St. Louis Conference: 1995
Table of Contents
Giving & Receiving
Address—D. Rule
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Afternoon by singing #1.
Of all the gifts thy love bestowed.
Thou giver of all good.
Not having itself a richer nose than the Redeemer's blood #1.
Hello.
Would you turn with me to John's Gospel Chapter 3?
And we'll read together verse #16.
John, Chapter 3.
And verse 16.
For God.
So loved the world.
That he gave.
His only begotten Son. Now turn with me for.
A verse in Galatians chapter 2.
Galatians chapter 2 and Justice, the last part of verse 20.
The Son of God.
Who loved me?
And gave himself.
For me.
This afternoon we're going to consider together giving.
And receiving.
And it's often been said, many of us here have heard the statement made, that it's the motive.
That gives the value to the ACT, and so when a person does something, God not only looks at the thing which is done.
But the value of the thing which is done is.
Concern, too, with the reason for which it is done.
And it's a wonderful thing to the heart to recognize that we.
Come before God, who is a giver.
We know a God, the only true God, and He is a giver.
And.
We have in the verse that we started with the motive for the actions of God.
00:05:00
God is light and God is love and every action of God.
Perfectly expresses what he is, as light and as love.
And so when God gives, he gives with purity out of a heart.
Which is himself, which is love for God so loved the world that he gave. And two, in the verse, the second verse that we read, we have that wonderful expression.
The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. It's the desire of my heart that your heart and mind this afternoon might be touched.
With the heart of God, and there might be that response in us to our God.
Who is a giving God?
Turn with me now to a verse in Acts chapter. I think it's 17.
Acts, Yes, Chapter 17.
Acts chapter 17 and verse 24.
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth.
Dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands. As though he needed anything.
Seeing he giveth to all life and breath.
And all things.
Perhaps this is the beginning of God and as a giver.
God is the source of all things that exist.
God is the giver, as it says here, not that he needeth anything.
You and I are what are called dependent creatures.
We cannot exist without someone else, and can I say, without God as a giver. Our whole existence is dependent upon our God in that way.
And without him, it says in Job speaks about the fact that if he were just for a moment as it were, to draw his breath or cease to concern himself with the affairs of this creation, it would immediately cease to function.
That the not only the creation of the universe, but the constant.
Maintenance of it is absolutely every moment for all time dependent upon God to sustain it. What it would would it be if God for one instant dispensed with, ceased to maintain what man calls the law of gravity? It would be immediate chaos in all of creation. And so it says here. Not that God needeth anything. He is not dependent in any way upon man.
But God himself, man, is absolutely dependent upon God to give. And here it says he giveth life and breath and all things. And so God has brought into existence every one of us that's in this room this afternoon. God is responsible for you.
As bringing you into existence without God, there would be no buddy, there would be no thing. And not only that, but God is the one who is sustaining the life, the breath that you and I have this afternoon. And so you're very continuing existence as a living creature on this earth is because you have a giving God.
Who is presently this afternoon maintaining your existence as a creature on earth who giveth us life and breath and all things.
There are many things which are essential to your life and God continuously looks after those things that you may have them.
We need food to eat, we need sunlight, we need shelter, and so on. And God continuously looks after the affairs of this creation to maintain it, to see that it exists, and to provide these things to you and for you.
00:10:06
There's a question of receiving, isn't there? And perhaps we'll look at that more later, but I just want to pause at this moment and.
And say it's well for us as a creature to be thankful for all things.
It is well for us. Why is God displeased when a man just sits down at the dinner table and eats?
Because He gives not thanks to God, He does not return thanks to the giver. And it is as important, It's important not to forget it, not to treat it lightly either, but to recognize that which comes from God and to respond to Him and to receive that which He gives, not to take it for granted.
Not to be indifferent to it or careless as it were, but it is important for you and I this afternoon to be those who are creatures who respond with thankfulness to our giving God.
And also to recognize that he gives with love.
He doesn't give indifferently, but the circumstances of your life and mine are given to us by a God who perfectly understands us.
And who loves us, and who has the power and the authority to manage?
The affairs that concern our lives, that is the circumstances of them.
Now let's turn over.
To John 3 again.
And reread the 16th verse.
For God so loved the world.
That he gave.
His only begotten Son.
We value something.
Many times according to what it costs the giver to give it to us.
Consider the greatness of this gift.
The gift that as God has given to you and to me.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
The other day I was at my oldest daughters and she's expecting a child.
And she had a number of gifts to open.
And some of the gifts were small, some of them were large.
Some of them.
Or quite expensive, Some not so expensive.
And as I watched her open the various things.
There was one gift in particular. I don't know about others there, how they looked at them or measured them in any particular way. But for me, there was one particular gift that I particularly appreciated, Can I say and value. I wasn't the recipient of it, but because it was given to someone I love, I could value it in that way.
It was a sweater and a little bonnet and a pair of booties.
And it was, I guess, crocheted. I don't know too much about those things, but.
I valued it because I could imagine the effort that was put forth.
By the Giver.
The many, many, many hours of personal labor that had to go into that handmade gift.
By a widow.
Who has a lot of arthritis?
And so it touched my heart because of thinking of what went into it on the part of the giver.
And I would desire that your heart and mind would be touched this afternoon to think.
Of what it cost God.
To be the giver.
Of his own son.
Think of the second verse that we read, the Son of God who loved me.
00:15:07
And gave himself.
For me.
You know, it's one thing to give time, it's one thing to give talent.
Something to give money.
The greatest giver as the Lord Jesus and his disciples watched.
Different people. Putting into the treasury of the temple was a very poor woman.
Who had two mites and she gave them both.
And it was out of the food, I take it that would have normally been on her table. And the Lord Jesus told the disciples that that was the greatest of the gifts that were being given that day.
Because of the cost to the giver, others gave of their excess, their abundance, says she gave of her need, and it was the greatest of the gifts.
Consider the Lord Jesus.
And his love for you.
His love for me, What did he give?
He gave himself.
He gave himself.
No greater.
Thought could ever be given.
But that this blessed person.
As a man.
Gave himself.
In love.
For you.
The Son of God who loved me.
And gave himself for me.
We sang in the hymn that began the prayer meeting the thought of it.
Was the cords of love.
That the heart of God draws around us.
And draws us along.
In grace and in truth.
And so your heart and mind in the measure in which they are touched.
By the love of God and the love of the Lord Jesus.
The measure in which those cords of love wind around us in grace and in truth.
Is that which controls and sustains the lives that we live, our everyday practical lives.
And so here we find, for God so loved the world that he gave.
His only begotten Son.
Why? Because he loves us.
And it's the greatest of all gifts, the gift of His Son for us to give him to meet our need. But God is a great giver, and he doesn't stop there. He's given us many other things, and I'd like to look at a few of them. Turn with me to Romans chapter 6.
I.
Romans, chapter 6.
And verse 23.
The wages of sin is death.
But the gift of God is eternal life.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This verse talks about wages and about gifts.
Notice there's quite a difference. A wage is something you earn.
You deserve it because you've earned it. And so when you labor for something and you're say employer or someone else gives you because you have labored in some way according to some agreement and they give you something, it's not a gift. It is something you've earned. It's something you have a right to. It's something that you should receive from them. In contrast to that, a gift is something that is given to you without.
Merit, It's not something you have earned by something you have done, but rather the emphasis is not so much on yourself as having earned it, but it's rather an expression of someone else's heart or favor toward you. And so the emphasis is more on the giver and what they have given. So here we find both in this verse, the wages of sin is death.
00:20:07
And everyone of us in the room this afternoon is very well aware of that.
That you and I do earn something. We earn the right more than the right, but we earn death by sin, and we have done so. We have forfeited the right to life because of our sins, because of our acts of disobedience against God.
But in contrast to our wages, here in this verse we find the giving heart of God.
The gift of God is eternal life.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God loved us and he gave his Son for us, and through Jesus Christ our Lord, we have this gift here, the gift of God, eternal life.
It's hard to measure. It can't be measured the value of that gift.
Now I was thinking back of gifts that I have received through my life.
And quite a few of the givers of some of the gifts that stick out in my mind.
Are gone from this life. They have died.
And as I look at some of those gifts that touched me in one way or another, some of them were not very valuable in terms of dollars and cents.
Many of them are gone. They're just memories.
And in fact, every material thing, and those are mostly the things that we think of first when we think of gifts, but every visible material thing that we could set our eye upon and that we could give.
Spoke about the gifts that were given to my daughter that I watched her open in the course of time. Absolutely every single one of them.
Will be gone without exception. Not one of those gifts.
As a gift itself is going to endure.
They have a temporary value.
In themselves and their utilitarian value, and they will be used, I trust, and then that time will pass and they will not. They'll be gone. But in contrast to that, God is a giver, gives things to us.
That are ours forever.
That are ours forever. We have been given a natural life. We read about that in the beginning.
And that natural life that we've been given is ours.
To use for God.
For a definite.
God knows exact period of time and because of sin it has already been forfeited and we're going to give it up if the Lord Jesus.
Doesn't come first. We will pass through death.
It's not our hope or expectation, but I'm Speaking of the course of life.
And yet there are things that God gives to us.
There are gifts that God gives to us that will endure.
Forever.
And will never be given up. They'll never be lost.
And this is one of them. The gift of God is eternal life.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. What is it? Eternal life?
It is that life.
That is the life of the family of God, a life and nature.
That gives us the capacity to know our God in a way that we never had known him before.
To have an eternal relationship, a fellowship together.
With our God.
In joy and peace and love.
And righteousness and holiness, and it will be enjoyed together without hindrance.
For eternity this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. And so I now have, and you now have as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I speak to you as a believer.
You have.
A life that enjoys the same things.
00:25:02
Let the heart of God enjoys you have a life. If you have trusted in the Lord Jesus and receive this gift, you have a life that enjoys the same things that the Lord Jesus enjoys.
You can have common fellowship together now.
And forever. It's the gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now turn with me over to John's Gospel to notice another gift.
John's Gospel.
Well, I'm going to hold that for a moment. I want to look at another place. First turn with me to second Timothy.
Second Timothy, chapter 3.
Second Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15 it says that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness.
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The book you have on your lap or in your hand.
Is a gift from God.
As it says here, all scripture is given by inspiration of God.
I'm amazed when I go into a bookstore. We have some very large ones in the area where I live.
And the shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books. I suppose that.
In a typical work day.
There are more words put in print than anybody in this room probably could read in a lifetime.
This world is full.
Incredibly full every day, with more words on paper or on the computer or wherever they're produced.
Just an incredible amount of information available today and being produced every day.
And I suppose if someone could collect it all up, today's newspapers, the books that come off the press.
The words that are given on television or radio or whatever throughout the world in one day, you could spend the rest of your lifetime and you never get through all of them.
Assuming you could even read them in the languages in which they are produced.
But you have in your hand one book.
That God has given to you.
To absolutely govern.
Direct.
For every single circumstance that you're ever going to face in life to give you adequate direction.
To know the mind of God concerning that circumstance, I'm not putting aside.
That there isn't valuable things that are written as to medicine and all the conveniences of life and so on. But I'm saying that God has put in your hand the perfect guide and the only guide.
That you can count on with absolute assurance. There are lots of books up there.
And many of you know I have something to do with the selling of those books. But other than this book, which is held in your hand, there's not a single book up there that you don't have to measure against what's said here.
This is absolutely the only.
Reliable.
Book. It's the gift of God. It is the provision of God.
For your life.
And sad it is.
If you don't avail yourself of it.
00:30:00
If you don't make use of it.
If you don't live your life in it as it were every day. If you don't go to it for what it is.
You're not receiving the gift.
With the value that God places upon it for the benefit of your life.
Now turn over to John's Gospel.
Chapter 14.
John's Gospel, chapter 14.
And verse 16.
I will pray the Father and he will give you another comforter.
That He may abide with you forever, even the spirit of truth.
Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him with you.
And shall be in you.
This is another gift of God for you and for me. This afternoon, in a little way, as it were, we're opening up. We all, I trust noem, But let's say we're opening afresh, perhaps to our hearts.
Some of the gifts that God has given to us, and here's a wonderful one.
The Father, he shall give you another.
Comforter the Holy Spirit.
You have life from God if you believe in the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
And that life gives you the desire to please God.
Do you have in your hands a book?
Which perfectly expresses the mind of God for you.
In all things that pertain to life and godliness. And so you have in your hand a perfect guide to life.
You need someone other thing. You need life. You need the guide.
You also need power.
The capacity to do.
And here we have the Spirit of God.
That will work in your soul.
As a divine person dwelling within you.
To direct your heart and your life according to the will of God, and we'll speak to you as well to your conscience.
When you're being disobedient.
When we obey, the Spirit of God delights to bring the wonders of Christ to our souls and our hearts.
And draw out our affections to himself when we are disobedient.
The Spirit of God may take peace.
In the soul from us.
And leave us with that feelings of conscience that would occupy us with that which we are doing which is not of God.
And so the Spirit of God is a perfect provision for the needs of everyone of us as we go through this life.
Here it's given as a gift of God. In the next chapter it's Speaking of is spoken of as the Lord Jesus himself being the giver and we have the Spirit of God to perfectly manage.
And direct the affairs of our lives.
You know, I sometimes think about that word decision, and we very often speak about the needs to make decisions in life. I've got a big decision facing me and I'm going to have to decide this and I'm going to have to decide that. And so we often speak about decisions in life.
We would be better off.
If we looked at these matters.
As situations in which we need to know the direction of the decision maker, our God.
We don't really have, in the true sense of the word like people speak of it, at least, these kinds of decisions to make. What we need is to know the will of God that we might be able to do it. And God has made absolute and perfect provision that we might know His will. It speaks here as the Spirit of truth, and it tells us elsewhere that the Spirit of God.
00:35:11
Works in US.
And if our hearts and our consciences are right before God, that Spirit of God is going to confirm to our souls that which is of God, and the Spirit of God is going to withhold that confirmation when something is not of God. We're going to sit down shortly to a reading meeting and different ones are going to speak, we trust as the oracles of God that is giving a word from God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ for us.
How are we to receive it?
We have within us the Spirit of God that is going to confirm to the soul that which is of Himself.
If we are walking in communion and the flesh is not opposing.
And there is going to be that if it is not of himself that the Spirit of God would not give confirmation to, and we would be able to detect that as it said, let the prophet speak two or three and let the rest judge and says, how do you know you're saved? I have the word of God for it. But I also say to you that the Spirit of God gives confirmation to the soul that we are the children of God.
And so we know by a testimony that doesn't depend on outside things, but it says the Spirit witnesses to our Spirit that we are the children of God. And so the gifts of God are perfect and complete.
And wonderful.
I'd like to turn over now to the 17th chapter.
MMM.
Of John.
And.
We'll read verse 24, John chapter 17 and verse 24. It says Father, this is the Lord Jesus speaking.
To the Father.
Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.
These words touch my heart and as I reread this chapter before this meeting.
I didn't, at least if I had forgotten it, if I knew it, but seven times over it says that.
Those whom thou hast given me.
Seven times in this chapter.
The Lord Jesus refers to those that were given to him.
You know if a person values a gift.
They're likely to speak about it.
They're likely to say to someone else, oh, I want you to see what was given to me.
You ever see a mother or a father with a newborn child who treats it as a gift from God?
You think they want someone else to enjoy it, that gift that has been given to them? Yes they do.
And they're quite pleased to have the privilege to show you that which is.
They have received from God.
For children, our heritage of the Lord.
Here the Lord Jesus has received a gift from God.
And he values it.
It takes delight in it.
He appreciates it, and here 7 times over in this one short prayer, he mentions it to the Giver, those whom thou hast given me.
Who's that?
Who is he referring to?
You and me.
So I touched the heart. I hope it does.
To think.
That you are a gift.
That God the Father has given.
To the Lord Jesus Christ the Son.
You are a gift.
00:40:01
That the Lord Jesus.
Values.
Above all things.
You are precious.
In his sight.
Perhaps there's someone here this afternoon who has some doubts about whether you're.
Going to stay saved whether you're eternally saved or not.
Think about it.
You are a gift.
Of God the Father to the Son. You are a gift that seven times over he refers to.
With a thankful, appreciative spirit.
Is he going to let you go?
Is he going to say, well I don't want that gift anymore?
I think I'll put it aside.
And see if I can't find a better one.
No.
The gift of love.
That the Father has given.
To the sun.
Connection With that, I'd like to look at a verse in Ephesians chapter one that was read in the prayer meeting.
Ephesians, chapter one.
And verse 22.
Ephesians one and 22 And he hath put all things under his feet, and gave him.
To be the head.
Over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him that felleth All in all.
You are given as a gift of the Father to the Son.
And you are, as part of that gift, one member.
In the hole, as it were. If I could speak it this way. The whole gift.
The body of Christ.
And.
God has not only through the Spirit.
Has in view a body, a bride for his son.
But he has made provision.
In giving such a body that it have a head, even Christ, and he's the giver of it.
And so we have collectively, not individually, much of what we've had to say so far has been.
To the individual.
But we collectively.
Are part of the gift of the Father.
To the son to be his bride.
And he has given him the bridegroom to be head.
Over all things to the body which has been given to him.
And so we are going to enjoy with.
According to the will of God for the next couple of days being together.
In the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and He.
In our midst is going to direct.
The affairs of these meetings.
And we are expected, each one by the Spirit, to follow that direction and to submit to it.
Not having our own way, our own agenda, our own message.
Receiving from our head that which he alone.
Can fully understand and see is necessary for our pleasant good and our present benefit. And so he hath made him.
To be had over all things to the body which is His church.
And we have the privilege.
As members of that body.
Of receiving from himself, according to his direction, that which he purposes to give for our good and our present benefit.
Now turn over with me to.
00:45:00
Verse in Second Timothy.
It's not the place.
It says He hath made given us all things to be received with Thanksgiving.
It's either in first or second Timothy.
First Timothy. Thank you, First Timothy, Chapter 4.
And verse 4.
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it be received.
With Thanksgiving.
We spoke a little bit about, I want to speak a little bit about receiving because it's important when gifts are given the manner in which they are received.
Have you ever seen a little child sometimes who has gotten some gifts on a birthday?
And.
When child's real small sometime and can I say hasn't yet been trained and sometimes you see human nature in a more unvarnished form. You see what adults may cover up being a little older and some different ways, but a little child sometimes gets a gift and looks at it. Yuck.
There's a rejection of the gift really, because it doesn't please them.
It doesn't really satisfy what it is that at that moment that little child wants.
And so God looks at us and expects a certain kind of reception.
To gifts that are given by himself and by others too.
And so here it says in verse four of chapter 4, For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving. This has to do with food in this particular case, but the principle is there that it is to be received with Thanksgiving. Now most of us most of the time appreciate food and find it easy to say thank you very much when a good meal is prepared.
For.
Us, I heard, and perhaps it's worth recounting it again, but in the family of brother Jay Ruskin Gill, one time his children sat down to dinner with him and one of the children saw the food that was prepared on the table and commented, and I forget which food it was. I'll say, just for illustration's sake, there was some asparagus there, and the child did not want the asparagus, didn't look forward to having it.
And so Brother Gill, when he prayed, prayed something like this. Lord, we're thankful.
At least most of us for the food that's here. And I don't remember his children's name, but he in this instance named one of his children, he said. But Joseph.
Isn't thankful for the asparagus, but the rest of us are.
And we thank thee for it.
Now, I don't know what went on outwardly after that, but I suspect the children were a little slower to express displeasure over the food that had been provided.
And so here it speaks about being thankful. But I want to present to you what to me is a very challenging verse in Ephesians in this regard.
In Ephesians chapter 5.
Ephesians chapter 5.
And verse 20.
I'm going to read it Mr. Darby's translation. Giving thanks at all times.
For all things.
To him who is God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is that challenge your soul? Challenge is mine.
Giving thanks at all times for all things. God is one of the few that can speak in universal ways and use that word all.
00:50:06
I suppose if the verse had read giving thanks most of the time for most things.
We could give easy ascent without a question to this verse, but it is unqualified, isn't it?
It doesn't say all things most of the time.
Or when part of the time but it says giving thanks.
At all times, for all things, God orders the circumstances of the lives of every one of us in this room.
And in ordering those circumstances of our lives, we have here a challenge to our souls that we are to give thanks at all times.
For all things it is true that we may in disobedience bring upon ourselves consequences in our lives in the government of God.
And our own foolishness of reaping what we sow.
But here, when it speaks of the way that God orders things in life, we are taught to give thanks at all times.
For all things.
Not simply to accept.
God's ordering of gifts according to what's fun.
What's neat, what seems to produce happiness, and so on in our lives.
Just like to in this connection for example, turn over to Galatians chapter 6.
For one of the things of life.
For which we are to give thanks.
I.
Galatians chapter 6 and verse four it says let every man prove his own work.
And then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. Galatians 65.
For every man shall bear his own burden.
You know, in the children of Israel when they started across that desert from Egypt to go to Canaan.
The Levites were given and assigned the work of carrying the articles of the Tabernacle.
When they journeyed from 1 camp to the next and it was called a burden I suppose in that hot sun.
They might have easily thought, you know, we could do a better job if we would get some ox carts and use the oxen and put these articles on it and so on, and carry it in that way. It would be a lot easier for us and so on.
It wasn't to be.
And in part of giving thanks at all times for all things is that everyone of us is given, and they all perfect wisdom of God, things that might seem to us to be a burden to bear.
In the path of life.
But we need to accept them, to recognize them, and to give thanks for them. Earlier in this chapter. It speaks of bearing one another's burdens, and there are things that.
Can be shared and should be shared one with another when one is bearing a heavy burden, but there are also things in life that have come from the hand of God for us.
To pass through life.
And I want to say we live in a day of grace and we don't have time to go into this, but I would say one of the things that is brought out over and over and over again from our giving God.
Is.
That we live in a day of grace.
We live in a time in which God is displaying his unmerited favor toward mankind, toward us. And over and over we see that he gives grace. Does he give a burden? He gives the grace to Barrett. Is there a need? He says, come to the throne of grace and I'll dispense mercy and I'll give you grace in that time of need. And so no matter what God may.
Can I say see the be the path of our lives and everyone of us is going to have it.
Not just the gifts that we think of all every day is going to be gift opening day is that we're but I will say every day our giving God gives what's needed for that day that we might walk pleasing in his sight and for himself.
00:55:16
Our time is almost up, but I just want to refer to how we receive as well.
Perhaps a word to young people, particularly in this, but to all of us.
In Luke 15, you're familiar with the story. There is the young man and he goes to his father and he says, father, give me.
Give me that is the spirit of the day in which we live.
Give me and give me now.
And don't bother me with payment at the present time. I want my fun and I want it now. I want my freedom. I want my car. I want this, I want that, I want the other. And we're like that not only with sometimes parents, but with God. We say, you said you're going to give me things for life. I want my health. I want my wisdom or my intelligence.
I want my looks, my beauty, whatever it may be. I want you to give it to me now.
So that what I can leave your presence and go out and enjoy it. And that's what the young man did. He said father give me and his father gave him and he went away. He did not want to enjoy it in the fellowship of the father. So he leaves the father's presence. He goes into a far country and he wastes his life really until he had spent everything and then his friends and what our friends of that variety.
But those are willing to enjoy what you have to give until you don't have it anymore. And then?
Sorry, find someone else.
A word of warning.
Don't take what God gives except to enjoy it and use it in fellowship with God.
Any other way of taking what God is giving to you?
Will only bring sorrow.
The only path through life that brings peace.
And many occasions of joy, and others of sorrow as well, but the only path of peace through this world.
Is a path in which you accept the gifts of God.
And enjoy them in fellowship with him.
And any other way is ultimately going to bring you to the same point of sorrow as the young man in Luke 15.
God doesn't change if you're already there.
He's looking for you. He wants your return.
And his arms are outstretched, and he has more things to give.
But remember.
Now thy Creator, in the days of thy youth, let's pray.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-4
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Oh my God.
Maybe the mind of the Spirit of God to.
Take up the first chapter of First Thessalonians and I was thinking of our brother's address and.
In part of the second chapter.
Where you have.
One giving and the Thessalonians receiving and how they received and and the atmosphere of love found in those in that epistle, I.
One reading to my brother and might consider that.
The first chapter and maybe.
All first eight verses of chapter 2.
To consider that portion.
There's Thessalonians chapter one, and perhaps for now the 1St 8 verses of chapter 2. Would that be profitable?
First Thessalonians.
Paul and Sylvanus and Tumultius, under the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you, all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor, of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the sight of God and our Father knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God for our gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost. And in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake, and ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost.
So that ye were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and IKEA.
Or from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia, but also in every place. Your faith to godward is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turn to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven.
Whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come for yourselves, brother, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain. But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully untreated, as you know, a Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God, with much contention.
For our exhortation was not of deceit.
Nor of uncleanness, nor in guile, but, as we were allowed of God.
To be put in trust with the gospel. Even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time use we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness. God is witness, nor of men sought. We glory neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ, but we were gentle among you.
00:10:27
Even as a nurse cherishes her children.
So being affectionately desires of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because you were dear unto us. Doug, would you read also Acts 1917, the 1St 9 verses, Act 17 one through 9.
X-17 one.
Now when they had passed through Antheus and Phyllis and Apollina, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead.
And that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Jews a great multitude, And of the chief women not a few. But the Jews, which believe not moved within me, took under them certain lewd fellows of the baser sword, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the House of Jason.
And sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, and cried, These that have turned the world upside down are come hit her also, whom Jason hath received. And these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus, And they troubled the city, and the rulers of the city.
When they heard these things and when they had taken security of Jason and the other, they let them go.
This was one of the first that Paul may have written and but it it also is.
Full of that first love that the assembly had, and it seems like we could consider it for our the stimulation and enlargement of our own heart, since our brother Don has been bringing before us, as we see the manner of the servants of Christ among those people, and the manner that they responded to the gospel preached to them, and so.
That's why I suggested this that.
Might be for our prophet in that way.
There were those two classes of people that we, as we read in the Acts that at Thessalonica there there were those unbelieving Jews, you know, it says of the Berean Jews that they were more noble than those at Thessalonica. But there was also that great multitude of the Greeks that believed, and in our verses we read that they received the word.
As it was in truth, the word of God. And here we have before our eyes portrayed the effect of the Word of God working without restraint in the lives of men and women of God. And it's something that we could covet in our own lives, this.
00:15:16
Unshackled working of the word, and unhindered that as it's of.
Brought into our hearts and consciences, there is affection and holiness.
Developed in our lives and you just seems like it's beautiful to see that affection here in our verses.
It's interesting to see that here in the early history of the church, or shall I say earlier history of the church, this is the is, Henry said. It's probably the first epistle that Paul wrote, and in verse three it says remembering without ceasing your work of faith.
And labor of love.
And patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father in the message to Ephesus. I believe it is.
In Revelation chapter 2, it speaks of the same thing without the qualifying.
Adjectives.
Oh, I was reading chapter two, one verse two of chapter 2. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil. And thou hast tried them, which say they are apostles and are not, and has found them liars. Well, this is.
Probably.
60 plus or minus years later after he wrote. I don't mean 60, maybe 50 years after he wrote first Thessalonians that John wrote.
To the Ephesians in the Book of Revelation.
There is certainly a decline in the character of Christianity by that time.
The Church is failing. How much more has it failed since then? But.
In In the beginning of the history of the Church, we find this character of.
The Saints, at least in Thessalonica, their faith was their work was a work of faith.
Their labor was a labor of love and.
Patience of hope, so they had.
They had much to show for what they were, for the character that they were bearing, their hope, their faith and their patience. And then we see it declining half a century later now.
There is.
There is still faith and there's still hope and there's still patience today, but it's not what it was in those days, the days of Paul at Thessalonica.
This is the one church, is it not, in which the Church of which is in God the Father, then our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father. There were just babes in Christ to us, weren't they? One was thinking of that hymn that we sang.
Thou gave us an eternal love to him to bring us home to thee.
Through the divine all thought above, and so on in that past eternity, God.
The purpose of the desire of God was to have a people before him in glory, just like his own dear Son, the one who and whom he found all his delight. It was his desire.
And the Lord Jesus leaves the glory He comes down into this world in order to accomplish the work that would bring about the the perfect fulfillment of all the Father's purposes of love and grace.
It was the father's desire to have us.
In this before him.
And in that same glory with Christ, he has given us a life.
00:20:04
And a nature.
Perfectly suited to the presence, to his presence, Olive, His desire is to have fellowship with us, and it is He's given us a life and a nature.
That is makes us capable of having fellowship with himself. And this is the desire of God. Well, here are some of those dear Saints.
Just a little few there were.
Down there at Thessalonica, saved by his grace, God had them marked out in that past eternity.
Just like he had you and me and all his own. Well, one day we're going to see those dear Saints Thessalonica.
And how much they cost the Apostle. But he could say what is our joy or crown of rejoicing.
Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming?
Those Thessalonians Saints are going to be his crown in that day, but here they are seen as as kept in God the Father. They are preserved and kept in in God the Father. It's a it's a Father who is was caring for them and taking care of them. And He's taking care of you and me and all his own today.
New believers in the Lord Jesus. I think it's been suggested that maybe there were six, maybe six weeks saved when the apostle wrote this epistle, and I've enjoyed that thought too in connection with in God the Father. It belongs to babes in first John chapter 2 That they know the Father, not beautiful, being brought into relationship with the Father.
An old brethren, what a tremendous thing to realize. The Father's love is towards us unchangeably. God has proved how much He loves us in a way that cannot be questioned at all any longer. That's the position you and I occupy now before God in Christ is in the Father's love.
Tremendous to to revel in the enjoyment of that we have a Father who loves us unconditionally.
John brought that out too, didn't he? He said. I write unto you, little children, because you have known the Father. But I was thinking too, as we read this portion, how it's nice to see the heart of the apostle come out here, because there's always a tenderness in the heart of the apostle towards his brethren. But I've enjoyed it, especially here, with these new converts, those who are newly saved and gathered to the Lord's name. He speaks of himself in the second chapter of an as a nurse.
And as a father in his desire for their good and blessing. When we read the life of the Apostle in the.
Book of the Acts we see that before he was saved, his whole zeal and his whole energy was to stamp out the name of Christ and persecute the Christians. But after he was saved on the Damascus road, and there was a work of grace in his own soul, then his whole zeal and energy and desire was that not only would souls be saved, but that they would go on in the good of what they had in Christianity, and that they would enter in in a deeper and fuller way.
To all that they had in the Father and in the Son. You get a similar thought expressed with the Apostle John when he wrote. He said, I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in truth. And her brother has already alluded to the end of the second chapter. To me, it's just as if Paul says, when I see you, Thessalonians at the judgment seat of Christ, and I see you get a rich reward for following the Lord and going on in the truth, he said, I'm going to rejoice. Well, brethren, it's a heart that we all need to covet. Do we have that shepherd's heart, that pastoral care for the Saints of God that would desire not only the salvation of souls, but that souls be nourished and cherished in the assembly and encouraged in the Lord? There's a lot to discourage today. And I appreciated Brother Dave suggesting that the 17th chapter of Acts be read because.
We might read that and say, well, with all the opposition, when the gospel went forth at Thessalonica, was there any blessing? We might wonder if that's all we had to go on, whether there'd really been a work there. But we turn over to this epistle and we find that there had been a work there. There had not only been souls saved, but now they were going on in the truth. Because when there's when there's opposition, it usually is an indication of a work of the spirit of God, because the enemy is right there to try and hinder the work and to discourage the and confuse the people of God.
00:25:11
But here we find there was a great work. And, brethren, I know these aren't the days of Thessalonica. They're not the Apostolic days of the Church. But Brethren, the Spirit of God is still working. He's still saving souls. He's still gathering to his precious name. He's still preserving the feet of his Saints. And let's seek grace to encourage one another in the Lord. And to have that shepherd's heart and that pastoral care that would seek to nurture the people of God is so necessary in these last days.
Beautiful to see how the Apostle in the this book and in the next book two joins himself to two other servants of the Lord, Sylvanus, which is Silas and Timothy.
In his addressing these believers, and I think that's a mark of a real servant of God too, isn't it? That he's joins himself with others, he doesn't make himself the sole figure and that everything revolves around him.
That he recognizes that God uses other instruments for blessing. And brethren, we should rejoice when we see in any measure blessing being given through other instruments. God uses some instruments we might not.
Expect he might use sometimes he used a a donkey to reprove Valen. Then you might not expect that. But God uses whom he will, and I think it is for us to recognize when there is blessing through other instruments.
Still.
I think you see, Bob, a sad contrast with Saul the King Saul in the Old Testament because he was Jonathan was used one time to win a great victory in Israel. And Saul came along and tried to get the credit for himself. He wanted to be, shall I say, the center of attention and not to give the credit to another. And so I think what you say is very lovely because God has a path of faith for each one of us. But it's a wonderful thing when we can serve the Lord together. We often think of that verse being laborers together with God.
And that's true. It's as we labor in a corner of his vineyard, but we can do it together. And so I think you see this with the Apostle Paul. And later on he took others with him too, and he delighted to commend those that had a service. So it says in Galatians, let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. And I don't like to refer to myself, but I've often appreciated having another brother along.
Service for the Lord because often it's a balance where perhaps I don't feel I have.
Liberty or can carry out some function another can can carry that on as many. You know, I've often traveled with our brother Charlie Little, and I've appreciated him because he has that quiet pastoral care in the home and he's an excellent visitor. Where I feel myself sometimes I fall down in that department. And so I just say that to show how that God can often bring in a balance and give a fuller ministry and more liberty when we seek to go on and work with the people of God in that way.
Grace be unto you in peace from God our Father.
And the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what God desires for his each one of his own. And in the assembly piece and the grace beyond you in peace, and it flows down from heaven, well, it gives us something of the atmosphere of heaven, doesn't it? What a wonderful thing it'll be in that day when we were gathered home in the Father's presence. All the peace, the peace of that of that of the Father's house.
Oh, how wonderful it will be. God is the God of peace. He's spoken of a number of times in scriptures. God is the God of peace and we will enter into enjoy that peace. Well, we're not there yet, but we're on our way. But he would have us to in spirit to enter into and enjoy that what he is in himself as the God of peace. And it is this which through which by which we can go on through the the difficulties on the trials and the circum hard circumstances of life.
Peace of God. The peace of God which passeth all understanding what a blessed God we have is the God of peace. He's all love to us too. God is all love to us and there isn't anything that happens to us. Not a circumstance but it, but it's what is His love has ordered or allowed and it's all going to end in blessing.
00:30:17
All right, Dave.
Wisdom is his name.
And he God is love.
And he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. So can't we trust him fully, fully trust him? Because omnipotence, all power is His, and wisdom and love are working for our blessing. There can't be anything to touch us any time of our life, but it's what's good for us.
I think it was a very nice brother Jennings, how you referred to those.
Contrasts in Revelation chapter 2 with Ephesus because, as you pointed out, the same words are used there, but no faith, no hope and no love.
What was the difference? No doubt in Ephesus they knew far more truth at that point.
Then the Thessalonians knew here they had had the benefit of the epistle to the Ephesians with, I suppose, the highest truth that God has ever given to man. And outwardly everything was going on well.
But the apostle lays his finger on the very root of the problem, doesn't he? Thou hast left thy first love.
The Thessalonians here were happy, and as someone has remarked, the Church was the happiest when it knew the least. What was it? Oh, it was Christ that was before them, as her brother Henry remarked, There was the freshness of first love. There was the freshness of joy in that blessed one. There was the hope of the Lord's coming mentioned in every chapter of this epistle in a slightly different way, slightly different viewpoint, but mentioned in every chapter. What was it?
Oh, it was Christ that was before them. And I suggest, and I know our dear brethren would agree with us, that what we need.
In our hearts is to have that blessed one before us. Do we need truth? Indeed we do. Indeed we do. And God wouldn't have given it to us in His word if it wasn't important. But I suggest that the Spirit of God never occupies you and me only with the truth, but rather with the One who is the truth. And then all truth is connected with Him, and with that blessed 1 The attraction to a person. And that's what they had here, didn't they? That's what brought the joy to their hearts, was the fact that Christ was before them the freshness of first love.
The freshness of the gospel, the freshness of that hope, and everything, of course, that flowed from that in their affections and in their joy. Well May God give us to know that in our souls not in any way, as some would say, to neglect the learning of more truth, not in any way to neglect the deeper things that God has given us all my know, but always to enjoy them in connection with that blessed one with whom God would connect them all.
God the Father just the fun things how that when the Lord.
Took those little children up in his arms. How a father loves to pick up his little children.
And maybe at the end of the day he comes home and picks them up in his arms and loves them and kisses them, and they're under the door to meet him. Father loves to have his children around himself. Well, when the blessed Lord was down here and there and that blessed, lonely man, he picked up those little children in his arms and he blessed them.
Well, he could say to the disciples, they said to him. Lord, show us the Father.
He says to them, Have I been so long time with you? He that hath seen me has seen the Father. They've seen him pick up those little children and love them and and bless them. And this, this is the Father revealed. This is the God and the Father that we have come to know.
And this is the one we have referred to here as as the Church of God which is in God the Father.
Our brother Bill mentioned that there was not a lot of knowledge, and others have brought that out. These were believers in the freshness of their early love of Christ. Brother Jennings at the beginning of the meeting reminded us of that sad condition that had happened in Ephesians. But you know, beloved brethren, there's something exceedingly lovely here when we look at the first chapter and the second verse and the third verse. And Paul gives thanks to God for their work of faith.
00:35:15
Their labor of love and their patience of hope. And then, if we turn to the second epistle, written to these very same people, and again in the first chapter, we find these words again in the third verse of the first chapter of the second Epistle. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren at his meat, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of everyone of you toward each other aboundeth.
So that we ourselves glory in you and the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions.
Tribulations which he endured. Wasn't that a lovely encouragement that here were a group of Christians who we've already established didn't know very much but they didn't go down. They increased. They abounded. And so in the second epistle their love and their faith is exceeding and it's abounding and it's growing and beloved brethren that can encourage us Sometimes things get rather discouraging today and we see failure in ourselves and.
Unfortunately.
Sometimes we see failure in others, but here were those who were going through extreme pressures and persecutions and trials, and they were commended early.
As whether Bob pointed out, just a very short time after they'd been saved, perhaps. But then the second time Paul writes, he can even commend them further. They're growing. That's what the Lord wants for us, brethren, in these very darkest days is to attach words like abundant and exceeding to our faith and our love. And it can be even in the darkest of days in which we live.
I think that's good because, well, it's true that Ephesus had departed collectively from their first love, and that is a point of departure which collectively the church has never been fully restored to. In fact, I believe it's the point of all the failure that later comes in those epistles to the seven churches. But it is possible for a Christian individually to be in the enjoyment of first love. In fact, they ought to be in the enjoyment of that first love as we're occupied with Christ. But I would just say that we don't want to overlook verse 2 here because.
As all that we've been saying concerning the Thessalonian brethren is true, and we rejoice at their faith and love and hope and their service for Christ and so on. Yet as the Apostle Paul wrote to them, he said that he was continuing to pray for them. This turnover for similar thought to Philippians. I think it's good to see the context of this.
And you get it in a similar context in Philippians chapter one.
And verse 3.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, for you all making requests with joy. I think it's significant that the two times the Apostle speaks of specifically praying for the Saints in an assembly and as an assembly are on 2 occasions When the assemblies were going on very well. There was again a freshness at Philippi. They were going on well. There was a testimony in the gospel.
And so on. And Paul says I'm praying for you. He says the same thing here to the Thessalonian Brethren.
This was mentioned one time at an assembly and a sister came to me after and she said, you know, she said sometimes I feel bad when we come to the assembly prayer meeting because she said they pray for those who aren't, who aren't there, those who have perhaps become indifferent, those who are sick and have a special need and so on. But she said, I think it would be good if we prayed for those who are there, those who are going on for the Lord, those who have a desire to be at the assembly meetings and so on.
And I thought it was quite a rebuke because, brethren, I believe that we need, like the Apostle Paul to use prayer as a preventative measure. Sometimes we fail to pray for someone until they've got cold in their soul or some difficulty, or they're sick or they're in some real trial or circumstance. But maybe if we prayed for the Saints that are going on well and that are at the assembly meetings and for those assemblies that are going on in the freshness of first love and so on, perhaps it would prevent many things. And so I just point out here that the such was the heart of the heart of the Apostle Paul for these brethren that he said, I know you're going on well, but he said.
The, as it were, the enemy is going to be busy, and I'm going to pray for you that you'll be preserved by the God of all peace and by the Father that you have come to know.
00:40:00
Real secret brethren, in our seeking to go on with the Lord in these days of ruin, in many places there are just a few. But the secret is looking up to God as the God of all grace. And that's why it's a beautiful grace be with be unto you in peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is unmerited favor. He gives brethren not because of the any worth or value or.
Or faithfulness on our part. He gives because he's a giving God.
And if we can just look up to him in that simplicity when we come together.
Remember meeting up with some believers way out in the back areas of Bolivia? They had met some missionary some time before and had gotten saved, but the missionary was just going through and.
So I asked him, do you have any meetings here? He said. And they said, no, we don't have any pastor here. We need a pastor, I said.
Do you know how to read? They said yes, we know how to read. Do you know how to pray? Yes, we know how to pray. But can't you get together and read the scriptures and simplicity? You don't have to explain it, just allow God to speak to you through the scriptures. And if there's that simplicity of looking up to God as a gracious God, oh how he loves to give and it doesn't matter.
Brethren, he uses the most insignificant things sometimes to minister to the need of his people. Mention sometimes the case of the boy with the lunch of five loaves and two fishes, and God used the Lord Jesus used that to feed 5000 people, and there were more leftover after they got done than they started with. That's the kind of God we have. And you might say, well, there's no gift in our meeting. There's nobody that really can explain the scriptures. That may be the case.
But what kind of a God do we have? We have a God that delights in giving, and so if we can just look up to him in simplicity and realize that God gives not because of what we are, but because of what he is, that's grace.
Perhaps what you say is borne out by two scriptures. In the end of Hebrews, we've been Speaking of the peace of God. But there you have the God of peace. And I think it's very beautiful to see how that when he calls us into into a position of blessing, he doesn't leave us to our own devices. He provides everything that's needed to go on in that place of blessing. And so he says here in Hebrews 13 and verse 20, now the God of peace that brought again from the dead.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Now notice the 21St verse.
This is the God of peace. Now make you perfect in every good work to do his will.
Working in you, that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen. It just confirms what you say, Brother Bob.
There's two, it says for you all.
He didn't say. Well, there's some of you I love, and some of you are kind of a little hard to love, so we'll have to leave you out.
But this true heart of a servant of Christ was a servant of Christ who loved every single one of the assembly. He didn't. He wasn't selective about it and said, well, I have my favorites because this brother goes on better and that sister has a nicer personality. But Paul was truly a reflection of the heart of Christ, and it was one that says as it says in verse two, we give thanks to God always for you all.
And where Jim read in Philippians 2, it says praying for you all with joy. The natural heart tends to have favorites and say, well, I kind of like this person, but I'm not so sure about that one. But not so with the Spirit of Christ in the heart of God. He loved all Ben, and he gave his son for all. And here we find that the Apostle Paul is a reflection of that he was.
For all the Saints in Thessalonica.
Should never narrow our hearts affections, any lesser sphere than all God's redeemed people. I was thinking of in Colossians chapter one how the Apostle Paul speaks in his desire for the believers. In the end of the chapter he says in in connection with Christ in you the hope of glory, verse 28, whom we preach.
00:45:25
Warning every man and teaching every man.
In all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. How often it's happened to me, brethren?
Somebody.
Seems hard headed to me and so I just kind of give up on him.
But the Apostle Paul didn't give up.
Warning every man teaching every man in all wisdom. Why, to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Tremendous.
Their state in response to the apostle was such that it caused him great joy. He presents himself as a father to them with his own children. The end of verse 11 of the next chapter.
Follow
Gospel—B. Prost
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
But we'd like to welcome everyone to the gospel meeting tonight. The word gospel for those who.
Aren't familiar with it means good news, and it's good news that we have for you tonight and we'd like to welcome everyone who is here. Let's begin the meeting with hymn #19.
This might seem like a strange hymn to give out at a gospel meeting because it makes you sing as if you already knew the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. And I know as I look around this room that there are many here.
Who can gladly, happily do that? And if you Can't Sing this hymn in truth?
Just listen as we sing it, pay attention to the words, and when we turn to this precious book, in a little while you'll see why we can sing like this. Maybe we could stand and sing #19.
Oh Christ, and they my soul.
No, no.
I.
Will be nice. I stood to look great.
For my heart.
00:05:44
I'd like to sing another hymn, this one that I think all the children will enjoy.
It's #44 on the back of the hymn sheet. This was always a favorite in the Sunday school back home, and I believe still is into the tent where a gypsy boy lay. You know, we don't see gypsies very often in North America, but you can still see them in different parts of the world. And this is not to downplay.
Anyone who finds himself in that situation because God delights to bless, whether rich or poor, old or young. But this is a true story on which this hymn is based. Let's just remain seated and we'll sing #44.
Into the tent where a gypsy boy lay dying alone at the moon.
No, no.
Nobody.
Out there.
No.
It's hard for me to sing that hymn without choking up a little.
When I think of how that little gypsy boy accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior when he had heard for the first time for the first time, and it's hard for me to believe that there may be people in this favored land of the United States of America who haven't heard about the Lord Jesus.
00:10:07
But I was shocked some years ago when 2 little girls came to our local Sunday school, 8 years old. They were twin girls and when they were asked about the Lord Jesus Christ and did they know who the Lord Jesus Christ was, they said we've never heard of him before.
Amazing. Amazing and yet true. I heard it with my own ears. And so we're not ashamed tonight to take up this precious book, the Word of God.
And to do just what we read and what we sung in that hymn. Tell it again, tell it again.
I look around this room and I see for the most part, a company that knows the gospel. I see children and older ones too, who have heard the gospel many times.
But I ask you tonight, and there may be someone here who hasn't heard it before, but I ask you tonight, if you have heard the gospel of the grace of God before, what does it mean to you? What does the Lord Jesus Christ mean to you tonight?
I'd like to turn to the 19th chapter of Luke's Gospel please. 19th chapter of Luke's Gospel.
Here we are going to find.
Three people.
Three people.
And that word follow is used in connection with all three. All three.
That word follow not only following, but following the Lord Jesus.
Is used in connection with them.
And I believe there's a message here for each one of us. Let's start reading in Luke's Gospel, chapter 19.
Or I'm sorry, chapter 18, I beg your pardon, Chapter 18, Luke's Gospel, chapter 18 and verse 18.
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said unto him, Why call us thou me good? None is good, save one, that is God.
Thou Norse, the commandments do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing, Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God? For it is easier for a camel to go through a needles eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house.
Or parents, or brethren, or wife or children, for the Kingdom of God's sake.
Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come, life everlasting?
Then he took unto him the 12 and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished, For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated and spitted on. And they shall scourge him, and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of those things, and this saying was hid from them.
Neither knew they the things which were spoken. And it came to pass that as He was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging, and hearing the multitude pass by. He asked what it meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him that he should hold his peace. But he cried so much the more.
00:15:15
Thou, Son of David, have mercy on me.
And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto him. And when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight, thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they sought, gave praise.
Unto God.
As I said a moment ago, here we find incidents in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ when he was here on earth and in connection with the rich young ruler, in connection with Peter and in connection with the blind man who was made to see. We find following the Lord Jesus mentioned in connection with each one. And I say to each one of you tonight.
That I want to talk about the Lord Jesus Christ and you cannot be neutral to that one here tonight.
You cannot pretend that he doesn't mean anything to you, because that one is the one that God has sent down into this world.
That one is the one who went into death, as we read here. That one is the one who rose from the dead and who is now risen and seated at God's right hand. And all of God's purposes are centered in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sad to say, today we hear his blessed name used in profanity, in slang. We hear it used in every way but the reverence that it should have.
Tonight, with God's help, I would like to bring each one of us into the presence of God and to make you realize, first of all, who that Blessed One, the Lord Jesus Christ is, and secondly, your need of Him.
Let's consider this first man here, the rich young ruler.
He comes to the Lord Jesus with what seems to be an honest question, and I believe it was an honest question. Well, good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Oh, he knew deep down in his soul that there was more to life.
Than what he could see around.
And may I suggest to each one here tonight that if you are honest with yourself.
You realize the truth of this precious book that tells you that man was made for eternity.
And not for time. You know that your existence does not end when you may leave this world in death. Oh, there are many people today that are trying to persuade themselves of that. Many people today that would love to think that when we are put into a grave, if such is the case, that that is the end of all things.
This precious book tells us very clearly.
It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Do we need to turn to that verse in Hebrews Chapter 9? No, we don't need to turn to it. You know the truth of those words, as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
You and I were made not merely for time, but for eternity, and here we find this young man coming to the Lord Jesus.
With an honest question, do you have that question tonight? Many people today are asking what the meaning of existence is.
I can still remember the stir that occurred in the office building where I worked when I came in one morning and found that someone had thrown out the question, Why are we here? Why are we here? I remember saying to one of them that you and I can offer all kinds of opinions as to that, but there is only one place where we can find the answer, and that is in the Word of God. We had it brought before us this afternoon.
That this precious book is a gift from God. But it's more than that, beloved friends, it's addressed.
With all authority from God to you and to me, do we receive it as such? I trust so. I trust so. But here this rich young ruler comes to the Lord Jesus with his question. And you know, the Lord's answer might seem to be somewhat abrupt. He says, why call us thou me good? There is none good but one that is God. Oh, I believe this rich young ruler was looking at the Lord Jesus.
00:20:24
Merely as a man. And he said to himself, there is a man who has got it together. There is a man who seems to be able to do what I've been trying to do, and I can't seem to do it. And I want to know what his secret is. And the Lord Jesus. And that reminds him rather abruptly that if he were addressing him only as a man, he was missing the point. Here was one who was not only man, and he was man just as much a man.
As every man in this room without sin, but he was also the Son of God.
Oh, that that fact would sink down into your soul. I can still remember when I was in grade 8 and the teacher stood up and said who was the greatest man that ever lived?
And you know what the answer was? The answer was Christ.
But I remember thinking to myself, young as I was, he was more than a man, he was God.
Well, the Lord Jesus continues to take up the question. He says, well, you know the commandments.
Because this man was a good Jew. He knew what he was supposed to do. Excuse me.
He knew what he was supposed to do in the Lord. Jesus says, what does the law say? You know what it says? And he recites some of the commandments. And this young man says, I've done all those things right from when I was young.
And there may well be someone here tonight who can say that. As I said before, I'm looking into the faces of those, for the most part, who have been brought up in good homes.
Many of them Christian homes. But maybe you haven't either. Maybe you haven't either.
But here was a young man who had been brought up in a good home, who knew what to do.
And he says, I've done all those things from my youth up, but oh, here we find the Lord Jesus putting his finger on the very thing.
The very thing that this young man needed tonight, my friend, with the help of God, we want to put our finger on the very thing that you need. You know this young man wanted something to do.
And God often takes us up on the ground of the way we come to Him.
He says, all right, if you really want to know what to do, you lack one thing, and we read it here.
He said go and sell everything that you have and come and as it says there at the end of verse 22.
So all that thou hast and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.
And come follow me.
He gave him the essence of the law, because in another place, you know, when the Lord Jesus was asked about the law.
There were many different commandments in the law, but it boiled down to two things.
Loving God, as you'll remember, with all thy strength and with all thy mind, and so on, and loving your neighbor as yourself.
And the Lord Jesus brought this rich young ruler to the point where he had to decide whether he was able to carry that out.
If he loved his neighbor as himself, he would have been glad to sell his goods and give to the poor, wouldn't he? If I loved you just as much as I loved myself, I would be glad to turn my wallet inside out and give it to you, wouldn't I? And if he really loved God as the law said he should, he would have been glad to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who was the Son of God.
But all this poor man, oh the Lord Jesus, had struck a nerve. He'd struck a point where this young man couldn't carry out what was required.
And he goes away very sorrowful.
And then what follows after seems to me very instructive, and I want each one of us to pay attention because it says in verse 24. And when Jesus saw that, he was very sorrowfully said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God? For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.
00:25:12
I'll try and explain this.
You know, and you don't see it so much in North America, but if you go to some of the older cities of Europe and the East, you can still find cities with walls and gates.
And very often in those huge gates that would be opened and closed, opened in the day and closed at night, there would be what was called a needle's eye. A small opening in the gate, fairly short, might be 4/4 and 1/2, maybe 5 feet high at the most. Very narrow, just big enough for a man to go through. Most men would probably have to stoop a little bit to get themselves through so that if one were going to pass in and out.
After hours it wouldn't be necessary to open the big gate and risk the danger of invasion or.
A group of men coming in are undesirables or something, but it could be controlled by going through that needle's eye.
But Can you imagine the time you would have getting a camel through that? It could be done with much pulling and pushing and shoving and huffing and puffing and so on, but it would be a problem.
And the Lord Jesus says, how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God? Does that mean as some have taken this, that it's wrong to have the things of this world? That's not the point. Does it mean that if you happen to be rich here tonight?
I've sometimes said to people.
When it comes to talking about riches in the Bible.
I am talking to an audience.
Who probably for the most part would say no, I am not rich.
But I tell everyone of you here tonight, and anyone here who has traveled a little in this world will bear out what I'm going to say.
Everyone in this room tonight is rich beyond the wildest dreams.
Of the vast majority of this world's population, and I'm talking about material riches.
Everyone of you that lives in the United States of America is rich beyond the wildest dreams of the vast majority of this world's population.
Is it standing in the way of your coming to Christ? Do we think that we are so self-sufficient in ourselves?
We don't need a savior.
They that heard it, said verse 26. Who then can be saved? Oh, this rich young ruler wanted to come to Christ in his own strength, by his own efforts.
The Lord Jesus said it's impossible.
Can you imagine that camel trying to get through that needle's eye if he had all the bags and things that they usually put on camels? I don't know whether anyone here has seen a loaded camel. I've seen one and I believe there are some here that have seen them. They can carry quite a bit and they, if they were to pile all those things on the back of that camel and try and get him to go through that needle's eye, know all that stuff would have to be taken off and then with a great deal of difficulty you might get the camel through.
I trust my brethren won't mind me mentioning this, but we had a prayer meeting before this gospel.
And there was real feeling in those prayers as some dear brothers, their voices almost breaking.
Confessed before the Lord how that there was so little blessing in the gospel in these favored lands, and they mentioned specifically the material riches and all the good things that we have. Is there anything wrong with that? Oh my, no. It's the gift of God, and I believe we can enjoy it from God. But oh, what a sad thing it is if it stands between you and coming to Christ. It stood between this rich young ruler and the Savior.
And there was number way that he could come in his own strength. He thought there was something he could do. But when it came right down to the crunch, as we say.
He couldn't give up his riches and he said there's something I want to do.
And there's no record that he ever did follow the Lord Jesus. Was he a lovely character?
I believe if we read the account in other places that we find that he was, we find that the Lord Jesus looked on him and loved him. Why? Oh, because here was one who was a lovely character. And I say to those who are sitting here tonight, you may be a lovely character. You may be one whom your neighbors look up to. You may lead an exemplary life. You may even have been brought up in a Christian home, Christian father and mother. And maybe as you attend meetings, maybe as you speak about the Lord Jesus.
00:30:24
Everyone thinks you're a Christian.
But it's a veneer on the outside. You know, whether there is a reality in the inside. I can remember hearing a young person who had been brought up in a Christian home confess Christ. And it was a moving experience to hear him say with brokenness and tears and choking. I've played the game all these years. I pretended. But now it's real. Now it's real. Oh, what God would be. But I don't want to limit my remarks to those.
Who have been brought up in good homes. Reminds me of a girl that I once knew down at the detention home in Toronto. And I won't go into her past, but at the age of 13 she ran away from home and started running the streets. And I don't need to fill in the gaps for you. She was in and out of that detention home time and time again. And there seemed to be no power for her to get rid of the kind of lifestyle that she was occupied with.
He's a very good looking girl, very intelligent girl, and every time we used to go down there and visit, she would come to the time that we spent over the Word of God. She asked for a Bible, she got a Bible and she would pay attention and then she would disappear and then a few months later she'd be back in again. I remember asking one of the staff there what was going on and they told me that she just couldn't seem to behave herself. But then there came a day.
There came a day in her life when she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior. There came a day in her life when she recognized that she couldn't possibly do it in her own strength. And it was a joy as my wife and I visited her in another facility sometime later on to sit down with her and open this precious book and talk about what her precious Savior. Oh, there's power as we sung together in that hymn. Now none but Christ can satisfy.
None other name for me.
But it says here in verse 27, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. And how is it possible with God? Oh, we find the answer in verse 20. No, verse 31. The answer is in verse 31.
The 12 refers to the 12 disciples. We all know that the Lord Jesus had 12 disciples.
And here he begins to tell them, I believe the answer to their question.
How can anyone be saved if a Goodman like this can't be saved? A man who has an exemplary character, a man who could say, I have done all the right things from my youth up. I'm sure no one could point the finger at that young man. The disciples say, well, how can anybody be saved? Here's the answer. Here's the answer.
Verse 31 Then he took unto him the 12 and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished, for he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated and spitted on. And they shall scourge him, and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again.
Oh, I'd like to bring each one here tonight back to Calvary's cross. Oh, you say that's an event that happened nearly 2000 years ago.
It's a fact of history.
The hymn expresses it well.
Center of two eternities which look with rapt, adoring eyes.
Onward and back to the old cross of Christ, for all his pain and death is our eternal gain.
There was only one way, I say to you tonight that it was possible for me to be saved. There was only one way in which it was possible for guilty, lost sinners to have eternal life. Is it a matter of anything that I can do? No, it's a matter of what Christ has done. Oh, how simple it is, and yet how difficult to grasp. And we find it was so here. What does it say in verse 34?
00:35:08
And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them. Neither knew they the things which were spoken. Is it possible tonight that there are those here in this room who know that story so well and yet it means nothing to you? Reminds me of a story that is suggested by that hymn we sung about the Gypsy boy. Because many years ago in Germany, and I mean many years ago, long before there was a united Germany.
There was an artist by the name of Stenberg who lived in the city of Dusseldorf.
He was a very famous painter.
And one day he was commissioned to paint a picture of the crucifixion. Well, I'm not going to comment on the advisability or otherwise of that. Suffice it to say that he was asked to paint it. He had the picture nearly done. And for him it was merely an academic exercise, an artistic exercise to convey on that canvas the story of the cross.
While the picture was in production, he went out for a walk one day and he came upon a camp of gypsies.
And there he saw a gypsy girl, rather poorly dressed, but something about her dancing black eyes and her colorful dress attracted him. And she began to dance for him, expecting that he would, of course give her a little money, which he did. But then he thought, what a wonderful picture this would make. And so we said, stand there for a moment. And he started to sketch her, but she found it too difficult to stand in that pose for very long. So finally he made an agreement with her to come to his studio.
Where he would paint her Well, I have never had to sit while a painter painted me.
But it would be pretty boring for someone that was used to being active. And this gypsy girl found the time very, very difficult sitting in Stenberg's home. And naturally, her eyes roamed around his studio and riveted on that picture. That picture. She looked at it. Finally, she started to ask questions.
Well, Stenberg, like most men of his.
Class, and I say this with all love and charity, was a man of few words. When he had his brush in his hand, he wanted to concentrate. And so he answered her questions with monosyllables until finally he said, listen, he said, I can't go on answering questions like this. I will tell you the whole story once and for all. And he told her the story of the cross. He knew it well.
And when he got finished that story, he looked and there was the girl, Pepita was her name, sitting there with tears swimming across her eyes. Tears which fiery gypsy pride wouldn't let fall because she wasn't used to tears.
Oh, she said, Sir, she said. I have never heard a story like that before. I have never heard a story like that before.
She said, Sir, I expect you have often thanked him.
Stenberg couldn't forget. I expect that you have often thanked him.
Is there anyone in here tonight in a position like Stenberg, who knew the story of the cross? And it was so commonplace to him that he could tell it without an emotion, without anything touching his heart? And yet a girl who sat there hearing it for the first time was moved to tears.
Well, the story goes on. They parted.
Time went on.
And some years later, a man came in the winter time to Stenberg's studio and knocked on the door.
Stenberg answered the door and the man said come. He said someone is dying and wants to see you.
So Stenberg put on his boots and his coat and so on, and walked through the snow along with this man.
Out into the forest. This was several 100 years ago.
And there he found in that poor gypsy encampment Pepita dying of TB. And as he spoke to her, she said, Sir, I wanted to see you. I wanted to see you and tell you that I am trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, that one whose picture you told me about so long ago. I'm trusting in him.
00:40:04
What about you tonight? What about you tonight?
Where do you stand with respect to the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, Stenberg couldn't forget that he too was saved through that experience. He thought, How is it that this poor gypsy girl is leaving this world with joy and happiness written all over her face? Because she knows the Savior, and here I know the story, and I'm the one that told her.
And I don't know that.
What did he have to do? He had to get rid of all the baggage. He had to quit trusting in himself. He had to realize that there was only one way to come, and that is as a lost, guilty Sinner. My beloved friend, if you're going to come to Christ tonight, you have to come realizing that you can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to get eternal life. But it has all been done through what we have here, the work of Christ on the cross.
That Blessed One went there, suffered, died, shed his precious blood.
And I tell you tonight on the authority of the Word of God, that there is power in that blood to wash your sins away. I don't know who you are. I don't know what kind of life you have led. I don't know what kind of sins you have committed. But I tell you, on the authority of the Word of God, the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. Could I put you in that verse? It says us, us could be any number. Could we put you in that verse tonight?
I can well remember speaking at that same detention home in Toronto, and some of us are old enough to remember when a man by the name of Adolf Eichmann was apprehended in South America and taken back to Israel for trial for war crimes under the Nazi regime. And it came out, as was well known, that he had been responsible for the murder of perhaps 6,000,000 Jews.
6 million people. Staggering, isn't it to think.
And I remember asking some of them sitting there, that detention home, I said, And there were boys and girls there. I said young people.
If Adolf Eichmann had come to Christ and repented.
And come to Christ, Do you think there would have been power in the blood of Christ to wash his sins away?
And I read that verse in one John one and seven, The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Most of those young people were in trouble with the law. They knew what it was to stand before a judge. They knew what it was to be condemned to some kind of punishment. But I said, here is one who has done far more than any of you ever can or will do, murdered 6 million people. Now I said, what about it?
They sat there for a moment, they looked at me, they looked at the verse. Finally one young man spoke up and he said, well, Sir.
It says all sin, and if it says all sin, then I guess even Adolf Eichmann could have been saved. I said thank you, that is true. The word of God is true. And friend, tonight you can come to Christ and be saved.
Notice this last incident in the chapter. What a contrast to the rich young ruler here. We have a blind man. Now, what kind of a life that blind man LED, we're not told. But physically, he was in difficulty. And you know, in some of those countries, they don't have the wherewithal to care for people like this the way they would be cared for in this country. You would not normally see a blind man sitting by the side of the road begging.
In the United States of America, or in many other well to do nations of this world. But you can still see blind and crippled men and women too, and children begging by the sides of the roads in various countries. And here was a man who had to beg, sitting outside that city of Jericho. But oh, he hears that the Lord Jesus is passing by. What does he do?
Oh, he was not going to let anything stand in the way. Nothing would stand in the way. Why? Oh, because he felt his need. And more than that, he knew that the very one, the only one that could meet that need, was there at that moment, and he didn't know when he'd have another chance. And so he cries out as loudly as he could for the Lord Jesus to have mercy on him.
I have no doubt.
That it might not have been a very pretty sight to see this blind man crying out like that. He may not have been too well dressed, he may not have used the best language, he may have hollered so loudly that it was disturbing things.
00:45:17
So that people said be quiet, hush up, you're making an awful racket.
Didn't stop him. He was in earnest, my friend tonight. Are you in earnest about your need?
It's a wonderful thing to see a soul that's in earnest.
I can well remember, you'll pardon a personal reference, but I well remember preaching the gospel in Romania.
Several years ago.
And I had to do it through a translator.
But I can well remember after that meeting, some of us were standing around and conversing together, and a young woman came up from the back of the room, perhaps in her early 20s. She had been invited to that meeting by a good friend of hers who was a Christian. And I can tell you she was in earnest. She was in earnest, came up to the room there sobbing, tears running down her face. I couldn't understand what she said because I don't know Romanian, but I didn't need to understand the expression on her face.
Said it all and they translated for us what she was saying. And she said, I want to come to the Lord Jesus Christ tonight. My friend invited me to this meeting and I didn't want to come, but I came just to please her and now I want to be saved. And right there in front of a whole lot of people, she knelt down, poured out her heart, and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. It wasn't necessary to do that. She wanted to do it. What is it that saves? Oh, it's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's not the question of getting down and praying publicly or anything like that, so that we're not going to ask anything like that after the meeting, but it's a question of what passes in your heart between you and God and putting your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's Blind Bartimaeus, and he's not going to let anything stand in his way.
You know, if we really feel our need, that's what happens.
But if our need is not really felt, the devil and there is a devil.
He's real, he's here tonight and he's trying to persuade boys and girls and men and women that they're what that there's plenty of time.
That maybe something will happen. Your friends will laugh at you.
Then maybe you'll have to give up something.
And so on.
Are you going to let that stand in the way of eternal life? Is anything in this world worth the loss of your soul?
A poet has put it well, to lose my wealth is much, to lose my health is more. To lose my soul is such a loss as no man can restore. And it's an awful thing to go out of this world without Christ. And here we find a blind man that found the Lord Jesus.
And what does it say?
Verse 41. Verse 40. And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto him, and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? Did the Lord Jesus not know? Of course he knew, but he wanted to hear him say it.
Lord, that I may receive that my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight. Thy faith has saved thee, and what's the result? He follows Jesus.
He follows Jesus.
He didn't have to be asked to. He didn't have to be told to. There was an attraction of heart to that Blessed One.
I say that because there are so many who say I could never live a Christian life. I could never act like a Christian.
I well remember visiting in a maximum security prison in Bermuda.
And there was a young man there, relatively young anyway, by the name of Dill. Last name was Dill.
And he was in prison for a most awful crime.
Sad to say, I've heard since that time. I had never heard of such a thing happening before. I've heard it several times since. He and his wife had been at odds with one another and their marriage was breaking up. And when he realized that his wife was going to get custody of their two children and he only visiting rights, rather than allow that, in a passion of anger he murdered his two children. And for that awful act he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
00:50:19
I remember visiting that man and bringing Christ before him in some measure, and his response was I could never live the Christian life.
I remember taking my pen out of my pocket and holding it up like that and saying.
Do you think that I can keep that pen standing upright in my outstretched palm like that? He said. No, I don't think you can do it.
Well, I said there it is. Well, he said, OK, come on, let go. I said, well I didn't say I was going to let go, did I? He got the point.
I wasn't going to let go. And you know, you can't leave. You can't live the Christian life until you have the life. Is God going to give you a new life and then let you go? Of course you couldn't live the Christian life in your own strength any more than this rich young ruler could get saved in his own strength.
When God gives a new life, he doesn't just leave you to drift on your own. This blind man followed the Lord Jesus, and I believe the Lord kept him.
I say again tonight, where do you stand? Our time is just about gone. Where do you stand with respect to the Lord Jesus Christ? Turn back a few chapters for one more verse.
Chapter 12. Luke. Chapter 12.
That's the season of the year when men love to quote that verse.
Peace on earth and goodwill toward men. But what does it say here? Luke 12 and verse 52 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth, I tell you nay, but rather Division Four. From henceforth there shall be five in one house divided 3 against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother.
The mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Why does the Lord make that kind of a remark? Does the Lord, if I could say it reverently, want to break up families and put relatives at odds with one another? Oh no. Oh no. But, beloved friend, when it comes to Christ, nothing can stand in the way. And if it's a matter of something holding you up, even your dearest relative, someone the closest to you?
Christ must come first.
No, the Lord says, I am not come to send peace on earth because as we go out of this room tonight.
There will be a division, whether we realize it or not, in this room. There will be a division which only God would be able to make between those who are saved and those who are lost. That's the division the Lord was talking about. And only God can look into your heart and know where you stand. But oh, if there is someone here tonight that isn't saved, oh, why not come to Christ tonight like this man, this blind man, he was blind.
And the Word of God tonight tells you.
That you are blind. Blind to what? Oh, it says in Second Corinthians chapter 4, the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Oh, if you and I realize we're blind, we'll come to Christ. Thank God I have come many years ago, and many here in this room have but one more comment before we close.
We've talked about the rich young ruler who didn't follow the Lord Jesus. We've talked about the blind man who gladly followed him and didn't have to be told to. But we find a remark here in verse 28 about Peter, and I'd just like to comment a bit on that for those here who are saved.
Verse 28 of our chapter Luke 18 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all and followed thee.
Had they followed the Lord? Indeed they had. Had there been faithfulness on their part? In some measure, Indeed there had.
But notice the Lord's answer.
He says in verse 29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children.
For the Kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time than in the world to come life everlasting. Oh, Peter says, Lord, we've followed you. We've done what you've talked about. And the Lord Jesus says, yes, Peter, yes, you have. And there's nobody that has given up anything for me but that he'll receive manifold more. God is no man's debtor and in the world to come life everlasting.
00:55:25
But then it seems to me the Lord Jesus in a very gentle way, turns Peter's thinking in the right direction. Because there is a danger for you and for me to be occupied with the fact that we have followed the Lord. And if there are those here who know Christ as Savior, and I know there are many, oh, is there a danger that sometimes like Peter we say, Lord, we have left everything and followed thee. I suppose in a small measure it was true, because Peter had given up his fishing business and everything connected with it.
And he had followed the Lord.
But all the Lord Jesus then proceeds.
In verse 31 to tell Peter those verses that we have already read.
He reminds him, as it were, Peter.
I know you've left a certain amount to follow me.
And you're going to get more than what you've given up. But Peter, you've got your mind on the wrong thing. Peter, you're, you're, you're occupied with the wrong thing. Peter, I want you to consider the price that I paid, the price that I paid.
So that you could have eternal life.
Oh, May God direct our thoughts to His beloved Son.
If you're not saved, God is directing your thoughts to His beloved Son.
In order that you might be saved if you are saved, oh, God is still directing your thoughts to His beloved Son, not to ourselves or to anything that we may have done, if by grace there has been any following of the Lord Jesus.
It pales by comparison when we think of the price that that one paid, that you and I might enjoy, might have eternal life. Well, our time is gone. Let's just sing one more hymn.
Decide for Christ today.
And God's salvation. See.
#21.
21 Decide for Christ today in God's salvation seat. Heal soul and body, heart and will to him who died for thee. Maybe we could stand again and sing this hymn #21.
1 Thessalonians 1:5-6
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Oh, teachers.
Pray.
That there's more in that passage in Thessalonians that we didn't cover yesterday.
That's easy to agree to.
Verse 5.
First Thessalonians chapter one, verse 5.
For our gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
You became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction.
With joy in the Holy Ghost, so that ye were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and IKEA, or from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and IKEA, but also in every place your faith to God. Word is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything, for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God.
00:05:02
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain. But even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God, in much contention.
For our exhortation was not of DC, nor of uncleanness, nor of guile. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, Even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God which trieth our hearts.
For neither at anytime usually flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness God is witness, nor of men sought, We glory neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ, but we were gentle among you, even as a nourished nurse cherishes her children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you.
Not the gospel of God only, but also our souls, because you are dear unto us.
Mentioned yesterday, brethren, but I'd like to go back for just a few minutes to touch a little more on it. It's such a precious subject, this question of election. Knowing brethren beloved, your election of God, I think it's so important for us to understand our election. You, if you do not understand it, how can you expect to walk properly as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Supposing that you, young person, were chosen to be President of the United States. The day of taking office is still in January. There's some time to go before that time, but you are what they call the president-elect. Is that fact going to affect your way You walk down here? The way you act, where you go definitely will affect it, and I think it's so important.
We're not talking here this morning about being elected to the Oval offices in Washington, DC We're talking about being elected by the God of the universe.
Before the foundations of this world, we were chosen in Him to be holy and without blame before him in love.
In First Peter chapter one it says elect according to the foreknowledge of God. How could God?
Choose us before there was any world in existence.
It's because of what is called foreknowledge. God, knowing everything beforehand, looked forward into the channels of time and said there's going to be such and such a personal life. I'm choosing him to occupy this place, and we need to understand it. We need to revel in the richness of the fact that we have been called Brethren unto his eternal glory.
In First Corinthians chapter one, it says we are called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Tremendous place that belongs to us as a believer in the Lord Jesus. A place completely distinct.
To that of a person here in this world merely. And if we understand it, if we enjoy it, we revel in it. It's bound to have its effect in our lives. Why don't we get involved in politics? There's great movement today, even in Christian circles, that says that we should become involved in politics.
Oh, brethren, isn't it a fact that shows that we have not been enjoying?
And reveling in the fact that we are called to eternal glory, what is political influence in this world in relation to that eternal glory to which we've been called? We are ambassadors for Christ Here in this world were representatives of his. Does an ambassador in any country have any right to involve himself in the political structure of that country?
00:10:17
He would be removed very quickly if he did. That's not his place to get involved into the politics of this world. It's his place to represent Christ. We are ambassadors of another country.
I think rather than many of the true believers in other circles of Christendom get involved because of a lack of proper teaching.
And I think we have to recognize that many of them are very sincerely in that position, and they are acting according to the teaching that they have. But if we understand our position, we are called not for straightening out this world. We are called to eternal glory. This world is under the judgment of God. We preach the gospel so that souls can be saved out of this world system for eternal glory. And it's.
Important, brethren, that we understand our election of God.
That's why it's important to rightly divide the word of truth and to hold to dispensational teaching. And I would just say, as a warning to us, there's a great movement today and Christendom to set aside dispensational teaching and substitute it with other things. But I don't believe we can rightly divide the word of truth if we wipe away those Dispensational guidelines. And I believe it's important to realize that in this dispensation, those who are being called out as the Church of God and being brought into blessing.
We're chosen as Brother Bob quoted that verse in Christ before the foundation of the world.
And I think that's significant because the spirit of God is very careful in the New Testament to guard, lest we ever think that our blessings are in any way connected with this world. I believe there's a contrast between that scripture and what we have in Matthew 25, where he speaks of the blessing for Israel. It says that their blessing was from the foundation of the world, and they will be blessed in that way in a coming day on the grounds of sovereign grace. Their blessings are earthly and they will come into the good of that. But.
We were chosen and for blessing before the foundation of the world.
And I would like to, without belaboring the point, just echo what brother Bob has said, because I believe that the environmental movement is satans attempt to do 2 Things. Now I want to be careful brethren, because I do believe man has abused what God has given him to enjoy in creation and he has not been a faithful steward of those temporal mercies. But by the same token I believe that Satan is busy today to do 2 Things. One to keep men insensitive to his ruin, the natural man, because if he can keep him believing that this world is getting better and that he can do something for the betterment of this world.
He's not thinking about eternity, but I believe also it's Satan's attempt to keep the Christian earthly minded.
And, as has already been said, there are many zealous Christians who are putting their energy into cleaning up this world.
But Brethren were not a moral force to change the world. There was a system at home. And they had a billboard that years ago that said building better citizens to build a better world. That's not the part of the Christian We're here to represent Christ. We're here to present Christ to the lost, just like an ambassador. When we send a Canadian ambassador to another country there, he's in that country. And what is he doing? Well, he's taking up the interests of those who are, who want to come to this country if someone's interested in coming to Canada.
They go to see the Canadian ambassador and he tells them the requirements of coming to that nation, to this country, and what needs to be done in preparation to come to Canada. And so that's what we're here for, brethren. We're to point others to Christ and to bring before them God's requirements and God's provision so that they too can be fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God. But I just say, again, let's keep in view that our goals and our aspirations are not connected with this world.
We are a left for heavenly blessing. In fact, I believe so careful is the Spirit of God to guard this truth.
That when he speaks in Revelation 5 of that time when we will share in the reign of Christ, it should read We reign over this world, He.
Attaches us in every way from this Earth and shows that we have something far better beyond this world over. Means above, doesn't it? Yes.
00:15:09
From that I did choose thee, oh Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse thee. But thou hast chosen me, and that's the way it is. It's.
Man has no free will, but a sovereign God has. We deal with a sovereign God who chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Perhaps you'll just bear with me, because Mother Henry made a comment at the end of the meeting last yesterday that I appreciated. He said something to the effect that God doesn't have any children that he doesn't want. And I think it's good to see that because not only so, but God is never, just will never be disappointed with anyone of us. He's often grieved with us. Sometimes we grieve him.
But as many of you know, I was adopted by my parents when I was a very young child. But when they adopted me, when they chose me and gave me the family name of Highland, they didn't know what I was going to be like. They didn't know how I was going to turn out. Brother Bob used the illustration of the president. Sometimes men are elected to office by the people and they're a disappointment to the people. They don't really know how that elected person is going to turn out. But it thrills my soul to think that when God chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world.
He knew all about me. He, in his infinite foreknowledge, knew my weaknesses. He knew my failures.
He knew what I was going to be like, and yet he loved me enough to send his son to pay the price.
So that I could be blessed for all eternity and brought into the family of God. And so we often make choices and we're disappointed. But what about in a coming day when we're finally gathered around himself in the Father's house? It says he'll see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied sometimes. Use the illustration. I never was very good with my hands, but when I was younger I used to do a little woodworking project, perhaps in my parents basement or put together a model of some sort. And after I was done I would view the finished product.
And my parents always had a large wood stove in our basement. And sometimes, before anyone else could see the finished product, I would open the wood stove and it would be gone, because I was disappointed with the end result. But the one who chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, the one who provided salvation through the Lord Jesus, the one who picked me up, the one who's going to carry me safely home to glory when I'm put, sat down in the Father's house, as it were, And he views his family and the Lord Jesus views his bride, is he going to be disappointed that he chose any one of us? No.
He's going to rejoice and joy over us with singing and he his heart will be forever satisfied.
In Colossians, it tells us too that we are called in one body, and I think that's another part of Our Calling brethren that is important for us to understand. Not only as you're bringing out Jim, as far as the Lord's looking down at us, but in our relationships, one with another too. I remember two brothers that were having a difficulty together, and one brother said, well, brother, the fact that you're a member of the body of Christ wasn't my choice, and the fact that I am wasn't your choice.
That it was somebody else that chose us both. Then we better learn to get to go on together. And that's the truth of the matter, brethren. We meet our brethren in the Lord Jesus many times. They don't meet with us, but they're called in one body, just as we are, and we need to view them and seek to be a help and blessing to them in the same measure.
Phrase says, says, called in one body and be thankful.
It's nice to notice, too, that when the Spirit of God in Scripture brings before us election, predestination, God's choosing of us in a past eternity, almost always, perhaps always. I haven't done any extended research on it, but almost always you find man's responsibility brought in side by side, and that brings before us that which the human mind cannot understand.
We can't bring together the sovereignty of God in choosing us and yet the responsibility of man. And so here the apostle, immediately on reminding us of God's election, talks about the way that the gospel was brought to them, not merely in Word. It wasn't merely a matter of saying words and saying, well, let God do the work, and if someone has been chosen in Christ, then they'll be saved. That's true, but it's a half truth here. It was in.
00:20:08
Power.
And of the in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance. And there was, I believe, every fiber, if we could use that expression of Paul's being put into the earnestness of bringing that gospel before them. And then in the next verse, in the sixth verse, there's the response of their hearts having received the word. Well, those two things, I say, can only be lived out properly by walking with the Lord on the one hand, to recognize the wonderful privilege we have of being chosen in Christ.
But on the other hand, when we go out with the gospel to do so with all the earnestness and love, and in the power of the Holy Ghost as it says here, realizing that ultimately, of course, it is only by the power of God that a soul will be saved.
For our gospel, it is a word that we can learn, but you know, for the Sinner.
We're pointing to the Savior now we look. It's our Savior, isn't it? We know the Lord Jesus is our Savior, but the scripture says who's sitting at the right hand of God, waiting till his enemies be made his footstool?
So he's coming back in power and his enemies will be made his footstool. But we don't have any part in that today. So how could we usher in the Kingdom? How could we help with regard to the Kingdom except a man be born again. He cannot see the Kingdom of God and the majority of the men around us, they have to be born again to see the Kingdom of God. And yet the scripture also tells us we don't know all of those that belong to the Lord. So who would be the enemy? Who wouldn't? You can't determine those things so.
There's so many things that would be impossible to work as you're entering in the Kingdom.
But what is it that that puts people in the Kingdom of God as we get in John's gospel, but it's being born again That's part of our gospel. And we realized that this is God's work. The person has to be born again as part of the gospel, where they have to be changed.
And Corinthians, it says the gospel is good.
Again, well, accept drivers, open their eyes. And so we see.
That the gospel is a man in the glory, the Lord Jesus, who is in rejection. And we're His ambassadors to tell the good news. That He's saving souls into his new creation, to be members of the Church, which is a heavenly body on earth as we can see what part of it is on earth. Because we don't speak of those that are passed to be with the Lord who are absent from the body, the present Lord.
We think of it as earthly, but yet it's a heavenly body associated with that man and the glory waiting to be taught out to be with him because it's not part of the earth.
We're not Israelites, and once we were saved, we were not made Jews. But both the Jews and the Gentiles have been made new creatures in Christ Jesus attitude to this one body, which the Lord Jesus tells us is His church, and so this church.
You look at it on earth, we don't see the unity, we don't see the oneness, but it is united in Christ as the head.
And because it's in ruin, the only way it can be straightened out.
For him to take it out of this scene, united with himself and glory, where it can be seen the way he wants it to be seen, when it will be revealed in its time a glorious body without spot or wrinkle, because it is his work.
So.
To realize.
This body is is for that head to have its proper place. That head is a man in the glory for us, separated from the earth, so it calls us into separation too.
No, they said the we know that.
Only the elect will be saved. But our responsibility is to preach the gospel to every creature, isn't it? Every person is responsible whether he accepts the gospel or not. And so we need to remember that for as much as a person may never accept the gospel, our responsibilities.
Still stands to preach the gospel to every creature, and that's something everyone of us can have a part in.
00:25:03
Maybe we don't have particularly the gift of an evangelist, but still we can do the work of an evangelist. You can give a tract. Sometimes it's the most insignificant.
Testimony that God uses to bring a soul to the Lord Jesus. And so may we all be encouraged to do the work of an evangelist. I was really encouraged this last trip down in Bolivia. Way up on the high altiplano it was going across and leaving off some gospel calendars at each place where the brethren used them for their gospel work and.
Stopped at this place called Rio Mulatto. It's really it's at the 12,000 foot level and it's so barren there that they can't grow any crops. It's too cold and even in the summertime it's too cold to grow any weed or barley at that area. But stop there. Just a few minutes to leave off the calendar and this little girl, 10 years old with her must have been her little sister. I don't know who it was. I don't even know their names. They ran up and came to the place where I stopped there in the pickup and.
She gave me this table cloth that her mother had painted for me, She says. Since you're doing the Lord's work, my mother said this is for you. And then she said, and Brother Robert, do you have some gospel tracks? I'd like to give them out in my class at school. Isn't that nice? Don't think you have to be grown up to give out the gospel. Some of the most effective gospel ministry is by children.
And I tell you, it really touched me. Think of that little girl. She didn't want anything for that tablecloth. She wanted some gospel tracks to give out to her friends at school.
Their children here.
Young people, have you given gospel tracts to your friends? Have you?
Sometimes particular gospel tract doesn't fit for a certain person. But look over the gospel tracts, read them through, and give them to your friends at school. Some of those friends are really hurting in their hearts. They're empty. They need the Lord Jesus. They really do. And your testimony will come across far stronger than maybe those of us who are older. The Lord encourage us each to do the work of an evangelist.
There's encouragement for the sisters when he wrote to the Saints at Philippi because he said and help those women which labored with me in the gospel. There were evidently women that had been a real help to the apostle Paul in the furthering furthering of the gospel. And he says don't forget those women and you help them. When we have summer meetings, children's meetings and gospel meetings in Maine and New Brunswick, some of our most valuable help are the sisters that come to help in a quiet way. They prepare the meals, they help the children in various ways.
They help with the hobby class, they're really doing the work of an evangelist, and they're helping the furtherance of the gospel. And if we value it, how much more does the Lord value it as he jots it down in his book of remembrance to receive a reward in eternity?
The light doesn't make any noise. It doesn't say anything. It just makes everything visible. And sisters are alight just as much as the brothers. It's not what we say so much, brethren, it's what we are as well that has a real testimony to those around us.
We have here the Saints. Such was the life of the apostle as they went about with the gospel. Such was the life of it.
It was. It was that light in the darkness. I don't suppose we realize. I don't think we do it all. I'm sure we don't.
The darkness of hedonism. We have been brought up in the sphere of Christianity. Perhaps we were brought up in homes and with godly parents. We don't realize what it wants for these Saints to come out of the the awful darkness, the the corruptions, the wickedness of paganism, of idolatry.
And yet the light of the blessed light of the gospel was shining there. And these Saints they became a replica or a blueprint of the life of the apostle. In that way the the life of the apostle as they went about these and these helpers and the preaching, the gospel. There it was so it was reflected in these dear Thessalonians Saints, she said, And she could say, you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
And he became followers of us and of the Lord. And so powerful was the testimony that even the world, the world was talking about it. And look at those Saints, Look at those people over there in Thessalonica. They've turned to, they've turned to worship a God, and they've given up their idols and all that and all that, and they turn to worship the God, another God, perhaps the unseen God.
00:30:24
But it was the life of the apostle told along with the words, that he spoke but gave such power. And God blesses faithfulness. Remember our dear brother, age, brother, Mr. Erismann? Years ago, Arizona senior he was.
In the over there in the East. This is a long time ago, years and years ago, and he was at a meeting in.
I think it was in over there in.
I don't know, or New New Jersey somewhere and there was a lot of young people there in the meeting.
And he said to an older brother, he said, You, I said, you have some godly, you have some godly brethren here.
And well, there were.
God bless his face from us. God bless his faithfulness.
And when there's a faithful going on, there will, there will be blessing. Well, these Saints at Thessalonica, they were like a like a a blueprint of the life of the apostles in their measure.
The order is verse four elected before the foundation of the world. Verse 5, the preaching of the gospel. This is the message that must reach those.
Lost souls.
To give them the good news of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus, and then become followers of God and followers of us, as it were, as Paul says here, you became followers of us and of the Lord.
Having received the Word with much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost, and then it's turning to God, turning to Him.
Who has elected us and sent forth messengers with the good news of salvation? And we we follow those who preach the gospel, and we who who are following God himself. So we leave our idols behind. Our idols now no more entices, nor do they attract us, because we have a we have an attraction far above and far better.
Than what we had as natural men.
When the meeting opened, our brother Jennings prayed that there might be that which would be for the benefit of the young people.
And I was touched by, as I'm sure we all were, by the example our brother Bob gave of this little girl.
Who wanted to give out gospel tracts? And I think it would be well, brethren, before we leave verse 5 to notice there are 4 distinct things that.
Characterize the preaching of the gospel, and it's wonderful if in any measure we can do the work of an evangelist, and the youngest of the oldest can be occupied with that. But we just might notice those. I'm going to refer to them from the from Mr. Darbys translation for our glad tidings. We're not with you in Word only. That's the first thing the preaching of the gospel is in Word, whether it's spoken or given out in a paper or whatever It's going to be given in Word.
But it's not in Word only. There are other things connected with the preaching of the gospel, and our brother dear brought that out about the life of the apostle Paul, adding power to what that Word was that was being preached. And that's the next thing. But also in power, that's a separate thing.
So that it's important and I say this, I trust with some amount of.
Of shame for myself. But you know, brethren, it's wonderful. And beloved young people, it's wonderful if we can share the gospel with someone. But I want to just say in a little practical way, there ought to be something that corresponds in our life to give power to our words. There ought to be something that can be seen in the way we're acting. We've often remarked. And it's lovely, isn't it? In the in the book of Acts it says of all that Jesus began both to do.
And to teach. And I think the order is so lovely and it's a wonderful order for us if we're going to preach the gospel in some way and God help us that we all would be very, very exercised about preaching the gospel somehow, whether that's to give a tract or whatever it is. But and in power relates to the living out of what we're talking about, you know. And it's very good to remember we ought to be doing, we ought to be living at and enjoying it and then preaching it. Well, that's the second thing. The third thing is.
00:35:20
And in the Holy Spirit, you know, it doesn't matter what we do. It doesn't matter what our efforts are. We all know that, don't we? It's got to be a work of the Spirit of God bringing His blessing to whatever is being preached and however it's being presented. Because if the Spirit of God is in, it is not in it. It doesn't matter the intelligence or the amount of money or the effort spent, There's not going to be real fruit for God in the thing. And then finally, and I've enjoyed this and in much assurance, well.
I would just share this as my as just a personal thought but you know in in this place and a brother claim or brother Jennings asked that that be read the other day yesterday in acts about when Paul went there. You know he was only there three weeks and there were there was a lot of blessing but there was a tremendous storm of persecution that was raised.
A tremendous storm of persecution. And I believe that it was within that persecution in some sense. There was an assurance given. You know, sometimes we get our assurance, don't we, When things are not going easily, That's when we have that assurance more deeply given to us in our soul of the truth of God, of the value of the things that we walk in. Well, I just point them out before we go on, Brethren. I think it's very important to see those four characters of this gospel that we're talking about.
That are presented here in this verse, and it's important, isn't it, that wherever we are?
And whatever level we are, that those things somehow, in some way characterize our effort to be an evangelist.
To Acts chapter 15.
They know they went up to Jerusalem to determine.
What should be done about?
Circumcision.
I was just thinking the.
Foundations of the Message to the Thessalonians.
We can find here after this is determined in verse.
25.
It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things that ye abstained from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication, from which if you keep yourselves, ye shall do well for ye well. So there we get a letter sent with testimony, and then men who would tell the same thing by mouth. But we have Silas.
That's a contraction of the name Sylvanus.
So in our chapter we have Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus under the Church of the Thessalonians. Now if we look in Acts chapter 16.
Or first, in chapter 15, the end of the chapter, we know that Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus, but in First Forty it says Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the Brethren under the grace of God.
Then it comes to Derby in the next chapter.
And there is Timothy.
And verse three says him. Would Paul have go forth with him?
And took and circumcised them because of the Jews which were in those quarters.
Now there you can see that Paul is at perfect liberty. He's not.
Bound in his soul by the by the letter of this gracious letter from Jerusalem. But there's respect for the conscience of the Jews in that place. He has liberty for that. But here we get the bringing together of Paul, Sylvanus and Timotheus. And in Chapter 16 we get.
The.
Umm Philippian Jail.
And in verse 25, well, first in chapter 16, verse nine, a vision appeared to Paul in the night.
00:40:07
There stood a man of Macedonia prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us.
After we'd seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us.
Or to preach the gospel unto them.
Now the Lord says in the Gospels.
Where I am, there also shall my servant be. I think the sense of that is where I am working. There also shall my servant be that he has his work going on, and if there's prayerful dependence will be led to that exactly where he's working, and Paul goes there, and Sylvanus and Timotheus, Timothy hasn't mentioned as being in jail with them.
But Paul and Silas sang praises unto God at midnight, verse 25.
And we know about this wonderful story.
How they're the earthquake.
They're taking out of prison the washing of their wounds.
And then in chapter 17 which was read, so we get the setting.
Of how the gospel came to Thessalonica and we have in chapter 2 of what we've read verse 2. Even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully untreated, as you know, at Philippi.
We were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God, with much contention. In the face of much contention, I was thinking the foundation.
Of the message that came is based on very obvious leading of the Lord. You know in Romans. Look at chapter 10, we're quite familiar with it, but.
In Romans chapter 10.
Verse 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
How shall they believe in him, and whom they have not heard?
How shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach except they be sent?
As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things? You know these three men?
That came to Thessalonica.
Imagine coming really from a Philippian jail. The stripes were probably still rather fresh.
Though washed crafts and bandaged, but the sense of the Lord's presence with them and his having sent them. No wonder this gospel came.
In power in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance. And then if we look at first John Chapter 2.
We had reference to it yesterday.
Verse 12.
I write unto you, little children.
Because your sins are forgiven you.
For his name's sake.
In verse 13 I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
But then in verse 20 I was thinking of particularly.
But ye have an unction from the Holy One.
And you know all things. How wonderful at the moment the Thessalonians believed they had that ocean.
But the very foundation of the message, the messengers knew they were sent.
And the assurance in their own souls. You know how deep, how wonderful that is. The Lord is working today.
And he's doing things in this world. Who's he going to send?
Is he going to send you?
Is the ear open?
Can we say here I am?
Is there pride of heart that says send me?
Or is there such knowledge of the very rottenness of our own nature?
00:45:02
That we put the emphasis on send me.
Because we have to learn what selfie is, don't we? But how much better when we're acquainted with his heart that wants to sin and he is doing things and dear young people.
Will he use you?
Maybe you're quite intelligent.
God is the one that.
Gives that.
How many of us have learned a foreign language?
Greek or Hebrew, There's areas of the world that have no Bible, nothing in their own language.
But how much preparation of heart is there in you and I?
Where Paul went.
There was a different language than his homeland.
And I'm sure that there were great cultural differences. They're not easy to adjust to.
But where the love of God fills the heart.
You can come out of a jail with stripes on your back and the joy is even greater, isn't it?
We could look at the 17th of acts as I have a concern as to some of the things that have been said.
I see Brother Kenneman touched on as so important to all of these things. In the 17th of acts we have these circumstances, these events that took place and what we've been reading about.
That I.
Beginning from about the middle of.
Verse six these that have turned the world upside down are come hit her also, whom Jason hath received. And these do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king.
One Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. You know, I I believe that all of the opposition that we have suffered by these dear Saints was because of the fact that they set up the rightful king. They gave him the place that he was due in their lives. Personally, some of the things we've been talking about and I and I get a little afraid when we start to encourage.
One's.
Young people and children to enter into something when they possibly haven't done this, to set the Lord Jesus as the rightful king of their lives, to set him in our households as such. It frightens me a little. I think of Gideon, who told his son rise and Slay, but his son couldn't do it, could he?
And that we might be careful that we go through these exercises and that we see fruit. Apostle saw fruit.
In these Saints, and he commended them for it. But look at the opposition that they faced. Look at the exercises that they went through.
Look at the 20th chapter, Acts 20 and Justice to read the scriptures without comment.
It shows how the Gospel came to these Saints. Acts 20.
18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia.
After what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord, with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the lying in weight of the Jews, And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith towards our Lord.
Jesus Christ.
Well, this gives it just a little insight into.
Into the life of the apostle.
As he as he served the Lord in the gospel.
I'd like to comment a little bit further on that verse five of our chapter and it speaks of Word.
Not only, not in Word only, but also in power and the Holy Ghost just to encourage the importance of the use of the scriptures in speaking to souls. It's.
00:50:07
The living Mr. Darby's translation in I think it's First Peter, One says.
The living and abiding word of God. Oh how important it is to use Scripture. Not our wisdom, rather not our reasoning, although there is such a thing as reasoning out of the scriptures, but it is the Scripture itself that God uses.
To create new life and souls and it's so important that we.
Use that. Even though souls might say I don't believe that, it doesn't matter if they don't believe it. Use it because it's the living and abiding word of God. This book is different from any other book. It's living, it's operative, it's powerful. And some of you may have heard how Brother Grenade over in Italy was saved. He was playing billiards at a place where.
The young men used to congregate to smoke cigarettes, and he was in there, and Mr. Pirapata was over there at that time, and he stepped into that building, and he said only one verse. He quoted it twice. He said, Whosoever believeth on me shall have everlasting life, said John 647. If I remember right, he only quoted it twice.
And Mr. Grenadi said, I just stopped and listened to that man, and then he stepped right out and went right on his way.
But it stuck in his mind. He couldn't get it out of his soul, and that's what God used to bring him to the Lord Jesus.
It's the word. It's the living word. It's the word that the Spirit of God uses.
And I think it's so important when we preach the gospel, is to give the word, not to give our reasonings our thoughts.
Are maybe helpful. Maybe they're not helpful. But what is the thing that God uses? The thing that the spirit of God will use is the word of God. It's the sword of the spirit. And if we are in the spirit, If we're walking in the spirit.
God may use this as an instrument, but it's not really our sword, brethren. It's the sword of the Spirit, and it is He that drives it home. And it's in power, brethren. There's power when the Spirit of God uses the word of God. Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts. How important that is when there's so many techniques used to getting people to listen to the gospel and to accept.
Brethren, we need to stick close to Scripture. That's what God will bless, we'll use.
And I think it's so important too that other point that Doug was bringing out here in verse five in much assurance. There needs to be a conviction on our part as to the truth of it for as much as it is a child of 10 years old. But in any measure that there's been conviction formed there that has a testimony too, assurance, Do you know it for yourself or you just parroting what somebody else has said?
People can tell when it's you that have that conviction. I think it's so important to have that clear in our souls, Paul told Timothy in Second Timothy chapter one. It is God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind, wise discretion. And so there should be a conviction on our part. It's been interesting to me to see some of those Bolivian brethren. They're not.
Real well educated, a lot of them. Some of them have never been to school.
Any formal education. And sometimes I've seen him give the gospel to somebody, maybe an educated person of this world, and that education person will turn and just wipe, just make shreds of that brother.
But what comes across so powerfully, even when they get shredded up, when they get attacked by an intelligent person, it doesn't change their conviction and they can see it on their countenance and there still know that this is true. The gospel is true.
And it comes across as a powerful testimony. Is it you? Are you convinced of this? Or is it just somebody else that your parents maybe that told you about it and you're just parenting what your parents have told you about dear young people, Let's speak from our own convictions. If you don't have your convictions well formed, I encourage you to go to scripture and set your own feet down on the rock bottom bases of Holy Scripture. That will never change, even though heaven and earth pass away. This book will stand forever.
00:55:14
And it's and it holds true. Remember, as a young person getting attacked for some of my beliefs and I found that I was shaken because it was something and I'd heard in the meetings, but I'd really never laid hold of in my own soul.
And when I got shaken, it was kind of.
A horrifying experience, but when I went back to scripture I found it holds. It does hold. It's true. Set your feet down, Prove it for yourself. Then you'll have the means to go out and speak with much assurance. It's important they so state that many believe, and I've appreciated too. When Philip spoke to the Ethiopian eunuch, it says there that he was reading in the 53rd of Isaiah.
And beginning at the same Scripture, he preached unto him Jesus. In other words, he took the word of God that the man was reading.
I've often said it wouldn't have mattered where that man was reading. He could have begun at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus.
Because all those Old Testament scriptures spoke of the Lord Himself. Because on the way to Emmaus, he took up the Old Testament Scriptures with those that he was walking with who were going in that direction.
But if you'll bear with me, I'd like to just go back to the comment our brother made a few moments ago, because I think he gave a very necessary warning. And I think there are systems today that hold classes and seminars for what they call child evangelism and seeking to train children to go out and, as they say, wind souls and so on. And I think the warning is very good for us, brethren, because it's not that we try to generate a testimony in others or try to generate a testimony within ourselves. I believe in the measure in which we are in the enjoyment of the person and work of Christ.
And walking in communion with the Lord, there will be, shall I say, an unconscious reflection of Christ in our lives.
When Moses was in the presence of Jehovah on the mount, he came down and his face shone, but he whisked not that his face shone. He hadn't tried to make his face shine. It was the unconscious reflection of being in the presence of Jehovah on the mount. And just in connection with several comments that have been made, let's look at a couple of verses in Philippians chapter 2 before I read these verses, just to notice the context he has given in the earlier part of the chapter. Here the perfect example of the Lord Jesus and brought before us this example as he says let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus.
But then in the 15th and 16th verse, I think there's two things that go very necessarily together. Verse 15, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life. Brother Bob made mention of the light earlier on in the reading, and I believe the thrust of this word here is illuminators. And what is an illuminator, brethren? It's one that has no light of itself. It reflects the light of another.
We understand this when we look up at a big harvest moon in the night sky. That moon is shining bright. But the moon doesn't have any light of itself. Men have landed on the moon. There's no light in itself. It's reflecting the light of another. And I've sometimes used an illustration for those of us who are younger that help me to understand this. I guess in the days of digital watches and clocks, we don't have this so much anymore. But when I was growing up, I had a watch that had luminous paint on the numerals and hands of that watch, and I used to wear it to bed because I like to know what time it was when the light was turned out at night.
And so the light would be turned out, and I'd look at the watch and I couldn't see what time it was, even though it had luminous paint and luminous paint glows in the dark. Well, what was the answer? Well, you switched the light on for a moment, and you hold the watch up to the light. And when you turn the light out, you haven't changed the condition of the room. It's still just as dark. You haven't changed the condition of the watch. But now there's a glowing. There's a light. Why? Because it was drawing. It's drawn from the source. And the longer you hold that watch up to the light, the longer it's going to glow in the dark Room, Brethren, that's what we are here in this Dark World.
We're here to be a testimony for Christ to shine as illuminators. I think the hymn writer put it very nicely, he said. Not I may live while here below, but Christ my life may be.
And as we have Christ before us as the perfect example, as we're drawing from the source, from being in His presence, then I say there will be that light shining forth. And the verse 15 is the life we live, and verse 16 is the words we holding forth, the word of life. And so the two is brother Doug brought before us earlier, must correspond first of all the life we live. Are we in the presence of the Lord? Are we enjoying the person and work of Christ? Then what we say will have a weight and an effect.
01:00:22
When Lot spoke of judgment coming on Sodom and Gomorrah, he seemed as one that mocked. He hadn't been in the sanctuary. His whole hopes and aspirations were centered in Sodom, and when he spoke of judgment coming, they said, how can he speak in that way? There was no moral force to what he said because his life didn't correspond with his words. Well, again I quote that verse of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, And the apostle Paul said to Timothy as well, Thou hast fully known my doctrine and manner of life. The two things in the apostle corresponded.
And few practical things with regard to giving out the gospel that they might pass on to younger ones that they might feel this desire would be.
The word of God that you know.
And the dependence upon God in the giving of the gospel. And it's the Holy Spirit of Word.
Then the Holy Spirit would bring forth and their believer that his word that you know and you don't have to including the word of God. I find it for my own soul just to quote the word. And you don't necessarily have to give the reference. I'm not going to be looking it up anyway most often. But if you just spoke the word of God and let God use it and then a few words a word for the garbage has using the word of God, he says reach the conscience. We want to reach the conscience of the persons that we're talking to.
And another thing he says is use a sharp knife with yourself. We use a sharp knife with ourselves because we want, as another brother to say we want to exalt Christ in the gospel. He's the savior of sin, evening and helping brethren. We want Christ to be exalted before our brethren. So we use a sharp knife with ourselves and as to being led by the Spirit of God.
One of the ways it seems that God works with us is exercise. He lays someone on our soul. We have a burden for maybe a schoolmate.
Friends at work, neighbor somebody we know we have a little burden on our heartburn. Well that's the way the gut it seems that the Lord works. So we turn to the Lord about that little burden and ask for his help to get to, to maybe speak to that person before we find ourselves in the situation that God might use us and return to God. That moment, all that I might have a word for thee and independence on him would have a little word come forth. Not much necessarily come forth. It's dependence upon him.
And to look to him for help in the presentation and to exalt him. And as I'd rather said, the importance, the great importance of using the word of God. It's his word, the word of life.
I want to encourage young people to be sensitive to the Lord's leading. As to speaking to souls, I think it's so important I say that. I'm not much of an example at that. Remember in high school and I was there.
A young fellow who is my lab partner in chemistry.
It was the son of a university professor and fairly good friend of mine.
But one day, we were.
Bending glass in the lab and I touched his arm with a piece of glass and.
And burned it a little bit, and he comes back a few days later and shows me the burn, he says. There's kind of chuckling, kind of jokingly. There's a scarring, and they carry with me to my grave. And it was just as if the Lord said, you'd better speak to him. Do you know how you put it off and put it off? And there was a while later that we graduated. It was a few months later that we graduated, and that next summer he was skydiving, and his chute didn't open in time.
Hit the ground and killed instantly. Never did tell them about the Lord. I feel guilty before the Lord. The Lord lays somebody on your heart. I encourage you to do what ASA says. Ask the Lord for an opportunity. Sometimes the Lord will open up an opportunity, and sometimes we're not ready when the opportunity opens up. But ask the Lord for an opportunity and then seek to be ready to give a word at the right time. The Lord can do that for you, and I really believe you can be effective to your friends at school if you'll just do that.
01:05:15
Ask the Lord to open up the opportunities he will. LMA Middlesex told me a story this week about her daughter, Son Wanda Son, who was eight years old and he was cycling with his neighbor boy, a friend. And he he was. He just quoted a verse of scripture and spoke to him about his soul, his eternal welfare.
The little boy stopped his bicycle.
And got down on his knees and said, I want the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior right there in public. Didn't care who he who saw him. He he wanted to be saved. He wanted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Well, if you're 8 years old, this is a word for you also 9 or 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or seven or six. You can tell them that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And it might just turn out that there is rich blessing for eternity to the one whom you speak.
We're exhorted in Ephesians 5 to redeem the time where I believe the thought is buying up every opportunity and I appreciate it. An older brother at home, I was standing in line at the bank one time and there was quite a long line up and this brother who never misses an opportunity to speak for the Lord was standing some persons ahead of me. I had seen him, but he hadn't seen me and someone turned to him and recognizing him.
Said, called him by name and said, how are you today? And he said to them, well, by the Lorde, goodness, I'm fine and so on. And he used that as an opportunity to speak some little word for the Lord. And it was really a rebuke to me because I wondered if, standing in line at the bank and somebody asked me how I was, what I would have said, I probably would have said, well, I'm all right, but it's an awful rainy day and so on and so forth, and I don't like what they're doing down at town council. But here was a man who bought up every opportunity, and Brother Bob mentioned about asking the Lord for opportunities.
I've sometimes wondered if it isn't so much asking the Lord for opportunities. There's plenty of opportunities on every hand, but what we need to do is ask the Lord that we would be in a state of soul and in the enjoyment of himself, so that when the opportunities come, we avail ourselves of them. How many opportunities I miss from day-to-day. Often used to think when I was in business, people would come in the office and we would talk business and they would go on their way. Maybe I never saw them again and I never spoke a word for the Lord.
Opportunities missed, they may never be regained. It's true. There's no one going to be in hell because of our unfaithfulness.
Because the Lord Jesus said, all that the Father hath given me shall come to me. But we miss the joy and the blessing of speaking a word for the Lord and being an instrument used in that way. Mr. Brown Ch Brown, whom we remember with much affection, was one time on a train, I think, and and a oh, I think I was probably a college friend of his, hadn't seen for some time. He he called out down the down the aisle.
Well, hello, Clifford Brown.
How's the world treating you? He says. Better than it treated the Son of God.
And that that closed the I closed the conversation.
We did have a responsibility though, don't we? And I I was thinking of a brother I met down in Bolivia one time, and he had a real burden to go back to his home area in the mountains to preach the gospel. And what he said to us when he came and asked us to go with him, he says on that Judgment day, I don't want them to say, oh, there's that man I knew and he never told me.
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. But beloved Saints this is.
Preeminent in our hearts and minds, nearly all of us are thinking on these things now. The darker the world becomes, Can it get much darker than it is now? Well, it can, and it will after we're gone.
It's going to be total darkness, virtually.
Almost total darkness. There will be a flicker of light from that little Jewish remnant. But while we're waiting, the darkness is increasing and the the hope of his coming is getting brighter. And that's what we're waiting for now, perhaps before we even eat lunch today.
01:10:21
We will be in heaven. What a blessed thing it would be to leave all that food here.
And be with Christ instead.
We wait for the sun.
Whom God raised from the dead and he delivered us from the wrath to come. What a marvel, what a marvel. The wrath of God is going to fall.
But not on those who are sheltered by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a simple message, very simple message. There are two destinies, heaven and hell. The purpose of hell is to punish sinners for their sins. But the purpose of the death of Christ was for him to stand in our place in death and judgment. So now.
Heaven is our home. Hell has no claims on me since my Savior has borne the wrath of God already.
Beloved Brethren would allow one other thought from this end of this fifth verse. This phrase has been really coming home to my soul as I've been sitting here listening to the ministry on the gospel and in encouraging all of our hearts and the helps to presenting it. But it says this. Ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sakes, and then out of the J&D, it says. And he became imitators of us.
Well, brethren, do we want to see our beloved young people taken up with preaching the gospel? Ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sakes, and you became imitators. What are the beloved young people seeing in US? And that's a real word to our hearts, isn't it? The apostle Paul presents this, and he says, you've watched me. You've seen what I acted like. You watched how I presented the gospel, how I lived it, how I suffered it, and you became imitators. And so, brethren, we earnestly would pray.
For our dear young people, they might be kept and might have a heart to present the gospel, but let's not forget they're going to become imitators of us.
Turn to God. You turn to God from idols. Well, what are what are what a God. And think of think. Think of the what the heathen is it do for him. Man must have an object. A man is a moral being. Must have an object.
And if it's on an object that is below himself.
He has an object which is really below it, and then he descends. And what dreadful corruption was hedonism?
The the oftenness of it, Did it make them glad? Did it make them happy? No, indeed it didn't. How how miserable and wretched souls are out there in the world. And any of those poor people.
But to turn from it all to to such a God, what a God we have.
A God. And when you think of God of love, who in his mercy loves poor sinners?
And sent his Son into this world to die for our sins, to put our sins away. A God who has made himself a friend and a friend that sticks closer than a brother. A God who has come down to us and the person of his own dear Son.
And loves us and and a God who is, who is wants to bless us. This is the God that they that they found. Oh, you think of the emptiness of the world and the the wretchedness and the misery of poor souls who are in the all the paganism gave to gave to those poor people. And oh are they they found such a God.
As the apostle has the joy of telling them what a God they have, a God of love, a God of mercy, a holy God. And we think of those poor women that were there at Philippi down there having a little prayer meeting on the Riverside. They become so weary and so from the the excesses of the wickedness of idolatry that they thought something better. They found something, they thought something better.
And they were down there in prayer. Well, God sent the Apostle Paul there.
01:15:03
And he told them and.
The Apostle Paul gave them has he loved to tell them, but that blessed God. And we read about Lydia, the first convert of of these of the of the Brethren, the Apostle in Europe, Lydia, I remember Mr. Chapter Brown saying she got a blessing that day that she's enjoying tonight.
Well, what a God we have. It reminds us the story about the little Arab street boy, his friend. He never knew anything about a family, a home or anything or pleasures of of a home life. But a friend got him into a boy's home, and there he had a he had a nice he had three meals a day, he had nice clothes, and he had a he had a nice he slept between white sheets.
Never had anything like that before. This is what a friend got for him and so one day the teacher said to him Joe, what is the stand up and.
Spell friend Joe got up putting me spelled friend, he said FRIEND.
That's that's right, Joe. Now tell us, what is a friend? Well, Joe thought for a bit and then he says, well, he says a friend is a is a fellow that knows all about you and loves you just the same.
Well, when we take that up to heaven, there's a friend up there that knew all about us and he knows all about us down here.
And he loves us just the same, and he loves us through and through. So what a God they had found. It says they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven.
46 in the back of the book.
Have I an obviously?
My heart let him live by her in line flow.
Measure
Address—R. Thonney
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Yesterday, but a different verse.
John Chapter 3 beginning.
Well, actually it's just one verse and verse 34.
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God. For God giveth, not the Spirit by measure. You'll notice Undo him is in italics. It's not there in the original. God giveth not the Spirit by measure.
Interesting to contemplate this truth.
And I'd like to connect on to where her brother.
Started yesterday. The fact that we have a God who is a giving God. Do you know God in that way?
I have to challenge my heart again and again, dear young people, dear older ones too, as to how I know my God.
So often I speak to people about God and it seems like the idea they have is that God is some agency monitoring my life and if I really give myself over to in that direction fully.
That there's going to be a lot of.
Things I'm going to have to give up.
Do you know God as a giving God, or do you know a God that wants to take away from you?
The God of the Bible is a God that is a giving God. And how does he give?
Here is the gift of the Holy Spirit spoken about.
My brother spoke about that yesterday afternoon.
And here he tells us how he gives that. Does he give in measure?
No, it says God gives not his spirit, the Spirit by measure.
Tremendous to think about now to join that.
Verse with one in Ephesians, chapter 5.
Ephesians chapter 5.
We'll read from verse 17.
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is? Verse 18.
And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess.
But be filled with the Spirit.
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns.
And spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things, and to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.
Particularly, I want to draw attention to what we have in verse 18.
The exhortation is be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.
Somebody that is filled with wine, it is easy to know it. Just watch how they walk, you'll see if they're filled with wine.
And someone who is filled with the Spirit, just watch how they walk. You'll understand that they're filled with the Spirit by their walk. And here in these verses associated with this verse gives us some of the telltale things about a person who is filled with the Spirit. Verse 17, be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
A person that is filled with wine is controlled by what he has taken in. You know, it's possible to be drunk, not necessarily with wine, but with things of the world that don't act, don't let you walk as a Christian ought to walk. You're under the power of those things in your life.
But for a Christian who is filled with the Spirit, he is controlled by the Spirit of God.
00:05:00
But it's not without understanding, it's with understanding.
The understanding of the Word of God, the Spirit of God, or I should say is.
Part of the Godhead. We know that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit and we're talking about.
The third person of the Trinity when dwelling the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
There's part of us that is called our spirit. Man is a tripart being made in the image and likeness of God. He is spirit, soul and body. And the spirit part of man is the part that can reason, that can understand, that can communicate with God because God is a spirit as well.
And so there's understanding if you're filled with the Spirit, you're filled with.
Understanding another thing about a person filled with the spirit in verse 19 is.
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.
O brethren, here is an area I think we need to be exercised about.
The spontaneous flow of praise and worship to the Lord Jesus is it there.
In your life, and my life, is it there. Even in the Old Testament there was an offering.
That was called the continual burnt offering. It was never to go out.
It was to be always burning in one place, it says. It was to be burning all night until the morning.
The continual burnt offering, a sweet savour that continually rose to God.
That was what the Lord Jesus was in his death. It was a continual burnt offering. And I have to question myself, how much do I enjoy? How much do I relate to this in my own soul, the appreciation of what God Christ was to God.
Is there praise that flows from my heart, from my life? I'm not talking about something that everybody else says. We're going to have a saying and we get together merely. But is it something that's spontaneously flows from your life, The appreciation?
Of what Christ is to God. Oh I love it when I hear as they go around.
Some places to hear somebody just singing, not because everybody else is singing, but just because they have something on their heart that has to flow. It's a result of being filled with the Spirit of God. Some time ago in South America, I was inside a house and I don't even know exactly who was doing the singing outside. It was a little girl.
Three or four years old and she was singing Jesus loves me and it wasn't very correct what she was singing.
I don't think she had more in a couple lines, right, but the preciousness that it must have meant to God to hear that little girl pronounce that name of Jesus. His name is as ointment point poured forth. You know, I really believe we need to be exercised about praising the Lord more. Brethren, in our lives. We focus off times on ourselves, what we are, what is our testimony, and there's so much failure connected with it, brethren, we have to confess it.
But the more we're going to be occupied with the Christ of God, with that man who's the Sinner of all God's counsels for all eternity, the more automatic praise there's going to be to him. And that's positive testimony. Dear brethren, if you want negative testimony, look at me. Look at others who profess to carry the name of Christ. Our failure is evident. But if you want positive testimony, look at Christ.
And that's the purpose, that's the reason the Spirit of God is down here in this world, is to occupy us with Christ in glory.
We've often mentioned it. I'd like to repeat it.
That there are two cardinal truths.
Characteristic to this dispensation #1.
There is a man at the right hand of God, something that was never true in any other dispensation before this present dispensation.
There is a real living man of flesh and bones resurrected, and that God's right hand in the glory never was it true before.
#2 The Spirit of God as a person is here in this world, indwelling believers and uniting them to Christ in glory, occupying with them, with Him.
00:10:01
And oh, how important these two truths are. And I'd like to focus mainly on this second part of this truth.
Being filled with the Spirit, I see many vessels here in this room tonight or this afternoon, but I want to ask you, is your vessel filled?
This is the exhortation, this is something that we are to be exercised about.
Be filled with the Spirit. We know that every true believer.
In chapter one of this epistle upon believing the gospel of their salvation.
Are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. It doesn't say when they believed the Lord Jesus Christ. It says when you believed the gospel of your salvation. In other words, the gospel speaks about not only the person of Christ, but the work of Christ. And when you rest in the work of Christ where God rests, God says that's a saved soul. And he says, I put my seal upon that.
And we're sealed. Every true believer in this room has the Spirit of God dwelling in him, the seal of having believed the gospel of their salvation. But not every true believer is filled with the Spirit of God. In fact, I am not the judge of this matter, but I would guess that the percentage is rather low amongst God's people who truly are sealed by the Spirit of God.
Of those who are filled with the Spirit of God, why aren't we filled? What is it that hinders us being filled? This is an exhortation given to us, and I want to present it to you, dear young person, and dear older ones too, because it applies to us all.
Why aren't you filled with God's Spirit? Does God give the Spirit by measure? Did he only say I'm going to fill you half up? No, God doesn't give that way. When God gives, he doesn't give by measure. He's a great giver and He loves to fill. I suggest that the reason we are not filled is because there are other things filling our hearts, affections that hinder Him from filling us with His Spirit.
Sometimes give the illustration, if I have a glass of water, or I should say just a plain glass here that I want to fill with water, but it's half filled with dirt, before I can fill that glass with water, there has to be an emptying going on. I have to empty that dirt out of that glass.
Then I will be able to fill it. Why aren't you filled with God's Spirit? It's an exhortation that applies to you. Don't look at anybody else around. It applies to you. It applies to me.
Be filled with the Spirit. It's not God's fault if you're not filled with the Spirit.
It's not God's fault if I'm not filled.
Here's the one that gilt. Here's the guilty party, right here.
You know, dear young people, there are things that hinder God filling us with His Spirit He wants to fill. That's the kind of giving God we know. And I think sometimes when I consider the reasons why young people are not interested or don't seem to be ready to give themselves completely over to God.
Is because they have.
A fear that God's going to take away something that they enjoy in life.
And so they hold a little reserve pocket in their hearts.
I want to challenge you this afternoon to let go of those reserved pockets.
Let it go. God is such a tremendous giver.
That he delights to fill until you can't hold any longer, and that you're going to keep on overflowing.
Just let him keep on giving. That's the God we have. God gives, not his spirit by measure.
And so the exhortation to you and to me is be filled with the Spirit. I'd like to go to the Old Testament to an illustration of this in.
Second Kings. It is chapter 4.
Think it is.
Verse one.
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant, my husband is dead.
00:15:06
And thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord, and the creditor is come to take him to him, two sons to be bondsmen. And Elijah said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in thine house? And he said, And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil. And he said, Go borrow the vessels abroad of all thy neighbors.
Even empty vessels borrow not a few, and when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons.
And shall pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her. And she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more.
And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God, and he said, Go sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
Oil is often a picture in the scriptures of the Spirit of God.
But here we have this woman who is in trouble.
My friends, to learn to come to God.
In simplicity, God gives and He gives not with measure.
No, here is this woman and the instruction from the prophet is go borrow vessels of thy neighbors, not borrow, not a few. So that was the injunction. Don't borrow a few. And so she must have gathered quite a few vessels into her house.
I don't know that she knew exactly what was going to happen.
But with those instructions, she started pouring out of that one vessel she had. Isn't it amazing that God starts with something that was in her house?
And the answer oftimes to our need is not at a great distance. It's right there in our own family circle, the answer to the problem. That's what she took. That's what the man of God instructed her to use. And she starts pouring, and she pours and she pours and she pours until all the vessels are full. If she would have gathered twice as many, they would have still all been full.
Because God doesn't give his Spirit by measure. And I look around today, here I see.
Young children. I see young people, older ones, young families.
Oh, it's great to see you here, but I wonder how many are filled with the Spirit of God? There are so many things that impede filling with the Spirit of God in this world. And God is such a great giver. He wants to fill you. He wants to fill you completely.
And are you holding out in some area of your life to God? Is there an area that is?
Still being held in reserve that you're not willing to open up to the light of the Word of God and to God's presence. I plead with you. You are robbing yourself. You are robbing yourself of knowing God as a giving God that wants to fill your life so completely you will not be able to contain it all. That's the kind of a giver our God is.
And so this woman had all her pots filled, she paid her debt, she could live of the rest. If she would have gathered, as I say, twice as many vessels, twice as many vessels would have been filled.
But I say we determine by our lack of faith so often the measure that God gives to us particularly.
Again, I say the exhortation to you, the exhortation to me is be filled with the spirit. I'd like to go over to the New Testament now to consider a family.
That was filled with the Spirit. Perhaps some of you know who I'm talking about right now.
It's interesting.
Sometimes we would think that the first one in the family to be filled with the spirit would be the father of the family.
But in the case we're going to take up, it wasn't the father of the family. It started with a child.
00:20:05
And it started with an unborn child.
Tremendous interesting.
Cannot limit God in what He will do when He is given His place.
Let's go over to Luke chapter one.
The family, as you know now is the family of Zacharias the priest, and Elizabeth his wife and their son, which was John the Baptist.
Verse five of Luke one there was in the days of Herod the king of Judea.
A certain priest named Zacharias of the course of Abiyah, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and and ordinances of the Lord, blameless, And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
And verse 11 There appeared unto him, that is Zechariah, an Angel of the Lord.
This is in the temple, on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the Angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayers heard. And thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son. And thou shalt call his name John, and thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. And he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.
And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zechariah said unto the Angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
The Angel answered and said unto him, I am Gabriel with that stand in the presence of God.
And I am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believeth not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. Here we have the first of the family that is spoken of that was to be filled with the Spirit of God, even from his mother's womb. What a trim, extraordinary child this was to be.
From his mother's womb filled with the Spirit of God.
And it says here in verse 15, he shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.
In this sense of the word, John the Baptist was a Nazarite. If you go back to the 6th chapter of Numbers, you'll find the chapter on the Nazarites vow in one of the three prohibitions. One of the three requisites for being an azurite was to not touch wine or strong drink or anything that proceeded from the vine. The vine was something that came out of the earth, and it speaks of earthly joys, joys that come out of the earth.
They're not things that are naturally prohibited by God, but it was someone who wanted to dedicate themselves to the Lord in this way, and he took a vow of the Nazarite not to drink wine or strong drink.
This speaks to us of earthly joists. Sometimes young people say what's the wrong with such and such? What's wrong with sports? Nothing wrong with sports in themselves, but their earthly joys, joys that come out of this.
And if you want to be filled with the Spirit, those are things that you have to come to your decision to give up.
They don't mix be not drunk with wine whereas in excess.
But be filled with the Spirit. So John the Baptist was a man who was filled with the Spirit.
From his mother's womb tremendous to think about it never underestimate God's power to work in the youngest of children he can work and here we have him working right from the mother's womb. In the case of Samson in the Old Testament, his mother was told to not drink wine or strong drink while she was waiting for the birth of Samson and this shows the importance of even parents when they're.
00:25:20
Waiting for their children.
What you partake of is going to have an effect on your children, like it or not.
It will have an effect. Be careful what you partake of. There may not be any particular prohibition about it in the scriptures directly, but I say if you want your child to be one that is filled with the Spirit of God, it has to do with your testimony too.
Now, going down further in this chapter, we have.
The Angel Gabriel coming to Mary, a virgin of the House of David, to announce unto her that she is going to be the mother of the Son of the Highest. The holy thing that will should be born of her is going to be called the Son of God.
Tremendous thing to think of that the God of the universe entered this world through the same channel.
As you and I have entered this world, only the Lord Jesus is important to maintain.
Had no earthly father. It's important that because the Lord Jesus had no sin nature, He could not sin, not only because he was God, but because He was.
Perfect holy humanity.
He had no earthly father. He was born of a virgin. Extremely important fundamental of our faith that we need to hold firmly and Mary after she receives the notice.
She says, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me, even as thou wilt, And then she.
Says it says in verse 39, Mary arose in those days and went into the Hill Country with haste into a city of Judah, and entered into the House of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth.
Came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she spake out of a loud with a loud voice, and said, Bless it, art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped.
In my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed.
There shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord in this beautiful. Here we have the first one that is filled with the Spirit of God, John the Baptist. And she here, and she and he in the womb of His mother, hears the voice of Mary saluting her mother, His mother, and he leaps for joy. You that have borne children will understand this, the movement of the children in the womb.
But you cannot limit the Spirit of God how He can work.
In the youngest, and this is tremendous to see.
The presentation of the person of Christ, the Spirit of God, will make it joy to the person who is filled with the Spirit. Oh, I say, this is an important thing. This unborn child leapt for joy because there was the Redeemer in the Redeemer's mother.
Coming to earth and she is he was filled with joy. Here's one of the characteristics of a person filled with the Spirit of God. He rejoices at the presentation of the person of Christ. I say young people, do you rejoice when the person of the Lord Jesus is presented is well spoken of? Is there joy in your soul that's characteristic of the Spirit of God in you.
And ho how tremendous it is.
Brethren, do we rejoice at the presence of the Spirit at the person of Christ? Do we rejoice?
Sometimes speaking to young people.
And turning the conversation to the Lord Jesus.
00:30:00
The conversation gets kind of quiet.
Not much is said when the conversation is turned that way.
Talk about sports, talk about cars.
Talk about other things and we can have a lot to say.
Turn the conversation to the Lord Jesus. It gets quiet sometimes, even amongst older folks. We can talk about problems amongst brethren, and we have a lot to say about that. When the conversation gets turned to the person of the Lord Jesus, everything gets quiet. Brethren, do we rejoice at the presentation of the person of Christ? The person that is filled with the Spirit of God will rejoice when the Lord Jesus is exalted.
Here's an unborn child of mothers womb. Tremendous to think about it. The result is now that Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit of God. Isn't this wonderful? It doesn't start from father to mother to child. It starts the other direction from child to mother and then later on we're going to see to the father.
That's the order. It happened in this chapter. I think it's exercising this. We as fathers of family should be spiritual leaders, but oftentimes that's not the case. Zacharias here, when the Angel spoke to him, should have believed in simplicity, but he had his doubts. I'm an old man. My wife is an old woman. We're stricken in age. How could this be?
Gabriel, what a stately answer. I am Gabriel, stand in the presence of God. I'm sent to tell you this. You're going to be dumb now because you didn't believe my word.
If I'd read that through, I was thought, well, it sounded like he believed that maybe there was some doubts in his mind because of his age.
That really unbelief in any way.
Is in my heart is going to hinder blessing. Remember that dear young person, I've often said you can hang question marks all over me.
And others that you may know, but when it comes to God and His word when He speaks.
Don't dare put any question mark there, it doesn't belong. It will only hinder you and your spiritual.
Life don't allow any question mark there. That's the way Satan made Eve fall at the beginning. He called in question what God had said, and before she knew it she had eaten of the prohibited fruit and had given to her husband, and the human race had fallen into sin.
Terrible catastrophe because she allowed a doubt as to the goodness of God in his giving. Don't allow any doubts. Zacharias a lot of doubt. What was the result? He couldn't speak.
For that nine plus months of that year, he couldn't say a word.
Oh, how this speaks to my heart. Well, Mary Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and she has intelligence. It's interesting, she says, whence is this, That the mother of my Lord should come unto me. She says, blessed is the fruit of thy womb. She understands. Even though the Lord Jesus had just been perhaps recently conceived in Mary's womb, still she understands.
Tremendous understanding when a person is filled with the Spirit of God, when you give the Spirit of God.
His place in your life.
And she said to Mary, blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told of her from the Lord. Mary had believed. And so there was a real blessing in connection with it. And Mary starts praising the Lord from verse 46 on. Oh, it's tremendous when a heart is filled with the Spirit of God, the blessing that there can be. Remember, I want to make sure that it's understood here. A person that's filled with the Spirit of God is not.
Occupied with himself. He's not occupied with the Spirit of God, He's occupied with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the purpose.
Of the Spirit of God's presence here in this world, when we go down a little further.
In the chapter and John the Baptist is born and it comes to the 8th day, verse 59.
And they're going to circumcise the children. And that's when the name was publicly given. And they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, not so, but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by thy name. They made science to his father how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table and wrote, saying, his name is John. And they all, and they marveled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake and praised God.
00:35:16
Verse 67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up and horn of salvation for us in the House of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant.
The oath which he swear to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies.
Serve him without fear and holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. And then he goes on to address the child John. But what is comes out so distinctly here when John is filled with the Spirit of God. I say Zacharias is filled with the Spirit of God is that there is understanding of the times that he was living in. Oh brethren, I think it's so important today.
That there be understanding of the times we live in. It seems so often that those people.
Who have the very scriptures in their hands are asleep. That's what happened the first time that Jesus came.
They could tell the wise men from the east where it was that Jesus was to be born, but they had no idea that the.
Messiah, that the King of glory had been, had entered into this world. They were all asleep.
Word of God in their hands. They were intelligent as to it. They were zealous in defending the scriptures.
But they had no idea that the Lord Jesus Christ was.
Was down here in this world, no idea, completely oblivious to it. Is it possible that we can sit in these meetings with the word of God open in our hands and be totally oblivious to the person of the Lord Jesus to his glory? I really believe it's true. It's possible. Is it the case in your soul and mine? Do you look around in this room and just see the people that are sitting here? God never has given us authority to make.
As an object of our souls, any human being in this world other than our Lord Jesus Christ.
Never.
If you're looking around at the people, you're looking the wrong direction.
I want to turn your gaze up as Stephen, the first martyr, who was also filled with the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven. It takes some steadfast looking. Sometimes we're distracted by this brother said this and this brother said that.
I say, let's look up into the glory of God, the blaze of glory that shines in the face of Jesus Christ.
The Spirit of God is here to occupy us with Him.
And here is Zacharias is occupied with this person filled with the Spirit of God, has understanding of the times, has understanding of what's taken place, of who John is and of who the Lord Jesus is as well. Tremendous to think of the intelligence. These were people that weren't evidently noticed by the rest of the religious body in Israel.
But they certainly had understanding of the times.
And I want to challenge you, dear young person, and dear older ones too, to be exercised about this matter of being filled with the Spirit as Scripture speaks to us, exhorts us to be filled with the Spirit, and then to have understanding of the times that we live in. You know what really concerns me?
Say go back and forth between Latin America and the United States several times a year to see.
The stupor.
That so many so-called Christians are living in up here.
We're living, as we've mentioned before, in a man centered world.
It permeates our whole society.
The economic world.
Advertising. You owe it to yourself. Make it easy for yourself.
It's yourself that's the focus point everything in the educational world, in the.
00:40:03
Communications world. Man is the center. Man is the center. Sometimes it's called the New Age philosophy. Sometimes it's called humanism. Whatever it's called, man is the center of it.
You can believe in God, you can talk about him no problem, but he's really an entity out there that doesn't really relate to the real world where I live. In the real world where I live, I'll have the last word. I'll determine my course, I'll say what I want to say and don't you contradict me too much because I have my rights.
That's humanism. That's the New Age philosophy, and it's taking people, it's taken Christians. I fear that I've been affected by it far more than I like to admit. When it comes to buying something, oftentimes is what I want, what I like. The question isn't what does the Lord want for me?
We've been affected by it, let's admit it. Let's wake up out of the stupor of materialism. It really concerns me. I feel that we're not alert, we're not understanding the times. It's a play that the enemy is making and even affecting Christians, and it's going straight towards the man of sin who's called in Daniel Chapter 11, the willful king or the king that does according to his own will.
It's the glorification of the human will. Again, I say you can believe in God, you can talk about God, but really he doesn't relate to.
The world that we talk about, some people are so bold and that.
New Age philosophy that's they say God is in everything. God is in a tree, God is in me, I am God. That's the way they talk. It's not the God of the Bible. It's not the God that we're talking about this afternoon. It's not the God that gives and gives without measure.
Oh, how he longs to fill. But I say if you are in control of your own life, if you're dictating where you're going.
And what you want to do?
And this can even have place in our own spiritual lives too as well.
Can't get to the meetings, I'm just too tired.
Oh, I see. It's a matter of what I like. I determine those matters. Or is it the word of God that dictates when he says not forsaking the assembling of themselves together?
What is it that dictates in your life, your young person? Is it your own desires, your own feelings? I say if it is, let's admit, let's be frank, that we've been affected by the stream, the current of present society. Do we have understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do, as the men of Issachar did in the Old Testament? How important that is. I really believe that we're far more affected by that spirit of things than we like to realize that. I commend it to you to think about your young person, dear older one, too.
The Lord help us to wake up out of the stupor that we've been let into and material things.
To realize what spiritual reality is. To realize the glory, the greatness.
Of the man that we profess to follow. He's not just an entity that is out there and doesn't relate to the real world we live in. He does relate to the real world. He is real.
And he relates to present day life in 1995.
Oh, how important this is to get these things straight, to have understanding. There's nothing that can substitute for being with filled with the Spirit and have understanding of the times. I'd like to, the few brief moments left, speak of a few scriptures in the New Testament that speak of the Spirit of God and its work in our souls. We've already spoken of being sealed with the Spirit of God that we have. Perhaps I could just refer briefly to a verse that combines.
Three things in First Corinthians chapter one and verse.
21 and 22.
Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Have three things here, anointing ceiling and the earnest of the Spirit. Someone has said ceiling is for security.
00:45:06
When a person believes the gospel of their salvation, God puts his seal.
His mark of ownership, if you want to use it that way on that person, never be lost because it has the seal of God on it, that soul that believes simply the gospel of their salvation. So the seal is for security and the earnest is for enjoyment.
God says I'm going to give you an inheritance that will boggle your mind. It's so great. In Ephesians chapter one and verse 10, it says the perhaps gives us the widest picture of the inheritance. Every created thing in heaven and in earth is the inheritance of the believer in the Lord Jesus. He's going to inherit it.
With Christ, for we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. But God says I don't want you to wait.
Until that time to enjoy these things, I want you to enjoy it right now, so I'm going to give you a down payment.
That's what it is. The earnest is a down payment. What if the down payment?
The Holy Spirit of God is the security.
That you are going to receive the inheritance in full.
Oh, how tremendous this is to enjoy, brethren. Do you and I enjoy it? Are we scraping to get more of this world's goods?
Or are we living in contentment, contented with what we have?
Knowing that in a future day all will be ours, How are we living? That's one of the purposes of the Spirit of God is the earnest somebody has given the illustration and I really like it. So supposing I want to buy a lot for that's got a price tag of $10,000 on it.
That instead of coming down and giving a down payment of maybe $1000, I say I'm going to give you $100,000.
And that's what God has done. Which is greater, the inheritance or the earnest of the inheritance?
Really, if you think I'm down to think about it, the Spirit of God that now dwells in the body of a believer is far greater than the inheritance could ever be.
God wants you to be so sure of receiving the whole inheritance.
That He has given you the earnest money already. He's given you the Holy Spirit of God in your hearts. One other thing, the anointing it speaks of in verse 21 and it was read in I think this morning in first John chapter 2. The anointing that you have received of Him dwelleth in you and you have not need that any man teach you.
It's the Spirit of God. The anointing is for intelligence and power in service, and the Spirit of God is that for you as well. For every true believer who has believed the gospel of their salvation, this is true of you. Don't complain to anybody else that you don't understand. Get into the presence of God. Let his Spirit fill your soul, your life, your body.
And there will be understanding in your life as well. The anointing is for intelligence and power in service. And I'd like to just briefly touch on three things that Scripture speaks about not doing to the Spirit of God. Negatives that we need to be aware of as well. The 1St is in Acts chapter 5, just to refer briefly to it.
Here there were two persons.
Who were evidently believers in the Lord Jesus.
And it was at a time when they were selling their goods and laying them at the apostles feet and self sacrifice.
And this couple agrees. Together, they're going to sell a property.
And instead of putting the full amount at the apostles feet, they're going to just put a part of it at the apostles feet and act like that was the full amount that they gotten for the property. It was a deceit. It was a lie.
You might have said, well, it was partially true. Yeah, it was partially true, but it wasn't the full truth.
00:50:01
When we deal with God, dear young people, we must deal with truth. God knows the very secrets of your heart. You cannot hide anything with God. Absolutely. Is there an area that you're trying to hide? Still, I say it's hindering you from being filled with the Spirit of God. Don't allow it to go on. Get it out into the light. Judge it. Be done with it.
And so Peter has to say to the wife, after Ananias had died in verse 9, how is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the spirit of the Lord?
A believer can tempt the spirit of the Lord by allowing sin in his life.
This is a pretty serious thing because for a lie.
They both fell dead pretty serious.
I wonder how many of us would be alive today if it were for a lie we'd get. We'd we'd die. I don't know, but it shows how important things that we think are very small items in life.
God wants you to give that out into the light and be done with it and not hide it any longer.
They tempted the Spirit of God. There's another one I want to refer to and.
Ephesians chapter 4 where it speaks about let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you in all malice. Verse 32.
Be kind says in verse 30. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. We can grieve the Spirit of God by allowing sin in our lives one further one Our time is gone. Really.
In First Thessalonians chapter 5.
Says Quench, not the Spirit, verse 19.
We can quench the Spirit of God and this happens sometimes in our lives when we do not give the Spirit of God his liberty. And I want to say a word here, please, if you'll forgive me for goon a few minutes.
That it concerns me sometimes at our conferences that in our prayer meeting we wait for those who are so-called in the Lord's work to get up and pray when there are many here who are priests capacitated to pray as well. Brethren, are we going back to practices of the camp that had a separated priesthood? The Lord exercise our hearts when it comes to.
Pray, prayer and pray. It's not a matter of gift.
Not a matter of gift at all, but sometimes we start to fall into that way of thinking. The Lord exercised your heart, my heart, dear brother, and the Lord not to quench the spirit.
Sometimes we quench them in another way. It says here despise not prophesying.
And I just want to say this, some time ago I was talking to an older brother who was a help to me and he's I said to him when that particular brother speaking, I can't hardly listen to what he says.
And the brother said to me, despise not prophesying. It was a good word of exhortation for me. Even though you might not like that brother. Listen, God may be trying to say something to you through him. Doesn't say you have to accept everything says prove all things, hold fast that which is good. So it doesn't mean that you accept everything that's said. But listen, you might get something very helpful and profitable for your life. Don't turn the listening switch off just because you don't like it for certain brother.
These are important matters in connection with being filled with the Spirit. And dear young people, Yes, Oh my dear brother, and here I plead with you, let us get into the Lorde presence as to what hinders us being filled with the Spirit of God. Remember, it's not God's fault if I'm not filled with the Spirit. God gives not His Spirit by measure. The exhortation to you. The exhortation to me is.
Be filled with the Spirit. Let's just pray, gracious Father.
1 Thessalonians 1:7-10
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Sing the.
I.
Love God.
We begin with verse 7.
First Thessalonians one, verse 7.
So that ye were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and IKEA, for from you sounded out the word of the Lord.
Not only in Macedonia and IKEA, but also in every place your faith through God Word is spread abroad so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
00:05:07
For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain. But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as you know, a Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God, with much contention. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor guile. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, Even so we speak.
Not in pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as you know, nor cloak of covetousness God is witness, nor of men sought. We glory neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ, but we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children, so being affectionately desires of you.
We were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls.
Because ye were dear unto us.
Without that in verse.
Six ye became followers of us.
And of the Lord and our brother Bob mentioned in his address that.
We need an understanding of the times that we live in.
I don't know if I have an understanding of the time that we live in or not, but.
There is a deep impression on my heart.
Having in some measure a care for the assembly of the two or three gathered to the Lord's name and its preservation.
That's the very great need of our hour.
Isn't so much in the day that we live in and in the country that we live in where the?
Gospel permeates the airwaves and has been pretty well rejected and apostatized from in many greater extent than we realized.
But the hour and the day in which we live in there is a great need.
For examples.
To those who we are seeking to win for the Lord.
And to lead them on, and I would like to bring it down here. It says he became followers of us.
Why does he put himself first?
Sometimes, you know, we say we shouldn't look on our brethren, but I have been impressed through the years that how often Paul and even Peter.
Says Follow me and those as you have for an example, the House of Stephanus and others.
That the burden of the apostles, heart and life was to portray before those he was seeking to lead on in the Lord.
A visible pattern of Christ lived out in this life.
And so.
With those of us who are seeking to raise our children.
I'm I believe it's God's mind.
And the pattern of.
Labor for our household.
His forefathers to give that household a pattern of Christ to follow.
And if we fail in that?
00:10:01
It's not like they're ever going to follow the Lord.
And in the assembly.
I have noticed through the years a very, very great emphasis.
On seeking to help the young people in all kinds of activities.
And energies and laborers have gone into this end.
But in the assembly, if they don't see in the fathers of an assembly Christ.
And we try to work without giving that pattern in our own lives for them to follow.
It's no wonder they never come to follow the Lord.
And so I think perhaps in this reading we might notice some of those affectionate actions of the apostle as a nurse with her own children, and as a father.
You know those who, like Timothy, stayed with Paul. They had a father, son relationship, and at the close of dispensations a man might build an ark. But.
He has impressed me. He saved his house through his efforts, but his preaching was pretty well unaffected, effective.
Whereas you got Jonah, who didn't know the God of grace at all and didn't like the thought of a God of grace. She ran away from the God of grace. Yet God was pleased to use that poor example of a representative of God to convert a whole city as we might so speak. So there is a lot of preaching. And if God.
Wants to use it for salvation of souls. He will do it, but I think we need to be exercised as fathers in the assembly and fathers in the home.
If we ever expect those that we desire to help to follow the Lord, we're going to have to give them a visible pattern to follow, and so that it says.
And that he became followers of us and of the Lord. And then in verse seven, that they were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and IKEA, there was that.
Imprint put on this assembly that the apostle didn't have to say anything, their testimony of the effectual way that he had brought.
Amongst that people bore testimony to the power of the Gospel, and that they were His work, that they were His children. And I thought of Peter and John when they went up to the temple. And there was that a lame man there, and I think it look on us, they say but.
There was the opposition to.
The testimony in that day and in the new translation, there's a little expression.
That because that man that had been healed was standing there with them, they had nothing to say against that work. Well better than Do we want an effectual gospel testimony. Nothing will be more powerful than if our children come on and stand with us in the work, their standing testimony to the effects of the power.
Of the grace of God. But it'll it won't happen.
Unless we give them this pattern first to follow it, you know.
With a believers house, God works differently than he did say in my life or many others here who were saved out of out of almost heathen darkness.
That's not the pattern for the Christian home and the conversion of our children. We say, well, we hope they get converted in the gospel meaning. It's not the pattern for our households. The pattern is that we would win them by the example we have left for them as fathers, and then they will follow the Lord.
00:15:26
Examples. Also, you might turn over to Chapter 6 of Acts.
Acts Chapter 6.
Assembly.
This question about service and the assembly in verse one it says because of their widows are neglected.
And so they said in verse 3. Wherefore, brethren, look.
Among you seven men of honest report. That's an example, Holy Ghost and Wisdom whom we may appoint over this business.
Verse 5 And the same please the whole multitude. And they chose Stevens, a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost and Phillip.
Golf course, the Nightcanner and Timemans, or Armenians, Nicholas a crosslight of Antioch, whom they set before the apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on him, and the word of God increased and remembered Cycles multiplied as you can greatly, and a great company of priests were obedient to the faith.
If we look in these lives of these men, they're full of the Holy Spirit.
We see the star Stephen becomes a martyr and a testimony to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Before the Council of Israel, and they reject Stevens testimony, the testimony of the Holy Spirit in this man.
But I was thinking with regard to talk about service, with regard to the gospel, and I believe brethren from.
Living amongst the gathered Saints and the assemblies and service, and the assembly begins at the assembly.
And the service at this assembly these men were, fellow the Holy Spirit to serve the table. They were to be servants.
No, that doesn't seem to be a great word, but it was just a little thing. We might say in the assembly that everything would function and work properly, and these seven young men were chosen, but it was full of the Holy Spirit, a good testimony.
And God used that. We see the blessing that came out. I believe service begins in assembly. And we know there's something else here. The apostles laid their hands on them. That is the fellowship of the assembly. That's what the laying hands on if they work in the gospel. When a young man takes his place as a man in the assembly or a young sister takes her place as a woman, meaning an adult in the assembly, and there's a little service that they would perform in the assembly.
We want you to have the fellowship of your brethren. If it's an outside work, you need the fellowship of the assembly of your brethren in Now an outside work would be your work, but if questions come up and you don't feel that you have the fellowship of your brother's stop and ask why, go to the old brother and say am I doing something wrong? But he has desire to go on.
And serve the Lord Jesus who is in the midst in the gospel. The work of an evangelist brings those that are saved to the assembly that they can establish that they're saved and established in the truth. And they're gathered around the man who is in the glory, who is in the midst of those two or three that are gathered unto him. It's at the assembly, and that's in the service that we do needs to have the fellowship.
Of our brother, they need their fellowship. If the gospel works, if we're gospel winded and we have real energy and the Lord is going to be pleased to bless us, we need the fellowship of our president. I want that to balance with this exercise where we have talked in the meeting before to encourage the young people in the gospel. That is true, but it has to be, especially when we get real energetic and we're older and we're taking our place as a man.
00:20:04
As an adult or as a woman? As an adult in the assembly, when we take our place as an assembly, we create acting as just young people. When we take our place, we want the fellowship of our building and keep us out of trouble.
See that we work that we will exalt.
Our Savior Lord, and add to His assembly.
You mentioned Henry about leadership, and I think the testimony in taking a position certainly keeps us low before the Lord, doesn't it? Any of us can be tripped up by the enemy if we didn't walk in humbleness of mind and fear before the Lord.
I think of one of the popular radio preachers up here in the United States who was heard in South America.
And according to what I can gather and going around in Bolivia, one of the ones that was listened to by many Catholic people and appreciated his message and he fell and descend up here, it was one of the worst blows to the gospel that ever hit Bolivia. And it happened just before the Pope's visit, first time to Bolivian soil and one of the most tremendous blows to the gospel. This certainly shows the importance of of the testimony and the example that those give that take a place.
Before.
Souls in connection with the Lord and the Lord's things. The Apostle Paul, of course, was a special instrument called to that.
And he always says it like he does here in verse six became followers of us and of the Lord. 1St Corinthians 11. I think it is be followers of me, even as I am of Christ. So he always puts that there.
Because Paul even.
Didn't have really the spirits leading and going up to Jerusalem. So there's always human failure and human vessels.
And so there is that.
Way that that's put, I think it's so helpful to see that and it's natural that souls, when they're first saved, are going to look at the instruments that God has used in bringing them into blessing.
And I like to think though that in the course of time, as there is growth, that there will be a growing up like it says in Ephesians 4IN all things unto him who is the head. So that as time goes on and we grow in the faith and the we don't look as much as we have to human instruments, although that that's still important. But we transfer our vision more and more to the person of Christ himself who is the head in all things.
But leadership is important, very important. Satan has always been busy to do 2 Things. One is to trip those who are in a place of influence. Because those in a place of influence, when they miss the path, they often take others with them. And I believe too he's been he's been busy in any dispensation to occupy the people of God with the failures and the faults of their leaders. Because if he can get us occupied with the failures and faults of those that.
Minister to us in the Assembly, then our ears are closed to their ministry and I appreciated what Brother Henry said. And I'm thankful that as I look back on my life being brought up in the assembly, there have been those who have had a tremendous impact on my life and been a blessing and encouragement to me, not always by what they said, but by what they did. I think of one brother particularly in my home assembly when I was growing up. He never took an active part in the assembly and ministry or in administration, but his quiet testimony has been a wonderful blessing on my life. But I would like to say a word to those of us who are younger.
Because, brethren, it burdens my heart sometimes to hear an excuse used for failure and compromise, an excuse that the older brethren haven't ministered Christ or lived Christ before us properly.
Brethren, let's not use that excuse. Let's be careful, brethren, if we're going to be occupied with defaults and failures of those that have gone before.
Or those that God has raised up at this present time to God be guides in the assembly. There's plenty of those, and we're going to be discouraged, but I don't believe we're ever given the excuse. And I say this to those of us who are younger, we're never given the excuse justified in using the excuse for failure by pointing at someone else. And so I just say that as a warning to our hearts. Paul, when he wrote to Timothy, wrote of appalling days of failure. And many there are listed that had failed in many ways. But Paul told Timothy to continue in the things that he had learned. He said, Timothy, don't look at those.
00:25:19
We're thankful for those whose faith we follow, but by the same token, if I was looking to my brethren, I would have been discouraged long ago.
Many have been an encouragement to me, but I believe, as I've often said, that one of the great lessons that God is teaching us today is.
Contained in the 119th Psalm, where it says, I have seen an end of all perfection and brethren, if we're looking for perfection down here, we're going to be disappointed. If we're looking for perfection in those that God has graciously raised up to be guides and leaders and to have the oversight in the assembly, we're going to be disappointed. And I've been impressed how that at the end of the 11Th chapter of Hebrews, after bringing before us that list of men and women and young people who live by faith for God's glory, against all kinds of odds and difficulties.
And they're given to encourage our hearts. But immediately on completion of that list, he lifts our eyes above those men and women. He lifts our eyes above Moses and Elijah and Abraham and all those great men and women of faith. And he says there's only one perfect object, there's only one who hasted through this world in the path of faith and service and never digressed from that path that was set before him. And that's the Lord Jesus. And he lifts our eyes into the open heavens. And he says there's a perfect object.
Seated at the right hand of God, the only perfect man that hasted through this world. And he says, if you're going to be preserved in the path of faith and service, it's only by looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. And so I just say again, we're thankful for brethren that have been an encouragement to us in the past. We're thankful for those that God raises up in the assembly now. But, brethren, we need to have the perfect object before us. And I believe that we will be preserved in the path of faith and service only.
As we have Christ before our souls, we sometimes sing that little prayer, and I wonder if we really sing it from our hearts and think about it all. Fix our earnest gaze, so holy Lord on Thee that with Thy beauty occupied we elsewhere none may see.
See what the Thessalonians saw in Paul to follow here, that they wanted to become a follower of him. It was the way he went through the afflictions. It was the testings, the persecution there at Thessalonica. And when they saw how Paul responded to those things that were heaped against him there, that's what convinced them that it was the truth.
And they wanted to participate in it. They weren't ashamed of the affliction. They wanted the the faith that Paul had to go through that kind of a thing. And.
You don't need to worry too much about going to your head and something like that, do you?
Or somebody becoming a leader who wants to be a leader in affliction.
We often think of it in other ways, leadership and so on, but I really feel that this is where the opportunity is for us today too, brother. Just like to turn over to Second Timothy and read a few verses there that.
Perhaps Paul comments along the same line of his.
I'll just read from the second Timothy 3, beginning with the eighth verse, because here we have for the last times, and I believe this is applicable to us. We don't have the persecution like Paul had at Thessalonica in this country so much, but we do have falsehood and representation and imitation that seeks to discredit God's work.
It's here portrayed with the way Janice and Jamberries withstood the faith.
Says in verse 8. Now as Janice and Jam Breathe withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning their faith, but they shall proceed no further for their fall They shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity.
00:30:04
Patience, persecutions, afflictions which came.
Unto me at Antioch. And so forth. This is what Paul spoke to Timothy about. Timothy had known Paul. He had seen all these things, and when he saw it, he couldn't help me but be convinced it was the truth. And Timothy walked in at 2. And I believe as our brethren minister, even our young people, they discern what is the truth. They discern who is real.
And when they see how we respond to afflictions or divisions or problems that come, it shows us up, doesn't it? The reality of this, or sometimes the lack of it.
Nice going back to Thessalonians to see that when they did that, they became an example too. And so the chain goes on, the testimony goes on. But it all started with the Paul in the presence of the Lord.
The God and realizing who he was there. The third verse I believe it is.
It says the.
This the first verse and the last part, grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. That was what Paul laid hold of that enabled him to go through all that, and so it all goes back to God.
Of the second chapter in.
Verse 8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls.
Because ye were dear unto us. I think Mr. Darby translates because.
He had become beloved to us, but.
You know, we find it difficult. We read the apostle's life.
And.
We recognize that we can't identify with it.
Want to fulfill this filled up the sufferings of Christ but those around us.
They're watching us and you back your car up or.
Someone backs their car up and bangs your Fender and.
What do you do?
You arrive at the motel and say you've got.
Room reserved for you and the lady says there's no room for you. What do you do?
If we're not. If our Christianity isn't sufficient for.
A water pipe that breaks in our modern kitchen and we have to fix that water pipe.
Is insufficient for anything, but people are watching us in our everyday lives and there are, from morning to night, abundant opportunities to see.
What does Christ mean to us? You come home and.
Your wife burns the.
Biscuits, How do you respond?
If we don't respond in the matter becoming the Lord, you know there's an expression in verse four of chapter 2.
As we were allowed of God, but Mr. Darby translates that approved of God.
This was the vessel raised up by God and I personally feel even when he presents himself as an example.
Follow him even if he followed the Lord. It's not.
Saying to us, you look at my life and evaluate it, and when you see that I followed the Lord, you followed that part of my life, I don't think that's the force of that scripture. I think the force of that scripture is Paul is saying I have as I have followed the Lord, You follow me. It isn't when I follow the Lord but.
00:35:21
As I have followed the Lord and so that is what why the Spirit of God could so identify with this.
If we want to call it a gospel, outreach or whatever.
These this vessel was approved of God he hadn't used as he brings out deceit or guile or anything. He wasn't in it for money. He wasn't in it for the approval of men. He wasn't in it for the glory of men.
He lived before his God, and it was evident to the eyes in Galatians he he he is expecting something like this before whom Jesus Christ has been evidently portrayed before you crucified.
That's that's what we want to be exercised, rather than about what kind of believers we are.
There's no sense to exhorting anyone.
Young folks I, I sometimes.
Let's just live before them, portray Christ before them and the value of our Christianity. What do we do when something that is really we're not talking about what Paul was talking about. Paul was talking about life threatening situations daily in his life. But.
Lee Most of our adverse things that happen to us happen to things that we've accumulated. Our lawn mower won't start until I get angry at it.
What value is our Christianity? Why should I talk to someone about being occupied with Christ?
When something like that turns me aside trying to see what I am saying.
That maybe we never will have to suffer like Paul did, but we're going to have to suffer. We've got.
He suffers in the flesh, ceases from sin. We're going to have to stop allowing.
The flesh to express itself in anger or whatever way, whenever the flesh has been displeased or crossed.
Go and Hebrews 11.
Just to continue.
He mentioned those in Hebrews 11 and and thinking about these persons Moses and Rahab.
Gideon, Barack.
If we consider when the Lord called them and.
Their weak mortal or moral character in the beginning we find them to be men and women dependent on God.
Dependent.
Weak examples of blood dependence and what happens at the end of the chapter. They they wax bold.
They come forth courageously and victorious.
I think there's something good for this in all of us, because no matter how young we are here this afternoon, our lives are having an effect on others at this very moment. I've been impressed with that verse that says no man liveth to himself and no man dies to himself. We affect one another, and it's either for one in one of two contacts, we're either affecting one another for good. We're either an encouragement to our fellow Christian at this moment, or we're a hindrance or discouragement. There's no neutrality.
In Christianity. And so it's one or the other, and it's a searching thing to realize that. I'd like to just say in connection with Paul too, that it's interesting what he says in Galatians, because there he says, if we are an Angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached, let him be accursed. It's true. And I believe Paul realized that he had been raised up as a, shall I say, a patterned St. to be a pattern for those who hereafter believe. But he says, as it were, if I digress in any way, from the path of faith and from the ministry that I have presented to you, and from the truth of God, he said, don't accept me.
00:40:20
And so I think it's a good balance to what we have here. And he had that exercise and that concern. I realized it was something specific and something serious at Galatia, but I believe there's a broad principle here, he says, If I digress in any way from that which I have presented, he says, don't accept me at all.
Point must be always God and the word of His grace. We do have examples that God graciously gives, but they are to point us in that direction and we need to keep that before us, don't we?
Christ is the object of faith.
Oh, that's true. That really balances it all out, doesn't it, To have Christ before us. If I am listening to the word of God, either the gospel or the truth, God would direct my sight away from the vessel that He is using, because I'm always going to find failure in it. And I am responsible toward God to receive His word no matter what channel He may use to bring it before me. I have no excuse.
A lost Sinner will not be able to say in the coming day. While the gospel preacher was inconsistent, his life was a bad testimony and therefore I didn't believe.
I will never be able to say in a coming day I didn't receive the truth of God according to his word, because the vessel that brought it before me didn't commend itself to me. But on the other hand, in the words of another, if I present the word of God in such a way as not to glorify God, I give power and influence to those who do not want that word, and perhaps unconsciously, I may repel.
Honest souls that are really desirous of knowing God's word, and I may throw them into the hands of those who don't want that.
Why? Because of the attitude, the spirit, the inconsistency in my own life. Well, it's very humbling, isn't it? And I believe that's what our brother Henry was bringing before us. So there is a way in which our lives can commend these things. Scripture uses the term in Timothy, I believe, adorning the doctrine. And there's a way that we can adorn that doctrine, can't we? Or there's a way that we can take away from that so that others looking on it say, well, it doesn't commend itself to me. Well, his brother Bob says in each case we are to have Christ before us.
Whether we find ourselves on the receiving end or on the giving end.
Much more powerful than what we say. And these Thessalonian believers, their testimony was so powerful that it wasn't necessary for the apostles to speak anything. That's that's a tremendous commendation, isn't it?
They could see it. It was so visibly displayed.
The work of God in their souls. And then he goes on verse 9. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, how that ye turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God to wait for his Son from heaven.
Turn to God from idols. It's a that was commented on some this morning that it's beautiful to think about it. Oh brethren, what kind of a God do we have? Tremendous God. The glory, the grandeur, the greatness of the God that we profess to believe in. Where can we know him but in the person of the Lord Jesus? There we see the full revelation of all that God is.
And the Lord Jesus, once you get him before him, what are idols in comparison?
It's not that somebody came along and broke those idols, so they had to look for other gods. That wasn't the point. They got something of such supreme value before their souls.
Those idols were abandoned. They turned from them. And that's Christianity. God gives us something so tremendous we can know we can belong to the living God now. And those are the things they are left behind.
00:45:08
Because of their.
Poor value sometimes, say to the brethren down South, if you want to get a bone away from a dog, what are you going to do? Wrestle that dog to get that bone away from? Just take a nice big piece of meat and flop it down and from them He's going to leave that bone right away. Why?
Because he's got something better. Oh, brethren, may the Lord give us to.
Show our young people like it's been said that we have something that's worth talking about, that's worth it, worth living. And once they see that the idols are not going to have too much attraction to them any longer, I'm going to leave it They turned.
To God from idols. That's the work of faith, isn't it? Like it's been brought up now yesterday.
And true faith really works, brethren.
We're not saved by works, but we're saved by a faith that really works.
And if I profess to know the true God?
I profess faith in him, and you see my life has not changed. You see that there's.
I'm living basically the same way I did before.
There is a faith that I that works, and that's not the faith of God. The faith of God is the faith that works.
Again, I say we're not saved by works. We're saved by faith and faith alone. But the faith that saves is a faith that works.
Well, I'm thinking of that object.
Jesus, He didn't remain, He he was there in the glory of God, in the past eternity, in the form of God.
But that isn't how he came down here and appeared. He became a man. He took human nature.
And it is this way we can we can relate to him.
And what a blessed man we have. He came so near to us, He couldn't come nearer. I think of all the love, the tenderness and the grace that he showed towards us, that blessing money came so near to us. That's the one that the Apostle set before the these dear souls and Thessalonica. And when you think of the misery and the wretchedness of that which they were in.
How could they but leave it all behind?
And.
To have one, a blessed one, who is not only put all their sins away, but one who.
Associates himself with them and associates them with him. And that's what the Lord does. He has associated us with himself, and He associates himself with us, and that's the Blessed One we're going to have to all eternity. He became a man in order that we might enjoy Him forever.
It's American came where that poor half dead man was came right where he was and that's what God has done, isn't it? Often Think too there that verse in Second Timber Corinthians chapter 4 where it speaks of.
The glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ. Think of it. Think of the glory of God in creation, and there is a glory of creation. But think of that face that was so marred. More than any man's on that cross, they're the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ, the blaze, the glory.
By on the other side, the law didn't did nothing for man, Couldn't do anything for poor man Left him there on the road. There was no heart for him, no love for him. Just left him there. Might have said, well, it's your own fault. You're there because of what you've done. You've left. You've turned your back on on Jerusalem and you know you're suffering for it. Well, the law never gave an object and it never gave any strength.
To the law could tell man what he ought to be.
And what he should be and what he shouldn't be. But it never gave him strength or power.
To become what he ought to be or do what he should do. But the Samaritan.
He.
You saw that poor man down there, and his pity and his love went out to him, and he he wouldn't leave him there, and he didn't leave you and I. He picked us up.
00:50:06
He's carrying us until he's coming to take us home.
Verse nine. There first Thessalonians chapter one. For they themselves show up us what manner of entering in we had unto you. Let's turn to those verses in Second Corinthians chapter 4.
For the 12Th of Paul said. We can see what that entering in they had.
Here with the Thessalonians who were at that entering and serving.
Verse five First 10 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5 where we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves, your servants For Jesus name. They weren't preaching themselves, they were exalting the Lord Jesus Christ. They would preach to him. Verse 6 For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Lord of God, the faith of Jesus Christ.
These are living examples of a work that was done in their hearts. There's nothing more effective than a salesman that believes what he's selling. But these men are more than just salesman. They were offering the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ, the Lord, because they've experienced it. We have the same thing. We have experienced salvation in Christ Jesus. We have been saved by grace. It is not of ourselves.
We but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the equity of the power may be of God and not of us.
There's no other gospel.
They can say all the other news, all the other information.
Is what you can do, but you can't do.
This gospel would be in the preaching apostle and those who were with him the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It had touched him, and it turned the Apostle Paul from Judaism to serve the living and true God.
John 17 was evident in their lives when he said that they might know these, the only true God in Jesus Christ, without sin. That's.
If I have the opportunity to present the gospel on YouTube and I tell you about the Savior that I have in all my sins are forgiven, and that the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses me from all sin, what a message that is to a Sinner.
A Sinner who's serving something else, Some other purpose in life.
I remember when I was saved, one of the reasons I was saying is not just what I could have forgiven to sin, but I needed God's help in life. I wanted the help of God. I wanted his help because life is difficult and tough. Life is hard. To get to life on earth here I needed a Savior. I needed a God as my father. That's the message. Please, man. That's our message again.
He's an all the way home.
Came to serve here, wasn't it? It's a scriptural thought, brethren, We are saved to serve him.
Service varies greatly in the servant but.
Sometimes, brethren, I fear we make a special class when they speak of the servants of the Lord that.
Every true believer in this room is a servant of Christ. We need to feel that, oh, you say, well, you serve the Lord by leaving your secular employment and going out and ministering the word to believers and in the gospel. That idea, brethren, has done more damage to the testimony than we can realize.
You are working for some earthly company, some.
Company. You have a boss, an ungodly man. You are serving God at that job. That is important to see the.
Apostle Paul to the Colossians says to those who were servants in chapter 3.
Who were really? The word is slaves. As I understand it, they were those who never had their liberty to go out and do their own thing. But he says, There ye served the Lord Christ any greater motive than to do your work? Hardly, As unto him, doesn't matter whether it's an earthly master. Whatever it is you serve the Lord Christ, brethren, we're all servants of God, whatever you're doing.
00:55:30
You're serving him. Do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto men. And if that's the case.
You're going to do it far better than anybody else on the job. If you make that your object, you realize that you're serving the Lord. And I say, if you cannot serve the Lord in that capacity, you'll never serve the Lord in any other capacity.
Where the Lord has put you right now, abide with God in that calling.
Serve him there. It's important. We're all called to serve him. Tremendous privilege to serve him.
For those of us who are younger, when we have a concern and we're praying about what the Lord would have us to do, perhaps as an occupation or profession, that we seek to get into something where we can serve the Lord. Because I believe there are many places and things that a Christian can get into. And sad to say, when he gets into them he finds out he really can't serve the Lord in that capacity. Might be helpful to look at those verses in First Corinthians 7 because I think it's encouragement in connection with what has been brought before us.
There were slaves at Corinth too, and they might have said, well, how can I serve the Lord here? I'm a slave to an ungodly master, and there's really nothing I can do for the Lord. But I was thinking of the exhortation here in the seventh of First Corinthians and verse 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is was called called Art thou called being a servant? Care not for it, but if thou mayest be free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord being a servant, is the Lord's freeman.
Likewise also he that is called being free is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price. Be not the servants of men, Brethren, let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God. So he tells again these these slaves here at Corinth, that just to go on in the place God has put them, and to live Christ before their ungodly master, the Lord, could even turn that into a testimony to their ungodly master, and use it for their for their blessing.
Like the little Him, the children sometimes sing, Speaking of shining for the Lord, they sing you and your small corner, and I and mine. And if the Lord leaves us here, we're all going to go back to the little corner where God has placed us. We're going to go back to the home and to the neighborhood. We're going to go back to the office and the shop. We're going to go back to school. Wherever God has placed us, whether it's in the workplace or whether it's at the kitchen sink or wherever it may be, God has a little service for us to do.
And I believe it's a service that no one else can do quite as well as you. God has fitted you for that service.
And I wonder too, brethren, if sometimes I want to apply this in connection with the assembly, if there aren't assemblies that suffer a lack because there are those in the assembly who do not carry out the little quiet ministry that God has given them in the assembly. I say that because when Paul wrote to the Colossian brethren, he said, and say to Archippus, take heed to the ministry that thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfill it. We're not told specifically what the ministry of Archipelas was.
But Paul felt that the Saints at Colossi were suffering a lack because Archippus wasn't carrying out that little service.
And so it says in Galatians let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. Every one of the Levites had a service, every one of them had a burden. And to fulfill that little service before the Lord was what brought the Lorde blessing, and will bring the Lord's reward in a coming day.
Brother and there is a service connected with idols, isn't there? When you think of idols, you think of those that have to serve them. But it's not love that motivates that service. And so here you have a labor of love proven by.
Serving the living and true God. An idol is not living and it's not true. And in that wonderful brethren that.
We have been turned to God from idols, to serve God, to serve the living and true God. And I want to go back to what our brother Henry mentioned earlier at the beginning of the meeting. You know, the heart of the Apostle Paul breaks out in many places, it seems to me, with his desire as a father in Corinthians. He talks about how the Corinthians had 10,000 instructors.
01:00:24
But not many fathers. He talks about how that he would rather speak 5 words with his understanding than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue. And you know, brethren, I think it's the heart of a father. You think about it. What are those that we're seeking to bring the gospel to? The effect of the gospel, The joy, all that's involved in that. Maybe our families. It ought to be our families. There can be that in the assembly.
Are they seeing a labor of love in service? That's what we have. We have a God who's living and true and doesn't that capture our hearts to command and love that we serve him? Our brother Bob was talking about serving wherever we are in the Brother Jim and.
You know, if I am looking at that service as a duty, that's what I have to do with an idol. I have to do something, but not with God. He's won my heart and love, and he's turned me to him away from idols. And now that service is a service of love. But, brethren, may it be done with that father's heart. Not only that we serve in that way, but that that example is set for those around us, the assembly, wherever it is, that there might be blessing.
I.
Yeah, I agree. There are two verses.
That give us motivation.
With purpose apart in our work.
Verse 17 And whatsoever you do in Word for me through all, in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks.
And verse 23. And whatsoever you do, because it hardly is to the Lord, and not unto men in our secular work a lot of times.
Christian is thought of as a negative person, but the Christian should be a cooperative person, and that's what they should see appear to cooperation in the believers. He goes to work, he goes for corporations. They come up with some dumb ideas. They really don't want to hear that their ideas are dumb. And as long as it isn't a moral issue that we're going to have to stand for, we should have a spirit of cooperation. If the company wants to do this and that, we want to do our partisan to the Lord in cooperation.
If another thing is in cooperations we work with other employees, they have a tendency. I know you go into another, I go into other places with business and you might hear one person talking about another. You know I we try I don't get into those conversations. I just look and I I just keep about my business but.
I think you know how I've met some of the Christians in those different places, and I see them, and I see a spirit of cooperation on their on their part.
I say that they're not backbiting and they're trying to show love and kindness. I see a devotion to the Savior on their part, that whatsoever they do, I can see that they do it hardly unto the Lord and not event to men. And now I have a brother that works with the company that I work for. He went out to Canton OH, as a specialist.
And we had a specialist transfer out of Saint Louis here. And he says the manager called him up and said, China, did you come down here and work for us? They knew he was a Christian, but they knew he had a dedication and he was cooperating. He had a spirit of cooperation about him. And they could see that this young man, Diana Hudson, I really love him very much in the Lord and I can speak very well of him because here's a young man.
That I know is dedicated to the Lord, the family dedicated to the Lord. You see it at home, but you can see it at work too. There's a spirit of cooperation wanting to go along. You see self judgment in his life too. If he does things wrong, he admits to his wrong. He said I shouldn't have done things this way. He takes responsibility for things, but it says spirit of cooperation. And I thought it was so pleasing to see that when when a specialist was needed they called him from Canton. OH and they said Dang it.
But your chance to come down here and help us, that was a testimony to me of that man's testimony before what sorry does he does? Heart is under the Lord, not under him.
01:05:01
Through here, the 10th verse. Nice to get this before we finish up rather than to wait for his Son from heaven. That was what the Apostle Paul taught these Thessalonian believers so many years ago. And yet the Lord hasn't come yet. Was the Apostle Paul mistaken in teaching them to wait for the sun from heaven?
That's what partly makes it the living word of God. It's never outdated. It's nothing that the Christian Pope continually, but it was a year 40AD or 1995.
It's always the proper hope of the believer at anytime. And these Thessalonian believers because the Lord didn't come in their lifetime, The Apostle Paul, because the Lord didn't come in his lifetime are not going to be disappointed.
When the time comes that home call brethren, and the Lord comes to take us home, they're going to all be there, present. It's not a question of those who have gone on to be with the Lord of Time any longer.
So.
What is it, nearly 2000 years that has transpired since they went home to be with the Lord? What is that? Is a brief moment in eternity, eternities day where they are waiting for that day too. They're not going to be disappointed. They're going to be included.
It's always the proper hope of the believer to wait for the sun from heaven, and may the Lord give us to be a vivid burning thing in our souls. Just to think, brethren. Just to think that in one of these moments during our busy lives, we're going to take one step and maybe lift that foot to take another step, and instead of stepping down here, it'll be stepping onto the cloud to meet the Savior.
Just that soon, brethren, to meet him face to face. Any accounts?
Still pending to straighten up before we go, brethren, Let's get those straightened out. If we're going to go with those accounts pending, it'll be with a sense of shame when we meet him and loss. The Lord help us to live in the constancy. It's proper Christianity to always live at whatever time with the constancy of the sense that our Lord might come.
At any moment we're going to see him and with what condition of heart?
Am I going to meet him at that supreme moment of encounter? See our Savior face to face? To see that face more marred than any man? To see his hands and his feet fall down before him? To worship and praise him forever? Oh, what a day. It could happen at any moment.
Not just waiting, but watching too.
Of our life, that the hope of the Lord coming interferes with right.
Every There isn't anything.
In our practical life that the hope of his coming interferes with.
Just go on.
Just go on with our work. The Lord has given us to do and but the thought of waiting has has a in itself. It isn't just it isn't just merely A doctrine that the Lord is coming did that coming to the Lord but as a as a there's that that waiting that that eager looking out or something.
Remember reading about Thomas saying about a oh a dog? I guess he was a stray. At least somebody. Anyhow, they they put him in the.
They put him in one of these places where they just keep dogs until until someone will pick them up and hopefully maybe the master will come back. But that that dog, he sat there and he watched that they put him in that place and he sat there and watched that door, waiting for that door to open.
All day long he just sat there and watched, waiting, hoping it was a thought that his master would come and take him out and he just sat there. Well, sometimes creatures put up to shame. Gods, creatures. They teach us lessons, don't they? Looking for that blessed hope.
01:10:08
I'm getting tights.
And there's no sign to be accomplished, brethren, for the Lord's coming for us from heaven. We're talking about the Lords coming in His manifestation at the end of the tribulation period to reign on this earth.
To reign over this earth, there is a multitude of signs that will be fulfilled for that.
Sometimes we look around and say, boy, there's sure a lot of signs of the Lord's coming brethren. The signs that we see are not for the rapture, it's for the coming at the end of the tribulation period.
That's right. And but for the Rapture, no sign has to be fulfilled. It can take place at any moment.
And as we see those signs that point to that which is beyond the Lord's coming for His Saints, we ought to take heart. Because if we see those signs so prevalent, how much closer?
Is the Rapture. I enjoyed Brother Dear's illustration of the dog, and I thought of it too when we were children at home.
We lived out on the highway out of town, and on a day when we were expecting some guests, particularly if it was someone we were really looking forward to having in our home, We as children throughout the day would be out the window and we had a big plate glass window in our front room. And we'd be out the window and we could see both ways down the highway, quite a distance. And there we would be every few moments looking down the highway. We weren't just waiting, we were watching for that guest to arrive. We'd say to my dad, well, when are they going to come? Well, I'm not sure.
And so we didn't know exactly. We knew they were coming sometime that day, and as we were waiting and watching for those guests, it really had an effect on our whole day. And, brethren, I believe in the measure in which we grasp in our souls this evening as a living reality, not just as a mere doctrine, important as it is to take it up in that way, but as we grasp it as a living reality in our souls, the imminent return of the Lord Jesus for his Saints. In that measure it will have a practical, purifying effect.
On our lives. When he takes this up in one John chapter 3 and speaks of being with and like Christ, then he says every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure and brethren, When the Lord Jesus comes and snatches us out of this world, everything that we have down here as far as this world is concerned is going to be left behind. Pardon the repetition of an Old Testament illustration that I've often used for those of us who are younger. I often think of Daniel when he stood before Belshazzar.
There he stood, and Belshazzar said, I'll give you 3 things. If you read the right and read the writing on the wall, I'll give you a gold chain, a scarlet robe, and I'll make your third ruler in the Kingdom. And Daniel said to that man thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing. Why did he refuse those gifts? Well, brethren, why would he want to be third ruler in a Kingdom that was already under judgment? Daniel knew from the writing on the wall that that Kingdom was divided and given to another.
And Scripture tells us that that's what happened that very night. And Daniel didn't want any part in something that was about to pass away. He was made third ruler in the Kingdom, but it was only for a moment because the Kingdom that night passed away. And brethren, as we realized that everything we have down here is about to be left behind.
Jubilee is about to take place. I believe it will place a proper value on what we have here in a temporal way, and it will have that practical purifying effect on our lives while we do everything in view of the Lord's coming. It says Occupy till I come.
All right.
208.
And hopefully.
01:15:58
Our glory noise, we know the same way.
And all the world wars.
There's a round through glory.
Go down.
We are here.
All day rain.
I love you.
Crazy.
See Jesus
Gospel—J. Hyland
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
With hymn #15 O blessed gospel sound. Yet there is room. It tells to all around. Yet there is room the guilty may draw near though vile they need not fear with joy they now may hear yet.
There is room. Perhaps we could stand and sing #15. Someone could please raise the tune.
And Christ whizzing.
Alone.
Did you have to ever get his room?
And all this time, he said.
There is room.
Praise everything.
Have done.
Yes, there is room.
But it is now gone. Please.
Turn to the portion that is particularly on my heart this evening. I'd like to read one verse in Mark chapter one.
Mark chapter one.
And verse one.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Son of God And then turn with me, please, to Luke, chapter 19.
Luke chapter 19 and verse one and Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus, who he was and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a Sycamore tree to see him, for he wants to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him and said unto him Zacchaeus.
00:05:13
Make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that he was gone to be a guest with a man that was a Sinner, that is, a Sinner. And Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house. For as much as he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Well, we were singing concerning the glorious gospel, that gospel that has been going forth for almost 2000 years. It's the same message that the apostles preached in the early chapters of the Acts. It's the same message that went forth to the Samaritans in the 8th chapter of the Acts.
It's the same message that went forth to the Gentiles beginning in the 10th chapter of the Acts. It's the gospel concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And what a thrill to be able to present that blessed One as the Savior of sinners tonight, to present him in all his glory and his beauty as that one who is there on high in the glory as a Savior. You know, we sometimes sing that old gospel hymn, and we sing it often, but you know, to my own soul I never tire of singing it.
There is a Savior on high in the glory, a Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree, a Savior as willing to save. Now as ever, his arm is almighty, His love great and free. And here we find where we read in Luke's gospel the Lord Jesus in his pathway here. And as the Lord Jesus walked up and down the dusty streets of Palestine, his desire was to dispense blessing, and He did dispense blessing.
Every hand, if we were to go back to Mark's gospel particularly, we see this brought out there, the Lord Jesus as the perfect servant. He goes through this world in his pathway, and he shall I say I speak carefully and reverently. He never misses an opportunity to suspense, blessing, as he saw the degradation of man, as he saw the effects that sin had brought into this world on every hand, oh, what was his heart? It was a heart that desired the blessing.
Of those he came in contact with, he reached forth and touched the eyes of the blind. He dispensed blessing to those who had no hearing. He cleansed the leper we heard tonight, last night, of how, as Jesus was approaching the city of Jericho, there was one that had a real need. And did that one go away disappointed when that one cried out for mercy, was there. Mercy dispensed to that one? Indeed there was. You know, if there's someone here tonight and you're still a lost Sinner.
If you're still in your sins tonight and on that broad Rd. that leads to destruction, I want to tell you at the very beginning of this meeting, there's blessing for you tonight. There may not be blessing at 8:00. There may not be blessing at 7:30. There may not be blessing at 7:15. But all Sinner tonight at this moment, there's blessing for you. But I can't promise you another moment. It says, behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
We find too, if we were to go over to the end of Matthew 20, that as the Lord Jesus was leaving Jericho, there were two blind men and they cried out for mercy. Where they disappointed did the Lord pass them by. Even though the crowd tried to hush their cries, as it were, they said the Lord isn't interested in you.
Was he interested? Of course he was. And they received a blessing, too. But here we find the Lord Jesus as he enters this city. There is one. There is one who was seeking the Savior. Are you seeking tonight? You know, Zacchaeus had a real desire to see Jesus, and it even tells us the motive of his heart here. He desired to see Jesus who he was. Oh, I thrill when I read that. You know, there's a sad contrast between another this man and another man in the gospel.
His name was King Herod, And Herod, it says, desired to see Jesus as well. In fact, he desired of a long time to see Jesus, but he had a different motive. His motive was so that he might see some miracle performed, and we don't ever read that that was gratified that he ever saw a miracle performed. But here was one who had an earnest desire to see Jesus who he was. He wanted, as it were, to get to know this person.
00:10:21
And all his heart was satisfied. As we read down the story, we're going to see that this man, unlike King Herod, on another occasion, this man received a blessing. And so Jesus enters and passes through Jericho. You know, Jericho is an interesting city, brought before us many times in the word of God. You'll remember the story well of how they went in, in the book of Joshua to conquer the promised land, and they marched around that city and on the 7th day.
Those walls came tumbling down. Jericho was a wicked city, and God not only pronounced judgment on Jericho at that time, but the judgment was carried out. Those walls fell down and none were spared save Rahab, who had put the scarlet line in the window. You remember too, the story earlier on in Luke's Gospel of the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. You know, Jericho, it seems to me, as a city that has a double connotation.
I would just say too that I believe it speaks to us of this world. It's a little picture, it's a little type of this world. Because there were two things, two outstanding things that characterized Jericho. One, it was the city of the curse, and this world is under judgment. Tonight. The sentence has been passed and it says he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world by in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, as sure as we're sitting in these seats tonight.
Judgment is going to fall on this world. And the Lord Jesus feeling the imminence and the awfulness of that judgment, He said when he was here. Now is the judgment of this world. We were reading of the Thessalonians and how they had been saved from the rock that is coming on this world. What about you tonight? But you know, I believe Jericho has another connotation as well. It was the city of palm trees. It was that which spoke of ease and that which is so pleasant, that which we've had brought before us already in these meetings.
The materialistic society in which we live, the instant answer and remedy for everything the pleasant, sedentary life that so many of us enjoy. I don't mean that we despise the mercies that God has given us in a land like this. And in the land of Canada, where I come from, we're thankful for the mercies that we enjoy from day-to-day, but oh how sad when those mercies the enjoyment of those mercies, and the clinging tenaciously to those mercies.
And looking to them for deliverance keeps one from coming to the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, we heard last night that it's not many mighty, not many noble that are called not many rich. But here was a man and he was rich. The scripture tells us that he was rich, but he received a blessing. You know, I think too again of that man on the Jericho Rd.
Earlier on in Lukes Gospel, and when the Samaritan came to him and so on, and you know, I thought of that man, he we're not told that he was a young man. And I don't like to suppose into Scripture, but I have often wondered if that man wasn't a young man who looked down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, the city of palm trees, and thought, well, I'm going to go to Jericho. There is pleasure, there is easement, There are all the things that will satisfy my heart. Perhaps things like that went through his mind.
But you know, he found that it was a sad course. He ended up helpless on that road.
And he needed the the compassion and the help of another.
You know, I want to impress upon our souls at the very beginning of this meeting that not only are we born in sin and conceived in iniquity, but we are helpless sinners before God. You know, I say that because if we were to go out on the streets of Saint Louis tonight and interview folks as they passed by on one of the busy thoroughfares of this city and ask them one question, are you a Sinner? You know, I wonder if we wouldn't get an affirmative answer from most people. You know, most people will admit tonight that they're sinners, that they have done.
Wrong things.
But you know, I wonder how many realize that they are helpless sinners before God. Because it's not just realizing I'm a Sinner. It's realizing that I can do nothing to better my position before God. I can do nothing to rid myself tonight of one sin. I stand here tonight saved by the grace of God. My sins are gone, but they're gone because the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
00:15:19
If you're here tonight.
And you haven't had the blood applied to your heart. If you're not saved tonight and on your way to glory, I tell you tonight, there's only one way of blessing. There was only one way of blessing for Zacchaeus, and Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. No, this is an actual incident in the life of the Lord Jesus as he walked through this world and as I said earlier, dispensed blessing on every hand. But you know, there was more to be accomplished in the Lord Jesus coming into this world.
Than just the incarnation of the sun. There was more to be accomplished in God sending his Son than just the dispensing of blessing as he walked through this world. Oh, there was something of far greater importance. There was something that was vital to the salvation of lost souls, and that was that the Lord Jesus go to Calvary's cross there, give himself in love there, shed His precious blood.
It was, I say, it was vital. Had the Lord Jesus come and live that perfect, spotless life as the one who was wholly harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, and had he returned to glory, He would be a man in the glory tonight, but he would remain alone for all eternity. But all his heart will be satisfied with nothing less than the company of those that he has redeemed with His precious blood. And I know there are many tonight who just thrill as we speak.
Of that time when we will see our Savior there in the Father's house, there will look on that lamb freshly slain. But what about you tonight? What about you in the back row? What about you, young person, boy, girl especially prayed for at a prayer meeting before this gospel hour, you who have heard the word of God so many times.
What about you tonight? Are you saved? Are you seeking to see Jesus, who he is? Do you have a desire to know that person? All his desire is to save your soul tonight.
Well, you know, as the Lord passed through Jericho, there was this man named Zacchaeus with this desire, and he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way. He wasn't going to let anything stand in his way. You know, I don't know why you've come to this gospel meeting tonight.
Maybe if we were to take the time and interview some of you here tonight and say, why did you come to the Gospel Meeting in this building? Maybe there would be a variety of answers. Maybe you've come because you were invited by a friend. Maybe you've come because you had no choice. You were brought by a praying mother and father. There may be a variety of reasons why you're here tonight, but I know one thing for sure. God has brought you to this room tonight so that you can hear once again.
God's offer of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, I want to impress upon our hearts tonight. There's no other way of blessing.
No other person, no other thing that we can put confidence in for our eternal salvation.
You know, men have put confidence in many things through the ages. They put confidence in power, in money, in gold, in jewels, whatever it may be. But you know, men are finding out in this day and age that those things they once put confidence in are being shaken, and that which they once felt secure in investing in, they don't feel so secure anymore. What about you tonight? What are you basing your soul salvation on tonight?
Well, Zacchaeus wasn't going to let anything hinder him from seeing the Lord Jesus. You know, I believe it's interesting to notice that as the Lord Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, we don't ever read that he passed that way again. I wonder how many opportunities you've had to be saved. Zacchaeus had one opportunity to see Jesus. Was he going to let it buy? Oh no. How many opportunities have you let by?
If you were to count back and justice, make an estimate, an estimation of how many times you've heard the gospel in your lifetime and not only being brought to a gospel meeting like this, but many of you have heard the gospel in your home from the very early days of your childhood. Timothy was reminded that from a child he had heard the Holy Scriptures that were able to make him wise through faith, which is in Christ Jesus, and I appreciated what a little girl said one time.
00:20:09
When she was asked when is the best time to be saved, You know, usually people say now, and that's a good answer, but that's not what this little girl said when she was asked what is the best, when is the best time to be saved? She said. The first time you hear about Jesus, wasn't that a good answer? The first time you hear about Jesus, What about you tonight? Is this the first time you've heard about Jesus?
I wonder if there's anybody in this room that can say that, that this is the first time you've heard about Jesus. You've heard the gospel many, many times. You've heard it over and over and over again. But what have you done with it? Can you say tonight in your heart that Jesus died for you? You know I live not too far away from what is called the Great Lakes, not too far away from Lake Ontario, if you were to drive about an hour S from Smiths Falls.
You would come to Kingston, which is on the shores of Lake Ontario and those Great Lakes.
Are full of ocean going vessels and large ships and even today there's a lot of freight moved on the Great Lakes. And you know, I was impressed with a story that took place some years ago on Lake Erie was in connection with a ship called the Swallow. It was a ship that carried tar.
And they were making a voyage from Detroit, MI to Buffalo, NY and the pilot of that ship, his name was John Maynard. He had piloted that ship for many years. And as they were plowing their way through those waters towards Buffalo, a fire broke out on the ship. And you can imagine the concern that would cause a ship that was hauling tar and that fire was they tried to bring it under control.
But it only got worse and worse. They realized the hopeless condition of the ship, and there was John Maynard holding the wheel steering that ship, and they were only about 45 minutes out of port.
The passengers and the crew of that ship moved to the front of the vessel because the forward motion of the vessel into the wind kept the smoke and the heat from coming too close. But John Maynard was at the back of the ship. He was there at the helm, and he was holding on to that wheel, guiding the ship.
And the captain called back to him and he said, how many minutes to Buffalo? He said About 45, he said, Can you hold on? He said, by the grace of God, I'll try. A few minutes later he called back. And he said, How many more minutes, 20 minutes.
A little later on, he called back. How many more minutes? 10 minutes. Those were the last words that John Maynard ever uttered. Because that smoke, those smoke, that smoke and flames had swirled up around him.
And as he answered the captain for the last time, his clothes and his beard were catching on fire. But you know, he held on to that ship. He guided that ship into port, and every other person on that ship was saved. But John Maynard died. And if we were to go to Buffalo tonight, to a graveyard in that city, we could go to a spot in that graveyard. And there is a monument with these words on it from the grateful passengers of the Swallow.
To John Maynard. He died for us. How grateful they were. They knew that another had died to save them from that burning ship and from the cold, frigid waters of Lake Erie. What about you tonight, we're not talking about a burning ship. We're not being saved. Talking about being saved from some catastrophe here in this world. We're talking about eternal issues. Tonight, we're talking about hell. We're talking about the reality of coming judgment.
We're talking about you in your sins tonight. Oh tonight. I wish I could tell you how much God loves you. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. I said there was a prayer meeting before this gospel hour, and there were many in that prayer meeting who poured out their heart on behalf of the gospel. And you, Sinner, were specially prayed for. And maybe there's someone in this room tonight and they're praying for you by name as the spy.
Someone concerned about your lost soul. But all I want to tell you tonight, there's someone far more concerned about your lost soul than anyone in this room.
There's someone who loves you far more than Mother, loves you far more than Father, loves you far more than whoever brought you to this Gospel meeting. And that's the one who provided A Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one of whom we read the Father sent the Son.
00:25:16
To be the Savior of the world. You know, when it says the Father sent the Son, doesn't that touch our hearts? More than if it had just said, God sent Jesus, the Father sent the Son His only begotten Son, The one who never grieved his Father, the one who did always those things that pleased his Father, the one in whom was the delight of the Father, and yet he sent him here into this world. We've been speaking in these meetings of God being a giving God, but all tonight.
We can say in the language of Scripture, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift was ever a gift given, like the Lord Jesus Christ. It's that unspeakable gift. Well, here we find Zacchaeus again, back to our story. The Lord Jesus enters and passes through Jericho. And as he's passing along, Zacchaeus, who was a little man. He wanted to see Jesus. But there was a great crowd. Now I realize this was a physical crowd. Here it was a great mass of people.
Many of them were following the Lord Jesus, no doubt to get some blessing in a temporal way, no doubt out of curiosity, but here was a man who wanted to see Jesus who he was. He wanted to know the person of Christ, and he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way, even a large crowd. And this man couldn't look over the crowd. I wonder what the enemy is using tonight to crowd into your life to keep you.
From coming to the Lord, I wonder what he's using. He may be using any number of things. He may be using friends.
He may be using business, He may be using material things, something that is crowding into your life and keeping you from coming to the Lord. Sometimes we sing that old gospel hymn. Have you any time for Jesus? He who bore the load of sin as he knocks and asks admission Sinner, will you let him in? Have you any time for Jesus, time for pleasure, time for business? But for Christ the crucified not a place that he can enter in the heart.
For which he died. And what does Zacchaeus do? All he runs ahead of the crowd, and he shinnies up that tree, and there I suppose he thought, he could hide in the branches and the leaves of that tree, and no one would see him. Perhaps, But he knew the Lord Jesus had to pass by on that very spot.
And there he could look down and get as he thought at least a glimpse of the Lord Jesus. Think of the desire of Zacchaeus. Think of the desire of his heart to see this one. Oh, there was the desire in some heart here tonight to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. All that you have the desire of Zacchaeus. I can't create that desire in your heart. Only God can do that. But all my prayer is tonight that you would have such a desire to have your sins forgiven and come to Christ.
That you wouldn't rest, that you'd be like Zacchaeus, but apart from all the seemingly, the seemingly hindrances, all the things that were there in his way. That you would come to that one who wants to bless you? Who wants to save you. Tonight Zacchaeus climbs up into this tree and all. What a surprise he must have got as the Lord Jesus passed that way. Did the Lord Jesus know where Zacchaeus did was? Indeed he did.
He knew that Zacchaeus was up in that tree, and he knew the desire of the heart of Zacchaeus. He looks down tonight, and he not only looks on the outward appearance. That's the way man looks. I only look at your outward appearance tonight. And as I look up and down these rows, I can see whether you're paying attention. I can see the way you're dressed, but I don't know the thoughts and intents of your heart. God. Only God knows the thoughts and the intents.
Of your heart tonight. He looks down and he looks into that heart.
He knows if that heart is still stained with sin or he and he knows too if it has been washed in the precious blood of Christ. You know you can go out of this gospel meeting and shake hands with someone at the door, and they may ask you if you're saved. And you can say yes, and you can go out, and you can fool Mother and Father. You can fool the people at meeting. You can fool your friends, but you can't fool God. All things are naked and open.
00:30:05
Under the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
You have the opportunity tonight to be saved, to come to the Savior. You have an opportunity, like Zacchaeus, here to see Jesus. Are you going to pass it by?
You know, man is really a gambler at heart, isn't he? He likes to take chances. And those who are older will forgive me if I tell a little incident for the sake of those of us who are younger here. You know, in the summer months, we have the privilege of going up to Maine and New Brunswick and presenting the gospel from day-to-day in different areas to the boys and girls. And you know, one time, and I know some of you have heard me tell this story before, but you know, one time we were having breakfast, my oldest daughter and my wife and I.
In the camper that we were staying in while we were having meetings in a place called Vanceboro ME.
And you know, as we were ready to head out for the day and pick up the children, we saw a large white cat coming across the yard. We knew that cat pretty well. We'd seen it many times. We knew to whom it belonged. But as that cat came closer, we noticed that in the jaws of that cat there was a very large chipmunk. And as it approached the camper, we noticed that that chipmunk was very much alive.
And my wife is a little more tender hearted than I am, and so she decided she was going to save this chipmunk.
From certain death. And so she went outside and she grabbed that cat as he approached and she made that cat drop its prey. She released that chipmunk from the jaws of that cat from certain death. There were trees all around the camper. I thought that chipmunk would surely go up one of those trees as quickly as possible and get on its way and out of danger. But to our consternation, that chipmunk went about 6 or 8 feet from that cat.
And it turned on its back legs and it gave that cat a frightful scolding. And you know what happened? It wasn't very long before that chipmunk was back in the jaws of that cat. My wife went out and released it again. We thought, surely this cat will, this chipmunk will make its escape. Now the same thing. It wasn't very long till it was back in the jaws. And I think it happened three times. And finally my wife went out, released the chipmunk and brought the cat in. We watched that chipmunk as it stayed around looking for.
The cat. And finally when it realized the cat wasn't coming back, it went off on its way. And you know, as I watched that incident.
I thought, how foolish of that chipmunk. That cat's jaws meant certain death to that chipmunk. And yet there are boys and girls and young people, and perhaps men and women, in this very room tonight who have had warning after warning from the heart of a loving God. You've been told to flee from the wrath to come.
You have had a Savior presented to you. You have been told of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ.
Are you like that, chipmunk? Are you playing with danger? I sometimes tell about three young men who came to a gospel meeting we were holding. And afterwards I said to them boys, is it worth taking the risk and saying we're going to be here tomorrow and have another opportunity and put off salvation tonight? You know what they said to me? I tremble to tell you what they said to me. They said we'll take that chance, we'll take that chance.
In contrast, we find Jonah going to deliver that message of doom to guilty Nineveh and the whole city was saved. They repented of their sin and the judgment didn't fall at that time. Here we find a man and it's true. There was a crowd. There was a great Press of people. It's true he was little of stature. There was 1 hindrance after another. It's true he was rich, but he didn't let those things bring him from coming to the Savior. You know, when Charlemagne went out to conquer.
He used to force Christianity on his those he conquered, he would have them forced into the waters in baptism, and outwardly he would force Christianity upon those that he conquered in that way. But you know, Charlemagne came to the end of his life just like the other great lead all the other great leaders in history. He died. But he had made requests that when he died he'd be buried in a posture suitable for a monarch. And so he was buried sitting on his royal throne with his sword in his hand and an open Bible.
On his knee. And you know the centuries went by, and one of the emperors that followed him finally had that tomb opened. And you know, as they went in and saw the skeleton of Charlemagne, that sword having fallen to the ground, that royal crown still on his head, they looked at that open Bible on his knee, and his finger was pointed to that verse that says, what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world?
00:35:27
And lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange?
For his soul, Isn't that a solemn thing? There was a man who had obtained power.
A man of wealth. And yet in death his first his finger pointed to that solemn statement. And here was a man, Zacchaeus. And he wasn't going to let those things hinder him in coming to the Lord Jesus. And so the Lord Jesus came. He came to that very spot under that tree, and he looked up. Oh, think of it. The very Son of God, the one who had come into this world in loneliness and grace, come down from the courts of glory, come from heaven itself.
And there he stands under a Sycamore tree, and he looks up, and he calls Zacchaeus.
By name.
It must have startled Zacchaeus to think that the Lord knew him by name, but he called him by name. And tonight God looks down, the Lord Jesus looks down, and he knows your name. He's interested in you, He's interested in your blessing, He's interested in your soul salvation tonight.
The Lord had a message for Zacchaeus, just as he has a message for you tonight. And what was that message for? Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus. Come down.
Is that what it says?
Make haste and come down. You know there's an all, There's always an urgency connected with the gospel message. And that's what I want to try in my feeble way tonight. To impress upon your soul. Don't put it off. There's someone here whispering in your ear, the enemy of your soul. And he's saying put it off, get saved. But don't do it tonight. Wait, do it later on March 15th, 44 BC.
Julius Caesar got into his chariot at his home to travel to the state capitol and as he was getting in his chariot, a letter was thrust into his hand and a warning given. Read this immediately.
He said I don't have time, and he stuffed it into his cloak. He rode off to the Capitol, and as he descended from his chariot to enter the Capitol, you know what happened. He came down under the blows of the assassin. He didn't have time for the warning. He didn't have time for that message that was so graciously thrust into his hand. If he'd only opened that letter and read it, it might have saved him from death on that occasion. How many people are there in this world tonight like that?
How many are there tonight who don't have time for the gospel message? How many are there who have had warning after warning and are still going on lost, guilty and in their sins? You know there is a day coming, and it's not far off. When there won't be any more Gospel meetings in the city of Saint Louis. When there won't be any more Gospel meetings in the town of Smiths Falls, where I come from. When there won't be any more gospel meanings in Des Moines, IA.
Or Pella, or Grand Rapids, MI, or wherever you might come from. Tonight, there won't be any more Gospel meetings in this world, because the door will be forever closed. Every believer will be gone. We spoke of the coming of the Lord this afternoon in the reading meeting, and many hearts here, thrilled as we spoke of the imminence of the Lord's return as we looked up and we realized that the Lord is coming at any minute, that He's going to fulfill that promise made in John 14.
I will come again. But what about you? Did you kind of squirm when we talked about the Lord's coming? Did you kind of look at the clock and wish well, I wish 5:00 would come and we would close our Bibles and go on down for supper? How about it tonight? Do you squirm when we speak about the coming of the Lord Jesus? Do you squirm when we quote a verse like this? When once the master of the house hath risen up and shut to the door? Then they'll become they'll come and they'll not.
And they'll say, Lord, Lord, open unto us.
Will that door ever be opened again? Never opened again. The opportunity is gone. The gospel messages no more. What about it? Tonight, I wonder. I want to challenge your heart. Tonight I want you to think about this. I wonder what would happen if the Lord Jesus were to come before 7:50 this evening.
00:40:11
If he were to come in the next 7 minutes, where would you be? Would you be one of those who are changed in a moment and caught up to be with the Lord Jesus and to meet him in the air? Or would you be one who was left in these seats to look around mother and father gone, perhaps everyone else gone in the room and you left behind you who had a praying mother? You who had a praying faithful father.
And you're left behind. And you know what has taken place sometimes said that when Elijah was caught away to heaven and in a whirlwind, who was it that missed him? It wasn't, shall I say, the general public. It was the sons of the prophets.
Isn't that a solemn thing?
You, the son, the daughter of a Christian mother and father.
And you look around. You look around at an empty room, at empty seats, at empty chairs. You'll pardon another personal experience, but I remember returning from Newfoundland some years ago, and a brother had very kindly offered to drive me to the airport in Stephenville from Corner Brook, which is about an hour's drive. And someone else came along with us, another brother. And so there were three of us.
And I said to this brother that had offered to take me to the airport, I said, well, I usually like to leave plenty of time.
Especially when we have a long drive like this. And so he quite agreed with me and we left in plenty of time to catch my flight. And we were whizzing down the highway and all of a sudden from underneath the vehicle we heard a loud bang. And you know what happened? And we knew immediately too. We'd had a flat tire and so we pulled over to the side. Well we thought 3 fellas, no problem to change a tire. We've got extra time and we can still make the flight.
So one of us jacked up the car. Another took the tire off. We put the spare tire on.
We let down the Jack and to our dismay, the tire we put on was just as flat as the one we had taken off.
But you know, sometimes folks in Newfoundland carry tire pumps with them. And we thought, well, we can hail some cars and surely someone will have a tire pump. The brother whose car it was said it must be just a slow leak. It's been in the car, the trunk all went winter and we can pump it up and we can still get to the airport. We began to hail the traffic as it went by. No one had a tire pump. I kept watching the clock as the hands of my watch move slowly around to the hour of departure. Finally we were able to obtain a pump and we worked the three of us as fast as we could.
We got that tire pumped up to what I felt was a safe level. We jumped in the car and that brother drove as fast as he dared while I held on to the dashboard.
I realized we were 15, already 15 minutes late for the flight. But it's just a small airport in Stephenville. And as we pulled up to the traffic light at the entrance gate, one of them who was with me said there's the tail of your plane, it's still here. And as we stopped for that red light, I watched the tale of that plane turn as that plane began to taxi out to take off for Ottawa. I don't know if you've ever had an experience like that, but it's an awful sinking feeling. I stood on the sidewalk and I watched that plane with an empty seat on it.
Go out and taxi down the runway. Turn around, Rev his engines and thrust and go into the air. Turn towards Ottawa.
I went into the ticket counter. The airport was pretty well empty by this time.
I said to the man behind the counter. I said I've missed my flight, haven't I? He said yes you have. He could see that my hands were black from changing a tire. I put my ticket on the counter and I said to him, can I get a flight tomorrow?
I'll never be able to describe what went through my heart as he looked at that ticket and handed it back and said your ticket is no good for tomorrow.
And as I stood there and looked into the face of that man, I thought of people.
Who have had opportunity?
To come to the Savior and they put it off and put it off and put it off, and finally the door is closed and there's no more opportunity.
Well, the story didn't end there. The man saw my distress and he saw that I had a legitimate excuse. He said something very interesting to me. He said, you know, I had a similar experience just a couple of weeks ago. He said I know what it's like. And so he said I will change your ticket and you can get a flight tomorrow and I won't charge you for an extra ticket. A 24 hour delay, a little inconvenience, but I did make it back to Smiths Falls.
00:45:24
But all again, I think of those who are left behind.
When the Lord Jesus comes, oh, there will be no second chance. There will be no more opportunity to come to the Savior. What did Zacchaeus do in response to the invitation of the Lord? He made haste and came down. Did he delay? Oh no. There's an invitation going out from the Savior tonight, and it's make haste. It's come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden. And I will give you rest.
You know, it's just as if the Lord Jesus tonight is bending low from heaven with his arms outstretched to pick you up in your need. Just like that's the man who lay in the ditch. The Samaritan came where he was, and he picked them up and he poured in oil and wine and he set them on his own beast and came, brought him to the end. Did the man have anything to do with his being picked up in that ditch? Did that man have anything to do with his being brought to a place of blessing? No. And you have nothing to do with your salvation tonight.
It's all been done. It's all been done. The work is complete. We present a Savior who died on Calvary's cross, shed His precious blood, but we present one who's living tonight. You know, sometimes I wonder when the gospel is preached, if we make enough of the resurrection, there's one who's living tonight, and he's presented to us as one who's at the right hand of God, one at the place of power.
And whose arm is not shortened that he cannot save. I know some of you have heard me tell this little story recently.
But, you know, I enjoyed reading about two missionaries who were over in India, I believe it was. And they were on one of the busy thoroughfares in one of the big cities in India. And down the street there came a great commotion and a great crowd of people. And when they made inquiry as to what was going on, they were told that a bone of Buddha had supposedly been found and it was being carried in a box down the road. And there was great rejoicing among these people as they followed this supposed bone of Buddha.
Down the road. And you know the two missionaries watched it for a while and then when they were alone, they talked over the incident. And you know they were struck with the contrast between what they had seen and what they said would have happened if supposedly a bone of the Lord Jesus had been found. Because they said it would not have caused great rejoicing amongst the Christians. It would have caused great sorrow to find a bone of Buddha and those followers of of Buddha rejoiced. But if a bone of Buddha, I speak carefully.
Are a bone of the Lord Jesus. I speak carefully. Was found supposedly found tonight. Would it cause great rejoicing amongst Christians? Oh no.
It would cause great sorrow, because it would be as it were the proof that the Lord Jesus hadn't bodily risen from the dead. But all I want to tell you tonight that the Lord Jesus came forth. The tomb is empty. Are there anymore glorious words than those that were spoken to those early at the sepulchre? He is not here. He has risen. Come see the place where the Lord lay. The Lord Jesus appeared to his own, and he said, handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bone as you see.
May have There is a savior tonight. And I suppose the fact that we present a risen savior tonight sets Christianity apart from all the other, shall I say, great religions that are preached and propagated in this world tonight. There's many people in this world tonight and they prayed to a dead man today. There's many people who have honored the tomb of someone who's in the grave tonight. But all we point to an empty sepulchre. We point to a risen savior because the resurrection.
The Ascension and the glorification of Christ are God's. Amen to the work of Calvary. They are the proof that God has been satisfied with what has was accomplished at Calvary's cross, and God has raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand. That's the precious Savior we present tonight. That's the precious Savior into whose face I'm going to look Perhaps this very evening. Perhaps this very evening. He's going to call us to himself, and we're going to look into his blessed face.
What about you tonight? Are you going to look into his blessed face in the Father's house?
00:50:03
Or are you going to wait for that time when you will look into his face, but you will see him not as a savior, but you will see him as a judge on the throne. And the books will be open so that there's no mistake about it. The books will be open and your name not found written in the Lamb's book of life.
You will be taken and bodily cast into the lake of fire forever and ever and ever. You know, when I arrived here yesterday afternoon, the clock in front of me and the clock behind me had not been put up yet. There was 1 clock in this room.
One clock in this room, it's over the door as you leave, and that clock has no hands. And you know, as I looked at that clock, I thought, isn't that what eternity is?
A clock with no hands. You know, for those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we've enjoyed these these happy 2 days of meetings. But you know we're governed by physical hindrances. We're governed by time. The meetings come to an end. If we're left here tomorrow, the meetings will come to an end and we will return to our homes. But all when we sit down. When we sit down around the Lord Jesus to enjoy Him for all eternity. When we're there with all the hindrances removed and we enjoy in a deeper and fuller way the unsearchable riches of Christ.
It'll be just like a clock with no hands. But you know, there's a solemn side to it too, because those who wind up in hell in the lake of fire will be there for as long as those of us who are in heaven are with the Lord Jesus. Now I think that's one of the most awful things about hell is that there's no hope. There's no hope. There are no clocks to tick by the hours. There are no calendars to check off the days.
Time means nothing, and forever and ever and ever. It will be the blackness of darkness forever, and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Well, very quickly we find that Zacchaeus comes down. And was he disappointed? Oh no, He received a real blessing. He received the Lord Jesus, and he received him joyfully. And I just picture he and the Lord Jesus going off to the House of Zacchaeus, and what happy communion they must have enjoyed that day as the Lord Jesus sat down in the home of Zacchaeus.
How many things the Lord Jesus must have had to tell Zacchaeus of the blessing that he had been brought into. We've enjoyed something of that at these meetings. We've had before us the blessings of salvation, the blessings of being in Christ and that which lies ahead at the end of the journey. Oh, what a day it was for Zacchaeus. It was a new beginning for this one who had received the Lord Jesus joyfully. What about you tonight? Are you going to make this a new beginning in your life when Israel was redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb?
The word to them was This month shall be unto you the beginning of months. They were no longer under the authority.
Of Pharaoh and of Egypt, a type of Satan in this world. They were brought into a place of blessing now, and God was going to provide for them and bless that people and bring them into the good of their inheritance. What about you tonight?
Are you saved tonight? You know, I wish I could save you tonight, but I can't.
I can't save you tonight. Only God can save your soul. But you know we have a precious verse to end here.
For the Son of Man, verse 10 is come to seek and to save.
That which is lost, You know there is someone here. There is someone tonight who has come to seek and save. He is seeking and saving tonight. Dwight Al Moody was preaching in the city of Chicago from this very story, and he felt that there had been perhaps little effect as he had tried to impress upon his hearers the importance of salvation and coming to the Savior. And as the service was drawing to a close, a young boy was brought to the platform.
This young boy had been separated from his father in the crowd of people. And so, Mr. Moody, seizing the opportunity, he picked up the young boy and he held him up for the crowd to see. And this boy seemed rather unconcerned as to the fact that he had been separated from his father. And so Mr. Moody said to the crowd that he said, there is a father in this crowd who is more anxious to find this boy than this boy is to find his father. The son of man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. He's seeking for you tonight.
He desires your blessing. Maybe there isn't an anxious thought in your heart tonight. I weep for you if there isn't. But I know one thing. God desires your blessing. I know one thing. The Lord Jesus came to seek and to save you, whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely. I like what a little girl said when she was asked the definition of whosoever will. She said Why that means you and me and everybody else. Isn't that nice? You and me and everybody else.
00:55:28
None excluded tonight. And you can't go out this room tonight and say the gospel wasn't for you. You can't go out of this room tonight and say the way of blessing, what isn't open for you? You can't go out of this room and say the gospel is not for me because the gospel is for you. Tonight. God's desire is for your blessing, just like he desired the blessing of this individual, this one in this vast crowded city. Zacchaeus singled out for blessing. So God tonight is singling you out for blessing. Are you going to come tonight? Just come to him, confess that you're a Sinner.
Accept God's offer of salvation, I said. Zacchaeus received him joyfully, but there was a greater joy. You know when you're saved, if you're saved tonight, there's going to be joy in your heart. But I tell you, there's going to be joy unparalleled in the presence of the angels of God. There will be joy beyond all joy. If you come as a repentant Sinner tonight, if you put your faith and trust in Jesus, it's true you will rejoice. But oh, there will be rejoicing in the presence of God tonight.
That's how much he desires your blessing. Come, don't stay away. The Lord Jesus is holding out his hands, saying, Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Let us pray. We thank the.
You Children Are Special
Children—H. Short
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
OK, which song?
What was that one?
OK, we're going to sing. Are you sure your saved and her daddy will start that song for us?
Are you sure you're?
Thank you.
Now another song 47 #47 that one.
And you did a good job, Mark. So you just got a permanent position #47.
When he comes, all is. You're with all those precious spirits.
For his crown.
He will gather he broke down for his Kingdom.
All of your ones. All the bright ones.
Is my death is all.
Like the stars.
Of the morning.
Is.
Right now, Lordy, we shall find it grateful.
Chance for his ground.
No big choice.
#39
Now if the song isn't in on this sheet, you can go ahead and just tell me what one you want to sing and Mr. Mark over there will help us start it. Real thing.
#39
Taken to God in prayer.
Oh, let me let us favor.
All because we do not care. We.
Have a great thing to God in prayer.
Now their choice.
#45
#44
00:10:41
41 Now, after this song, we're going to go down in that section and let the children down there choose a song or choose #41.
In shiny rows of sunless Light, each one will be your grace.
Will be in the ground as being right and joy and heaven facing glory.
Song you'd like to sing.
It doesn't matter if they take this.
The king of kings. The king of kings We'll sing that's. We'll sing 2 verses and whatever 2 verses Mr. Mark can start us on we'll sing them so I.
I don't know if you can stop that song, though. Let's try it. Let's talk about Jesus. Let's talk about.
Let's pray I am no way that is crystal light the door.
Let's talk about.
Jesus, me wonderful, wonderful, wonderful and attention. That's my Lord. Wonderful.
I have seen this after history for hitting God's word. Isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful?
Wonderful, Wonderful.
Assisted me.
Counselor Prince. That gives mighty God is he sleeping? Give me promising and shame. Wonderful inquiry.
00:15:09
Every.
Time.
Shall see. We shall be here for his drive near.
He shall say wonderful.
By the same.
Rock of Ages. Okay, Rock of Ages.
For the world.
Knock, knock, waver, all our hands.
Good for girls.
I know.
Courtesy.
Which 127 is that in our Sunday school book at home?
But anybody have any idea? Can you tell me the first line of that one? What do you remember?
27.
OK, that's OK. But do you know?
All right, what sound would you like to hear? We're going to try to find the 27 to Jesus #14 #14.
It's saying the 1St 2 verses of #14.
Have you been to Jesus?
How are you watching The Corner of the World?
00:20:25
Are you walking daily by the service side? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Do you wish each moment in the crucified how you washed in the blood of the land?
Are you?
Still.
In the soul cleansing blood of the land.
Higher God.
Bless all the way.
You are in the blood of the hand.
Well, we found #27, and that #27 is everybody ought to know. Everybody ought to know. Everybody ought to know who Jesus is. Is that the one you want to sing? We'll sing #27 mark. As we start, we'll sing one verse of it.
Everybody ought to know. Everybody ought to know.
Everybody ought to know.
Lord Jesus.
Wonderful songs about eggshell. Now if we think of the dear Children.
I would like to read a little story to you from the Bible. It won't take us very long. It's a story you already know, but we're going to talk about it a little bit this morning. It's found in Marks Gospel Chapter 10.
I they told me that I was going to be talking to you children and.
That made my heart so happy because I love children and I know the Lord Jesus loves children and moms and daddies love children, and you're very, very, very special to everybody. And so the Lord Jesus, when he was here, it says in Mark's Gospel chapter 10, it's just a little short story. They brought young children to him that he should touch them.
And his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, Forbid them not, For if such is the Kingdom of God, verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms. He put his hands upon them.
And blessed them. I'm going to talk to him a little bit. Children about children.
Very, very special. And there's a lot of stories in the Bible about children.
And here when the Lord was here, some of the older folks didn't want these children brought to the Lord Jesus. And it's kind of a strange thing why they did that I, you know, just before that he had been taught.
You've got such.
00:25:04
Then somebody brought these little children to him and some of his own said, oh.
Tell me that means it involves being angry.
That upset the Lord Jesus. He wasn't very happy that they didn't want children to be brought to him. But I've been thinking children everywhere I go. We've traveled quite a bit the last couple of years, and everywhere I go I'm reminded of children and how important they are and how.
Just everywhere you go, you you think about children. You know, we were in a little town.
It was a fair sized town. My wife and I, we want to get to a certain building and we didn't know how to get there. So I stopped at this store and I said, well I'll go in there and ask that man in the store how can I get to this building. I've never been in a store like this before and I walked in and it it, it said videos over it and I walked into this store. Nobody was in it and I waited around. Pretty soon a man came out and I asked him where this building was.
And.
You know what I saw? I looked up and there was a door in back.
And on that door it said if you weren't, I think it was 18 or 21 years old, you couldn't go in those doors.
Well, Mr. Short thought, I don't want to go in those stores either.
There was a door that said no children, you can't go in that room.
Oh, they didn't want children in there. Because inside there there would be found old people, grown up, people with hard hearts.
They wouldn't let you in there.
Sometimes you go to a restaurant and you look on the menu and they'll say you can get this.
For $5 or $6 or $8 sometimes down at the bottom of that menu, it'll say children under such an age free.
You children are different from older folks.
You're special.
Not like us old folks. And even when the Lord Jesus looks down, he makes a difference between children.
And old folks.
I have something in my pocket. I asked Mrs. Green this morning if I could have a piece of paper. I'm going to ask your children up here. Can any of you read?
Raise your hand if you can read. I need somebody that knows how to read. OK, I've written a word on here and I'm going to ask someone pretty soon if you can put your hand down now.
You know, there are words that I can read.
I might not say them just right, but I could read them, but I don't know what they mean.
Sometimes.
Older folks talk to Mr. Shorten. I talked to them and they will say words that I don't know what they mean. Usually I can figure out somewhat what they mean. Sometimes I can't. One time I was talking to a man just about my age and he was having a problem and and he used the word and.
Told me why he couldn't get this problem solved and he used the word and I said.
You'll have to tell me what that word means, he said. It means I don't have any money.
OK, now that's a big word to say. I'm poor. So now I don't even remember the word, but I know he didn't have enough money.
So whoever reads this word that I have written out, I'd like you to also be able to tell me what it means.
00:30:02
So I'm going to open it. If you think you can read it and also tell me what it means, you just raise your hand.
Oh.
Right now, last this boy in the blue.
What is the name?
You know, we have seen that little sign. What is there about to know that you don't understand?
No, it's not a big word. Have another question for you.
Have any of you children ever had Mom or Daddy tell you?
No. Raise your hand if mom or dad have ever told you no.
Your hands down, you know that kind of in the Bible. When Paul was writing to the Galatians, he said about children. He said even though they were heirs, that is, they were going to be pretty rich someday, inherit some pretty nice things. If they were a child, they weren't any different than a servant, and they would be under governors and tutors or something like school teachers or.
People who had authority over them. You, children who have gone to school, have you ever had a teacher tell you no?
Any grown Yelp with the same thing?
Well, because you're different, grown up people.
Tell you what to do.
I am not going to ask you this question. I will ask the question, but I don't want you to answer it. I wonder if there are any children here who have ever said no when mom or daddy told you to do something if you've ever said no to them.
You don't have to raise your hand.
And if you did say no to mom or daddy, what did they do?
Did they obey you or let you have your way? Probably not. Why is it that little children, big people, make decisions for them, Tell them what to do and don't let them do what they want to do? Sometimes they say no. We had a a story. We it was on a tape that we used to let the children listen to the wild. A little boy whose name was Billy.
And he used to say no, no, no, no, no. That's all I hear is no. I just wish I could do my own what I want to do in one day. Billye, Daddy, Let him do. I think it was Billy. Let him do what he wanted to do. And he got in lots and lots of trouble. No, no.
People tell you no, you can't do this. But children today, the Lord Jesus.
Says don't tell the children no, don't tell the children no, don't tell them not to come to me. I want them to come to me. And don't you say no to any child that wants to come to me. And if you do.
It's going to make me really angry one time, the Lord talking about children, he said. If you offend them, it would be better.
If somebody took a big millstone, a great big stone, and tied it on your neck and threw you in the water and drowned you, than for you to offend a little child, that's how precious, that's how precious you are to the Lord Jesus.
No, the Lord says. Don't you ever tell a little child no, that a little boy or a little girl can't come to me because I want them to come. And if you offend one of those little ones.
00:35:03
It'd be better off to have a big stone tied around you and throw it into the sea and drown. That's how precious you are to the Lord Jesus.
But.
The Lord hasn't said no to you, but what have you said to the Lord?
What do you think it would be if some boy or some girl said that to the Lord?
Oh, it would be sad, wouldn't it, If somebody.
Some boy or some girl said no. The Lord Jesus said come and you said no.
He said calm and you said no.
When I was on my last trip.
Mrs. Short And he stopped at a place where we stayed, and there was a man there who told me a story. He was an older man, a little bit older than me, and he lived on a farm in Ohio when he was growing up, and he lived in the days when tractors were coming in, but they still did work with horses and mules, and he had a neighbor who had a team of mules.
That's like a donkey. And you know that song? There was a wild little donkey. Well, this man had this team of mules and he was quite proud of them because they were good hard working mules. But once in a while one of them would decide he he would say, no, I'm not going to work anymore, and he would lay down and the master would have to maybe kick it or hit it and finally get it going.
But one day he hired a young boy to do some work for him, and he sent the boy out with his team of mules to bring in some hay. And this man that was telling the story was there. And he said the young boy didn't come back, He didn't come back, he didn't come back. And they wondered what would happen. Why was it taking him so long to come back? Pretty soon they looked down the lane and there was that young boy coming back, walking.
And he said, what's wrong? He said that mule laid down and I can't get it to move.
There it was.
The farmer said. All right, all right, he said. There's a log chain in the barn. Go get it. Who knows what a log chain is?
A log chain is a is a big strong chain. Oh, we could all of us in this whole room. We could play tug of war with the law team. Would never break it. It's a strong chain.
He said to this boy, put that log chain on the back of the tractor and he puts it on the back of the tractor and they got on the tractor. He and the boy was there too, and they drove down. Sure enough, they're out in the field, was this mule.
Laying down.
Farmer got off the tractor and said get up, yeah, no.
Wouldn't get up.
What do you think the farmer did? What do you think?
That's just right. He took this chain and he put it around the mules neck and you know what he said? He said if he will work, he's no good for me.
Put it around the mules neck and he hooked it to the tractor and he started to pull the mule and that old mule was so stubborn he still wouldn't get up and attract approved.
No, thank you. And that Mule wouldn't get up.
Hey, pulling some more and finally that you got up.
That mule got up and the farmer went to it. His tongue was hanging out and he unhooked that.
Chained from around the mule's neck and the mule looked up and said, mind me, Mr. Highland's story remind me of this one, That mule said Hee Haw. Oh, just like, Oh well, the farmer. The rest of the story is this. The farmer died, they had an auction sale and they sold these mules to another farmer.
00:40:08
And I think it was about seven years later the man who told me this story was talking to the farmer who bought those mules.
And he said, Do you ever have trouble with?
That mule laying down, he said. I've never, never had a problem.
With that mule, Never again did that mule lay down. What happened to that mule that day? What do you think happened to that mule?
He learned a lesson.
He learned a lesson. Something else happened to that mule that day. He had his will broken.
He learned never to say no again because there was someone stronger than him that he would have to obey.
Wonder if a boy or a girl.
Has ever. You know that? No, it's not a big word, but it's easy to get backwards. Has anyone ever said no to the Lord Jesus? He isn't going to put a log chain around your neck. You won't do it. He's not going to pull.
With a log chain to make you come to him.
But you will break his heart if you say no. Lord Jesus, I know you want me, and I know that you've warned older people not to say no to let me come to you. But I'm saying no, Lord Jesus, I don't want to come to you.
You know, I'm going to tell you another story. We got back from our trip. This happens to Mr. Short A Locks and lots of times.
And I have never got over how I feel when this happens to me. But we got back and I needed to get some dog food for my dog. And so I stopped at a Walmart store in Des Moines and I went in the door and there beside the entrance, was a big poster.
With lots of people's pictures on them on it.
Most of the pictures.
Were children. What do you think that poster was for?
There was a word above it. Why do you think they had all those pictures of children? There were a few ladies on it too, but mostly they were children.
Why do you think that picture above? I'll tell you what was above it. It says missing, missing.
Why were those children's pictures on that big poster with that word missing over it? What happened?
They were lost.
They were stolen.
One day they were walking or sleeping somewhere.
Or playing somewhere.
And some man or woman or grown up team and stole them away.
Or children. They didn't steal them away.
To be good to them.
Some years ago in our city, a boy was trying to earn some money by delivering papers. In those days they had an early morning paper. Mr. Short used to deliver early morning papers and you'd get up.
Before it was daylight and it was dark and I would go out and I'd walk in. You know what? I was afraid.
And days weren't so bad then as now, But I would be afraid. And wherever whenever I came to a place that had a light, I was glad. I was glad. Well, this boy, somebody took him away.
His mommy left his room.
Just the way he had left it, I think for eight years.
Waiting for that little boy to be found.
00:45:04
He never has been found.
I thought about this picture in Walmart.
And I thought about heaven.
And I thought.
When Mr. Short goes to heaven.
Would there be opposed to there in heaven? There won't be, but could there be a pollster in heaven?
With your picture on it.
Saying missing.
Or lost.
You wouldn't be there. There's only one way that could happen. Children.
The only way that can happen is if you say no.
If you say no to the Lord Jesus, and we heard last night, I I thought it was, It made me tremble when Mr. Highland talked about the Lord coming back.
And if the Lord Jesus came, would you go with him? Or would you be like that picture missing?
Let's pray Lord Jesus.
Open Mtg. 9
Open—A. Kinnaman, J. Hyland
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
We're always.
It's true.
Vibrate.
In the Girl of Love.
Of thyroid who will never grow.
Our greatness shine.
Yeah.
Bringing heart winds, we're gliding.
Here.
No one can just sleep.
Now I know.
Well.
00:05:32
Back to First Thessalonians chapter one for one verse, then we'll go to the book of Acts for a verse.
Now the thought that one has before oneself has to go to do with.
Once a person hears the gospel, what happens after that?
There's several things that have to answer that. I'm talking about the responsibility of someone that has heard the gospel and and because it is a work of God, they respond there is a work of God that takes place. So a turn and read.
First Thessalonians, chapter one, verse 5.
Our Gospel.
Came not unto you in Word only, but also in the power.
And in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.
Paul also wrote and practiced these things. He also wrote the book of Romans. Let's go over there to chapter 10. Romans chapter 10 to two very well known verses.
Romans, chapter 10, verse 9.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead.
Thou shalt be saved, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.
And with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation if someone accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
No one will know it unless they confess the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
In fact, this is the gospel, and this is the effects of the gospel in the heart of a recipient.
Of the gospel, they confess the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Open confession. If anyone has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, it's your responsibility to confess him as your Lord and Savior. You no longer live in darkness, but now you live in light. Your responsibility is to confess Jesus Christ as Lord. When you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, there isn't two ways of doing it.
One, you accept him as a Savior, and then later on you're going to accept him as your Lord the moment you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
He is your Lord and Savior then.
And so now we say, Jesus, Lord.
There's a thought in Christendom when you make the Lord the Lord of your life, when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, the moment you accept him as your Savior, he is then the Lord of your life and we accept his lordship over us. It's part of repentance saying Lord, I'm a Sinner, save my soul. It's the moment of repentance coming to the Lord Jesus because it's repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And thou shalt be saved. And the evidence of that repentance is to own the Lordship of Christ when we accept him as Lord. Young people, children, when you believe in the Lord Jesus as your Savior, he's now the Lord. And very reverently, I want to say, essentially he becomes our boss.
But he doesn't boss us, does he?
The voice of the Spirit of God is a still, quiet voice. We respond to this still, quiet voice of God through the Spirit. We respond to the Lord Jesus as Lord.
In learning of Him and knowing from His word what He would have us to do.
Let's look at a picture of something that takes place in Acts chapter 15. I noticed it when our brother read that portion to us and had referred to it.
Think of his Acts chapter 15.
I can't find it. It's when Lydia.
00:10:01
Accepted. OK, it's chapter 16.
Verse 14.
Our brother had referred to us in the reading about this portion when the Apostle Paul was here.
And it was referred to when he went down to the river as well in the acts here in verse 14, in a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of cripple of city of the Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized in her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house.
And abide there. And she constrained us.
We see service to the Lord in this woman's life, immediately accepting the Lord Jesus as her Savior. We see service and it isn't a new service. It isn't something that she might never have done. She had maybe before had opened her house to someone. Maybe it was her social sphere that she had at that time, but now it's the social sphere changed to her. It was the Lord's people, so she opened her own.
In normal service.
For a sister in the sphere that she's had all her life.
From creation in a wife and in womanhood. Service in the home. But she'd done something else. She seems to be the spiritual leader here. Her name is mentioned and it says and she was baptized at her house.
Now amongst the brethren we agreed to disagree on baptism, but I will put out a no disclaimer to the fact that since I've been gathered I have held household baptism. So I want to talk about baptism.
And the responsibility of a person that's been saved to recognize and ensure that they have been baptized. That's the way I want to say it. I want them to recognize that they have been baptized and ensure or ensure that they have been baptized And talk a little bit about that responsibility of of now as a believer, if you were, if you were saved.
And never been baptized. You need to be saved. You mean you need to be baptized? You've been saved and never been baptized.
You need to be baptized. Let's read in Romans chapter 6.
And.
In verse three and four, know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death. That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, Even so we also should walk in newness of life. The power to walk in newness of life comes to the comes to us in the power of the Spirit of God by applying the death of Christ to our lives continually.
Daily throughout the day.
It is I am crucified with Christ, and nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me the life I live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That's brother Shanks. One of his favorite verses is Galatians 220.
You might refer to that now if you didn't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior and you found yourself being bad, or you're a little boy or a little girl and you say no at times that you shouldn't.
You really didn't have the ability. You weren't you couldn't really be really good as mommy and daddy wanted you to.
Because you didn't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, little boys and girls.
Young people ourselves older adults.
There's no power in our lives until we recognize that we are dead. We are dead to sin when we accept Christ as our Savior. We have a new life. We're a new creation in Christ. There's where the power from that new life comes from to be able to resist sin and say no to sin and yes to what the Lord Jesus wants to do in our lives.
We see what baptism does. It recognizes the Lord's death as our death. It recognizes that we go down into the waters into death, and we come up in newness of life into resurrection. That's what a picture of baptism is, our place.
00:15:04
When once we've been baptized, that's what we are now to walk in. Let me give you something else. If you have been baptized and you don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you are responsible to walk and act as a Christian because you've been baptized.
Roman Catholicism has been baptizing their babies for thousands of years. Everyone of those that grow up has been responsible to act in the truth of Christianity because they have been put on Christian ground. A brother once told me he says proper entrance into the Kingdom of heaven is baptism and it puts us in the Kingdom of heaven, It puts us in responsibility. And everyone now that has been baptized have a responsibility to act as one belongs to the Lord Jesus, even if they don't.
Now see here, you have a responsibility to act and live like a Christian, but without the Lord Jesus. You don't have the way to. You can't. He is the way, He is the truth and the life. You have to know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
OK, now we've talked about when you accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you confess him as Lord, you own him as Lord, and then you ensure that you belong in that realm of Christendom.
In responsibility of open confession of Christ as Savior. In baptism, confessing baptism, taking your place, identification with the Lord Jesus. Remember the Jews.
Weren't baptized, and for them to get baptized it was to renounce Judaism.
And for a gentile really, who was brought up into idolatry, it was to renounce idolatry.
I've never heard it spoken that way, but that's the truth of what it does. I want to talk.
About the Lord's Supper.
Let's turn to 1St Corinthians chapter 10.
Now I'm at the Lord's table with my brethren. I ask to be received at the Lord's table and they've received me. I have responsibility to to please them and to go on in the truth, and they have responsibility to help me and even responsibility to correct me. I have responsibility to take that correction and I have responsibility to to them.
There's responsibility at the Lord's table, yes, but in my responsibility to the Lord and my brethren at the Lord's table, there's one thing I can't do for you. I can't give you an invitation to be at the Lord's table. You see, it's the Lord's table.
Now I can tell you about the large table, and I know the Lord Jesus would like you to be at the Lord's table.
And if you recognize that he and you would like to remember him in his death, that's your responsibility. I want to read about it in First Corinthians chapter 10, the Lord's Supper.
Verse 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?
The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
This word communion can be used in a different, another way, in a conversation. I don't. I wouldn't want to say that it should be translated that way, but we could use it another way. It's fellowship.
It's the fellowship of the Lord's Supper, and I've heard that term.
It's fellowship with the Lord Jesus.
It's fellowship.
With the communion, the fellowship of his blood was shed for us, and that's mentioned first. It's fellowship with his body.
This morning when we remembered the Lord Jesus in his death.
I thought of six hours, a little bit after the first three hours, when the Lord Jesus was crucified at the sufferings at the hands of man.
And then those three hours of darkness at the hand of God.
And I thought more as we got into the remembrance of the Lord Jesus.
With all the hymns, those three hours of darkness.
00:20:08
When you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you recognize that during those three hours of darkness that your sins.
When you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, we recognize. I can recognize as a believer that in those three hours of darkness my sins were really laid on the Lord Jesus.
All my sins.
And during those three hours of darkness?
The sin nature that I received from Adam has a race of mankind which we all have. It doesn't do that, that Adamic nature can only sin.
God can tell us to be good.
In some way we might be able to be a little bit good.
But that sin nature comes out, and we sin.
The Scriptures Speaking of our blessed Lord Jesus, said He was made sin for us. Him who knew no sin, that root nature, that root that can only do absolutely no good, was judged in the Lord Jesus. The sin nature was judged in Him. He was judged for all that sin could produce.
And so in Hebrews it says he takes to death for every man.
And in one John says he is a propitiation for sin.
And as a propitiation for sin, whosoever will may come.
You can only know.
Substitution.
As one that has experienced it, when Jesus is your Lord, you say he's my Savior. You recognize you can recognize those that know the Lord Jesus as their Savior recognized now that there was a substitute for them on the cross. I can truly say the Lord Jesus Christ was my substitute.
Let's continue reading here.
Verse 17, I'm going to read this the way it is in the new translation For we being many are one loaf and one body, for we are part all partakers of that one loaf. Now you can take a loaf of bread and you could speak of that loaf as a bread. This is a bread. This bread is his body that is proper. That's OK to say that it's proper, but the thought is we usually think in our English language with such a technical language. We thank Brad.
And then we think of a loaf. We sometimes think of it a little different, maybe more separated, but it's the idea is the thought of that one loaf and it's that loaf.
And if you.
Being here today, know that you know that 50% of the believers in Saint Louis and surrounding communities aren't here today. They were all represented in that loaf.
It's a picture of the church.
All believers in Christ.
Specifically in this age of the Church.
The cup has another picture of it. It is a cup of the wrath of God for sin.
It's a cup of wine.
And the wine is a reminder of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus that cleanseth us from all sin.
In Matthew 1824, where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them.
And now let's go to 1St Corinthians 11.
Now there's an interesting thought when we see that.
Paul and Acts, chapter 16.
That his name is mentioned and I think there's a connotation with his name related to the Lydia.
She followed Paul's doctrine.
I would just make that as a suggestion. Is something that's suggestive there?
Paul's doctrine.
Tells us how to function in the assembly.
It teaches us the order and it concludes the ground of gathering.
And it includes what to do in a day of a day of evil, the principle.
Of following God today is separation from evil both ecclesiastical.
00:25:02
And the evil in the world, practical or separate from evil?
Paul's doctrine has the thoughts of a heavenly doctrine, and you know the Lord Jesus.
Met the Apostle Paul.
And the Lord Jesus was a glorified man.
Apostle Paul.
How could he do anything else but serve that man? He had the biggest revelation.
Of all time then?
He saw risen, glorified Lord as well as the sadness of what He was doing at the time.
But he tells us, and this is reflective of meeting that man, that glorified man in first Corinthians 11. Here verse 23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.
That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which He betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, he break it and said, Take He. This is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also He took the cup when He had sent, saying, This cup is a New Testament in my blood. This Dewey, as OFT as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you ye do show the Lord's death till he come.
I was touched by brothers prayer after the breaking of bread when he was asked to pray for the meal.
And it was mentioned in his prayer for those that see the cup and the loaf go past him, yet they don't partake of it. And that touched my heart for you.
The apostle Paul says, I have delivered this unto you. I have received it from the Lord, that man in the glory.
And the words of the Lord Jesus in verse 24.
This is my body which is broken for you, this too in remembrance of me.
And the cup, this cup is the New Testament, my blood this do ye as often as you drink it and remembrance of me. One time years ago, I was raised in Catholicism and I recognized at that time Catholicism at the in their practices. They didn't allow the cup. I don't know what they do today. I hear sometimes they do, but they didn't allow the cup and it wasn't a loaf.
Lost all the sense of what it was.
Especially an evil wicked doctrine attached to.
The cup and the wine to say that hits his body and his blood at that time and that he was suffering at that time, that's wrong. The cup and the cup is a remembrance of Him, the remembrance of His blood shed for sinners. I like the hymns, shed for sinners, shed for Revels, shed for me.
So this is the other point that a believer would do.
Someone that is just saved is now a believer. They're not an unbeliever. They're saved whenever we sang that little hymn in the morning, this morning.
SAVED.
Saved.
A saved person belongs to the Lord Jesus.
The Lord Jesus is the Lord over a saved person, if you believe in the Lord Jesus.
He's your Lord, but he didn't say I command you to do this.
He said this do in remembrance of Maine. I'm going to borrow a story from another brother. I really don't remember the brother that told the story, but I remember him telling the story. I was there when he told the story. And he says if you went in to see your dear mother and she was dying and she was on her deathbed and she would take her picture, the picture of your dear mother, and she says I'm going to use a name. I'm just going to pick a name. She is John and Mary.
I'm dying. Will you Remember Me? Here's my picture.
I was a little boy, about five or six, and my mother called me into her room.
And she says I'm going to die. I'm dying.
And I'm going to heaven, I want you to know that.
That's the only assurance that I have. She was a Roman Catholic, that she's in glory. I hope it is. I hope she is. But if she isn't, it's because she didn't accept the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior.
But I remember those words she told me. I remember my mother's deathbed at six years old.
00:30:02
And she says I'm going to die.
And I want you to know I'm going to heaven.
You know, I think she wanted me to go to heaven too, don't you?
Now let's say you're in my position. Maybe you're a little boy or a little girl.
And your mommy and your daddy are going to go to heaven. Don't you think they want you there too?
And now those that are old enough and responsible enough, you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
Do those? What do those words mean?
This too in remembrance of me. So where does the Lord Jesus, He says, Remember Me?
Do you know what happens to us brothers and sisters that break bread and remember the Lord Jesus? It is death every Lord's day we remember were we were sinners and that we still we remember that there is a cleansing effect of the Lords Supper for me to judge myself as an unearthly one. He alone is a worthy 1.
Every Lord's Day, there's the effect of the Lord's Supper.
Of his foot washing. Because I'm brought to the cross. I'm brought to his death. I know what I am.
Just a believer.
Just a bleeder, not perfect, I still sin, but I can remember him in his death.
And by partaking of that cup and of that loaf, we do show the Lord's death on earth who sees it. Remember the lines of the one him that we sang God's wrath and Satan's power. It's God's testimony for the Son to have an assembly of gathered Saints gathered around the Lord Jesus in the midst and His supper being partake care of in the scene of our Lord's rejection.
It's a testimony from the father for the son, and we've been drawn into it.
I'd like to, for the few moments left, turn to three portions in the Gospels that we've often turned to before and enjoyed, but I trust they will encourage our hearts as we go home from these meetings we've enjoyed. I trust in a measure this blessed privilege of being gathered by the Spirit of God around the person of Christ for prayer for the ministry of the Word of God and the morning, that precious privilege of remembering Him.
In his death, turn with me first of all to 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 home, and she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his words. And then in John 11.
John Chapter 11 and verse 18. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about 15 furlongs off.
And many of the Jews came to America, 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. Notice verse 32. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping, which came with her, he groaned in spirit and was troubled.
Verse 45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did.
Believed on him and then notice in the 12Th chapter. Then Jesus, six days before the Passover came to Bethany where Lazarus was.
Which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 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, these scenes are very precious. You know, there were few homes in this world where the Lord Jesus was really welcome. Mr. Darby put it this way. He said, oh ever homeless stranger.
00:35:15
How dear art thou to me an outcast in a Manger, that thou mightst with us be. On one occasion we read of the Lord Jesus. It says every man went to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. The Lord Jesus himself said the foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. I say there were few homes in this world where the Lord Jesus was really welcome, but here was a home, a little family in Bethany, and the Lord Jesus often delighted to turn his steps toward Bethany.
In fact, I believe that Bethany held a special place in his heart when he was here as a man. And it's interesting that it was from that very spot. Later on, after he had risen from the dead, he led them out as far as Bethany, lifted up his hands and blessed them, and the cloud received him out of their sight. You know, there's many little towns in this in the United States and Canada that are dear to my heart, not because they have some political significance, not because they're noted particularly on a tourist brochure or something like that.
But because there are those there who love the Lord Jesus, many of my dear brethren and many I have enjoyed happy fellowship with as many places I go, little towns and communities that otherwise I would pass by. Well, perhaps it was this way with Bethany. The Lord Jesus often went there. Why? Well, I believe it was because there was this little home where He was welcoming His pathway as a man, and a home where He could sit down in the midst of those that loved Him, and the most in the midst of those that He loved.
And he could have his soul refreshed as a man in his pathway here. And we find that these three mentions of Mary, and this is what is particularly on my heart in connection with Mary of Bethany. She's mentioned on these three occasions specifically by name, and they're the only occasions where she is. She's alluded to other portions. But here she's mentioned specifically by name on these three occasions. And on every occasion she's at the feet of Jesus.
And brethren, that's a good place for us. We've enjoyed this privilege collectively this weekend. But we're going to go home now. If the Lord leaves us here, you're going to go back to the home situation. You're going to go back to work, You're going to go back to the little assembly from whence you have come. Oh, brethren, may we have hearts so attracted to Himself that we desire and we long to sit at His feet, to be in the company of the Lord Jesus. Wonderful to be with the people of God on an occasion like this.
And how we value the exercise and zeal of those who invite us together for these privileges from time to time. But brethren, the test is going to come. You're going to go home. Maybe the assembly small, Maybe there's difficulties and trials. Maybe there's things that you wish weren't the way they are. But oh, brethren, let's see. To walk in the company of the Lord Jesus. We find, first of all, where we read in Luke that Mary is at his feet here, and this time she's at his feet as a learner.
You know there's no substitute for sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His words.
Martha came and she complained and she said, Lord, there's so many things need to be done. In fact, as has often been pointed out, I believe when the Lord Jesus entered that home that both those sisters were probably busy preparing for the arrival of the Lord Jesus. But Mary realized there was something more important than all those tasks. She, as it were, said, I'm going to let those things go now. I'm going to sit down and hear what Jesus has to say. Brethren, we need to take time.
To sit at Jesus feet. This is a society today when life is on a roller coaster and things are getting faster and faster and Satan is interjecting every kind of thought and activity to take our hearts away from sitting at Jesus feet. You know, one of the characteristics of the last days is given to us in Daniel. It says they run to and fro throughout the whole earth. It's a restless generation, men and women going to and fro and I don't think they even know sometimes themselves.
Why they're on the go, but Satan is busy to keep the natural man busy so he's not thinking about his eternal destiny, but to keep the Christian busy too so that we don't have time to sit at Jesus feet. And if you're going to take time to sit at Jesus feet and hear his words, you're going to have to let something go. You're going to have to be like Mary. You're going to have to let that work go. Martha said we've got to do these things. And you know, the Lord spoke to Martha in a rather unusual way. He said Martha.
00:40:06
Martha, he really wanted to get her attention. You know, sometimes the Lord has to speak to us in that way.
I say it's an unusual way. I have traced and found at least six in the Scripture that the Lord spoke to by repeating their name twice. We will not recount them. We find that he spoke to Abraham that way in Genesis chapter 22 when he was about to slay his son. He said Abraham, Abraham, He spoke to Peter that way. He said Simon, Simon, Satan have desired to have thee that he might sift theist weight and there may be other occasions, but there are six at least and I believe if you trace those occasions.
They are occasions where the Lord was seeking to get someone's attention. They who have children understand this. When we try to get our children's attention and they're not paying attention, perhaps we repeat their name more than once. The Lord was seeking to teach Martha a lesson, a lesson that Mary learned that she needed to sit at Jesus feet and hear his word. And he said, Mary hath chosen that good part that shall not be taken away from her. And I just challenge those of us who are a little younger here this afternoon.
When you go home, take time each day to open the Word of God.
And listen to him speak. It must have been wonderful for Mary to sit at the feet of Jesus when the Lord was here and walked amongst men. But I believe we still have that privilege of sitting at Jesus feet. And as we open the word of God and that and prayerfully read it and have it applied in the power of the Spirit, we can listen to him speak to us. I say there's no substitute for sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing his words. And then what happened in the 11Th chapter of John?
The Lord comes to this home again under very different circumstances. A sorrow had come into this home.
You know, sorrows do come into our lives. They come into our lives as individuals and sometimes they come into our lives in the family. You know the name Mary means bitter. And I wonder if the Spirit of God isn't suggesting that Mary was one who didn't have an easy life. There were bitter experiences. There are those trials because it tells us in Corinthians, there hath no temptation taken you. But such is common to man. We feel the effects of sin. We come because we're in a in a world that's under the curse. We feel those things and we have trials and difficulties.
And we're also in the school of God, and He allows things in our lives to exercise us and to teach us and to chasten us. And a sorrow had come into this home. Maybe there's brethren here and your hearts are burdened as you think about leaving this place this afternoon and going home to the trials and difficulties in the home circle or perhaps even in the assembly. But you know, I think it's precious with Mary. Mary had sat at the feet of Jesus.
As a learner, and now when the sorrow came, she knew where to turn. She knew there was one that she could turn to. And I've been struck here, two things in connection with Mary. One is that she sat still in the house. You know, Martha seems to be one who always had to be busy, someone who was always doing something, perhaps, shall I even say, trying to help a situation. And when the Lord Jesus was finally approaching Bethany.
She runs to meet him, but all I have often enjoyed what it says about Mary.
And Mary sat still in the house. How could she do such a thing? What caused her to sit still amidst the difficulty? Did she? Was she indifferent to the trial? Oh no. She loved her brother Lazarus. She felt this sorrow very keenly. But I believe that she, more than Martha, entered in to the heart of the Lord Jesus. And she knew that He was coming in His own time and in His own way, and she knew that when He came.
He was well able for the situation. I often think of Naomi, she said to 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. Confidence that there was one in control of the situation could encourage another to sit still during the difficulty, rather than there's one who's on the throne tonight, this afternoon, and he's working everything after the council of his own will. I know sometimes it takes faith to count on that.
Because sometimes things do seem out of hand. You say, I don't know how that's going to be straightened out. But brethren, while things sometimes seem out of hand, they're never out of the Lord's hand. He's in full control. And as you go back to those problems and difficulties that are very real, and I don't want to underestimate those difficulties, they are real. We feel them, and we ought to, we need to be exercised by them. But brethren, let's remember that He's in control. He knows the end from the beginning.
00:45:15
But when they came to Mary and said, The Master calleth for thee, what did she do? Oh, there was immediate obedience. She immediately rises up, and where does she go? Oh, she knew where to turn. She'd been at His feet as a learner. She had entered into his heart in a little deeper and fuller way than the others, and she knew where to go in her sorrow. She went to the feet of Jesus. Oh, what a good place for us to go in our sorrow and our trials and our difficulty. And was the Lord able for the situation?
Of course He was. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Brethren, we have the same Lord that Mary had. He hasn't changed, and He may not act in the same way that He did here in the raising of Lazarus. But brethren, is His power any less? Has He changed over 2000 years? It says He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might. He increases strength. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as Eagles. They shall run and not be weary.
And they shall walk, and not faint. What a resource Mary found in her trial.
And her difficulty? The feet of Jesus. And what was the result? Well, I read this 45th verse because it has struck me.
That it is a contrast between in connection with the 19th verse, because it was the Jews that came to Martha and Mary, but who were the Jews that believed? It was the Jews that came to Mary? Not because of what she said, but I just suggest that because of Mary's quiet testimony that could cause her to sit still in the house amidst the difficulty. That quiet testimony was such that those who came to marry believed it wasn't Martha so much running around and trying to take care of the difficulties, but it was Mary who sat still.
And you know, I have observed my dear brethren who have gone through many trials and difficulties, sometimes things that I have never been called on to pass through in the path of faith. And as I have observed their quiet, Christlike testimony, and that rest and confidence exhibited in their lives through the difficulty, it has been a tremendous blessing to my own soul. That's the way it was with Mary. She could sit still in the house. She could find her solace at the feet of Jesus.
And what a testimony she was to those who came on that occasion. Well then, very quickly we find that the Lord Jesus comes to that home again just before He goes to the cross there with Calvary before him and all that it meant to His holy soul. As He anticipated that time when He would be made sin for us there His feet turned towards that little home in Bethany, where He knew he could sit down once again in the company of those that loved Him. He knew that very soon He would be in the midst of those that hated Him.
He knew what they were going to heap upon him, but all once again his heart is refreshed as he sits down. And here we find one who has come forth in resurrection, sits at the table in communion. We find that Martha serves. And as was mentioned the other day, there's no rebuke for her service here. I believe she learned the lesson that joy in service springs from sitting at Jesus feet. The service isn't cumbersome here, she simply serves.
In that quiet capacity in the home. And then we find that Mary comes.
And Mary's heart had been occupied with the person of Christ as he walked through this world.
And at the end of it all, it's overflowing in a response of praise and worship. Brethren, there's only one way to be a true worshipper, and that is to have a heart that is overflowing with an appreciation of the person and work of Christ. That was Mary's heart, and she doesn't count the cost. She brings that ointment. She had criticism. All the disciples spoke against her, but she brings that ointment. And what was the effect? Why, it had an effect on the whole house.
And you know, I've been struck that it was Mary that poured out her ointment, not Lazarus. Because if Lazarus poured out his ointment, you'd say, well, of course, when we come together in the assembly, the the brothers can take part. But isn't it interesting that it was Mary? It was, shall I say, a sister who poured out her ointment and I believe a sister who was here this morning with a heart full of praise and worship, with a heart overflowing with an appreciation of the person and work of Christ. I believe that sister was a tremendous blessing.
00:50:04
To the assembly this morning, I believe that we felt the we felt the odor, we smelt the odor of that ointment that was poured forth from the sisters. And isn't it interesting, brethren, that as you read of these three on this occasion, Lazarus sitting at meat, Martha serving, and Mary pouring out her ointment in praise and worship, you don't read of anything these three individuals say. It was quiet communion at the table.
It was quiet service by Martha, and it was that heart overflowing in praise. Mary doesn't say anything here, but what an effect it had. And brethren, I just want to encourage our hearts as we go now. I want to encourage your heart. I want to encourage mine. Go back to the little assembly you came from. There's going to be trials, there's going to be tests, but go on quietly for the Lord. Who knows what a blessing and encouragement you can be if you're found at the feet of Jesus.
Listening to His words found at His feet in intercession and prayer. And as those trials come, you can turn to Him. And then to be at His feet as a worshipper, to have that ointment poured forth. Oh, brethren, there's a day coming and it's not far off when all the redeemed are going to be gathered around himself and will be beyond the trials and difficulties and the exhortations that we need now. But until that day, what delight it brings to His heart.
To his heart I trust to our heart, but to his heart, brethren, to find us at His feet in that way.
Shall we stand?
One, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life.
For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear with us, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested into us, that which we have seen and heard.
Declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ to give thanks.