.
When I was well and in the world, the many opportunities that he had. And dear friend, tonight the opportunity is for you to be saved by the grace of God. The grace of God that bring us salvation has appeared unto all men. And it's beautifully demonstrated in the chapter that we're looking at here. This poor woman, she had nothing to glory in Nicodemus.
Was a man that you would look up to, but here we have.
A woman in the depths of sin. And the well was deep, as she says here Jacob's well was there. Jesus being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well. It was about the 6th hour. Here was God manifest in the flesh.
Was the one that could put his hand on all the treasures of the universe, the creator of the planets and this whole system that we see at night.
The The heavens declare the glory of God. Here was the one.
Who was the Creator was sitting beside this sinful woman?
Asking for a glass of water.
And you know the Lord is coming down. He has come down from the glory. And He didn't empty himself of His Godhead deity, but He did veil the glory that was His in a past eternity. He entered the world in humiliation. He entered the world as a man amongst us who was hungry and thirsty as He was here. Where did He find His refreshment?
He was in a world that had no room for him. This woman here was solitary. She was isolated because of her sin.
But the Lord was a solitary man to the world.
Had no room for him in the inn and we follow as our brother mentioned.
This afternoon we follow a rejected Christ. He's still unwanted in this world, but He's the one that God has exalted to his right hand. He's the one that wants to be your Savior tonight. And here he meets this woman in her deep need. You know, I was saying the other day in Ottawa, the Lord never stereotyped his responses. He always had a message according to the need of the individual.
In fact, the Lord spoke differently to Nicodemus than He spoke to this woman.
He knew all about her. Her life was an open book to him. And and so my friend, the Lord knows your past history. Nothing can be hid from his eye.
But I want to tell you that there's power in the blood of Christ to cleanse those many sins away. This woman received marvelous blessing because the well was deep. Yes, she says that here.
But there was something deeper that was her need and her sin. And there was something even deeper than that. It was the grace of God, the love of God that was bringing up here to meet that poor woman's need.
The heart of God.
That is being displayed here in this chapter. So we're going on with the passage here.
Then cometh the woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink, for his disciples were gone. Away unto the city you buy meat. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him. How is it that thou, being a Jew, ask as a drink of me, which I'm a woman of Samaria?
Or the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given the living water. So dear friends, tonight God is offering that living water to you, and.
00:35:04
He is not only the savior of the world, he's also the revealer.
Of secrets, that was the name given to Joseph, and in our passage here we will see that this woman felt she was in the presence of God, of one who knew all about her past history. Nothing was hid from his eyes. Come see a man which stole me all things that ever I did.
And remember, salvation is not nature made better. You know, some people think we need to be improved, we need to turn over a new leaf, that Christianity is for the advancement of man down here. That's not the meaning of the gospel, my friend. The gospel meets you as a guilty, helpless Sinner. And bring salvation full and free to you tonight.
Not by anything that you have done good resolutions or any prayers or alms or anything of that nature, but it must come from above.
I think of a story.
That was told.
It happened in Atlanta back in 1947. Maybe I've told this story before. There was a hotel there, well known hotel. It was called the Wine Cough. It was reputed to be fireproof.
It was filled with guests that night.
And everyone was sleeping in security. The hotel is fireproof. We have nothing to worry about.
And but unknown to them, there was a small fire.
Smoldering there in the bottom of the hotel Which?
Gained strength and.
Soon burst out into.
A terrible.
Conflagration.
And the people panicked, and here was this hotel, 15 to 20 stories high and no escape. They were fireproof. We don't need fire escapes.
True, it was fireproof in the sense that the walls would not burn, but there these people were trapped. And it was the worst fire that ever took place in the United States, for 121 People were ushered into eternity that night.
But some were saved. And you know how they were saved? Some brave men. They climbed up an adjoining building there.
And they were able to take boards and ladders and whatever they could find and.
Put them across to the burning hotel and they went over and stretched out their arms and rescued those poor souls that were trapped there in the smoke and the flames and they brought them over that.
Perilous.
Perilous board there into the place of safety and and security. But there was no help for those people themselves. They were utterly helpless. It must come from outside. And those brave men reached out the hand and LED them across.
Those channels into safety. So the Lord is reaching out to you tonight, dear friend, as he did to this poor woman of Samaria and.
Brought salvation and pardon to her, Filled her heart, Gave her living water.
The Lord said to her goal, Call thy husband and come hit her. You know the Lord very seldom told any person to leave him. But why did the Lord say that to this woman? Go call thy husband and come hit her. Because he wanted to reach her conscience with the gospel. And the Lord must reach your conscience tonight to awaken you to your need of a Savior.
She knew she was a Sinner. Her conscience was reached. She knew she was in the presence of God.
But the Lord didn't turn her away. She came back. She found that living water. She found a Savior, One who revealed the secrets of her heart, that is true, but one who provided a full and eternal salvation for her.
00:40:12
Just as the Lord is reaching out to you tonight with that message of forgiveness and pardon and eternal life offered without money and without price.
You know, I think of a story that has told, been told before.
Of John Wesley.
Who was a very.
Gifted evangelist and he preached the gospel in many parts of England.
And he traveled many thousands of miles on horseback.
And.
Preach the gospel to many thousands of people in those days, many poor.
Deprived souls, he proclaimed the good news of salvation. One day he was traveling by horseback at night through a part of England, and he was stopped by a rough voice.
Who?
Who accosted him with the words your money or your life? Well, John Wesley wasn't a wealthy man. He didn't have much money. He only had a.
A satchel there which was filled with Bibles and.
Tracks. So he says, here is my purse. This is all I have, but you won't find much in it. And so the thief searched his bags, hoping there was some, some funds in those satchels that he had. But he was disappointed. And he was going to make off into the darkness when John Wesley said, just a minute, I want you to think about the course that you are following. The day may come.
When you will see the error of your way, when you will realize that your path is leading you to a lost eternity. When you do, I want you to think of this verse. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin.
And the the robber made his way into the darkness. Several years later, John Wesley was preaching to a large company of people.
In an auditorium.
And many people were waiting to speak to him as he left the.
The hall and he was delayed because he had an interview with a man.
Whom he didn't know.
And this man said, do you remember such and such a night when I accosted you and demanded money from you, and you gave me a verse. He says that verse never left my soul and it has been the means of bringing me to Christ. He was a comfortable, wealthy businessman by now. He says, thank you for that verse which has been liked to my darkened soul and has brought me to Christ.
Oh dear friends, we have the same message for you tonight, that God in his wondrous love.
Is unfolding to you a person? We're not Speaking of philosophy. We're not Speaking of a new religion. We're Speaking of a divine person, one who can meet the deepest depths of the sinner's need, one who came from the glory.
To die for you, to give his life a sacrifice on the cross that you might be saved. Oh, my friend, as we come to the end of our meeting, we want you to know that the Lord is inviting you to close in with his offer of mercy tonight. This woman here, she became a devoted St. She went back into the city where she was known there of Samaria.
Everyone knew her life. She said come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? The Lord revealed himself to this woman. He filled her heart. He cleansed her from her sins. She became a devoted St.
00:45:06
And she became a testimony in Samaria. And you remember the Lord came to Samaria.
And many more believed because of his own word. If you go to the book of Acts, chapter 8, you'll find that Philip the Evangelist went to Samaria and preached Christ unto them, and nearly the whole city believed. He reaped nearly all the souls in Samaria. But the work began with this woman here, who became such a bright testimony.
Something filled her heart. It wasn't something artificial, It wasn't something formal. It was the outflow of her heart and.
It glorified God and she became a channel of blessing. John chapter 3 you have the Holy Spirit of God coming down in quickening power. In chapter 4 you have the Spirit of God prefigured here in the water.
Lifting the soul up in the power of communion and worship.
And then in John Chapter 7 you have the Spirit of God.
Using the believer as a channel of blessing to others.
Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water, there the Spirit, the Spirit of God.
One who fills the heart and uses the believer to be a channel of blessing to others. The source is the Lord. But something that we have enjoyed and entered into, we can give out in this barren, Dark World in which our lot is cast. So, dear friends, we do plead with you tonight.
To hear the voice of the Lord like this.
This woman here, she heard the voice of God and God speaking through human lips.
And God's Word is speaking to you tonight.
And you have another opportunity to be saved. I think of a story in closing.
That took place in Canada many years ago.
In a logging camp, you know, in those early days.
These brave and strong men would spend the winter in a logging camp. I guess those from Hammer Bay would know something about this and.
There were some men who were evangelists. If you ever have the chance to read the story of.
Charles Bohen, he went into these camps and preached the gospel faithfully to these tough, hard men that were gathered there. And one day, I'm not sure if this was Mr. Bowen or not, but one day there was a preacher proclaiming the gospel in that logging camp.
There was a man there, rough and tough, with no thought of God.
No thought of eternity.
He broke into the room where the preacher was sitting.
And began to curse, and to swear, and to belittle God in the gospel.
And.
Spat or spat all over his clothes, tobacco juice and over his Bible and the preacher.
Kindly spoke to him and said Jack.
You're you think you're having a good time, but remember you have to meet God.
But that didn't seem to make any impression upon Jack. He turned around. He pushed the head of the preacher against the wall.
And then he left the room, swearing.
And.
The preacher thought this will be the last time I'll ever meet this man. But in the middle of the night, he got a call. An urgent call.
About 1:00 in the night, he was called to the office of the logging camp and.
00:50:02
He was told what had happened during the night. One of the brake men in.
Coupling together one of the cars, the logging cars had fallen underneath the the wheels and his leg had been severed.
And the preacher, he went to the hospital and there was that great, that strong form of man lying there in agony.
And he said Jack.
How are you? He says. Will you forgive me, Charles? Will you forgive me? He says. Yes, I'll forgive you. But remember, you may not have long to live. And Are you ready for eternity?
And he presented the gospel to him, and the message of the thief on the cross.
How at the last moment, with eternity 6 hours before him.
Had believed in the Lord and been saved. Lord, Remember Me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.
He had said that prayer of a repentant Sinner, and Jack lay there in agony.
And he said.
I want to say that prayer that you have told me God be merciful to me, a Sinner, he said. I want to be sure that I am ready. I know I'm a great Sinner, but there on that bed.
He grasped the hand that was reached out to him.
And he accepted Christ, and he remembered that verse. He repeated it. God be merciful.
To me, a Sinner, and he said I want you, Charles, to tell the men that I've made the coupling and he passed into eternity saved by the matchless grace of God. Well, as we close our meeting, we trust that.
Everyone here is under the shelter of the precious blood of Christ, that your hope is built on nothing less than Jesus and the blood he spilt because God.
Is not mocked whatsoever a man saw it, that shall he also reap, And his arms are wide open. For whosoever, whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely shall we sing in closing that verse that is so well known in our hymn sheets #32.
We'll just stay seated. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Someone would start it.
What can make me whole I can nothing much about.
Jesus.
No.
For my heart.
Makes me quiet so.
Nothing but the blood Jesus.
Oh, Christmas.
That makes me like a soul.
No other time, Nothing but the mother of chainsaws.
00:55:26
Oh, precious.
By the soul, no other I might be, no nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Now we pray our loving God and our Father, we thank Thee for this wondrous message of Thy love and grace as we have seen the beautiful exhibition in John chapter four of the Grace of God.
Bringing salvation to this needy, sinful soul, we thank Thee that Thou art still the same blessed Savior, though exalted at God's right hand, a Prince and a Savior, offering this full and free salvation to whosoever. So we ask Thy blessing on the Word here this evening to each soul.
We know there are many who know this message well, and many are sheltered.
From coming judgment by that precious blood may we?
Acknowledge our privilege of channeling this wondrous news to others and use the opportunities, as this woman did, to speak well of our Savior. We commit all to Thee. We pray for any precious soul in the company who is still unsaved in his sins, that that person, young or old, may reach out the hand by faith.
And accept God's wondrous gift of life eternal, the water of life. We ask it all in the name and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Jesus Wants You to Come and Follow Him
Children—Paul House
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.
Who's got a hymn for us to start with?
Preferably the children.
Why don't we start with #40?
We'll take a few more after that one. Someone started please.
I know, and Lord, the Bible tells me so.
Let go once you can pick it up.
Let me know.
Stop sleeping. Yeah, I have to sleep inside the sun. Sleeping.
Yeah.
I will tell me so.
So a child.
Yeah.
So.
Jesus loves me. No, I'm acting great. Still making.
My way soon hold me in his heart.
It's easy from every heart.
Yes, it's like a slightly yeah, let's get it inside the silence and skinny.
Yeah.
So.
Where I lie.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Tells me so.
Evening, lovely smiles meaning well, scary well, speaking sighted, lovely if I try to show my God.
We will Take Me Home.
Yes, I love sleeping. Yeah, skipping is on the slide.
Yeah.
So.
Sometimes we sing this hymn and take it for granted that Jesus loves us, and yet there's a lot of people that don't know that.
But today, boys and girls, we've had this privilege to sing this, and it's true that the Lord Jesus loves us. It's a wonderful thing.
Somebody else have one?
OK, Sam.
47.
When he coming?
00:05:07
Right.
Shine.
Are the joy of scratches to us in the club and in its own.
Like the stars of the morning.
It is right?
Let's pray and then we'll have another one, and then we'll have a little talk.
Our loving God and.
Our Father, we thank Thee the this morning that we can open this little meeting by singing about the love of the Lord Jesus.
And we thank thee for the little children that are here this morning.
And Lord Jesus, we know that I love for them is so great, much more than our love, we love them too. And yet Thy love is so great for them. Thou just desire to have them, to have their hearts when they're young. And we pray if there's a boy or a girl here this morning who has not come to thee yet, Lord Jesus, as their own Savior, we pray that they may open their heart right now to them to be.
That they may accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior too, and then they can sing so happily about thy love.
And they can be so happy as thy child, our God. And so we ask for help now as we open Thy word, as we consider the young, help us Lord, give us wisdom and direction. And above all, we pray that the name of the Lord Jesus might be glorified this morning. We pray that the hearts of each one of us would be open to hear these things from my blessed Word.
For the good of our souls, we pray this in thy name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Another one please.
Number one.
Almost.
Everything.
In trials, some soldiers say you're not going to say, you're going to say.
Come, come to heaven.
Together.
Way.
Hear us invite you in.
Lester and Voice of Women.
Love, holy heart, I hear.
00:10:04
Now.
You know when you stand up at the front?
You're a little bit higher so you can look and see. I can see everybody pretty well that's here.
The odd person's head might be just tucked behind someone else.
But I want to start out by saying that there are some people here this morning that are paying very good attention.
You're paying attention to what I'm saying. You are paying attention to what you were singing.
And I know that because I could tell by the way you were focused on what you were listening to and on what you were singing.
And there were a few other people here this morning that were not paying attention.
Perhaps your mind was outside of the room somewhere. Perhaps it was at school last week. I don't know where your mind was, but it wasn't here.
And I would encourage you, boys and girls particularly, to pay attention this morning.
And it's really for your good.
And for your blessing that I say this not to be like the teacher, but please listen.
I'm going to read a bit of the Word of God in Acts Chapter 7 first.
Perhaps I'm going to shut this.
Acts Chapter 7.
And we'll read from.
Verse 18.
Let's read a couple of verses here.
This is about when Moses was a little boy.
And I think all of us, hopefully all of us, know the story of how when Moses was a little boy.
There was a law that all the little boys had to be thrown into the river.
And I was telling my boys this story last night when they were going to sleep.
And I said, what would happen to some little boys to a little boy if the little boy got thrown into the river when he was just a little baby?
And I got an answer I wasn't expecting.
But it was a terrible answer.
It was a right answer, a possible thing that could happen, but it made me really think about this terrible king that had said this about these little boys.
And Ernie said Dad.
The little baby would get eaten by a crocodile.
I thought, oh, that's even worse than I thought.
And then Tom said, well, Dad, that little boy, the little boy would probably drown a.
That's bad, terrible. Think of a little boy now. I spoke to a little father last night and he has a little boy.
And I'm going to ask Bill to bring his little boy up here for a SEC. You could.
Now, little Henry.
He's, uh, how many months old is he, Phil? Three months.
Now look how cute this little boy is.
Sure, I love little boys.
Hopefully a little Henry will be a good boy for me.
Now isn't he sweet?
Can he protect himself?
He can't, can he?
He's completely dependent on his mom and his dad.
Could he hurt anyone?
No, but you know what? Do you think his daddy loves him?
What do you think about his mom?
She does.
So this dear little boy.
We love him, just looking at him.
He's so precious.
Now let's read about.
This chapter here. Thank you very much, Phil.
Thanks for sharing your little boy.
So Acts Chapter 7 verse 18 another king arose which knew not Joseph, that dealt subtly with our kindred and evil, and treated our fathers so that they cast out their little children to the end that they might not live.
00:15:13
In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house, 3.
Months.
So that little boy.
Three months old and the commandment was that all the baby boys would be taken and thrown into the river and there they would be drowned or eaten by crocodiles. Can you imagine?
That little boy, three months old, his parents would take him.
Put him in the river.
What kind of a king would say something like that?
Isn't that sickening? It's sinful and mean and cruel and our hearts go oh, that's awful. Think of all the little baby boys that drowned in the water just like that. Now what about Henry's parents?
Think of Phil and Abby taking their boy and putting them in the water and knowing that he'd be gone.
They wouldn't have a little boy anymore to love, to buy clothes for, to dress in the morning, to change his diapers.
To love, to cherish that little boy, He'd be gone.
The message this morning, boys and girls, is that this king is a pitcher of the enemy of your souls, the devil.
And he wants to do the same to you.
He wants to do the same to you now. We sang at the beginning that Jesus loves me.
Where Jesus?
Want you to go into the river and drown? No. What? Do you want you to be eaten by crocodiles? No.
And Jesus wants to take you to heaven someday, where there's happiness and joy and bliss and lots of fun things for boys and girls to do.
It's a place that is so good that the Bible doesn't even tell us a whole lot about it, but it does say that it's far better. Far better.
Now I want to spend a few minutes talking about.
Another little boy. So let's turn to Matthew.
Chapter 2.
Now we saw Henry up here at the front and he looked like such a perfect little baby, but.
There was something, there's something inside of Henry that is in all of us.
Henry was born with an evil nature.
And you know, there was only one little boy that was ever born in this world.
Who was perfect in every way, inside and out, and that's the Lord Jesus.
So we're going to read about him.
As a little baby.
A little a young child actually. Matthew chapter 2.
And we'll read a little bit here. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the King had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Jesus, where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet. And thou, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, art not the least among the Princess of Judah. For out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem.
And said go and search diligently. Now notice this for the young child.
00:20:02
Seven times in this chapter the Lord Jesus is referred to as the young child.
And when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also. When they heard the King, they departed. And lo, the star which they saw in the East went before them till it came, and stood over where the young child was. And they saw the star, and they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him.
And with and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
And when they were departed, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I bring thee word, For Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt, have I called my son?
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wrath, and sent forth and slew all the children.
That were in Bethlehem and all the coast thereof from 2 years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet saying in Rama there was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great morning. Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not.
Now I was wondering if I could get some more help this morning.
There's a few children that are two and under.
Do you think the parents could bring them up for me please?
Let's have all the children up here that are two and under.
Now, we already had Henry up here, but we need Caleb and we need.
These two little girls and Jack boy, I think there's a couple more that are under 2O. Here we go. Perfect. Oh, here's another one.
You maybe you thought Sunday school wasn't for children that were under 2, but you know what? Sunday school is for everybody, but especially the children. OK, so here's a little girl and a little girl. 2 little girls, 2 little boys. Mr. Darby's translation would make us think that it was the boy children that were under 2, but here it says all the children. I'm not sure exactly what it means, but this man Herod.
He said that he wanted to come and worship.
King of Israel, of the Jews of Israel.
These wise men had said, where, Where is he? We've seen his * and we want to come and worship him. So he went. They went to Herod and they said, well, Herod must know he. But you know, Herod really wasn't even a Jew. He was a usurper. He took the place of being the king, but he wasn't really even one of the children of Israel.
According to history that I've read.
Now.
He sent the wise men to go and find the Lord Jesus, and the star went in the sky, and the wise men followed the star right to where Jesus was with his mother Mary.
And they worshipped him.
But Herod, he didn't waste anytime to his mind. Why would I go and find another king? I'm the king.
And he said, you know, you tell me where he is, I want to come and worship him too.
But you know, Herod didn't want to worship.
Someone else. He wanted everyone to think he was great.
And he said to the wise men, now when you find him, you come and tell me where he is. You know, Herod wanted to kill that little baby. He wanted to kill the Lord Jesus, the one who died for me on the cross so that I could have my sins forgiven. Herod wanted to kill him.
00:25:13
Now think of these little children that are up here on the front. Don't they look wonderful?
They're so precious. Look at this little girl and her. His dad is hugging her. He loves her.
And when the wise men were warned of God to go another way back to where they came from and not to tell Herod about the Lord Jesus and where the Lord Jesus and his parents were, Harry said, OK, that's it. I'm going to wipe out all the kids that are about two years old and under, according to the time that the wise men had come and told him the best. So he sent his soldiers and he said, I want you to go from house to house. I want you to go in this door, in the next door, in the next door.
And all the little kids. I want you to kill him.
Isn't that terrible?
Can you imagine how happy Mark would be? How happy Ben would be?
If a soldier came in, said where's your kids? I want to see him. How old's that boy? Oh, he's a year and a half OK, I'm going to kill him, take his sword and kill the little boy.
Oh, how old is this little boy? Oh, he's only a three, three months old. Oh, we got to kill him too.
Think of the sorrow and it says here Rachel weeping for her children. Think of the dads and the moms that were sad for days and days, probably their whole lives because of this wicked king. And you know this wicked king is a picture of the devil.
Of the enemy of your souls, who does not want you to love Jesus.
He wants you to say, you know, I have lots of time.
I know Jesus died on the cross, but.
That doesn't really matter to me.
But you know the Lord Jesus is saying to you this morning. He's saying, I love you.
I want to be your friend and let's read a few verses from the book of Mark.
Just to show you how much the Lord Jesus loves children. So let's read about some young children in Mark chapter 10.
Mark chapter 10 and the 13th verse.
And they brought young children to him, that's to the Lord Jesus, that he should touch them. And his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, or allow the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not. For of such is the Kingdom of God barely. I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child.
He shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, and put his hands upon them, and bless them.
Well, thank you for coming up to the front. But you boys and girls, you can see these little boys and little children.
And think of this wicked man, Herod, and how he said, yeah, just go and get rid of all those boys because one of them is probably gonna be the rightful king and take my position. And I don't want that. I wanna be the king.
So we went from house to house and killed all those boys. Now what did we just read about the Lord Jesus?
We read about how the Lord Jesus.
When his disciples said for the children not to come to the Lord Jesus.
He was displeased. He wanted the children and what did he do? It says he took them up in his arms.
And it says he blessed them, He put his hands upon them and blessed them. Isn't that a lot different?
Than what Herod did.
What did Herod do? He didn't have any time for children. In fact, he said get rid of them and he killed them. But Jesus didn't do that.
He put out his arms like this.
And he put his hands on the little boys.
And he hugged them.
00:30:01
And he blessed them.
And he went to the next little boy. He took the little boy and the next little girl. He had time for all of them. And it says that the Lord Jesus was displeased. He was displeased that His disciples didn't realize that His heart was open to everyone, even the little children.
And you know, we have this meeting for you, children particularly.
So that you'll realize that it's not just your dad and mom that this conference is for. This conference is for you too. This conference is for you to learn a little bit more about the love of the Lord Jesus for you and His desire to have you for himself.
Now, if we turn back a couple of chapters.
We're going to read about a mom.
And she had a young daughter. Let's read Chapter 7.
Verse 25. A certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him and came and fell at his feet.
And the woman was a Greek or a Gentile, a Syrophoenician.
By nation. And she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
Verse 29.
The devil is gone out of thy daughter, and when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
Well here we have a little story of a lady and her daughter was in a very bad situation. She actually had an evil spirit living in her and so.
She realized this lady realized that the only solution for her daughter was to come to the Lord Jesus for help. And you know, the Lord Jesus was able to cast that devil out of her.
But the point I read these verses for.
The point I read these verses was that this mother had a desire for her, her her daughter, her young daughter.
And you know when I was a boy?
My dad and mom, they used to bring me to the conferences and I have to tell you that I didn't understand many times a lot of the things that were said. I did understand some of the things, though.
And as I got older, every year I understood a little bit more and a little bit more.
And you know this lady, she came to the Lord Jesus for her daughter.
And you know, that's why your parents have brought you here.
Because they care about you.
They want you to hear about the Lord, and they know that you're not going to understand everything. They already know that.
But if you learn a little bit here and a little bit there, it won't be long till you learn a lot. Now we're going to read a little bit about a young son. We read about a young daughter. So let's turn to Second Samuel, Chapter 9.
There's a lot of young children and younger people mentioned in the Word of God. In fact, over 400 times we read about young or younger or youth in the Word of God. So second Samuel Chapter 9.
And this is the story of Mephibosheth.
I just want to read verse 12.
And Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah.
You know, in the Old Testament the names that were given to children were very important.
And Micah has a meaning.
And it's precious to me.
It means this. It means who is like onto Jehovah.
The fabulous.
Was lame on both his feet.
But he remained loyal to David his whole life. He loved David.
00:35:01
And he was not seeking his own. He was seeking the betterment of his king, his King David.
And he names his little boy, who is like on to Jehovah.
You know, I like this because.
The relationship that Mephibosheth had with his Lord.
Was such that it affected his children.
And I would just like to say it this way to you parents that are here today.
Your love for the Lord Jesus.
You're a faction for him.
Is seen by your children.
And may it be that as parents, our children would see.
The love that we have.
For the Lord Jesus, and that they would be drawn to Him too in that way.
Well, I was thinking about some other young people in the Word of God, and I know this is a children's meeting.
But I'd like to spend a little bit of time talking about young men and young women. So let's turn first to First Samuel 30.
First Samuel 30 and we'll read from verse 11.
This is for the young men that are here.
At the beginning, I made a comment about people who are paying attention and people who are not.
Young men pay attention.
Verse 11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread. And he did eat, and they made him drink water. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him, for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water. 3 days and three nights. And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou, and whence art thou?
And he said.
I am a young man of Egypt, servant Joan of Malachite.
From my master left me because three days ago and I fell sick and so on.
You know, sometimes I could have read this with more emotion perhaps.
You can think about this later yourself.
But here's a man, a young man.
And he says with his own lips.
I'm a young man of Egypt.
Servant to an Amalekite, a young man of Egypt. Egypt's a picture of the world. I'm a young man of the world, servant to the flesh. That's what an Amalekite is. It's a picture of the flesh.
My master left me because three days ago I fell sick.
So what a crummy master he had.
The guy gets sick, the master says. Oh, he can't help me anymore.
And he leaves them without any food and without any water. And who finds him? The servants of David, the true king. Picture of the Lord Jesus. It's beautiful. This man's thirsty. He's hungry. He's about to die in this world. He's left by his crummy master.
And he's found by David. What does David do? David's servants, they gave him bread and he did eat and they made him drink water.
You know that was the salvation of this young man.
And you know the Lord used this young man later to bring David down to find his.
Family and the families of his men. And there was great deliverance. But you know, I've spent some time thinking about this young man.
You know.
Can't you just imagine?
00:40:01
You know, Mr. Kent spoke last night about the man that was dying in the desert and how he thought about every drop of water that he'd wasted in his life, and he wished he could have them, no doubt.
Can you imagine this man after 2 1/2 days laying there sick, no food, no water?
What do you think he was thinking about?
I'm sure he thought he was going to die.
And I'm sure he was so sorry that he was ever a servant to such a crummy master.
And then he meets David face to face. He has an interview. And what does David say? To whom belongest thou? I say that to you right now. Who do you belong to, young men? Who is your master?
You don't have to answer me.
But you need to stand in the presence of God this morning and answer that Who is your master?
If you don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
He wants to be your master. He's a good master. He'll take care of you. He'll feed you. He'll give you water from his word every day.
There's more than we could ever want here.
He won't leave you out in the desert to die when he's done with you. He's not going to throw you away. He's going to take you to his home. That's what his desire is. And he's going to bless you for your whole life while you're his here.
Do you think that that man ever was unfaithful to David the rest of his life?
When he had had such a crummy master before and all of a sudden he has David as his master.
What deliverance?
The grace of God.
Whence art thou? Where did you come from?
Why are you here this weekend?
Why?
While God's desire is for your blessing.
May it be so. Now we'll turn over to the Book of Ruth. Turn back to the Book of Ruth, rather.
Verse will catch here in the.
12Th verse of chapter 4.
Ruth chapter 4 and verse 12.
And let thy house, this is Speaking of Boaz, to Boaz. And let thy house be like the House of Pheres, whom Tamar bear unto Judah. Of the seed which the woman gave shall give thee, which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman. So here we have a young woman.
You know this young man of Egypt, he was a Gentile.
He had no claims to the promises.
No right to be blessed by David. He was a foreigner. And then we have Ruth.
And more about us. She comes into such blessing.
Her desire was to be one with the people of God. She went on faithfully.
She demonstrated by her enthusiastic life, by her diligence, her love for her mother-in-law, for the people of God.
So the result was blessing.
Young women.
I would encourage you.
Follow the Lord, don't give up.
Be diligent, the Lord will bless you.
Perhaps you're a gentile too, like I am.
And yet the God of Israel.
The God of the universe loves me. He loves you too. His desire is to bless you.
Dear sister in the Lord, don't give up, go on for His glory.
There were a few other young men.
But I wanted to talk a little bit about we'll just we're out of time.
00:45:00
There's a young man in the book of Acts that we read in Chapter 7 at the end of that same chapter, and his name is Saul.
And they were stoning Stephen in the.
Jews laid their clothes at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul.
You know the Lord intervened in his life.
That light shone from heaven.
He fell on his face.
Became a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord reached out and touched his life.
And I would just encourage each one of us as the Lord Jesus touches our lives.
That we would be open to him, to serve him.
And we read, we read a lot about Timothy, him being a young man. Perhaps that was his timidness too, as a younger man. He recognized his place as he lie Hugh.
In the Old Testament.
But Timothy was told.
Not that this let no man despise thy youth. You know the Lord Jesus can use us as young people.
And as children for his glory. And then we spoke about Eudicus.
He was another young man.
You know, in Mr. Darby's translation, that makes.
The point by the wording.
Says he was overcome with sleep twice in that verse.
The first overcome is he was kind of nodding off. He was getting sleepy.
The second overcome in that verse is that he was asleep.
He was totally overcome.
And that's kind of how it is, isn't it, for us as young people.
It's progressive, you know, if we miss reading our Bible one day.
You know, the next day it's a little easier to miss.
And if we miss going to prayer meeting because we're too busy and we have too much homework to do, you know what we missed once, Then the next prayer meeting is a little easier to miss.
And then it's the reading meeting. I'm busy.
I got an exam tomorrow.
Overpowered by sleep?
Then asleep.
You know, may it be an encouragement for us.
For the young first of all to recognize the love of the Lord Jesus.
And then asks as young people to recognize.
The goodness of the Lord Jesus and His desire for us. His love for us.
The service that he has for us to do to please him.
One last thing.
The Lord Jesus.
He took up those little children in his hands.
You know his desire.
Was to have those little children on his heart.
But his desire was to have those little children in his home.
And His desire, boys and girls, for you today is to have you in heaven and.
So those very hands that reached out and loved to those little children, those very hands.
Were stretched out on a cross.
And the Lord Jesus went to the cross, and those nails were through his hands.
And through his feet.
And the Lord Jesus suffered.
At the hands of men like me, who said terrible things to him and did terrible things to him. And then it got dark, and the Lord Jesus suffered at the hands of God for my sins.
And then?
He died and he gave his life, and a soldier took a spear and pierced his side.
And we can read that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanse of us from all sin children when the Lord Jesus died on the cross.
He died for you if you will have him as your own Savior while I'm praying.
Why don't you ask him?
To be your savior, if you haven't done that yet.
So let's pray.
Lord Jesus.
00:50:02
We'd like to say thank you.
For dying on the cross.
For allowing men to nail nails through thy hands and thy feet.
We're allowing that soldier to put that spear into thy side, and now thy precious blood can wash away sins.
Make us clean before Thee, our God. We pray for each boy and girl, that each one of them may have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, and if they haven't yet, that they may realize thy love, Lord Jesus, that Thy hands are outstretched toward them to make them. I know we thank Thee for each person that's here. We thank Thee for the young men and young women. We pray for courage for them to follow the Lord and to be blessed eternally.
We give thanks for this time together, and we pray in thy name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Lay Hold on Eternal Life
Address—Bob Thonney
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Let's start our meeting with #278.
Like to read the last two verses because this is somewhat the burden my heart this afternoon.
Thy life is now beyond the grave. Our souls thou hast set free.
Life, strength and grace in thee we have, for we are one with thee.
Or teach us so the power to know of risen life with Thee. Not we may live while here below, but Christ our life may be. This is a prayer, and I trust it's the conscious prayer of each one. As we sing it, we sing the whole hymn.
Save your love.
We are not now.
Sincere.
Love.
And my soul stand by, sailor.
No one else has all my.
I like your style, beginnings, everything. Why it's raining?
Without.
Or may not come.
To you.
Let's pray, Father, we trust that this is the true expressions of our heart.
Lord Jesus, to realize in fuller measure the tremendous place we've been brought into and to live it. Lord help us, we pray.
This afternoon our purpose is to open Thy precious word.
And we confess how insufficient the vessels, the human vessels.
But Thy Spirit is here, and we're thankful for His presence and for His power to open up the Scriptures. And so, since, Lord, Thou art the only one that knows the needs of each one here this afternoon, pray that he might have liberty in the speaking and also in the hearing of Thy precious word, that there might be blessing. Father, we pray for each of Thy dear redeemed people where they are.
Commend ourselves for these moments together in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
Let's turn to.
Second Timothy, I should say first Timothy.
00:05:04
And I'd like to read an expression we have.
Two times in the 6th chapter.
First time is found in verse 12.
Fight the good fight of faith. Here's the expression.
Lay hold on eternal life.
Verse 19.
Here he is speaking to the rich in this world.
Which, given the prosperity of our North American culture, I think really applies to each one of us.
You know, we like to always look at somebody else and say they're the rich people.
But somebody asked that question a reading time reading meeting one time, and I thought the answer was very good.
In the context of this chapter, it says earlier in the chapter having food and covering. Let us therewith be content.
He says anything more than food and covering qualifies us as the rich in this world.
So let's not pass the buck on to anybody else. Let's accept this for ourselves. But notice verse 19. He says to the rich, I'll read verse 18. They that that they do good. Let me read from verse 17. Excuse me, charge them that are rich in this world to be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good and that they be rich in good works ready to distribute.
Willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life.
New Translation reads it that they may lay hold on that which is really life.
Like that?
Now I'd like to go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5.
So I want to talk about.
Eternal life.
This afternoon, what is it?
And Scripture speaks a lot about it.
It's that generally speaking, when we ask what eternal life is, is that which lasts forever.
And that's true.
But it is far more than that.
Says in.
Ah, John 17, the Lord Jesus and his high priestly prayer says this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ, whom thou ascend. So eternal life is the full revelation of who God is, that we have now in Christianity. We have been brought into that knowledge.
And it's not so much the duration of the life, it's the quality of the life.
It is the life in the knowledge of the glorious God that we have been brought to know.
In the Lord Jesus. But now let's read about this life in chapter.
Five of Two Corinthians, and we'll start with verse 14.
For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and that he died for all. That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
The apostle is speaking about the love of Christ and how it constrains us. It's not an outward constraint. I don't think anybody was obligated.
Outwardly to be at these meetings, but I trust that you came here because you wanted to come. And it's an inward constraining the love of Christ. It's a far more powerful agent.
00:10:07
Than anything else, the love of Christ constrains us. And then he says, because we thus judge. In other words, he's passing a judgment. He's thinking this thing through, that if one died for all, then we're all dead. And since the Lord Jesus died for all, that means that naturally speaking, we were all dead.
OK then verse 15 and that he died for all that we which live, OK, we live, we have eternal life. Now how do we live? Should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again?
This is what comes home as such a tremendous challenge to my own soul.
I say, dear young people, but you know, I have a trouble of trouble determining who are the young people here.
This year I can say I am exactly 900 years younger than Methuselah when he died.
So I think that qualifies me as a young person, wouldn't you say?
Does anybody else here think that they're not quite that young? They are qualified to be an old person.
Still remember talking to dear brother Lino Bueno in Bolivia. He passed into the Lord's presence at 99 years of age.
He had a certain custom that I find very strange. He when he got a cold, he lived on the high Altaplano where it could be very cold.
And.
Generally you heat up water to take a bath.
But when he got a cold, you know what he did? He filled a tank with water and he bathed in cold water. He said that always cured him of a cold.
Well, the last time it didn't cure him of the cold, and he went into the Lord's presence.
But it was 99 years old and I don't know how many of us are going to last that long.
But I asked him. I said, does your life seem like a long, long life? He says, you know what?
Seems like yesterday I was a young person and it's true life is extremely brief.
Scripture tells us time is short. It is. It's very short. And So what I say applies to you young people. But when I say young people, I'm including everybody in this room. It applies to us all. We are all young people. And what we are going to say is that I find it such a challenge, dear brethren, to live in the.
Culture that we have been called in by the Lord to represent Him because the culture we live in is a culture of self pleasing to live to yourself. I see people say sometimes on Facebook. I finally found myself.
That's interesting.
That's not life like we're talking about.
The life we are talking about is life that lives unto him who died for us and rose again.
And you know what? I find that such a liberating thing. I remember as a young person struggling with what I was.
You know what? I got so fed up of what I was, I couldn't stand it.
Until the Lord showed me that it was not me any longer.
It was Him that is my life and it was such a deliverance to be able to leave what I am completely behind. And so I want to take up the life that we have in Christ. I trust with scriptural teaching as to where it starts.
And what God has done for us in that life, you know, we.
Are all born with a natural life, her brother was saying this morning.
That likes to sin. We have a nature that sins because it's a sinful nature.
00:15:01
We sin. It doesn't take very long before our little baby.
If it doesn't get us milk on time, you can tell by the way it's crying, it's crying in anger, and that's the sin starting to develop in that little life.
But that life that we inherited from our parents is a life that ends.
In depth.
Now God has given us a new life in Christ, but the life we have in Christ is a life that's on the other side of death. Death is behind us.
And we have a life that can never, ever die.
Yes, this body that I have is connected to the first creation, and sometimes you might hear that I've died, but really I haven't died. It's just this body that's died. For a Christian to die is far better. It's gain. It's to pass into the presence of the Lord of glory. Oh, it's wonderful, brethren, to get a hold of this, but these things are practical in our lives.
And what I find is the culture we're passing through is such a powerful stream on every side, things that you like, what you want, what color of car you'd like to buy, what kind of car, if it's new or if it's used, whatever it is.
I like to go to Burger King, you know, they're saying there, have it your way.
Well, I like those burgers.
But that's the culture we're passing through, and I don't think you and I can say we are unaffected by it. I have to confess, young people, that I am affected by that culture I'm passing through.
That please myself to do things my way. Here is the reference point in my world.
Oh boy, if that isn't the bane of the Christian testimony in our culture.
In our country, it's because here's the reference point.
And we bring that kind of thinking right into the Lord's presence in the assembly. And when there is more problems, it's what I think. It's my family. What are you saying about that person that is part of my family?
Brethren.
Life for the Christian is in a completely different sphere.
That we which live should no longer live unto ourselves, but unto him who died for us and rose again. That's where our life is.
Let's go back to the book of Romans because there's a lot about life there, and I'd like to start with the 6th chapter.
Because you and I, who are believers in the Lord Jesus, have still that natural life with which we were born, that sin nature is still present there.
Paul says in Chapter 7 of Romans, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. So sin dwells in us. We are not in the flesh. Scripture is very clear about that.
We are in the Spirit, but sin is in US and sometimes we don't distinguish these things and I think it's important to have a good understanding of where God has set us in Christ. Let's read a few verses here, the beginning of the 6th chapter.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
He had just said in the previous chapter where sin abounded, grace didn't much more abound. OK, if grace much more abounds because of my sin, okay, Shall we continue in sin?
But then he responds to that. He says God forbid.
How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?
You ever seen a dead man sinning?
No, you won't.
00:20:00
Supposing there's a man that is given to drink heavy. He's been a drunkard most of his life.
All of a sudden he dies. There he is strung out on the floor.
Let's offer him some alcohol. Going to be any response on his part to grab that glass and drink it. Absolutely nothing. What happened? What delivered him from alcohol? You know what it was that delivered him? Death.
And that's the way God looks at you and I, if we are believers in the Lord Jesus.
Dad to sin.
He died for all.
All that means then we're dead. And that's the way God looks at us now, especially those of us who have believed in the Lord Jesus. But what do you do with a dead person? You just kind of leave them, lay out for several years before you bury him. No, you don't do that.
Latin America, they don't embalm, so if you die one day, the next day you are buried. It takes place fast.
Says verse three, Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death, therefore we are buried with him by baptism unto death, That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, Even so we also should walk in newness of life.
So not only have we died to sin, young people, dear brethren, we are buried with him. Somebody that's buried is left there. You don't go and open up the casket once in a while to see how he's getting along.
You leave it there and don't do that in your Christian life, dear young people.
Go back and see how I'm getting along.
You're going to find it gets worse as time goes on.
It's buried, leave it there. That's the position we have been put in, in Christ. But it doesn't leave it there. It says that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, Even so we also should walk in newness of life. So the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, and not only are we dead with Christ and buried with him, but now we are risen with him too. We have a new life.
A life in resurrection. We can actually say death has no longer any part in my existence.
We're beyond it. We are in resurrection ground, and the life that we have been given in Christ is a life that can never die. Isn't that wonderful? I think that's so tremendously wonderful.
But let's put that now down practically and we come down to verse.
11 of this chapter and it says.
Likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed, and to sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead.
And your members as instruments of righteousness unto God for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under the law, but under grace. So verse 11 Says, Reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God?
I guess we don't use that word reckon too much anymore, but just simply thinking.
We need to think this way. God says we're dead unto sin and buried and risen again with Christ.
When temptation comes around, I just don't feel very dead.
Young people and dear brother, it's not a question of feelings here.
Feelings are very real, but to get right feelings we have to have right doctrine.
So don't base your Christian experience on your feelings.
00:25:03
God says here to reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin, and alive unto God.
I remember as a young man.
Struggling with this issue pretty strongly and there was a particular.
Thing that I came to realize was not pleasing to the Lord.
It wasn't that serious, you might say. It was just joking around.
Nothing wrong with laughing. It's something that's funny, but I don't know.
If joking around is right, anyhow, I felt that it grieved the Lord.
And I would confess it to the Lord and say, Lord, help me not to give way to that temptation every time.
It comes around.
And I get up from my knees more to 10, more determined not to do it again. And the more determined I was, the more I got right back into it again. I was into it before I realized it.
And I realized it was not my determination.
That was going to win the battle in this it was thinking right thoughts and I came to this chapter and it says.
To reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed, and to sin. And I remember when that came home to my soul, the next time the temptation was to do the same thing again, I said to myself, I'm dead to sin.
I'm alive to God.
You know what, It wasn't a struggle. It just faded on. It's just accepting God's thoughts. Oh, how important it is to think God's thoughts. We've been put into that position. Now we are to think that way, even though you might not feel that way.
And so he says here in these verses that follow.
Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lust. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Yield yourselves unto God. That's the first part.
And I think it's nice in the morning when we get up.
To be able to kneel down in the Lord's presence and say Lord.
I belong to you.
Through that precious blood that you shed on that cross, I want you to use me today. I want to be at your service. Then when the temptations or the opportunities come, as they do in everybody's life, if it's temptation, say, I can't yield myself in that direction, Sorry, I'm going a different direction. And it's important to think these things through, dear young people.
But to yield our members that we take as.
Your hands, your feet, your eyes, your ears. What do you listen to with your ears?
What do you let your eyes see on the Internet? Is it because you've yielded your eyes to God that you're doing what you're doing? How important it is to challenge ourselves in those things?
There's so much that could be said on this subject, but I want to go on over to the 8th chapter now.
And speak a little bit about.
Our position there, we were enjoying some of these verses with the Spanish speaking brethren last night, but verse one of chapter 8 is there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. That's the position of a believer in the Lord Jesus, in Christ Jesus and in that position impossible that there could be any condemnation. You know why?
Because if condemnation could come to a person in Christ, that would mean that Christ himself, condemnation was on him.
00:30:00
Impossible. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.
But as we go down these verses, it speaks in verse 2.
Of another thing that belongs to us, because of our place in Christ and its liberty, we have been liberated. Notice verse 2. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Sin and death is the law that dominates a person.
In this world from the time he is born.
But there is another law. Sometimes people call this law here in verse 2A, principle of life. You know what we mean when we say there's a law of gravity? This pen I'm holding in my hand, if I let it loose, will always come down.
Or maybe sometime it will go up and hit the ceiling. That never happens. It's a law. It's something that always is true. And so you sin, you die. That's the law of sin and death. Nobody escapes that.
That is always true.
But let's put an illustration. Supposing I tie a helium balloon to my pen, and now I let it loose and it goes up. What happened to the law of gravity? Is that not in existence any longer? Oh yes, the law of gravity is there, but I've introduced a different law that takes that pen up now. And that's what we have in this verse. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death, in other words.
That law of sin and death that we thought we were obligated to sin because the temptation comes and there's a response in my breast.
In that sin nature that's there, I don't have to obey that law any longer. No, God has given me a new life. That's by the power of the Spirit of God and thus love, the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Verse three it says for what the law could not do. That's the law of Moses. Take by the context there.
In that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.
And for sin condemned sin in the flesh. In other words, the work of Christ, not only.
Is so that God would have a righteous basis to forgive our sins. That is true. But the work of Christ and the cross did something else. It condemned sin in the flesh. In other words, that sin nature that's there, God is not trying to improve it.
It's ruined.
God doesn't do anything but consign it to the tomb.
It's dead and buried as far as he's concerned.
It's condemned.
Don't try to resurrect what you are as a man in the flesh and try to improve it.
It doesn't work.
Doesn't work.
Ahithophel and Eliam and Uriah
David's Failing of the Grace of God
Gospel 2
Gospel—Wally Dear
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
We sing 2 verses of #60 in the back of the book.
#60 in the back of the book.
The first verse and the last verse.
Hark the voice of Jesus calling.
Come ye Laden, come to me.
Are the voice of Jesus.
Me I have rest and you still.
Restrain take some salvation. Take salvation. Takes salvation. Take salvation. Take salvation, take salvation.
All made in software cleaning of grace or not.
Inside here.
From God's century.
Take salvation. Take salvation.
Shall we pray?
Our God and our Father this afternoon.
How our hearts do rejoice as we contemplate Thy ways of grace and goodness. We thank Thee, our Father, that Thou hast revealed Thyself to us in the person of Thy beloved Son, that Blessed One who we know is full of grace and truth.
We thank thee that of His fullness have we received grace upon grace.
And just now we do pray very specially for any in this audience that.
Perhaps.
Is still in their sins.
Who has not yet taken salvation?
And we pray that.
As we make this final gospel appeal at the close of these meetings.
That such an one might indeed accept that full and free salvation that Thou art still offering. So we thank Thee for this opportunity to be together, and we seek Thy help as we look into Thy word for a little message in the Gospel. We.
Commit all to D giving Thee our thanks and praise. Father, in the precious and worthy name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
Like to turn to.
Verse found in John's Gospel, chapter 3.
And this verse has been described as a verse that has a top.
And a bottom.
But it doesn't have a middle.
John, Chapter 3.
And the question that?
I would put to you today is whether you are at the top.
Or at the bottom of this verse.
John's Gospel, chapter 3.
And verse 36.
00:05:05
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.
That's the top.
And he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.
But the wrath of God abideth on him. That's the bottom.
Now I believe this verse.
So clearly indicates to us.
That.
Everlasting life, eternal life is that which comes to us, not through our performance. You know we live in a performance based society and the better you perform.
The more wealth.
The more power, the more influence, the more pleasure, the more entertainment.
Perhaps you have?
But when it comes to salvation.
And obtaining eternal life as we've had brought before us this afternoon. It's not a question of your performance or mine. It's a question do you have faith in the Son of God?
That is how God evaluates.
You and me.
And many don't understand that.
And they have the idea that salvation is.
By works.
Which we have done.
But notice what we have here.
I believe this is the testimony of the evangelist John. He that believeth on the Son has everlasting life.
Do you have faith in the Son of God?
Have you accepted this blessed One who is the supreme delight of the heart of God?
What does he mean to you?
You know, if we back up.
And read verse.
34.
What does it say?
For he whom God has sent.
Speaketh the words of God.
For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him the Father loveth the Son.
And as given all things, into his hand.
Now we know who the Son of God is. His name is Jesus, and he was here in this world.
To glorify his Father, and as it tells us here.
He was sent of the Father on a mission.
And he spoke the words of God.
His father, He didn't speak his own words.
And furthermore, he didn't do his own works.
He did the works that were told him to do.
And he could say.
I do always those things that please the Father.
Now This is why God would have all men to honor His Son. What is your attitude?
To God's Son It tells us here that the Father loves the Son.
At least seven times.
In the Gospel of John we have reference to the fact that the Father loves the Son and perhaps more.
That was brought before us this morning as we sat in the Lord's presence.
And we thought about the unspeakable gift of our God.
And how Abraham was told to take now.
Thy son thine only son whom thou lovest.
It's the first mention of love in the Bible.
00:10:04
The love of Abraham.
For his son.
And he was to offer him as a burnt offering there on Mount Moriah.
Well, you know, Abraham was spared the agony.
Of offering up his son.
He was willing to do it.
But God would not pass Abraham through that agony.
But you know what?
God.
Would not spare himself.
In order to spare you.
From.
Judgment.
The penalty we deserve for our sin, God would not spare himself.
What did he do?
For God so loved the world that he gave.
His only begotten Son.
We know the verse so very well that whosoever believes in him should not perish.
But have everlasting life.
The Father loveth the Son and has given all things into his hand.
God's Son is in control.
His testimony here to the Father was perfect.
And you know, the Sun, I believe, was the object of testimony as well.
And the Lord Jesus could say, he that has seen me has seen the Father.
What a testimony he had here in this world.
Now, what is your attitude toward?
The Son of God.
Is there anybody here this afternoon that is rejecting?
God's Son. I believe it's the cardinal sin is to reject the Son of God.
If we back up further in this chapter verse 18, he that believeth on him.
That is, on the Son of God is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Well, if you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
You're at the top, if I could put it that way.
And you have everlasting life. You're going to spend eternity with your Savior. And I look forward to that.
And we had before us this afternoon the quality of this life to know God in Jesus Christ, who he has sent.
It's eternal life.
And this is what fills the soul.
This is.
Salvation.
And this is what God has for us to enjoy.
But notice what it says. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life.
But the wrath of God abides on him.
You know the Son of God has so glorified God the Father.
That the father cannot help but resent.
An attitude that is negative toward his son.
And we have in this world today a negative attitude toward the Son of God.
Anybody who has not put their faith in the Son of God.
Is at the bottom, and there's no middle ground.
Some would like to try to maintain a neutral.
Ground.
But you know, to neglect accepting Christ is to reject Him.
00:15:04
I believe that's how God sees it.
So you either accept Him, you put your faith, your confidence, your trust in Him.
And the work that he accomplished there at the cross of Calvary on your behalf, or you reject him. And those that reject him are going to suffer the wrath of God, I believe, for all eternity.
Even now, the wrath of God hangs over the Christ rejecter.
It's not that God doesn't love the Sinner. He does. There's no question about it.
But the attitude.
He.
Negative attitude toward his son. He hates it. It's abhorrent.
Somebody said a while back about an individual their attitudes stinks.
And that was.
Quite a statement, but I believe it's putting it mildly with respect to how God.
Views the attitude of those who are opposed to his son.
So there's many verses. I believe they have a top and a bottom. Another one comes to mind.
Over in.
Revelation 20 and verse 15.
It says there whosoever is not found written in the book of life.
Was cast into the Lake of Fire. Is your name in the Book of Life? If it is, you're at the top.
But if it isn't, you are at the bottom.
And you have opportunity.
This afternoon to come to Christ, to take salvation, to get your name in the book of life, so that you will not appear at the great white throne.
And.
Find out.
Too late.
That Christ alone is the Savior. Now you have opportunity.
To receive Him as your savior if you reject Him in that coming day.
You will meet him as your judge.
And.
Cast into the Lake of Fire.
People say, well, I don't.
Really believe there's any help?
And then you find some that say, well there's heaven, but there's no hell. Well, if there's a heaven, why would there not be a hell?
There's an opposite to everything.
High, low, cold, hot.
Dry. Wet.
What's the opposite of heaven? Hell. The Lord Jesus, I believe, said more about hell than he did about heaven in order to warn souls.
To warn souls.
I can tell you this afternoon, you see that wall over there? There's no clock on that wall.
There's no clock on that wall.
See.
You're looking at me like I'm some kind of a crazy nut.
Well.
It doesn't matter what I say. The fact is the truth is there is a clock on that wall.
And it doesn't matter what people say.
And try to tell us there is no hell doesn't change the fact there is.
Well, this afternoon.
Take salvation.
You sit in your seats here.
I don't know where you stand with the Lord. I know that most here are truly.
The.
Lords, but there may be one or two or more, Maybe one of the children.
Has never come to Jesus. Take salvation now before it is forever too late, a little girl said. Well, how can I come to Jesus if I can't see him?
00:20:05
How can I?
Well, have you ever laid in your bed at night?
And maybe you were thirsty.
And you're called.
Mom.
I'm thirsty, can I have a drink?
And you know, before long, here comes your mother bringing a nice drink of water.
To satisfy your thirst. Well, you didn't see your mother, but you still called on her.
And she came, and you got what you wanted.
You know, that's how it is, I believe.
When we get saved more than once in the scripture, we read whosoever.
Shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
And there's a little boy, Jay Sean. He came to the meetings this summer. And you know, Jay Sean, he came.
And he said you want to be saved.
I said, Jay, Sean, why do you want to be saved? Well, I don't want to go to hell.
We've got a poster that we use in our summer outreach, and I think there have been those saved through that poster, but it shows the two gates, the broad gate, the narrow gate, the straight gate, and the two ways. There's the Broadway and the narrow way and then the two destinies.
Hell and heaven.
Well, you know, we got down, we prayed and Jay, Sean, he get up and he was.
Smiling from ear to ear and I trust it was a true work of God in his soul. I talked to his mother after and she said, you know, Jay Sean, he seemed so happy. Well.
What did we sing in that hymn? Take salvation and happy be.
Is there anybody here that doesn't have salvation? I'll tell you one thing, you're not happy.
You're not happy, truly happy.
God wants you to be happy. He doesn't want you to perish. He's not long-suffering, not willing any should perish. So come to Jesus.
And accept him now you have opportunity.
Tomorrow may be too late.
The Lord is coming.
And when he comes, the door is shut.
No second chance for salvation.
We're going to be traveling.
I hope it doesn't happen, but.
Could be head on collision.
We don't know what happens in the future, but you could be.
Here today in Guan tomorrow.
We come along and I see this memorial on the side of the road. It was a cross and I hadn't seen that before. Somebody had died right at that spot.
And there was that memorial there at the side of the road. So it's so important, isn't it? We don't know how long our time is, but we're going to pray. And if there's anyone here still in their sins, just simply ask the Lord Jesus to save you.
Because on the cross he bore the punishment for sin, and his precious blood that was shed there, it cleanses from all sin.
And Jesus no longer is on the cross or in the tomb, but he lives and he's coming again.
And.
We want everybody in this hall to be looking forward to his coming.
Let's pray. Father and gracious God, we thank Thee for this wonderful time we've enjoyed.
During these two days of meetings.
And.
We just do thank you for the kindness of our brethren to make this possible, that we could be together in this way. And we feel that thou hast undertaken in so many ways. But just now we do especially pray that if there's one here or two or more who have not yet called upon D for salvation.
May they do it now and go on their way, rejoicing, knowing that their sins.
Have been cleansed, washed away in the precious blood of Jesus.
00:25:06
And so we do ask for thy help, acknowledging that the work is thine.
And we just wait upon thee for thy help.
And further blessing.
And we pray for safety too, as we travel. We just commit all to Thee, Father, as we thank thee for thy wonderful love and grace and goodness. And so we pray now in the precious, in the worthy name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
Open Mtg. 7
Open—B. Imbeau, S. Stewart
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.
Did we sing #230?
Oh Lord, when we the path retrace which thou on earth has trod to man, thy wondrous love and grace, thy faithfulness to God #230.
And grace like.
To come cry on my hands.
So sorry.
Our love of God and our Father.
We have just been singing before thee of thy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that we wonder at his lowly minds and fame would like Him be.
Arrest and pleasure find learning more of these and so we would ask for thy health for this time before us, Lord Jesus, that there would be a word for our conscience, a word that would stir us up from my heart of love, and that would.
'Cause us to walk in a right path, in a way that's pleasing to be Lord Jesus, as we would ask for help, that the prophets would have the courage to speak two or three, and that we each would listen and would judge. And so it asked for thy help for this time, giving thanks and thy name we pray, Lord Jesus, Amen.
The verse I read a couple weeks ago.
And.
00:05:02
Try to find it.
It's in Chronicles.
First Chronicles.
First Chronicles, chapter 27.
And there's a review of some of the events of David's administration of the Kingdom.
Of Israel.
And in verse 33 of First Chronicles 27 it says this, and Ahithophel was the King's counselor.
In Hoshi, the architect was the King's companion.
And after a hitherto was Jehoiada's son of Binaya and Abiathar, and the general of the King's army was Joab.
A hitherto full.
I read this verse.
Suddenly things started cascading.
Through my mind that I hope I can put together.
I hit the full was in a position of great honor and authority. He was a wise man. His wisdom was sought out.
And yet there is something in his life, if we go back to Second Samuel.
There is something that.
Disturbed.
The equilibrium shall we say?
Considerably.
And if we go to.
Chapter 17 of Second Samuel.
Moreover, a hippophile said unto Absalom.
Let me now choose out 12,000 men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night, and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid, and all the people that are with him shall flee, and I will smite the king only.
I thought it hit the full was counselor to King David.
I thought he was well respected.
And now he wants to get out and personally kill David.
And take with him what was it, 12,000 people, 12,000 men.
What has happened?
Well, let's turn to David's mighty men.
Which is actually in chapter 23 of Second Samuel.
And this chapter?
Lists out 37 people, of which one is not named.
If I remember correctly.
But that's not our concern towards the end of the chapter. Second Samuel 23.
We read this. There's two of the mighty men mentioned in verse 34.
And a little bit is not the one we want to notice, but we want to notice the second one, who is a Liam.
Or Ilium. I suppose it would be more correct Ilium the son of Ahithophel.
The gala night.
You know these mighty men, 37 of them. Like any group like this, there's probably a lot of camaraderie. They obviously know each other quite well, and they are kind of a unified force.
And if we go down just a couple verses, we find another one of these mighty men and let's see who that is.
39 The last verse of the chapter.
In Uriah the Hittite.
30 and seven in all.
So out of these 37, there's Helium and Uriah.
00:10:05
And what's our storyline?
Helium.
Is.
A hippopotamus.
Son, but also happens to be Bathsheba's.
Father.
And.
Uriah the Hittite happens to be Bathsheba's husband.
And so the plot thickens.
You know, David.
Took Bathsheba.
As his wife.
King David.
And he saw to it that Uriah the Hittite was killed.
Anahithophel, the grandfather of Bathsheba.
Never forgot.
Would not let it go.
And when the opportunity arose where Absalom, David's son, rose up against his father.
And wanted to do his father in.
Notice who stepped forward hit the full, who would have been probably bit elderly at this point.
He stepped forward and says look.
I'll do the job for you Absalom, just give me 12,000 men.
I have a bone to pick.
This is actually going to be an account of connections.
Rather than.
Necessarily the moral issues that are pretty obviously now in front of us.
Helium apparently kept the father of Bathsheba apparently kept his equilibrium.
And maintained himself.
Within the ranks of David.
What is the rest of the story?
David and Bathsheba had children.
The first child as we know because of David's incredible sin.
Against Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba's husband, by having him murdered.
And by then taking Bathsheba's wife into his.
Harem, shall we say? Because he did. We're told that David had concubines.
And God took their first child.
In death.
But they had other children.
They had other children.
David and Bathsheba.
From a relationship that was not good.
Initially comes forth Solomon.
King Solomon, the man who has.
An incredible.
Place in history, but in the.
The presentation in scripture he is like a picture or foreshadowing of Christ.
In his kingly millennial glory.
Do we see a story of grace? Maybe?
As well in this story.
And so.
00:15:00
Solomon reigned for 40 years, just like his father David had reigned for 40 years, and Saul before that for 40 years. So 120 years kingship. And there is these 3 kings, of which each was in a sense more mighty.
And certainly Solomon is lauded with many accolades. How how wealthy he was, how great was his Kingdom, the peace of his Kingdom, the extent of his Kingdom, and it all foreshadows the Kingdom of Christ that's to come.
As a matter of fact, if we turn and we will.
Right now, turn to the first chapter of Matthew.
And we find right off in the book of Matthew, we find the genealogy.
From Abraham.
Down to the birth of Jesus.
And so let's look at verse.
5.
And Salman begat Boaz of Rahab.
Rahab.
Was it Rahab that one in the Canaanite city?
Of Jericho.
And wasn't she a harlot?
Like how did she get into Matthew chapter one?
This is how she got into Matthew chapter one.
Because.
She married a man named Boaz.
Excuse me? She married a man named Salman.
And Boaz was the little boy.
Have you ever wondered how?
Boaz.
Seemed so readily.
Latch on to Ruth.
His mom was rehab.
Huh.
So Sal and begat Boaz of rehab, and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth. There's Ruth.
Obed begat Jesse, Jesse begat David the king, and David the king begat Solomon of her. That had been the wife of Urias, that was Bathsheba.
And Solomon begat Rehoboam and so forth, and these are the Lion of Kings that you can go back into the Book of Kings and read about this next list.
If I can find the verse, we need to go back into the Old Testament again.
And it will be in Chronicles.
And I hope I can find it. If not, I'll call on someone to.
To help me find it.
It's a verse that and maybe someone helped me out here. It's a verse where the Lord is speaking to Solomon.
And says that if he does not follow on to follow the Lord, that he will take away his posterity from him.
Umm.
I'm sorry, here, let's.
Thought was the first part.
Second Chronicles, but.
If someone could somehow look it up on their little.
Ah, thank you very much, Steve. Appreciate that.
00:20:03
Yes, Lord, speaking to Solomon and let's go to verse 17.
And As for thee, if thou will walk before me as David thy father walked and do according to all that I have commanded thee.
And shalt observe my statutes and my judgments, then I will establish the throne of thy Kingdom, according as I have covenant with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.
But.
If you turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods and worship them.
Then will I pluck them up by the roots and?
Out of my land which I've given them in this house, which I've sanctified by my name, will cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. Well did Solomon remain faithful to the Lord, And the answer is no, he did not. So what's going to happen? We just read in Matthew that the son of Solomon was Rehoboam, and we can go to the Book of Kings and find Rehoboam.
And we go to the next one there in Matthew listed up, and we can go to the Book of Kings and find the history of their reign.
So what happened?
Turn with me to the book of Luke.
And just for.
There's a reason why the list in Luke is is in a different.
Presentation than the one in Matthew, but I'm going to read the one in Luke with the same sort of pattern as we had in Matthew just to.
Follow. So what that means is we're going to have to read the verses backward.
OK.
So, so let's start with verse 34. And in the middle of verse 34 is Abraham. And so bear with me, we're going to go backward, okay?
Abraham begat Isaac.
I'm sorry, Luke 3.
Top of my page is 4 because the beginning of chapter 4 OK.
On that page, Sorry, Luke 3, verse 34.
And we'll start with verse with verse 34 with Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, Jacob begat Judah, Judah begat Pheres begat Estrom, Ezram begat Aram, Aram begat Minidab.
Minidab begat Naisant.
Naison begat Salman.
Salman begat Boaz. Boaz begat Obed. Now listen carefully here. Obed begat Jesse.
And Jesse begat David.
Begat, Nathan.
Nathan Begat, Matt.
Do you read about Martha in the Book of Kings?
No.
In fact, he's not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible.
What's going on?
Was Luke clueless as the genealogy of Christ?
We won't turn back.
But back in the history of.
Kings and Chronicles.
We find that David and Bathsheba had another son.
And his name was Nathan.
And that's the Nathan that's mentioned here in verse 31 of Luke 3.
Nathan, which was the son of David.
Unknown. We know nothing about him. Probably about the only thing we know about him was that he was the son of David Bathsheba and he was probably named after the prophet Nathan.
Who had come to David to upbraid him for his sin with Bathsheba?
00:25:05
So maybe you know two things about Nathan. Other than that, we know nothing. He disappears and his family line disappears into history.
Let's keep going in Luke chapter 3. Now let's start at verse 24.
And we'll go backwards.
And may, if that which begat hell, I and he lie begat.
Joseph.
And it says as being supposed.
That Jesus was the son of Joseph.
So with that in mind, let's please start in verse and 22. We're familiar with the baptism, and now we'll read forwards. The Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, upon Jesus, and a voice came from heaven which said, thou art my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. And Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, which was the son of hell, I which was the son of method, and on down until you get to Nathan.
And then to David.
What is going on? Is this one confused story or what?
It is no doubt.
The line of Mary that is in the book of Luke, and that's why it throws in the little parentheses.
As was supposed the son of Joseph.
That it was a common cultural courtesy to use Joseph instead of Mary, even though it was Mary's lineage that was going to be told out.
So in Matthew, the line goes to Joseph.
But was Joseph in any way the father of Jesus?
No. So this line of Solomon.
Is out.
So now the question comes, well, where did Mary come from?
What's her genealogy?
And indeed, you trace it back in the book of Luke.
And it goes back to a man named Nathan and then back to David.
You know, it's a story of the grace of God.
David and Bathsheba, they lost their first baby.
Their second child, Solomon.
Did not follow on with the Lord, and so by all rights he is not part of the genealogy of the Lord Jesus.
But there is a hidden son, Nathan, by name.
And through the quietness of the years, about 1000 years, generation after generation, the eye of God was on this family line.
And.
Progenitors.
Came from David. But not just David. It was David and Bathsheba.
You know.
The Lord.
Is a God of grace and mercy.
And you know, you say, well, what promises, you know, it really wasn't a sense Bathsheba's fault was Davis''s fault. David repented. And we know he did.
00:30:05
But some amount of logic might have said to my mind, well because of the mess.
You know God's going to send this lineage some other direction.
But he doesn't. It's still through David and Bathsheba.
But you know what?
Hereforeful was Bathsheba's grandfather.
So 1/2 of all was in the line of Jesus also.
Adam and Eve are in the line of Jesus also.
Is sin going to stop the purposes of God?
No. Instead of stopping the purposes of God, we look back at a story like this and we say God is a God of grace.
How is the Lord Jesus going to be coming into this world as the as the Son of man and as the Son of God and miraculously in this world and yet have a human connection and not have that human connection tainted in some way? It'd be impossible, right?
Mary was a Sinner.
She spoke of God, her Savior.
I want to read one other verse in Galatians.
Galatians, chapter 4.
I.
A verse I guess I've had in my heart for a bit of this summer, actually.
Galatians 4, verse 19. My little children.
Of whom I travail in birth again.
Until Christ.
Be formed in you.
There's no Christian that can ever throw up their hands and say I.
Have formed a dead end life.
None. I don't care who you are, where you are, where you've been, how you've been there.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Wants to be formed in your heart.
To be a witness and testimony to His glory and His honor in this world.
There's no such thing as a true believer in Jesus Christ throwing in the towel.
It's not a reality in the Christianity that Scripture teaches.
Christ can be formed in each of our hearts as we shine forth.
His glories in this world.
Never forget.
There's no dead end.
Christian life, ever.
Just 4 minutes left.
Like to look at a verse first in Hebrews?
Chapter 12.
Part of a verse 15 Hebrews 12/15 Looking diligently lest any man fail or fall from the grace of God.
And then back in Second Samuel.
Chapter 12.
Second Samuel 12 and verse 7.
Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel. I anointed the king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised?
00:35:23
Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight. Now has killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and has taken his wife to be thy wife, and has slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
Was read to us previous meeting from 2nd Corinthians 5.
That we thus judge if Christ died for us, Christ died for all, then we're all dead.
We owe everything that we have to him.
David fell into this sin, if we look back earlier.
In the previous chapter, it was the time in verse one when kings should go out to battle, and he didn't. He stayed in his house. He tarried in Jerusalem.
And then the next thing that happened is he went out in the evening and he saw a woman washing herself. And instead of turning away and going back in his house, he stayed and watched.
And that led to the next thing. He sent for that woman, and we know the story.
Well, when Nathan comes to David, he doesn't say. Why didn't you go out to the battle? It was a time for Kings to go out.
Why, when you went out on your roof and out of your house and looked out on the rooftops and saw that woman, why didn't you turn back and go back in the house?
And so on.
He doesn't take any of those things up.
Because you know, the work of the Spirit of God to restore our souls when there is sin and failure is not necessarily to address firstly the sin itself, but to get to the root. And there was a wonderful restoration with David.
And it's so beautiful that he would name that son Nathan.
After the man who charged him with that sin by the word of God. But Nathan being a prophet and by the Spirit of God, he goes back to the root cause of that sin.
David, I gave you everything that you have, everything you are.
And all that you have, you owe to me.
My Sovereign Grace put you in the place that you have.
And maintained you there and you forgot.
That it was grace that put you there.
And then you reached out and took what did not belong to you.
Dear ones, just to tie in with what our brother had to in the previous meeting.
It has impressed me that those who have gone on to serve the Lord in their lives in a wonderful way are those who have been deeply impressed that they owe everything to the Lord.
And that that is the reasonable basis of their service for Christ is that they owe everything to sovereign grace, lest any man fall from the grace of God. How we need to be kept in our souls, that we owe everything to him.
It will keep us from that great transgression.