Address—L. Kenny
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Could we start a meeting tonight with the same #172?
172 He'll teach us more of live less ways.
Thou holy Lamb of God and fixing rudest in my graves.
As those who did, I love 172 and very simple.
Locate us more.
Than I want to grow.
God and why?
Ray, that was great.
One of the things that.
We noticed from time to time in driving around the countryside here in the Midwest in particular.
But there isn't a whole lot. But not from time to time we see a house which has pillars in front of it, pillars that hold up the porch. Or maybe they're just decorative, as some of us know. There there is. There are kinds of architecture in which the pillars hold up the very building where we live. We don't use pillars for houses very much, but pillars very much are necessary in holding up of of.
Large buildings.
Structures which are made either for manufacturing or for the housing of people, and so forth.
And they have to stand up under some very strong and vigorous stresses.
Not the least of which that could occur is that of an earthquake.
As you know, not too far South from where I live there in Western Washington, they had that severe plate and the San Francisco area, and it proved that some of the newer buildings had certainly been built well to withstand the kind of stresses.
And the forces that were put on those buildings during that time of tremendous shaking.
I wasn't there. I followed with great interest and concern. Prayerful concern is that great event occurred. And of course we were concerned about the souls of those who are suffering, the souls of those who passed from time into eternity. But.
We.
I have experienced a couple of fairly severe earthquakes and I know that terror that can strike the heart when the earth trembles. We think that things are very stable and strong about us and we especially have that expression that is gotten from the Latin I believe, which says Tara perma Terra Firma, which talks about the the firmer. Well, those who have gone through the shaking of the earth in the time of an earthquake does it? It can be very, very non affirmative.
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I had no idea that the steel reinforced pantry could move as much as I saw it moving at one occasion several years ago and still stayed again.
I was thankful I did. I was on the 4th store with the building that was built of that kind of material. I don't know if it would last to another one.
We can be thankful for buildings that are built well.
But we can be much more thankful that there is a building of God not made with hands.
That building which Abraham looked forward to that that place where he said, you know, we haven't the builder and makers job and that which we look forward to is our established place in the glory. But you know, by by grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus, we know what it is.
To have that sweet and settled place in the Lord's testimony here on earth, not an earthly people, a heavenly people, The earthly people was the Jew, the children of Israel, is what I should say.
We by the grace of God, Gentiles redeemed, by the grace of God, brought into a place of immense blessing and the the.
The Church itself is secure, it is defined of our Lord is is growing out of humanity.
Selecting out a body, a bride for Christ. And that's the switch.
The testimony for heaven. But we're here. We're here to give testimony to God, testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who is the sure foundation.
We get much of that in the Word of God, as to Christ is the one who is the chief cornerstone.
A thing like this are very important as we consider them and especially as we consider the household of faith of which you and I are part. I trust all of us here are just to be sure that we know that there is that one way for us to to be sure of our place in the glory, and that's by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the finished work, His shed blood there at the cross of Calvary and our confession of faith.
We're reminded in scripture of this building. I'm reminded that we have those things which the Lord has given us as solid support, solid support.
And the figure that we get in Scripture about that many times has to do also with pillars. That's why I mentioned and talked a little bit about pillars. Like to refer you to a verse that turns out if you wish. But I'm only going to read the one verse in Proverbs 9:00, which gives us this expression. Wisdom at billing for house. She has few now her seven pillars.
And I submit to you that we're given a furtherance of that picture.
In the two pole setting forth of four Dickson planes referred to as dangerous and sometimes pillars.
Let's refer to Acts 4.
For one verse.
These are familiar scriptures to most of us, but the purpose tonight is just to remind ourselves and also for some who perhaps are younger, to especially just get some of the.
Aspects of the support that the Lord has left you and for me, those things which we might tell pillars of the Church also might just simply say that for Christian living as well. We have two aspects that which has to do with our corporate testimony.
And that which has to do with you and me as individuals.
And we get these an acts to the 4th.
The 4th chapter is the first verse that I would like to just mention and this one we get.
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What is said of the early church, we might say this was said about that which is very earliest of the church. The Spirit of God had just been given. He had come down there at the what is called Pentecost, and we have that record a couple of chapters before this. And now we have this as it relates to how the people went on, how these dear children of God, those who went before us, a long way before us, but we would seek to follow.
In the same fashion.
Verse 42 Acts 4 and they and to go back in the earlier part of it we find that he's with the believers. There were some 3000 added just prior to this this church that to this verse and they continued steadfastly.
In the Apostles, doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread.
And in prayer.
Plus 4 + 4 What I would like to call and select to you are fillers to your and me. The Apostles Doctrine Fellowship. Fellowship was one another. The word fellowship carries with it very closely that idea of communion and it makes us think of what it is to be in communion and agreement with God as to His thoughts regarding the Lord Jesus and our pathway here.
And then breaking breath, their large remembrance. He asked us to remember him, and we would do so, and in prayer.
Then if we turn over to Jude or a thought which has some similarity to it, but it is really different if we look at this this chapter in or that, this little book, this little epistle and.
We find in the latter part these two verses which.
Give us something else as it relates to and what some withdrawal anchors and again I'm going to refer to them as Phillips.
Verse 20 of Jude. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith.
Praying in the Holy Ghost.
Keep yourselves in the love of God.
Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ under eternal life.
Now there is a common link in these for which I'm referring to the killers. In this case, these solid points of of support.
And that's prayer.
Your loves that prayer is mentioned in both of these.
I recognize my own failure to spend as much time as prayer as.
Would really be to our Lords Florida and for my blessing I covered to spend more time.
Because it's of infinite value to spend time communing with our Lord through the the intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ and the functioning of the Spirit of God as we do pray.
It's a marvelous length with God Himself. It's not that fearful repetition of things which is empty. It's that of the communion of the heart.
With the follow.
And whether his Son or Lord Jesus.
It is that which links us from which happens. Yes, we have other names, but that's one of the precious words that anyone can engage in. It was said recently. I was listening to a conversation and it was about a a sister in the Lord in her 90s.
She was referred to as a prayer lawyer. You see, prayer is something we can engage in when we can do nothing.
Physical. Physical student.
We are younger.
Need to spend more time. Those who are on in years spend more time. I think the word of God emphasizes it here so that if they were to take these two sections together and we were to consider the fact that we have the apostles doctrine, we have the fellowship, the need for fellowship, the need to be together.
Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as a matter of some image.
Even in the early church there were those who said I don't need to be together with with other Christians. I can be a testimony all by myself to those around and I can commune with the Lord. But he would never have us to stand alone without the the fellowship and the consolation that comes from being with others.
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Our I was I had a conversation this past weekend with Earl Ensign, who I think most of you know.
And you possibly know also that he is he and his wife have more recently taken in his father to care for him, his father dysfunctionally blind. And in telling me a little bit about the burden and yet the privilege that they that they have there, they said one of the things that is a little ironic said, you know, for 40 years, I've kind of come and gone as I wish to. I have been my own person and we and my wife and I.
Have not really had to tell anybody where we're going. But now, you know, when we go somewhere we say, well, Dad, we're going to be going to the store for a little while. Or rather didn't tell them the story. Just said we're going out for a little bit and he says where are you going?
And then they say, well, we're going to such and such a place, It's not a secret.
We will be back watching.
You see, he feels a loneliness. He feels what it is to be alone and dependent.
Recognize we have dependence even when we we shouldn't feel our dependence even when we're not alone. But there was a picture to be of one who tells me whoever felt needed. And thank God it is. It is answered in part by our brethren.
Breaking the bread notice and this is interesting, as important as the remembrance of the Lord is, and we sometimes hear that expression that really all of the Lord has asked us to do is to remember Him.
Notice here, it's not the first of either of these passages. It's not the first one that's mentioned.
That doesn't mean it's less important, but the whole idea is they're all important.
We've heard the if you don't get that with seven pillars, as it were, if you had seven pillars holding something up, it wouldn't depend on one not being there. But you've of course heard the analogy of the three legged stool. Some of us have sit on a three legged stool and know what it is to try to stay up. If one's gone, you don't stay up very well.
It's the fact that all are important. Well, in this case.
Important.
They are really those features, those aspects of what the Lord has provided for the for the Church.
For the right of Christ, your honor, for us to go on to continue.
Where and pray. As I said before, it shows up in both and and I the word prayers is used in the one piece and the other one is saying.
And then we have the other aspects which have to do with building up in faith.
We sometimes, sometimes again by reading the word and prayer we can be build up in the state, but here again we need others to do that.
We we need to be careful about others. We've had an emphasis, some of us this past weekend.
On the subject of shepherding, we need to build up and shepherd, and we need to be built up and shepherd in.
Is something that needs to go always and sometimes those who shepherd when they're asked, well, who you go to as well. I go with the law. Well, I trust they also have somebody.
In the flesh, who can join in? Their names relate to the Shepherd.
Oh, keeping in the love of God.
That which would hold us, hold us.
And it's he has.
Opened up, He has displayed, He has shown forth his love to us when we least deserved it. We couldn't deserve it at all.
And it's that divine love which which is not conditional.
We can hardly feel love which is truly unconditional. I'm not saying we can. Some of you are such especially maybe you really can't, but I but I recognize myself that it's very difficult not to have the matter of someones.
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My being able to express my affection to them if they don't show something in response.
Options system.
Any process with the courts of love.
And looking for the version of that.
Well, I like to see him that the fact that we have the becoming of our Lord Jesus coming of our Lord Jesus. The whole expression here is looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and between life. Now this is not at all intended to say that we wait until we pass into eternity either through death or the the rapture in order to get eternal life. No, No 50 doesn't say that, that if we were to take this by itself, it might mean you might think it best.
But if you have your faith and trust in Christ tonight that you already have eternal life, it's not that which will be achieved at the end of the day going into it in in a more real way, in a sense, because we'll pass the time into eternity, but we will no more genuinely have eternal life. But there will be of course that purchase that that gathering to himself of the purchased possession.
It is the work of the efficient, the letter to the Ephesians. We have that expression. It was seated in heaven and Christ.
That's an accomplished, subtle fact.
What we also have the truth that we must go on a day of.
All right, let's go back and examine now these seven pillars just a little bit more. I'd like to have us get a little bit more of an outline of the apostles doctrine. If we turn over to First Timothy three, we get the introduction to it.
First Timothy 3.
And verses 15 and 16.
Verses 15 and 16 of First Timothy 3.
Give us this instruction. It has to do that with the apostle Paul expressing to Timothy, he says, I want you to know how to conduct yourself.
And here's how, if I tear along the thumbnail, how thou art us to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth, and without controversy. Great is the mystery of God. Let us God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit. See the vengeance preach unto the Gentiles.
Believe on in the world.
Received up into blood.
These the expressions that we have here are worth meditating upon taking much time. It won't be that isn't my purpose to spend a great deal of time on any one thought here, but to give us the scriptural basis at least a a line of things, realizing that I I may not at all have gotten everything that's here. Don't pretend to have gotten it. But here again, it's that which can be the answer to our hearts sometimes when we struggle.
Along the pathway we meet disappointments, we meet those things which are difficult for us because of physical problems along the way where we find that our brethren disappoint us. We we find that the testings of people around, we find that our own heart failed. We fail in testimony, we failed to to show forth Christ to those who are around, let alone our own family. And we need to have a basis from scripture as to.
What it is that holds us up, I realize that it's finished with the price that holds us up and all, but has given us these aspects to consider and to cause us to to realize that there is the multiplicity, there's the Word of God, there's the fellowship one with another, there is that which is remembrance of the Lord and so on. But let's consider here for just a little bit.
What was the Apostles doctrine? Well, in part at least, it includes these factors, and that is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God.
There are many around us who would try to shade that just a little bit, and then all the way over to the point at which they deny that entirely.
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I had a person a few years ago try at length to convince me, because he was so convinced in himself that that the Word of God taught that Jesus was.
Didn't exist prior to the time in which he was conceived there in in the Virgin Mary and then formed in the flesh.
The Word of God proved to us, establishes to us that He was from eternity and goes on to eternity. I want to just remind ourselves of those first verses in the first chapter of the Gospel of John.
Because this this chapter is so rich and there's more than I'll ever get to in this, but I want to pick up just this little nugget and to apply it and see that this tells us that really the Lord Jesus Christ is eternal. He was an eternity past. He is and he will be an eternity future. He is today the unchanging and unchangeable one as he did he become flesh. Yes, we say, holy chief. No, this didn't change.
The fact is that He was God, manifest in the flesh, and He is now.
Then seated in the glory, the man in Christ Jesus. And I'm going to get ahead of myself a little bit because I'll touch on this again.
And that is that, that he is at the right hand of the Father.
The other years making a decision for you and me.
That's precious. That's precious, you say. Well, I heard that before I went around, but it's it's just precious to realize that he is the eternal Son of God. It's in him that we live and move and have our being.
Well, there is. I want to read these verses and we'll get one other factor, and that is that He is the creator of God.
John one verse one in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehend Vietnam.
Well, the darkness could not, not, could not perceive God. And yet He moved, He accomplished, and He created. And it's here that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. And there are those who would try to put the article A here in this verse and would say that the Word was a God.
Absolutely not. Never. It is not so. I'm not a linguist, but those who are assured me the fact that the article A did not show up in the languages in which the scriptures will end.
Not possible.
And we get it as many other places. But but he is.
He walked and overwhelming and He is the creator of God. He is the one by whom all was created, as we have here. All things were made by Him and so forth.
And He is indeed the Creator. So we have him as this eternal Son of God. He is the Creator. We do indeed have the fulfillment of the prophecy that we get in Isaiah or out of seven. And I'm just going to last that one verse and then on. So I wouldn't suggest you turn to it, but it's Isaiah 10 and four, seven and 14.
And we have this statement. Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear Son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. And if we were to turn the 1St chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, we especially get that setting forth of the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus.
And the fact that.
They they she verse 21 of that chapter says she shall bring forth the Son and thou shalt call his name of Jesus and he shall save his people from their sins. God with us Savior Jesus and then we have him set forth and truly the the fulfillment of that prophecy. He was virgin born. That's must you know there are some things as we meet other Christians that.
We sometimes can enjoy the fact that we both have been fought with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and we can enjoy some some things of the scripture and we can kind of not get too badly stopped in our conversation and enjoyment of press with them, except for when one of these points is violated.
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As it relates to the personal work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must not give ground because each of these passes are vital to Him being the one who Goddess, Goddess and the one that is who we have said.
And if we're a lot later down in John chapter one, we find again the expression of the Lamb of God. You see his eternal Son, He's the creator. He was virgin born.
And he is God's substitute.
God's substitute for the Lamb of God, and as we have in verse.
29.
John saith Jesus thy coming and saith and behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world and then over in 36 we get just that expression. Behold the Lamb of God. Yes, it is worth his vital his person is all consuming and fills the horizon and so here in the second verse it's yes, the verse 29 we do have that he takes away the away the sun of the world, but.
We have just the focus and help place himself build the horizon even as the land of God, as the land of God.
Then.
Recognize the finished work of the Lord genius, including including the shedding of his blood and we have from so many passages of Scripture that that it's the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son that cleanses us from all sin is in first John there, but it's without shedding the blood as we have it in the Hebrews and then elsewhere without shedding a flood is no remission, no permission, and it is the blood of the the Lamb of God that cleanses.
And then we have.
As also vital in terms of the apostles doctrine, the fact that the Lord Jesus was in the grave, He was in the grave for three, three days. And I think it might be worthwhile to turn to Matthew chapter 12 for just a moment and see how the Lord viewed that ahead of time and he spoke of in that chapter 12, verse 41.
To actually.
Exported.
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's valley, so shall the Son of Man be 3 days and three nights in the heart of the earth. And then we have our Lord going on in in this particular passage, and we get that that.
Of greater than Jonas is here and then we have that which relates to the king queen of the South. The public's attention is the fact that a greater than those or if you're greater than Solomon, the king of the South came to see Solomon. She came a long ways and some of us sometimes won't go across the street as it relates to something of the Lord Jesus.
But we have.
Assigned an honorary 39th was here to connect it. The Lord Jesus said an evil and adulthous generation seeks after a sign. They wanted something to prove that that they that he was Messiah and there was no sign shall be no sign given it but the sign of the prophet James. And as Jonas was three days and three nights in the in the quail belt, so the Son of man was three days and three nights period.
Then I want to combine. There is a special reason for doing it, except that I really think Scripture makes us think of all three at the same time. And that is the fact that the Lord Jesus is yes, he spent those three days in the grave that he rose from the dead. He has now gone through the glory. He is gratified to agree, and He's coming again.
Let's stay tie together. You see, he couldn't come again if he hadn't risen.
And those, those must be there. So Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6.
I.
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Starting at verse five, starting at verse five, we get knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that is, with Christ in the body of sin, that the body of sin might be destroyed.
Let's see everyone back up. I said five and then I went to 2nd.
If we have been planted together in the license of His death, or vector diversified, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, and that henceforth we should not serve sin, for he that is dead is free from sin. Now if we will be done with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.
Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, that no more death hath no more dominion over him. For that he died. He died in the same once, but in that he live it. He liveth under God. He satisfied God as to question of sin and our guilt.
And he is risen from the grave, and.
Then in first Peter chapter 3.
First Peter, chapter 3.
We have our Lord risen. His resurrection is vital to the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ and that which relates to your salvation and mind. If we if Christ be not raised, we are of all men most miserable, we're reminded.
His resurrection is vital first. Peter 322. We get that next.
Christ, the latter part of 21.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is in the right on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him. To Him be all the glory. Now at this time he is not fully glorified, but he will be at this time He is glorified and he is at the right hand of the Father, and He's the One, the living One.
Who is the reminder to the Father that we are in Him, we are in Him?
We've been given not only the adoption of sons, but we're seen as complete in Him. And another aspect of is that Christ is not complete without us.
His love must have an object.
You, each one of us are objects of his love. I want to get on to that. There's something more that I want to get to, but in in Acts chapter one, I won't turn to it. You're familiar with the fact there that the Lord Jesus ascended into the glory in the sight of many many softened all.
And they that the angels who appeared then said, As you've seen him go, so shall he come.
He's going to come back the same way in the thought, that's how long and you're still coming.
Perhaps that's that's our hope, but I want to get on with that in a little bit too.
What we've been talking about these last few minutes, these aspects of the Lord Jesus Christ, his person in his work and are tying together our our grace coming together in him at least expresses much of what we have in the apostles.
OK.
Fellowship, fellowship, there's much in Scripture as it relates to fellowship. And I just want to read two or three of these because they they bring us to realize from the Word of God how important it was to the early church. And in Acts 4, we get that particular aspect brought out. In fourth chapter of of Acts, we get in.
A few verses here, starting the 1St 32.
We don't necessarily have the same state of the church today, but we have we have here the events and the the actions of these who were part of that early church. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.
That's real fellowship, field communion. Neither said any of them that out of the things that he possessed with his own, but they had all things common and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
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The rest has to do with that common condition as to food and vegan and property and all. We know that that is something that is not continued, but it was the perfect communism, if you will, and the only time that it even worked a little bit. But in this scene, that kind of thing cannot work. As the world at large knows today. Those areas where 40 years and more there has been an attempt. Actually, it's more like 60 years in some parts.
To make communism work on the world. It has failed. It has failed miserably. Why? Because of the nature of man, which is not motivated to go beyond what they have to do unless there is reward.
Thank God our reward is tied up in the glory and what we do here should reflect that. We look forward to that.
I'm not at all saying we should be able to make that work, but it is something which, sadly enough, doesn't let's. What we see here is that which has to do with fellowship, and you and I can enjoy fellowship. We can see that the Lord Jesus.
New and set He knew our hearts, he knows your heart and mind and he knows what you need and he knows that we need fellowship. I just want to read chapter 15 of John 15 because it's our Lord Jesus saying henceforth I call you not servants for the servant know if not what is Lord doeth, but I've called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father. I may notice made known to you. The reason for bringing this in is that we have.
A fellowship between the Father and the Son that communion you have common thoughts you have common a commonality and inflation are not able to understand. He said I am the Father alone, and yet they were too. The Godhead is one and yet to our our three and one that's divine. I don't say that we can really understand it. We can see types and pictures of it in nature, but the point is, is divine.
Don't ever expect as one who is a dear brother in the Lord, that you wouldn't know.
Is has expressed it this way, he said. Oh, you say you don't understand these things as to the nature of God.
Do you really think that God could fit in that little box your mind?
If he could, he wouldn't be divulged.
So don't worry that you don't understand the nature of the police.
Draw an eye through Christ himself, see Him with the affection of your heart, and go forward.
There's a person person here. Again, I'm turning to so many. I don't ask you to turn to them because I I recognize that I'm going to be moving from one to another fairly quickly.
First First Corinthians, the 1St chapter verse nine, we get this expression that God is faithful by whom you were piled into the fellowship.
Of his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, recognize that his fellowship with Him.
And that fellowship with each other. You can't have true fellowship outside of Christ.
None in the world uses that expression. They say, well, and I'm really startled. Me, I just, I'm really disturbed when a man of the world used that term when he said, well, let's go out to dinner and we'll have a little fellowship together.
In the world's things, you cannot make free fellowship. Yes, the world together has what they consider common thoughts to fellowship, particularly in the sense that we're talking about a few, is not possible unless it be in the sense of fellowship with the savior and fellowship one with another to fellowship includes surprise.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 14.
Verse 14 here we are getting to that which has to do with you and the in a practical sense day-to-day, and that is this is a negative side. It's not the positive. It says being not unequally up together with unbelievers for that fellowship have righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what time for it hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidels and what agreement had the temple of God with items.
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For ye are the temple of the living God. We're talking about separation.
From the world and his goals, we thought the separate in the sense of being taken out of the world. We have contact with people in the world. So I'm talking about those things which have to do with linking this together, whether it be in the case of marriage or business or other associations which are the world substitute for fellowship. I submit that is something for exercise. Exercise is the heart and consciousness.
In the want to move on to the next aspect. Here we have the apostles doctrine, we have fellowship, we're breaking. We have the Lord Jesus putting the stamp of the seal, his stamp of approval, a seal of approval on the remembrance there in in Luke chapter 22 where our Lord Jesus met with his disciples at that.
Day of the Passover.
And they sure they remember the Passover more, more than that, he said. This dude in remembrance of me.
This year, in remembrance of me, an incredible and wonderful privilege for you and me. It's not as I mentioned earlier, perhaps it isn't one that we put as a a most important. I think we do well to recognize that these are all pillars. I do recognize that it's the correct response of your heart and mind to what the Lord Jesus has asked us to give the 11 and I might say this to one of you who may not have yet answered to the Lord's request.
Why not? Do you love him? Have you trusted him as your savior? Is your response to that of saying yes? I'm so thankful that he died for me.
You're 11 enough to imagine.
So that he would have us to remember him, he said until I until I come.
Don't have that opportunity once years ago, and the glory won't be remembrance because we'll have this person won't be in need to remember. In the same sense. We will not forget to remember that either, nor will we fail to do it. And we have much to encourage us in that regard. We'll find, as was mentioned by those two, going to Emmaus.
They were on the road to Emmaus and the Lord Jesus went and walked with them and after a little bit of their having the two telling the Lord Jesus what happened because he asked though he knew and was there, they said.
He then opened the Scriptures to them. He spoke of himself starting at Moses and all the prophets and all the way through. He's there. And then as they told about this later, you remember he was made known to them at the time when he booked her.
Besides that, that's what I think that's the bottom right. And they said they, they in telling the disciples when they got back to Jerusalem, they said how he was made known to them, a person of prayer. We see our Lord Jesus Christ in, in a way that we can never see him in any other way. The gospel is wonderful. I'm so thankful because we wouldn't have any claim without the gospel. But once we're brought in, then we, we have many, many privileges as Christians, as believers, and we have much to encourage us along the way.
But I have to admit, there's nothing really any greater than.
That which causes our hearts to flow out and love and please and worship as we remember Him.
I better move on times. There's so much more that we're familiar with these scriptures. Prayer.
Where James 5 and verse 16 is the one which speaks to his exactly the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man of anything much. There are those things which are groundings which cannot be uttered, those things which are which the Spirit of God takes and applies the way they ought to be. There are causes, there are situations we don't know how to pray about. There are those that that are lost, that we long to be saved. We want them to be saved. We can pray about that.
But there are those that have their health has failed, they have are in tremendous suffering. Yes, we want to have their suffering eased. We would like to have them healed, but we really don't know what the Lord's mind is. We ask. We ask for this ask this will be done.
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A prayer. Effectual, fervent prayer is specific.
It is personal.
And it is that which is a communication of what our hearts need is to our Lord.
And we should do it much. And it would Well, I worked at times in my life when I thought, well, I can run out of things to pray about.
I think it's not possible to run out of things. The Apostle Paul in talking about prayer, he said the prayer not ceasing, he said, but I have a job to do. Yes, even while you're on the tractor you can pray. But I'm at the job at the office. I can pray. Do I have? Am I able to get on my knees and close my eyes? No. But God hears me. He hears you when you express the need of the heart before him in the name of Christ.
Use it. He values it, he values it.
Sometimes I wonder why.
Because I know He's sovereign, but He values hearing you pray and me because it demonstrates our dependence and realization that He is able. He is the one who is able.
Building up in faith, I just want to mention the chapter that I referred to and think of as the the chapter which is the Hall of Fame of the Facebook Hebrews Chapter 11. And the first verse of that is the one which talks about faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
You and I need to be building each other up in the faith. We need to be encouraging each other.
As we are together in fellowship, not just having a nice time together, but those things which are are building, encouraging and perhaps challenging each other with what the word of God has to say. These are things that we need.
I want to move on.
Because I want to read several verses about love.
In love.
In the love of God.
Is the 7th of these, or rather it's the sixth of these separate subjects that are are given to us. The pillars I want to read and hear again. Don't bother to turn to it, but it's in.
Jeremiah 31 and three, we get this expression. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. That's from God himself. I have loved thee with an everlasting man.
Ponder that bit deeper body.
Their volumes in it.
I've gone in with loving time, therefore with loving parents and I've drawn this. We have that marvelous verse, John Q16 that talks about the love of God. And then if we go on to the first epistle of John, we get so much there and I just want to leave two or three verses that are.
Are so pungent with with meaning and is so. And I don't mean that in the negative sense, I mean strong. Strong in the sense.
And and marvelous verse eight I'm going to read in first John chapter four. He that loveth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is not if if you exclude love by feelings of of bitterness or hate or of dislike for another human being.
Love is that the the communion with God is is effective and it's not demonstrating the nature of God. The essential nature of God is love, just the kind of thing on a verse three of chapter 3 verse one says, and it's as though the Spirit of God says, I really want you to look at this. I really want you to get hold of it. He says, behold what manner of love but father hath bestowed upon us.
That we should be called the sons of God.
Therefore, the world not it, not us, not because it knew him not. And then to read a few more verses over in the 4th chapter of the same official going on from verse nine, God is love. Picking up verse eight. If this was manifested, the love of God toward us because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that He might live, we might live through him hearing His love, not that we left off.
But that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved of God, so loved us.
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Also, we are also to love one.
Was called to affection to each life, not unreal.
Come out of the scene got into at anytime. If we love one another, God will attend us and his love is perfected in US, hereby knowing that we dwell in him and in us because he had given us pleasant spirit and and so on. There's more, but I'll stop with that because I want to look just a moment.
And what I think to be the thought of the last point, which is looking for the mercy.
To how to get the the entire.
Expression Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. I think that's our one to return.
In the first First Thessalonians chapter four we get the.
Literal statement of the rapture, the coming of our Lord Jesus to catch away his Saints and.
He is at the end of that, he says. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. It's the heart of his coming. It gladdens our heart that drives away sadness and bids cares to part.
You can't end the contemplation of this kind of a subject without pondering that and considering.
I'd like to close with just a little bit of a quote.
And only a part of this really fits.
What it has to do with we who are, by the grace of God, gathered to the name of our Lord Jesus.
We need to be reminded of just what we have been considering.
This quote is from one of the letters, and I don't quote from him very often because I don't think he would like for himself to be quoted very often.
He wished that our hearts return to Christ.
The gospel we may and must rejoice in.
But it only makes the testimony of brethren outside the camp more necessary than ever.
But it must be real.
Artist in love, you know. Must have a real test.
For the world about unto other Christians.
Not hiding in the corner.
So not blowing the trumpet, and this is not part of the quote. Not blowing the trumpet from the corner either.
It must be real.
May they indeed be waiting for the Lord.
And as men that wait for the Lord.
His love is not wanting, it isn't lacking. If you are waiting, If we're seen as those who are waiting for our Lord, His love is going to be manifest.
May we, in first love to him, be waiting for him.
He cannot do so much.
And we should be found watching as much as we can.
Be ready, but in the meantime.
He's left us here to show for the clouds.
The apostles doctrine which we get in the word of God, especially in the epistles, the fellowship on with another for breaking your bread prayers, building up one another in faith, keeping in the love of God personally and with each other as I'm looking for our Lord Jesus Christ soon to come. You're a little violent. He's a shout out will come and will not be.