Scranton Conference: 2015
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Haggai 1:1-11
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Cares our hearts retire, go deep and boundless their desire we've now to please. But one with these our happy lot is cast number 250.
231.
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Nsnoise.
Call her. We just looked at me and I helped. We, uh, open the holy scriptures, uh.
Passion that I have before us.
We thank the too that thy dearly beloved Son or Savior, the Lord Jesus is in the midst here with us that was promised. So we just looked to the Lord Jesus and thy health and thy blessing and thy Spirit behalf, Free, free liberty.
The brother will be sensitive to the leading of thy spirit, and bring.
4th of passage, since thou has forest, and each of us may be blessed, so we just looked at Thee for Thy health and Thy blessings. We open up the scriptures to us, and Thou dost teaches through Thy Spirit those things Thou have us to have. As we open our Thy scriptures together, we just look for Thee again for the health and Thy blessings, and I worthy and precious name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
In the prayer meeting last evening and in this morning's prayer meeting, there seemed to be a consistent theme of refocusing on the Lord and of, uh, not being distracted by the things of this life and so on.
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Umm, and I know that often times we don't like people to be hasty, so I don't wanna be hasty, but it did bring to mind, hey, guy, chapter one into the first few verses of chapter 2. And, uh, I would just like to suggest that as a reading, but I would, uh, be happy to wait for, uh, several more minutes as we, uh, consider it. And perhaps another brother will feel there's another passage that's more appropriate, but.
I do want to, uh, suggest that, and I would be more than happy to wait or to listen to another brother's burden.
I thought it was chapter one of Haggai through chapter 2 verse 5.
It would be profitable to uh.
We dwell upon the uh.
Teaching here in Haggai.
Rather than, uh, on the court.
Let's read the Hegei.
Chapter One.
Beginning at verse one.
Eggy Eye, chapter one.
In the second years.
Of King Darius.
In the six months, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Hagee I, the prophet, Underserubable, the son of Chiatiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Joseph the high priest, saying.
Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts saying this. People say the time is not come. The time.
Doctor, Lord House should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet saying, Is it time for you?
O ye to dwell in your sealed houses, and this house live waste. Now, therefore, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, consider your ways. You have so much and bring in little.
He eat, but he had not enough. Ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink. Ye clothe you, but there is none warm. And he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put into a bag with holes.
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, consider your ways, go up to the mountain and bring wood and build a house.
And I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. Ye look for much, and lo, it came too little. And when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why, saith the Lord of hosts? Because a mind house that is waste, and he run every man into his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from due.
And the earth is stayed from her fruit.
And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.
Hence a rubber bowl, the son of Chiatiel and Joshua, the son of Jose **** the high priest, with all the remnant of the people.
Obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Peggy I the Prophet, as the Lord their God hath sent him, And the people did fear before God.
Then speak. Haggy eyed the Lords messenger in the Lords message unto the people saying, I am with you, sayeth the Lord, and the Lord stirred up the spirit of survival.
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At the son of Shia TL governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josiah the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and did work in the House of the Lord of hosts their God. In the four and 20th day of the sixth month. In the second year of Darius the king, in the seventh month. In the in the one and 20th day of the month came the word of the Lord by the prophet Hegei saying.
Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Chiatiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josette the high priest, and to the residual of the people, saying, Who is among you that saw this house in her first glory, and how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes, in comparison of it as nothing?
Yet now the strong Osiraba ball, saith the Lord, and be strong, O Joshua the son of Josette the high priest, and be strong. All the people of the land, saith the Lord, and work. For I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts, according to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. So my spirit.
Remaineth.
Among you.
Fear ye not.
Know that in the book of Ezra.
At the beginning there was a call to go back to rebuild the House of God.
And uh.
Some went back, only a remnant.
And that was, I believe about, uh, sixteen years or so, apparently before this time that we're reading up here. And it would seem that, uh, over those years.
They may have gotten weary of the work and it kind of ceased.
Hello brother. Uh, Rose Steve, you were mentioning to me kind of a rough history of that time in between. I don't know if you could, uh.
Kind of outline what occurred.
Between, uh, that time As for chapter one and this time here.
They came together after they had arrived at the land in Ezra chapter three in the seventh month. So there was a space of time from when they returned until they gathered, as it says, and Ezra 2 as one man to Jerusalem. So there was a a bit of time where they were kind of paying attention to their own things getting settled in, and then their attention turned to.
The ruined House of God they come back, they set the altar on its bases, they establish scriptural, uh, worship and sacrifices once again and uh, begin to lay the foundation there's a.
They get about that.
Far in chapter 2 and then, uh, it kind of faded out. They come back again in verse eight of chapter 2 of Ezra and the second year of their coming to the House of God and that's when they really lay the foundation out. It's perhaps it's first row of stones. Umm, that would be indicated.
Chapter 2 and verse 15 And now I pray you consider from this day upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone. So the first row had been laid, but the 2nd row of stones had not been laid upon the first foundation row and.
They were really, uh, drifting back towards their own interests. Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Persia, a usurper came to the throne and it was the attempt of the Medes because that Kingdom was a combination of the Medes and the Persians. That was the the attempt of the Medes.
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To gain the ascendancy in the Kingdom and they sent an impostor to the throne who pretended he was one of Cyrus's sons. He reigned for seven months. He was found out and slain and, uh, Darius, uh, another Darius than what we just had in our and Haggai took the throne. He was an admirer of Cyrus and uh, in that time that the apostle was on the throne, the adversary.
Of that little company in Jerusalem wrote a letter to that imposter king and he wrote a letter back that that work should cease of building the House of God. And so they said, oh, here comes a letter from the greatest monarch and under whose authority we are. He says stop the work. And so it's not time to build the House of the Lord. But Haggy, I brings out that there were moral reasons. It wasn't just a letter from the king.
There were moral reasons that the work stopped. God raises up Haggai and Zachariah. The 1St 6 verses of uh the prophecy of Zechariah come in right after verse nine of chapter 2.
Zechariah's prophecy largely takes upcoming glory. Haggy Eye touches on it as well. But Haggy Eye far more addresses the moral condition of the people that they left off the work of building the Lord's house. And so once they're stirred back up to build again and responded to the word of the Lord, another letter is sent, uh, to the court of Persia. Meanwhile, Darius has come to the throne, Admire Osiris. He sends a letter back, he says.
Not only should that work go forward, but those who are adversaries.
You start helping by giving them supplies. They weren't actually helping the building itself, but they were not to hinder the work. If anything, they were to make sure the Jews had the supplies they needed. And so God worked everything. He allowed what happened with that usurper to come to the throne for the very purpose of testing the moral state and condition of the people of God that were building that House of the Lord in Jerusalem.
Haggai and Zachariah stir them back up to their responsibility before the Lord and affection for the Lord. And then Zachariah comes in and the rest of his prophecy, and he opens up the glory that's coming.
Uh, and uh, Haggai touches on it in chapter 2 and he speaks in verse 9. The glory of this latter house or the latter glory of this house. He's looking onto the millennial.
Glory when, uh, the temple will be built again in Jerusalem under the reign of Messiah. And he links that little feeble effort there in Jerusalem with the coming glory of the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Millennium and the temple that will be built there. Zachariah unfolds it more in its detail.
Hey GAIL, I was a prophet, umm, a prophet that, uh, spoke to the.
Conscience of the people umm, as our brother Steve mentioned, Zechariah more to do with the coming glory, but in Hagee ayah, there is a real uh, dealing with the conscience of the people. They had uh.
They had become, uh, indifferent or, uh.
Umm, on that, uh, they weren't exercised about, uh, the claims of Jehovah.
Uh, in relation to the the House of of God.
They had allowed their personal pursuits, ambitions, uh, interest to override and, uh.
So hey, Guya stirs them up and he.
Exercises their conscience about their ways.
Umm, and as our brother mentioned, their moral condition is, is prominent here because there was no reason for them not to have continued. They might have made excuses, but really they have the, uh, the authority of the Lord to continue and, uh, and to build this, uh, this structure, this, this House of Jehovah.
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And they had just neglected it by.
Attention to their own interests and the claims of the Lord were not recognized. That can happen in our lives too. Umm, certainly, uh, teaching here for, uh, for all of us because we tend to, uh, to drift from the Lord's things and, uh, allow the world to, uh.
To gain a place in our hearts so that we, uh, we forget separation from the world and we live for our own interests and ambitions and we don't, uh, recognize the Lord's Lord, the, the lordship of Christ in our lives. It's so important to, uh.
To understand.
There's a verse in uh, Hebrews chapter 10.
That our brother, uh, John has, uh, mentioned a couple of times already here in this conference. It's, uh, Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 24.
Where it says let us consider one another to provoke.
Unto love and good works.
And there's, uh.
This is really central to building the Lord's house in our day, to provoke one another to love and good works. In Ephesians it says the body builds itself up through love.
And uh, we can talk about loving the Lord and focusing on the Lord and so on. But just as the apostle John said, you can't say you love God whom you have not seen. You don't love your brother whom you have seen, And uh, we have.
Uh, we're, we know very well that the things that are seen are temporal and we, we can get very much distracted by what we see and what we have to do with every day. But you know, there is something on the earth that we can see.
Where, where we can invest in something that's eternal and that's the assembly and that's our brethren. And uh, and so here you have in verse 2.
You have some people saying the time's not come, that the house, the Lord's house, should be built.
And uh, you know, there are some in our day who I believe.
And this is, is just my perception as to their motive, uh, that because everything's in such ruin and even amongst, uh, those gathered to the Lord's name and the recovery, there has been much ruin, lots of division, a lot of ruin. And, uh.
And what they say is.
There's no use in it. It's not, it's not valuable. You might, you might say to the Lord, we should just focus on the gospel and, uh, and that's it.
Well, you know, and here it says, bring wood and build a house, and you know, the gospel, the apostle Paul would never see the gospel as a work in itself.
We can, we can look at the gospel that way, that it's a work in and of itself, but that's not the way the Apostle Paul would have seen it at all.
When he went to take the gospel to a land, it was that assemblies might be raised up.
And the gospel is that bringing the wood.
You might say to build a house always. The gospel should be seen in that light, that the Lord isn't just saving souls just to save souls. He's saving souls that they might be material. You might say for the building of the assembly, they're to be brought in to the Assembly of God because God's focus in this age is to build the assembly, that there might be a manifestation of Christ, a visible manifestation of Christ here on the earth.
And that is what God's focus is, and the gospel has to be seen.
In the same light as all other ministry, that it is for the building of the assembly, for the building of God's house.
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And you and I, as members of the body of Christ, make up the Church. And when we contemplate this position into which we have been brought through sovereign grace.
Our hearts should overflow and Thanksgiving and praise for the one that's made it all possible.
Now in connection with the House of God.
I think of what David had to say.
In Psalm 27.
Verse 4.
Because, you know, I don't think the Lord would have us to be occupied with the building.
Now in Solomon's day, the temple was magnificent. I could take your breath away. It was so elegant, so.
Here's what David says in Psalm 27, verse four. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life.
What for? To behold the beauty of the temple? No.
To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
And so I do believe.
That as we read this portion, Haggai.
Constance Ire was his house should be rebuilt.
In order that.
The Israelites might enjoy the beauty of the Lord.
And I think in Psalm 36, there's another word here that's.
Impressed itself on my heart. Psalm 36 and verse 8.
They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house.
And thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
Now, today, of course, the House of God.
Do we enjoy that position?
And in the House of God we find there is to be the support.
Of the truth, it's the pillar and support of the truth. And who is the truth?
The living truth is the Lord Jesus Christ. The written truth we hold in our hands is the Word of God.
And there is.
A privilege connected with the assembly.
Like I should.
But it's wonderful to be in a place where.
Where the living truth, written truth, can be unfolded to us through the power of the Spirit of God.
And I believe you and I, we can be satisfied.
With the fatness, so to speak, of the house, because Jesus is there.
So I believe it's the person that truly makes the place.
We are always in the House of God. Umm.
If you look at First Timothy, the whole epistle deals with, uh, our conduct in the House of God. So.
You can't say that any local assembly is the House of God, though they are representative.
But, uh, Paul wrote to Timothy along that line, that thou mayest know how thou shouldst behave thyself in the House of God. There was a deportment, there was a manner of, of life and activity in the House of God that was becoming, that was according to, uh, God's mind, uh.
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It was the outward testimony that was being displayed to the world in the House of God. One of the characters is, uh, is reaching out with the gospel, but, uh, there's other aspects there that we are to take, uh, pay attention to and it comes out in our chapter here. Uh, they were really not conducting themselves in a manner that was becoming, umm.
As the people of God.
They were careless, they were negligent. And so it, it, it is, uh, something that should exercise, uh, all the people of God. All right, Ted.
Certainly, I cannot say that we should have one kind of behavior in the assembly and another kind out in the world That's uh.
That certainly is not something that the Scripture would agree with, and it's the same as saying it all. We are in the presence of one of the Lord at one time and not in his presence of another. We would should individually be living in the presence of God all the time.
But the, uh, in verse four when the prophet speaks to what the people are saying.
As to it's not time to build the Lord's house, he says, well, is it time for you to dwell in your own sealed houses?
As I understand it, you know, a sealed house was one that was, uh, you know, it wasn't just a house that they built and dwell with the ceiling was that they had it nicely finished inside. Uh.
I, I know there's a brother now trying to prepare his, his house and, uh, part of what's got to be done is all the finishing on the inside. There's a lot of trim to be done, you know, uh, painting or wallpaper and uh, trim and so on. It's, that's what sealing is. It's, it's making it all nice and finishing it all nice on the inside. And so it shows that these people had not only built their own houses, but they, they put a lot of effort into making them perfect and, uh.
And the prophet says, is it time to do that? Is it time for you to be taking care of your own house?
And I think that the, uh, the spiritual, uh.
Side of this for us, as contrasting the House of God or the assembly with our own sealed house, is that we can spend a lot of time kind of taking care of our own circle.
And perfecting our own circle of fellowship.
You know, that's very shameful.
Because sometimes we say, well, I, I prefer this brother or sister and that one, you know, uh, we don't get along so well. And, uh, we don't always see things. Uh, in fact, we hardly ever see things the same. And so, uh, I would just kind of prefer not to spend a lot of time pursuing that, that brother or sister. And so we kind of subtly perfect our own seal house, you might say, uh, it's not time for that.
In fact, some have gone to including some of the gathered Saints in their sealed house and, uh, and a lot of Saints on the outside as well. I don't want to get the impression that we in any way cut off our brethren who are not gathered to the Lord's name. No, but there's only 24 hours in a day and seven days a week. How are you spending your time?
Are you building your own steel house, or are you building God's house?
I I personally barely have enough time to give to the Saints that I meet with.
I don't think I even have enough time to adequately spend with the Saints that I meet with. I don't know how anyone can find time to spend a lot of time pursuing Saints elsewhere.
But we run into our brothers and sisters at work, at school, whatever the case may be, and as we have opportunity, we try to build them up and we try to receive from them their portion as well. That should be just the way we live, that you might say is dwelling, as John said, in the House of God all the time, but specifically when it comes to practice.
Your assembly is where your first ministry is.
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I think the thought of sealed houses are not only nicely finished inside, I think they're also were ornate as well.
I think what we get here in this pastor is the same, umm, the same tendency of things as we get in, uh, Revelations chapter, uh, Revelation chapter 3, uh, towards the end there, uh, where it's flung about later to see it. If you look at these two chapters between Haggai chapter one and that letter to the latest CNC, so many comparisons, if you look at it, you see, uh, you see here in Haggai, we have these ones that are going out and they're building their field houses and they're just in a state of complete reformness.
And, uh, you look down and it's, it's talking there in verse six about, umm, eating and drinking and being filled. And you just see the same thing repeated in, uh, Revelation chapter 3. And you can go down in almost verse by verse, just line up the verses between the two. This is something that's common to man. And if we're honest, we all have the same thing in our heart, the spirit of lukewarmness where we don't grasp what Christ really is and we place values.
Of what we want in our life. We place them over what God would have for us to do. We place them over his things. And this is it's nice when we come to a Bible conference and we sit down and and we get an understanding of what was going on in the situation with the children of Israel and this is written and so on. But you can do that and be lukewarm. We have to take these words of speaking to ourselves. I find it myself. We have to take this as to ourselves and it has to have an effect in our life.
We can't sit here and read these verses and go on in our life as we as we do living in our sealed houses, can we?
Ephesians 4 gives us the uh, New Testament, uh, order in which God uh.
UH uses uh gifts to build up.
His house, just looking at Ephesians 4 and verse 3, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. Endeavoring doesn't mean umm, uh, give it a good try. It means diligently maintaining. It doesn't mean just give it a try, it means do it.
And then he looking on down in verse 11, and he gave some apostles and some prophets.
And some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints.
And so when the Saints are perfected, then it sets forward the work of the ministry.
And when the ministry goes on, then the whole assembly is built up for the edifying of the body of Christ. It's for the perfecting of the Saints with a view to the ministry with a view.
To the edifying of the body of Christ.
One of those gifts that's mentioned and here in Ephesians, it's the persons who are gifts, not the abilities given of God that's.
At Romans and by the Spirit of God, that's First Corinthians. Here it's the persons themselves. One of those gifts of Christ to his church was.
Prophets.
Well, in John 4, when the Lord met that woman at the well, and he spoke to her in a way that reached her conscience, she said, I perceive Thou art a prophet.
He was bringing her conscience into the presence of God, and that's what the ministry of a prophet does. It's not just telling the future.
In some cases in the Old Testament and in Hagia, he does take up some future things. But the ministry of a prophet is to bring our conscience into the light of God's presence, to give us a word from God in a way that we know it's the word of God for us for that time.
That we might receive the neither the adjustments in our life.
That we might be perfected in that way, that the ministry might be set forward, that the whole body might be built up. And so when they straight off and drifted off and they had a good excuse with this letter from the king, you see, it's not time to build the Lord's house. Look, we got a letter right from the court of Persia. It says stop building.
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God raises up two prophets and he addresses their conscience and he brings their consciences into the light of God's presence that they might judge themselves as to the true moral condition of their souls and the real things that were motivating their hearts. And he says, you know, you don't have a very happy life, do you?
If you're going after your own things and you're still hungry and you're still thirsty and you're still cold.
You tried all those things and all you got is bitterness. You tried to take care of yourself instead of the Lord's interest first. He would have taken care of you, but you've gone to take care of yourself and you didn't do a very good job. You don't have all the things you wish you had.
Should have just left it with the Lord and taken care of his business.
He's speaking very plainly to us.
And brings our consciences into the light of God's presence.
It's not that the Lord would deprive us of temporal, uh, blessings and comforts. He's given us all things ritually for our enjoyment. But.
What is the object that is motivating us? I was thinking of adverse in, uh, Luke chapter 14, where we have the Lord speaking very pointedly, very plainly about the path of discipleship. It may be slightly different to our chapter here, but the principle there in verse, uh.
26 if any.
Man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren.
And sisters ye and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Well, the Lord is laying out the terms here of discipleship and, uh.
Speaking to the the conscience of these multitudes that were following him, but he shows them the cost of, uh, of following the Lord well in our chapter.
These things were the priority in their lives, the, uh, their personal comfort and uh, ingrandisement and what have you. And the Lord's things were in advance. They were not given. The Lord was not given His rightful place.
Their own interests, uh, had the prominence, uh, and again I say, it's not that, uh, the Lord would deprive us of the, of these, uh, temporal blessings which he has showered upon us, but really, what is the object that is motivating us? They had settled down into their own things and the Lord's interests were not, uh, taken into consideration.
You have here considered your ways that you notice the word consider. It means inwardly meditate. Think about it uh.
Samuel has said, consider how great things the Lord has done for you. Uh, Hebrews 3 Consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, or, uh, Hebrews 9 consider one another, and so on. Inwardly meditate upon these things. Let them, uh, really speak to the heart and conscience.
The Lord touched on the, uh, natural relationships very early on with his disciples, didn't he? This, uh, scripture that John quoted in an other gospels as well, the Lord spoke about human relationships and the, uh, the sacrifice, you might say, of human relationships in order to follow him. This, uh, this is not unrelated to also, uh.
Building your own sealed house or having your own sealed house. It's kind of hard breaking to observe sometimes. Saints putting their human relationships above their.
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Their spiritual ones or to put their human relationships above the Lord's interests with the assembly.
Umm, it's a fact. There are many, many in this room have suffered the loss of human relationships and.
In some cases, very, very deep hurt, uh, at the loss of, of the human relationships in order to go on with the Lord in the path that he has set for them. And, uh, one of the things the Lord said, when Peter said, you know, we've left everything, Lord, we left, we left everything to follow you and I, I was looking it up. I haven't found it. Someone could find it easily. The Lord said, well, no one has left.
Wives and.
Mothers and fathers and children.
Uh.
That will not be restored. A hundredfold went in this life.
And the Lord is very accurate there when he lists what they is restored a hundredfold. He leaves out wives. Umm, but he does include, you know, mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and children that we would be restored that a hundredfold in this life. What was he speaking about? He's speaking about the assembly.
And so if, if, uh, if a young man chooses to follow the Lord and he follows the Lord and he's gathered to the Lord's name and it causes the loss of his relationship with his parents.
That law should be compensated in the Assembly.
Older brothers and sisters should fill in.
To care for him, to fill in that parental role.
That's what the Lord was talking about and and younger ones, likewise older ones could have suffered losses of children and so on. We are to be to one another the things that we lost that were lost in those natural relationships that were lost. And I believe every St. gets tried in this way. Some get tried in it when they get saved, some get tried when they get gathered to the Lord's name and some.
Get tried when their children who were brought up in the assembly walk away from it. But we know these. I think everyone in here has been touched to 1° or another by this. But it's nice to see that the Lord addressed this very early on. But the point is, we can get involved in building up our own sealed houses and putting ahead of the Lord's interests our own personal interests, even when it comes to these kind of relationships.
As it's been pointed out is what is first. They were saying it's not time yet. The reason was leave first.
And so they were putting themselves 1St. And as God's people, we can't get away with that. So they were sewing and bringing in little, they were heating, they weren't filled drinking, they didn't have enough and so on there. They didn't have the blessing of the Lord because they were putting themselves 1St. And the same thing is exactly true with us, isn't it?
The Lord demands the 1St place.
We can put in all the same amount of effort get but get nothing for it. And it's so easy to do this too. They think, well, I will give my life to the Lord, but first I will get an education first. I will build my house first I will do this. Afterwards I will have time to give to the Lord because I'll be all set. And what do we end up in? A life of spiritual poverty. The Lord may also allow us never to achieve those other goals.
But certainly will be robbed of that which he has for us. And the Lord was very plain about this. Matthew 6 verse 33. He says, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God in his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. He demands the 1St place we go in anyway, try to make ourselves to put something in our lives, or to get something set in our lives first and take care of the Lord's second.
Then we'll certainly lose out.
I was just looking at some previous verses in that same chapter in Matthew 6, beginning with verse 19.
Where we have the admonition, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth. And we know what happens when this occurs. Moth and rock rust come in to corrupt thieves, breakthrough and steal.
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Then it says, But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither Moss moth nor rust duck corrupt, and where thieves do not breakthrough nor steal.
This is the key verse for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
So we.
Have referred to Ezra and Nehemiah and in the third chapter of Nehemiah we see the people working on the wall, some quite willingly, others neglected, uh, to do what they should have done but we read that some work earnestly well, their heart was prepared to work on the wall and.
I believe that there was a spirit of cooperation.
To when you're building a wall.
You have to consult with someone that's building next to you or someone else is working because you don't want your wall to be out of Plumb.
And you want it to meet some years ago when they were building the channel underneath the English Channel.
There were two teams that were working A-Team working from England and another team team, uh, working from France, and they had to be in constant communication because they knew that they had to meet at a particular spot. And so that's important to working together, isn't it? I know there's a scripture in Isaiah chapter 41. It's probably not the.
Uh, direct application, but let's just consider the words and let's just consider the activity of these people that are mentioned in Isaiah chapter 41.
May not be uh the contextual, uh, view here.
But in verse six, it says they helped everyone, his neighbor.
And everyone said to his brother, Be of good courage. So the Carpenter encouraged the Goldsmith.
And he that.
Smootheth with a hammer.
Him that smoked the anvil saying it is ready for soldering and so forth. So there was work together, wasn't there? And so.
This is necessary in our day too, isn't it? Not to go on independently of one another and to value one another and each other's contributions.
Make a comment, uh, from the perspective of a builder.
Umm, just in connection with what you brought before.
How interesting things happened last night. Umm, Usually when we arrive here, I'm handed the keys to the motel and uh, uh, this, this time we are handing the keys, umm.
They didn't go from the lodge, the motel. We went from the lodge to the other side of the road where there's this magnificent big brick building and umm, we walk in and I'm looking around and seeing the parlor and they, the beautiful trim around the doors and they, uh.
Intricate hardwood floor that's to put together in such a way that I, I realize that the builder really would have taken some time. Anyway, when we go into our room and we spend the night there and, uh, I get up and, uh, we're getting prepared to leave in the morning and I come outside and I come again looking at all the things that are there. And, umm, uh, I can't wait to show my wife some of these things that I'm running my hand over the marble fireplace as my wife comes out and she's out. She just, she's got this, uh, gleam on her face and she says, you know, so and so is here and she says, umm, I can't wait to visit with so and so and I can't wait to. I didn't have the heart to point at all the things that.
01:00:07
And, you know, it's been so impressive to me to see the direction that he was going. And we find that, umm, in the book of Ezra. If we could turn there for a moment, Umm.
To Ezra chapter 5, Ezra chapter 5, and in the first verse that says, Then the prophet, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Ado prophesied unto the Jews.
That were in Jerusalem, in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them then rose up through the whole the son of Chiaofiel and Joshua, the son of Johnson began to build the heads of God, which heads of Jerusalem. And it's if this next, next phrase that is so impressive to me it says and with them we're the process of God helping them.
Now in my in the business that I'm in, I have customers that come to me and they they point out a problem.
It doesn't take much wisdom to point out a problem.
And it wouldn't have taken much wisdom for for how he I to point out a problem.
But it does take some wisdom to do something about the problem.
And so Haggy as he writes here.
Not only is he pointing out the difficulty, but with it's with the intent that he's gonna work with those ones that he's speaking to, to help them build. That's the full intent in which he writes this little book. It's not just to point at all the difficulty things that there were, because there were and it's very easy. Isn't for, isn't isn't it for us to point at all the difficulties in the assembly? It doesn't take much wisdom to do that. We can easily do that.
But Haggai he points out the difficulties with the full intention.
Well, and and some of our lives, the Lord is working with us.
And it's, it's a constant work, isn't it?
And, uh, do we?
Uh, by our own behavior and our own measures hinder that work of the Lord with us.
So that these are are things that we have to consider.
And that's certainly a a very.
Pointed statement, yet it is not finished. So there's the encouragement to go up and finish that work, isn't there?
There's a lot of, uh, younger brothers in the meeting and many of them are beginning to take their places in the assembly and to fill roles that they should be filling and, uh.
They are doing a much better job, I know than I did of balancing the, uh, the worldly responsibilities with, with their spiritual responsibilities. But I just would, uh, I would want to mention something, you know, I just want to look back and says I wasted a lot of time, put a lot of effort into things that come to nothing.
Is reading in the first Kings the other morning and there was a statement that jumped out to me.
That David made to Solomon.
It's in First Kings I think chapter two. First Kings chapter 2 and verse 2.
David said I go the way of all the earth.
I go the way of all the earth.
That's in in one fell swoop, he says. The Earth, it all goes one way. And you know what that way is?
Now that way is down. David was about to die and he says I go the way of all the earth.
You know, whether it's living things or things that are man made.
Or inanimate objects. It doesn't matter. Take a look.
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The way of the whole earth is just death and destruction. Everything ends that way here. There's no exceptions.
And there's really only one thing you can invest in here that's gonna last for eternity.
Years ago, a brother in our assembly made a statement, he said. There's there's one treasure that we have here that we're going to take with us when we go there.
That's the Lord's love.
But we can expand on that, you know, and all the building we do with one another and the relationships with one another that we invest in, in Christ, that's an investment that's gonna last for eternity.
And so we do have something here on the earth that we can invest in, but.
Be careful about investing in, in the earth. Everything here is like a, is like an automobile. You know, everyone knows an automobile is not an investment. It is a uh, it's something that's going to depreciate from day one and it's gonna eventually end up in the junk pile and that's the way of all the earth and so.
You just have to be careful about.
Putting too much investment. And when I say investment, I don't just mean money and time. More than that, I mean emotional investment.
Emotional investment and investment of your of your energy and your focus.
Be careful because you can invest in things and and that's just what this our chapter is saying here in in Hagei said you so much, you bring in little.
You don't have enough.
You know, it says that you put, uh, you earn wages, you put it into a bag with holes.
And the older you get, the more you're gonna realize that all the investment in this world just comes to nothing. So as our brother said, the Lord affords us all things richly for our enjoyment. And uh, asceticism has nothing to do with Christianity. All man made religions have that self punishment and self deprivation element in them, That's not Christianity.
Giving things up for the Lord is not just giving things up, it's giving things up for the Lord. You get something better.
But we do have to to spend time. We all know this. We have to responsibilities here in the world and so on. But be careful about your emotional investment.
That should be placed in your treasure in heaven, and that treasure in heaven includes the investment we have in the Saints. That is where the Lord's treasure is, and that is where our treasure is.
I know the time is nearly over, but we can invest in view of eternity. Umm.
We can send the treasure ahead.
Uh, and we can use the uh.
The temporal things which the Lord has graciously granted to us, we can use those things in view of eternity. Umm, I've often said, umm, the money that we have, if we have any, doesn't belong to us, belongs to another Mac. So how we use those resources, whether it be money or time?
Or our homes, what have you. They can be used for the Lord, uh.
In that sense, you sell what you have, you own the Lord's claims on everything that you have and, uh, you use it in view of eternity and, uh, it's not lost then it's an investment that, uh.
Gives a high percentage.
01:10:50
Nsnoise.
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Our God and our Father, we thank Thee for Thy word that would uh, bring our consciences, our hearts unto Thy holy presence that would search us out without us. Know our down sitting, our uprising, the very meditations of our heart are all uh, before Thee. And Thy word is sharper than any two edged sword, able to divide Thunder even between soul and spirit. And so we do.
Pray that we might take in these timely admonitions to our souls. We feel how to say that we're in uh, Satan would just calculate everything to kill the affections and uh, we would uh, like those in uh, Ezra's, uh, day haggy eyes day run every man to his own house. But that was said that will take pleasure in my house even in feebleness even.
So it'd be in just a remnant character.
And we think of how that, uh, house was that silver link between Solomon's, uh, temple and that, uh, coming, uh, millennial temple, that, uh, will be built under Messiah's reign, and how precious that little company there in Jerusalem was to the oh. We just pray that we might see what is valuable in Thy sight, that we might rest in faith upon Thy word and not look at circumstances around us.
And be turned aside, but just to trust thee in thy word, and to do thy will, and to know thou art able, uh, to fill our hearts. And we think of how the Apostle could say, he knew whom he hath believed, and knew that he was able to keep that which he committed unto him against that day. Help us not to take up uh, pursuit of our own happiness and comfort, but to just trust Thee for those things.
01:15:02
And to be occupied with thine interest here below. So we just ask this and the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Amen.
Dispensational Truth
Haggai 1:11 to Haggai 2:5
Reading
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Lord, Thou hast drawn us after thee, what in thy love possess me not?
Unchangeable, Thy gracious love, our earthly path as ceaseless view.
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All right.
Our present grace and her father's heartbeat.
All right, we're welcome to make ourselves.
I'll have your resignation.
I'm feeling I'd like to make a little bit of.
Blessed God, in our loving Father, we we get the our thanks once again this afternoon and surely as we uh send that to him, Lord, Thou has drawn us after thee, so we do pray that thou will let us run and help us. Lord, we think of the portion before us. We think of how heavy I am. Old was used to awaken the people of old.
They are how we could in five times reminded them to consider.
Their ways and surely how we know there are lessons in there for us as well, that it may be well for us to to consider our wage and we think too of how.
Thou stirred thy people up, and that thou hast given them comforts, and that thou have promised them that thy word is with them, thy spirit is with them, and that thou thyself is with them. And surely we can take comfort in that too, knowing that we have the in our mist. We have thy word before us, and we know that I steer it is here not only.
In this room, but enjoy in us. So we look to Thee now. We commit this meeting once more into thine hand. We do pray. It's another hymn writer we tend. Those words teach us more of Thy blessed wage. So we look today and we ask for help for the younger one, for the older one, for each one of us, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
00:05:18
We got a little past it, but it might be good just to start with verse seven again as far as the reading goes.
Yes, I was thinking that myself, Steve.
Egg EI the book Egg EI chapter one.
Beginning at verse 7.
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, consider your ways. Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build a house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. Ye look for much, and lo, it came to little, and when he brought it home I did blow upon it. Why, saith the Lord of Hosts? Because of my powers. That is waste.
And ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore they haven't opened you a day from due. And the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I call for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon man, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor.
Of the hands, then the rubber bowl, the son of Chiatiel and Josh Joshua the son of Josette the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Hegeide the prophet, as the Lord their God hath sent him. And the people did fear before the Lord.
Then speak. Haggy eyed the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, sayeth the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Chiatiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Josephic the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people.
And they came and did work in the House of the Lord of hosts their God, in the four and 20th day of the six months, in the second year of Darius the king, in the seventh month in in the one and 20th day of the month came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying, Speak now to Serba Bowl, the son of Chiatiel.
Governor of Judah. And to Joshua the son of Jose Deck the high priest. And to the residual of the people, saying, Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes, in comparison of it as nothing yet? Now be strong, oh, the rubber ball, saith the Lord, And be strong, O Joshua the son of Josette the high priest.
And be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord.
And work, for I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts, according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt. So my spirit remaineth among you. Fear ye not.
As you mentioned this morning, the uh.
These words consider your ways.
Was certainly, uh, a message from Hagia. He had the Lord's message and, uh, he was, uh, the means of stirring up these people from their culpable lethargy, uh, and, uh, encouraging them to, uh.
00:10:00
Reviving them and encouraging them to.
To uh uh, recover the.
The vessels from the rubbish and to return to their first love and it was very effective.
I'm thinking of that verse we started with there, uh, go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the house and I will take pleasure in it and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. You know, if they looked on things from the natural standpoint, they would be discouraged. There was little energy manifest. There wasn't much, uh, spiritual power there.
Uh, it's like the man in Zechariah who, uh.
Turn to Zechariah chapter 2 to see a man. I lifted up mine eyes again and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. I think that often we pull out that measuring line.
And we compare what there is in the little assembly where you are gathered with some other prominent, uh, works that we might see and Christendom. But don't do that, young people or any of us. Remember that the Lord takes pleasure in those that are gathered according to His Word in the place where he has put his name.
Don't pull out the measuring stick and and compare it with others. The Lord takes pleasure in those who are in the the place appointed by Him, gathered to his name, expressing the truth of the one body, the Church of God, these things.
Are a pleasure to the Lord. He's interested in his church.
He's interested in the truth of the assembly, and although we see much weakness and it's becoming more manifest, those of us who are older can look back on years when there was much more, uh, spiritual power manifested in the assemblies. But let's not be discouraged by looking at these things. The Lord is in the midst.
And the joy of the Lord is your strength. That's often applied to ourselves, that we have joy in the service of the Lord, which is true. But really the emphasis in that expression is not on ourselves, but on the Lord. And the fact that the Lord appreciates our faithfulness, though it'd be in in feebleness, our gathering outside the camp, outside the systems of Christendom, which.
Perhaps look very, uh, attractive to us, and we think that a lot is being done and we certainly can rejoice in the gospel going forth, uh, by whatever means the Lord in his sovereignty may use. But let us remember that there is a divine ground of gathering the assembly, and the Lord takes pleasure in that. You know, we have a wonderful time.
Here in the conference, uh, when we are together, we're uplifted, we're encouraged, we're, uh, cheered. We're, uh, we're, umm, edified. We trust. But you know, 51 weeks of the year there is no conference. And are we willing to continue on in our assemblies where when we look around, it may be in feebleness, uh, not many people attending, uh.
Sometimes the weekday meetings especially.
Uh, let's not be discouraged, but let's remember that the Lord is in the midst and, uh.
Uh, let us own his claims, first of all, and uh, the young people who are at school and university, you're under a lot of pressure with a tremendous workload to, uh, cope with, but don't neglect the assembly meetings.
I have found in my experience when I was a student.
Very, very failingly, I'm sure, but I was present at the meetings and although I didn't make the highest marks, uh, I got through my courses. The Lord will honor those that honor him and give the Lord the rightful place and speaking in the collective sense, but also it must start in the individual too, that, uh, we give the Lord his rightful place in our lives.
00:15:29
Umm, and, uh, the priorities, so to speak, uh, in our Christian, uh, lives and cultivate communion with the Lord, separation from, uh, his present evil world. And let's not fall asleep like Euticus did. He fell out of the window down to the level of the world. That's what Satan would have. We are greatly privileged, brethren, to be in the place of the Lord's appointment.
And where the truth of God is ministered.
In its purity as our brother bought out the dispensational side of things, which may be a little difficult for the young people to understand, but it's the truth of God rightly dividing it. And this is in the assembly. So may the Lord encourage us not to pull out that measuring stick and look at things from man's standpoint. But remember, let's look at things from God's standpoint and looking on to the day when.
Will be gathered in the glorious Hagee I brings before the people here.
When there'll be a reward for faithfulness, and continuing on the things which thou hast learned and been assured of.
I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door. No man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength.
And has kept my word and has not denied my name.
But we need to look at.
Everything from God's viewpoint.
And what did the Lord have to say about Philadelphia?
That was kept my word.
And not denied my name. How much the Lord appreciates that today.
Now here there was an open door to build.
Or rebuild the house there at Jerusalem.
The Lord says, go up to the mountain and bring wood and build a house.
The Lord speaks directly what his mind is.
And with His commandments also come enablement. No, the Lord never asked us to do anything.
About what he gives us the ability to do it.
Now be sure of this.
In any work for the Lord, any service for Him, there will be opposition. You can be, surely.
Satan sets up obstacles.
But that doesn't mean that the Lord is closing the door.
You know, we have to recognize a difference between an obstacle that Satan puts in our path.
And what is an open door?
And I do believe that, uh.
As Paul says, he had an open door.
In Ephesus, I believe it was, but he said there are many adversaries.
So what are we gonna do? The Lord shows us plainly what his mind is. Are we gonna let the enemy?
Put an obstacle in our way and shut us down.
Or are we gonna go on the strength of the Word of God and trust Him for the consequences?
Well, I believe that. Hey guys, stirs up the people here.
And they begin to build.
And the Lord takes pleasure in that.
And he is glorified in that.
And I think of what speaks to Zechariah, who I, I believe prophesied at this time as well.
00:20:08
Who has despised the day of small things?
The house didn't appear.
All it is is the previous one, but the Lord took pleasure in it.
Kind of set which glorified him.
And was not to be despised, even though outwardly perhaps it didn't have the magnificent uh.
So in needing to go up to the mountain.
That's very important if you.
Where to speak to some who have turned aside?
Uh, there are some who have turned aside and no longer with us. There are some that are still with us, but they've turned aside.
Uh.
And then there are those who are who left and they're disgruntled and and so they speak against the truth, or they say it's not true, that there's no such thing as the ground of gathering and so on.
What you're gonna find is common is that they never appoint to the scriptures.
They point to things they've seen.
They point to things they've seen, they they look at their experience, they point to failures, they point to things that have happened. And so it's all things they've seen and observed.
But you rarely find them pointing to the Scriptures. Well, you have to go up to the mountain, you know, as our brother said, both of them. You know, you can look upon the condition of things around us in general. You can look at the condition of your assembly.
Uh, when you do that.
You can get fooled because you're probably not seeing it the way that the Lord sees it.
You have to go up to the mountain and that is you have to get into the word of God and see what the mind of God is, what his desire is. And once you see what his desire is and what it is that he wants, you will change your view of things and you'll have the right view. So I believe that's that's what going up to the mountain is. It's to get God's perspective.
And, uh, and it will be a lot different than the perspective you had.
Before that it says consider your ways and I would I would suggest something. Our hearts can deceive us and we can think that we love the Lord a lot more than we really do.
Umm, if you take an objective look at how you spend your time and resources.
Just look at it objectively.
How? What things you put before other things?
And that's going to tell you what your priorities are and what your heart really is about.
And, uh, you might find that maybe you don't love the Lord and value the truth as much as you thought you did.
Well then you need to go to the Lord.
That's another way we go up to the mountain is to go to him and confess to him.
What is really the case with me? I wish that I loved the Lord more. I wish that I value things more. But I can tell by looking at the way I spend my time and the things, the way I put this in front of that and value this more than that. I can tell that I'm not so much for the Lord as I thought I was. Well, you can take that to Him. He knows already anyway.
But that's another aspect I think of going up to the mountain.
Maybe there's another aspect of going up as well, and that is that it takes energy.
Going up takes energy.
And you know, it says build the house, bring the wood. It doesn't say it's going to end up like Solomon's temple.
We've heard already that this is a day of small things, and we are not to despise that.
Here the Lord says I will take pleasure in it and I will be glorified in another place. Further on that I am with you, chapter 2, verse 4, Go and work. I am with you. Isn't that enough for us? Do we need to have Solomon's temple today? As our brother was saying, certainly there's weakness, there's failure. All you have to do is look around. We find it in our own hearts. But I want to read a little bit in the First Chronicles 2322, sorry.
00:25:20
About David speaking to Solomon when he was about to build his temple.
And the first Chronicles 22 verse 14 will start with.
Now behold in my trouble I have prepared for the House of the Lord, and 100,000 talents of gold, 1000 thousand talents of silver, and a brass and iron without weight, for it is in abundance.
Timber also and stone have I prepared. Now we might look at what's gone before us and we have the ministry on Josh's book tables back there and we might say, what could I possibly add to all of this? Well, the next phrase David says to Solomon, thou mayest add thereto.
Now wait a minute. What? What do you, what could we possibly add to all that has been already gathered? Well, we can in little ways here and there, If we're before the Lord, as our brother was saying, go up, be in that place of communion with the Lord, and He'll give you things to do. It isn't all done yet. If it was, we'd be home. But it's not all done yet. There are things the Lord has for each of us to do. Thou mayest add thereto. Let's not be discouraged.
I'm thinking it's a day of small things and there's no great things to do. And maybe that's true, but we don't need to be seeking great things for ourselves. We need to just do what the Lord puts before us because there's still work to be done. So let's go up.
And Bill?
I've been impressed with the UMM.
In the previous verse.
The way the verse starts off is let's stay at the Lord of hope.
That's a term that we read, umm, many times in this little book.
The Lord of Hosts.
The first time it's mentioned in the word, uh, they've sole read it to us this morning.
In First Samuel.
Hannah uses that term, the Lord of Hosts.
And I've just appreciated in her prayer, she has two prayers. She uses that term in the first prayer.
And in the second prayer, she makes a statement.
That has been an encouragement to me.
But if you look at what she does.
There in First Samuel she has her son, and her desire is to take her, to take Samuel to Shiloh.
You know, if I put myself in her shoes at that time, the very, very last place I would have wanted to take my son would have been Shyland. But.
Very last place, when you think of what Eli's sons were carrying on with right at the door of the Tabernacle, you think that the influence there of the priesthood.
And yet she took her son there. Why?
In her prayer she says he will keep the feet of his Saints. She took her son there because the Lord was there.
N.
Beautiful to see. So Hagion uses that term time and time again here in his little book The Lord of the Hosts.
Encouraging to see it's remembered, uh, was we've been reminded of the fact that.
We we don't have.
Our brethren like JN Darby, William Kelly and other brethren to minister to us today and we.
Often referred to this time as a day of weakness.
And, uh, Nehemiah was living in such a day.
But it's it's nice to see what he said in the 6th chapter.
I'm sure there was a sense in his soul that there was weakness.
00:30:02
But he says in verse three of chapter 6 and I sent messengers unto them saying, I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down. So we we are reminded of who we serve. We are serving a great Savior and if we are in measure doing a work for him.
We're doing a great work.
And that should encourage every effort, uh, that we put forth for him.
We are gathered to the Lord's name seven days a week, uh, not just on Lordstown and, uh, Christianity.
Uh, effects every part of our lives, our business, our school work, uh, wherever we are, we are, we are still at, we're at the Lord's table. You only come to the Lord's table once in your life. And, uh, we're always at the Lord's table and always, uh, gathered to his name if we, uh, are, uh, if we've, uh, answered to the Lord's request. But when the, uh.
The uh, prophet says here, consider your ways.
They were in the right place, there was no doubt about that. They were re. They had been, uh, brought back to God's center from, uh, Babylon, which is a picture of the confusion in Christendom.
They were in the outside place, true, but their moral condition was not uh.
According to God's mind, it deteriorates even further in the book of Malachiah, where you have.
Overt disobedience manifest there indifference. They wouldn't open the temple doors unless they were paid. They were offering to the Lord the lame and the blind. The condition had deteriorated in Malachiah, the descendants, I suppose, of these people, but the point is.
God searches the heart and we should be exercised that our ways not only in when we come to the assembly, but our ways in the world where we, uh, are, uh, in contact with, uh, others that, uh, we manifest the, uh, characteristics of the House of God that, uh, the Lord would have us to display.
I was thinking brother John in connection with that back in the book of Nehemiah. I realized that the time period here is more Ezra that our brother Bruce has turned us to Nehemiah a number of times if in the 4th chapter.
There's umm, there's a statement that's made there, which umm.
Often shows to us why there's a hindrance to building and nehemiah chapter 4.
I thought a bit in connection with considering our ways in Nehemiah 4 and the 10th verse it says in Judah said the strength of the bearers of burden is decayed and it's this next statement and there is much rubbish.
So that we are not able to build the wall.
In my own business, when you get on a job site and it's full of rubbish, it's hard to build, it's hard to build.
But it's not, it's not different in my personal life either.
When there's rubbish in my personal life, it's hard to build.
That's a real exercise that you've brought before us, Brother John, in connection with considering our ways. There is much rubbish so that we are not able to build.
The first message of Haggai is to the rulers.
In verse one.
The second includes the residue of the people, chapter 2 and verse 2.
But the remnant of the people respond to the first message along with the leaders.
In verse 12 of chapter one.
You get both the leaders and the remnant of the people. Obey the voice.
Of the Lord by Haggai.
00:35:00
And in Revelation, when we get the addresses to the seven assemblies, they're written to the Angel of the assembly, the responsible element in the assembly, those who are responsible to give heavenly light and guidance to the assembly, and under whose ministry the character of the assembly is largely formed.
And so they're addressed. And so the leaders are addressed first. They bear the chief responsibility.
But it also says, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto thee, assemblies.
And so everyone in the assembly is responsible.
But the leaders especially address. So it's nice to see the leaders addressed. They hear and respond, but what does it do? It brings the rest along with them, the remnant of the people. The Lord says I called for a drought. You know, it's just I think brings before us the thought perhaps they had looked on the circumstances that oh, another year and there's a drought again and we just could use a little rain or.
Boy, if things were just different this way or just different that way, I'd be happy. If things, you know, everything just seems to everything I touch just seems to fall apart. And things that were different, when you get a little help, if such and so and so would do, such and such things would be better. Lord said, I called for it.
Great from my it's a healthy exercise for our souls to see every circumstance in our lives as from his hand. He called for it. He had to bring their attention to that fact. The other thing he says I will be glorified.
That touches on the motive for that labor.
As was brought before us in the previous meeting, they had their own selfish interests first, me first.
And he wants them to have his glory as their object. He says you do what I've told you to do, I'll be glorified. And that is how God is glorified is when we're obedient to his work.
When we do what he says, he's glorified. When we fill the place he's given us to fill, he's glorified. And it's so refreshing to see that they respond and they rise up to that work. Their hearts are stirred up and they pick that work up and the remnant of the people and they go back to.
The Temple in Jerusalem and they begin once again.
To work all, but they still have that letter from.
The king that said stop.
Let's say go ahead anyway because they have God's word. Not only that, Philadelphia was mentioned earlier and the Lord saying to Philadelphia, I've set before thee and opened door.
It's been such an encouragement to me to think that every place where the Lord has opened the door, governments have been favorable. There has not been governmental opposition to going on in Paul's doctrine.
Being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He opened the door. None can shut it. You know what never says?
That in connection with Philadelphia and recovered truth that he's going to shut the door to that he tells him to hold fast what they have till he comes.
It's been an encouragement to me, brethren, that that door is going to stay open wherever he's opened it.
And the lands where governments have been favorable to allow believers to go on in the recovered truth until the Lord comes.
I think that door will stay open.
When Cyrus gave that command to go back to the land, all who were willing and whose hearts had been moved to go back to Jerusalem.
It was the law of the Medes and the Persians, which were even Daniel, which changes not It can't be altered. It couldn't be altered by another letter from a king later on. It stood forever in the law of the Medes and Persians. That door stayed open. They got discouraged by the letter, but the Lord never shut that door.
00:40:26
A reason for forsaking the gathering. Things were very low in the assembly of Corinth, what they were going on with, and Paul had to reprove them and, uh.
Rebuked them, but the Lord did not leave the assembly because of the low condition.
So, uh, there is a divine ground of gathering and uh, we should be exercised about our ways, but the the assembly established by the Lord is the center of gathering.
And really, what are we contributing to the assembly? We often think of receiving something, but.
What is our exercise? Are we there to contribute something? We're having an effect upon the assembly for good or for, for bad. Uh, either we're an encouragement, we're a help, or we're a hindrance in the assembly. And, uh, let's not forsake the, uh, assembling of ourselves together, though there's weakness in that, which tends to discourage, but, uh, our presence there.
Sister's presence at the assembly meetings. That is an encouragement in itself and will be rewarded.
Their presence there, well, they may not, they do do not take an audible part. So let's, uh, rise on the Lord in these in these matters.
Our brother brought the forest of Haggai, worked with them.
Kind of nice to think about that and read verse 13.
Spake Haggy, I the Lord's messenger, and the Lord's message unto the people saying I am with you, saith the Lord. There he is working away and he stands up. He's got a message. They're in the middle of the work and he stands up and he's encouraging him on. He's got a word from the Lord to encourage him on back to the work again.
Gonna come to it, uh, toward the end of this reading, but.
Now that it's been mentioned.
Uh.
The Lord says I am with you and.
You know we believe that the Lord is in our midst.
Because of His word, we believe it by faith.
And uh.
It's another huge mistake that some have made.
That, uh, they've judged this the presence of the Lord by their experience and by feelings.
And uh.
You know, we we take this by faith, not by visible evidence, should remember that if you try to go by visible evidence, you're gonna get fooled.
Uh, one time my brother asked and he was being received. He asked the brothers, He said what makes you think you have the Lord in their midst?
And uh, one brother said, well one brother will be will have a him on his heart and another one will call it out.
Well, you know I laughed at that because, uh, everywhere I've ever been, that's the case.
Every group of Christians I've ever been with, that's been the case, in fact.
Uh, that happens among.
Unsaved people and businesses, they get around a table and business meeting and one will say something. So I was just thinking that, you know, now, it doesn't mean that we don't have common thoughts by the Holy Spirit. Of course we do. And it could be that the brother had the him on his heart because of the Holy Spirit and the other brother did too. But that's no proof. That's nothing to hang your hat on.
And anywhere where there's people who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, that can happen.
But we believe that the Lord is in the midst, because he said so.
And we need to leave it at that.
00:45:01
And, uh, we're gonna get down here to where they talk about the former glory and we can look back on the Day of Pentecost and say, well, it's a very, very apparent that the Holy Spirit was there.
It's very, very apparent they had power.
I don't see that today, and you shouldn't look for it either.
And just here so weak was it, you know, when, when Solomon built the temple, the the glory of the Lord filled it.
They could see that, right? That's something they could see. It was, it was very apparent with this house they're rebuilding. No such thing happened.
They had to go on the assurance they were being given by God in His Word, and he kept repeating to them, I'm with you, I'm with you, I'm with you.
And that was to be their reassurance. It was to come from the Word of God.
Notice in the fifth verse of the second chapter, My spirit remaineth among you. Fear ye not.
Umm the Lord is here by his spirit. Umm.
In in the midst, but we need to uh.
Be careful of our walk because the Spirit of God can easily be grieved in our lives and our condition individually affects the whole assembly.
Uh, if we come in a, uh, put it plainly, in a flat state of soul with envy, malice in our hearts or or uncleanness in our lives that we have not judged, we're affecting the whole assembly.
May still be in fellowship, but uh, we need to, uh, remember that the spirit of God is there, uh.
Don't know whether you would say this, The Lord is there physically, I don't think so, but the Spirit of God is there. He is there in spirit. And, uh, we need to be careful, uh, of our walk that, uh, there is nothing that would, uh, hinder the activity of the Spirit of God in the, in the assembly. So we each have that, uh, responsibility, the wonderful privilege to be gathered.
According to God's mind outside the cap, within the veil, but you need to be exercised as to our spiritual condition and the Corinthians were not, They were going on with immorality and God had to step in and that assembly and in his governmental ways. Many slept. What does that mean? Many slept. They were taken away in God's government.
It's only a a believer is when he.
Dies is spoken of as sleeping. So apparently they were believers, but they were going on carelessly and, uh, the, the Lord had to deal with them. Well, I just mentioned that the, the profit also looks on to that glorious day when, uh, uh, when, uh, we'll be gathered around the Lord in person, in the, uh, in the glory and, uh, when we will, uh, when the Church of God will be manifested in all its unity and beauty.
As we see in the Book of Revelation, those every gate was a Pearl. Everything speaks of the of Christ and the preciousness of the assembly to Him.
You know, as to our our individual state affecting the state of the assembly, that's that's absolutely true and.
Yes, you read the uh, verse six and verse nine and uh, verse 10 and 11.
Uh, I think, you know, that can speak to what we as individuals are seeking. And then a lot has come out in these meetings about that and you're gonna find, you know, when you're looking for things for yourself and you're trying to get things for yourself and you're trying to seek your own things and make yourself happy. Uh, it's just an experience of continual drought. Umm, there may be a time of some happiness and enjoyment, but.
In the long run, it's, it's a drought and, uh.
So even what we're doing outside the meetings in our personal life will have an effect on the state of the assembly. So when we live our Christian lives, we have to live.
00:50:13
Not live our Christian lives just for ourselves. I guess that's what I'm saying. And you have to live your Christian life for your brethren as well.
That doesn't mean to do things for their eyes, but it means to keep their good in mind in everything you do.
We're responsible to do that.
Umm, and so that's part of building God's house, as we've said a number of times in these meetings is not to be seeking for your own things for yourself and, and so on. But, uh, but it's good to keep that in mind. And, you know, it's true happiness. And even people, uh, secular, unsafe people in the world of psychology and so on, they know and they have taught that, uh, you get more happiness.
Seeking others happiness than you do seeking your own, That's that's human psychology. Even they know we should know it even better.
You know you're gonna be happier seeking someone else's good than you are seeking your own.
Well, the wonderful thing about that is that God takes note.
Of whatever is done for his people.
You really appreciate a desire to minister good to his people because it is his body.
And I was just noticing Hebrews 6 and verse 10.
It says For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love.
Which he have showed toward his name.
In that you have ministered to the Saints and to minister.
So ministering to God's people.
You're showing kindness to the Lord Himself.
And here references made to the fact that, uh, these Hebrews, they ministered to the Saints in the past.
And in writing to the Galatians.
For in two seasons you shall reap, if you faint not.
So the question is perhaps we have ministered in the past, but we're going to continue to do so.
Or are we gonna faint?
I think that's what Satan wants to do.
Tire out. The Saints weary us.
And human strength, our own strength, it is small, but if we rely on the Lord.
It's foundless.
He passed the call. He said I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
The other The other aspect was brought out by brother John Kemp.
Is the joy of the Lord? Is your strength.
So.
Umm.
He made a point, and I think it needs to be repeated, that term, the joy of the Lord is not talking about you having joy.
I think that's the way it's commonly understood, but that's not what it's talking. I'm not talking about you having joy or even experiencing joy.
When it says the joy of the Lord is your strength, if I could paraphrase it, it means when the Lord is happy.
You're strengthened.
It's his joy. It's knowing that you made him happy.
That is your strength.
And I think, Wally, that goes right along with what you were saying, you know, when we're doing things to make the Lord happy.
00:55:05
Then we have motivation and we have strength.
And that again, as opposed to trying to seek what pleases ourselves.
And we know from his word what makes him happy. You know, it's not that complicated.
We know the things that make the Lord happy, and we know that if we do them, we will feel strength.
I think it's important to remember too, and that while he talked about ministering to the Saints, that it's not necessarily a public sphere.
Uh, in a lot of cases I would, umm, I'd be safe to say that the majority of ministering for the Saints is one-on-one.
As an example of that, I'm looking for, uh, there was a sister that the apostle commended.
And, uh, ask that they receive her.
Yes.
Phoebe in Romans chapter 16.
What a wonderful commendation, it says. I commend on Hugh Phoebe, our sister, which is a servant.
Or you could even say a minister of the church which is at Sankria, that you receive her in the Lord as become a St. and that ye assist her in whatever business she hath need of you.
For she has been a sucker of many, and of myself also.
That wasn't public ministry. But look at the value. Look at the value, the apostle Paul who ministered a lot publicly, but he would probably say he would not have been able to do it without her so.
Highly valued ministry there. That's not public ministry, but very highly valued.
It's nice to see the core of of Aisha in First Kings chapter 19 it says.
And then the last verse of that chapter. Then he arose and went after Elijah.
And ministered unto him.
He was being prepared for that which was to follow, wasn't he?
But the first service is ministering unto Elijah.
And they were very, very teachable here. You know, that's the important thing in the.
In the work of the Lord.
That people are teachable.
Umm, they, they took this, umm, rebuke. You might say this, uh, umm.
Prophetic ministry from they took it from the Lord.
It had its effect upon their souls, and I think it was in uh.
A month or two that they had actually erected the temple. It was a relatively short time after the prophecy of Hagia that they had completed the work. Remarkable.
There was a real.
Real interest and a real, uh, desire to, uh, to please the Lord and they were stirred up, You know, exhortation is, is being stirred up and we need that edification is building up. Exhortation is stirring up and uh, we need to be stirred up because we tend to be, uh, uh, lazy in the things of the Lord. Uh, think of that verse. We don't want to get too far away from our chapter, but.
It has been mentioned about Ministry First Peter Chapter 4.
Verse 10 As every man hath received the gift, Even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Now we are all in the ministry.
Umm, not just quotation marks. Laboring brethren. We are all in the ministry, sisters as well as brothers, all servants of the Lord. We all have an ability.
01:00:12
Uh, that has been given to us, entrusted to us. We are stewards of, of, of the gift or an ability. Are we exercised to use that for the Lord's in the Lord's, uh, interests and service? Because we're going to have to give an account of how we have.
Used what the Lord has entrusted to us.
I've been thankful for UMM.
The many haggy eyes that the Lord has brought across my pathway, umm, when they feed it, when they saw that they need a little exhortation.
And if I had here in the middle of a room, a, a jug of orange juice that had been sitting for a few or four days, we had noticed the orange juice could be very, uh, a different color on the bottom half of it than it would the top half because it would have all settled down to the bottom. And if I was to pour out somebody a glass from that orange juice, you'd think it tastes this kind of flat And, and I would say, well, what's wrong with it? And you'd be able to say, well, it needs stirring up.
It does need sewing up. Well, we need that in our lives. And I've been thankful for the various number of Haggy eyes, as I've mentioned that the largest brought across my pathway. But ultimately the work is the Lord's and we see that here in the 14th, 1St. It doesn't say on Haggy I stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel. It doesn't say that. It says the Lord stirred up the spirit.
And so unless we get our eye on the vessel, whoever it's used that the Lord uses to bring in, you know, in our lives to, to, to stir us up, ultimately the work of the stirring up in our hearts is the Lord's work.
Would you like a comment on building the temple?
It doesn't say the Lord doesn't say go get wood and build me a temple.
He says go build the temple.
And, uh, it was brought up this morning by brother Steve, but.
The latter glory of that house would be greater than the former. What do you mean the latter glory of that house? That house has been destroyed.
No.
It's the same house and so.
Likewise if we apply it to ourselves and Christianity.
Brother spoke of the term recovered truth.
There was no new temple built, you might say, and they would figure, figuratively speaking, there was not no any new ground of gathering brought out in a couple 100 years ago. It was recovered through the same ground that our brethren gathered on almost 2000 years ago.
Ground of the unity of the body of Christ. I've laid out in First Corinthians 10 the communion of the body of Christ and the community of the communion of the blood of Christ. And so it is that.
We when we speak of building.
We want to build on that same principle.
Uh, the same.
Principle upon which our early brethren gathered.
The divine ground of gathering.
And our early brethren spoke with one voice.
The divine ground of gathering was the unity of the body of Christ, the one body as we put it. But it's that is.
They received fellow believers on the ground of their being part of the body of Christ.
A very lovely similar.
Way the Word of the Lord to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia in chapter 3 of Revelation.
01:05:00
Word to the overcomer him that overcometh verse 12 of Revelation 3 him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out you know that's.
Remarkably interesting.
To go on in that truth means a separated walk.
But here, he says, you're not going to have to go out anymore. You're not going to have to leave anywhere anymore. Maybe you had to leave a lot of things behind.
To be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Separated path and Hagia takes that up in the end of the book.
Says you're not gonna have to go out anymore.
Not anymore.
And we'll write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, which is.
New Jerusalem.
The Church in millennial glory.
And he takes that little remnant company in Philadelphia, and he makes them that silver length.
Between the Church of Pentecost and the latter glory of that house.
And he looks on to the New Jerusalem, which is going to descend out of heaven from God and its glory, uh, over this earth. The men of this earth are going to walk in the light of it.
I'd like to look at Ezra for a moment in chapter 2.
There's a.
We're working.
And as Ezra, uh.
Record.
And is there a or excuse me, Chapter 3?
Verse 12.
For many of the priests and Levites in chief of the Fathers, who were ancient men.
And it seemed the 1St house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice, and many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
You know, Haggy, I.
The word of the Lord through Haggai. He doesn't really take notice of either the weeping or the shout of joy.
He does mention who is left of you that saw this house in her first glory. And how do you see it now? Is it as in your eyes in comparison as nothing but he looks on?
He looks on to millennial glory, He looks on to the end to which all things are moving, the coming Kingdom and power and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And I believe the Spirit of God would direct our eyes in the same way.
Healthy exercise to look back at the church at the day of Pentecost.
To see the church before she was stripped of her ornaments and to be able to eat. And if our heart doesn't have that.
Attitude. As we make that comparison, we've got kind of a hard heart.
But you know, the Lord has left so much to us, and this day we're in.
And I don't know about you, but I certainly remember from my own self as the Paul's doctrine was unfolded to my soul for the first time, and the truth of what it was to be gathered on the ground of the one body to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ alone in separation from all that would be dishonouring to Him. And the fact there was actually a place where I could do that, it was like a shout of joy.
And I'm thankful no old brothers came through cold water on me back then. They encouraged me on in that.
The as time goes on and the Lord gives a sober assessment and you look back, you know there's, as an old brother said, there's time of plenty for weeping.
01:10:05
But don't throw cold water on those who are coming into a fresh enjoyment of these wonderful things. And let's not lose that shout of joy. Let's not lose the sense either.
Of the fact of what's taken place.
Let's look on to the coming glory.
See, our time is up, we're reminded, and Zechariah chapter four were not to despise the day of small things, are we?
169.
Lord, we can say by.
Ourselves so I can take like beyond and again the whole country never dating.
Oh my God.
I want to give you a prayer.
Hi.
Uh, ready to get blah blah blah blah blah blah.
And uh, OK. Umm, I'm still crying.
Uh, yeah. I, I, I, I, I can't, I'll, I'll, I'll call them brands and I'm crawled and crying on the sky.
And, umm.
And birthday, Thank you. So thank you.
God and our Father we thanks for. It's another opportunity to read thy word together.
Thank you for the exercise that that was brought before us that we can either disregard or accept this from myself.
We pray that we would accept it as from the our.
Realized that doubt is desire, blessing.
In the assembly and to ourselves, but most of all that we might glorify my beloved Son in our lives. We pray that we would go on thou migrate and keep us. We just think of this dark day that we live in. We just pray, Lord, for faithfulness to go on the little time that's life.
So we give thanks for this opportunity be over Thy word and to enjoy it. We pray and see your friends and you might be stirred up to search these things out for ourselves and make them our own. We pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Love of God
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.
Each and all to the Gospel here tonight.
The glad tidings of great joy.
Thank God we have good news to proclaim.
In a world where there's not a whole lot to smile about.
But here tonight.
We like to sing.
To hymns.
And as we sing these hymns.
I'm gonna sing about the love of God.
And there once that is something to smile about.
God loves you, God loves me.
I can't think of a message more wonderful.
I got something to show you. It's in the bag, but we're going to sing 2 songs first of all #4.
Christ is the Savior of sinners. Christ is the Savior for me. Long I was chained and since darkness. Now by His grace I am free.
Last, first loved.
With a love that's unchanging, blessed with all blessings so free, how shall I tell out his praises?
This is the savior for me #4 Perhaps we could stand as we sing.
Christ is God saved.
US.
Now why is Grace I am free?
***.
No, I didn't get one for my grandmother.
Umm 07504.
***.
Nsnoise.
Takeover Nsnoise.
Everybody could be seated.
And we'll look to the Lord in prayer for his help here tonight.
Our God and Father, we thank thee tonight.
That there is still a Savior for sinners.
We thank you, dear Father, that thou hast.
00:05:02
By thy wondrous love and grace given thy Son to be the Savior.
And here tonight, we do pray that each and everyone would be able to sing from the depth of their heart. Christ is the Savior for me now, if there be one here who is still in their sins.
We ask that this very night.
They might feel the weight of their sins and come to realize that it is their sins that separate them from Thee, our God.
And that they might come to realize that there is that which is a sin remover the precious blood of Jesus.
We thank you for the blood of Christ, by love our only deliverance. Now we seek Thy blessing here tonight, not only here in Montrose, but worldwide.
Wherever the precious message of the Gospel is being sounded out.
May souls in repentance turn to that precious and only Savior while there is still time.
So we ask thy blessing, seeking thy health and giving thanks, and my most precious name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Also like to sing.
#11.
Perhaps we can remain seated as we sing #11.
Will your anchor hold?
In the storms of life.
The refrain We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure, while the billows roll fasten through the rock which cannot move.
Grounded, firm, and deep in the Savior's love #11.
Who will your writer?
And The Cave all strange. Will your eyes go over there 'cause I'm drinking pain?
Rounder managing Tennessee and mall.
Nsnoise.
00:10:07
Nsnoise.
And the mobile number?
Times.
4, 795 60574044456 563.
New Rochester.
Some time ago.
I was in the Walmart.
Which I suppose is a store that most if not all.
Have patronized.
In this room.
You know when somebody said one time to me, what is there in Walmart for Christ?
Well, you know, I saw something that.
I thought I would, uh, bring tonight.
And I bought this at Walmart.
There's 5 words on this little text.
And these are the words.
Love it's in big letters is.
All you need.
Love Is All you need.
You know, I went to the cashier.
Purchase this, I said to him. What do you think about this text?
Is this true?
Is love all that we need?
Any thought for a time?
By the way, I wasn't holding up the line.
No, there's nobody behind me.
He said. You know, I think we need more than that.
We need more than that.
I believe he was looking at love from a human standpoint.
There ones tonight.
We want to look at love from a divine standpoint.
And if we look at it from that standpoint, I believe it is all you need.
You need God's love.
And you have it here tonight.
We sang at him today. It's a beautiful hymn.
I believe it's #166.
In our little far Kim book and the second verse goes like this. What in thy love possess we not?
Our star by night, our sun by day.
Our spring of life when parts withdraw.
Our whine to cheer, our bread to stay.
Our strength.
Our safe abode.
I robe before the throne of God.
And the list goes on.
There once tonight.
Can you tell me one thing?
That the love of God has not provided for you. I see any hands here tonight?
No hands.
00:15:01
So then this is true.
Love Is All you need. You agree with that?
5 words.
And there's another 5 words that come to mind.
And we sang it with the children this past summer, over and over.
The Bible tells me so.
Love Is All you need. The Bible tells me so, so I'd like to look at the Word of God.
Can see.
How it supports this thought?
That we have here on this little plaque. So I'd like to turn tonight to Romans chapter.
5.
Romans, chapter 5.
Now one has been charged.
With giving the gospel here tonight.
And I believe.
As it's been said more than once.
It is a tremendous privilege to tell out the gospel, but also.
A tremendous responsibility to speak.
The gospel concerning God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
And to present it in all of its simplicity, its purity.
We don't want to confuse anybody here tonight.
We were in the prayer meeting.
And somebody prayed that the gospel might be presented.
In clarity, and I trust that this might be the case now, I believe here in chapter five of the book of Romans, we have presented to us the love of God.
And what His love provides for you and for me.
Notice what it says in verse 5.
We'll start at the second line of the verse. It says the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. This is Romans chapter 5, verse 5.
And so we learn that.
God gives, He gives freely, He gives his Spirit, the Holy Spirit to dwell.
Within the believer, and it tells us here it's by the Holy Ghost.
That the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.
How is it with your heart here tonight?
Is your heart filled with the love of God?
Do you enjoy the love of God in your soul?
If you don't.
The big question is, do you have the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit?
You say, well, how do I get it?
Do I pay for this?
You know, in the world.
The thought is the more you pay, the more you get.
But when it comes to the gospel, it's just the opposite.
You try to pay, you're not getting anything.
And we learned that from the book of Acts.
There was a man, and he saw.
How that?
Well, let's just turn to it. It's it's over an axe.
Just to show that what God has for us to enjoy.
It is.
Without money and without price.
Acts Chapter 8.
And verse.
18.
Fax 818 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them.
Money saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Die money, perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
00:20:22
How in the world can you purchase?
A gift with money you try to pay for it. It's not a gift.
And yeah, we find today.
That man.
Refuses God's free offer of salvation.
You know it tells us in Romans.
In the next chapter.
The gift of God is eternal life.
Or I believe in the original. The thought is the free gift of God to emphasize the fact that what God has to offer, it does not cost you or me one cent.
How is this? It's because Jesus paid the price.
And.
What was the price that he was willing to pay?
He sacrificed himself.
He shed his own blood on the cross of Calvary. He paid the price. And so, as Peter tells us, we're not redeemed with corruptible things. It's silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. And so we're here tonight to tell you that salvation is a free gift, and the Holy Spirit is given without money and without price to those who trust.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, it doesn't cost you one cent.
Years ago there was a.
Father and he sent his boy to the Bible over there in Fredericton.
And so his son came week after week, and sometimes we'd have a hot dog or pizza or something like that.
And you know, one day.
The father came and said to us, how is it that you can do this for my son?
And ever since he started coming, you haven't charged one black cent.
You made an impression on him. Well, there was tonight God offers to you.
The most important possession you could ever own.
And that is salvation, eternal life, and it will not 'cause you one black sin, not one that marvelous.
So here's this man, Simon.
He thinks that the gift of God can be purchased with money and Peter says.
Your money started perish with you.
1St 21 Thou hast neither part nor lock in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the call of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
God's love in Christ we see.
As we read on here in Romans chapter 5, it tells us in verse 6.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died.
For the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet per adventure for a Goodman some would even dare to die.
But God commends his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Christ is God's answer to your desperate.
00:25:05
Need as a center.
You know God is holy. In fact, Isaiah 6.
Refers to him as Holy, Holy, Holy.
A thrice holy God of two pure eyes, than to behold iniquity cannot look on evil.
Holiness is what characterizes God.
But the wonderful thing is.
That even though we are.
Unholy. Ungodly.
Sinners by nature and by practice.
God has a remedy.
And it tells us here in verse six when we were yet without strength.
You know we're too poor to pay.
And we are without strength to do anything.
And yet many in the world tonight.
Are by their works seeking to attain a standing before God.
Yeah, it's useless.
Because the fact is, as sinners, we can not produce any good works for God.
I believe that's the thought here. It tells us here when we were yet without strength in due time.
Christ died for the ungodly.
Now God sees us in our helpless condition, and what does he do? He sends his Son. Oh, how wonderful. And Christ died for the ungodly. And Christ died.
While we were yet sinners.
God is holy, cannot overlook sin.
Not one sin can he.
Overlooked, I believe each and every sin that has ever been committed in this world.
Must be judged.
By a holy God, God cannot Passover sin, but what he can do.
Is to punish someone else instead of you for your sin.
Instead of Maine, he can punish another and that sin.
Is judged and God's holy requirement, His justice, is satisfied. Who is the other?
None other but his own son. Oh dear ones tonight. Think about it.
God so loved.
The world.
We want to emphasize salt.
God.
So.
We could put an S on the wall here and then put an O here.
I'd be soaked and then put another O and another O, another O.
That would be saw and then we could put those all the way around the room.
I'm not gonna try to.
Pronounce that word.
But you know what I'm saying? We cannot.
Exhaust.
The love of God, it's infinite.
God so loved the world.
How do you express His love that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life? What a beautiful word. 1St 25 words.
12 About God.
12 about me.
Sun in the center.
Christ who died for me? Yeah, the 1St 12 words, John 316 about God.
God loved.
And God gave.
00:30:03
The last 12 words are about you and me. You believe and you have.
But let's realize, right at the center is Christ.
And God would have all men to honor the Son.
What do you think of Christ?
What does he mean to you?
Here tonight.
The other week I was.
Mowing the lawn out at the meeting hall and Thomaston and this car pulled up to the parking lot.
Got an Ontario plate on it and a man gets out of the car.
And he takes a picture.
The meeting hall.
Well, he started walking. I thought he was walking my direction, so I thought, well maybe I should go his direction.
And I stopped the machine and talked with him.
And he was taking pictures of any religious buildings throughout the Maritime.
And he had already taken, I believe it was.
1800 pictures in the province of Nova Scotia.
And 300 over in Prince Edward Island and he was already on number 800 in the Brunswick. He's taking pictures of all these religious buildings. I said, well, how many you think you're going to get in the Brunswick? Oh, maybe 1400.
But then I asked him, Sir, I said, what do you think of Christ?
And he said, well, my partner.
He is studying for a degree in theology.
You like that answer?
I said, what do you think of Christ?
And there was silence.
Well.
And again, silence. My heart sank, he said. Actually, I believe in people.
But he's taking pictures of all these religious.
Establishments.
I guess he planned to catalog these pictures and make some kind of a digital record.
But I thought to myself.
Of what value is it to take pictures?
Of religious buildings. If you don't even know God, you don't even believe in God. You don't know the Savior. Well, there was opportunity to give the gospel I trust here tonight.
That each and everyone.
Might put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and know with assurance that he died for you. It's important to make this personal.
Jesus died. That's history. Jesus died for me is salvation.
We sang. Christ is the Savior for me.
We have an anchor.
That's grounded, firm, and deep in the Savior's love. I looked around the room as we sang that and I saw there were those that were enjoying.
In the heart, the love of Christ, it showed in your faces, and that's the way it ought to be. That speaks to my own heart.
You know the world takes note of how we look.
And we learn in the Psalms that we are to hope in the Lord, because he is the health of our countenances, He's the health of our faces.
And I believe that if we're enjoying the love of God.
In Christ it will tell in our faces.
00:35:00
And I believe it will be a testimony to the world about us.
So it tells us here that while we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly, for scarcely for a righteous man.
Will one die?
Now.
Who would die for an ungodly person?
Do you know anybody apart from Jesus?
Who is willing to die?
For an ungodly person.
I mean a murderer.
For a mobster, perhaps an adulterer?
Would somebody be willing to give their life for such an individual?
Well, here it tells us that Christ died for the ungodly.
It does say scarcely for a righteous man will one die. You know some people they seem to be.
Living an upright life.
They seem to be honest.
Thai people.
But they're not particularly.
Kind.
You wouldn't find somebody inclined to die for a person like that now, it tells us here per adventure for a good man or somebody who is kind, who does good things for other people, somebody might be willing to die for such a person.
But how wonderful to realize.
That Christ died for ungodly people.
And Christ died for sinners.
And Christ died for you and for me.
And God commends his love toward us, he tells us here in verse 8.
In other words, he recommends his love.
I think of these personal experiences I trust.
You'll forgive me if I mention this, but on another occasion.
I walk by.
And there was a man.
Yeah, something for sale.
And he called out, he said, try this, taste this, this is good.
Well, I was inclined to keep on going, but.
He was right in my face.
And so I stopped to see what it was that he had.
And by the way.
The sample was free.
But that's all. You know what it was. It was Nacho chips with.
A salsa that was made out of pineapple. Pineapple salsa on chips, he said. This is good, try it.
And so I did. I tried it and it was good.
And you know, I observed this man.
And he was the same way with everybody that went by. He said taste this, this is good, trust me.
Trust me, those two words kinda rang in my ears. Trust me.
Well, there once tonight.
The word in Psalm 34 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man, woman, boy or girl that trusts in him.
Trust me, he's good.
But you might say, well, can I trust you?
You know, people wondered out today, who is it that they can trust?
There's an election planned here in the United States, and it's over a year away, it seems to me, a long ways away, and yet we find that there are those.
Wanting to get elected and apparently this particular election, there's gonna be more candidates than usual.
Trying to occupy the White House and so everybody gives their spiel.
00:40:05
You know, and they.
Everybody's listening to what they have to say.
And our debates and speeches and so on and so forth.
But the big question is this. Can you trust what that person is saying?
You know what I mean?
Tonight, I want to tell you something.
If you don't trust me, trust God.
This book is the word of God.
And the words of the Lord are pure words.
Tried seven times in a furnace of earth. Tells us that in the Psalms.
There's a lot of words in this book.
Over three quarter million words in the Bible.
Every word of God is pure. You can trust God.
There once tonight. Let go and let God trust him. It's impossible for him to lie, and I'm thanking him over and over for a book like this in the world in which we live.
Solid foundation we can stand.
On the word of God.
And know that even though heaven and earth will pass away, God's word will not pass away. That's what the Lord Jesus said. My word shall not pass away. There was a man by the name of old terror hundreds of years ago. He was an infidel.
An atheist. At least that's what he claimed to be. And he said that in 100 years.
The Bible.
Would be nonexistent on the face of this planet Earth. That's what he said.
You know what Wikipedia says about the Bible today.
It's the best selling book in the world.
So much for Voltaire, so much for those.
That claim there is no God, the fool has said in his heart. There is no God.
This book is open tonight.
In this hall, and we thank God for it because it's the truth.
And we can stand on the Word of God with confidence, knowing that what we read here.
Is reliable, you can trust it.
So without strength, such was our condition.
Helpless.
Hopeless in ourselves.
It reminds me of a little boy.
His name is, uh, Jaylen Thorpe. Several years ago, state of Virginia.
He's only three years old. And Jay Lynn, He wandered away from his babysitter.
One Friday afternoon in December.
And it was dark.
And of course, when they realized that Jay Lynn was missing.
A search was launched. Hundreds of people came from all over Virginia, North Carolina to take part in search for this little boy.
And they searched.
And it got cold. It was December.
And they knew that the temperature could drop to about 17°F.
They searched, they couldn't find them.
They had to give up the search until Saturday.
On Saturday, the search went full bore.
And sure enough, they found Jay Lynn. He was sitting up against a tree.
And here were two puppy dogs nestled up against him.
00:45:09
And when they came to Jay Lynn?
I understand he just put out his arms like this.
He didn't say anything, he just put out his arms.
I want to be rescued.
And so he was.
And he was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
And it turns out that everything is OK with Jalen.
But those two puppy dogs followed him.
And of course the Lord was in it all, but I believe those two little dogs.
Helped to keep Jay Lynn warmed at night.
And.
I just thought, you know, Jay Lynn, he was without strength. He was helpless. He needed somebody to find him. And such is our condition as sinners, dear ones, we're helpless.
What can we do? We're lost.
It tells us in Isaiah.
All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way.
You're so emphatic and yet first it speaks to my heart. The little word all.
Takes in the largest company. It's just a little 3 letter word, but there's another 2 words everyone in the same verse.
Everyone.
All we, like sheep, have gone astray. You know what? Sheep, if lost, cannot find its way back. It needs to be found.
Well, I believe that the shepherd.
The Good Shepherd.
Is here to seek and to save that which was lost.
It tells us that the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke chapter 15. We have the shepherd.
Seeking.
And not content until he finds the sheep that is lost.
And I believe that search involved hardship on the part of the Shepherd.
And I believe typically it would speak of the fact that the Lord Jesus came all the way.
From glory, from the palace of His glory, as we often sing.
Down to Calvary's depth of wall.
It cost him his life in order to find a sheep that was lost.
That's why he's the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
The thief, the robber, the hireling.
Thinks more of himself than he does of the sheep.
In fact, the thief and the robber find profit in killing the sheep. That's what it tells us in John chapter 10.
But the Lord Jesus, on the other hand, has come that we might have life.
And that we might have it abundantly. He's the Good Shepherd.
In love, he searches for the sheep. Now I look around this gymnasium tonight.
And I believe that most, if not all, have been found. But we don't know. We do not know. The question is, do you want to be found?
Or do you want to continue on in your sin?
And your rebellion against God.
The Savior is seeking.
Jalen, he put out his arms like this.
He wanted to be found. He did not resist.
How is it with you here tonight?
You cannot save yourself, but Jesus wants to save your soul. He wants to cleanse your heart. He wants to make you whole. He has the very best in mind for you.
And He isn't all the way home. Savior, you'll never disappoint you, but you want to continue on in your sin. You want to continue on in the darkness. You're on the road to hell. You're solemn to think that those who reject Christ are going to be judged before the great white throne. The books are going to be open. And it tells us that the dead small and great.
00:50:27
Were judged out of the books according to their works, and those that were not found written in the Book of Life were cast.
Into the lake of fire. You know, I tremble here tonight to think that perhaps in this room there would be somebody who at the present time is sitting on a seat.
Who will be standing in that day before the judge?
Heaven and earth having fled away.
No savior, no salvation.
And to be cast into the Lake of Fire.
God is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But how many there are tonight? They love their sins.
They love the darkness.
That's what the Lord Jesus said in John chapter three. He said men love.
Darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.
But he also said if you die in your sins.
You believe not that I am he die in your sins.
No second chance.
Another.
Personal experience.
We had a squirrel.
And it was wreaking havoc underneath the porch.
So we thought, well, we'll set a trap.
And we had been given a nice fox trap actually used to catch rabbits out in the woods.
So we set this up thinking to catch the squirrel.
And next day I checked the trap, both doors are shut.
I hear, hear, hear, hear the sound. I know. I don't think the squirrel would be in there because, you know, squirrels, they get trapped. They don't just sit in one place. They're trying to get out, but there's not a sound.
So.
Carefully lifted the door of the trap on the one end. I look in. I saw two beady eyes.
Now what we got here I couldn't see too well, so I take it out in the light.
And you know what it was? It was a skunk.
He was in that trap.
So we thought the best thing we can do is to release this skunk some miles away.
We lower the amount of trailer, hook the trailer on the vehicle and took off.
But what I wanna tell you is this.
We get the trap.
Off the trailer.
And we opened the door and tried to shake the skunk out. Well, he slid down.
But instead of leaving, he went back up into the trap.
And you know, we had a very difficult time to get that creature.
Out of the trap. But it didn't occur to me. A skunk is a nocturnal being and a skunk likes darkness, and that's why you want to stay in the trap. Well, that just reminded me of how people today, they love darkness.
They're trapped in their sins, but they like it. But I want to tell you something. There is pleasure in sin, but it's only for a season. It's for a very short time. And then what?
But when we come to Christ, we find out that there are pleasures for evermore to be found in Christ. He satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with goodness. And it tells us here in verse 9 much more than being now justified by His blood. See on the cross during those dark hours, the Lord Jesus.
00:55:08
Was willing to take the punishment for your sin and mine if you trust him. I believe he answered to God for each and every sin that you and I we have committed and as we focus on that time.
We come to realize how awful sin must be that God would be willing to judge to punish his own dear Son, the one who could say, I do always those things that please the Father.
We find it. God punishes His Son, wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. Now after the three hours, the Lord Jesus could say it is finished. He had exhausted the judgment of God that I deserved in hell for eternity during the three hours.
And then he expired. He laid down his life.
And a soldier with a spear.
Pierced his sight.
You can read all about it, it's in the gospels 4 accounts.
And forthwith or immediately came their out blood.
And water. And you know, it's the blood of Christ that cleanses.
From all sin.
It tells us here we are justified or declared righteous.
By His blood. Or we could say it this way, just as if I never sinned. That's the effectiveness of the blood of Christ. To cleanse us, to wash us whiter than snow. We shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Well, you know the wrath of God.
Is that which is Holy Wrath.
And I'm thankful to know.
That I'm not gonna taste of that wrath, and neither are you if you trust the Lord Jesus. But if you reject him, you will taste.
Experience the wrath of God. In fact it tells us in John chapter 3 verse 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.
And he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God.
Abides on him.
I believe that God resents.
Any who reject his beloved son, I trust here tonight, there's nobody in that category.
It tells us here.
For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
And what? Jesus rose again the third day, and now he lives for you and for me. Isn't that wonderful?
He intercedes on our behalf. He has our interests at heart. He has His eye on you and me. Even if our eye is not on Him, He's thinking about us. He wants the very best for us. He's a wonderful Savior, and salvation is that which will be complete at His return. Not only so, but we also joy in God.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received.
The atonement or reconciliation. In other words, we've been reconciled, brought into harmony with God.
When once we were enemies.
We were not on the same page, not on the same bookshelf, totally.
Foreign but reconciled.
God, through the death of his Son has reconciled, brought us into harmony with himself. It's beautiful. And now we can joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Well, that's.
What I had to say tonight. Is there one here in their sins? Now is your opportunity to accept Christ.
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. We're going to pray, and as we pray, you can ask the Lord Jesus to save you. He's waiting.
01:00:00
To rescue you, he wants to save you.
He'll do it tonight.
And you can leave the hall rejoicing.
In God and the Joy.
It goes on and on and on, and the greatest joy is in the heart of God Himself. That's what it tells us.
There's joy in the presence of the angels of God, or one Sinner that repents.
The Father.
He says.
Let us be merry.
Why? Because my son, he was dead. But now he's alive. He was lost, but now he's found.
And they began to be married.
And we never read.
That that merriment was terminated because I don't believe it was.
It's wonderful to be a Christian.
Come to Christ, trust Him, He'll forgive your sins, save your soul, cleanse your heart, make you whole. Let's pray. Father, we thank you tonight for the wonderful message of the Gospel.
A message that has come down from heaven to cheer our hearts.
And we do rejoice in the exceeding riches of thy grace and Thy kindness to us. We thank you for that which thy love has supplied a fallen free salvation.
A relationship that we might enjoy.
The our God as our Father.
And become members of thy body. To the church we thank you, Lord Jesus.
For thy love, thee going to the cross, thy willingness to suffer the jest for the unjust to bring us to God. And if there is one here tonight who is still without Christ in their sins, we pray that they might not get off their chair tonight until they have called on thee for salvation, that the lost might be found.
And we thank Thee that soured and all the way home, Shepherd. And so we asked thy blessing on thy word here, wherever it's being sounded out this night.
We ask all and give thanks and precious worthy name, Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Peculiar People Fitted to Do God's Good Work
Children—David So
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Well, good morning.
We still have people coming in. Uh, I, I'm gonna do a little bit of bribery because I don't see any children sitting in the front row. There's still lots of, lots of seats up here and I'm thinking.
For those who want to stand up to say the verses a little bit later, we have the 1St pick at some of these stuff. I don't know. We don't have these in Canada called Dum Dums I I kind of like the name. I don't know why they call that.
Any more younger one would like to set up here? I got another 5-6 seats up here.
You don't have to.
I will promise not to bite.
OK, why are you deciding? Let's begin by singing a hymn. Anyone would like to start off with a him?
OK.
Hymn #46 Oh, I like this. Hymn is short, but it helps us to spell, doesn't it? Hymn #46 at the back of our hymn sheet.
And yeast thyme to me. I'm still alive and forthcoming.
So I'm very interested in it.
And we call them because all the people are now and they want all to be a warrior to do.
Let's close our eyes. We'll ask the Lord Jesus for help before we start. Blessed God and our loving Father, we give thanks again this morning for Thy love toward us. We thank Thee for this little hour where we can have the privilege once more of telling forth the story of Thy love.
Telling for that Christ Jesus came into the world to save me, that he came to save sinners like me. This morning we look to thee. And we pray if there be any boys or girls here who are still lost, and we know too that many older ones, young people, adults, seniors who are listening in and perhaps some are still lost. We do pray that that work working their heart and conscience too. So we commit this meeting now into thine hand, giving thanks for the privilege.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Another Hem.
Oh, I'll let you think about which one. Can I pick one? Is it OK for someone like me? Pick one.
I like to pick one hymn #42 Now this one, some of you may have heard me use this before. I like to change this him a little bit. It's a short him. I like to sing it around twice. Because as we look around the room, it's not just little ones. We got medium sized ones, we got older ones. So as we sing this him, we'll sing it the way it is the first time around. The second time around we're gonna change couple of words. We're gonna sing a little child of.
70 I'm quite sure there's some here either close to that age or are at that age.
There's still a little child of God, aren't they? So we're going to sing a little child of 70 or even 34, you know, anyone that's 34. I think there are a few 34 here, so we'll just change those two the second time around. Would that be OK? All right, uh, let's go.
Go.
Umm, so I can't do it, Uh, period. All right, they don't have a blown up.
Umm.
00:05:21
I came out of that Lord.
Water and the heart really lived here on the dark.
And the slope of the region and different towns of ratings. And we were able to make it today and love them.
So how old do you have to be to receive the Lord Jesus?
How old?
Any age, is he right? Any age. I think you're right. What if somebody 70 year old is that old? By the way, is that old? You know, I use the thing 70 was old. I don't think that anymore. I think they're pretty young. So for for someone 70 years young, they took them 70 years to realize that Jesus died for him as well.
Or her? Is that too late?
But what if you're only three? Who's 3 here?
I guess the three-year old doesn't know enough to put the hand up right? Or four. Is that too young to be safe?
No. Well, wait a minute. Is it difficult to be saved?
No, I can't tell you a story. Some. I told someone this story last night and I thought it would be a nice story to tell, even to the children. Yeah, I I met a man one day, actually, I have to go see him for some repair work. And someone told me his name is Mohammed Ali.
So as I go see this man, I thought OK, I will be meeting this little Muslim man and when I got into his shop.
I noticed you got pictures of doves and they go I thought the only Christians use stuff to signify the Holy Spirit and I thought wow Muslims use that too.
And then I saw on his wall in his office, he had a little tax on there. He said, As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord. I go, wow. I know Muslims use the Bible sometimes to quote and often misquote. I said this man really have it. Well, after talking to him for a little bit, I find out he's a Christian. He has been redeemed by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We talked.
And then I asked him a very silly question. I said Muhammad.
How were you saved? Do you ever ask people that question? And Muhammad looked at me with a straight face and a simple answer. Is that by grace, Of course.
I felt kind of silly, but I thought, what a wonderful answer for by grace, are ye saved? Isn't it anything we can do?
No, it's, it's not off work. Why is that? Because if it's anything I can do, I'm gonna brag about it. If I have to walk around the block 95,000 times and see I did it, then it's my work, isn't it? So the word of God said it's not of works lest any man should boast. Oh, it is by grace you, whether you be three or whether you be 4, the grace of God.
Have saved you. Let's have another hymn.
Anyone else? If you have a chance to think about what him you would like to say, would you have one that you like? No.
Do I have to pick another one? Oh I missed someone OK since the one.
Hymn number six. Do you know what it is?
That is a lovely hymn. Hymn number six. Perhaps we'll sing the 1St and the last verse. Is that OK? OK, that's a long hymn. Hymn number six. Oh, it tells the story. Really. This is the Sunday school story. This is the gospel story. God. It all begins with God. God in mercy sent his Son to a world by sin undone. That's the gospel.
00:10:04
Isn't it that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, he was crucified just for me? I was a Sinner.
Jesus died.
God in birth, he said.
A ride was Christmas in my heart, but for today?
One of the time.
Of my prayer.
Why so much of my parents make the flowers her blood as well Granny and praying upon her blood.
Staying without crying in the morning of the phone.
Oh.
My God.
And they are staying.
Alone.
Nobody can fly. There must be a lot of.
How many have you learned that Sunday school verse?
That's nice. You know, I, I know this is difficult because for me, I was always afraid to stand up and say my verses. You know, I used to sit there and go, oh, oh, there is two more, Dennis. Then it's my turn. And I used to get very nervous. And then when I stand up, I can't say it. Anyone feel that feel like that? And some of the young people sitting in the back would probably go, you don't make me say those verses anymore, but I hope you still learn it.
And I know many of you learned it at home very well too. So if you don't feel like you want to stand up and say it, you can say it to your mom and dad and I have to take your word for it. And if you did learn it, see, we brought some Dum Dums.
Who would like to say the verse for me and get to be the first to choose?
No one.
OK. Do I see any? Did you put your hand up? No. OK.
You know it's bad. Sometimes people point fingers, right? And you can't tell which who's pointing your finger. OK, then let's let's read that verse together. Would that be good? I believe it's in Luke's gospel.
Matthew, Mark, Luke.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 15.
You see it's OK, a lot of the grown-ups don't know the verse neither see how they are turning to it so they can tell what it is. So we learned this together, Luke chapter 15 verse uh, verse 10. Let me read it through first. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over.
One Sinner.
That repent us.
OK, let's say it together. OK, ready. Likewise.
I say unto you.
There is joy in the presence of the angels of God.
Over one Sinner.
That repenteth. Wow.
There were joy and there were joy with the angels. Is that right? Is that what it said?
I don't think so.
Can Angel Joe Joyce? No.
00:15:00
I think the better translation set before the angels, so when a Sinner even.
11 Sinner repented. There is joy before the angels in heaven. Isn't that wonderful that God loves us? That even one little boy or one little girl or a 70 year old boy, Oh, there's joy in the presence of God.
In heaven, let's have. Oh, now I'm gonna need some volunteer because I don't know who really learned it or did it. What? I have a volunteer to help me pass this out to those who learn the verse. You again? OK, well, no one else seems to like to volunteer.
Must Is it your grandpa who put you up to this?
You helped me to find the boys or girls that deserve to get one and the way out. We have more. OK. You think they OK now while we're doing that, let's choose another him who has another him. They like to sync together with us. Maybe we'll ask the bigger boy, bigger girl in the middle road or the back row. Anyone else?
If you're 34 or 70, you qualify.
No.
OK, Tim.
Hymn #44.
Oh, here's another old favorite hymn about Gypsy boy hymn #44 into.
1000 please standing and he's no I didn't have her had solemnly.
Nobody ever told me to ignore.
He thought of me and I'm always alone for her and I'm giving me the sacrifice of your life being. I cannot ever reach my hand recognition. Oh no, find me a very much don't worry I'm so.
No body and brother has told me before.
I am sure that I have any plans here for any.
I can help me about again, the observation started to be increased before I go home the other night. You can stay on the chilled rain of and nobody has been a test, so can you please call me.
What is interesting, thank you for giving this him out because I, I have a thought, a couple of words to share with you this morning. They're big words. And I was just thinking about the gypsy boy, you know, do you think a Gypsy would stand out? If you were to see a Gypsy boy, would you think you'd say there's the Gypsy boy? I think so. Eh, there's something about gypsy. Now, that's not my thought today, but it's a word. A word I hope you remember. We're just gonna talk mainly of two words.
Because sometimes I've been accused of talking about too many things.
2 words. First word.
Peculiar.
Is that a big word? What does it mean by peculiar? I think the gypsy boy is kind of peculiar.
00:20:07
You know, we use that phrase often and some often. I find a lot of words we use often we don't really know what it means, so we can't explain it. So I looked it up in the dictionary. Sometimes it's good to do that, Huh. It's a peculiar.
Looks different. It's not normal.
I go OK, why does the word of God tells us that now it's interesting by the way, for some of the little bit older ones you search through Scripture to work peculiar is mentioned seven times, twice in Deuteronomy, twice in the New Testament. Interestingly, the book of the wilderness seen it took a peculiar but only.
I believe once, maybe twice, you use the phrase peculiar people.
It's not that interesting.
Some of us are well, I trust that most of us here are peculiar. Let me just read the verse first. Let's go to.
Titus.
Is that first Titus or second Titus?
No, there's only one book, right?
Book of Titus.
Titus, chapter 2.
I'm gonna read verses 13 and 14 together, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the grey God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself. And notice the word here. A peculiar people, zealous.
Of good works. Isn't that interesting? We have a blessed hope. We look forward to soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ. But then it reminds us here that we have been redeemed.
And we're going to be peculiar people unto himself. Now let me turn to one more verse. I believe it's in first Peter.
I, Peter. Chapter 2.
Oh I let's see, chapter 2.
Sorry I lost my thought there. Maybe someone can help me that in fir in Peter there.
That talk about Oh yes, first Peter chapter 2 verse nine. But you are a chosen generation.
A royal priesthood and holy nation.
A peculiar people, that you should show forth the praise or praises of him who have called you our darkness.
Into its marvelous light. Now some of you may have a Bible that have a little margin on it. And if you notice, margin has the word to replace this word peculiar in this, in this, uh, particular, uh, chapter. And if you look at it, let's say purchased, we have purchased people. I think Mr. Darby used the phrase possessed people possessed by our blessed God and our Father. So we are peculiar when someone is peculiar.
They stand out, don't they?
Mm-hmm. Oops.
If I were to do this.
And put this on coming into meeting. Do I look a bit peculiar?
But there's always a reason for doing things that are peculiar, doesn't it? And especially if I turn the light on, you know?
And start flashing. Is that peculiar?
Do I look different?
Just a minute now, may maybe I feel I still don't stand out enough. So you notice I wore something different. I had a jacket on this morning. You find this shirt is peculiar. My wife said to me. You have it inside out.
00:25:02
I go no, that's the way they do it but but.
It's kind of interesting too, because sometimes things people do things more peculiar for reasons. So if I were to put these candies away, notice I don't have any side pockets, so I have to reach to the back and I put it into my back pocket here. Why is that? You see, that's peculiar. And you say, well, maybe it's not peculiar enough. So I thought, well, if I come in.
And do this, you're really going to say, wow, that by the way, I kept my shorts off, so you're not going to really think I didn't want to embarrass. I think my wife and my children would be very embarrassed if I were to put that on as well. Then you go, wow, why?
Well, if it's so bad, why do people?
Dress differently.
There's a reason, isn't there? If I dress this way, what do you think I plan to do?
Uh, Mr. Doppler, no.
All right, a bicycle. Yeah. I need to be protected with my head. Now. By the way, it's interesting you think about the helmet. You know, this is a red flashing light on there. Now, we are told to be the light of this world, but sometimes we do this. Why do you think I chose a red light on there? Why?
Yeah, I'm saying look, I'm a light, back off.
I don't want you to come near me. I won't feel safe, especially if you're a car or down here in the United States, they drive big cars, they like the SUVs. And when you're on your bicycle, you put a light on, they say, back off, stay as far away from me as possible. So sometimes we say, well, we do what the word of God tells us, we're a light. But now we have the look again and think, well, what kind of light are we?
Are we turning our light on and say, oh, you need to back off? Or are we gonna be?
Because we're peculiar people, and we're gonna put a light on so bright that when you shine, even though our darkness, you'll go wow, we.
Interesting, isn't it? So we are peculiar, but when we are peculiar we do it for reason. Now I know Mr. Dabbler knows all this because he buy he used a bike a lot. And you do things for a reason. You stand out by the way they go bikers. If you know people bike a lot, they have certain characteristics, just like Christians. If we are light for the world, we have characteristics. Most cyclists and farmers can because they always wear the sweater or they.
White shirt and they don't have a full 10 like some of you who tend on the beach all the time and you can see they were short and you can tell the tan line is different and they always wear socks. So they never tan the foot, the feet on it, it stands out. They wear clothing that are what they call moisture weighting. So you can be all soaking wet, but it doesn't cling to your skin. So you said what a peculiar. Well, they do it for a reason. Well, why did we put a pocket in the back?
Well, we're peculiar because when someone rides a bike, well, you don't want something on your side, so you can ride your bike with something behind you. It's much easier, isn't it, that have something bouncing back and forth when you're rotating back and forth?
Peculiar, but peculiar for reason, because we have a different mission, and when.
When you have a different mission, you do think fact. I'll show you a couple more things I.
What it is?
What do you think these are?
Actually I have two of them.
I don't just wear one. What is it?
Sneakers. Looks like sneakers, eh? Well, you know, people that are peculiar, they work different kind of sneakers. He's laughing as he knows he probably have two or three pairs. And how many of you will go buy sneakers that don't bend? See this? It won't bend. It's not very good, is it? You want sneakers that flex it, don't you? Well, this one doesn't bent, and they pay extra for that.
But why? Uh, because for who? Why?
That's right. Wow, you must have some of these. I bet your grandpa spoiled your rotten.
00:30:06
Uh-huh. That's right, because the purpose is not walking. When you're cycling, you don't. In fact, if you ever watch a cyclist walk with these on, they look like they have flip flops on. They go clop, clop because they can't bend their feet when they walk. You know what else is different on this?
What's under the shoes here?
You put metal under your shoes.
Yeah, yeah. They call it SPD, am I right?
SPD.
Shimoni pedaling dynamics.
Well, see, it's interesting because when you want to be different, what you're hoping to be better. And for all people like me, for me to keep up with grandchildren, I need every bit of help possible. So these things.
Lock onto your pedals so you can slip and you can apply more force to it. Even force oh is better, so you're fitting yourselves for something better. But when someone else look at you and go, he is peculiar. In fact, I tell you something that even funnier. How many of you have fallen off your bicycle before?
Oh yeah, you believe, I tell you, I just recently I fell off my bike four times in a row.
Silly. Yeah, Now you see, when you wear these shoes, you lock yourself to the pedal when you stop. And if you forget to unlock this, you can't stick your foot out.
And I'll tell you, this is one of the most helpless, less feelings that all you can see is you're gonna fall, your feet are tied and you just fall over.
And people standing on the sidewalk will look at you and go, what's wrong with this guy?
And the bad thing is, until you learn it, it's like, that's what what slow learners. You get back on the bike, you ride a few blocks, you stop again and you go, uh oh.
That's how we learn, isn't it? But you know, when people learn to use this, they can ride the cycle faster, better, because you are sidetracked a little bit, because when you ride your bike, it's not efficient. You push down and you push down and you push down. With this, you push down while your other foot lifts. So you're doing your circular motion. You build your quad, you build your muscles all around. Well, what does that have to do with us in Sunday school?
This is not a cycling lesson. I'd like to turn to another verse.
First Timothy. No, I'm sorry. Second Timothy.
Second Timothy Oh, before we go to that. So do you remember the word we just learned? What was that big word we learned?
Anybody remember we forget already with the P word?
Peculiar that. Don't look around at your friends there, OK? I know you'll find someone that you think look peculiar because we all look peculiar. But not only peculiar, we are peculiar people because we're God's people. Now let's go to Second Timothy chapter 3.
And I know you know these verse.
These verses and I learned these verses when I was really young and I still every time I read it, I learned something new. I'll start with verse 15. You should look you could look at verse 15 too. It tells tell Timothy that how even when he was a child and by the way, that is why we should learn versus when we're younger right from a child you have learned the Holy Scripture but in verse 16 it tells us all scriptures is given by the.
Inspiration of God.
And is pro profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
It tells us what the Scripture is for, but then it says, why do we need it? That the man of God, How many boys and girls here would like to be the man of God?
That the man of God may be perfect.
Thoroughly furnished unto good works.
Does anybody have missed the Darby translation with them handy?
Can you read for me verse 17, Mr. Darby's translation?
00:35:09
That the man of God may be complete, fully fitted to every good work. Thank you. I was looking at just another word here.
The word is fitted.
It's interesting, we talked about those cyclists, they they fit themselves with various gears and accessories, things that they think would make them better. But here.
Is that that we would be now King James translation used the word perfect, but I like the other word complete. Isn't that interesting? But how can we be complete? Uh, we need to be fitted properly. You know, maybe for the ladies here, you think a fitting usually is closed, right? Especially a wedding coming up you go, I need to get fitted properly. But there are many things that we need to be fitted so that we can be complete.
So that won't be we can be become what?
The man of God.
Or the woman of God. We're the people of God. We need to learn to be complete so that we can do good works for Him. How do we get fitted properly? Do we go to a bike shop? No, and it tells us what do we have in our hands?
Some people say the Bible. I like the way it's written Scripture. It's the word of God. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God. This is from God to us. Do we value this? What can it do for you? It fits you properly so you can be complete. Look at what it does is that is profitable for doctrine.
OK, I said 2 words so not to worry about this word, but you, you learn that right?
The two word was. The first word was. What was that again?
Peculiar, that's right, peculiar people. Now the second word is fitted. We need to be fitted properly to, to, to be complete, to do the good works of God. And here it tells it. It's good for doctrines. Maybe the easy way to think of that. It's good for teaching. Yesterday Brother Tim reminded us the sound teaching. We need to know that we need to rightly divide the word of God. So it's good for teaching or doctrines.
And oh, it says for reprove. What is reprove?
But we prove. It's an interesting word. We prove really means to correct someone if someone says something not properly. Now, there's a difference with reprove and rebuke. If I'm gonna rebuke you, I'm gonna lay it in and scream at you and yell at you in telling how wrong you are. If you look it up in the dictionary definition that we prove is correction. Gently.
We have to correct someone for teaching so they'll learn.
Not to scold them, to tell them how wrong they are. And now not just for the children. I speak to the older ones too. How often do we fail? We said you said that wrong. We feel so good that I'm right and you're wrong. We let them have it. That's not reproved, brethren. So Word of God is good for reprove, for correction. We need to be corrected often, don't we? And for instruction and righteousness.
You see how we need to be fitted in all of these according and by the Word of God that we can learn the proper teaching, We can learn how to correct people properly, gently, nicely, so that they would learn more about the Word of God. And we learn instruction through righteousness so we can be complete as the man of God fitted what we have time for.
Why not maybe two more hems? Oh, before we say, what were the two words again?
Fill it and.
I can't think.
Peculiar. That's right. Is that what you're thinking of? Peculiar people.
00:40:01
All right, I'll give you a few seconds to take any hymns.
Hey, Tommy.
Are you pointing at which one?
40 hymn #40 OK, the five verses, but I think it's worth singing the all 5 verses here. You know, let me tell you a quick story on this. This hymn is so well known. We used to go and visit a place.
Corset in house and Peter Blair may remember that it's a place where when men who are what we call down and under, they have no more home and most of them are have some sort of addictions. In fact, they don't even want to live. All they want is to get high and it's a place where they can they can stay short term and short term for some could be years. And we used to go down and preach the gospel and we were saying we will ask this man what him and this him Jesus.
Loves me.
Always turn out to be a favorite and when you talk to these men, they could be down and out, but they remember them when they when they were younger, they learn this hymn Jesus loves me. And they still bring comfort to many souls. So as we sing this hymn, we'll think about how many in this world know the gospel of God's grace by simply singing this hymn Jesus loves you.
405-1000 games from 11:01 to 10:00 minutes long. And how I could be trying to give you a strong Yeah, give me a lot of things. Yeah, I have to give you my son's name. You can't give me twice one day.
And I'll buy one of the grounds around me so.
859-8298 Nevermind.
Have a nice day.
You stay safe from every hour. Yeah. Let's see if I'm surprised today. Yeah.
Love me.
Yeah, it's like like too many blah, blah, blah blah.
Hold on one second, I'll share with you something real quick. With a lot in a large room like this, we got a little problem. See, when you're standing in the Meadow, you hear things differently. Even though I forgot my hearing today, I can still hear part of it. And some of you are going to school to learn that the speed of sound only go at about 6-7 hundred miles an hour. Well, for sound to travel from the very backroom to the other side actually take fraction of a second. And often we wait for.
The other side to hear what they sing and try to match it and then if you really listen to it, we're singing at 2-3 different.
Speed, it doesn't sound very harmonious, so try not to, OK, listen a little bit and you can see because we tend to slow down more and more and you have two, three or and the larger the crowd, the more difficult it is. So let's see if we can try to listen. But yet knowing that by the time I heard what they saying is already half a second behind, we may have to speed it up a bit. Let's see what we can do a better job this time with the two verses remaining ready.
Jesus.
00:45:15
Nsnoise.
Does that sound any different? Nicer.
No, that the other peculiar things about us, isn't it? We don't seem to think very well sometimes we can. So remember we as we deem one, we are redeemed. We are peculiar people. Yes, the world is going to see you differently. Do you want to blend in just like the rest of the world, so they don't notice the different? You could. But what does the word of God remind us? We are peculiar, we are His.
And we have the privilege of being a light for him. We have the privilege to present the gospel of God's grace. And I'll share one more thing with you. We are told to preach the gospel speaking especially not our young people. You will find never in the word of God said you're responsible for any result. Isn't it nice that we can do the job and not worry the result so we can preach. So let's close in prayer.
Blessed God and our loving Father, we give thanks once again this morning. We thank Thee that we are peculiar people unto Thee. And now we look to thee and we commit this day into thine hand. We think of many children here. Would you pray that thou will continue to help them, teach them? And surely we are all children before Thee. So we think of how another hymn writer will pen those words. All teach us more of thy blessed ways. And if thou still tarry in a short moment.
We thank Thee that we shall have the privilege of remembering our blessed Lord Jesus in his death for us. So we look to thee now. We commit this day into thine hand, giving the our thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in.
Discipleship
Address—John Kemp
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.
So we open our meeting by singing number 187.
Oh, Jesus.
Gracious Savior upon the Father's throne, His wondrous love and favor.
As have made our cause thine own number 187.
Hello, hello, Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello, hi.
Nsnoise.
Brilliant.
Shall we pray? Our God and our Father, we thank Thee. The words of this hymn remind us of that blessed One, Thy beloved Son, who walked this weary.
World.
In wondrous love and grace.
In every step of his pathway, and we are in that same path today.
And we, uh, thank thee for the provision that thou hast made for us. Our living on high is our great High Priest and our Advocate. And as he opened thy word for a few moments this afternoon.
We pray that we may glean something that would encourage us young.
Or older, in the pathway of faith and faithfulness.
We're not yet in the glory.
Thou hast seen fit to leave us here a little while.
00:05:02
Well, on the threshold of thy return, that we might be useful to thee.
While we, uh, await by return. So we do ask by help, uh, this afternoon.
Acknowledging our dependence upon thee, our weakness, our inadequacy.
But thou art faithful, so help us and guide us and bless.
The portions of Thy word that we will take up this afternoon to each heart and the speaker included. We thank Thee, Lord Jesus, for Thy finished work and ask it all in Thy blessed and worthy name, Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Well.
I have on my heart to speak, uh, for a few moments this afternoon on the subject that is not popular.
It's a subject that I don't think we like to hear too often.
But the Lord referred to it many times, so it must be important.
We have some young people here.
Umm. Maybe a rather strange way to start the meeting, but uh.
I know boys and girls like to look at pictures. I see some boys and girls here.
And they're always interested in sports, right?
Well, I've got a picture here of a man.
And if you can see it, I don't know if you can from where you are sitting.
On the top is a man with a Bible in his hand.
And on the bottom.
Is a man with a football helmet and a football in his hands?
It's the same MAT.
Uh, you say that doesn't seem to go together.
Well, I want to tell you a little of the background.
Why we see this man now whose name is Matthew Carapella?
He's still living if you go to London ON.
You may meet him on the street.
And he'll be doing what you can see here.
Is that easy to do?
No, I have done it.
It takes courage, Which?
The Lord gives us, but uh.
So a little background of Matthew.
He had a silver spoon in his mouth, we say. You know what that means, that he has everything going for him.
He was an All Star football player with the Western University Mustangs. He was chalking up records all the time. He was traveling around the world with his team. He lived in a penthouse apartment. That means the very expensive ones at the top of the buildings, you know.
Yeah, travel parties all the time. Women, but.
There was something wrong.
Uh, also he worked for his father who had the Tricard tricar, umm.
Construction company in London, ON. We're talking about London, ON.
It was one of the best.
Thank you, Sir.
It was one of the best in construction companies. You know, it was right at the top there. Well, I suppose Matthew was the heir.
He worked with his father.
He must have been the, uh, the heir of the company. But you know, there came a time in his life when he was about 28 years of age.
And he saw.
That all of this was empty and it didn't satisfy him at all.
00:10:00
He was at the top of the social ladder.
Money was no object whatever, yet lots of it. But you know, he felt an emptiness in his soul. There's something wrong. All of these things that I am spending my time and and energy on do not satisfy me. What what is wrong?
And I don't know exactly how he heard the gospel, but he said one day the Lord Jesus came into my heart so powerfully, but I couldn't resist it. He made himself real to me and.
You know, he was a type of, uh, a boy when not exactly a boy, young man, but put his whole soul into everything. He put all he had into it. But now the Lord.
Uh had saved him from this way of life that he had, uh, enjoyed for a number of years. Here he is here, and he started on the path of discipleship.
And if you go to London, you very likely see them on the street. First of all, he started to preach in the alley, speaking to people individually. But then.
He read those verses that you can't be a disciple of the Lord unless you forsake everything.
It's a little extreme, but he says to his father. Father, I'm, I'm called to to leave the company.
And preach the gospel. Well, his father didn't know what to say. Yeah, he loved his father and he respected his father. But it was the call of God. He must leave and go out with the gospel. Not only speaking to people individually, but preaching on the street corner takes courage. That's what's Matthew Carapella is doing. No longer lives in the penthouse.
Lives in A1 room apartment in a basement.
It cost him something to follow Christ. So young people and all of us, I just want to make a few remarks on discipleship this afternoon.
And.
We all, I think most of us who are in the meeting here are believers. So I'm basically speaking to those who belong to the Lord, but I'm not speaking about salvation. We had a good clear gospel last night. We're going to have another one tonight. But I'm Speaking of Sal, of the discipleship. Discipleship.
Want to make a few remarks and look at some scriptures. I want to read the scriptures because after all, that's the most important thing of all. You know, it reminds me, Matthew Carapella reminds me of another man in the scriptures. You are well acquainted with him, Solomon. Everything that heart could wish silver and gold was like the sand on the sea on the streets. He had wisdom, he had health.
He had.
Knowledge. He had, umm, every benefit that you could think of.
He was a young man in his 30s.
And he was heir to the throne, he was the king in Jerusalem, and he tried everything.
You say I couldn't do that because I don't have the resources to travel around the world and see everything, But Solomon had the resources. There was no problem.
He had everything that heart could whiff. He didn't go to the extreme in anything, but he just enjoyed everything. And he came to the same conclusion as Matthew did, all his vanity and vexation of spirit. There's no profit under the sun.
That was Solomon.
Uh, so you can read of that in the book of Ecclesiastes when I turn to, uh, verse in Matthew, uh, 11.
00:15:00
Matthew 11.
It's a well known verse.
Come on to me, I'll either labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls. Well, this is the first call of the Lord to those who are still without Christ, burdened with sin.
Unhappy, dissatisfied, perhaps most of us in the room have come to Christ, and we found rest of conscience, peace of heart through the work of Calvary. That's the first call. But I'm not Speaking of that call to this afternoon. I'm Speaking of another call. We turn over to the 16th of the Matthew.
And the 20.
Fourth Verse. Then said Jesus unto his disciples.
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life.
For my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Here is another call, not a call to come to the Lord. Perhaps we've all responded to that call. This call is to come after the Lord.
You know, there were multitudes that followed the Lord in his ministry.
And you know that many of them were called disciples. They were disciples outwardly, but not really true disciples. Indeed, if you turn to John 6 because a disciple is a professed follower of Christ.
It doesn't mean that every person called a disciple.
Is a true one, and the Lord mentions that clearly in chapter 6.
Umm, we're 66. I won't read the preceding verses here, but, uh, the Lord was Speaking of, uh, what the flesh really was.
And he said the flesh profiteth nothing.
Umm, the words that I speak unto you are spirit in life. The flesh profiteth nothing.
But many of His disciples did not like that language. In other words, there's nothing good in man. Whatever the Lord said that verse 63, it is the spirit that quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.
What happened here? Verse 66? From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. They didn't like that, that language, that truth.
It didn't appeal to them.
But they were disciples, they were professed followers of Christ, and they turned back.
And they, I don't believe they were genuine or they would have gone on. Then we have the beautiful confession of Peter, of course.
Will he also go away? The Lord said. Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe in our shore. What a beautiful confession Peter made. He was a true disciple.
So we come back to Matthew 2016, verse 24.
The Lord said if any man will come after me, ah, that's, uh, that's different than coming to the Lord.
This brings in the thought of discipleship.
And this is a test.
For everyone, discipleship is not just for the quotation marks Laboring brethren.
It's not just for the brothers that go out and preach the gospel. Wonderful work that is. It's a voluntary decision. It's an individual matter.
00:20:14
And it's for everyone, not just for certain brothers or sisters. All are called to be disciples of the Lord. Everyone in this room who belongs to Christ is called to be a disciple.
You want to have a happy ending in your life. Be a disciple for Christ.
Not all Christians have a happy ending. Many start out well, but they're not like the apostle Paul who said, umm, I have finished my course with joy. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. He fought the fight and he finished his course. Didn't say he finished the work. The Lord finished the work, but Paul.
Was a wonderful example of a disciple.
Now in the path of discipleship.
There is going to be sacrifice.
That's what I said at the beginning of my talk. This is not a popular subject.
We none of us like sacrifice. Remember Mr. Hale used to say years ago. The flesh not only loves an evil path, but it loves an easy path that's natural to all of us.
And so I'm not Speaking of those.
Immoral line, immoral manner of life that we see all around us today. I'm not Speaking of those things. I hope that we have all forsaken that that character of things which is so prevalent today.
From the time that I went to high school and our brother, our brother Wally here and some of us, there's been a marked deterioration in the moral atmosphere of the of the world. That is quite evident. Things are going on now that we never heard in high school, but this is the world without Christ. And what standard do they have if they give up the word of God?
They're just like a ship without a rudder. They're open to any deception.
All right, it's a voluntary thing.
And it means that there has to be surrender in our lives.
You know, I sometimes think of the Olympic trainer. Some of you young people are interested in these Olympics. I think there's one coming up in Brazil there in a year or so. They're preparing for it.
But you know, an Olympic runner or whatever sports, uh, speciality he has, he devotes all his time and effort.
To, uh, preparing for that contest.
He deprives himself of rich foods and partying and late nights and all the what you all these other things that, uh, young people enjoy today. He says no, I that'll take the edge off my performance. I want to come first. So he.
He puts all his energies into.
Preparation for the race.
He does it for fleeting glory. He does it for a corruptible crown. He may win the race, but what is that in view of eternity?
The apostle Paul often.
Likens the path of discipleship to an athlete.
And he mentions that in First Corinthians. First Corinthians 9.
Maybe we should just read that verse.
Uh, along the line that we are speaking here.
24 Know ye not the day which run In a race run all but one receiveth the prize, So run that you may obtain. And every man that striveth for the masteries is tempered in all things.
00:25:02
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, But we an incorruptible I therefore so run not as uncertainly, so fight I not as one that beateth the air.
But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. Well, do we want our lives to?
Account for the glory of the Lord Jesus, to be something beautiful for him, to have the Lord's approval in our lives. Or do we want to live to please ourselves? That's quite possible.
I don't say that we go into sinful things, but we do not deny ourselves. That came out in the chapter that we're reading here. Let him deny himself. Verse 24, Take up his cross and follow me. Is that easy? Is that a popular path? No, it's not a popular path if you think that you can associate with all your worldly friends at school.
And go along with their parties and their entertainments and so on and, and walk the path of discipleship. That's not possible. You're going to have to compromise the truth somewhere, somewhere. It's not a popular path to follow Christ, but it's a happy path and it's voluntary. God isn't going to use a.
Common expressions force you into the path of discipleship. It's your choice. You don't want to follow that path.
All right, you can, uh, just go on with the world. You can be just like Dimas. Dimas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed to where I forget Galatia. Wherever it was Dimas was with the Apostle Paul, he was a fellow laborer with him. Imagine having the privilege of working with the Apostle Paul.
He did.
And I think he was even a fellow prisoner. I'd have to check on that anyway. He was a fellow laborer, but he no longer wanted to be identified with Paul. He said no.
Where he went, I don't know. The present evil world attracted him, and he separated from the apostle Paul. We never hear that he was restored. In the life of Locke. We never hear that he was restored. He lifted up his eyes, but not any farther than the horizons of this world. And he saw the fields of of Canaan there, just like the Garden of Eden. He said, that's where I want.
I want to.
Present advantage. I want worldly prosperity. And he got it. But all at what a cost he drifted.
From his uncle Abraham he drifted farther and farther away until he finally ended up in that wicked city Sodom that God was going to destroy because of their their evil. And there he was, a judge in the city. No restoration in the life of Lot. Save soul. Lost life. Is that the kind of an end that you want in your life?
Is that for the glory of the Lord? We're going to see Lot in heaven, without a doubt.
But I'm afraid most of his works will be burned up. So, brethren and young people, with life before you.
Uh, remember, there's going to be a cost to discipleship, but God wants to make something beautiful out of your life If you're willing to surrender it to him, if you're willing to allow him to take over the control. This is a sort of a.
Umm, umm, threadbare illustration. But uh, years ago in Germany there was a beautiful cathedral and, uh, it was a magnificent organ in that cathedral.
And one day a man entered there and he spoke to the caretaker and said, Sir, would you let me?
00:30:10
Use this organ for a little while. Oh no, no, I'm not allowed to let anyone touch that organ. Who are you?
Well, he pleaded very gently and persuadingly. Just let me try it. And he sat down at that console and the music that poured forth from that organ.
Filled that cathedral flowed out into the streets. People were spellbound as they heard it. Tears flowed down the face of that caretaker.
And he went over to him and he said, Sir, who are you, Mendelssohn?
And I I forbid to let you use that organ, the greatest composer of Europe.
God wants to make something beautiful out of your life. He wants you to be fruitful in His service and to have a life that will count for eternity.
So that when the Lord looks at your life at the judgment seat of Christ, that will take place shortly after we are raptured to heaven, the judgment seat of Christ. We won't go into the detail of that now. That is a place where only believers are going to be present. Of course, in the broad aspect, the judgment seat of Christ takes in the great white throne, but the judgment seat of Christ for believers is a review of your life.
Reviewing.
Uh, rewarding rejoicing.
But will there be something in your life and mind that can meet the Lord's approval in that day? Well, coming back to discipleship, I want to read a few verses here in Luke's Gospel.
Luke, chapter 14.
Because there's certain terms and conditions which distinguish a true disciple, and the Lord often spoke of that. You know the verse that we have read here in Matthew 16. Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it. Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake. In Mark's Gospel it says, and the Gospels the same shall save it.
The Lord quotes that verse six times in the Gospels. 6 * A little different in each case, but basically the same verse. What does it mean? That verse was given in the Ottawa newspaper years ago where they had some religious column and they asked questions. What is the meaning of this verse? This was one of the verses. No one could explain what it meant. No one had an answer for it.
In the newspaper.
But God is an answer for it.
It just means.
That if we're going to save our lives down here and live for the present and put the Lord in the background.
There's going to be loss for eternity.
We may be looked upon as foolish to give up the world. Now certainly Moses, he had every earthly prospect possible. He was the son of Pharaoh's daughter, who had no children. So I suppose he was heir to the throne of Egypt, the greatest nation at that time on the earth. He could have rose to the very height.
He gave it all up. He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.
And he identified with those brick making slaves that were captives and being whipped by Pharaoh's taskmasters. But looking on to eternity that decision that he made.
Yield it marvelous results. He's enjoying the results of that decision right now. He appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration with the Lord there. That's the recompense of the reward.
Luke, chapter 14.
I'm gonna read, uh, the whole passage and just make a few short comments as time is going here.
00:35:05
Verse 25.
And there went great multitudes with him, and he turned and said unto them, If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife, and children, and brethren and sisters, yeah, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you intending to build a tower sitteth not down first encounters?
Just the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it less happily, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold him begin to mock him, saying this man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king going to make war against another King Sitteth knocked down 1St and consulted whether he be able with 10,000 to meet him that cometh against him with 20,000 or else while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassador and desirous conditions of peace.
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsake us, not all that He hath, He cannot be my disciple. That's pretty strong words, isn't it? That's pretty strong language the Lord used here. But it's the word of the Lord, and it caused a separation, first of all.
We don't hate our loved ones. That's not the thought. We're told to love one another. And but the point is in the first condition or the first term. And you know, God sets the terms of discipleship, not you and me. He sets the terms of discipleship. Are we gonna surrender to what he says or do we have our own ideas about things? Well, one of the terms here, if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children.
And brethren, what does that mean? It means that the Lord must have the first place in everything in our lives.
We must give way to His claims in everything, everything concerning our lives. You know, it's not just gathered to the Lord's name on Lord's Day morning. You are at the Lord's table, as we said yesterday, 24/7. You are there all the time. You're in the House of God all the time. So the first condition here is Christ must be first in everything.
The Lord uses the word hate just to compare. You know He uses a strong word.
But everything else we are.
A disdain or a.
Re refuse, in comparison to Christ, every other pursuit of our own lives where we want to, we have an ambition, we have a an object.
Before us, it may not be anything immoral, but we know that it is taking away the things of the Lord from us. Our time lost one gold an hour between sunrise and sunset. Set with 60 diamond minutes. No reward offered. Can never be found time. You know, I was reading Bruce Anstey lately.
He speaks of redemption in about three ways.
Redemption of our souls. We know that we had that last night at a ransom cost delivered from the enemy. Redemption of our time is another aspect that he mentions in his book, It Struck Me. Redemption of our time, That's Ephesians 5. Redeeming the time because the days are evil. I think we all have to hang our heads and say we've wasted time.
I certainly can.
This particular attraction may be harmless, but is it?
Drawing me closer to the Lord's things.
Is it for eternal profit? You can get it involved in some of these hobbies or whatever. It'll take your time and energy for hours and hours. You don't get into the word of God, you young people who have keen minds.
00:40:06
Get into the scriptures and the wonderful commentaries that we have. You can take it in much better than when you get to my age because I, I have problems retaining never very bright at any time as far as that goes. But as you get older, you're less self, you just cannot retain is the same, the same as when you're younger. Use your time to get into the good ministry that is so, so, uh, richly, uh, available.
Anyway, the first condition here, Christ must have the first place in everything. Now second, let's see, uh, verse 27 of the 14th chapter. Whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. All right, This brings before us Christ in rejection.
The cross of Christ.
Is not exactly the atoning sufferings of the Lord, it's the thought, the shame side of the death of Christ.
Blood of Christ puts our sins away, the death of Christ puts you away, but the cross of Christ separates you from the world. So right here the Lord says it's not bearing the Lord's cross, only he could do that. But there is a cross to bear. And it's in this, in this sense that you are identified with the Lord in rejection. What did the world give to Christ?
They gave him a cross and a grave.
And.
It's the same world in which we live that crucified. The Lord of glory hasn't changed in its character.
And we are still left here to be a testimony in this Dark World. Christ is the light of the world no longer. They put him out. You and I are the light of the world now. You and I are called to be an ambassador for Christ. But you cannot connect yourself with worldly people and all of that sort of thing and follow the path of discipleship. There's got to be separation.
You know, uh, I think sometimes of, uh, Mary in the garden there when she met the Lord after his resurrection, she took him to be the gardener. Remember, she took him to be the gardener. And there's some of us, maybe young people, they think, well, now that I've accepted Christ, all the difficulties are over. I won't have any more problems in life. The Lord is just going to make everything like a beautiful garden, like a bed of roses.
That does not happen. You're going to have the same, probably more difficulties if you're faithful to Christ than you had before. But let's remember one thing very important. Grace and discipleship always go together. The Lord will give you that grace.
To stand firm for him.
And to share the rejection of Christ.
It's not popular. It's going to cost you something. We this morning gathered around.
A rejected Christ, not a glorified one, and we're still in the world that has no place for the Son of God.
They just shut him out. It's Cain's world. We don't want him. You're going to just you're. You will discover this every day of your life if you're faithful. But remember, the Lord has left you here to be an ambassador for Christ.
You know that my dear wife is from Brazil. She's not here right now, but.
We have an ambassador to Brazil in Canada, in Ottawa, where I live. I know where he lives. And one day we were invited to meet the ambassador of Brazil. This is a the Independence Day of Brazil, which is September the eighth. I think all the Brazilians in Ottawa were invited to go to a social affair and.
Sort of a uh.
Buffet, where we were able to circulate and hear the Brazilian ants of and so on, was rather an interesting occasion. We were able to give out Portuguese calendars to most of the people, including the ambassador.
But it was an honorable position. We spoke with him and his wife, uh.
00:45:02
He doesn't belong to Canada. He belongs to Brazil. In Brasilia, where I was there at the beginning of May, he belongs. That's where he his office is in the capital of Brazil. He's a stranger in Canada. And if he gets involved in the politics, he'll be recalled to Brasilia because he has no part. He's just representing Brazil in Canada. You and I are representing the Lord in this world.
What a privilege it is, but it's going to be, it's going to cost you something because there's going to be rejection connected with it. It's going to be rejection. All those that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Think of the Apostle Paul.
He was left for dead outside of Lystra.
He was beaten with rods five times.
What God has called us.
To, uh, share the rejection of the Lord the third, the third term we time is going here. I want to read umm.
Verse 28 For which of you intending to build a tower?
Sit is not down 1St and counters the cost whether he has sufficient to finish it less happily, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him, saying this man began to build and was not able to finish. Well, that's a simple story that the Lord gave here. Everyone would understand that if you go down to the West Indies, where sometimes I have the privilege of visiting with the gospel.
You'll see a lot of buildings that are unfinished. The same in Nigeria. People start them off and they don't have enough money and they leave them half finished. The upper stories are just shells.
But it's rather a disgrace. But the Lord likens it to a man that starts to build the tower. You know, you laid the foundation when you were saved young people, and you're building the tower in your life now. And it's not finished yet because you're still here. The Lord hasn't come. It won't be finished until the Lord comes or we are taken in death. But.
You know, it's a life, a lifelong commitment. It's not like a Sprint, a hundred 100 yard dash. It's a life long commitment.
To go the whole way with the Lord and.
It's our personal testimony.
But you know, this man didn't count the cost. He didn't count the cost when he sat down to build the tower. He didn't realize what he needed. And the Lord speaks about counting the cost here. You know, if we had time, you could read Luke Chapter 9, where various individuals are brought before us unnamed. You know the passage. One man said, I will follow thee, Lord, whithersoever thou goest.
It was an impulse.
He admired the Lord's teachings. I'm going to follow you.
The Lord said foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. We don't hear anything more of that man. He wasn't ready to submit to those terms or conditions.
Another man said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go and bid farewell to my family.
We don't hear anything more of him. The Lord said, no man that has put his hand to the plow and uh, turns back is fit for the Kingdom of God doesn't mean that he's not fit for heaven. That's not the subject there. Fit for the Kingdom of God is Speaking of service. That person may have been a believer, but he didn't want to enter the path of service for the Lord. You know, the Lord said to everyone of us, occupy till I come. The Lord has given you a work to do.
Well, this man didn't take a sober consideration of the difficulties that we're ahead. And I'm not not going to promise you young people an easy path if you're faithful to the Lord. A happy path, yes, but it won't be an easy path. It'll be difficulties.
00:50:03
Wonderful to be together. We get a real uplift and encouragement. That's the way the Lord would have it at a conference. But we're going back to the same situations that we left, the same difficulties, the same world that we departed from, the same problems in the assembly. Maybe there's great weakness there. Are we going to give up and.
And.
Lose our interest in those things, you know, Really, it reflects upon the Lord. I've known of some that started off bright, but they capitulated. They drifted from the Lord's things.
And the world looks on and it's just a uh.
Just the cause of the reproach to the name of Christ.
Because they took a stand, and now they've drifted back again and built again the things that once they destroyed. It's dishonouring to the Lord, and a reproach upon his name. Now another condition here verse 31. What king going to make war against another king sitteth not down 1St and consulteth whether he be able with 10,000 to meet him that cometh.
Against Him with 20,000 or else, while the other is yet a great way off, He sends us an ambassador and desirous conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever He be of you that forsake us not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Well, this brings before us having a true estimate of the enemy's power. You know we have a a very strong enemy against us. Every power of hell is arrayed against the person who wants to be a disciple for Christ, against anyone who wants to be loyal to the Lord. Satan will be after you.
As sure as anything in some way.
Maybe turn you away from the assembly where you are gathered to the Lord's name. He hates that truth of the one body and being gathered in separation. He hates that truth and or gets you involved in the division or get you into the world. You'll be like Utica's who fell down. He was very privileged. He was in a place where there was a lot of light. The apostle Paul was preaching. Imagine listening to the apostle Paul.
But Utica was careless. He got tired of that. Are you getting tired of the truth of God, of the assembly?
He fell down to the level of the world.
You would think he was dead. He would just like the world.
Of course he was restored. The Bre and the brethren brought him up, not the apostle Paul. Anyway, the point is, do we? Do we really?
Do we really understand?
Understand the powers that are against us. We are no match for Satan.
He is. There's 2 powers that are stronger than man. One is the power of God, the other is the power of Satan and he's very deceitful. He would plot your downfall in some way or other. You say how can I avoid it? Is it inevitable that I'm going to?
Drift from the Lord's things. It doesn't need to be that way, brethren, but what is the answer to that danger here? It is, in simple words, dependence upon the Lord.
If you walk independence upon the Lord.
Communion with him, obedience to his word. Don't compromise. That's what this man did here. He made peace with his enemy. Don't do that in the things of the Lord. You can't make peace with Satan. You can't have any compromise with him and.
In prayer and dependence upon the Lord is the way of victory in these situations.
00:55:01
Reading the Word of God, cultivating communion with the Lord. We don't have time to go into that, but I just want to, uh, maybe close with a verse in, uh, John's gospel.
Chapter 12.
Chapter 12 and.
Is 24.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat falling to the ground, and die, it abideth alone. If it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
This brings before us the death of Christ in order.
That he would not be alone for eternity.
He went into death so that we would be his companions in that coming day of glory.
Then he says, he that loveth his life shall lose it. This is the same verses we have in Matthew. He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be.
If any man serve me, him will my Father honor. So what do you have in that verse?
Any man serve me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will also my servant be there's.
Communion companionship with the Lord.
The Lord could say unto Abraham, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. When was that? When did the Lord say that to to Abraham? Right after he refused all the offers of the king of Sodom. King of Sodom said, here you can have all of these things, you you can take them, but he had his eyes on Jehovah and he refused them right after.
The Lord said I am thy shield and thine exceeding great reward. So there's companionship with the Lord. There is communion with the Lord as we have in this verse. Where I am, there shall also my servant be. What a privilege that is to have the companionship of the Lord in our service, in our pathway down here. Time is gone, but I just want to mention that there are rewards for discipleship.
And I'll just mention that very briefly. Your place in the coming Kingdom, when it will be established, in fact, return back to Matthew, uh.
16 there.
Your place in the coming Kingdom will be according to your walk down here.
28th Verse. 27th Verse. For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Well, that reward will be given by the Lord, the judgment seat of Christ, for those that have.
Suffered with him down here. And that reward will especially apply to the millennial Kingdom because you will have your place in the Kingdom according to your walk down here. It's going to be all reviewed in that day. It will be a reward. We had time. We could read Mark ten. I think we referred to it the other day where the Lord speaks of a hundredfold. Someone told me that that's 10,000% pretty good return on your money if we follow the Lord.
In obedience there, as Peter said, Lord, what are we going to have? We've given up everything for you. The Lord said, there's no man that hath given and so on given up these things, but shall receive a hundredfold in this life and in the time to come eternal life that's laying hold of what is really life, as the apostle Paul says in.
Uh, first Timothy chapter uh six time is going just want to read uh sing 1 stanza uh in the back of the book.
#24 in the appendix.
01:00:03
Uh, could we, could we sing, uh.
The second standard. Some brother would start it please.
Last verse also.
I ran get everything in love with me anymore. David is my friend.
I'm always.
So we pray, our loving God and Father, we thank Thee for these scriptures that we have meditated upon this afternoon. We pray that they may have a abiding effect upon our souls, that we may.
Be constrained not by obligation or legality, but as we contemplate the love of Christ that passeth knowledge that will constrain us to live our lives, not unto ourselves, but unto Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. May this be the motivating power in our lives. We acknowledge how often we fail.
And so we commit each one to the especially the dear young people, and pray for a blessing on the remainder of the day upon the truth that has been ministered to us at these these happy two days we have had together. And commit the gospel to thee that will go forth tonight and ask it with Thanksgiving and praise in the name for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Laodicea - Christ Knocking at the Door of His Own House
May We Open the Door If the Lord Is Outside and Knocks
Gospel 2
Gospel—Paul House
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We have a little word of prayer.
Your God and Father, we thank thee this afternoon that we have heard these words that are so necessary for our hearts.
And now we have the opportunity, Lord Jesus, to.
Once more think of thy love for us.
Thy death on the cross, so that we could go to heaven.
We think of each person that's here this afternoon.
And we pray that each one.
It is under the sound of my voice.
May hear.
The voice of God this afternoon.
They may receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior if they haven't yet. So we pray for help. Lord, we need help. Help us to speak faithfully for Thee and help us to listen.
Carefully we pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
I wanna tell a couple of little stories at the beginning.
I'm sorry they involved me, but.
I know them well because I was there.
Almost 30 years ago.
I was in a training course.
Where there was a group of us in A room.
And we were taking elevator training.
You say, well, elevator training. Training is there to have for elevators. Well, I didn't work for an elevator company. I work for a computer company.
And the elevator training was that.
In our work, we would often be in big office towers where we would go in on the bottom and ride up to the top and we might be in the elevator with somebody that was very important in that company. And so we had just a few seconds, just a few moments to share with them the message that we wanted them to get from the company we work for.
You say that's crazy, but.
I went to a training course for that.
We're for a long time we practiced.
And we learned and we experienced people that were very good at two sentences to somebody important.
I've often been reminded of that experience that I had.
At this conference.
Probably because.
At the end of.
The open meeting.
That we just so enjoyed.
There was just a little short gospel.
And I thought of that experience. I thought of that many times.
Well, we're going to talk about now. The gospel is so important.
Don't miss the message.
This afternoon, if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, this is your chance to get saved. It may be your last.
On the way here we were driving along 81 going South.
The last time we came along there as a family.
We had to get off the highway because there was flares all across the highway and everybody was pulling over all the trucks, all the cars, and there was people that were waving us along another way. And it just happened, the accident that closed the Interstate.
We got off the highway and we just had no idea where we were.
This time when we were going along, we came to the same spot where we had had to get off the highway, went a little farther along, and in the center median was a white cross.
00:05:01
And there were two little things on each side of the cross because that day that we were diverted off the highway, two young girls gave died on that highway. They died. Did they expect to die? No, they did. This may be your last chance. You say, well, I'm just young. They were just young.
There were young teenagers.
But they left this world.
And if you're not saved, I'm speaking to your heart tonight, this afternoon. This may be your chance, your last chance to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
I spoke about the elevator training.
And as believers in the Lord Jesus.
That's a good thing for us to do, to practice presenting the Lord Jesus Christ to somebody else who doesn't know the Lord in a very short, succinct, loving, kind way.
I'll tell you about one of my customers this week.
I had just a couple of minutes.
I was sitting there talking to her and I brought up the question of her soul.
As carefully, as lovingly as I could, I told her that she was a Sinner.
Respectfully, she's a nice lady. I told her that she needed the Lord Jesus Christ to wash her sins away. I told her how the Lord Jesus died on the cross, how He suffered for me and for her if she'll receive Him.
I got done.
I looked at her.
She said. I can't believe that, Paul.
I can't believe that.
John, Chapter 6.
Her dear brother read this.
In the meeting before.
This was the verse that the Lord has been putting on my heart for today.
John, Chapter 6.
Verse 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus, unto the 12 Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
Now notice this and we believe.
And are sure.
Two questions for you this afternoon. Do you believe? Do you believe?
This lady said I can't believe that.
Have you believed in the Lord Jesus as your Savior?
We don't have much time. We're going to read a couple of more verses about the Lord. There's love for you, His love and going to the cross of Calvary for you. Have you believed?
You know, it says one other thing there. It says we believe and.
Are sure?
Are you sure?
Are you sure? Do you know where you're gonna go when you leave this world? Are you sure? You can be, You can be sure. The Word of God gives us that. And I so appreciated what was said in the reading. It's the word of God that we rest on. It's not how we feel. It's what His Word says, the Word of God that will never change.
That's the same.
Are we sure?
Is there somebody here today? Maybe you're a little?
And you're not sure?
I can relate to that.
When I was little, I wasn't sure.
00:10:05
A lady gave me a verse.
And it says this.
And turn to it. It's over another chapter.
The verse that says him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Thought it was in John chapter 8 but maybe it isn't.
Thank you, John 6 and 37.
Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
I wasn't sure.
You know, I struggled.
With not being sure.
And this lady?
Loved me.
She said to me one night, said Paul. What's wrong?
She gave me this verse.
That's my mom.
My mom.
You know, boys and girls, it's a wonderful privilege if your dad and mom brought you here to be here.
They brought you here because they love you.
They want you to know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
Too. And if you're not sure.
Then it's OK.
To say.
Dad. Mom.
We have a little talk.
Can you present some of these verses to me? I wanna be sure.
I wanna be sure.
Let's turn to lamentations.
Lamentations, chapter one.
Lamentations, chapter one.
And verse 12.
Is it nothing to you? All ye that pass by, behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger from above hath He set fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them. He has spread a net for my feet.
He has turned me back. He hath made me desolate, desolate and faint.
All the day.
One of the young men that works for me.
I had the privilege of listening to him give the gospel to a man.
You know the man was completely uninterested.
In what the Lord Jesus had done on the cross.
His comment was, yeah, I saw a movie about that.
So yeah, I was interesting.
There was no interest that he had.
I kind of butted in.
I said you didn't see the important part. You said what do you mean?
I saw the movie, I said yeah, but you know what? No one saw the important part.
Those hours of darkness when the Lord Jesus bore my sins.
No one saw that except God.
Tonight you have an opportunity to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
For Him to take your sins upon himself, fire into His bones that load of sin that's all over you, Jesus will take it off. You just come to Him, Accept Him as your precious Savior. This may be your last chance. Now let's turn over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 for one last verse.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 5.
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 unto him which died for them, and rose again.
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Our time is up.
It's the love of the Lord Jesus when we see Him by faith.
Dying there for us, taking the punishment for our sins as individuals. It's that love that constrains us to follow Him, to serve Him.
What time we have that's left. I so enjoyed last meeting and the meeting before on discipleship.
But it's really the Lord's love that constrains us in these things and a realization of what he paid so that we could be could be free one last time if there's somebody who is not safe here this afternoon.
This is your opportunity. The door to salvation is open tonight. Right now is the accepted time. Behold, today is the day of salvation. May it be that you will accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Now let's pray.
Dear Lord Jesus, we have read just these few verses that tell us of Thy love.
That was so fully displayed without his die on the cross for sinners like us.
We pray if there's any boy or girl or older one too, who has never accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
That they may have their sins washed away this afternoon in thy most precious.
Blood, we thank Thee for this opportunity to speak of Thy love, Lord Jesus.
Debrisly glory in this world, we give thee thanks in thy most worthy, precious name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Open Mtg. 7
Open—T. Porter, P. Daplyn
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284.
#284.
Our hidden source of calm repose Thou all sufficient love divine our health and refuge from our foes. Secure we are, we are thine #284.
And our handy I am good horse and I have to wear a lot of things in love.
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Father, we thank You for this time that we've had so far together here, with Thy Word open before us and minister to us, we feel it reaching into our hearts.
We just ask now.
That whatever is needed, what is yet needed, what is not yet been said, which is needed for our heart, and we would have it here ministered by two or three.
That we would be directed in the way that we should go.
That there might be fruit in our life for Christ.
You asked me things for His most precious names and for His honor and glory. Look forward to his, to His soon return. Amen.
I'd like you to turn with me to Revelation Chapter 3.
Stop.
Yesterday when we were reading and Haggai chapter one.
Our brother.
Tim Stewart related some of what we read there to.
What we have here to the letter to Laodicea in Revelation chapter 3, and rightly so, I believe the times and the conditions were similar.
It's a heavy burden upon the speaker's heart and fear because the scripture says he who speaks from himself it should say.
He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory.
And I don't believe anyone whoever has presumed to speak for the Lord has been fully confident that what they had was from him. And so Ioffer it to the judgment of my brethren.
But this is a heavy burden on my heart and.
I trust in the Lord that it was put there by Him.
So this is familiar, I believe, to all of us. But let's read this letter to Laodicea.
Starting in verse 14.
And unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans, right.
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness.
The beginning of the creation of God.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.
I would that thou Wert cold or hot.
So then, because thou art Luke warm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Because I'll say as I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.
And no, it's not.
That thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked.
I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with I self that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
00:10:02
If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will commence to him, and will Sup with him, and he with me.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
Notice that in the other letters.
He says.
Such as Tophia Tyra in the previous chapter, verse 18 to the Angel of the church in Thyatira.
Chapter 3. Verse One unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis.
Verse 7 to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia.
When you get to verse 14.
To the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans.
It's not wrong, you know to.
Say the Church of the Ephesians or the Church of the.
Colossians and so on. But isn't it interesting here?
He says to the Angel of the Church of any names of location.
And I believe he does that with all the churches.
So you get here to the lay of the sands, and he says to the Church of the Laodiceans, almost as if they own it.
But the burden has to do with verse 20.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
What's wrong? What's wrong with this picture?
What's wrong with this picture? What door is he knocking on?
I know this is used in the gospel a lot, but and they say it's the door of your heart, but that's not that's not really what this is.
He's knocking on the door.
Of his own house.
Does that seem right to you?
If it's his house, why didn't he just open the door and come in?
He's knocking on the door of his own house.
How did that get to be?
First of all, how did it get to be that he's outside?
And then again, why is he knocking instead of justice coming in?
And I've been searching for some scriptures, but I know I know they're there and I can think of some in the Old Testament.
Where things were brought into the temple that shouldn't have been there and people were brought into the temple that shouldn't have been there.
And little by little, the Lord was being marginalized.
Do you know what marginalized means? Some of your younger ones, you know he's little by little. He's kind of being edged out.
And in the so-called church age.
If we take as we do these letters to the seven churches to be an outline of church history when you get to the end.
The Lord has been displaced in His own house.
How did that happen?
I think most of us know, you know, you read the third epistle of John and you find this one and this is probably the most obvious example. And very early on you have this, this man Diotrephes and look at that third John.
You have this man Diotrephes, and he says he loves to have the preeminence among them.
00:15:03
I think we read a verse, uh, in this.
In this conference where we said that the Lord should have the preeminence in everything.
And surely he should have the preeminence in his own house.
But here we find the Apostle John still referring to it as the assembly.
The Lord has not disowned it as His assembly yet.
But there's a man here who's taken over.
And he's so powerful that he decides who can be there and who can't be.
And he's so bold that he even rejects the apostles of the Lord.
And rejects them.
Have you ever wondered how it got to be this way?
I was talking with Brother Wally a few weeks ago when he was in Palmyra.
And, uh, he reminded me that years ago, apparently. I don't remember saying it, but I think he attributed it to me that a lot of times you get some who rise up in the assembly and they just kind of do everything and everybody else just sit around and enjoys what they do.
And, uh, apparently at some time in the past.
One said, uh, what formed the clergy was the lazity.
Little play on words.
The laity, the lazy, those who just were happy to sit back and let others do things.
That does not please the Lord.
And not only does it not please the Lord, but eventually that contributes to him being displaced in his own house.
But the burden here is not to go into all the reasons why the Lord gets displaced. And I think.
I think.
All of the Saints have enough spiritual intelligence to understand how those things happen.
But do you do anything about it?
It was mentioned in the reading yesterday, you know. Hey, yeah, I didn't just point out what was wrong.
He offered to help correct it.
But what the burden is is this.
And this is what I want you to get, especially you younger brothers.
You will not find, I believe, anywhere in Scripture and I welcome my brethren to correct me on this.
I don't think you'll find anywhere in scripture where the Lord fights for his place in his own house.
He will fight for his people.
And he may fight for his place for their benefit, but I don't think you find anywhere where the Lord fights for his place in his house.
Uh, turn for a minute to, uh, Second Chronicles.
Chapter 33.
It was a really bad king named Manasseh.
He did some really, really, really bad things.
But when it was brought before him, he repented. And that's a wonderful thing. You know, it doesn't matter how bad we get.
You can always repent and the Lord is a merciful God.
But the point here is if you look in Second Chronicles chapter 33 when Manasseh attends and he begins to undo some of the evil.
In verse 15 he says he took away the strange gods and the idol out of the House of the Lord.
What was it doing there?
And I don't know if you've ever wondered, you know, when the Lord first established a Tabernacle and the sons of Aaron Nahab and a Bayou brought strange fire in the Lord, just he came out and and consumed them.
And then it's a principle with God that when he's establishing anything, it has to be kept pure.
00:20:03
And I I've always taken as a New Testament corollary, the time that there was hypocrisy came in early on in the Church Age.
And if you read about the Lord Jesus as when he was here on the earth, if there's one thing that he very clearly detested, it was hip hop.
And he hammered that again and again and again.
And so it makes sense that that the establishment of New Testament assembly, when hypocrisy raised its ugly head, he dealt with it just like he dealt with Nadab in a bike. There was no tolerance. But what if he was to deal with hypocrisy like that today?
I wonder how many of us would be here?
Don't you?
But it is at the beginning that he will. He will be this way. But you know when they brought the idol and strange gods into the temple?
He he could have just, he could have dealt with that.
You know when they put the ark in with the God of the Philistines, Dagon, he knocked it down.
He could have dealt with this himself, but it's just an example. He he's not fighting, he's not gonna fight for his place.
And this is the burden.
Here the Lord is knocking on the door of his own house.
Because he is not going to force his way in and he is not going to fight for his place. And I'll bring it right down to us now. He's not going to fight for his place among us.
If we don't give the Lord his place.
Then he won't have it amongst us.
Is that not a sobering thought?
You know the most frightening thing about the state of Laodicea is.
The very definition of that state is that they don't know they're in it.
That's a bit disconcerting.
Isn't it?
That means, you know, if we right now here, we're in that state, we would not be aware of it.
And.
Thank God for the scripture that says the entrance of His Word gives light.
And that really is the only salvation.
When you're in that state.
But when you read in the Old Testament about when prophets arose to speak to the situation, particularly to kings and rulers.
Often times those prophets.
Were met not only with opposition, but prison and with death.
We don't wanna hear what he has to say.
And you can find examples of rulers and prophets where this occurred, where the rulers were not walking according to God's mind, to put it mildly, and the prophets came to speak to them.
And rather than take the correction, they dealt with the prophets.
I'll leave the application of that.
The Holy Spirit to bring that home to your own hearts. But this can happen, you know, in the third epistle of John.
I believe that it was still called an assembly because.
The apostle points Gaius to another brother there named Demetrius.
And says that he's got good testimony. And I believe that the situation was so bad in this assembly that Gaius may have very well felt like, you know, I, I do receive the apostles and I do, you know, I could be in big trouble. And maybe he was feeling very alone. And so I believe that the apostle John points him to another brother that maybe he can tag up with and they can encourage one another. But I think from this we know.
00:25:01
You know there were at least two that were gathered to the Lord's name there.
And so that's all it takes, right? That's an assembly.
But this, this leader, this ruler in this assembly, you have to wonder if the man was even saved. And if he was saved, he must have been like a a spiritual infant.
Who? Who would it be? Who would love the Lord and would want to have preeminence among his people?
Who would want to even eclipse the Lord?
If you love him.
Some of us who uh.
Who would stand up and speak like this?
And I believe you would find this out among many.
Sometimes we have this wish that we were invisible.
Because we just want the Saints to get the word.
But that's not possible.
But who would want to have preeminence in the Lord's house? Kind of a person is this. But you know, this is the flesh, did my flesh, and it's your flesh.
And it would be silly to think that this couldn't happen in our day.
Because it could happen any in any day.
Because the flesh hasn't changed, and men haven't changed. And seeking vain glory as a part of our flesh, it's it's all there. So what do you do? How can you avoid the Lord being marginalized?
Well, first of all.
You need to judge your own heart.
And you have to.
You have to, uh, admit to yourself, because it is there that in your flesh you you'd like to have.
Some, uh, admiration. At least some recognition.
So that's one thing is to be careful about.
That in your own flesh, judge that first. The other thing is.
Don't give people a place.
That they shouldn't have.
In your heart.
I'm not saying we shouldn't appreciate those who minister the word of God. The apostle Paul, I believe the right translation is, I think it was, uh, the Philippians that he said, you know, I, I trust that the good work that the Lord started with you, he's going to finish because you have me in your heart.
Well, that seems like he's trying to be something. No, he knew that he had the Word of God. He knew who he was, he knew what his mission was, and he knew that the fact that they had a care for him and an appreciation for him in their heart was a good thing. And it was a sign that the Lord would complete the good work in them. There's nothing wrong with having an appreciation for those who minister to us, but don't give them a place they shouldn't have. That won't help them, it won't help you, and it's going to hurt the Lord.
But again.
The burden is to to recognize and to understand that this can happen, that the Lord can get marginalized in his own house.
Pushed out, replaced.
And that it can happen without you even knowing it, without you even realizing it's happening.
And I think that that all of us who love the Lord, we hate when that happens. We hate to see that.
And it's kind of hard because we also sometimes hate to see people get recognition because of our own flesh, because we want it.
But, uh, but I think it's also a holy jealousy that we have in our own spirit when we see someone getting a place that they shouldn't have, that the Lord only should occupy in the hearts of the Saints.
I think my burden has.
00:30:01
Pretty much been discharged but I want to say this too.
In referring to these 7 letters to the churches, which we say refer to periods of church history, there is one thing we need to keep in mind.
When you go from Ephesus.
Just to, uh, Smyrna, there's, there's a definite period of, of church history there and then from there to Pergamos with another period of church history and then you get to Thyatira.
Which we believe was the full apostasy of what we call now. The Roman Catholic Church is just full of idolatry.
Whether there was literally a woman named Jezebel there at that time, I don't know. I kind of doubt it. Even though there was a literal church in Laodicea, I mean in, uh, Thyatira, and that condition existed there. I do believe the Spirit of God is pointing to a spirit of things, to the spirit, and it's a spirit we should not tolerate.
But when you get to fire Tyra, you've moved along. You've got a section of history, a period of time Ephesus. You've got a period of time Smyrna, then you've got a period of time Pergamos, and then you've got a period of time Thyatira. But then something different begins to happen.
Thyatira goes on right till the end of Church history.
But you might think of it as dropping out of Thyatira. Some came out and you get Sardis.
And then Sardis also continues on to the end.
In fact, that principle goes on. Today. There are still people who leave the systems that they're in only to form another system.
That's Sardis. That's still happening.
And then out of Sardis, you got Philadelphia.
In Philadelphia continues on to the end, commensurate with Thyatira.
And with Sardis.
But then you get Laodicea.
Which drops out of Philadelphia.
Because Philadelphia was faithful.
The Lord opened the door that no man could shut, and the blessings included the recovery of knowledge of the truth that was unprecedented.
And there were great riches in that regard dispensed in Philadelphia.
But you know what the Apostle Paul said? Knowledge puffeth up.
Do you think you can escape that?
Even the Apostle Paul couldn't escape it.
It doesn't matter where the knowledge comes from. Paul's knowledge came directly from God, and yet it still had the effect of puffing him up.
And he had to get a messenger of Satan, a thorn in the flesh, to help keep him down.
And so some have said that the blessings that came upon Philadelphia resulted in great pride.
And the result of that was a state of things that we call Laodicea.
And I believe it's true that you cannot get to that state without passing through Philadelphia.
We hear of Laodicea being referred to as all of Christendom.
But it can't be.
There's Thyatira, there is Sardis, there is Philadelphia and there is Laodicea off and.
So I just leave that with you, just as a warning to us all.
That if we don't give the Lord his place among us.
He's not gonna. Don't expect him to do something about it. He will knock.
But he's not going to force his way in.
If we don't give the Lord His place, he will not have it among us.
00:35:10
Well, I trust I have the Lord's mind and speaking on.
On this, I'm going to start with the same verse that our brother Ted read in Revelation chapter 3. Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
You know the Lord, if, if God forbid, we ever get into a situation where we're we're that lukewarm, I'm sure the Lord would exercise this of that condition.
And and not and that's her brother, Ted said He and not force himself in, but he I'm sure.
He would exercise us about our condition if that was the case, and I just want to.
Relate an experience very early on.
Umm in my Christian pathway I was saved in umm 1977 and by the grace of God I was brought to the place.
Where he had placed his name six weeks later. Praise God for that. But in the meantime, during those six weeks, I was encouraged by other believers to go to their places of worship and I ended up going to the Pentecostal church, or I should say.
A place for those called themselves Pentecostals assemble themselves and I don't need to go and get into the air. They're going goes on there. But and the Lord's great graciousness he he soon, uh, even though I was a babe in Christ.
He soon pointed out the error that was there and I left and one of the last things that happened that convinced me that I was in the wrong place.
Was when?
There was umm, Speaking of tongues, and I won't go into umm, I it's not my purpose to talk about what they do is as far as that is concerned, the error of that. But the thing that really struck me being a babe in Christ.
This person that got up, umm, who actually was a woman, uh, spoke in some strange language. I don't know if it was Hebrew or Arabic or whatever it was, but anyway.
The the thing that really.
Uh, struck me was the so-called interpretation and it basically was the 1St that our brother read Behold, I stand the door and knock.
That was, well, there was a little more to it. I can't remember all of it now, but that was basically the interpretation. The Lord was standing outside of that place and I'm sure there were true believers in that place, and He's standing out.
Saying, Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
And they wouldn't let him in.
And I hope we never get into such a state of of lukewarmness that we don't give Lord His rightful place, that He has the preeminence, that we continue to, that we stop holding Him as the head.
And another thing I just wanted to bring up, uh, I know what time time is running out. Umm, another situation while I was still there.
Uh, again, this is the spirit of lukewarmness and it had to do with, with giving umm, you know, umm, and I remember a situation where the, umm, the plate was handed around.
Uh, and then it was, it was counted and afterwards the, uh, I don't, I forget what they call them a reverend or what they call them. He almost scolded the almost scolded the congregation. It was a fair size congregation that the, the amount on the plate was only about $60.
I hope, God forbid, that we never get so lukewarm that we give that sparingly to those that labor and love for the Lord, whether it be the gospel or whatever it is. I trust we never.
Determine how much to give to those who labor for the Lord based on the fruit that we can see. I hope we never ever do that. That's just.
00:40:08
Been my burden too, and I trust I've had the Lord of mind and presenting that to you.
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