Open—J. Hyland, D. Gorgas
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I wonder, brethren, if we could just meditate for a few moments on three well known portions. The first one is in the Gospel of Luke.
Luke, Chapter 10.
Luke, chapter 10 and verse 38.
Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his words. But Martha was cumbered about with a much serving, and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Did her therefore, that she helped me?
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful. And Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.
And then in John Chapter 11.
John Chapter 11 and verse 18. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about 15 furlongs off, and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him, but Mary sat still in the house, and then noticed verse 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, she saw him, and saw him she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. And then in verse 45 then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did.
Believed on him, and then noticed some scriptures in the 12Th chapter, chapter 12 and verse two. There they made him a supper and Martha served. But Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of Spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.
Well, as I say, these are very familiar portions of the word of God. We've read them and meditated on them to our benefit and enjoyment many times. But I was just thinking here this afternoon of how Mary, this one, this dear sister, we might say she found her delight in being at the feet of Jesus. We spoke this morning of how we need to have Christ before us as the object for our pathway, how we need, in the words of the hymn writer, to turn our eyes upon Jesus.
To look full in his wonderful face, that the things of earth may grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. And so we need Christ before us as that object, and we need that exercise and that desire, like Mary, to sit at the feet of Jesus. And so, just for a few moments I'd like to meditate on these portions concerning this home in Bethany, and particularly dear Mary, who found her delight in the company of the Lord.
You know what? The Lord Jesus walked through this world? He was the homeless stranger. He could say the birds of the air have nests and the foxes have holes. But the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. There was another occasion when it says every man went to his own house and Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. And there were really few homes that the Lord Jesus was welcome in as he walked amongst men, as he showed out the Father's heart of love, as he dispensed blessing, and as he fully glorified God in his pathway here.
But there was one home mentioned in these three occasions where the Lord Jesus delighted to retire, where he found a rest from his weary journey, and where he could be surrounded by those who loved him, rather than that's really what he desires, He desires your company and mine. We think sometimes of the joy it brings to our hearts to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus, to sit at his feet individually, or to sit at his feet collectively, like we've had the privilege of today.
But all his joy in having us surround himself far outweighs, far exceeds any joy that by the grace of God is in your heart and mind. The Lord Jesus expressed it in John 17, where he said.
Father I will but they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am. We know that this will yet be fulfilled in the Father's house, in a coming day, when every child of God, every redeemed St. from all the ages, is going to be around the Lord Jesus, he the center, and will give him the glory. But he doesn't want to have to wait that day to enjoy your company and mine. And I believe with all my heart that he has made provision for us so that we can.
00:05:16
Follow him now and walk in his company. We were speaking this morning of the path of faith and how it says let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us or as Mr. Darby says, the path that lies before us. And so I believe there is still a path of faith for us. As I've sometimes said, there's a path of faith for us individually, there's a path of faith for us as families, and there's a path of faith for us collectively, as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
There is that place where we can enjoy his company, as I say individually in the home and, uh, collectively when we come, as gathered by the Spirit of God around the person of Christ. You know, there were two great institutions set up and established by God. The first one was the home and the second was the assembly. And when God institutes something, when he establishes something, he always makes provision to the very end. You know, that thought has thrilled my soul lately, as the enemy is so busy to weary the people of God, to discourage, to divide.
To attack the home, to attack the assembly. There's provision rather until the very end, because we can never look around at the day and the circumstances and say it's so bad we can't go on. Timothy was exhorted in the second epistle where you see the breakdown of everything. He was exhorted to go on and continue in the things that he had learned and been assured of. And so we find first of all, where we began the Lord Jesus comes to this home.
And I would just say this, that in these three portions we have read, we find that Mary of Bethany is mentioned specifically by name. And these are the three portions where she is named specifically. I say specifically because she's alluded to, I believe in other portions, but in these three incidents she's as she's mentioned specifically by name and every time she's at the feet of Jesus, we find the Lord comes to this home, perhaps for the first time here in Luke chapter 10.
And I suppose these sisters were both busy preparing for the arrival of the Lord Jesus. I say to those of us who have families here, those of us who have homes, Is the Lord Jesus welcome in our home? Do we delight to honor him and to serve him in the home? And so here was the home, I say, where the Lord Jesus found his delight and where he was welcome. And so these sisters were making preparation for the arrival of the Lord Jesus. What a privilege it must have been to have this divine guest come and sit down in their home. Think of it. Would your heart of thrilled if you had heard the Lord Jesus was approaching? And then he was coming to your very house?
What a joy it must have been to receive the Lord Jesus into the home. And yet I believe that we still have that privilege in the day in which we live. As I say, there's provision to the very end. There's provision so that we can make the home of sanctuary. We can honor the Lord Jesus and bring up our children in that place. And so the Lord Jesus comes. He sits down in this home and we find that Mary, as it were. She says, now the work doesn't matter. I'm going to sit down and hear what Jesus has to say. She was going to sit down at his feet. She was busy, no doubt helping Martha.
And Martha seems to be one that always had to be busy in doing something. Martha said there are many things that we need to do. We haven't got all the preparations for the meal and all this kind of thing done. And here's Mary. She's left me to serve alone. But oh the Lord Jesus, how he valued the response of Mary's heart as she had that desire to let everything else go and to sit down at the feet of the Lord Jesus. And he told her that she had chosen that good part that would not be taken away from her.
Do we take time to sit at Jesus feet? Those who are older here will pardon me if I just speak to those of us who are younger for a few moments. This is a day of tremendous pressure. You get up in the morning and life is so pressured. You've got lots of work and business going through your mind. You've got to get out the door and get through that traffic. Then you get to work and it takes everything you have to survive in business. It absorbs your whole mind today. But you know, I trust I've learned in some little measure.
To appreciate the truth of that little hymn that says take time to be holy, we need to take time like Mary to sit at Jesus feet. It was a busy day here in this home. There was much that needed to be done. But Mary let those things go because she knew how important it was to take time to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus. And so we sometimes sing that little hymn. 216 We sit as learners at thy feet, thy words and honey far more sweet. Can we ever replace communion? Is there any substitute for sitting at the feet of Jesus?
00:10:26
And hearing his word, as I say, the enemy is busy because he wants to interject every kind of thought and activity so that we don't take time for the presence of the Lord Jesus. And I would just say to to those of us who are fathers here, you know what's interesting? We noticed a picture the other day in a book concerning the gathering of the manna. And it was the ladies in the picture that were gathering the manna. But if you notice the account carefully, in the 16th of Exodus, it wasn't the ladies that gathered the manna, it was the men that were together. Because I believe it brings before us responsibility of the head of the home.
I'm thankful I grew up in a home where the word of God was read to us. I remember my father sitting at the breakfast table with the word of God open so that he could catch each one of us as we came out to the breakfast table and then off to school so that there was a portion for us. I didn't always appreciate it at the time. I sometimes tried to hurry out at the last moment so I wouldn't hear the word of God. But as I look back, I'm thankful that the manner was gathered in our home. And so we need to take time in the home to read the word of God to gather for our families.
And will will we ever be disappointed that we took time for the things of the Lord that we ever took? Will we be ever disappointed that we let something else go so that we could gather the manna for our families. And So what a responsibility it it is. And I just say before we pass on that Mary learned very early in the pathway of the Lord Jesus to value the privilege of sitting at Jesus feet and what a blessing we she received.
Well then we find in the 12Th chapter of John where we were the 11Th chapter of John, where we read that the Lord Jesus comes again to this home in Bethany.
And, you know, I would just say this concerning the concerning Mary. Her name means better. You know, I've wondered about that. But this morning we were Speaking of those trials. We were Speaking of how God passes us through things. He passes us through things sometimes to correct us because He sees us getting away. He sometimes, uh, passes us through things in his schooling and to teach us many lessons. Sometimes He passes us through things so that we can be a help and a blessing to others.
All these different things that we experience, sometimes they seem like better experiences. Mary didn't have an easy life. She had bitter experiences, as we're going to see here in John Chapter 11. But what was the difference with Mary? She found her resource in the Lord. You know, I often wonder what people who don't know the Lord Jesus as their savior do when they get into a difficult situation. They lose their job. They don't pass the year at school, they lose family members.
David said when my mother and father forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. In other words, he said, even when earthly relationships breakdown and fail, I always have the Lord and we who know Christ as our Savior. We enter into this. Sometimes there's no one we can turn to. Uh, that is an earthly friend, a relationship. But we always have the Lord. We have one who fully enters in and understands what we pass through. I like that little Him 281.
It says with joy we meditate. The grace of God's high priest above his heart is filled with tenderness. His very name is love. He, in the days of feeble flesh, poured out his cries and tears, and though ascended fields afresh, what every member bears. Are you going through some trial? And you say no one enters into it with me? I can't talk about it to anyone. They don't seem to understand. There's one who does. When the Lord Jesus constrained the disciples to get into a ship and to go across the sea to the other side, where was the Lord Jesus?
He was on the mountain, praying that which would bring before us that high priestly work of the Lord Jesus, whose interceding for us and praying for us every hour of every day. And as he looked down from the mountain, I like what it says in Mark's Gospel, it says. And he saw them toiling and rowing. He knew what they were going through. Is there some difficulty in your personal life, Something in the family, something in the assembly? He sees us toiling and rowing, but he not only saw them toiling and rowing that night.
But he came to them on the storm. He was above the storm, and he proved to them that he was able for the situation, and that even Peter could rise up and walk above the storm with the Lord Jesus. He walked on the water with Jesus. And so it says, they don't wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings of Eagles, They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. Will a sorrow had come into this home in the 11Th chapter of John.
00:15:31
The Lord Jesus knew about this sorrow marathon, Mary. They loved their brother Lazarus. They felt their sorrow very keenly. Because it's true. We don't sorrow as others who have no hope. But it doesn't say we don't sorrow. We feel these things. We feel the loss of a loved one. We feel what the Lord has passed us through. The Lord Jesus. As he walked through this world, he groaned in spirit and was troubled. And so we groan in the situations. We feel them very keenly.
And so we find here where we began, that they came to Martha and Mary to comfort them, that is, umm, the Jews, those that they knew of their acquaintance. And we find that Mary, uh, she sat still in the house. And, uh, I think this is very precious because sometimes when a situation arises, the initial reaction is we've got to do something to straighten out this situation. Well, it's true. When they told Mary later on the master calleth for thee there was immediate obedience as she rose up and ran and fell at the feet of Jesus.
But all I like what it says about Mary in the end of the 20th verse. And Mary sat still in the house. How could she sit still in this difficult situation? Was she indifferent to the situation? Oh no. She loved her brother Lazarus just as much as Martha. But she had that confidence in her Lord. She had sat at his feet and heard his words. She'd been occupied with his person. And now when the difficulty came.
She could sit still because I believe Mary knew that the Lord Jesus was coming in his own time and in his own way, and that when he came he would take care of the difficulty. Are we willing to wait upon the Lord? I suppose that's one of the hardest things. When some situation comes and we don't like to wait. You know, this is the day of instant answers and remedies. It's a day when you have a problem and you call an 800 NUM number.
Or you punch it into the computer, and there's an immediate answer for every situation that we face in this world. But, brethren, we need to realize that it doesn't work that way in spiritual things. We need to have that waiting upon the Lord like Mary to sit still in the house. You get a similar thought in the book of Ruth, where Naomi could encourage Ruth. Sit still, my daughter, until they'll see how the matter will fall, for the man will not be in rest until he accomplished the thing this day.
Again, confidence that there was one who was in control of the situation and one who would bring everything to fruition according to his purposes, could encourage another to sit still in the house. And brethren, he's working everything after the councils of his own will. Sometimes things seem out of hand, but they're never out of the Lord's hand. He's always in control. He's on the throne. He's head over all things to the church, which is his body, his son over his own house.
And I say there needs to be obedience, and when we have light like Mary, we need to act. But I believe too, it's a great lesson for us to learn to sit still amid the difficulties it says in Isaiah 30. And their strength is to sit still. It's contrary to human nature. We like to feel we can help the situation, but sometimes the Lord brings us to the end of ourselves, and then when we own that, we have no might for the situation then.
He comes in, just like Israel, on the banks of the Red Sea. It must have been a frustrating situation, the enemy coming behind them, a wall of water in front. What were they going to do? Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord? He brought them there to prove himself. And I really believe that often the Lord Jesus allows situations in our lives to prove his care and His power to us. We never know his preserving grace, his preserving care.
You'll never know his high priestly intercession for us if we didn't have trials and difficulties. And so these things cast us down. But they cast us, I trust, on the Lord. They bring us into the sanctuary, they bring us to the feet of Jesus. And that's what happened here. We find in the 32nd verse where we read that Mary comes and she falls down at the feet of Jesus. She had earlier been at his feet as a learner, listening to his words.
00:20:15
Now she comes. Uh, And what we might say is intercession on behalf of her brother. She knew where to turn in the situation. Isn't it wonderful to have a friend? And we enjoy those happy times of fellowship together? And then when a difficulty comes, we know where to turn because we've sat in one another's presence, we've got to know one another. You say that brother knows what I'm going through. That sister understands me because we've, uh, enjoyed those times of fellowship. Mary enjoyed that sweet time of communion with her blessed Lord.
And then when the difficulty came, she knew where to turn. Because as we were saying this morning, we're not promised sunshine and roses for our pathway. Here the Apostle Paul, as he followed the Lord in his pathway and sought to seek to serve the Saints and to preach the gospel, He didn't have an easy pathway. Those in the Old Testament that thought to be faithful and to stand for the truth that they had in their day, there was all kinds of opposition.
Satan has always been opposed to that which God has set up and established. There's going to be those trials because there's three things at least, that we're not going to be rid of until we get home to glory. One is the work of the enemy, the other is the flash, and the other is the school of God. We have those things, and not until we get home to glory and sit down in His presence will the trials and the tests and the circumstances of life be behind us.
And so she comes and she falls at the feet of Jesus in intercession on behalf of her brother. She says, Lord, if that's been here, my brother had not died. She knew that he could have prevented the situation. But she also knew too that even though her brother had died, he was able for the situation according to his own will. And so how good to come to the feet of Jesus and to just accept his will?
In the situation, it's true the Lord Jesus here came in in grace and raised Lazarus from the dead. But I'd just like to say this before we pass on that God doesn't always promise to remove the difficulties. You know, sometimes I have visited dear brethren, and they've been going through some real trial, and then I go and I visit them next year and the year after, and they're still going through that trial. And you wonder why the Lord hasn't removed that difficulty. Well.
Sometimes the Lord doesn't remove the difficulty, but I believe what He does give is grace for the situation. When Paul prayed that that thorn in the flesh would be removed, he prayed three times that the Lord would remove the difficulty. The Lord said, no, Paul, I'm not going to remove the difficulty because it's for your good and blessing. But he said I'm going to give you the grace to glorify me in the difficulty. He said my grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness.
You know, Martha seems to be one who always had to be busy, always had to be active in doing something and trying to help a situation. The Lord has said to her, in loop thou art careful and troubled about many things. But I say again, I love the spirit of Mary. Here I covered it for my own soul that Mary sat still in the house. And brethren, what was the result here? You know, the more I read the word of God, the more I'm impressed with its accuracy.
And where we begin in verse 19, it speaks of those that came to Martha and Mary. But that's not what it says in the 42nd verse where we read. It says that many of the Jews which came to Mary. Because I believe that those who came to that home on this occasion as they saw the confidence and rest that Mary had in the Lord, and as they saw her quiet testimony.
As she sat still in the house, it was a tremendous blessing and encouragement to them.
Because, you know, it's easy to be a Christian. It's easy to be happy when things go well. But the test is when something adverse comes into our lives. Now, are we in the sanctuary now? Are we enjoying the presence of the Lord so that there can be that peace and that rest exhibited in the situation, so that there can be that Christ likeness brought out and so that others will receive a blessing? You know, sometimes I have seen.
Dear children of God, go through real trials and difficulties, and as I have watched them and seen their quiet testimony and how in quietness and confidence they found their strength, it has been a tremendous blessing and encouragement to my own soul. I'm sure you can think of brothers and sisters in the Lord who went through some trial and you say, I don't know how they ever went through that trial and how they had that peace in their soul. It comes from being at the feet of Jesus.
00:25:31
And So what a blessing it was, as they saw dear Mary, had she, how she could sit still amidst the difficulty. I say it was a blessing to those who came, uh, to marry. And so I just say again, there are going to be those sorrows in the home, in our lives individually and. But he's able. He's sufficient. He's the God of all comfort. And he passes us through those things to to to teach us lessons, to draw us to himself And then.
To make us a blessing to others. Well then we find in the 12Th chapter the Lord Jesus comes to this home for the last time in His pathway here. How it must have thrilled his heart, and how it must have how he must have enjoyed this little season as he came. And again he's surrounded by those who love him. As the hour of Calvary approached, as he realized that he was rejected by that nation that he had come to bless, he came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Has he realized too, that uh, Peter was going to deny him, That all the disciples were going to forsake him and flee as he realized what it would mean to go under the waters of judgment and be made sin for us? What a cheer it must have been to his heart to come to Bethany once again before he went to the cross. And so he comes to this home, and we find these three here. And I believe that these three that are brought before us in this way.
They bring before us what ought to characterize a Christian home. First of all we find in verse two. And they made him a supper, And I love this brethren, it says, And Martha served. You know, when the Lord came for the first time, the service was cumbersome, and he had to rebuke Mary, because she was careful and troubled about many things. But here was service in his in his proper place, because I believe that Mary learned the lesson.
That the Lord had thought to bring before, or that Martha had learned the lesson that the Lord had sought to bring before her In Luke chapter 10, she learned that joy in service springs from the presence of the Lord from sitting at the feet of Jesus. And I really believe that Mary learned, or Martha learned to sit at Jesus feet so that when he comes to the home for the last time, she serves. But there's joy in her service, Nothing about the service being a burden here.
We were noticing some of us in Worcester the other night, how that Solomon's servant sat in his presence, and the queen of Sheba noticed this. And then they went out, and they stood before Solomon to serve each in their capacity. And what does it say there in First Kings? 10 about those servants? The queen of Sheba noticed that they were happy servants. Happy. Are these thy servants? You know you don't always think of servants as being happy. When we think of service and servants, perhaps we think of those who carry on.
They're tasked, but there's no real joy in it. Maybe they do it out of a sense of duty, maybe because it's a requirement and they have no choice. But perhaps they're just mundane tasks that they perform from day-to-day. Was that the way it was with Solomon's servants? Oh, no. They sat in the presence of Solomon, and their joy in service sprung from those times set aside when they sat in the presence of Solomon. And we find here that Martha, she serves in a proper capacity. Because I say again.
She had learned to sit at Jesus feet and service is a wonderful thing. Everyone of us here, if we know Christ is our Savior, we have a path of faith and service that he has set before us. Our brother mentioned that verse this morning in the end of John, how the Lord spoke to Peter concerning that path that Peter was going to have and something of what Peter was going to suffer in the path of faith and service. And Peter turns to John and he says, and what will this man do?
And the Lord said, if I will, that he tarry till I come. What is that to thee? Follow thou me. He has a path of service for us. And it's an individual path too. He had a path for John. And the Lord is it worse that I'll take care of John? He's got a path of faith and service too. But Peter, your responsible to walk in the path that I have set before you.
00:30:06
Sometimes use this illustration. I know many have heard me use it, but you know, I've been helped to understand that portion.
By a little incident that used to take place in our home when we were growing up, particularly my sister and I, sometimes we would be given a task to do perhaps to clear off the supper dishes and wash them and put them away. And mother would leave us to that task. And after a while she would come back into the room and she would say, Jim, you're not doing what I asked you to do. And I would usually say, well, Jennifer's not doing her part. And Mother would always say you do what I asked you to do.
And I'll take care of Jennifer. Now that, in a sense, is what the Lord was saying to Peter. He says, Peter, you are responsible to follow me in the past that I have for you, and I'll take care of John. I just temper my remarks by saying that it is true that we ought to have the same care one for another, and we ought to bear one another's burdens. But, brethren, in the final analysis, when I stand before the judgment seat of Christ, who am I going to give an account for?
How? Well, my brother Pennsylvania, uh, walked in the path of faith. How? Well my sister followed the Lord. I'm going to give an account of myself whether I followed in the past that the Lord had for me. And so it's an individual path, because the path that the Lord has for you is not the path that He has for me, but it is a path nevertheless, and it's a path marked out in God's Word. And I believe if we really desire to know that path that he's willing to show us in all thy ways, acknowledge him.
And he shall direct iPads. If any man desire to do his will, he shall know. He wants to show us the path and to make it clear, Even in this day of utter weakness, even in this day of ruin. Thank God, if we're not faithful, he abideth faithful He cannot deny himself. And so Martha serves here. And then we find that Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. He enjoyed that fellowship and communion.
Not only had Martha learned the lesson, but Lazarus had learned it too. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that wonderful? When you go to a home and you visit in that home, and the whole family has a desire to follow the Lord, you just know that the Lord is welcome and honored in that home, and there's a desire for the enjoyment of the things of the Lord. That's the way it was in this home in Bethany. Martha serves in her proper capacity. And Lazarus, who also had seen, no doubt.
Mary sit at the feet of Jesus and receive a blessing. Now he sits at the table because the table would speak of communion or fellowship. I say. Again, brethren, there's no substitute.
In our Christian lives, for communion with himself, that's what he desires for us, and we'll be happy Christians. Uh, if we're living in the conscious sense of the presence of the Lord Jesus. You know, sometimes we pray and we ask the Lord to be with us. But, you know, I don't really. I don't believe we need to pray that prayer as much as we need to pray the and ask the Lord that we might have be walking so that we have a conscious sense of His presence with us because He never leaves us nor forsakes us.
If I don't enjoy the presence of the Lord, if I don't enjoy his company and fellowship, it's not because he's left me. Even those two on the way to Emmaus who were going away in disobedience. Jesus himself drew near and went with them. He, uh, he they didn't understand who it was that was with them, but Jesus was with them nevertheless, and they eventually did have their eyes open and come to appreciate that it was the Lord Jesus who was with them.
And so the Lord is with us. But may we be exercised to enjoy, uh, that portion and that communion that He has for us. Well, then we find that Mary is at his feet again. She was at his feet as a learner, listening to his words, she was at his feet, an intercession on behalf of her brother and in her sorrow. And now she comes, and she's at his feet. As a worshiper, Mary had been occupied with the person of Christ as he walked through this world.
And at the end of it all, her heart is overflowing in worship and praise, because worship is a springs from a heart overflowing with the person and work of Christ. To be occupied with himself, to be occupied with His glories, to enter in more to who he is. As Paul said, it was the great desire of his life that I may know him. Oh, that's what will produce true worship in our hearts. And so she comes and she brings this costly ointment. She doesn't count the cost here.
00:35:02
It was costly ointment, but she brings it with a response of heart and she pours it out at the feet of the Lord Jesus. She had criticism again they because if we notice, not only did Judas speak against her, but all the disciples spoke up against her. But the Lord showed that he valued the response of Mary's heart and brother. That's really what he wants this afternoon. He wants worship from your heart and mind. He could say to the woman in the at the well in John Four they that worship the Spirit, the Father must worship him.
In spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him, and so how good to be occupied with the person and work of Christ, and then to have that response of heart again. It's not that we try to generate some response within ourselves, but it will be there as we're occupied with Himself as we enter in more So what he means to the Father, as we enter in more to the fact that he glorified God in His pathway, and as to the work of eternal redemption.
How good it is, like in Hebrews, to lift up our eyes to the open heavens and be occupied with himself. And so Mary, she doesn't count the cost, but she comes to the feet of Jesus as a worshiper. Well, how good for us to be individually and in our homes at the feet of Jesus. But before I step down, I'd just like to apply it in a collective way, because when we take up the scripture, there's two lines of truth that run parallel through the Scripture.
There's the the individual aspect of things, our individual position and responsibility before God. And I think you'll find when you have the individual aspect of things, there's always a comparable truth connected with the collective side of things. I'll just give you a quick example or two you find individually, Paul said. The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me, What's the collective truth and comparable truth? Christ also loved the church.
And gave himself for it. We find that and we read in Hebrews. I will never leave the nor forsake thee. That's individually. What's the collective side where two or three are gathered together in my name? There am I in the midst of them. And so I'd like to apply these three little portions in a collective way, Because first of all, we noticed in Luke that she was at the feet of Jesus to hear his words. And brethren, I believe we need this more and more in the days in which we live. We need to be collectively.
In the presence of the Lord Jesus, with the word of God before us, we need to avail ourselves of ministry in the assembly. You know, I've often said that I'm glad I grew up at a time and in a home where our lives were planned around the assembly. But you know, I'm afraid that today what we do is we plan our lives and then try to work in the assembly rather than it doesn't work again. Satan is busy. It's a day of great pressure. Life is getting faster and faster.
And we need to plan our lives around the assembly so that when prayer meeting night comes, there's no question as to what we will be doing that evening. When the night for the ministry and the assembly comes, there's no question as to where we will be and so how good to avail ourselves and to bring our families to the assembly meetings. I say to plan our lives around the around the assembly. It's vital. It's needful in the days in which we live.
And so there are those times set aside when we can come collectively and have the word of God before us, because it's in the assembly that we learn. Now, it's true that the assembly doesn't teach, but it's in the assembly we learn as taught by the Spirit of God. And the assembly is to be the pillar and ground of the truth. And when we come together in the Spirit of God is given liberty, then the truth can be ministered to us, and Christ can be brought before us as to His glories, His person, and His work. And so I say again how needful this is.
In the day in which we live, and you know, I think too, this is one of the wonderful things about being gathered to the Lord's name, because there are so many who will put them in at the front and they might get part of the truth, They'll get one aspect of the truth. But nobody questions what he says. But I believe when ministry is taken up in the assembly in the way in which God has instituted it, that we get that balance in the assembly. You know, we're creatures of extreme. I often think of that verse that says Ephraim, is a cake, not turned.
You know yourself, if you put a cake on the brittle and you don't turn it, it gets too well done on one side and not enough on the other. And I've noticed that those who do not avail themselves of ministry in the assembly, and brother and I don't want to take away from personal reading of the word of God. It's vital and important. But if we don't avail ourselves of ministry in the assembly, we can become unbalanced. We can become extreme in our thinking. And when ministry is taken up in the assembly, if I bring out something that's not correct, another if the spirit of God is given, liberty can correct it.
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If someone brings out one aspect of the truth, another, by the spirit of God can balance that we know in the assembly. Some can bring out the doctrinal principles and give us an outline. Some can make a nice application. Others can bring out the gospel from the same portion, and so we need to avail ourselves of ministry in the assembly. Then we find that in Luke, in John 11, Mary was at his feet in intercession on behalf of her brother. I'd just like to apply this in connection.
With the assembly prayer meeting, you know, I am saddened to find as I travel amongst the people of God, that often, not always, but often the assembly prayer meeting is the most poorly attended. Why, brother? Well, I suppose there are several reasons. One is perhaps we don't really recognize the power there is in collective prayer, and secondly, we don't see the Lord in the midst. If I really believe that the Lord was there on Tuesday night, just as He is on Lord's Day morning, wouldn't I want to be in His presence? I say this is the collective side of things.
So that he can enjoy our presence, not just individually, but he can enjoy our presence collectively, like Israel, in the wilderness, he said. But let them build me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. He didn't want to wait till they were in the land and the temple was built to enjoy fellowship with his people. He wanted them around himself in the wilderness. And so we don't appreciate, perhaps, the fact that the Lord is there. But I say we also don't really realize, at least for my own soul.
The power there is in collective prayer, if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that you ask, and it shall be done for you of my Father, which is in heaven. And when he takes up there in Matthew 18, the administration of the local assembly, what is to characterize the local assembly dependence? And so we need to come. He knows our needs collectively, even before we ask, but he wants us to come as dependent children and bring those needs before him.
And recognize our own nothingness, but that we have everything in himself. And so how good to come and bring our petitions to him. And haven't you often, as you look back, haven't you often seen the power of assembly prayer. You know, I think we have it in principle with Daniel. There was a situation that affected not only Daniel but his three friends. They were going to be to lose their homes and perhaps their lives if the King's dream was not told to him. And then interpreted. But Daniel knew where to turn. He gathered his three friends together and they had a prayer meeting. And the Lord came in.
And answered their prayer. And it was a tremendous request. But when they came collectively, he answered that prayer in a wonderful way. In Acts 12 The Saints came together to pray about Peter, who was in prison. They were burdened because I believe collective prayer is to bring before the Lord those things that affect the people of God as a whole and those things that affect us as assemblies gathered to the Lord's name. And is there an assembly gathered to the Lord's name today that isn't going through some real situation?
That doesn't have some trial, some difficulty. There are those things that affect us collectively as gathered to the Lord's name. The people of God were burdened in the 12Th of Acts for Peter, and they came together with very little, if any faith. But the Lord honored that collective exercise to pray collectively for Peter and delivered Peter. And I just like to say something I've said before as an encouragement to the sisters, because Rhoda is SPE specifically mentioned there.
You know, Rhoda was a sister, a damsel, a young girl, and she might have said, well, why go to the prayer meeting tonight? I can pray for Peter at home and the brothers are going to pray audibly at the prayer meeting. Well, she could have prayed at home, but I believe the Lord gave her a special blessing that night in allowing it, That she was the one who went to the door and saw first hand the power of God to answer prayer in the assembly and then there she would have heard about it the next day.
She would have rejoiced with the Saints. But I don't think Rhoda missed very many prayer meetings after that because I don't believe she ever forgot that she saw the power of God to answer prayer in the assembly and deliver. Peter, do you want to see power in the assembly? Do you wanna see answered prayer in connection with the people of God? Rather than we must be at the assembly prayer meeting. And I'd like to say something too that recently has exercised me concerning collective prayer. You know when they prayed in Ezra's day, it says and all the people said Amen. You know, I love when I visit an assembly and after a brother prays, there's many audible Amen.
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Now sometimes I go to the assembly and a brother prays and nobody says Amen at the end of his prayer. You know, that's disheartening, particularly to those who are younger, if nobody says Amen at the prayer, end of the prayer. And that brother who has prayed has prayed Uh. As as a mouthpiece of the assembly. And when we say Amen, we give consent to his prayer. And so how good to listen to those prayers, not to fall asleep, not to be thinking of other things. I know things come in, but we need to listen to those prayers. And if we agree with those prayers, if the brother has expressed the burden and the thought of the assembly, how good to say?
Amen. At the end of the brothers prayer. Well then very quickly we find that uh Mary is at his feet as a worshiper in the 12Th chapter. And what a privilege we have upcoming on large day morning and pouring out our hearts in praise and Thanksgiving. Oh brethren, may we value this precious privilege of coming on Lord's day morning to remember the Lord Jesus and his death. And it's often been said we don't come to uh yet at the at the breaking of bread we come to give. How good to pour out our hearts. You know, I've enjoyed in connection with the six water pots that were at the marriage of Canaan of Galilee, just a little practical application. I like to think of them as six days of the week. And they filled the water pots to the brim with water that which would speak of Christ and they were to be filled right to the brim. And then the Lord Jesus took that water and turned it into wine.
And if we, uh, fill out the water pot 6 days of the week, we can come with that which we can turn to praise and joy, and we can worship him, uh, on Lord's day morning. But if I haven't filled the water pots, there's nothing for me to bring to pour out to the true governor of the feast. Well, Mary valued these things, and I just trust, brethren, that these scriptures will encourage us to value the FA the privilege of sitting at Jesus feet as individuals, of having the Lord Jesus the center of the home, sitting at his feet as families, and sitting at his feet collectively.
I say again, he's made full provision for the pathway. Soon we're going to be home. Soon all the redeemed are going to join in the eternal song, and we'll never take our eyes off Him for all eternity. We'll be at his feet for all eternity to enjoy his company and he to enjoy ours. But all I say, he wants our company now, and this is what brings delight to our soul to spend time at the feet of Jesus to walk with that blessed one who loved us and gave himself for it.
Let's turn UH to the 6th chapter of Judges.
Judges Chapter 6.
And verse one.
And the children of Israel.
Did evil in the sight of the Lord?
And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel.
Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them.
The dens which are in the mountains and caves.
And strongholds. And so it was when Israel, when umm Israel had found that the Midianites.
Came up, and the Amalekite and the children of the East.
Even they came up against them and they encamped against them.
And destroyed the increase of the earth as thou come unto Gaza.
And left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ***.
Where they came up with their cattle and with their tents, and they came as grasshoppers by multitude.
Let's go down.
Verse six in Israel was greatly.
Impoverished because of the Midianites and the children of Israel.
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Cried unto the Lord.
Just wanna stop there for a moment.
I'm sure all of us are aware, but it bears repeating frequently.
That the stories that we have in the Old Testament are illustrations of things that we learn in the New Testament. We do not get doctrine from the Old Testament stories. It's very important to keep that in mind.
Just say that because I think we tend to lose sight of that sometimes, and yet they're very rich in teaching us things.
And I believe this little story of Gideon.
And his days has a lot to teach us.
The direct.
Cause of.
The.
Dealing in government with Israel that God had at this time was that they did evil in the sight of the Lord.
They had gotten away as a people from the Lord and so the Lord delivered them into the hands of Midian. Now for the benefit of the young ones, I remember when I was a young fellow, sometimes I used to wonder, brother would say, well, Midian means right And then I say, well, where did he get it? How does he know that? Was this some secret that this brother had discovered or how did he find it out?
Well, I think it's much simpler than that. It's simply the meaning of the word. It means strife. And God uses that then as an illustration for us of what the Lord sometimes delivers us unto because we've gotten away from Him.
Look back with me a couple of years, 3-4 years and.
Where we delivered unto the Midianites as the people of God.
Where are we?
Yes.
Strike difficulty contention.
And why?
Well, because there were these fellows that didn't want to go on, and we could think of all sorts of things like that. But the real reason is, plain and simple, beloved brethren, that we as a people did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Don't turn away the edge of that because that's God's word and that's what he's saying to us.
Collectively we did evil on the side of the Lord.
Doesn't mean Midian was good. Doesn't mean strife is something that we think is a good thing among us. The results of it are very plain here. Israel was greatly impoverished because of it.
Isn't that so?
Isn't that our story as well as Israel's?
What an impoverishment there was through strife.
Verse two says.
Because of the Midianites.
The children of Israel made them the dens.
Which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds.
I believe that not everyone, but a lot of people that.
Went out from among us.
We're just plain fleeting drive.
Not at all.
But some were fleeing strife and they now is that what God wants us to do, to go make dens and caves? No. I think we're going to see a better path in this chapter.
There's one man that God notices, and we'll come to that presently.
But I think we have to recognize that strife doesn't produce prosperity among the people of God.
And when the Midianites came up, also Amalek came up. Strife leads to Amalek is a picture of the flash.
And the flesh becomes very active when there's strike.
And I wanna call attention to that verse.
That we have in.
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Umm, we're sick.
And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites.
I have a deep love and care for our young people.
They mean a lot to me. They've encouraged me in a way I can never tell you.
And I want you to know.
Various young people, you know who I'm talking about. You've been an encouragement to me.
I don't want to embarrass them that there's one man right there, Jose Luis. What an encouragement he's been to me.
And it hurts me to think of the impoverished condition of the people of God brought on. Why? Because of our failure, because of our doing evil in the sight of the Lord. And God is too faithful to let us get by with that.
And so he delivered them into the hands of Midian. We've got to recognize that beloved brethren that we were delivered into the hands of Midian.
But I think it's very sweet to see this. I'll just call attention to one more thing before I notice it.
And verse, uh three.
And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites and the children of the east, even they came up against them.
Our sewing.
Just seemed to go for north, isn't it?
The sawing that was done, the precious seed that was sown.
It just seemed as if it was overcome.
We were overcome by strife.
Now I wanna call attention to the end of verse 6. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.
Oh beloved brethren, that's the thing that's needed is to cry to him.
What did they cry to him? I don't know. Doesn't say here. But I suspect that the first thing was to say, oh, we're overburdened by this. We're we can't. We don't have anything. This is discouraging.
Because the Lord in answering them, and that's what I want to notice next.
Verse 7 And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, because of the Midianites that the Lord.
Sent a profit unto the children of Israel, which said unto them.
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.
I brought you up from Egypt and brought you.
Forth out of the House of ******* and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians.
And out of the hand of all that oppressed you.
And grave them out from before you and gave you.
Their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.
But we have not obeyed my voice.
End of prophecy.
End of prophecy? Oh, wait a minute. It isn't prophecy encouraging.
Not always.
Prophecy in its basis.
Means a word spoken on behalf of God or on behalf of another, but particularly in the scriptures on behalf of God. There's one instance where Aaron was the prophet of Moses.
It's when one speaks on behalf of another.
And when they cried to the Lord, the Lord answered them.
But it wasn't to say, well, everything is going to be fine from now on.
He didn't say that.
He lays before them the root of their problem.
She lays before them what he had done for them.
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How he had delivered them out of ******* and all, if we look at what the Lord has done for us.
Who of us would not be touched in our hearts as we think of that?
To think of how God has brought us out of darkness into light from the power of Satan to God.
But he's also said to.
I'm the Lord. You're not to serve the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. And, beloved brethren, I believe that's God's word to us. We have.
Served the God.
Of the people among whom we dwell, what are those gods?
Money. Prosperity.
Beautiful circumstances in homes.
Sports and music.
And we've been infected by that worship.
That is all around us, that is, are the gods of the Amorites, and God will not put up with. That is a jealous God.
I'm not saying and please don't misunderstand me that.
We want to impose a system of legality on the Saints of God. That's not the point. The point is where are our hearts?
Are we really a people that the Lord has taken hold of?
That are separated unto him for whom he is the very first and foremost the one Who.
For whom we would live.
And the sad end of the prophecy is you have not hearkened unto my voice.
You have not obeyed my voice.
God has spoken to us disastrous to be holy for him.
We've gotten so enmeshed in everything around us that we've lost our character.
As heavenly men.
That's end of processing.
Profit didn't stay around to give them some encouragement. Afterwards, he delivered that message and he let it sink in.
Are we listening?
Is it true? Do we have to say yes, Lord, we've allowed a lot of things to take possession of our hearts.
Where R.
And I know there are, but where are?
The men and women.
Who are one thing people, one thing that I desire to the Lord and that will I seek after.
Where are they?
The Lord looks down, and he's looking for a separated people. Beloved brethren, does he see it in me?
Or have we worshipped the gods of the Amorites, among whom we dwell now they're not the old gods on the other side of the river.
They're not the Old Gods.
Those who were delivered out of idolatry.
I said praise God, I don't have little statues in my car and I don't have crucifixes hanging on my wall and all that kind of idolatry.
That's the Old gods. But what about the gods of the Amorites, among whom we dwell?
And that's what the Lord would put his finger on in this prophetic message that this prophet gave.
Now I wanna turn to a brighter side of it in verse 11.
Entertain an Angel of the Lord.
And SAT.
Under an oak which was an Oprah.
That pertained unto Joash the ABS right, and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress.
To hide it from the Midianites. Oh, I love this. What a scene it is. Here is a young man.
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Who bucks the tide?
Will you stand up and be counted, young brother and sister, and buck the tide?
What great thing did he do at this point?
The great thing was that a fresh week to hide it from the Midianites. Where did he thresh it? In the wine press? I judge that that speaks of self judgment.
The week.
Speaks of Christ.
And here is this young man who says no matter what the condition of the people of God is, I'm not going to go off into a cave or a den or a stronghold.
I'm gonna stay right here.
And I'm going to get something of Christ in picture for my own soul.
Is that your purpose?
Well, I want you to know that if it is your purpose.
The Lord is sitting there watching you.
Brother Jim was mentioning in his encouraging word.
That is hard sometimes, to take time to get alone with the Lord and get communion, but it's absolutely essential. If we want to go on for the Lord, you've got to do it.
And when you take time in the morning, perhaps getting up.
I won't embarrass her by mentioning her by name, but a dear sister that's sitting right here.
Encourage my heart immensely.
Couple of years ago I was visiting in another country.
And I had gotten up early in the morning to read the scriptures, and I was sitting about 6:30 or so out on the veranda.
Of the home.
And meditating on the Word at my Bible open.
This young sister who was, I think, about 17 at the time.
Suddenly walked down the road from the beach with her Bible under her arm.
And Hermantea if I remember correctly.
You just come from a time of communion with the Lord and she and some other Christians.
Would get up in the morning and go down to the beach and get their little time with the Lord.
What an encouragement that was to me. She didn't do it to show off. She had no idea I'd be sitting there reading.
But suppose I wasn't there? Who did notice it?
This Angel of the Lord, I believe is very clearly from the rest of the chapter, very clearly is the Lord himself.
It's the Lord present and angelic form among his people.
And he came and sat there, I believe at this point invisible to him.
Why do you say that, Brother ****?
The next verse.
And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him.
The Lord is sitting and watching you as you take time. Dear young brother and sister. An older one too. But this is a young man here, still living in his father's house.
And he.
Has that purpose of heart that he no matter what the impoverishment that there is among the people of God, no matter what the effects of?
Right among the people of God, no matter how strife, it robbed the people of God of sustenance, he says. I'm going to have something for myself, perhaps for his family, too.
The Angel of the Lord sits there and watches him.
And then the Lord appears to him.
And he says.
The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of Valor. Wait a minute.
Hiding from.
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Hiding some wheat from the Midianites. Remember, what God calls mighty man of valor is not what we would necessarily call a mighty man of valor. We think of some great exploit, but I tell you, there's no greater thing to do for someone.
Who is in the midst of a condition among the people of God which was brought on by general failure? Who rises above it and says I'm going to get something of Christ for myself?
And I say again, he got it in the wine press.
I believe that's the place of self judgment.
Well, Gideon's rather surprised, he says unto him.
Oh my Lord.
If the Lord be with me, with us.
Why then, is all this befallen us?
And where be all is miracle.
Which our fathers told us of saying.
Etcetera.
You know, there's something very interesting about this. The Angel of the Lord, or I believe the Lord himself, says to him, the Lord is with thee, Gideon.
Now mighty man of valor, but you know he doesn't separate himself from the condition of the people of God. And in the next verse he says, if the Lord if Jehovah be with me, no with us.
We can understand why.
A brother might say, If the Lord is in the midst of those gathered to his name, why all these things that have befallen us?
I've even heard it.
Now I have no doubt that the Lord is in the midst of those gathered together to his precious name.
And in that special sense of Matthew 18 there only.
But he begins to wonder about it.
And he says, Why is all this happened to us? Let's ask it. It's not wrong to ask it. Why has the Lord allowed this to come in? Why have all these things befallen us? Where are the the great days of the uh of the uh apostles, or the great days of the Reformation, or the great days of the recovered testimony in the 1800s? Where are they? What's going wrong?
He says The Lord has delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. It's a good thing to recognize the Lord's hand in all of these things.
Don't blame others. Don't look at others. Say the Lord has delivered us. You know, brethren, one of the things that I'm going to sit down in a minute, but one of the things which has really impressed my soul in recent years is to think about two men among the 12 spies who went up to the land, who gave a proper report, a report of faith, and walked for 40 years with their brethren.
In the consequences of their brethren's failure, that takes grace.
That takes grace.
No, I'm not justifying walking in evil. That's not the point. But to walk in the consequences of failure. We are a ruined testimony, dear brethren, A ruined testimony.
If we are anything, it is a testimony to the ruin of the Church.
Brother **** don't you think we ought to go on? Yes, with all my heart, I believe we ought to go on, because I don't believe God teaches us that we're gonna be anything other than that. Second Timothy makes it very plain that our testimony is a testimony to God's faithfulness in the midst of ruin, not ours.
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I wanna notice verse 14.
Here's another.
Hint that it's the Lord himself and the Lord.
Looked upon him, and said, Go and this thy might.
Dear brother and sister.
The Lord is looking at you.
He's looking in love.
Sanyo.
And if you'll take your place humbly with your brethren in the ruin, acknowledging the ruin, and seek grace from him, he has a word for you. Go in this thy might. What is thy might? What was it?
His might was to go on.
In a path of faithfulness to the Lord, in spite of the ruin, the general ruin, among the people of God.
And I just leave you with that encouraging word. I trust it's an encouragement to your young brother. Young sister, don't chafe under the thought of the ruin. Don't let it. Don't let it turn you aside to say, well, where is the big meetings? Where are the great gospel works? Keep on and do the work of an evangelist. Yes, Don't give up on that.
But be willing to go on with your brethren in a path.
That's a path of reproach. For the glory of the Lord go in this thy might.