St. Louis Conference: 1998
Table of Contents
Hebrews 1:1-3
Reading
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Brightness of the eternal glory.
Shall I Praise On Uttered Lie 179.
Thinking of this verse in respect to the three readings that we anticipate together.
Moses spinning verse 10.
Especially the day.
That thou stood us before the Lord thy God in Horeb.
When the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days, that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
Well, I think of Moses recalling 40 years earlier.
This wonderful moment in the camp of Israel, perhaps with such freshness to gather around the Lord himself there to be blessed.
And how we would write that the spirit of that would never leave us, never leave his people.
And we think of this dispensation almost 2000 years have gone by and I believe we can say that God intends that the way the dispensation began.
That it would close. That way nothing changed and we.
Are can still have the spirit of sitting as learners at his feet and to sing his praises together.
And then in verse 7, dropping down in verse 7 a little bit, it says, Who hath God so nigh unto them?
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As the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for.
Shall we ask for his continued blessing?
Not think I'm if I'm over bold.
I have an exercise a little and wondered if we couldn't have. It's already been brought before us in our brother's prayer.
I mean, before I was thinking of the person, the glories, the heavenly glories.
Those eternal glories of our blessed Lord Jesus as we have set before us in Hebrews chapter one, Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. I was just wondering whether we might just spend an hour.
On this passage. And if some brother has something else, well, and this might just be served as an introduction into something else someone other your brother may have for us this afternoon.
Hebrews chapter one.
It was sundry times, and diverse manners spake and kind passed on to the fathers by the prophets after these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins.
Sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels, as he had by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they for unto which of the angels?
Said he, at anytime, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee, And again I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son. And again, when he bringeth in the first he got him into the world, He sat, and let all the angels of the of God worship him, and of the angels he said, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers aflame of fire?
But unto the sun he said, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy Kingdom.
Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And thou, Lord in the beginning hath laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens.
Are the work of thine hand they shall perish, but thou remainest, and they shall all wax old, as doth the garment, And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, But thou art the same, In thy years shall not fail. But to which of the angels set thee at any time sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth?
To minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.
Apostle to the Gentiles is writing to his Hebrew brethren.
Many of them had heard the Lord Jesus when he was on earth. They heard him speak.
And they had heard the apostles too.
And they've seen those wonderful miracles wrought by the Spirit of God, as we get in the second chapter.
And many of them had believed of the salvation of their souls.
But there was a tendency on the part of those deer, Jewish Hebrew Christians.
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To to go back. To turn back to what they had just left. Judaism.
And the apostle is seeking to set before them.
One who was infinitely superior, one who was infinitely above all they ever had before.
And I know something which was entirely A heavenly high priest.
The Lord Jesus.
Has passed through the heavens, and he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. And this is the one that the Apostle sets before his brethren, seeking to draw their hearts away from earthly things.
And.
One was thinking how much there is all around us 1001 Things.
Wherever we are.
Whether it's that Satan is seeking to distract and keep us occupied with earthly things, but we're a heavenly people.
We belong to heaven.
And it isn't going to be long before our Savior is coming and he's going to take us to be with himself for the end a little while, he tells us in the 10th chapter. A little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. It won't be long.
I'm thankful our brother suggested this portion because I had this chapter on my heart as well. And what I've appreciated recently in the book of Hebrews is to see that Hebrews opens up to us, the heavens, so that we can look up by faith and be occupied with the person of Christ and brethren. That's what we need. As these meetings begin to unfold before us and we take up a portion like this, let's seek by faith to get a fresh glimpse of the lovely man in the glory.
I believe Hebrews presents to us the results of the work. It's His ascension and enthronement that is taken up in the book of Hebrews. Of course the work itself. But the results of that work are what are particularly before us in this book. Because I've sometimes said the the Ascension and the Glorification of Christ are God's. Amen to the work of Calvary. Do we want any proof this afternoon that God is satisfied with His Son and the work that was accomplished here to the glory of God?
If we want proof, just look up by faith into the opened heavens and see where God has placed him as a result of the work. And I might just say that too, that when the Lord Jesus was here in this world, there was a You often find the heavens opened because there was an object in this world that was worthy of Heaven's attention. And so you read of the Heaven's opening and all heaven, gazing down at that perfect man, wholly harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, the One who was doing the will of the Father here in His pathway.
And who could say at the end of it all I have glorified thee on the earth, and finished the work that thou gavest me to do. And so the heavens would open, and heaven would gaze at that wondrous object here in this world. And a voice declare, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. But I believe, brethren, the heavens are opened for us this afternoon, not so much that heaven can look down, but so that we can look up by faith and be occupied with the one that God would always occupy his people with.
And that's why in the book of Hebrews 2 you have four times that the Lord Jesus spoke of as seated at the right hand of God. You have it in this chapter in the third verse, in connection with his having made full atonement, He's made the purification for sin. Mr. Darby's translation. In the 8th chapter you have him seated as our high priest. In the 10th chapter you have him seated having offered himself as the supreme sacrifice.
And in the 12Th chapter you have him seated as the object for faith as we pass through this world in the path of faith and service.
And so I think it's helpful, as we take up this chapter and as we look at the book of Hebrews, to see that it's God presenting to us his Son and where he is now and the place he has been given as a result of the fact that he glorified his God, his Father, here in this world.
I'd like to ask our brother Don in the last address, he began with a statement.
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That began with.
The Son of God becoming the Son of Man, in order that the sons of men become the sons of God. Could you bring that to us again, Don?
Good. I'd like to hear you say it.
The Son of God became the Son of man, but the sons of men.
Might become the sons of God.
Another thing that is exceedingly precious in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
The work you were mentioning, Jim, is extremely important and a very vital thing for us to hold. But what we get so much in the beginning of the book is the glories and the value of the person of Christ who he was in his person and it seems.
That that is the primary focus at the beginning of the book up through the 1St 8 chapters. When you get into the Chapter 9 and 10, you get more of his work.
His work is mentioned in this first chapter and the second chapter and brief references. But if you look at verse 3, for example, there's little phrases and it almost entirely speaks of the value and the glory of the person of Christ. Because it is so important for us to understand that that's what gives value to the work of Christ, and so it is the glory of his person. And the more we get occupied with Him, brethren, the more our hearts are going to be drawn after him.
It was mentioned at the beginning. Uncle Clem mentioned that.
These Jewish believers were in danger of going back to their Jewish form of religion. We're living in a day of a lot of outward religious profession and brethren, even as gathered to the Lord's name. There can be a danger of us to getting occupied with mere outward forms, not realizing that Christianity is not a form of religion Christianity.
Is a glorious person that God is occupying us with now and will for all eternity. This is Christianity, and it's a person, glorious person of God's beloved Son in all his glorious presented. And there's nothing that will draw your heart and mind like being occupied with Him, Brethren, That's the attraction in Christianity.
In Judaism, it was an enclosure.
And they were forcefully bound by the dictates of the law.
And to go across that line was death. But in Christianity there is no enclosure, There is a center of attraction, and it's the person of the Lord Jesus. Redemption. The work is necessary, like you mentioned, Jim, because that's the foundation of all blessing. But I think it is tremendous to see in this book that it is the person in all his glory that is presented.
Because that's what gives value to the work.
Is that though that word God hath spoken?
We pray what is brought before us here is the is, the is the value of the Word of God, and what the Word of God is, is to God and what it ought to be to us. We read in the Psalms is 138 Psalms it not.
It says.
The Oh, dear.
He hath magnified that was magnified thy word above thy name.
What a tremendous statement that is that was magnified thy word above thy name. Well, in the Old Testament we have the God used vessels and certain ones at different times.
Holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. God used them as mouthpieces. But now it's it's the Son who is speaking. It's the Son, the Son of God himself, God. He is God, and it's God who is speaking. Oh, how solemnizing that that ought to be to me. It is God who is speaking. And we have. They heard his. They heard him speaking those days.
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But he's gone. He's gone up to heaven and he's gone. But we have the word of God. We have the word of God. And we have what is this more wonderful still. We have the word of God, the precious Word of God, that which abides forever.
Another claim that this is God's last voice for man. He has no other voice for man after his son.
And it really is a voice to these Hebrew believers. It is true there is always the possibility of declension in the human heart.
But the word of the Son to this nation, to these Jewish believers, is to go on from the earthly religion that God had given to be occupied with the Son of man in heaven, The Son of Man brought from heaven the message. And he said, we speak that which we know, and we testify of that which we have seen, And the danger was to not go on from that system.
And be occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ and the glory. And so the apostle sets out systematically to to show the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ over every element of that religion that they had received from God. And so he sets before them as the Son, speaking in order to transfer their thoughts from earth to heaven.
Judaism is going on to its judgment.
In the days of the Lord Jesus.
And the God is going to destroy that whole system, and in fact he had judged it in the cross.
And but he had judged that whole system in the cross.
And the time was coming, was drawing near when those Roman armies were coming. We're going to destroy the cities of those wicked men.
And.
They burnt the temple and destroyed everything. It was God's judgment upon a system which he was finished with, which they had corrupted.
But all holes. The characteristic word in Hebrews day is better. And so all through the book we see that it's a better person, far better than all the prophets of the Old Testament. This glorious person, God's own beloved Son. There were better sacrifices. They were only figures and shadows. But the Lord Jesus was the one perfect sacrifice. We have a better portion for them to have an earthly portion was a wonderful thing. That was a good land God gave to them.
But we have a heavenly portion and it's very, it was very difficult for them because all this originally had been given of God. It was given of God as a shadow of good things to come. But now the better thing had come, just like as if you had a photograph of somebody and you love to look at that photograph, but then the person comes to visit you and you say, I'm not interested in looking at you, I'm going to look at this picture that I've got here that satisfies me.
You would be very hurt that they were still occupied with the picture when you were there, the person of whom the picture was taken.
And that's the blessedness of the Epistle to the Hebrews. And God would have us brethren, to be occupied with this glorious, this better person. Wonderful prophets there were in the Old Testament that God raised up, but they all were only figures of the one who was the great prophet of our God, the Lord Jesus Christ. The work that he accomplished in superior. They thought a lot of angels too, but he was above the angels.
And that's what our hearts need to be occupied with, is this glorious person.
And the more we are occupied with him, the more it will produce a result in our lives. Part of the result and a good part of it, will be that this religion that was given to Israel, although it was a pattern of things in the heavens, it kept them here because all their thoughts were associated with earth and what God had given them in connection with the earth. But now He wanted to draw their hearts heavenward. And that's what God wants to do with us, brethren.
It's wonderful to think of all his mercies to us and all his goodness, but he wants everyone of us to be occupied with this.
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Glorious person, The glorious work that he has accomplished. The glorious home that awaits us.
And that we would be content in the meanwhile to be here as those who are just strangers here, going outside the camp to be gathered to his glorious name, offering to him the praise and worship of our hearts.
The temple in Hebrews. The temple was for the land.
And the temple speaks of rest, that after they by the grace of God they have been brought into the land. Then we read later on we get the building of the temple. It's it was had to do with earthly things. But the Tabernacle God had called Moses up into the mountain. He called him up into the mountain and there he was given the pattern of heavenly things. Oh what a wonderful thing as we think of that Tabernacle.
How it all speaks of Christ everywhere.
But it's one thinks of how that in that Tabernacle God brings the whole universe together in a very short compass and we read in the.
In the 16th of Leviticus, Howard Aaron. On the Great Day of Atonement.
How would the blood of the goat and the and the the sacrifice he passed through?
Those He passed through, and the both of those veils, and He presented the blood there. He sprinkled the blood upon the mercy seat.
And seven times before it, well, the Lord Jesus has passed through the heavens.
He's entered in not with the blood of bulls, that of the ghosts, but with his own blood.
And He has entered in once into the holy place. There He is obtained eternal redemption.
And with that work done, he takes his seat and he sits down there in the highest place in the majesty of God.
The eternity of his person is brought out too, isn't it? Because at the end of the second verse he says by whom also he made the world's brethren. Who is this one that we're Speaking of? Is he simply the one who became Son? No, he's the one who was the Son from a past eternity. And we only have to go back to Proverbs chapter 8 to find that when creation he laid the foundation of creation. Then it says I was by him as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight rejoicing all way before him.
In the habitable part of the earth. And so it brings before us the eternity of the person that we're Speaking of. And I've been impressed with that little expression there in Proverbs 8. I was daily His delight because it's true, He was the delight and joy of the Father as He walked here in this world and accomplished the work of eternal redemption at the end of His perfect pathway. But He was also the delight of the Father from a past eternity. I was daily His delight.
Have sometimes said, I don't have any sons, but I do have two daughters. And while I love those daughters very much, I can't honestly say they're daily my delight. Some days because of their actions they grieve me. But here was a son who was daily the delight of the Father. Never did one thing to please himself. Even Christ pleased not himself and could say with perfect confidence at the end of His pathway. I have glorified thee on the earth and have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
He could say, at the beginning of His pathway I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And so this is the one brethren that God would now have us to find our joy and delight in, the one that He finds His joy in, the one who was daily the delight of the Father from a past eternity. Now he says, you just look up. The heavens are opened. You see where I've seated him? You see the name I've given him?
You see the place of exaltation that he has now, as a result of his pathway and his work through this world. Now he says, I want you to be occupied with this one. And brethren, there's a little prayer that we sometimes sing when we're gathered together. Fix our earnest gaze, so holy Lord on thee, that with thy beauty occupied we elsewhere none may see. And I have to say for myself, I often sing that little prayer when it's given out in meeting.
And yet, I wonder how much it really means to my own heart. Is that really, as these meetings begin to progress this weekend, is that really the earnest desire of your heart and mind? When we were young people, we often sung that hymn in the echoes of grace. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And what's the result? Well, the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Young people, what are you placing value on? What are you working for?
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What are your goals and aspirations? Well, if you have your eyes on Jesus, if you're looking off to the man in the glory and he's captivating your mind and your heart, then it takes care of the things down here. Necessary things, yes, things that we need to get through this life. Yes, concerns burdens on that are right and proper in their place. But what is your heart set on this afternoon? What is my heart set on?
Is not trying to put those things aside as something difficult to give up. But, brethren, I believe in the measure in which we are affections. Go out to this person that we're Speaking of. From the first chapter of Hebrews, the measure in which our hearts are captivated by him and our gaze is captivated by him. By faith in that measure, these things of earth will indeed grow strangely dim. Oh, I say, we need to have the person of Christ before us.
And may the Spirit of God indeed direct our gaze and our hearts to this blessed one.
Would have the same one for our object that he has for his.
It goes right on here in this next second verse hath in these last days spoken.
Unto us by his son, what's the next thing? Whom he has appointed heir of all things? The failure of man, the failure of Israel under the law, hasn't changed God's plan one bit. He's going to set his son up.
Air of all things. And this chapter goes on and God looks at it.
So that when he says, when he brings in his first begotten into the world, he says.
Let all the angels of God worship him. He looks at the coming of the Lord Jesus to take that inheritance.
He's not coming alone. He's going to have sons and daughters with him. So Don's statement, the Son of God became the son of man in order that the sons of men might become the sons of God in order to come back and share in that inheritance that he is 1. We can look at all these things and just go on and on.
Then we then we get the heirs, and we are joint heirs with Christ. So if you eat elsewhere, yeah, what?
Of Israel. Their inheritance was that promised land and they never could keep it because of their disobedience. Even what they laid claim to. Right now, they're having to give up piece by piece. It's interesting. They can't hold on to it. They cannot do it. But here's one that's not heir of the land of Canaan. He's heir of all things. He is the heir declared to be. So I think it's interesting rather than that it speaks of.
Being the heir of all things before it even speaks of the creation of the worlds.
Isn't that interesting? I don't know that we would have put it that way, but I suppose that it means in the counsels of God, this was declared to be so before there was any world in existence. Then the time came when this same special person that we're talking about was the One Who.
Who made the worlds and the world's? I understand it could be translated the universe.
Man can't get an idea of the vastness of the universe, and here's the one.
Who not only is the heir of all things, but he made the whole universe.
In its extension, the more the more powerful telescopes they get to lookout into the universe. I understand there are millions of light years, perhaps billions, now that they can look out. They cannot find the end of it. And here's one who by the word of his power spoke it all into existence. O brethren, young people, this is the God that is revealed himself.
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In the person of the Lord Jesus. This is not a figment or invention of man's mind, as sometimes we're accused of doing when we speak about God. This is a God, that is.
Infinite in his being, it is impossible for us to know him, except that he reveal himself. He made the universe. Just think of it necessarily greater than the universe, this person we're talking about.
Why did he make so many of those great, those great, massive orbs that whirl in space?
Why everyone is a glory, and everyone sits, reflects the glory of the Creator. Everyone, every one of those mighty orbs. One thinks of the lines of our dear Christian poet. Those mighty orbs proclaim thy power, their motions speak thy skill, and on the wings of every hour we read thy patients still. But I was thinking there was a how precious it is that.
When you think of the greatness of that one, but it was not his greatness.
Displayed though in his humiliation he became nothing, and one thinks of one thinks of a dearer mind, like dear Mr. Bellet of the last century.
Oh, how in his last days he enjoyed He seemed to have a he seemed to have a such a rich sense of the Lord's presence with him, he says. And he could, he could say.
By it is with the man. It is the man Christ Jesus, with whom I'm going to dwell.
The very man of Saikar who sat upon the well.
And tis the one it is him who stayed to call Zacchaeus from the tree, the one who hung up on the cross, the man who died for me. Well, when we think of his greatness, it almost it carries us out of ourselves, and carries us away from this world. But one to think that he was down here as a blessed, lonely man, and he loved the little children. He took them up in his arms, and He blessed them.
And then he went on to the cross of Calvary to die for you and me.
It says in John.
Certainly not to distract anyway from what has already been brought before us as to his eternal sonship and his existence as Son within the Godhead. But when he came and took his place as the as the faithful servant of God, he was owned in sonship at that place. This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight. And so it is as man that he has been made heir of all things.
And he will inherit as man. When he comes back as the Son of Man, he says, all judgment is delivered unto his hands because he is the Son of Man. So when we have him here as speaking, we have him in this world as presenting those heavenly things of which he was familiar, because he came from God and brought them wonderful grace of God down into this scene. But here he is as.
Man in this world.
Communicating to this these Jewish believers, that which he knew so well, because he came from heaven. But he says, man in his place as a servant of God, that these things were begun to be spoken unto us by him, and confirmed unto us by those who heard him.
As he's spoken in Son, and I think that's so wonderful. As we think of the Lord Jesus, he could say he that has seed me has seen the Father. And so as we trace the pathway of the blessed Lord Jesus through this world, we learn what God is. He was the perfect manifestation of all that. God is just to think a man here in this world and walking through this world, the creator of it all. He says he was in the world and the world was made by him and that's why the world is so responsible.
Because in the 15th chapter of John, I believe we have the most solemn condemnation of man that says, if I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my father. That is, when the world looked at the Lord Jesus, saw those wonderful works, saw that perfect life of grace and goodness to man, as they saw that and said.
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If that is what God is like, we don't want him. That was the solemn condemnation, and that's why it says that the judgment was going to fall because God had been perfectly manifested now in us, they don't always see as they should. We say we're Christians and they've been born into the family of God, but we're not always Christ. Like we don't always manifest that new life that God has given to us. But there was one in this world that did, and he always did what pleased his father.
He always sought the blessing of man. He went about doing good, but the world rejected him. And that's the one brethren that's brought before us here for the adoration of our hearts. God spoke in Son. He's been here, John could say our hands have handle to the word of life. And he did more than that. He not only displayed what was in the heart of God, but he did a glorious work of redemption, that we might be brought into this place of blessing, that we might share that place in nearness to him forever.
The nearest possible place, because our place is not only to be, as our brother brought out sons of God, but part of the bride of Christ, nothing nearer to you than your bride. And that's the place that He has won for us. And that's why the Epistle to the Hebrews He's bringing before us first the glory of his person, the work that he accomplished and that all plays that he has brought us into to share. Not just the earthly scene, although that's going to be glorious in the eternal state, but the heavenly scene, the best of all.
Because we, brethren, are going to occupy the nearest place to that beloved person of God's beloved Son, our beloved Savior, for all eternity.
The garden that the Lord Jesus was the perfect manifestation of of God. All that God one thinks of. In First Timothy chapter six we get that remarkable scripture.
The 14th, the 15th of which Indian times he shall show Who is the blessed, and only potentate.
The king of kings and Lord of Lords, who only hath immortality.
Dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man has seen.
Nor can see to whom the honor and power and everlasting Amen, that that unseen and unseeable God has has been displayed perfectly displayed in all in the perfect life of our Lord Jesus Christ down here. How marvelous it.
In all everything that he did, everything he did, it was God. Everything that he said was God. Every step that he took, it was God. It was God speaking and and.
How wonderful.
When we think of the thoughts of God.
Is it says the Spirit Searcheth all things. Yeah, the deep things of God, or the depths of God. And to think that you and I by grace have been brought to to search out and to know that the the the depths of of that blessed God, the depths of God. And then it says, we have the mind of Christ. All that is in the mind of that blessed Lord Jesus Christ, is all laid open to us. We have the mind of Christ.
I think it's good to just.
To that not only did the Lord Jesus satisfy God as to the work that was given him to do, but he also glorified God. And I believe there's a difference, because I believe to be glorified is to have all the qualities that exalt a person brought into full display. I sometimes illustrate it this way. I may set one of my children to a task, and after they've had ample time to complete that task, I come back and I see that that task.
Has indeed been done to my satisfaction. Everything that I've set before them, they've done to my satisfaction.
No fault with the work that they've completed for me. But while the work was done to my satisfaction, you wouldn't say that I was glorified in what they did. But the Lord Jesus not only satisfied God, that's true. He finished the work that his Father gave him to do. But brethren, he brought into full display every quality and attribute of God the Father. He could say, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work that thou gave us me to do. He was the express image of His person.
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Every attribute and glory of God has been brought into full display for us.
Through the Lord Jesus becoming a man and walking through this world and accomplishing the work of eternal redemption. And that's why now God has glorified Him, given him a name that is above every name. God has glorified the person who glorified him here in this world. So I just say it's good to realize it wasn't just a completed work to the satisfaction of God, but it was a work to His glory as well.
Being the brightness of his glory.
Well, no. It would have been wonderful if it simply said that he came from the glory.
But how much more it is that he he was. He was himself was the brightness. He is the brightness of that eternal glory. He's the brightness of his own self. He's the brightness of that.
Not only did he come from the glory, but he himself is the brightness of that glory.
Go outside during the day, and on a clear day, you can't even stand to look at the sun. It's too bright. But we're not talking here about part of the creation of this person. We're talking about the person himself.
And just to think, brethren, that we're going to look right into his face.
Very soon we're going to be caught into his presence to look straight into the face.
It says in the Book of Revelation his countenance was as the sun shineth in its strength.
The full outshining of the glory of God and the person of the Lord Jesus, just to think of it, brethren.
On those points, to look at what Steven said when he looked up and saw that man in the glory. It tells us in Acts 7 what he saw. And then he tells us what he saw. There's a little bit of difference. Acts 755 He, Steven, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.
Now he begins to talk. He leaves out one part of it.
He said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God, that is, that person was everything. To Steven, the glory must have been wonderful, but the person was everything.
Hebrew of Ephesians, where the Apostle feels he's there, as it were. He feels and finds himself in the midst of a vast.
Scene of glory. The breadth and length and depth and height. Well, he's lost as it were. And he says, but he says here's something that I can know to know the love of Christ. Which path of knowledge. And this is something that we can all know and enjoy. To know the love of Christ. Even though weakest babe in Christ can enjoy that. To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.
Chapter one, that he is the image of the invisible God.
And the Lord in his prayer said that they might know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ, who thou hast sent. So when we behold him as he walked in this scene, we see the express image of God, Phillip said, Show us the Father, and he could say he that has seen me hath seen the Father. So when he was God manifest in the flesh, he was seen of angels. Here is 1.
As it says in the first chapter of John's Gospel that the only begotten Son hath declared him who has never been seen and cannot be seen. He is the image of the invisible God, that by which we know and recognize God we see and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ as a man in this world.
These Hebrew believers were used to looking at things, seeing things with the natural eyesight. For instance, the disciples would take the Lord to show him the temple and master. See these goodly stones? Well, the Lord tells them there wouldn't be not one stone left upon another. And the time came when the whole thing was destroyed. It was gone. Everything while they were left but but the.
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Really, they were given to see. Christianity is a life of faith. Christianity is a life of faith. And we see and enjoy things far more by faith than these dear disciples ever would ever did. Who who looked by naturally saw things by natural eyesight, even the disciples themselves.
We have this blessing of the word of God and it tells us the thoughts of God.
It tells us out the mind of God and that how wonderful is this pleasant book that we that we hold in our hands.
It's the word of God and what and we think when we think of the Lord Jesus as the Son.
Who continued, as it were the testimony of the of the of the.
Of the Old Testament prophets, Australia.
A continuation of the testament of the Old Testament prophets. And we have the this blessed word of God in our hands to enjoy.
That we're perfect. They serve God, but they made their mistakes too. But here is one who was perfect in everything that he did, and especially in that glorious work of redemption. And so I think we know that in Mr. Darby's translation, it says.
He seated himself, that is, he had a right, and he went back there. He had come sent by his Father in love to do here the work, and he could say at the end of his blessed pathway. Here in anticipation I have finished the work that thou gave us me to do on the cross, after he had borne all the wrath and judgment of God against sin, He could say it is finished. Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nothing can be taken from it.
And God doeth it that man should fear before him. That's in Ecclesiastes. So he did a work by which God was perfectly glorified.
And he sat down in his own right and all the glory of his person, as the one who had, shall I say, not only brought in that glorious work of redemption, but told out all that was in the heart of God. Because in the work of redemption there is not only the fact that our sins are put away, but God has been glorified in the one who did it. God has been glorified because we would never known all the love that was in his heart if the Lord Jesus hadn't put away sins by the sacrifice of himself.
We wouldn't have known the holiness of God. We hadn't seen that he couldn't Passover sin, that every transgression and disobedience must receive a just recompense of reward. And when that Lord Jesus in those hours of darkness was suffering, he was bearing every one of my sins and the sins of every believer in this room on that cross. Oh, how wonderful. He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high and all the majesty and glory of God's throne.
As light and love has been fully told out, and the person that did it is God himself and God's beloved Son, and there he is well. To go back to all the empty things that were only a shadow of good things to come is to really make little of the finished work of the Lord Jesus and what he has done. So he starts out with that. Just the same as if you want to draw a child away from something that he's playing with, that you think's inferior, you can show him something better.
And he drops the thing and he takes the better thing. And that's what God is doing, He says, here's the better thing. Now look at the others. They're on the shadows of good things to come. But the better thing is all fulfilled in Christ the glorious person and his glorious work. In Ephesians chapter one and verse 20, we find that God has set him at his own right hand because, as we said earlier, the resurrection, the ascension, and the glorification of Christ.
Our gods, Amen to the work of Calvary. But here is Brother, Hayhoe has pointed out. He seats himself down.
And some of you have heard me use this illustration, but when I was in business, I would often be called to do a job.
For a large company or corporation, and when the job was completed, I usually had an interview with the man who hired me, be he the plant foreman or the owner of the company or whoever it was. And so I would be taken into this man's office to sit down in his presence, to go over the work and to present my invoice. But I have to honestly say that as I sat down in that man's presence, it was rarely with a feeling of real confidence, because there was always in the back of my mind that maybe the job hadn't been done to his satisfaction.
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Maybe I'd left something out, forgotten something. Maybe I hadn't included something in the contract that he thought should have been part of the contract, or something like that, so it was rarely with a feeling of real confidence. But oh brethren, just think of it. It's true. God set him at his own right hand because of what he accomplished here on earth. But just think of the sun returning to the glory and seating himself down in perfect confidence with every right to seat himself down, knowing that not one jot of the work that had been given him to do was left undone.
Sometimes my children come to me and they've done a job for me and there's a little hesitancy because maybe in the back of their mind they feel they haven't finished the job the way I wanted them to do. But not the Lord Jesus. He sat down, I say in perfect confidence, knowing that not one thing had been left undone.
And I sometimes think what a feeling must have passed between the Father and the Son. As God the Father seats him there, and as he seats Himself down, God forever satisfied the Son, knowing that He had every right to take His place there, because everything had been accomplished to the glory and satisfaction of God. And let me just say, too, that in connection with His glories manifested here in this world which we have been speaking, I think it's nice to see that his.
Glories as the son of man.
Are seen in his submission to death, is going into death, and his glories of the Son of as the Son of God are brought into full display as to his power over death. And so John could say that we have beheld his glory as of the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. But brethren, just in connection with what Bob said a moment ago about the fact that we're going to see him, the one who is the brightness of his glory, and so on.
That's true. In the coming day the Lord Jesus prayed, Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.
That they be may behold my glory which thou hast given me. And that's true, brethren, we're going to see it unhindered in the coming day.
But just go to a verse that is for our exercise now in Second Corinthians chapter 3.
In connection with what has been before us, because we don't have to wait until that coming day to behold His glories, we will unhindered. As I say in the Father's house, behold the Lord Jesus, and those glories will shine unhindered. And I'm going to read this in Mr. Darby's translation, 2nd Corinthians 3 and verse 18.
But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord, the Spirit. And so, brethren, this is something for us. Now we can behold His glories. John and the others saw him here in this world, and they saw more than just a man walking in this world. And as those moral glories and perfection shone out, they saw that some even had the privilege of being on the Mount and seeing.
A little glimpse beyond what was generally seen. But, brethren, we have the privilege of looking up, and we have the privilege of looking full in his wonderful face. When Moses came down from the presence of the mount, he had to veil his face, because he had been in the presence of the glory of the Lord on the mount. And the children of Israel couldn't look on his face at that time because he had been there on the mount with Jehovah. But brethren, for us the Veil's been removed.
We can look full in his wonderful face. And as we are occupied with this man in the glory, as these glories and beauties of Christ captivate our gaze and our hearts, then there will be a reflection of Christ in your life and mine. If there's any reflection of Christ in the believer's life, it's a result of the believer looking up by faith and being occupied looking with unveiled face at the glories of the person with whom we're talking.
Oh, brother, let's let's be occupied with him.
That there might be that reflection. God was glorified in the sun when he walked here. Now he wants the Saints to be walking in a way that the sun is glorified in the Saints, and that the perfections of that one, at least in some measure, shine out in your life and mine.
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The verse you quote Jim, we are changed into the same image. But what we have in this verse that he is the express image of his person. Isn't it interesting that we have to be changed because of what we are by nature? It is a process that goes on through this life as we are occupied with the Lord Jesus. But here's one who was that never was anything else but.
That he was the express image of his person. And so if you want to know God.
Jesus, it's been mentioned. He picked up the little children in his arms. He had time for little children. That's our God, brethren. He's interested in the little things, too, of light. We think we're important, and children are too small and insignificant yet to pay attention to. That's not our God, brethren. Our God had time for those little ones.
He picked him up. He laid his hands on them. He blessed him. And so all through his life down here, every step he made, you get a display of what our God is. I think it's so blessed. Adam was set in this world and he was made in the image of God. He was the representation of God in the first creation, but he failed in that. Now God brings out one.
Who is always is, always was the express image of his person. So if you want to know God, look at Jesus. You will see our God in the fullest sense of the word in all his perfection.
I believe is very precious, that is the, he says. This is clear to me as the noonday sun, and that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Son of God of the New.
The whole of the Old Testament is the Son of God of the New. And so how that oh how that brings out the wonderful the Old Testament scriptures to think of the same Blessed One was back there going through along with these people and.
He.
Well, I was thinking about this, this scripture we had before us here, when He had by himself purged our sin, that his, that work of redemption was exclusive.
It was himself who undertook that record. All sin is against God.
And that's what we have in Hebrews is not. It's where we have sin. It's God.
And when He had by Himself purged our sin, he.
All sin is against God, and only God can forgive sins. Only God can forgive sins. Well, how wonderful to think that that blessing won there on the cross was. God took up your case in mind and He put, He put away our sins, put it all away, and furthermore, we had nothing to do with it. Our only part there was our sins and he had and he took it up and he's put them all away.
How wonderful, Peter, didn't he? Thou shalt not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me hereafter. No one could follow him where he was going. It was a work that he alone could do, and he did it alone, he himself. Think of it, brother, in those three hours of darkness and that awful cry. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
He himself made the purgation for our sins.
I think it's helpful to see that in Mr. Darby's translation too, because I believe it's a broader thought here in this first chapter than just having purged our sins. That's true, he has purged our sins. But if you notice Mr. Darby's translation, he's made the purification for sins. That is when the Lord Jesus died on the cross. Or let me back up a moment when man sinned in the garden. Not only did man come under the curse of sin.
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But the whole creation, every level of creation, came under the effects of the curse of sin. And we know today that every level of creation is affected by the curse of sin. We had a beautiful Poplar tree outside our kitchen window, and one summer it got a blight and I went out and looked at it. I think every leaf was affected by that blight. That's part of the curse of sin, and it tells us the whole creation growneth and travaileth in pain as a result of the effects of sin.
But, brethren, isn't it wonderful to think that he's made the purification for sin and that there's a day coming when he's going to take it all back, not just as creator? That's true. That's the 4th of Revelation, but he's going to take it for back in redemption as well. And it will be the fulfillment of what John the Baptist said when he saw that person walking here in this world. He said, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
That hasn't happened yet. We feel the effects and see the effects of sin on every hand.
In fact, in the second chapter of Hebrews, it says we see not yet all things put under him.
We still see open sin and rebellion in mankind and the lower creation affected by sin, but there's a day coming when this creation is not going to feel the effects of sin in the way it does now. Now it's true He's purged our sins, brethren, because in the 10th chapter it says concerning him seated at the right hand of God, that He's seated there having offered himself as the sacrament after He'd offered one sacrifice.
For sin forever sat down on the right hand of God. And there it says by one offering ye a perfected forever them that are sanctified. That is, we've been brought under the blessing of the work of the Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross. But not only are we brought in in this wonderful way, but there is too the fact that there will be. He's made the purification for sin by the grace of God. He's tasted death for everything, not just for every man, but for everything.
And what a day it will be when the fulfillment of this is fully accomplished, don't you think, Brother Ron?
Another thing before we go further on brethren, that metal phrase upholding all things by the word of his power, not only does He is he the creator of all things, He is the sustainer of all things. He keeps it going.
Watch on my arm if a battery runs down it stops and everything if it's not, kept going by some continuous power.
Will rundown. It will fall into a state of disorder.
But this universe not only was made by.
This person, but it is sustained by this person just to think of him.
As he was.
And after he was born and laid in the Manger by his mother in Bethlehem.
There a little babe, and yet at the same time sustaining the whole universe by the word of his power. There he was, hanging on that cross, suffering those intense agonies for our sins, and at the same time sustaining all things by the word of his power. Something that is hard for to grasp, but oh how it does make us.
Fall down and worship before him, brethren, this person we're talking about.
After just as man cannot take his own sins away and deal with his own sins, he cannot undo the effects of what sin has brought into this world. And God was dishonored. This is God's creation. It wasn't brought into ruin by God's actions. People will often tell you that. They'll say, well, if there's a loving God, why does he allow his suffering in the world? It wasn't brought in as a result of God's actions, but God has been dishonored by what has happened in his creation.
But the Son of God coming into this creation, becoming a man, he restored that which he took that away. And the whole environmental movement is a denial of the fact that it is the Son of God who's going to restore that which was taken away. That he is not only glorified God as to the has glorified God as to the question of sin, and that he is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world and will entirely remove its effects. And he alone and man can no more undo the effects of sin and creation.
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And he can, and taking away the moral effects of sin in his own life. I just wanted to come back to what you said, Brother Clem, in connection with Mr. Darby's comment, because I think that there's a very lovely information of this in the very first chapter of the Bible, that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is Jesus of the New. And in the very first chapter of the Bible we read in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. But it was not until the 4th day that He made the greater light to rule the night.
And the lesser light to rule the day, the lesser lights to rule the night, and so the sun is a distinct body, did not appear until the 4th day, and it wasn't until 4000 years into creation.
Jesus was always this is the true light, that light of every man that cometh into the world. And the Son of God was the one who brought moral light into every soul in the history of this world. But He did not appear until 4000 years later, and that's what we have in our verse, who, being the brightness of his eternal glory, he came into the world and as a distinct.
If I may say, that body was seen there, an incarnation. I think we get that thought there, right from the very first chapter of the Word of God.
That Scripture magnified thy word above Thy name. Well in back in the Old Testament we think of God magnifying his his name. Abraham knew him as the Almighty God, and as Abraham moved up and down.
In the midst of Fracts hostile peoples, he knew God as the Almighty God God made himself known. Well then at the OH after the victory over those kings, the slaughter of the kings, and we Melchizedek arrives on the scene. And then we have him there brought as as as the as the most high God. And that will be his his title. That will be the title that he will take, the Lord will take in.
In the in the In the millennial day, as king and priest, he will he will take the Kingdom and God, and as as the Most High God. Well then at the burning Bush we get.
God speaks to Moses and when he learns God as the I am, I am, the I am.
The eternal God, the ever existing one, the same yesterday and today and forever. Well, God was magnifying his name. And then he told Pharaoh how that he had raised him up. He'd raised him up in order that he might magnify his name.
And so, but when?
We come to the gospel, then we find the Lord Jesus. There we find.
The Lord himself and he is indeed spoken of as the word of God.
There he is, all that at all. It has all come out now. God is.
Glorified He is. It's the word of God God has glorified.
Glorified himself and glorified Him His word above His name, because we just think of the think of the what we have on our hands. Here is the words of the Son of God, as the words of of God's Son as God here and well might the apostle say to his His Jewish brethren. Therefore we ought to give them more earnest heed to the things which we have heard.
Lest at anytime we should let them slip. No dear brother just accused me for saying something which is probably maybe a little off. But her brother Norm Berry here in Saint Louis, here a few weeks ago he made a comment and he told us about some things and he said in a meeting that 500 of our brethren have left have left, have left.
500 Well, that was. That's very humbling. What sorrow filled our hearts, filled our hearts as to think of that.
500 of our brethren have left the Lord's hand well the great Troubles. The tendency of these Jewish brethren was to leave was to Christianity and go back to Judaism, or else we find them seeking to attach Christianity to Judaism. But the great thing was going back well, to give up and go back, and how the enemy in this very day enemy of our souls, would seek.
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To get us to give up and to go back. Well, may the Lord help us by His grace and keep our eyes fixed upon him, that blessed man in the glory, our great High Priest who sits at God's right hand, who's put all our sins away and sits there for us, and that we might go on and go forward and not go back.
I like to think of the practical side of that verse. Thou has magnified thy word above all thy name. We know the name of the Lord Jesus is very much used in Christendom. But how are we going to know who that person is? We know him. Everybody knows the expression, the Lord Jesus Christ. But how are we going to know who that person is? This book tells us. And so the word of God is so important, people might say, well, we're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, just as you are.
But we prove their possession. How? By a fact, Whether they use the name. Well, maybe they do use that name, but we test that by the word of God, thou has magnified thy word, above all thy name. One dear brother used to illustrate it used to stand. A person could put out a nice sign in a doctor's office and say he was a physician and surgeon. The sign is very nice, all polished brass and everything. But he doesn't have any diploma inside. Would you be satisfied with the sign? No, you'd say. I want to see that he's a bona fide doctorate. He's got to have.
A certificate that has reliability and authority to give him that title.
And saw Isn't it true, brethren, that every time a person uses the name of the Lord Jesus, we can be thankful to use that glorious name, but we test all that they claim. By the word of God, thou has magnified thy word above all thy name. The person who is here was the full revelation of it in himself. But he's up there in glory now, and we have His word, and His word is truth.
Says to that company Philadelphia, thou hast kept my word and not denied my name.
Met a man last week and he said, well, we meet just exactly as you are. But he said there was a man there who taught unsound things as to the person of Christ. And he said, and I couldn't get anybody to get excited about it, but they had denied the person of Christ. And yet they said they met in the name of the Lord Jesus. They had all the outward trappings and meetings, and yet they denied the person himself. And that's so important that we have the revelation of who he is in his word. And to keep his word and not deny his name, we cannot speak.
Of not denying his name if we don't keep his word.
And that's true in every aspect of our lives, isn't it? We're never justified in doing something, even in the name of the Lord Jesus, without the authority of the word of God for what we do. We might have a desire to go out with the gospel, wonderful when there's a desire, rather than have a desire to spread the word. But if you go out with the gospel, make sure it's in a way that conforms to the word of God. We're not justified even in making known that name in the gospel if it's not done in a way that is in accordance with the word of God.
We've spoke of being gathered to the Lord's name, and questions and decisions come up in the assembly. Things need to be taken up and dealt with. We're never to act in the name of the Lord Jesus without the authority of the word of God for what we do when there was a situation in Corinth that was a situation that needed to be dealt with was a serious evil. But the apostle writes to them by inspiration and leaves nothing unexplained as to how that action was to be carried out.
And it was indeed to be carried out in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. When they were gathered together with the Lord in the midst, they were to do it in his name. But when they acted in the name of the Lord Jesus for his glory and for the clearing of the assembly, they had the authority of the word of God for what they did. So now, if there's a similar situation arises in the assembly, we turn to 1St Corinthians 5. We say, here's the authority for acting in the name. Yes, but here's the authority of the word of God. And brethren, I think this is. We don't want to digress, but I think that they're our brethren here the afternoon and.
There's problems in your home assembly. Things that we, the natural man, says that has to be straightened out, and we want to deal with these things and get them straightened out. Well, we need to act. It's true for the Lord's glory. But brethren, if we don't have a scripture, if we don't have light from the word of God.
As to the action that is to be taken, then I believe that all we can do is commit the matter to the one whose head over all things to the Church, which is his body.
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And if there is a collective exercise in searching of the word of God, than in his time and way he will give a scripture so that when we take the action in the name of the Lord Jesus and for his glory, we can rest our finger our souls on the word of God and say this is the authority we never have. And I want to be careful in saying this, but we never are justified in putting the name above the word.
God says he's put his word above his name, and as our brother Neil says, that is really what called forth the.
Commendation to the Philadelphian Saints. It's the same order as in the 138th Psalm.
They kept his word that's first and not denied his name. Brethren, these things are vital and important.
I think it's instructive too, brethren, to see that.
These Jewish people who were so favored of God in the Old Testament, and to whom the Lord Jesus came and presented himself in all his glory, they were the ones that were turning back again to the form of religion, and we can look at them and say that was them.
But that's our hearts, brethren. We have to recognize that naturally, there's a tendency.
To return to outward visible material things.
Perhaps of a religious sort, but I think it is so important for us as we go through these.
Verses and meditate on them to let it sink into our hearts. These are not things merely.
To be understood on a doctrinal level, it's important to have doctrines straight and correct and pure. But let's remember this is something for us to enjoy in our hearts. And if we don't lay hold of it in our hearts, we're going to go the same way as these Jewish people did. And we can talk about others that have left brethren, we'll be leaving if we don't enjoy these things in our hearts.
This is Christianity and apostasy. Brother Lundin some years ago mentioned the question of apostasy in this book, and it was instructive to me to see He pointed out three steps of apostasy that you have in chapter 3 and I'll mention them. But they all have to do with the heart. It's not with the mind, it's with the heart. Notice in chapter 3.
And.
Verse seven at the end of the verse today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts. The second step, verse 10 They do always err in their heart, And verse 12 is the third step. Take he, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.
In departing from the living God, that's apostasy, turning away from the living God. But in each of those steps, it's a matter of the heart. May the Lord exercise this brethren. These are not just things to be entertained in our mind, but to, through meditation, let them sink into our souls. This is the living God. This is our God. This is not a fabrication of the human mind.
This is the revelation of the God of the universe, the one whom we know as that blessed person, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh our dear.
God.
Remember.
Lord, I have been all over the world what I got everything in your life.
Independence.
Grant us to lean on shaken upon thy faithfulness, until the glory taken, we see thee face to face.
Full of.
Bruises.
Hebrews 1:4-12
Reading
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It is also Divine hymn #61.
In Nehemiah.
The book of Nehemiah.
The.
And Chapter 8.
And I'd like to read starting with verse 5, Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 5.
And Ezra opened the book.
Verse 7.
Also Jeshua Bonnie Sharabaya, Jammin Akib, Shabbath AI Hodija Masiya Kulita, Azariah, Jazabad, Hanan Pelaya.
00:05:12
And the Levites.
And the Levites.
Caused the people to understand.
Verse 8.
So they read in the book in the law of God, distinctly.
And gave the sense and caused them to understand.
The reading now One other portion, please.
In one Corinthians.
Chapter 14.
First Corinthians chapter 14.
And I just like to read a part of verse 9.
One Corinthians chapter 14, A part of verse 9 words easy to be understood. Now I'd like to reread that whole verse in the JND translation thus also.
Ye with the tongue, unless ye give a distinct speech, how shall it be known what is spoken?
And finally.
Part of verse.
19.
5 words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also.
Let's pray.
Our great chapter. I wonder if it would be good to go on with the fourth verse.
Reading in Hebrews chapter one starting with verse 4.
Being made so much better than the angels, that he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they, For unto which of the angels said, He at any time thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. And again I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son, and again when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he says.
And let all the angels of God worship him.
And of the angels, he said, Who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire?
But unto the sun he said, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever A scepter of righteousness is a scepter of thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
And thou, Lord, in the beginning hath laid the foundation of the earth.
And the heavens are the works of thine hands they shall perish.
But thou remainest, and they shall all wax old, as doth the garment.
And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed.
But thou art the same, and my ears shall not fail. But to which of the angels said he at any time sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth the minister?
For them who shall be heirs of salvation.
Reflect on the closing of our last reading meeting, our brother Bob.
Stuck a negative note. We enjoy the positive, but I believe it's necessary to have the negatives so we can appreciate the positive the more. And I'd like to turn back to what he referred to and Hebrews chapter 3 in respect to apostasy.
We may have heard the same message coming from the same assembly from our brother Lundeen, but he mentioned how that Judas was a.
00:10:08
Is an example of taking these three steps of apostasy. The 1St is in connection with hardening your heart.
That he had the responsibility of handling the bag, That is what the money that may have been contributed to a good 'cause he handled that, and it introduced hardness of heart to him, because it's taking you off the ground of dependence on the Lord.
And then it says they do always air in their heart. Well, Judas became a thief.
And you see him there in Bethany, in the House of Mary and Martha, and he sees this ointment being poured upon the Blessed Lord, so costly, and he's indignant about it that should have been sold and given to the poor. But he's really thinking about the income into that bag. And that's what got through to him. And I believe that he no doubt was a very stingy man and really didn't have a heart for the poor, just cut corners where he could.
But then the third step and the deadly step is the evil heart of unbelief. And he took that step when he sold the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. He wanted to try to recover the loss that he thought he saw there in Bethany. So he took those three steps. The brother-in-law would like to translate this to our day.
We have what we call a scenario of the dinosaur.
And Satan has made a mega dollar enterprise out of this situation.
And I don't understand the interest in this situation because I don't see where dinosaurs at an atom of spiritual blessing to our souls. But I see this thing catch on like wildfire. And you have dinosaurs and in rubber and in plastic and in pictures and books. And then I find it in the homes of the Lord's people, and I see the children intensely interested and the older folks still and trying to figure out when they lived and what they ate and what they did.
And.
And so I wondered where all this is leading to. This is backed by the powers of darkness. And where is it leading to? Well, the other day.
My wonderment ceased writing on the airplane. You know how they drop a video in for the public to see, and here's this dinosaur scenario.
And I suppose that man is looking for the biggest creature that they think God has created and seems to fall in this category.
And so this dinosaur.
I just it grieves me to say it, but the name of this dinosaur is Godzilla.
Now I'm naive as to worldly wisdom, but I have to say that that offended my soul deeply, and so you can't help but turn away with disgust from such cheap entertainment. But then it came down to the bottom line and you could see men with his rocket launcher, and he pulls the trigger and hits this dinosaur and he drops to the ground, Dad fatally.
And there's a big celebration.
Brother, is this apostasy? I believe it is.
They like to pick up those three steps. We enter into it innocently and it's an opportunity to make a lot of money for some people, and then it becomes a thief of our time. And instead of being taken up with that which would build us up in our most holy faith, we're wasting time in this kind of entertainment.
And then finally we come to the last deadly step and I say, is this giving up God and not wishing to retain him in our thoughts? Well, this indeed is a very negative thing. But I mentioned that at the beginning that the ministry that will come, that we might receive it, the engrafted word of God with meekness. And what's embodied in meekness, I believe is in self judgment.
In sobriety.
Receive it with tears, because we're sowing like the glorious men that we have brought before us in the first chapter of Hebrews. And so I just mentioned that as Satan coming in the front door of the back door, whatever it is, I believe the Lord would richly feed us, that we would have the spiritual power to overcome and not to go down in a deadly conflict that Satan is waging.
00:15:31
Against Christ.
And against his interest in this world, I know I've violated our brother Doug's admonition as to 5 words, but I just wanted to mention that as a burden and a necessary thing to have negative notes, that we may enjoy the positive.
The fourth starts being made so much better than the angels.
He starts at the top of creation. Let's read the first, the last verse of the first chapter of John John One and the last verse connects beautifully with this, as we heard yesterday.
The Son of God became the Son of Man, in order that the sons of men might become the sons of God. Now we see the setting of the Son of man.
In the last verse of John one which.
Speaking to Nathaniel, the Lord says.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see.
Heaven open and the angels of God.
Asked Cindy, and descending upon the Son of Man. The Son of Man. God has determined his purpose, and we got it in our chapter that he's going to be set up.
Even in the second Psalm it says I have set my son upon my holy hill of Zion, and we're referring to Proverbs 8. Yesterday I was set up from Everlasting, wherever the earth was made. This is the person we had before us, the brightness of his glory shining out in his second coming, and this book of Hebrews is developing.
The time when God brings his Son into the center of the creation.
It's determined. That's what we have in the sixth verse of our.
Chapter.
Again, when he bringeth in his the first begotten end of the world, he saith let all the angels of God worship him. God is determined. This is a fact that's well established with God. That's an eternal truth. So as to us making gods out of angels, we don't even do that. That would be lowering the standard, certainly not dinosaurs. The old creation is gone.
Well may we learn from these things and enjoy Christ.
And the brightness of his glory and the nearness of his coming.
Blessed place in the creation of God, and they're used in the administration of things now. But angels were never made to rule.
An Angel was never made the center of a vast system of.
Of blessing such as Adam was when God had.
Finish the creation and establishing the for man to live in, he said. Let us make man in our own image, and after our likeness man was and let them have dominion. Man was made to rule.
Man was made to have dominion. Man was made to rule.
But Madam lost that Adam, lost that place, but it's all regained in Christ.
And we lost it too. But it's all regained in Christ, God's beloved Son. Oh, wonderful. And he is going to rule. He's going to have dominion. He's he's the 110th song. Jehovah says under my Lord set up my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. And there he is. He has passed through the heavens. He's sitting at the right hand of the throne of God.
That blessed one who died for you and me on the cross of Calvary. He's sitting there in the very center of the glory of God and.
00:20:12
How, how blessed and how wonderful to see. He's coming to reign, but he's and he's going to crush all his enemies under his feet. It may be the footstools of his power.
In a soon coming day, but there is one event which is going to take place before that.
He is coming to take his.
Coming to take his, the coheirs, he's going to take you and me and all his own home to be with him.
In that same glory in which he is, and we're going to reign with him. Oh, what a savior. Except the corn, he could say when those Greeks came up.
And they said we would see Jesus and he looked out as it were all over those.
Those dear souls that would come to him.
And he said, and he says now the Son of Man glorified.
Well, he couldn't be glorified as Son of Man, though He wouldn't be glorified as Son of Man and head over all things over all creation.
Until he has you and me with him in that glory and so.
Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone.
You know, natural heart for power. We see the great search for it today in all man's concerns, in science and so on. It's a great search for power. While there are two powers that are above man, brethren, the power of God and the power of Satan. Man likes to think that he is free, that he can carry out his own will. But he's not free because there are two powers above him. And unless we have been set free in Christ, why we're not free at all. He's the only one, and his power is above that. And we know that in the Jewish system of things, angels played a very important part.
Where they received the law by the disposition of angels. And so there's the feeling that man here is looking 2 angels, but there is a man that has taken the place above angels, and that, I believe, is what is brought before us here. And when that blessed one was brought into this world, born a babe in Bethlehem's Manger, it says that all the angels of God worship him. There was a multitude of the heavenly host crying glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill to man. God had become a man in the person of Christ.
Has very important because we know that all the attacks in modern Christendom is an attack on the deity of Christ and on the work of Christ. But this book brings before us the glory of that person, especially here, and then the glory of his work, the glory of his service. If there was a priesthood in Israel, he's the great high priest. If there were sacrifices, he's better than all the sacrifices. And that's what God would bring before us, I believe, and in this chapter particularly.
Showing us that even though the Lord Jesus became a man and he was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, God says, as it were, that man who's taken that low place is above all the angels. He's above all creation, and he wants to have the worship and praise and Thanksgiving of our hearts. And I believe that's what is particularly brought before us here. And this book begins by setting him before us because.
Even in connection with his work, it's the person that gives value to the work. So he, the glory of his person, is particularly brought before us. But I say again, man is always searching for power. And even in what you're talking about, the dinosaurs, well, there's something huge animals. So there's something big. And man wants something big and he wants something that displays power. But if you and I and all the Lord Jesus Christ is made unto us, wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption.
Is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. He's the power for our walk, and that's that power that'll in that moment when He comes, it'll change every one of us who belong to him, and give us bodies of glory and introduce us into that scene. And brethren, there'll be a man at the head of that seed. But who is that man go on in whom all power is to whom all power is given? And that's the one the Spirit is bringing before us in this chapter. It seems to me we're saying here is.
A demonstration of what God wanted, the victory that he wanted in that.
He set the first man up as a head of a creation, and he lost it. How was God going to regain that? I tell you, brethren, it's a man. God gains the victory as a man. Man lost it, but God gained it as a man. The man, Christ Jesus. It makes it makes the whole plan so charming.
00:25:23
If.
You might say a little word.
The Ministry and dear brother Ron to comfort you, I'll say more than 5 words too, but.
The ministry that we have been receiving.
All of us sitting here, from the youngest who can understand to the oldest is so rich and precious. But I wonder if we're gaining for our souls why it is so vital and so important and I am unable to enter into the depths of that. But I would like, with my brethren's allowance, to share this thought. Yesterday, a brother, I think it was brother Bob said that.
Likened in in the sense of all creation. And he talked about how the telescope's are made larger and larger and what do they see? Just more and more of this universe.
Never can see the end, and above it all is what our God. And so you have in Isaiah.
66.
It says heaven.
In verse, verse one of Isaiah 66, Thus saith the Lord. The heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that ye build on to me, and where is the place of my rest? This is an infinite our God is infinite, this glorious one we're Speaking of, and we can't really enter into that. But we can enter in, in some sense, to the the greatness and the power and the glory.
Then, a little later, our brother Gordon mentioned that when the Lord came into this world and he displayed what the Father was, the world's answer was as it were.
If that's what God is, we don't want Him. And So what we have, if I may say it carefully this way, brethren.
In the person of our Lord Jesus, we're presented with God who is bigger.
Then all of the universe that we can't understand, even of the universe and this one we're speaking about, is bigger than than than all of that universe. He's too big, if I may say it reverently, to fill that universe.
For the world, the world was too small to have him. And so when the light shone into this world, it says the darkness of this world couldn't comprehend that light. It was too little. But now here is the third thing.
In Revelation, the Lord Jesus says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open, I will come in and Sup with him. Brethren, the Lord Jesus, this glorious person, beloved young people, this glorious person that you and I are hearing so much about, and these wonderful precious things that is too big for this universe.
Your heart is big enough for him. He wants to enter.
And enjoy fellowship with you and with me. And to me, that's the practical, A practical consideration of all of this is this one who is glory, so great, so vast, so infinite, that none of us can begin to comprehend it. A one that this Dark World, so dark and sinful that could say if that's what God is, we don't want him, each one of you here.
Each one of us here, each believer here, he seeks entrance into our heart. There's a place there that he desires to fill, not only as to knowing him as savior, but as to the object of our heart and life guiding us in every step of our pathway. And I think that ought to be wonderful, though I don't understand it myself. It's exceedingly wonderful to me to think that the one who's greater than this universe.
Is knocking to seek admission, to have fellowship with me today, and when I hear the glories presented of this beloved precious?
One that we're Speaking of. I have trouble understanding those glories. Sometimes they slip by me. And I think, yes, I've heard that before. That's true, but I don't really know if I'm getting them. But beloved brethren, we can all get this. He's knocking today, moment by moment, at your heart and mine, desiring to have personal fellowship and communion with each one of us. Is that not something that would say all?
00:30:24
I want to learn all I can, all I'm able to take in. I want to learn about this glorious person. I want to read these verses and get to know all I can about him because he wants to have company with me.
And examples of personal fellowship and communion with Jesus Christ.
Yep, greeting in.
Certainly the way we can cultivate fellowship with the Lord Jesus.
And while he was down here, where there were those that accompanied with him, that listened to his word, that were there to have fellowship with him.
And I suppose Scripture abounds with examples that have been Think of Mary of Bethany, who was sitting at his feet listening to his word. There was a woman who you don't find at the tomb of the Lord Jesus. Why not?
She evidently had, as no one of the male disciples understood, that Jesus was going to rise again, and she was not found there beautiful fellowship on the part of a sister that didn't seem to get through to the disciples, the apostles.
No brethren, that is true.
It's fellowship with the Lord Jesus and it is down to earth thing, down to where we are. He came where we are. He became a man. I've noticed in this verse four notice it.
Being made so much better than the angels, that has to be his manhood that it's Speaking of, because as God he was not made anything.
As man he was made so much better than the angels.
He took a place in manhood here in this world so that he can relate to us. You cannot look up into the glory and say.
To your God, you don't understand where I am. You don't understand what I'm feeling.
We can't say that, Brethren, because he does. He was here.
He passed through the same circumstances of life that we passed through. He knows what it means to be lonely. He knows what it means to be hungry, to be tired. He knows what it means to be thirsty. He passed through those circumstances of life.
And he knows what it means to pass through them, and so he can fellowship with us in every circumstance of life. I think, brethren, that our God shows his greatness not only by attending to the great things in the universe that we've been talking to, but because of the ability to take interest in the most minute details of our lives. We were saying yesterday a great man in this world doesn't have much.
Time for children and what occupies children. Our God has time for those kind of things.
That's the kind of God we know. So there is one who wants to walk in fellowship with us in all those things. I'd like to hear a little bit more on this verse four though, this name that he has by inheritance obtained.
What is this name? It's certainly Speaking of his manhood here. I would enjoy hearing more on that.
Thinking that with what we were talking about yesterday, that he has exalted his word about his name. Because we read in John 114, and the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us, and we beheld his glory, the glorious of the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And then John and his epistle, he said, We've looked on him, we've handled him.
There was an expression and a person of all that God was, that the word received meaning in a person, and so.
00:35:05
You could look, and as was quoted yesterday, he that had seen me have seen the Father, and God gave him a name and incarnation, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And so you see that that man wants a name in Babylon they wanted to make a man wanted to make a name for himself, to build this great tower and make a name for himself. But if I may put it, there was no content to that name. But here was one who was the full expression of God, that all that God was.
And he was. He has been given a name as man to which every knee will bow, and every tongue confess and fellowship is walking with him.
As men in the pathway that he walked, You see that also in revelation. And we were referring to the Church of Philadelphia, but he speaks of that. It wasn't that they were going to write the name of God upon themselves, but I will write upon him the name of my God.
It was that they had kept his word and not denied his name, and so he was going to write upon them. Sardis. They had a name to live, but were dead. And so I believe that the whole quality of the Lord's life was that he gave expression to all that God was, and that our testimony is to walk. And Speaking of fellowship is into walking in the world and the pathway that he walked, and not to make a name for ourselves. There's lots of good names I see on the churches.
As I go about united brethren, brethren in Christ, disciples of Christ, all wonderful things, but it's not giving oneself a name, but it's blocking with Jesus, and it was because he walked entirely to please the Father. I do always those things which please my Father, that God is that, and that led even to death that God had given him that name to which every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord. He didn't take the place of Lord when he came into the world, though he was.
But he took that humble place and lived to please his father, and as a result every tongue is going to confess. And we're not to take a place, but to follow him in that pathway. But it seems a wonderful thing that he's obtained by inheritance, more wonderful name than the angels.
Asked. I believe it's good to understand what the word fellowship and communion mean. The word fellowship really means common thoughts.
And the word communion is the same, actually in the original How are we going to have common thoughts with God? Only as he has revealed in His Word. If I try to have thoughts about God apart from His Word, I have wrong thoughts. But our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. So God has told me of the glory of that person. I have God's thoughts about that blessed person, who he is, what he has done, what he is to me, that he has given me a life that is capable of entering into and enjoying what is in the heart of God.
And so, if there are those of us who desire, and I trust everyone who is the Lord has a desire to have fellowship with Him, we must read His word. But not only that too. We must walk in obedience. Because if a person gives you instructions what to do, and you don't follow those instructions, then you don't have common thoughts with them. You've gone opposite to them. And so if I walk in a path that is contrary to that which is God has revealed in His Word.
Then I'm out of fellowship with God because He's made known a path to me in His Word, and I have chosen to make a path for myself. And so if we do desire, and I know that is in the desire of every renewed heart, oh, I just like to walk closer to the Lord. How are we going to do it, brethren? Well, first of all, we'll get light an instruction through His Word as to what that path is. And before we were saved, we couldn't have common thoughts.
With God, the natural man receiveth not the things of God, neither can he know them. But when you got saved, God gave you the very life of Christ. He gave you the Holy Spirit as a gift. And now you not only have the life of Christ, but through the Holy Spirit you and I have power, because the Holy Spirit is the power of that new life that we have received. And so as we sit here and learn His mind and His will and.
Our thoughts are brought into communion with him. Then if we allow the Spirit his way, we're going to say well.
I see there was something in my life that really wasn't according to his will, and we own it and we'd get restored so that we can look in communion. That's why we say that when we get out of communion, we get out of common thoughts with God, we're doing the opposite to what His will and His word is, and now we own it to him and we're restored to communion. I must say I had a difficulty about that word. Communion is often said in the meeting area, in communion with the Lord. When I was a young person, I didn't know what that meant and one brother just made a simple remark one time, he said.
00:40:28
Communion is just common thoughts, Gordon. Oh, that was really a wonderful help to me, to get common thoughts with God. We get it through His Word. We get out of communion when we walk in. Disobedience to His Word or in self will were restored when we own it, and we again are brought back into communion. And Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. And it's important too to realize that fellowship. It's only in the measure in which we enjoy that personal.
Fellowship and communion with the Father and the Son that we can enjoy. Fellowship and communion one with another. And so John, who leaned on Jesus bosom at supper and referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved, he could later write these things, declare we unto you that ye may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ, because, brethren, if we're not walking in personal communion.
We're not enjoying the fellowship that is ours, and we have been brought into that wonderful circle of fellowship. That's what first John brings before us, that position that we have been brought into a fellowship with the Father and with the Son. But if we're not enjoying that in a practical way, we cannot enjoy fellowship one with another, because true fellowship one with another, is our enjoyment of the person and work of Christ.
Sometimes we use the word fellowship in perhaps shall I even say it, a very loose way, we sometimes use the word fellowship in connection with activity. And don't misunderstand me, there's nothing wrong with activity. I'm glad when the people of God are together and we enjoy activities together and our young people and children form friendships and relationships in that way. And the natural is very important. But let's not confuse activity and fellowship and perhaps, if you'll allow me, just go back to a couple of Old Testament Scriptures.
That bear out what we're Speaking of first of all in Joshua Chapter 21.
It's good to get some Old Testament scriptures, some scriptures, and certainly the Old Testament.
Gives us beautiful illustrations of these things in Joshua Chapter 21.
And verse 11. And they gave them the city of Arva, the father of Enoch. Which city is Hebron in the Hill Country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it. And then notice this verse. But the fields of the city and the villages thereof gave they to Caleb the son of Jefuna, for his possession. Now just hold your finger there and let's connect this with a verse in Song of Solomon.
The Song of Solomon Chapter 7, I believe.
Song of Solomon, Chapter 7 and verse 11. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field, let us lodge in the villages. Well, I want you to notice these two things, the fields and the villages, because you remember that earlier on Hebron was set aside as the inheritance of Caleb, and he took Hebron in the strength of the Lord and overcame the enemy that dwelt there. But we find in the 20th chapter of Joshua.
That Hebron is set aside as one of the cities of refuge, and then in this chapter it set aside as the portion of the Levite. But what happens is that takes place. What does Caleb retain? He retains two things, the fields and the villages. Now I suggest, brethren, that the fields bring before us personal communion. I say that because you remember with Isaac he went out into the field at Eventide for the express purpose of meditation.
He went there to meditate. David said he maketh me to lie down in green pasture. We read in the New Testament, I will go in and out and find pasture. It speaks to us of personal communion and that's why it's mentioned first here, because that is the first thing. And I just challenge each of our hearts. Are we on a daily basis, exercised to enjoy personal fellowship and communion with the Father and the son Bob has brought before us? How we do that in a practical way?
00:45:07
It's spending time reading the word of God. He speaks to us through His word, then spending time in prayer.
We speak to him in prayer. That's communion. That's fellowship in a very practical way. But it must be the fields 1St and then the villages. Because if the fields speak to us of personal communion, then I suggest that the villages speak to us of fellowship, one with another. Because if men have common desires and thoughts, and they want to dwell with their fellow men, what do they do? They form villages. They form communities.
And I read the verse in the Song of Solomon, because there you have the two things brought together again. And notice it's in the same order. God doesn't list things haphazardly. There's always an order to the list of. If there's a list of two or more things, notice the order in which God lists the two things. And here in Song of Solomon, you have the bride speaking, and she's been restored to her bridegroom. Her affections have been awakened. She's been restored.
Now she says two things that go necessarily together. And in this order come, my beloved, into the field. That's the first thing. And then what's the result? Let us lodge in the villages, brethren. My point is we cannot lodge in the villages. We cannot enjoy fellowship and communion, one with another true fellowship if we haven't first been in the field. It's a true fellowship if we've enjoyed anything of Christ.
During these meetings together, it has to be the result of us first being in the fields in personal. Then we can lodge in the villages and enjoy communion one with another. Well, I don't mean to get off our chapter, but I think these things are very practical and very necessary rather than there's so much to distract us young people. I know when you get up in the morning, the minute you open your eyes, the enemy is right there with every kind of thought and activity and what's the pressures of life and what you're going to face at work and school that day.
I beseech you, I beg you to spend some time in personal communion.
Before you leave your room, get into the presence of the Lord. Enjoy that communion.
Discipline yourself during the day to spend a few minutes here and there in personal communion. Oh, how well you'll be repaid. He'll come and fill your heart, and he's the only one that can. The world won't fill your heart, but Christ will fill your heart. And then you'll find as a result, you'll have precious fellowship and communion with your brethren.
Versus are helpful also.
One he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved to my father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. And 23 if a man loved me, he will keep my words, and my father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him. I think those verses connect up well with the ones in First John. I think you see that going on the road to Emmaus, they went to make their abode with him at Jerusalem. They were headed away from Jerusalem.
And they didn't have common thoughts with the Lord. They thought that he was the one who should deliver Israel. And so the Lord had to walk with them, and he went with them. But he did not manifest himself. I think the word show clearly was used the other day. He didn't manifest himself clearly to them, but he had to speak to them and say, oh fools of slow of heart, to believe all the scriptures had said. And that caused them to return. Not that the Lord would come in and dwell with them, but they would go and return to the plate and abide where the Lord was.
And that's the desire ought to be the desire of our hearts. But we can't the Lord.
Have to take scripture. But sometimes he doesn't have very much to work with because we haven't read it. And that's the problem. And there's ignorance of the Scripture. And so they had disappointed expectations and he had to take the scripture and show them that they had wrong thoughts and that's why they were walking away from the place where they told them to be. But if we don't read the scriptures, then we're not going to know what he has to say and we can't have common thoughts with them.
Come on. And I never forgot it. We need as Christians to keep up our RPMS, reading, prayer and meditation. We've been Speaking of the importance of all three. It's one thing to read the word of God, how important this is.
To hear God speaking to us through His word.
Prayer we speak to God. There's a two way communication, but I think meditation is so important, being able to take the time to truly hear what God is saying to us. I know we live very busy lives and it's been brought out already at these meetings that the enemy has something to occupy our time. It seems seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
00:50:29
To keep us from the word of God. But how important this is Meditation.
One could say my meditation of him shall be sweet.
Because it's not enough just to read the word in the morning and never consider what we've read. That's why David said in 119th Psalm, oh how love I thy law. It is my meditation all the day. And so I think sometimes, and I know in my own life personally, I read a few verses in the morning. I close the book, the pressures of life pour in. And I never consider what I've read. And I believe, brethren, it takes real discipline to meditate in the day in which we live.
Maybe years ago, a brother could work with his hands at the bench and meditate on the word of God. Maybe he could go out and follow the plow and think about the scriptures. But the young people can't run a computer like that. You can't drive down the freeway like that. It takes everything you've got today. But I believe that's why we need to discipline ourselves. And without turning to it, if you'll just allow me to draw on another Old Testament illustration that I've enjoyed. And that is when the children of Israel went out in the 16th chapter of Exodus to gather the manna.
We find that it wasn't enough for them just to gather it and put it in their Omar, which was a certain measure, but they had to then take it with them and dip out of that Omer during the day. And there's an interesting comment made about it because when they did that, and I suggest meeting it into their Omar and taking it with them speaks to us of meditation. But when they did that, it says he that gathered much had nothing over and he that gathered little had no lack. Maybe sometimes in the morning we get up and we're late for work or the school bus is coming down the road.
And maybe we only have time to read just a verse or two. Maybe we have time to read a lot and that's good. But maybe we only had time 1 morning to read a verse or two. But put it in your Omer, take it with you and dip on into that Omer during the day, think about what you've read. Because he that gathered little had no luck. So it wasn't the amount they gathered, but it was what they did with it. And I know you've experienced this. You've read a verse or two and.
Then you had just a moment at coffee time at Work, Oregon, as you were going to your next class and.
That verse came back to you, and the Lord used it in real blessing. It was just what you needed for some situation.
That you face that day or something like that. And so I just encourage you. As Wally has said, it's not just enough to read the word of God, but.
Take it with you and meditate on it. And let me just say this too. It's not enough to read the word of God once or twice a week and leave it at that. The children of Israel had to go out and gather the man every day. Except the Sabbath, of course. But if they didn't gather it every day, if they tried to keep some over till tomorrow, they found the man that they had. Today was not what they needed tomorrow. It bred worms and stank. It wasn't palatable for tomorrow they had to gather freshmen every day.
It took energy, it took exercise, and it does take energy, spiritual energy and exercise of faith. Maybe to get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning and spend a little time in the word and in prayer, but I say you'll never, ever be disappointed. It will be a tremendous blessing. And maybe at first you had to discipline yourself to do it, but I believe you'll develop an appetite for that, and then it will be the joy of each day. There's another aspect too, and that's.
Don't forget how many men have read Bible who were not saved and got nothing. It's because they had no Holy Spirit within them. They could not be spiritual. All they had was their flesh and in fact they have gotten systems together. These men have who have, which has ruined the church. And so when we read it, we have to consider our state as we go into that book.
When we open that book, how is our state? We can't just approach it in our flesh or we're not going to get anymore out of it than some of these so-called theologians who made their living doing that and got nothing. There's a very simple illustration of what you speak, but it's not just unbelievers that are capable of that. There are two kinds of animals that were unclean in the Old Testament. There was the one that chewed the cut but did not have a divided hook. And I think that that's what you were Speaking of. There are those who would like to.
00:55:22
Take in the truth of God and enjoy it and so on, but are not prepared to walk in the pathway of separation from evil. And there's a great deal of that in Christendom. I mean, we may be Speaking of real believers. And then there are the others that walk in a divided pathway, like a pig that has a divided hook, but it doesn't chew the cud. It doesn't really enjoy the truth of God. It eats whatever is put before it. And so there are two characteristics of unclean animals, and we want to be clean for the Lord. That is, we need a divided hoof, so to speak, to walk in a separate pathway.
And also to enjoy the truth of God and communion with himself. And if you separate those, it only leads to uncleanness.
Few moments before our time goes out.
We reported yesterday that verse in John chapter 5 that said the Father had given all things into his hand.
Prophet Daniel tells us that my Messiah was cut off and had nothing.
So the Lord Jesus Christ here as a man, had all things committed to him, but having been seen as that parable teaches us that come, this is the air. Well, an air is one who has not yet received his inheritance. They said, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. Well, we know that you cannot have the inheritance without you cannot have the benefit without the benefactor. But here.
When the Lord Jesus Christ was given all things into His hand, he did not receive it. While he was here, man cast him up. We will not have this man to rule over us and those other expressions of rejection.
But God said him heaven must receive. If man would cast out the Lord Jesus Christ, heaven would take him in. And the verse that was quoted in Philippians 2 is his name and inheritance. It is the same Jesus that God has been has made both Lord and Christ. So man having cast him out.
God received him in heaven, and he has passed through the scene by way of the cross, and now as at the right hand of God, awaiting, as we have in our verse here, until his enemies be made the footstool of his feet. And so you and I are now connected with him as arisen and glorified man who has been rejected in this scene. And so we are enjoined by the Apostle through the Thessalonians, to be directed into the patience of the Christ.
He is waiting at God's right hand, a Prince and a savior, until he receives from his Father's hand that inheritance that was given him when he was here in this scene. And so we wait to receive our inheritance. We have been redeemed and sealed in that place until the redemption of the purchased possession, but we haven't received it yet, brother, and even when we go on high and are joined in glory.
To that blessed one, as we are now joined to Him by the Spirit, we are going to then come back with him and receive with him that inheritance that for which he still waits in this first and second chapter.
He's in contrast with angels, isn't he? And here it says being made.
I think that implies.
A position and half by inheritance.
That's as you've been bringing out. It's beyond death in resurrection, isn't it? We've mentioned.
The name of Jesus is given at his birth, but it's also given again, isn't it? After he's humbled himself unto death and became obedient unto death, the death of the cross, he's given that name of Jesus again.
But here's being made so much better than the angels and in the.
01:00:00
In the next chapter, he's made a little lower than the angels. So it's it's that he went down into death and is now raised again. And it's in resurrection, isn't it, that he's going to. It's in that newness of himself, risen and ascended on high. This inheritance he's going to take, it's a much more excellent.
Name than that of angels.
Brother Jim and I were mentioning last night that what would the Hebrew Christians have to compare? Angels. You know, the only angelic ministry that seems to be left is the troubling of the waters of the pool of Bethesda, is it? And then you would get angels at his grave. And angels.
As he.
A sense with arms of blessing towards the Church, And they say, ye men of Galilee wise stand ye here, gazing upward.
That would be the last.
Knowledge of angels, as far as the church was concerned, isn't the last verse in our chapter of present service of the angels? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? We all prove this as we drive the highways in so many dangers that we constantly face. There is a ministry of angels taking care of us and preserving us. We can be very thankful for that.
They have taken a lower place now because the Lord Jesus has become a man.
But nevertheless they are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them. We see that in Peter's case the Angel came and brought him out of the prison and so on, and then he came to the brethren. I just mentioned that because. And there's something very beautiful about that last verse. Notice it says who shall be heirs of salvation. It's not a wonderful thought, brethren. Before you were ever saved, the angels were taking care of you, because you were already predestinated. You were marked out.
It might be later in life that God by his spirit deals with you and you get saved. But many a man can look back in his life and say almost died. But I didn't. I had a narrow escape. Why weren't you? Why didn't you die at that time? Because God had a purpose. He was going to save you and make you one who would be brought into blessing. You were one of the elect. I think it's very lovely to see the wording of that verse administering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.
It's true after we are saved, certainly. But it's true all through our lives that God is preserving us by the ministry of angels.
Go to be with the Father. No question. There's no, there's no discussion on that matter because Jesus said that their angels always behold the face of my Father, which is in heaven. And if those little children have angels, then they fit into that last verse of this chapter and they are heirs of salvation I just mentioned.
That they don't go to heaven because they haven't sinned, because they were born in sin, but they go there because Jesus died. And so there are two verses. As we all know, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. That applies to us who are older. The Lord had to seek us and save us. But those children hadn't really acted by their own will. They hadn't come to that age at that time in life that their own will was expressed.
So they come into the blessing of the Father's will, but not because they haven't sinned, because they were born in sin, but because Jesus died. So the Son of Man has come to seek and to save, but he's also come to save that which is lost. Could you explain that verse he just gave out in the 18th of Matthew?
One of these little ones. For I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father, which is in heaven for myself. I had just looked at the thought of Angel as represented that they're represented before God because God has marked them out for blessing, and so God is caring for them. Of course God knows everything beforehand. He knows a baby that's going to die before it comes to the age of accountability.
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And so he knows that beforehand. But there are angels to always behold the face of my Father, which is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to.
Doesn't say seek, but to save that which is lost so they're not forgotten before God. I think the thought of Angel is representative.
When Peter stood before the gate, they said, oh, it's his Angel. There was someone that was there just representing him. But though it was really Peter, but I believe that's the way Angel is used in the scripture. So we have the Lord represented as an Angel. He would send his Angel and lead the people through the wilderness. So that was the Lord himself. But it's only representative. He's not an Angel, He's above the angels. But he represented the one who was their leader.
And so he was there to guide them. And the angels played a great part in God's dealings with his earthly people. I think that's the import of our chapter, is that they placed a great deal of, shall I say, honor to angels because God used them so much in the Old Testament. But now in Christianity, since the Lord Jesus has become a man, why God isn't using angels to tell his mind and his will? He has raised up men, fitted them to tell out his mind and his will.
And in that coming day in the 5th chapter of Revelation, when there's a multitude around the throne.
The angels which occupied the nearest place to the throne before now, as it were, stepped back and redeemed people, redeemed men occupy the nearest place to the throne.
You implied that those children were had passed on, that they were, they were children that had died before the age of responsibility. How do we get that out of that?
Well, it speaks about saving that which is lost, and that's the way from the next verse I had taken it that it refers to the Lord is talking about.
The ones who may be taken away, but I don't doubt that it's still true in the sense of care that many of us who have been parents and our children have done some pretty dangerous things and would have been killed if the Lord hadn't taken care of them. And I believe that's true, that the Lord has a care for them. But I think when it's connected in that particular passage with the Son of Man has come to save that which is lost, is the thought of the.
Showing us that if that child should die before the age of accountability.
It is brought into blessing. It's among the saved and will be around the throne singing glory to the Lamb.
Said to my brother Tom one time, and just as we're leaving a conference and getting into his car, he said. Well, he said, may the Lord send one of his angels to watch over you on the road. He's got lots of them up there.
And so that's what we angels are. Are they not ministering spent or they're their servants?
Angels never get beyond being servants. They have a wonderful place in the in God's administration, wonderful place in the creation of God, very above man in glory as that is at in creation. But they do have a wonderful place in an Angel does what he is told and he's he's a as a servant and angels are UN jealous and what a wonderful thing it is that.
When in that coming day, when we think of all those angels that are gathered before the throne, and myriads of Saints, myriads of redeemed sinners are going to be caught up and are going to.
Pour through the portals, as it were, of heaven, those angels look on, and you and I will be those who will be around the throne in that day on a marvelous what a marvelous thing that will be to be there with the Lord.
Be up there in the morning, but the angels will be UN jealous and when the one thinks of how.
In an administration, when there's a new administration, the there are those who who go out on new ones come in and take their place. Well, the angels will have a very wonderful ministry in the administration of things now. But in the coming day as we have it, it will be in the hands of man in the hands of man in the and we read in first reading Corinthians that tells us that.
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Knowing not that ye shall judge angels, well, what a wonderful thing it is that we will be called on hide to be in a place far above angels, with our blessed Lord. But they won't be jealous, and they won't be jealous. There they'll be ungealous servants, and of God and of Christ.
How? How wonderful when we're thinking about we're speaking about communion doesn't.
What we had there doesn't Hebron that speaks of isn't that communion.
Abraham was the spoken of as the friend of God.
Moriah Moriah, I believe, tells us is this is the same as Hebron or Hebron is the same as Moriah, and there it was that Abraham lived.
Lord, he chose the well watered plains of Jordan, and looked out over there, and there was.
Sodom and Gomorrah and but Abraham he chose his places on high with God. And who had the best? Who had the best communion with God? Abraham is called the friend of God. A wonderful to have God as a friend. We love to sing that little hymn. What a friend we have in Jesus. But to think of God having having Abraham as his friend and so the Lord Jesus. How wonderful to think that.
I call you not serviced, he says, But friends, friends. He wants our communion, He wants our fellowship. He wants us to walk with him. And he'll tell us things that the most very precious things, which are on his heart. How, how wonderful it is to be, to think that that to have that, to be a friend of God, like Abraham.
Like to give?
But in Scripture, that would encourage us to pray to angels. When we decided to come to this conference in Saint Louis and we set out on the busy highway or through the air like some have come, we didn't ask angels to take care of us, we asked the Lord to take care of us. When we arrived here safely, we didn't thank the angels for taking care of us and bringing us safely along. We thank the Lord for bringing us safely along. And I'd just like to go to a verse in the couple of verses in Psalm 34.
Because we're thankful for the service of angels in the way that we have been Speaking of it in the end of Hebrews chapter one. But it's the Lord that we give the credit to. The angels are just His instruments, just His servants as have been brought before us. And I'm going to read the 6th and 7th verse, but I'm going to read the seventh verse first, the Angel Psalm 34, verse 7. The Angel of the Lord in campus round about them that fear him and delivereth them.
And so we're thankful for that. And I know there are those in this very room who have experienced this in a very real way. We felt like Daniel said the Lord sent his Angel and shut the lion's mouth. We were preserved from something in a very real way. But notice the verse that goes before it. It wasn't that the psalmist was looking to angels in the sense, or asking angels to care for him. It says This poor man cried unto the Lord, cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. Who did the psalmist look to in the trouble? He looked not to angels, but to the Lord.
And who did he give the credit to when he was delivered out of his trouble? Not to angels, but to the Lord. And so I just say that to balance what we've been saying, angels have a wonderful service. We're thankful that they are ministering spirits, sent forth to be to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. But in the final analysis, brethren, it's the Lord. He takes care of us. We look to him. He takes care of us, and He delivers us, and we give him the glory and the thanks. I'm sorry, brother Don.
Like to draw attention to the 2 words in verse 5.
My son.
Here I'm sure without knowing positively, but I'm sure that in this room there's lots of purses that contain photographs.
And there are lots of sisters that would be very happy to show those photographs to you.
They would be delighted to bring them out and to share them with you and show you their children or their grandchildren or ones that they love. And in the measure in which you have interest in their children will be the measure of the interest that you have in looking at those photographs and hearing all about them, brethren.
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My.
Son God has a Son who in which he is supremely interested, and in the measure in which you share interest in love in his Son is the measure in which you will be interested in seeking to know more about the person of his Son.
And if sometimes we see photographs and we're not particularly interested, yes, politely so. But there isn't in our hearts a particular bond with the ones that we're looking at. We show polite interest and we're ready for when the topic goes on to something else.
But we want to understand that our eternal.
Occupation in fellowship with God is going to be.
Concerning my Son, God is going to need all eternity.
To fully share what's in his heart concerning that one. And he's going to do it with us in the heavenly glories. And I'd like to make this comment about it with respect to we've used the word fellowship and a very helpful expression, common thoughts. It tells us in the Old Testament that God made known unto Moses His ways.
And his acts unto the children of men, that is, the Israelites in general.
Did not enter into very many of the thoughts of Jehovah, and so he tells them about his actions. But with Moses, Moses is called to enter into his ways. He has a deeper sense of understanding and appreciation of the reasons behind the actual acts of Jehovah concerning the people.
It is our delight not only to enter into the acts of God.
And into the ways of God. But God has made us as His children and bringing us into sonship that we might know His heart. It's his thoughts and his heart that he wants to share with us.
And has given us the capacity for it. We read of angels in this chapter, wondrous as angels are.
They do not enter in in the same measure in which we have been made capable.
Of knowing and having fellowship with the heart of God. We are unique in His creatures, of being brought into his family, of being redeemed, that we might be near himself. And now he gives us a chapter like this, and he says as it were to us. Would you like to see the picture?
Is that of interest to you? Perhaps you don't fully understand it, but does it matter to your heart? It's precious to my heart.
As he says. To which of the angels he said, Thou art, my son. They don't measure up to his heart, as great as they are, as wonderful as they are, as important as their service is. But all the heart of God would pass from the angels to one that.
Fully occupies his mind and his heart, and he says to us.
My son.
Just go back to the comments that our meeting began was that that's what we're looking for when we open the scriptures is to see the picture of the Lord Jesus. We're going to get a great deal of benefit. But if we open the word of God and we start to look for dinosaurs and fossils in the first chapter of Genesis or in the flood and so on, we're going to find all kinds of them. But we're not going to find Christ. And so we really need to, as we open the pages of God's precious book in every picture, to see the Lord Jesus Christ and what God is trying to communicate to us.
And often what we find in a passage and what we look for maybe shows what our heart is going after. But we really need to see that God is trying to reveal to us the first of his Son in every page.
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The Book of Revelation is not about the price of oil and what Russia is going to do and whether Iraq's going to invade Iran and so on. Those details may be of interest, but it's really about the revelation of Jesus Christ and the purpose that God has formed concerning that man in connection with this world. The first chapter of the book is not about fossils and dinosaurs. It's about the purposes that God has in connection with that blessed man in connection with all of creation. And we need to read every page of the book in that way, so to speak, to look at the picture that God has placed before us because our many beautiful pictures in the book, and that's true of the Old Testament as well as the New.
And if we read wherever we read old or new, if we read it with that exercise.
I believe the Spirit of God will bring Christ before us. And you've heard me say this before, but I've appreciated when the Ethiopian eunuch was reading in the 53rd of Isaiah, that was an Old Testament portion. And when Philip the Evangelist, directed by the Lord, climbed up in the chariot with him, I love what it says. And beginning at the same Scripture, he preached unto him, Jesus. It wouldn't have mattered, brethren, Where that man was reading in the Old Testament, he could have begun at the same Scripture and preached unto him Jesus.
Because it all speaks of Christ and you get it too in the 24th of Luke. Instead of quoting it, let me just read it. But in the 24th of Luke it's brought before us concerning the Old Testament and its value in this way, because it says in the 24th of Luke and we've had reference to the two on the way to Emmaus, and the Lord is speaking to them. In the 27th verse it says and beginning at Moses and all the prophets.
He expounded unto them. Notice this in all the scriptures, the Old Testament Scriptures.
What the things concerning himself, because it all spoke of himself, must have been a wonderful exposition as the Lord unfolded scripture after Scripture concerning himself. And then notice in the 44th verse. And he said unto them, These are the words which I have, which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, And all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets.
And in the Psalms Now notice this again concerning me and brethren, I believe the blessing comes when we open this book, and we seek to seek Christ in every line. True, many things in connection with this person and work in different aspects, and the illustrations in the Old Testament, the doctrines and principles in the New Testament, and so on. But it's very important because the Spirit of God wants to minister Christ to us, and God wants to bring before us.
The glories and the beauties and the attributes of this person who glorified him on the earth, Brethren. He is the one that God would always occupy us with arisen, ascended, glorified man in the glory. How is he going to occupy us with that person? It's through this blessed book that we have before us.
The person of the Christ, unfolding every grace.
Once slain but now alive again in heaven, demands our phrase when some brothers start that please.
205.
Angels.
Bright girls standing.
Light.
From.
Make a lot of.
Delight for us.
Were always on.
Wake up.
Hebrews 1:13-
Reading
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On the Father's throne is the.
Rise of the world.
'S Children's Life.
And our glory and the glory.
Steer and France return also.
Give my glory and my glory.
Screaming and God.
Screaming.
From the glory. From the glory.
God of nowhere.
On the glory, From the glory.
Of the smile.
Judgment stands 3/4.
God.
Is life.
By the glory, by the glory.
Rise was playing on Earth.
Christ was playing.
So.
Pray.
Soul and grace.
Will make glory, will pray for you.
Love to hear everything of your your voice.
World to make glory.
To our brother tongs prayer and.
If it might be well for us to go on to the last chapter of Hebrews.
And.
Beginning with verse 13. And what is behind this thought is that?
00:05:02
He and I were talking after the first reading meeting.
The expression was given the cause and the effect, and in the first chapter of Hebrews we have the 'cause that is the person of Christ.
Brought before us for the purpose of producing an effect in our lives, and it seems to me like one of the greatest effects in our lives, occupation with Christ will produce is worship and giving him His proper place.
And it seems to me like.
If we began.
In verse 13 we would we would see the effect that the Apostle I I don't confine it to starting there, but we would see the effect of occupation with the Lord Jesus and the various aspects that He brought before us. In the book of Hebrews. We would see that it would have this effect upon our lives and give him.
That place of preeminence that is desired from the ministry of Hebrews.
With my brethren I just suggest that but.
Of necessity, we come down. If we think about the effect, it's less than the cause. I recognize that. But still, we would want this effect in our lives.
That's fine to start with, but perhaps we should start with verse 12, the last chapter of Hebrews.
April Chapter 13, verse 12.
We have 4 cases also.
Let us pick up therefore unto him.
Without the camp bearing his reproach, for here have we no continuing city, but seek one to come by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not.
Or with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, For they watch for your souls, as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us well, we trust we have a good conscience and all things willing to live honestly.
But I beseech you the rather to do this.
That I may be restored to you the sooner now the God of peace that brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect, and 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 and ever.
Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation. For I have written a letter unto you in few words. Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.
Salute all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints they have Italy. Salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen. Amen.
Now think about that, Jerusalem.
Should have done what it will do.
In the beginning of the millennial reign, it should have lifted up its gates and received this one who had right to the throne. There was no throne in Jerusalem, because Israel in responsibility had lost the throne and had been given to the Gentiles but the Lord Jesus.
00:10:19
It was worthy of establishing his throne.
His place of rule and dominion in Jerusalem.
But instead.
He suffers without the gate. Well, we as believers today.
The apostle says to the Corinthians, know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world we're going to rule in this world, but are we going to follow now the example of our Lord Jesus and suffer here in this world, or?
Very early in his life, the Lord was tempted there in the wilderness by Satan, who is the God of this world.
Satan has a world, and that's the world that we live in, and he would have given that world to the Lord Jesus. But he said no. The Lord said he will wait his time when the Father gives it to him, and that's what we had in the opening of Hebrews. Now we are following that same path of faith.
We're faith daily. With that same temptation, the enemy of our souls is saying live as kings now. That's what the Corinthians had fallen snare to, Paul said.
Kings without us? Well, the Apostle is bringing before us now.
You have just observed the Lord Jesus as the author and the finisher of the path of faith and all the perfection and beauty of the Son of God, Son of man.
He ended his course suffering outside of that city.
Not taking his throne now let us go forth unto him in that same spirit. And I think that's the burden of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It's to get us.
Occupied with the Lord Jesus in such a way that it will produce in US.
The desire that we not make our reputation in this life at this time, but follow him who made himself of no reputation and beloved, he is going to have a reputation in this world where he made himself of no reputation like no other man has ever had. No one will have to say no the Lord because God is given him.
In resurrection.
And the same name, Jesus, but where it was despised here on earth, it's now exalted, and it's going to be the name that every knee shall bow to. And so it seems to me now in this the apostle says, suffer this word of exhortation that we have here in these verses that we have read the effect that occupation with Christ should have.
On our lives and on our being.
Wouldn't it?
Producing us.
The desire for the knowledge to find the way into the holiest of all. Where the worship is, there's only one of those in there, the way into the holy. There is a place today for worship, for the Saints of God. It's not connected with the camp, It's a part. And the Lord is everything in this book. And so in worship He is everything we have no choice at all to make. Everything is already marked out for us.
And God wants that worship.
And the Lord is worthy of it.
And we are worthy to come because of his works. What a wonderful, blessed place it is.
I think it's probably 2. Here we're Speaking of the Lord of Glory, the Creator King of Kings. We cannot find words to extol how great He is. And why don't we ask to do? Are we asked to go out and climb mountains? Are we asked to give everything we own? No, it's so simple. It says by him. Therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of what? Praise to God continually That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
00:15:16
And then when we have something material to talk about, what is it? It's for his people. But to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifice as God as well pleased, it just strikes me this is our God. He's so wonderful. I I feel this every Lord's Day morning as we sit around the table with the elements on the table.
Meditating upon the great 'cause to our Creator as a man to come into this scene and there satisfy all God's righteous indignation against sin, that we might have eternal life. And what does He say? Again, he says this do in remembrance of me. I can almost picture our Lord pointing at the table with a loaf there in a cup, in remembrance of Him. He's not looking for great things. He wants our hearts and our affections, the fruit of the praise of our lips.
Remembering him in simplicity. What a wonderful God. But then he reminds us, let's not be hard hearted, but let's show compassion to those about us for those things he's well pleased with.
And worship today.
And it's.
Outside the camp of profession, That's the what's alluded to here.
When the camp turned idolatrous during the 33rd of Exodus and Moses went out of it and.
Pitched his tent and everyone that sought.
The Lord went to Moses. This world and its religious element has set up their rules and regulations, their dogmans and creeds patterned upon the old economy that was given by God to the children of Israel.
Which were only figures and shadows.
But Christ on the Cross was the end of the figures and shadows, and He is everything.
We have reality. There's a person to go to and the person we worship.
And it's a place. Refer again to Chapter 9, verse 8.
The way into the holiest of all.
Just that much of it. It wasn't made manifest in the old times, but now it is.
Now, how are we going to find it? You've got to follow the pattern that showed here. The pattern was showed the mouth for the way they were to make it.
You find that word pattern used seven times in connection with the old Tabernacle.
And the last time is in this book.
Well, there is a there was a true pattern for making the old Tabernacle. Everyone had a figure that pointed to Christ. Every part of the Tabernacle pointed to Christ.
His humanity or his divinity? Someone said.
What's more than once you've heard it that?
God is in Christ is just as perfect as a man as he is as God. I believe that the man Jesus is just as perfect as a man as he is as God. So he's the one we search for and we can offer our praises now.
We don't have to wait to what we had in the first chapter. When he bringeth in his first born into the world, he says let all the angels of God worship him. That's coming and that is seen in the Psalms. You follow them through which are prophetic and I'll say.
It's a picture of that in Psalms 9200.
The Lord coming in, or least.
God bringing his Son in, It's a literal thing that's going to happen. It's not very far away. God is going to bring his Son in and set him up in this world in power and glory.
And take possession of the earth. He's going to get it from God. He wouldn't. He wouldn't take it from Satan. He's going to get it from God.
Well, those things are glorious and they're getting near, but we don't have to wait for that to worship him. There's a way into the holiest of all now, and it's one of joy and peace and communion and happiness. You can't change. You can't add to it or take away from it. You have to follow God's pattern. I got to say, there's only one way in the holiest of all, to worship him according to God.
00:20:13
And he wants company collectively too, does he not? And so he's made a way, because he is going to enjoy our company collectively in the Father's house when all the redeemed are gathered around himself. But just like with Israel, God was looking forward to the time when they would be established in the land and when the Temple would be built under the direction of Solomon, and the Lord would dwell with His people collectively there where He had placed His name.
But he wanted their company in the wilderness too, he said in the 25th of Exodus. Jehovah looking down and requesting the company of his people, he said, let them build me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them, among them, but let me just go back to what Brother Buchanan has alluded to in Exodus 33.
Because it's unto him, It's a person to whom we're gathered. And brethren, we need to keep this constantly before our souls. I don't think we can overestimate the importance of keeping this before us that it's a person. If we lose sight of that, we're going to be turned aside and discouraged. And it's interesting when failure came in there in the form of idolatry, that they took the camp. Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, a far off from the camp.
And it's interesting what it says. Everyone noticed this that sought the Lord went out to the Tabernacle. Now it also says there that every man stood up and worshipped in his tent door. And there were many who remained in the camp. Were they the people of God? Yes. Did they worship? Yes. But those who sought the Lord went out in separation from the failure, the evil that had come in at that time, and they went out to the Tabernacle.
And there was a special blessing for that. And so I just say that, brethren, because we go forth. But the verse doesn't end there. It's not just separation from that which is not according to the word of God and to the mind of God, but it's unto him. And that's where the heart comes in. As our hearts go out to the person of Christ, then his separation, a hard thing. Is it hard to go forth when the object is so glorious? No, brethren, if we have Christ before our souls.
It's not hard to go forth unto him, and it's very necessary, because then immediately it says, and we might have reproach, No, that's not what it says, bearing his reproach. And if our hearts are not attracted to the person, when the reproach comes, we're going to go back, we're going to be turned aside. But it's not hard to bear reproach when our hearts go out to the person of Christ, and we're full of Him and occupied with him and what he has done for us, and all that he is and himself, and what he means to God the Father and Son.
Then it's not hard to separate. If you love someone very much, it's not hard to walk in separation with that person, even if you're ridiculed, even if you bear reproach for it. And I believe in the measure in which we seek to carry this out practically in our lives, collectively, brethren, and seek to go forth unto him where he has placed his name and where he desires the company of his people. I believe it's not going to be a popular path.
The truth is never popular. Christ is not popular in this world today.
He's still the rejected one. If the Lord Jesus were to come back in humility like he came the first time, I believe they would give him the very same treatment. The heart of this world would come out in the very same way. Thankfully, as we've been reminded by our brethren, he's not coming back as the lowly man. He's coming in power and glory, and the earth is going to be filled with his knowledge and so on. But the heart of this world hasn't changed, and if we're going to follow this one brethren, we cannot expect better treatment than the Lord Jesus received when He was here in this world.
The servant is not greater than his Lord, and all they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. May not be physical persecution, like many of our brethren are enduring in other countries and parts of the world today, but there will be a reproach connected with the measure in which we are faithful and go forth unto him.
We are going to suffer that reproach.
But let me read the last two verses of 2nd Corinthians 6.
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2nd Corinthians 617 and 18.
Wherefore, come out from among them and be separate.
Saith the Lord.
And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you.
And ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith who the Lord almighty.
He assures us of all of his power to walk in that path of separation from evil, as gathered to his name.
To help and that the camp is Judaism, especially in this book. Of course it is that system of religion that was ordained of God in the Old Testament, but that had become old and passing away in the new. And it's those words are used in this book about that Judaistic system of things. Still, it was a religion that was adapted for man in the flesh and that man in the flesh.
Could appreciate it was based on things that were outward and visible to the eye. Today we have a vast system of religious.
Christened them around, and in a large part the principles of Judaism.
Or the camp have been adapted into that system of religion, the idea of having a large building called a temple. It's Judaism. The idea of having music and service.
In our worship service is Judaism. You do not have it in Christianity. The idea of having a separate priesthood or what is called in Christian surgical's is the clergy.
That is Judaism, and we are called out of that. I think it is.
Helpful because sometimes it seems to me that we use the word camp and christen them interchangeably and we need to distinguish that Judaism or the campus Judaism Christendom has adapted those principles and we are to come out of anything that suggests itself of that Judaistic system. Why? Because the Lord Jesus, God's glorious Son, presented himself.
To the Jewish people. And what was their response out? They took him outside of that city of Jerusalem and nailed him to a cross outside that city. Now where's our place in a system that has things that man can appreciate and enjoy in the flesh?
I think it's important for us, the young people, to understand why we don't have music in our worship services. We want to use that term. Why don't we have music? I remember asking a group of young people, and one young brother said, well, I thought it would be nice if we did. We need to know why. It's because we've been called out of a system that was adapted for man in the flesh to appreciate what what do you have here? And I often notice that people.
That are not used to the way we meet together. They come in and they start looking around. Where's the front of this place? Where's the man that's.
In charge here, And they're confused. There is nothing visible brethren that we can appreciate in an outward visible way. Christianity is characterized by Christ, and where is he? Can you see him with your natural eye? You can't do it. He's in the glory of God.
Faith. We can see him, we appreciate him. But everything in Christianity is not visible to the natural eye. It is something that we appreciate by faith. It was in total contrast with Judaism, which had everything visible to the natural eye. Country down here, they had their city, the center, and they had the temple, which was.
A building. A physical building of great eloquence and a outward form of music and priesthood. Where's our place in connection with all that? We're called unto him outside of it all, and we shouldn't be find it strange that that is not going to be appreciated. It will not, brethren. But we have to learn that Christianity is Christ.
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It is attraction to his person, and if they don't see anything attractive about us, that's fine brethren. We are not that attractive of a group of brethren.
But it's the person of Christ that should attract our souls if it's him before our souls. That's the true.
Power of gathering. And I think it's so important what has been mentioned in verse 13. It's unto him.
Without the can.
Reinforce it with a little.
Of Deuteronomy 12, which I'm sure we all all familiar with, but I'm speaking out of those who may not be and I speak from.
Personal exercise which this was brought to me by the Lord very strongly and caused me to change my ways. And I have to say that it's really, really very pertinent. If you want to look at versus Deuteronomy 12 versus, I'll start at the beginning.
And these are the statutes of judgments which he shall observe to do in the land which Lord God and thy Father has given thee to possess it. All the days that you live upon the earth, you shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which he shall possess serve their gods. Upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree. We shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groceries, Fire and shelter you down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.
Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God. And I wanted to whether the next verse is true, of course, but I wanted to bring before us this other aspect.
Down farther.
I'm looking forward where it says that you'll not do like they did.
There is 4.
Cannot do so unto the Lord your God.
Why?
Verse 8 Verse 31 is good. It says it twice. Verse 31 is the second time. I shall not do so unto the Lord thy God. For every abomination to the Lord which he hated have they done unto their gods? For even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What things so ever I command you observe, to do it, thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it, And we must evaluate.
When we think that something ought to be done.
For the Lord will bring this, We bring this up again in His name. What is His word? Saying His word is above His name, and His word says not to worship him in the ways that the world worships its gods. And so we must evaluate any idea of how to worship God.
Based on what it really is, is it the kind of thing that the world uses?
To worship its gods. Now, of course, we have to think about what the world's gods are. There are many.
And this is a good exercise. This requires some prayer. It requires some scripture. It requires some waiting on the Lord. But if anyone in this room thinks that there is something that we're missing that we should be doing.
That there's it's not enough what we do that we can take a page out of the book of those who worship differently, those who remember the Lord differently. Then we need, you need.
To look to the Lord about.
How the world worships its gods. And evaluate that new idea that you have and see if maybe it is the way the world worships its gods. We talked about music, we talked about a building, we talked about the decorations in the building, We talked about having a program, having something, really.
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Professional. Something worthy of God because it's the best that we can do. We've practiced it.
And on and on and on. I've heard this stuff, but that is what the world does to worship its gods. And God said, I'll have none of that for me. I want what I've asked you for. And what did he ask us for? He asked us do this in remembrance of me. And you know, we talked a little bit at the beginning of Rome of Hebrews about the me that he asked to remember. There is an awful lot to that.
Me, He is God, he said to his disciples. If you have seen me, you've seen the Father. And so there is an awful lot to him, and it's up to us. We've heard that all day. It's up to us to find out who he is as individuals. Then we come together. We can bring that. What we find in the field, we can bring to the house, just as the Israelites took their basket.
To the to the temple, to share. We must find ourselves, find what he is and bring it, and remember him. And brothers, I do have one suggestion, and that is.
I probably will not be escape the room today without being **** hole for this, but I'll say it the Lord didn't say Remember Me and my death.
He said. Remember Me?
Now, I'm not permitted suggesting that we forget the cross, But when we remember him, we remember more more than what he did. We remember the person. And of course, when we remember the person, we will get to the cross. There's no getting out of that.
We will remember his death, but he said Remember Me. And I think it's a it's a danger to limit ourselves to just thinking of the cross, because we might just think of a concept, we might remember a concept, a truth. And of course, true as it is, we've kind of cut out a little piece of him and we're focusing on that. He said Remember Me and so when we come.
Having been in the field, there's a lot. It's rich. There's so much to him. And as we sit there, maybe in silence, those of you who think that there's too much silence, consider that there was a time when the sacrifice was burnt. It took time to burn. We have to have some burn time. Sometimes there has to be time to consider.
The things that are said, the things that are sung about, the things that are prayed and for the Holy Spirit to lead us inside in the inner man to consider those things and to see them in view of what we know of him. Then true worship comes, says them that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth if we do anything other than yield and put ourselves into a low position and allow the Holy Spirit to bring truth to us.
And touch our hearts with it. We're not going to worship them in spirit and in truth. And when we worship them the spirit of truth, it's not going to look good to visitors. They're going to be unhappy unless they're looking for the same thing. But if they're looking for a program, and if you're looking for a program, re-evaluate that idea. In view of Deuteronomy 12, you need to read the whole chapter. You'll find other things in there that are very convincing.
But there was not just a way, There was a place too. And I think that's very important, brethren, for us to consider, because things might be carried on in an outward format that seems correct. And but with Israel, 21 Times in the book of Deuteronomy, he told them that when they entered the land they were he would place his name at a certain place, and that he would dwell collectively with his people there, and they were to bring their sacrifices there and to worship.
And they were expressly told not to offer their sacrifices in the place that they chose, but in the place that the Lord, their God, would choose 21 Times. That's quite a lot of times. He brings this before them before they ever enter the land. And we know that when they did eventually settle in the land, he chose a place. It wasn't up to Israel. He didn't leave it up to the tribes to cast lots and decide where this place was going to be and with whose boundaries the place would be. No, he chose Jerusalem.
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And later on there it became a snare and a sin to them, because when Jeroboam set up those other centers, things, at least initially, might have been carried on in somewhat the same format. But it became the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that made Israel to sin. Why? Because of the format, Not necessarily. Initially it was because he set up other centers and encouraged Israel to bring their sacrifices there and to worship.
And I wondered, if that isn't why, when we come to the New Testament and he says to the disciples in Luke 22, go and prepare us the Passover that we may eat. Then he waits for a response from them, and they say, where will thou that we prepare? They knew from the Old Testament that the choice was not left up to them to choose where the Lord would dwell collectively with His people and where they would eat the Passover, which I realized was what was really in view there.
But it was also going to be the very spot where the Lord Jesus took a loaf and a cup and instituted the feast of remembrance. And when they followed the directions that were given, and those directions are very instructive. But when they followed them, then they found that when the hour was come, he sat down in the 12 apostles with him with them. And so it was not just a question of being able to keep the Passover that night, but it was the privilege of having the Lord Jesus in their midst, and then, as I say, to institute the feast of remembrance.
And brethren, had they deviated from those instructions in any way had they got to the house and said?
Well, not much. Point of having an upper room. Be a little easier to have it on the ground floor. Maybe. They might have looked at the room and thought, well, there's only going to be a little company of us tonight and we really don't need this big room. Maybe we'll leave it for some others. Is that what they were to do? No. Had they done that, they could have kept the Passover, but they would have missed the company of the Lord Jesus. And so, brethren, we need to be exercised. The Lord still has a spot where He delights to gather his people by the Spirit around himself.
And if we're willing to bow to the word of God in obedience, and to follow the leading of the Spirit of God, it's the man bearing the picture of water that we hear so often about. It's the word of God applied in the power of the Spirit. Then he can lead us not just to the spot where we can break bread, but the spot where we can be gathered around the person of Christ. And Matthew 18 and 20 still stands, where two or three are gathered together under my name. There am I in the midst of them.
I.
Too much of what has been said, that it is unto him that we go.
The Lord Jesus said to the woman at the Well. The hour is coming, and now is.
When neither in this mountain nor Jerusalem shall ye worship the Father?
And John, 10 he entered that enclosure for the camp, if you please, and LED his own out, and he became the center, and where he is, is the place.
So it is not.
Too much to be said to make him everything, the brain of whom we had some lovely thoughts this afternoon included in those thoughts that he.
Is the cheapest of 10,000. The apostle in the first chapter of Colossians said that in everything.
He might have the 1St place. We cannot make too much of it is to the Lord Jesus Christ outside of organized religion and the camp like systems and with which we are encountering that it is to Him that we go and it is He.
Who is the attraction for our hearts for our worship in the Spirit?
You would return to John 10 and come down to the end of the chapter. We all pretty well know the beginning of John 10 and the fact that the Lord went in there to lead.
Those people were in the camp of Judaism out of it.
But we don't notice at the end of the chapter that he becomes a gathering center to them, and it's on the other side of the river of Death, John 10.
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Well, they tried to catch him in the 39th verse. Therefore they sought again to take him, but he escaped out of their hand and went away again beyond Jordan. Very significant. He went to the other side of that river of death. Well, what did he become over there?
And there he abode. He stayed there with those people, and many resorted unto him. He became a gathering center to them. It's just a typical thing, but it's a true one. We are to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, and he alone. He is the place as well as the person back in Genesis.
49 or 50? They're Shiloh.
And it turns out to be a place and a person unto him Shall the gathering of the people be so. The Lord is Hebrews.
Leading out of people.
Speaking to the Jews from the old Judaistic system thing completely.
On the other side of the river of death in resurrection, having a people down here that he companies with, he becomes a gathering center to us. Now also I'd say that we can't go into it, but Hebrews goes through many things in the Tabernacle and as you remember there was a court and then there was the Tabernacle, the holy place and then there was a holiest of all. So if they had three gates and doors to go through to get into the.
Coldest of all. And they could not get there because the sacrifice hadn't been made.
And God was shut up in the dark, and men couldn't come into the light. Now, in Christianity, God has not shut up in the dark. And Gracie can come out to us without judging. Judgment comes later.
But he brought us into the light in peace because of the sacrifice that's been taken in the blood traced there before God.
They invite us to come, well, the typical things of that Tabernacle.
There was the metals which had a significance. Gold is divine righteousness.
Much gold when he got on the inside, All pure gold. That's what they look at around maybe 1/3 as big as this. Look up there. That's all gold. And then there was brass, another metal. Brass, we understand, signifies divine righteousness in action to purify God puts away sin through judgment. Then gold is silver is the price of it. Those 3 metals.
Now, everyone of those things are typical of Christ. And if we look at the wonders of Christ in this New Testament, we'll see all those things typify them. And then there was blue. Well, that's the heavenly map. Then there was purple and scarlet. Those are the Jewish royalty and the Gentile royalty. Well, everything speaks of Christ.
And so the wonders of what we get in the New Testament will attract us to the person who's outside the camp. We'll see all this loving us in Him. Oh, what a wonderful savior he is, and all the power to keep us.
Yesterday somebody speaking about his title as the I am the Eternal 1.
As the.
Almighty.
Abraham and Jehovah.
To go along with his people.
But now to us, it's Jesus who is everything, and he. We looked at him as the Most High. There are so many things that will draw us toward Christ that we won't want those things that are out there which pertain to a dead religion. I'll say you can read it, but if you read the 115th song, you'll find idolatry.
And it's really a dead people worshipping a dead God. Now that's what heathenism is. They people don't have life, life, and so they're dead and they worship a dead God. Whereas you get in the 116th Psalm, it's a living people worshipping a living God. So God wants us to bring us in as he has typically done in the first chapter of Hebrews, reaching on into the day when he brings his first begun into the world and says let all the angels of God worship him. Now when he comes in that we that time we will be with him.
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Sharing in his inheritance as he takes it, but he doesn't wait till then to have communion with us. And yesterday somebody referred to those two verses in John 1421 and 23 and those two verses present to you and I.
A way that we can fulfill in obedience and dependence to supply a place for the Lord to have communion to come. Now someone said in John 14, there's two comings of the Lord.
You get it in the early part of the chapter and then you get it in the 21St and 23rd verses. Well, he's coming for us and we'll all go with him when he comes for that. But right now he doesn't want to wait to have communion. He wants the fellowship of our hearts and don't we want it? Well, if we're going to get it, we're going to get it. According to him. We can't add 1 jot or title here or $1.00 there. Man's ideas won't reach up to God. He won't allow it. No flesh or glory in his presence. I don't care whether it's the greatest man in this world and.
The Pope or anybody else, they don't have any entrance into the presence of God any other way than for worship now.
It's by him that the worship is so. It's not my finger striking a dead instrument, but it's his. It's working in my heart and in yours to produce praise out of our mouths. It's by him, And so when we come together to worship, that the Lord has wrought in our hearts and produced a response, the song in our hearts, when we come together.
One might play a dead instrument and you **** one string and there's a resonance in another that when we come together that there's a harmonic resonance, if I may put it that way, when God is wrought in the hearts And there's that collective side of it, but it is he that is, it's by him. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise. There was once visiting a friend and his pastor came and he said to me, do you have pastors at your church? Do you have a pastor at your church? And I said, well, yes, I said we there's been men that have really gone out of their way many miles to come and seek to be a blessing. Could be a blessing and a help.
He said I don't think you get by. Question is he said you have one man to run things in your church and I said yes we do. He sits on the throne of God. He said we have a good song leader too. He got the point. He said I got to go play hockey now.
That's the point is we have a man in the glory to guide and direct the worship, and he's brought in our hearts. And so often, Speaking of silence, there is, if I may put it that way, if we've not walked in communion with the Lord, then there is not that song produced in our hearts that he can.
Play with, if I may put it that way, but it's not my hands plucking a dead instrument. But it's him working in the heart of the believer to produce that worship to himself.
A person of the Lord Jesus livingly before us. Though, brethren, if we don't, what's going to happen is that we are naturally going to regress towards the principles of the camp again.
And that's what always happens. And it concerns sometimes brethren, that when we have our remembrance meeting of the Lord Jesus, we tend to leave it to certain brethren who may be take the lead in teaching in the assembly that brethren should not be in Christianity. Everyone is a priest to God with equal access to OfferUp.
The spiritual sacrifices of praise. And if we regress toward letting certain brethren, doing the praising and giving out a hymn, and reading a scripture that glorifies the Lord, we are regressing towards principles of the camp again. So it's not a question of gift of giving.
This can say, I believe that when we see that the Tabernacle was a pattern of things in the heavens, it wasn't the growth of fulfillment of them all. It was only the pattern because the Lord Jesus hadn't yet accomplished the work. But when He came and had accomplished the work, then all that was a figure and picture of him comes to its end. Just the same as if you have a picture of the person and the person comes, you lay the picture aside, you have the real person, and the Lord Jesus has come.
00:55:08
And saw the Tabernacle. It's very beautiful to see all those things which are a pattern bring before us the way of approach through the blood, the loveliness of Christ, and so on. It wasn't a perfect pattern because it couldn't be. The work hadn't yet been accomplished. The way into the holiest was not yet made manifest, but it was the pattern. And we all enjoy looking at the Tabernacle and seeing the beautiful pattern that God has, But we don't go back to the pattern. The reality has come.
Christ has come, He has entered there, He has the veil is rent, and we enter into His very presence. Now then, in the temple we see that God brought them into the land and blessed them. He gave the pattern of the temple to David by the Spirit, and he passed it on to Solomon, and he built the Tavern, the temple, according to the pattern that God had given. Why did God give all that grand building and everything?
Well, it was a test for a man in the flesh. Would a grand building make a man a worshiper? A lot of people think it would then said to me, well, I feel more like a worshiper. When I go into a really good religious building, it does something to me. That's the man in the flesh. And God gave the best. He didn't give a second rate building. That was the most glorious religious building that had ever been built. And what about the singing? Well, it was the best singing. 120 priests sounding with trumpets and other instruments. A perfect harmony.
It was all to show that man having the very best could, as we know, reject the Savior. And that's just exactly what they did. It was the people who gloried in that temple and wanted the Lord even to look at the stones of the temple. How grand it was.
Those very people cried in the temple. They didn't want the Lord Jesus away with him. We will not have this man to reign over us. They wouldn't have him. And so the test only proved that there was nothing good in the natural man. And now what has God done? Well, it was typified in the sacrifices. The sacrifice that put away sin was burned outside the camp. So he says in your own shadow of heavenly things, you see that pattern.
Because the Lord Jesus who was the fulfillment of that pattern, he didn't suffer in the Tabernacle. He suffered outside the gate, all the ceremonies and everything where he was outside of it all. And he says now if we want to know what true Christian worship is, we leave all that behind, all attested man.
Only prove that outward things don't change the heart. You could have all the outward things, and people could enjoy them whether they're saved or not. But you have to be born again. You have to have the spirit of God within you to enjoy true Christian worship. And so as we come, it's not a question of the grand building. It's not a question of the construction of the table. It's a person that we have before us two simple things on the table. That's Christianity, brethren. And that is the thing that I believe is brought before us in Hebrews.
That all that was a type and shadow has been set aside. The temple and all its ritual only showed that there was number fruit for God from man in the flesh. And now we go out to a rejected Christ and worship is by the Spirit. We go inside the veil, which they couldn't do in the Old Testament, but we can draw near and we can offer the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. And what the Lord values is not the melody of the sound, but the music that comes from our heart.
That every believer, as we're saying as a priest too, and can come and offer his spiritual sacrifices. I'm saying that because the reason we go back, don't go back to it is because it was only a shadow. And it's all set aside because the fulfillment has come just as you set down the photo and you say, well, the person's here now, I'm going to enjoy their presence. But there's also the added thought that the one who fulfilled all this was rejected here. And so we bear his reproach. We're going out, this one who is so glorious, he's been rejected here and we follow him in his rejected possession here in this world. We have an altar.
Whereas they have no right to eat, which serves the Tabernacle. And we go out to Him bearing His reproach, we offer what the sacrifice of praise? The fruit of our lips it is now well, we can sing, But whether it's melody in the heart, whether it's produced by the Spirit, then God accepts it. So it's the whole contrast between the old system of things given of God. It was right that they should go on with it until God Himself set it aside.
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And he has set it aside and it's replaced with what true Christian worship is.
Which is stated concisely in Philippians 3 and verse 3. Now this is not a hard pattern to find. It says that we are the circumcision that we mean today. We are the marked out people as Israel is marked out of old three things which worship God by the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Those three things we follow will direct us.
Right to the place.
I was thinking mentioning about them pointing out the stones to the Lord and not it's not how sweetly saying that even in that instance there where the Lord watched how they put the money into the treasury, that poor widowed woman, she had two mics which make a Farthing. She could have just put one mite in, it would have been 50%. But she put everything in and the Lord pointed that out. But it's interesting that immediately they point out to the Lord the great and costly stones of the temple and it was as if they were saying to the Lord. But just this wasn't made with two mites, but the Lord had already put his appreciation on what that widow woman had done, although it wasn't much in their eyes. They turned the Lord's attention immediately to these great and costly stones. But the Lord said that what he appreciated.
Was the fact of what this widowed woman had given. And so it is not what the world appreciates when they hear, but it's the Lord's appreciation and what the Lord seeks that He values.
That's the sacrifice we have in verse 16, isn't it? Is giving sacrificially of our substance too. I just like to say in verse 15 to brethren how important it is. It's the sacrifice of praise to God.
On Lord's Day Morning? Is that what it says?
Says continually. Brother, I think that should be something we are exercised about. We have a glorious God and Savior. The people around when they see us see that we have a reputation for ourselves. Or do they see when they see us the praises of the everlasting God on our lips? What is it?
Oh, I think it's so important that it flow more continually.
In our lives, in the Old Testament, there was a sacrifice which was called the continual burnt offering. It was never to go out on the altar. It was to be burning in one place that says all night until the morning. And the sweet savour of that burnt offering, a lamb in the morning and a lamb in the evening, was continually going up to God.
And the measure that you and I.
Are in the enjoyment of all that Christ is to God, there is going to be.
A continual flow of praise from our lips and this beautiful brethren when you see in families or in individuals, spontaneously breaking out into praise to the Lord. Some time ago I was in a nursing home visiting an older brother who, because of his bodily weakness, could not get out to the meetings any longer. And we're kind of sitting there, not saying too much.
And he was sitting, looking, not really at us in another direction. All of a sudden he starts singing. On that same night, Lord Jesus went all around the joint. It really touched my heart. His heart was to remember the Lord and his death, even though he couldn't get out. And it flowed right out of him. Nobody's told him to start singing, but he just started singing, Brethren. Is that the way with us? Does it flow out? I think yeah, we need to, Really.
Consider these things rather. And it's not something that we should force. It should be the natural flow, the overflow of a heart that has found Jesus enough to fill and to satisfy the heart so much that we can't contain it. It overflows necessarily.
It's like a spring. The springing well of John 4 now a spring.
01:05:00
Is water rising back up to the level from which it came. It comes from heaven, runs into the hills, and the gravity system develops a pressure and finds an outlet that comes up. That's that's worship. That's voluntary, involuntary, I should say pressure in our hearts as we think of Christ. Worship Christ by the Spirit.
Rejoice in Christ Jesus. It will produce that. So how wonderful that we can at any time and should be ready to praise Him to give those sacrifices. In the Old Testament they were not to bring those. They were not to come to the place that God had chosen to put his name there. Empty. See that none of you appear before me. Empty. So it's good to be in a meeting like this and think.
And sing and talk about the Lord Jesus. It fills up our hearts. We're getting what comes of Christ from God.
And if we can continue to do that, we'll be ready to offer those sacrifices of praise at any moment that there's an opportunity, and the other sacrifice to the material things. God is interested in our livelihood and the care of our brother down here. So there are two sacrifices that we can bring, we know today.
If you can, and that the praise is considered by the Lord Jesus the sacrifice. In other words, brethren, so much does he value the response of your heart and mind as we go through this world, either individually or collectively, when we're gathered together on Lord's Day Morning that he counts it as a sacrifice. Sometimes on Lord's Day Morning, we think of some effort to be in His presence. Some of us have families, and it does take effort. Some have a great deal of distance to drive.
I've been thankful that most of my life I've lived very close to the meeting room and never had that. But many of our brethren have great distances to drive to be there on Lords Day morning. But he counts it as a sacrifice. We think of some little sacrifice we make. But brethren, what is it in comparison to his appreciation? And I think it's a tremendous statement when you consider the fact that if there is any response in your heart and mind, he implants that response there when the children of Israel came and gave freely for the the commodities for the building of the Temple in David's day in anticipation of Solomon's day.
What did David have to own? All things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee who worked in the hearts of the children of Israel to bring those commodities? It was the Lord himself who generates a response of praise in our hearts. It's the Lord himself. He's put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. We don't generate this response within ourselves, Bob says. It's in the measure in which we are in the enjoyment of the person and work of Christ.
Then there will be an outflow. But think of it, brethren. He puts that response there, and then he turns around and says so much do I value it that I count it as a sacrifice? But let me say this just on a very, very practical note, brethren, it is too late to sit down at 10:50 on Lord's Day Morning and expect to generate a response of praise in our hearts if we have not been in the enjoyment of the person and work of Christ.
During the week if we have not entered in some little deeper and fuller way.
To the person and work of Christ where not, we cannot expect to come with a full basket and to have something to pour out when we come on Lords Day morning and it's been mentioned about pauses and brethren, I realized that it's not a good thing to be tripping over one another, and sometimes a pause can be helpful. But brethren, we have only one hour or so on Lord's Day morning to collectively worship the Lord. We're governed by physical hindrances and time and so on.
But brethren, when we come into his presence, and sometimes there's long pauses, sometimes I think the chairs are going to cry out. And brethren, I think sometimes, let's be honest, that long pauses are usually.
Often the result of a lack in my soul of a response because I have not enjoyed the person and work of Christ during the week, and I wonder if they're not more often a result of that than perhaps piety or.
And I don't want to be critical, and I know the Spirit leads in different ways, But, brethren, I do think we need to be very, very exercised. Let none appear before me empty. And perhaps you just allow me to say this too. Brethren, I know in John Chapter 2 in the marriage of Canaan of Galilee, there's a prophetic character to what we have there and so on. But I have enjoyed this little practical thought in application. There were six water pots.
01:10:20
And, you know, often a vessel in Scripture is used in connection with the human form. And there were six water pots, and I like to think of them as six days of the week. And what did they have to do? What were they to do under the direction of the Lord? When they locked wine, which speaks of joy and praise in Scripture, they had to fill those water pots with water, and they had to fill them to the brim, because when you fill something with water to the brim, there isn't room for anything else.
And they had to fill it with water. Water is often used as the type of the word of God. And if we're going to fill our lives with Christ 6 days of the week, we need to open this blessed book we were saying this morning. It all speaks of Christ. And when they filled those six water pots to the brim with water, then there was something that the Lord could take and turn to wine, and then they could come and pour out to the governor of the feast. But, brethren, if I do not fill the water pots with Christ.
Days of the week there will be nothing for him to take and turn into praise, so that I'll have something to pour out to the true governor of the feast. And so we need this exhortation, the sacrifice of praise to God continually so that we'll have something to offer when we come on Lords Day morning.
Who suggested this? I'd like to back up and ask you if you didn't have something to say to us on this.
22nd verse I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you in a few words. I suggest that I may not have thought that you had something special on that verse, or the end of the chapter.
Well, we rather bypass.
Verse 14.
And it says for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
There will be no fulfillment of verse 13, verse 15 that we've spoken of, spoken of extensively.
If our hearts have here a continuing city.
Now in Hebrews, of course, it's Judaism. It's Jerusalem.
But if in our lives as believers, down here is the city that we're living for, and down here is the continuing city that has our hearts affection, we'll never get into verse 15 at all. And so the apostle would follow us, follow, have us follow the Lord out of this world.
He has been put out of this world and we have to go out of this world and it's a real thing. And I just did want to say I appreciate Brother Bob, I wanted to ask the same question.
Paul and Silas weren't remembering the Lord in the assembly when they were in that jail at Philippi, but they were singing praises to God continually and it is should be the fruit of our daily living. Is that this one who has been cast out of this world?
Gets his portion day by day.
There could be the danger of, and I don't want to minimize, I think I value being gathered together into the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But.
We don't want to.
Make that the Tabernacle that we store up our praises and our place of worship, that each day in our lives, whether it's in a prison dungeon or at work, which often answers to a prison in a man's life or the burdensome toils of home life, there can be praise worship to the Lord.
Day by day in our circumstances of life, if we're occupied with him.
I was because I hadn't very much. And my mind is you were Speaking of that. And I think that's often why there's not praise in our hearts, because here they were in a very adverse set of circumstances. And what did it produce in their hearts? But praise and Thanksgiving. And I believe that that's why there's often not praise in our hearts on Lords Day morning. If we pursue the week, so to speak. Looking for a continuing city here, seeking to exercise our rights, to establish our rights to claim what's ours. That's the whole system of the world. You mentioned the workplace is like a prison, but if our object is not.
01:15:33
Ourselves and our own needs and so on. But Christ, then it's going to produce a thankful spirit in our hearts and in these circumstances that God brought through works in our hearts and in our lives. During the week when we come together to remember the Lord in his suffering and his death, and there's going to be a real song in our heart. There was a song in their hearts in the prison that touched the conscience of that jailer. And there will be of those that have looked, that are around us. But if we're simply scrambling in the world looking for a continuing city like everywhere, everyone else.
There's not going to be anything when we come together to suddenly remember the one who had nothing here. He had not a place to lay his head. Would you say that the so-called Christian activism would be a form of seeking a city here?
It's something here to identify ourselves with. Other than Christ, it could be anything, and that is.
Distraction from Christ. Just like to say to younger brethren here, find it so refreshing and breaking a bread meeting to hear a younger brother give out again. It really stirs us younger brother and be exercised. I don't know why it is it seems like.
That there is not liberty sometimes, and I just want to stir you a little bit to be exercised before the Lord in an assembly meeting as the breaking of bread is. It's for us all to sit down in the presence of the Lord. The Lord Jesus is there present and he's leading the singing to God his Father, just to think of him there. And then we respond and.
Our response is singing too with him.
And the more you're going to be occupied with yourself and what people think about you, and maybe you'll make a mistake. There's not going to be any praise that flows from that. You're going to make a mistake, perhaps. But don't be discouraged just thinking that you might be making a mistake, because that's a subtle form of self occupation. Seek to be more occupied with Christ. It is important to try to be accurate in our expressions of phrase.
But we all make mistakes, brethren. And the Lord Jesus is our great high priest for that very purpose, to take our flawed praises and present them as they should be to God. So be encouraged to open your mouth and praise. I really feel this is important in our ongoing testimony. What is our testimony, brethren? It's Christ. It's setting him forward. We're going to set ourselves forward. It's going to be a testimony to ruin and failure.
That happens too much. Let's seek to set Christ forward. Let's praise his name.
And it is not just for a select group to be to be leading in that It is for every believer in the Lord Jesus who is born into the family of God. The priest in the Old Testament were born into Aaron's family. Priests in the New Testament are all those who are born into God's family, their priests to God.
We're 20.
We wait for the.
Lord for thy loving.
A very soul of love. Come on.
Is him the Lord Jesus could say to the woman at the will that the Father Seeketh worshippers. He abode with them two days and he never returned. We have two days and they're just about up.
It won't stop.
Jesus Has a Gift for You — Eternal Life
Children—D. Nicolet
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.
And.
I'll start walking back this way, but we'll start over here. How are you this morning?
Fine, good, good. I am too. Who would like to sing a song?
Anybody here have a song they'd like to sing? I've got one I'd like to sing. So I'm going to start. And while we're singing the one I'd like to sing, then you can be thinking of a song you'd like to sing. OK. So let's look at this on the on the song sheet here that we have. And we're going to sing a song that probably a lot of us don't even need to read the words to because we probably already know it by memory. It's #40, OK Jesus loves me. That's the song we're going to sing. How many of you know the song? Jesus loves me.
And I imagine there would be a lot of other hands going up here, too. OK, we're going to sing #40 Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me.
Come. Yes, it comes from snake. Yeah, the skin is Jesus as long as we can't speak.
The Bible helps me so.
Jesus.
Hold me in his heart.
It's his day from every harm.
Yes, because I love breaking.
Lost made me well, stayed close to exciting me all the way.
Here I trust him. Should I die?
He will Take Me Home on time.
Yeah, I think some slugs make me get a Speaking of slugs, Love's making it.
Tells me so.
Now before we sing our next song.
There's something that I've noticed.
That happens a lot of times when we have these kind of get togethers where we come together and everybody gets to sit down and and hear about the Lord Jesus.
00:05:06
And then I've noticed that.
On Lord's Day Morning, when someone speaks to you children that oftentimes they've got a sack or they've got bulging pockets and something that's in that sack or in those pockets is called a treat. Is that right? Yeah, a treat. And lots of times you get a treat if the person talking asks you questions and you raise your hand and you get the right answer.
And they reach into their pocket and they give you a treat, right? That happens. You remember that? I remember last year. I don't know if he's here.
I think it was Mr. Wally, dear.
Had the Sunday school here, and I think he was passing out pencils. Does anybody remember that? Yeah, if you raised your hand and you answered the question, you got a pencil. And just a few weeks ago, we got to be in Addison. And they had a meeting like this up in Addison. And there was a dear man named Mr. Roach. And Mr. Roach talked to the children and his pockets. He kept reaching into his pocket and handing out a piece of candy to people.
To the kids as they answered their questions, that's pretty nice. How many think that's a nice thing to do?
I don't have anything to give you this morning.
I didn't bring any treats that I have in my pockets and you see, I don't have a sack.
But even though I don't have anything.
To give you this morning from my pockets, there's one person in this room who does.
Did you know that?
One person in this room has a sack with treats in it.
Now there's something even better than that. You don't have to answer any questions to get those treats.
Is that fun? Isn't that a nice idea? All you have to do?
Is some time, and I'm going to tell you when.
Go to this person and say I would like a treat. I would like what you have for me.
And I can tell you for sure, this person is going to give you what you ask for.
Not a good idea. Isn't that nice? I'm not going to tell you what the treat is.
But I'm pretty sure that everyone of you will like it.
And if you don't, you'll find somebody in this room who does, and you can give it to them.
Now, I need to tell you a couple more things. Some of you might know who this person is, but I wonder, does everybody up here, now, you know it's not me, right? You know that. And I will tell you that it's not Mr. or Mrs. Hayhoe. They don't have that treat.
And Mr. and Mrs. Clausen, do you have a bag with treats in them? No, no, there's a bag there. But there's no treats in that bag. Not for you kids, anyway.
So we know some of the people who don't have the treat, but you would probably like to know who does have it. Would you like to know who does have the treat? How many would like to know who does have the bag with treats?
OK, well, that's, I'm going to tell you, OK, I'm going to tell you who that is.
But there's something else you need to know.
There's quite a few trees in that bag.
But I don't think.
I don't think there's enough treats for everybody in this room.
Now.
You kids, and even if you're not sitting up front here, the kids can go get those treats.
And then if there's any leftover, we'll let the older folks go too. OK, but but what I want you to remember is if you don't, go, get the treat right away after Sunday school.
By the time that you decide, oh, maybe I'd like to go have one of those treats after all.
They might be gone. And when they're gone, I don't have any treats, OK?
00:10:00
Now I'm going to tell you a little secret. I've kind of been looking around today and kind of seeing how many kids we have here, and I'm pretty sure that there's enough treats for all the kids that are here.
All right, what's the last thing you need to know?
What do you need to know?
Who the person is that has the treats, I want to tell you about this person.
Because I think he's a very, very nice man and I have enjoyed getting to know him a little bit and I've enjoyed talking to him and finding out a little bit about him.
And one of the things, and I'm going to give you a hint and maybe that everybody almost will know who this man is but this man.
Do you know how old he is?
He's 98 years old.
Do you know he was born 98 years ago?
That's almost 100 years. That's a lot of years, isn't it?
Now I'm just going to ask him to raise his hand. Most of you, I think, are looking around trying to see where's a 98 year old man.
Well, he's a very nice man. His name is Mr. Graham. Mr. Graham. Brother Graham, would you raise your hand just a minute? There he is. You see him right there. And he doesn't have to hold the sack up. It's kind of heavy, but he has a sack. And if after Sunday school, you kids will go to Mr. Graham.
I know he will be happy to give you a treat.
And what do you have to do to get it?
That's great.
Say please.
That's a good idea, isn't it, Brother Graham, say please. And so you're going to go to Mr. Grant and you're going to ask him, can I please have a treat? What do you think he's going to do? You think he'll say no? You think he'd do that? No, he'll give you the treat.
It sounds like a pretty nice thing, doesn't it? But you know what I'm going to tell you this morning about somebody who's even nicer than Mr. Graham.
Jesus, that is right. And I'll tell you we have been. I'm going to stand here so those chairs over there can get filled up.
You know, we've been spending some time talking about Jesus.
And it's been wonderful to hear about how wonderful Jesus is.
And you know, one thing I decided is none of us sitting here in this room, from the oldest, who's probably Mr. Graham, to the youngest could ever really say how wonderful Jesus is.
And there's something else.
The Lord Jesus has something to give you.
And it's much, much better than what Mr. Grant is going to give you.
And you know, to get what the Lord Jesus has a gift of eternal life.
All you have to do, you don't even have to get up out of your seat and go anywhere, but you have to do what you're going to do to Mr. Graham. You need to say Lord Jesus.
I would like that gift.
And he will give it to you. He will give it to anyone in this room this morning who comes to him and says, I would like the gift that you have. Lord Jesus, you died on the cross. You shed your precious blood for me to give me a wonderful gift, eternal life. And I would like that gift. You can do that this morning. And you don't even have to get up out of your chairs to do that. You can just do that right where you're sitting.
In your mind, in your heart you can say say that to the Lord Jesus and he will give it to you. And you know something else. Do you think the Lord Jesus will ever come to the point?
Where children are coming to him and he's inviting children to come to him.
00:15:01
To get this gift, do you think he will say to someone all I'm sorry I can't give that to you.
I don't have any more.
Jesus, say that to you.
No, but you know what?
Do you think maybe the day is coming when you won't be able to ask the Lord Jesus for that gift anymore?
I think that day's coming when the Lord Jesus takes us all, all of us who have said, yes, Lord Jesus, I want that gift. I want eternal life. I want what you have for me. I want you to save me.
And then someday he comes and he's going to take us all who have believed in him, all who said I'd like that gift? He's going to take us home to heaven. And do you know what then, if there are boys and girls in this world?
It'll be too late to get that gift.
It'll be too late, so it's very important children for everyone of you, whether you're sitting up here or somewhere else in the room this morning.
It's very important that you right now, where you're sitting, say Lord Jesus, I want that gift. Now I'm going to say one more thing. And then we're going to sing and we're going to tell you a story. You like stories. People tell you a story, but we're going to sing one more song. But before we do, there's one last, very, very important thing.
Who was it that said all you have to say to Mr. Graham is please? OK, that's right. Now, what do you think would really be a nice thing to say after you get the gift?
What? Thank you, thank you, thank you.
So Mr. Graham is probably going to hear a lot of pleases and thank yous today, right? That's really wonderful. You know, the Lord Jesus wants us to be thankful, doesn't he?
People have worked really hard to allow us to come to this nice place we have and to enjoy these days together.
Wouldn't it be sad if we all got up today when it was over and walked out the door and never said thank you?
We need to remember to say thank you when people do kind things for us, so.
Remember now, after Sunday school, you can go. And as long as those treats last, you don't have to do anything but go and say please and you'll get a treat. And I hope, and I'm pretty sure you will say thank you too. OK, now we're going to sing another song. Does somebody have a song? Yes. What would you like to sing?
The old legend crossing this university old legend cross.
On a hill.
Well, actually, I've got two stories to tell you.
I wonder if you would do something for me.
Would you go over to the table where the men are sitting with the sound equipment and there's a Bible case there which we can't bring it to the face.
I'm going to tell you a story about this Bible case.
And I promised that I wouldn't embarrass the owner this Bible case. So, Albert, don't be embarrassed.
00:20:02
This belongs to Albert, and actually this Bible case has lots of history connected with it. But I'm going to tell you a story. I'm not even sure that Albert knows about this.
And then if he wants to tell anybody more about this, he can certainly do that.
This Bible case has.
Had a very interesting life.
It has gone through some very interesting experiences and I'm going to tell you about one of the experiences it's had.
Last year, Albert and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. I think all of you, were able to be at Des Moines. Or at least Albert was.
And his dad.
And at the conference. And then the time came and they had to go home. Now my wife and I have a son who married a very wonderful Christian girl, and they live in Des Moines. And a few days a week part time she goes to a hospital. That's about.
I suppose 3 or 4 miles from where the conference is and she works there.
Well, after the conference was over the next morning, which I think would have been a Tuesday morning, she had to go into work for a while and there was a lady there. And this lady who works with her is not a Christian. She doesn't know the Lord Jesus as her savior.
And our daughter-in-law, Jody was was working at her desk and she overheard this lady telling a story, she said to someone else. And she wasn't talking to Jody, our daughter-in-law, she said, you know, I was driving down the freeway last night. Now the freeway is the main road that you take from where the conference at Drake University is to get to either side of town.
She said, you know, I was driving down the freeway, I think it was this morning, she said on the way to work. And you know what? I saw the side of the road, I saw a Bible case.
Which one? What Bible case do you suppose she saw?
This one right here, and she said. And so I stopped and picked it up.
And our daughter-in-law thought, oh, well, that's interesting because we were just spending the weekend where people had lots of Bibles. And so she went to this lady and she said, well, you know, we were at a Bible conference during the weekend. Well, he said, well, you were. And Jody said, could I see the Bible case? And she showed it to her. She had brought it to work to show the people.
And she showed it to her. And Albert, I'm sorry, but Jody opened it up and looked.
And sure enough, there was a name in the Bible in there, Albert Quatmo.
I know those people. They were at the conference and the lady thought, well, that was just wonderful that out of now Des Moines isn't near as big as Saint Louis, but out of 300,000 people, that's about how many live in that area that she would drive. This lady who doesn't know the Lord Jesus as savior would drive down the road in the morning and there by the side of the road would be a Bible case and it would belong to somebody that Jody had spent the weekend with in Brian's and all of us.
Hearing about the Lord Jesus isn't that wonderful. But now here's the rest of the story.
This lady said, you know, this is really strange.
This is the second time I found a Bible on the freeway.
You know what I think?
I think the Lord is talking to her. You think that might be?
Do you think the Lord might really have something he wants to tell her? Because at least as far as I know at that time anyway, she didn't know the Lord Jesus as her savior. Where is she going to be able to find out about the Lord Jesus who loves her in His word? The Bible. That's the place we read about Jesus and it tells us the truth. And twice the Lord has sent a Bible to her.
I hope.
I hope.
That that Lady.
Will listen to what Jody and I think some of the other Christians who work there have been telling her.
God is wanting to speak to her, and he's using a very special means to do it. Now God wants to speak to all of the hearts of men that live in this world, but he may not drop a Bible case by the sight of a freeway to do it.
00:25:06
He might use somebody like me, or somebody like Mr. Tony last night, or or Mr. Hayhoe or Mr. Highland or or others that have spoken here. Or he might use your dad and your mom. I'm sure he does. He might use a friend.
He uses all sorts of ways to tell you something, boys and girls. He has a message for you and.
That message is I love you.
And you know, I really enjoyed what Mr. Hajo said yesterday that the Lord Jesus wants to tell me, that he's my friend. Isn't that nice? So many important things. But the Lord Jesus has very important things to tell people who don't love him.
And that's the most serious thing of all, is to hear what the Lord Jesus says, because.
He loves people so much that he wants to warn them about how dangerous, how serious, how awful it is.
To say I'm not interested in listening to the message God is sending me.
Oh, I hope this morning everybody in this room.
Especially since this is a meeting for the kids. But everybody in this room will listen carefully to the message God is sending you.
I don't think that the chances are very likely you'll find a Bible by the side of the road when you leave here to get a message from the Lord, because the Lord has been sending a message to us all for the last two days. So what's important is not to look for a special message, but children, what's important today?
Is to.
Listen.
Message he's sending, however, he's sending now. We've talked a lot, We've told some stories, we've sung a couple songs. What we're going to do now is I'm going to pray, and then we're going to tell you one more story before you can go get your treat, OK?
Let's close our eyes now, Father. We thank thee that I'm not going to ask you to stand up and say verses.
Because I don't know for sure which ones you learned. I think the one that we were going to learn in Des Moines, where I'm from, or Pleasant Hill is called, I think it's in Hebrews 13. Is that the one you learned? And it's a nice verse. Well, it's a wonderful verse because it's God's word, so that makes it wonderful anyway. But it's kind of nice. I remember when I was your age, I kind of liked verses that were only 5 words long. And this one, it's a bigger verse, but you just had to learn 5 words, right?
Maybe some of you learn more on that, but the five words that you had to learn were The Lord is my.
Helper Thank you. You helped me, thank you. The Lord is my helper.
That's wonderful. Well, I'll tell you what, I'm pretty sure a lot of you have learned that. So anybody who wants to.
In these two rows here or anywhere else, go ahead and stand up and we'll all say it together. OK? Be kind of nice. Anybody who wants to just stand right up with me and we're going to say that this okay and you don't have to do this, that's quite hard. If you don't okay, here we go.
And I heard someone say the Lord is my shepherd. And that's true too.
That's wonderful. Well, we've just got a few minutes here. I want to tell you another story. And this is a true story too, and it's about a man who needed help.
And it's about some men who thought they had plenty of help, and it's about what happened to them.
And I'm going to tell it to you. And then because it's very important that we make sure what we say is the truth, we're going to find that story in the Bible. There's a story in the Bible about a man who needed help.
Now let's tell you about this man. And maybe, as I tell you, you might think who it is. OK.
This man was a young man and he was in trouble.
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The reason we was in trouble was because there were some really bad people, some naughty people who hated him and who hated his parents, and who hated all of his relatives, and who hated all of his friends, and who hated all the people that he loved.
And the problem was why he was in trouble was the people that hated him were so much stronger, and there were so many, many more of them.
Than the people that he loved, that they came and they could do mean things to him. And his people, They took his food away, they took their food away, They took their homes away. They didn't let them enjoy where they live.
And these people that this young man loved and were and were his relation, it says they they became very poor because every time they had something nice.
This these bad people who were so strong, and there were so many of them, they would come and they would take all these things away.
And so he needed help.
And you know what he knew? The Lord. You suppose the Lord helped him? Yes, he did. Because he said, well, if we grow this food and the minute we get it growing, somebody comes and takes it away.
I'm going to hide it before they can come and get it, and so the Lord helped him to get food and hide it from the enemy.
The Lord helped him to do that. You know, children, the world. I want to. I'm going to, I'm going to just share some thoughts with you this morning.
The world that hates the Lord Jesus.
And hates Christians. And so if you're a Christian, the world may act like it likes you, but really, it doesn't. It wants to steal things from you. It wants to steal all the precious things that the Lord Jesus has given you to enjoy.
It can't. If you know the Lord Jesus is Savior, take your salvation away. Can't do that. But all it can make you and me so unhappy.
But the verse that we learned today says the Lord is my helper. Do you suppose that the Lord can help you and me to live in such a way that the world can't come and steal away those wonderful things that Jesus has given us? Can the Lord do that?
Sure you can.
And he tells us, sometimes to the best thing to do is to hide what's precious from the world that wants to hate. And so sometimes it's a good idea, kids, it's a really good idea to listen to mom and dad when they say no. I don't think that we're going to go to that place.
No, I don't think we're going to look at those things.
No, I don't think we're going to do those things.
Because if we do, something is going to get stolen from us.
And it's wonderful to keep precious things that the world wants to steal that the enemy Satan wants to take from us. It's wonderful to learn how to say no. I'm going to hide those things well. So this man, he hid this food.
Well, it's a kind of a long story and we don't have very much time, so I'm going to go a little faster. And the Lord came to him and he said, I've got a job for you to do. I've got something I want you to do. I want you to go deliver all of my people, your relatives.
I want you to go deliver them from this world that's hurting you. I want you to go.
And fight a battle against them now.
This man said, oh, I'm just a young man. There aren't very many people that I have as relatives that will follow me.
And and I see these people, why they've got so many camels. It's like you're looking at the sand on the seashore everywhere you look.
There's camels and there's soldiers. And you, you want me to?
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Go fight them.
What do you think? The Lord said.
The Lord is my helper, he said. I'm going to be with you. Is the Lord bigger than a whole lot of camels? Is he bigger than a whole lot of soldiers?
And so the Lord said, I'm going to be with you, You can go fight the battle. So he went.
But he had some questions.
And he said. I'm not sure if I really heard you right. Lord, did I really hear thee right? Do you really want me to go and fight this battle? I'm just not sure.
I wonder, Lord, if I really heard you right.
The Lord is my.
Helper. Do you suppose the Lord can help you to hear if you're not sure? Well, of course he can. Do you suppose the Lord can help you to do something if you don't think you can do it? Of course he can. The Lord is my helper. He can do anything. And He loves me, and He loves you, and he wants you to do something. He will help you do it. And if you're not sure you heard him right, he will help you to hear. And he helped Gideon to hear.
And so.
You knew that, didn't you? How many knew I was talking about Gideon?
All right, let's see the other hands here. How many knew I was talking about Okay. All right, so Gideon goes and.
He's got a whole bunch of men following him.
I think somebody can correct me on this, but it wasn't about 30,000. Mr. Highland, can I put you on the spot around 30. Mr. Highland doesn't want me to put him on the spot. Wasn't about 30 thousand, 32,000 something like that. OK, that's quite a bit of people. There's what, maybe 250 people here today, 30,000, That's a lot. But the problem was, do you know how many of the enemy there were, 135,000?
That's a lot of enemies. And then the Lord said this, the Lord said, Gideon, you've got too many people with you.
There's just too many people. I don't want you to take that many people because I want you to know and I want everybody to know that the Lord is thy helper, not men. They're not going to help you. It's the Lord that's going to help you. And so, Gideon, I want you not to take so many men now to make this story a little quicker. You know, Gideon got rid of and didn't get rid of, but he sent home some men and then some more went and some more men.
And finally he was left with.
How many? 303 hundred. That's about as many in this room against 135,000.
I couldn't fight a battle like that, could you? Unless I knew that the Lord is my helper, right? If the Lord is my helper.
Why we could win a battle.
And you know.
Gideon took those 300 men. And did you win the battle? Yes, he did. Yes he did. The Lord was his helper and he did win a wonderful battle. And the children of Israel.
Got to eat their food again. They got to be happy again. Oh, it was wonderful.
But remember I said that we're going to tell you about somebody who thought they didn't need any help?
Those were the 2 Kings.
That led the enemies 2 Kings.
And they got funny names. But I suppose if they had heard our names, they think our names were funny too. So I think their names were Ziba and Zelja.
You know, kind of funny news, but I don't think you would have gone to Ziva and Zalmuna and looked at them and said you have funny names because they had 135,000 warriors. Probably wouldn't have been a good thing to say something like that to them.
And they looked at all their warriors, and they looked at all their camels, and they said.
The Lord. I can do it by myself. Look how strong I am. Look how powerful we are. We don't need God.
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Was that a good thing to say?
No, it wasn't. Because do you know what happened? Gideon and his 300 men came. And of those 135,000 men?
I'm not very good at math, but I think 120 thousand of them the Lord destroyed.
Was the Lord? Did they? Did they have help?
They were trusting in themselves and they lost 120 thousand of their 135,000 soldiers. And you know what? They still had 15,000. That's still more than 300, right?
You know, Vidya went after those two proud kings with their camels in his 15,000 soldiers and he won the battle because.
The Lord is my helper. Even against 15,000 men, they won the battle.
And you know what? Those two kings, Because they thought they didn't need the Lord to be their helper. They didn't want him. They wanted their wicked idols and their own strength. You know, they died.
They died. Oh boys and girls, if the Lord isn't your helper, you don't have any help.
There's no one that can help you if the Lord isn't your helper. I hope this morning everyone in here can say the Lord is my helper, but how can I say that?
I have to say something else about the Lord. First, I have to say the Lord is my Savior. And when I say all, the Lord Jesus is my savior. I've trusted in Him, and I believe His precious blood has washed my sins away.
And he's my savior. Then we can say, and let's say it one more time, All of us who know the Lord Jesus as savior, we can say the Lord is my help. Oh, that's wonderful. Remember that, boys and girls. The Lord Jesus loves you so much. And you can always say the Lord is my helper. OK, now I'm going to pray. And then I have a couple announcements to make. OK.
Father.
The Son of God, The Perfect Man
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.
Perhaps we could begin this hour together in the presence of the Lord by singing number 93 From the palace of His glory, from the home of joy and love, came the Lord Himself to seek us.
He would have us there above.
And in past and distant ages, in those courts, so bright and fair ere we were, was he rejoicing all he won with us to share number 93.
Sorry.
From the whole of joy and love.
Yeah.
Nevertheless.
Ask our Father our God's blessing.
There's a little statement that many in this room perhaps have heard for many years.
The statement is the Son of God.
Became the son of man, that the sons of men.
Might become the sons of God.
Like to look at that statement a little bit this afternoon, but particularly.
With the desire before the Lord that our hearts might be touched.
With the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is rich.
And became poor that we through his poverty.
Might be rich, and that too we might understand.
The relationship which we have as the children of God and the characteristics of what should be seen in our lives, we who are children. Would you turn with me first to the temptation of the Lord Jesus is given to us in Luke's Gospel, chapter 4.
Here we have something of the person of the Lord Jesus brought before us as a man.
We see a perfect man.
And so here in Ephesians chapter 4.
It says.
And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan.
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And was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being 40 days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing, and when they were in dead he afterward hungered.
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of man.
Command this stone that it be made bread the.
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written that man shall not live by bread alone.
But by every word of God.
And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world.
In a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power.
Will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me.
And to whomsoever I will give it, if thou therefore will worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan. For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple. And he said unto him, If thou be the Son of God.
Cast thyself down from hence, for it is written, he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot.
Against the stone. And Jesus answering, said unto him, It is said.
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
This temptation of Jesus.
Brings before our hearts, before our souls.
The perfection of the Person of the Lord Jesus.
As man.
Satan addresses him as the Son of God.
And from all eternity he was the Son of God.
And the things that Satan asks of him, he had right and claimed to as the Son of God.
But Satan tries to take this perfect person.
Jesus.
And take him out of his place as man.
And of course we know that.
It displays to us.
Who he is?
And his blessed person, there's never any question before God as to the outcome of the temptations.
The Lord Jesus is pure gold.
There's no doubts or uncertainties as to the matter, but it does bring out to our hearts the blessedness.
Of what man should be.
Before God.
He is perfect in every respect, and so the devil says to him, If thou be the Son of God, was he not the Son of God?
Was that not his place from eternity?
But here he is in manhood's place.
He has come into this world, come of a woman.
And walks here in that perfect place that is his as a man.
On this earth.
And so the devil says, command this stone, that it be made bread, the.
And the Lord gives, as a man should, a word from God.
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In answer he says in verse four, Man shall not live by bread alone.
But by every word of God, and I'd like to stress to your thoughts and mind, your heart and mind, two things in that.
He displays perfect dependence.
And perfect obedience.
Those are the two things that should characterize every man in this world.
The two things that are opposite that are independent and disobedience.
And sadly, those are the two things that characterize this world today.
Independence and disobedience. But here is a man before God who says that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word.
Of God.
He lives in perfect submission to the Word of God.
And in perfect dependence upon God, not even eating.
And independence.
Not even taking something absolutely necessary to life on this earth, as if he had the right and claim to it apart from God. And so he says.
Displaying His perfect person as man before our eyes this afternoon.
Man shall not live by bread alone.
But by every word of God.
We're not going to take it up yet this afternoon and but I trust we will later, so I'll just mention it to you.
The same things that characterize him.
In this way, as man should characterize your life.
Today.
Dependence.
And obedience.
Well, we find in the next part of the temptation verse five, the the devil takes him up and shows him all the kingdoms of this world, and he offers him two things.
In verse six, Power.
And glory.
Power and glory, to whom belong, ultimately, all rights to power and glory.
They belong to God.
They don't belong to man.
God gives man positions of power. He raises up man to places of power.
Under himself always with for himself being absolute in his power, and all power that man has is as from God and held in responsibility to God.
God raises men up to places of glory, among men at least.
But here.
Satan would seek to take this perfect man.
And take him out of his place.
That he might take unto himself, or from one who had no right to give.
That which belongs to God alone. Notice the contrast to this power and glory, he says.
In his answer the Lord Jesus, in verse eight, it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God.
And him only shalt thou serve. We have two things put in contrast to us here.
Power and glory.
And worship and the servants place.
The Lord Jesus as the Son of God.
Had right to all power.
And all glory.
But here we find him taking that blessed place.
In his manhood.
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And saying worship.
The Lord thy God.
And him only shalt thou serve.
Don't we see that in contrast to man today?
How far has man gotten out of his place?
He grasps after power and glory.
He wants to say I am God.
And God is within me.
And I am the center of my universe.
And I have the capacity to be all things that I wish to be.
And he makes himself the center of his existence.
And can I say in doing so seeks to rob God of the power?
And the glory that belonged to God alone.
But here the person of our Lord Jesus shines out.
And takes that place as man, and says thou shalt worship not yourself.
But the Lord thy God.
Jehovah thy God, the God with whom you are to have a personal relationship.
Is the one that is to be given your worship.
No man is ever to be worshipped. Men are to be in their proper place, honored.
And praise to but never worshiped. Worship belongs to God alone.
Him only shalt thou worship.
And what is man's place?
To take the servant's place.
Him only shalt thou serve.
But man says I'll be my own.
I won't worship somebody else. I want that place.
I'm not going to be some man servant, I'm going to have the exalted place for myself in my life.
Now, I don't believe anyone here would dare. I think perhaps every single person in this room is at least been exposed to the word of God in such a way that you might not dare to say I want to be a God.
But this is the heart that's being spoken to.
That is, it's a voice to the heart of man, but it is a wonderful presentation.
Of the blessedness.
Of this man.
The one in whom God could open heaven.
That he might look upon him.
With delight.
And then he says in The Last Temptation.
For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And he answers, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And here again we find the blessed person of the Lord Jesus.
Not acting as the Son of God in that place here.
He is that eternally, and as man and for a coming eternity never is less than He is, is always what He is. He is the Son of God, but here as man, presented to us as a man.
He takes that place into which he had entered voluntarily for you, for me, for God's glory most of all, and.
He will not act out of his place.
And so he says, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Him only shall we serve.
In connection with these thoughts, turn over to Philippians Chapter 2.
And let's look at him there.
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Philippians, Chapter 2.
The end of verse five. Christ Jesus.
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God?
But made himself of no reputation.
And took upon him the form of a servant.
And was made in the likeness of men.
I like the new translation in the beginning of the seventh verse it says.
He emptied himself.
He emptied himself.
Brethren, may it touch our hearts to think upon this blessed man.
You or I have no right, no place.
In this.
Here this blessed person.
In his place in Godhead glory.
As only a divine person could.
He empties himself.
He lowers himself.
Perhaps I shouldn't say it that way.
But he puts aside.
Those glories that are his.
That he might enter into this world.
As a man.
He empties himself.
That he might enter among us.
As a man.
He takes.
That setting aside that place.
Emptying himself.
And he comes in the likeness.
Of men.
He comes into the place of the servant.
You'll see the fruit of that in a few minutes.
But here we see the fact of it.
He takes the servant's place.
And now it says in verse 8 being found in fashion as a man.
He humbled himself.
And became obedient unto death. Even the death of the cross is that divine person in the Godhead. He empties himself. Now having become a man, he humbles himself.
He goes lower still.
He humbles himself.
It says in Galatians that he was come of a woman come under the law.
He was born.
Into a Jewish family.
So he came under the law.
And he lived as the man.
Perfectly.
According to the requirements of the law.
But what I want to point out to your heart and mind this afternoon is what he did here.
Goes immeasurably beyond the requirements.
Of a Jew under the law.
There is nothing in the law. Nothing.
That would take a man.
To do what the Lord Jesus did.
To become obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.
The requirements of the law were such that the man that did them had the right to live.
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No question of death there, he had the place to live.
On this earth.
And a place of honor.
Too, as far as that goes among men.
As he kept the words of the law.
But here is a man that humbles himself.
To go far beyond the requirements of man, even perfect man under the law.
To be obedient.
To the will of his father.
Unto death.
Even the death.
The cross.
With that in mind, let's turn over to Galatians chapter 4.
Ephesians or Galatians chapter 4 and verse 4.
But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son.
Made of a woman, made under the law.
To redeem them.
That were under the law.
That we might receive the adoption.
Of sons.
And because your sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying ABBA Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son.
And if a son, then an heir of God.
Through Christ.
I pray God that your heart might be touched, as my heart was in reading these and meditating on it.
It brought me to tears.
And I find when I cry, I can't speak.
But, brethren, this is tremendous.
The Son of God.
In all his Godhead glory.
Enters into this world.
Born of a woman or come of a woman, come under the law.
Taking the servants place as we had in Philippians chapter 2.
That you and I, who could never aspire to be anything but servant.
Might by his servants place and work.
Be brought before God.
Into the place.
Of sons.
That you and I might be the sons of God.
And all that that is to God's heart, and yours and mine.
He was rich.
But he empties himself.
He humbles himself.
And there is that servant. He's obedient.
All the way to death.
Because nothing short of redemption would ever be able to set you free and bring you into the place of sonship.
Redemption requires death.
And nothing short of redemption's work.
Could set you free from the ******* of sin.
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When Christ died for you, God looks upon you as.
Paul says I am crucified with Christ.
Dead with Christ before God as to the place that I had.
That now?
Through his work of redemption. Through his death.
As it says here.
To redeem them that were under the law. That's particularly the Jew.
That we might receive the adoption of sons.
Or it's also translated might receive sonship.
That you might be made a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
But more than a child that you might be a son.
Oh brethren, it's a wonderful thing to be in the family of God.
To be born again.
To be part of a new creation.
As wonderful as that is, God has more blessing even than that for your soul.
And mine, he says. No, I want you to enter into the enjoyment of a relationship with myself.
As.
It says here of a son, verse 6. God has sent forth the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying ABBA father.
I notice here and in Romans chapter 8 where some of the same thoughts are brought before us. It's connected with the Spirit, the Holy Spirit that comes down to dwell in US. And I believe it's by the Spirit of God that we are conscious of our relationship as sons with God.
That we say, ABBA, Father, that we have that conscious sense in our souls.
That my God is my Father.
And we also enjoy.
Not just the little child's relationship, as good as that is that we can call God our Father.
But also God, in connection with the thought of sonship, wants us to enjoy intelligent.
Communion and affection with himself.
It says, sons, that He would bring us into the knowledge of Himself in his will.
And his purposes and his counsels.
Every father here.
That has had children grow up, recognizes, I think, something of that.
When we have a little child and we pick them up in our arms, we can love them.
And in their measure, as young as they may be, they can hold us back.
And there's a reciprocal affection between the parent and the child.
But you know a child that grows up in fellowship with his father.
Inners later into a more enjoyable and a deeper.
Sense of the relationship between one and the other, because as the child gets older, the father is able to share more his thoughts, his true depth of his feelings, and the child that grows is able to more enter into them and share them, and that gives a deeper, fuller satisfaction to the father's heart.
God our Father.
Wants and purposes that we, his children as his sons may have that enjoyed capacity.
To share together in his thoughts.
Now I'd like to turn a little bit to the side of.
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Responsibility.
We who are sons.
I'd like to say.
That two things that characterize your life and mind should be.
Absolute dependence.
And absolute obedience.
Adam, as a man, was placed on this earth to be in a dependent and obedient creature.
Man at one time was placed under law, and he was still at that time to be a dependent and obedient creature.
You are a child of God this afternoon if you belong to the Lord Jesus.
And you are to be a dependent and obedient.
Son.
And when you get home to heaven.
To the Father's house to enjoy your portion there as an heir.
With God and a joint heir with Christ, you are going to be perfectly a dependent and obedient person.
I emphasize that to you because it is easy for us.
Who are not under law, but under grace.
To minimize.
Or forget that our relationship is still.
And always has been one of obedience.
Being under grace.
Does not set aside.
Our place in obedience, the law required, and I'll use this word, judicial obedience, that is the relationship that governed man under the law was obeyed.
And live, disobey and die. We are not under that type of a relationship at all.
We are under grace. We are set free from the law.
We never were under it officially because we're not Jews. At least almost all of us are Gentiles.
But still, as under grace, we are children.
And our Father has commandments for us, things that he wants us to do and not to do.
And as his children.
Were motivated.
Not by a law of do's and don'ts.
But we are motivated by love. We manifest the nature that we have as His children.
By walking in the obedience.
Of love. Turn with me just to show that to John's Gospel chapter 15.
John, Chapter 15.
The Lord says I am the true vine, speaking to his disciples, and my father is the husbandman.
Verse 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it, abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, you're the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.
For without me ye can do nothing.
Verse 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you.
Continue ye in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments.
And abide in His love.
This perfect man kept his father's commandments. He's not talking about the law.
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He's talking about the place he had as a man and his relationship with his father.
And his life was characterized by absolute walk to do nothing but the will of his father.
He came to display the heart of God.
And to display the heart of God as man.
God manifest in the flesh.
He presents the heart of God perfectly to us.
Understanding and Love
Address—G. Hayhoe
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166 one 6/6.
Lord, thou hast drawn us after thee. Now let us run, and never tire thy presence. Shall our comfort be thyself, our hope, our soul desire, our present Savior. Well nor fear nor sin can come if thou art near 166.
For thou has drawn.
Early now I lost.
Strong and never die.
Thy fries and yells are converted, 'cause I fell our whole our souls our soul days our.
Nor still have all the.
Lord there.
Are.
Your wild horn.
Last way on our star by night, our sun by end.
And blows us again and.
So I'd like to read first of all in the 40th chapter of Isaiah.
Beginning at the 27th verse, Isaiah 40 and verse 27.
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Why sayest thou or Jacob, And speakest thou Israel? My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God. Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increases strength.
Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings. As Eagles they shall walk, they shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
Well, the head of my heart to speak of two things. God's understanding as we have here, and His love.
I believe that the human heart craves those two things. Understanding and love. You feel sometimes that people understand you, and when you feel they understand you. So I can talk to that person, they understand me. Isn't it wonderful, dear friends, that there is one who understands you perfectly. He watched your body being formed before you were ever born, says thine eyes did behold my substance, yet being unperfect, and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned.
When as yet, there was none of them.
He knows all your physical weaknesses, your physical strength. He knows all about you. It is not wonderful that knowing that he loves you, he cares for you. You say I'm kind of rejected. I don't feel understood. But the one who knows all and who isn't changed by knowing it all because his love is so perfect. That's the one we want to talk about. And then too, in this chapter, it brings before us about walking and the enjoyment of all this and the last verse. I just like you to notice.
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. They shall walk and not faint. Perhaps I hear somebody say. Well, I feel so slowed down. I don't think this would apply to me. But isn't it nice that it brings before us three different conditions? If I can speak of it in that way, says they shall mount up with wings as Eagles. You see, there's a lot of problems in my life, and I can't seem to get above them. But the Lord can help you to rise above them. But you say, I haven't yet risen about them. Then it goes down and says.
They shall run and not worry. Maybe you can't get above them, but you can run. Floridas grown us after thee. Now let us run and never tire. But you say I can't even run. I'm just walking. But isn't this lovely? They shall walk and not faint. And there's somebody here that says, well, I see other Christians. They seem to be happy and enjoying these things, but it isn't my portion, I guess. Well, perhaps you are just walking, but don't faint. Don't faint because the Lord gives you the strength. Even when we get slowed down. And sometimes we do in our Christian pathway.
Isn't it blessed to know that He gives us the strength even just to walk along? But don't stop, don't give in and say, well, I'm just going to give up now. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. And so He's able to give you that strength that you need. And so this passage, I just wanted to look at it briefly, because process brings before us the thought of understanding. Perhaps all of us have thought something like that.
27th verse My way is hid from the Lord that nobody seems to understand, and I wonder if the Lord really understands how difficult it is for me, my situation and all about it. I couldn't talk about it to other people because they wouldn't understand. But He does. He does. He understands. He has allowed that He puts you in a certain place for your good and for your blessing, and someday you're going to be like the children of Israel.
Who, in that coming day, when they look back over those 40 years of wilderness life, they're going to say he led them forth by the right way, a journey that could have been made in 11 days, that took 40 years. You say they must have made a lot of mistakes. Well, they did too. But he led them forth by the right way because he bore with them an older weakness and failure, made provision for them, cared for them, until he finally brought them into that land.
That good land flowing with milk and honey. And if you really know the Lord as your Savior, one thing I can assure you, the end of your journey is going to be bright and glorious When the Lord comes, or when perhaps He might allow you to pass through the article of death, it will be to be with Christ, which is far better, or at his coming to join with all redeemed company, to see the Savior face to face and praise Him as we ought. Well, I say this passage perhaps brings before us the thought of.
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Understanding.
What I would really like to speak of is the Song of Solomon, and I'd like to trace a few points through this beautiful book.
As it brings before us, shall I say I I believe the thought in it is more particularly love, and I think it brings before us in a practical way, God's ways with us.
We like illustrations, you know? And the Bible is full of them because God uses in this.
Book of the Song of Solomon The relationship that exists between husband and wife to be a picture of the relationship between US and the Lord. Isn't it a marvelous thing that we have brought into such a near relationship? There is no nearer human relationship than husband and wife. And so God uses this in this beautiful book and Song of Solomon to bring before us that relationship that you and I can enjoy with the Lord.
And how we can enjoy it, because that is very important. All marriages aren't happy as we know.
But sometimes we're not happy Christians too, and we don't enjoy the relationship we have with the Lord.
But it's never his fault. It's always ours, because his love never changes. His ways with us are perfect. He never, I think what is an interesting thing, as I read this book, never once did the bridegroom reproach the bride. Never once. Never. He sometimes told her about little things that hurt him, but he never reproached her. He always showed her love and sought to win her affections. And that's what the Lord has done.
Brother was just talking to me a minute ago and he said he heard some remark that my father made and he said never try to love the Lord any more than to do think of how much He loves you. And that is a good thing for us because we try to love the Lord. We we get occupied with ourselves, we find out how people our love is and we get discouraged. But as we think of his love, his wondrous love, I've often noticed in the scripture the times that God assures his people of their love was always at a time when you might least have expected it.
At the end of their wilderness journey, says yeah, he loved the people. All his Saints are in thy hand. 40 years of murmuring and complaining. He loved the people. They were still in his hand. Jeremiah had to warn them that they were going to be carried into captivity. Did the Lord cease to love them because of their carelessness? Now that's where we find that wonderful verse. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. And then we turn over to the book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, and that feeble remnant that came back.
They were going on just as they should. They didn't want to serve the Lord, for not. They were just interested in their own houses and not in the Lord's house. Who would have thought that in fact caused his love to change? No, it didn't. It says the burden of the word of the Lord by Malachi. I have loved you, saith the Lord. How marvelous. And I trust that if this meeting can have this little effect upon me and upon you, that we realize his love.
Then perhaps it will draw out a responsive love in our hearts. Because what a person really loves you and showers you with kindness. It's natural. It's going to create some response. You say, well, I made a lot of mistakes, but when they say, well, I love you just the same, doesn't that mean a lot to you when a friend says that? And how wonderful the Lord's love? Well, it's this book I'd like to told us through this Song of Solomon.
Because I got. I believe God uses this as a picture for us. I'd like to notice little points through the.
Song of Solomon that bring us bring out what I'm speaking about and I trust the Lord will.
Be pleased to use it in blessing. I just like notice the first one. It says the Song of Songs, which is Solomon's Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. For thy love is better than wine. It's not talking about her love, but his love. And that's what we need to begin with, before I begin to speak about any practical things in our lives. And there are many things that need to be practically set right.
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In my life, and in your life perhaps too. And evertheless, isn't it good to start with this? Not your love, but with thy love Is better than wine. The best things that people know to make them, to lift them out of themselves and make them feel happy. How wonderful. There's something far better, better than anything that this world can offer. That's the difference between the book of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, it's a heart that's too big for the object.
That is, he tried everything. He had power to do it. He had lots of money. He had position, he said. I withheld not my heart from any joy. He tried everything the world, so to speak, had to offer. And what did he find out after he had it all? He said. All is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yeah, he tried it all. The heart was too big for the object.
The object that he had, the world couldn't fill the heart and so.
There may be dear young people here and you say, well, I want to have my flame, well, you're going to find that out. The world can't fill your heart. It may be for a time, for there are pleasures in sin for a season. You might think that it's offering you something worthwhile, but it's nothing lasting. It's just for a season, and it's all vanity and vexation of spirit. But when we come to the Song of Solomon, we find just the opposite experience that is.
An object that's too big for the heart, now that is Christ and all that He is in figure to us is far more than the heart can contain. You'll never find a Christian who is enjoying the Lord who says, well, I've got it all, I can't have any more. True as to our position, we've got it all. But as to the state of our souls, how far short, how little we enter into His love. We set up meetings like this and no matter how well.
We have an instructed in the things of God. We find out things in his wonderful word that we hadn't perhaps noticed before. We say, oh, there's not lovely another gem I have found You'll always be gathering gems all your life because they're innumerable and they're all yours. You pick up something and you say, well be nice if I had that, you see a nice car. He said be nice if I had that, But maybe you'll get it and maybe you won't. But isn't it lovely? Every spiritual blessing.
Is yours when you lay hold of it, you don't say, well, is this really mine? He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. In Christ, God is always giving us. He's a giving God. And even when we preach the gospel, it's lovely to present him as a giving God. Dear friends, that's what he is. He's a giving God. He delights to bless, and through all eternity, he's never going to stop giving.
Because his resources are infinite, immeasurable. So he begins here with thy love, let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. We all know what a kiss means. It's getting pretty close to a person when you kiss them, isn't it? And that's what it means. Are you really getting close enough to the Lord to feel the warmth of his love, maybe even walking at a distance from him? Peter walked a distance from the Lord.
And then He denied his Lord, and he was very sorry He was restored afterwards, But the Lord still loved him, and He looked upon him when he denied him in a little poem, says towards the look that melted Peter towards the face that Steven saw, because the heart that wept with Mary can alone from idols draw. And so I believe this is the beginning, if I might say, of the introduction of what I would like to talk about.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than one.
To him that you let him do what he wants to do, shower you with his love, tell you how much he loves you, and that he wants to bless you not only in spiritual things, but he cares about those natural things. In life too. Has been made a wonderful world. Did you ever think he could have made the world all one color? He could have made all our food taste alike, but we got quite a variety of dinner. He could have made these things. Why did he make them all different? Why did he make those colors? Why did he make the beauty of the horizon? It tells you why in Proverbs.
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Because when he built all this, his delights were with the sons of men.
Said, I'm going to make it beautiful for those people when they live there. They see my handiwork and how good I am that I have given all these wonderful things. Well, that's in nature. But his love is more wonderful still. All those things have been tokens of his goodness. He left not himself without witness that he did good, sending rain from heaven, unfruitful seasons, filling men's hearts with food and gladness, I'm sure.
All the young people here have enjoyed what you haven't used, and you can enjoy it. The health God's given you and this wonderful created world that He's given to us. And He wants you to not enjoy them apart from him, but in communion with him in a way that honors him. But He has given us all things richly to enjoy. But he wants to get closer still and kiss me. Doesn't say I'm going to kiss him. Let us let him kiss me. He wants to shower his love upon you. Will you let him? You let him kiss you.
Will you let him tell you how much he loves you? That's the very beginning. That's the first thing that we have.
In this chapter and then in the third verse.
That second verse I'll notice. Draw me. We will run after the King hath brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in thee. We will remember thy love more than wine, the upright love thee having learned a little of his love. Then we say, draw me. I want to be close to a friend like that.
Somebody made some advance to you and they loved you and they created a response in your heart.
And then you wanted to be together. And that's exactly what we have here. Draw me. We will run after thee. And so we sang That little ham Lord, thou hast drawn us after thee. Thou let us run and never tire. So you see, at first he's loved, and then it's you answering and saying, Draw me is your heart. Saying that I'm going to ask my heart and your heart, Are we saying to the Lord, draw me. I know I quite often am like Peter. I walk afar off. I walk at a distance.
I really do love the Lord, and I do follow him. Don't make a mistake, but I want to get too close. The Lord wants you real close. When you have someone you love, you don't like them a long way away. You like them right at your side, right beside you. And is that the desire? So there's the response, His love.
In the second verse, and then the answer of the heart draw me. We will run after the the king hath brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in thee. But then we come to this fifth verse. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon, look not upon me, because I am black.
Because the Son hath looked upon me. Well, we know that Speaking of God's people, they were not to marry outside of their own people. They were to marry of their own. But we know that King Solomon married a daughter of Pharaoh. And so I believe this is what it has reference to. But did he love her? She she wasn't of the, shall I say, of the favored race, the favored nation.
She was black but she was comely and isn't that lovely? What comeliness do we have?
He's put his comeliness upon us. It tells us in another verse, he's put his comeliness. You say I'm so unworthy of all this. Yes, we are. This is the way she felt too, she said. I know that I'm outside of this favored nation. I'm just black, But I think he sees beauty in me because she said more than I think he. I know I'm black, but calmly, Are you walking in the enjoyment of the fact that at this very moment?
Although you may have failed and grieved him as to your standing in Christ, your holy.
And without blame before him in love, holy and without blame before him in love. That's the when you have a real friend and you've done something that's hurt them and you feel you have to tell them, You have to acknowledge to them that you did something that grieved them. And they say they put their arms around and say, hasn't changed my love. I still love you just the same. How does that make you feel like, oh, you say what a wonderful friend. I don't have many friends like that.
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That would keep on. That's the friend that you have in the Lord Jesus. He doesn't cease to love at every moment of your Christian life as a believer, as to your standing, your holy and without blame before him in love. And it's not hard to confess your faults to somebody when you know that when you tell them, they're going to say it hasn't changed me. I still feel the same. I'm glad you told me, but I still feel the same towards you. I love you just like before.
Oh, it's not wonderful. You can have that confidence. We need to confess our sins. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That doesn't change. His love doesn't change our standing. And it seems that she's conscious of that because she says I am black. But comely look not upon me because I am black. Because the sun hath looked upon me. My mother's children were angry with me.
Maybe sometimes your brother may not be as kind towards you as the Lord, but the Lord is still the same. He's always the same. And so isn't this beautiful here what we see? And so, as I say, it starts out with His love, and then it brings us.
To the desire that we'd be drawn after him. And the closer we got to him, the more we realized how unworthy we are, but how wonderful this blessed Savior is.
That as a little song we sometimes sing, and yet to find thee still the same tis this that humbles us with shame. Then there's another little step here in the seventh verse. Tell me all thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feed us, and where thou makest thy thy flock to rest at noon. For why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherd tents. You know you're talking a little bit about fellowship, and I think this verse brings this in so laughter.
The one here, the bride, has been brought to some enjoyment of what is in the heart of the bridegroom. Then she wants companions. And so she says, Tell me, and he's a little bit grieved that he doesn't know that she doesn't know, he says, If thou knowest not, oh, thou fairest among women, go thy way by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherd tents. This brings before us the thought of fellowship with one another.
You know, we can enjoy the Lord alone, and that's a very precious thing. And I hope you do. And I hope each one of us have a personal communion with the Lord. We're talking a little bit about fellowship and common thoughts. Isn't it nice? The Lord has given us brethren in Christ with whom we can have common thoughts. And it seems rather interesting that she says, Where do you feed your flock? I want to be there, where you are and where the flock is.
And isn't it blessed that the Lord has in his wondrous grace provided for two or three are gathered together in my name?
There am I in the midst of them. As Christians, we can enjoy the Lord for ourselves, but there's something very precious in enjoying it with in company with others who are in his flock, those who are his. And so he tells he tells her, If thou knowest not, go thy way by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherd's tents. And so there is a place where we can have.
Fellowship with one another.
John speaks of personal fellowship, fellowship with the Father and with the Son, and it also talks about fellowship with one another and where the Lord is the shepherd, where he's caring for them. They're very great privilege, and I think this is something we need to bear in mind. I know Christians that say well.
I can just go out alone. Well, there may be times when it may be necessary, but it isn't normal. The Lord has given us Companions. Companions in tribulation. Perhaps He's given us others with whom we can have fellowship. And so how blessed this is. So we see an order here, I think, in what is brought before us in this portion, this lovely Song of Solomon. Well, I'll just pass over.
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To the pass to the 12Th verse.
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the spell thereof. Now we find a table. Isn't this beautiful? A table? Yes, we sit around the table. A table is precious to us. Scripture talks about the Lord's table as we partake of that one loath as we have the privilege tomorrow morning, if the Lord leaves us here, what do we see in that one loaf? It says.
Think of it. We partake of it.
As members of the one body of Christ, what a blessed privilege this is. Don't join a group of people you partake at the Lord's table. And I think it's very precious to see that table with that one loaf. There's maybe a few hundred of us here. If the Lord leaves us here tomorrow and that loaf is there, is that just going to represent one or two believers now? It's going to represent every member of the body of Christ.
There are only two here. Two or three, Isn't it, precious brethren? May we value the privilege of remembering the Lord at His table, at His table, where we can gather in fellowship. We have the thought of fellowship brought before us in the Where is the flock resting? And now we find this lovely fact. All Christians may not be at the Lord's table, but they're all represented there.
I'm sure others have heard me tell this.
Incident. But I thought it illustrated it nicely. There was a brother in a certain place that I knew, and the thought of being gathered not as members of a group or members of a sect, but as members of the body of Christ, it was very precious to him. And as he remembered the Lord, there weren't very many in that little place, that company. And they spread the table, and they put the one loaf on it, but in his heart.
He looked at that one love and he didn't just think of the little company that was there. He thought of what that loaf represented. There is one body and says by 1 spirit we are all that's all believers bapped into what one body baptized by 1 spirit into one body? Well, you knew what you're Christian in the community. And on Monday morning he met him in some business place and he said, oh brother, so glad to see I saw you at the Lord's table yesterday.
Remembering him, he says no, I wasn't there. I went to my own church. I know he knew where he went. He said I wasn't there. I went to my church. He said no, I saw you there. He said you made a mistake. I wasn't there. He said I saw you in that one loaf. Isn't that lovely? And so perhaps you're in a place, a nice number here, but perhaps you're in a place where there's not very many. But that loaf, that one loaf speaks of every member. The King's table. What a lovely.
Lord of glory.
King of kings and Lord of Lords.
My spikenard sendeth out the smell thereof. Claudia's are you sitting there and just saying, Well, I fulfilled my responsibility. I came to remember the Lord. There was their worship flowing from your heart. Maybe you feel led to give out of him.
Says We're going to see later on, he says. Let me hear thy voice. But nevertheless, he sees you there, and there needs to be, and there should be.
Worship in our hearts to Him as we remember Him in His death and what He has done for us. And so we find here that it says.
My Spartan, my spikenard, sendeth forth the smell thereof. Now we come to the next chapter, and I want you to notice here in the 15th verse. Well, I'll read the 14th.
Oh, my doubt, thou art in the clefts of the rock and the secret places of the stairs. Let me see thy countenance. Let me hear thy voice. For thy voice is sweet, and thy countenance is comely. Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes. Perhaps we find two things here it says, Let me hear thy voice. Let me see thy face.
Now the Lord likes to hear our voice. He likes us to. For the brothers, I would say. And you sit there in His presence and never feel exercised even to give out of him. He likes to hear your voice. Oh, you say, I'm. I'm going to choose the wrong hymn. Well, some of us are parents here. We don't tell our children don't speak at the table until you can talk plainly. We never talk like that. We're glad to hear their lesbians, even though sometimes.
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We may find it hard to understand just what they're trying to say. We like to hear their voice. Let me hear thy voice.
Let me see thy face, for thy voice is sweet, and thy countenance is comely. Oh, how lovely he delights to have us there. But more than that, he delights to hear our voices. He likes to hear us, perhaps in some way or other show our appreciation. Even the sisters alone, they don't take the lead in giving out of him. They certainly sing. And the Lord hears our voices, someone said. Well, how is that they hear their voices when they sing?
Well, because even in the temple, I think I just mentioned this because it's been helpful to me.
In the temple there were never any women priests, but there were women singers. There were women singers. And so it says when it talks about it in First Corinthians 14, it says that your women keep silence as also Seth the law. In other words, they didn't take the place leaders, but they did sing. And So what a privilege. The sisters have to join their voices. And let me hear thy voice, let me see thy face. Thy voice is sweet and thy countenance is come thy But then there's another little one here that comes in.
It says in the 15th verse, Take us, the fox says. The little fox says that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes. We've been talking about pretty nice things so far, but now there comes something kind of serious here. The enemies are busy. He doesn't like there to be fruitfulness and they spoil little foxes. I can remember when I was young, our dear old brother Dunlop used to talk so quite a bit about watching those little foxes, he said.
And all they creep into your life and mine. How easily those little things come in. You say it was only a little thing. Yes, a little thing can get you out of communion. A little thing. The enemy never starts with big things, always starts with little things. And so he says here, just a little foxes. They spoil the vines, they spoil fruitfulness. They spoil that communion with the Lord. My beloved is mine and I am his.
And now we come to another one here, and we find perhaps these foxes have been allowed. There's something here that seems rather sad. The third chapter in the first verse. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise and go about the city and the streets, and in the broadways I will seek him who my sole loveth. I sought him, but I found him not. The Watchmen that go about the city found me to whom I say.
Sorry. Here. Whom my soul, sahih. Him whom my soul loveth. So we find here that there were the little foxes. Now we find something's happening. She's not doing anything particularly wrong at this point. What is she doing? Just seeking her ease. Apart from him, my father used to have a little expression I thought was quite good. The flashlight's an easy path as well as an evil path. And sometimes we can let ease, we can let this occupation with.
Present things down here. Just like making life easy for ourselves, hinder communion with the Lord, it's very easy to get occupied with the things of this world. Things that may not be wrong in themselves. Nothing wrong with her going to bed. Father was wrong with her when she sought her and her pleasure apart from Him. And what is real pleasure? What is real joy in this world if the Lord is left out of it? We sing in a little hymn, No joy we know apart from Thee.
And who tried to find some pleasure in this world apart from the Lord? You may say to me, What's wrong with it? Well, I may be able to say there's nothing really wrong with it. But are you in the company of the Lord? Or are you in the company of those that love the Lord and want to please the Lord? Or are you in a place where you're away from him, away from the company of those that love Him? The Psalmist said, I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts.
It's a good thing to choose your friends from those who love the Lord of them that fear thee. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and that keep thy precepts. Well, there was a watchman there, and he was watching too. And it says here.
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The Watchmen that go about the city found me. We can be thankful for those who care for us. Perhaps you might at first resent it that the Watchmen have found you and discovered that you're out of communion. Perhaps sometimes a brother or sister may say, well, are you really walking in communion with the Lord? Are you getting away from him? That friendship that you're forming, Is it pleasing to the Lord?
Don't resent it. The Watchman is seeking your good and your blessing. Sometimes we may say things kind of bluntly, and we should say them in love, but nevertheless we should have a care one for another that the members should have the one care. My hand never said I don't care what the foot is like. All the members are affected, and if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. So there are Watchmen, and thank God for this watchman because.
She was restored through the work of this watchman. And it says here it was what a little that I passed from them. I found him whom my soul loveth here. There's Restoration. This is so lovely here to see. There's restoration. And now we come to the 4th chapter. I.
I want to notice here the 12Th verse. I just like to read the rest of this 12Th verse to the end. A garden enclosed as my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up. A fountain sealed thy plants, Sir. An orchard of pomegranates and pleasant fruits. Campfire with spikenard, spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon with all manner of Frankenstein smear and aloes with all the chief spices. A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters.
Streams from Lebanon, see here is.
A garden enclosed as my sister. This is the bridegroom speaking, and what he really found in her, and how he saw those precious fruits. The Bible tells us in Galatians 6 The fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy. Peace, long-suffering, meekness, gentleness, a lot of things, precious fruits of the Spirit. Are they manifested in my life and yours? Is this the way we act and the way we react? Maybe you say, I didn't do anything wrong, but sometimes rather than our.
Reactions are wrong, it's been said about those two boys in the 15th of Luke. One had wrong actions, the other had wrong three actions. The one boy got off far into the far country. The other boy reacted with jealousy toward his brother when he saw him blessed. Sometimes. I didn't do anything that you react the right way to. We sometimes have kind of bad reactions to things that happen. We have to judge.
The reactions.
As well as the actions. And so here we find what we should be. There should be fruit bearing in our lives. And there is also the a spring of living waters. The Lord Jesus said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. There ought to be that which flows forth from us for the good and blessing of others. And then there is a there is the plants that.
Pomegranates. That's fruit that we can eat. Then there's other that just give a nice smell.
There's all these different things. Well, there's various fruits that there can be in our lives too. Some Christians, they may not say a lot, but at just the spirit of Christ, you can see in them, you meet them and there's a warmth, there's a feeling that they're Christlike. I heard about a dear Christian, someone who read it somewhere, a Christian man who lived in a town in England and when he died, someone said.
Well, he didn't know him very well. It said there was a man like Jesus died. He lived in this town. Wasn't that nice? Is that what they would say about me or you? A man like Jesus, We should be like him. He has desired that we should. Our lives should be fashioned like him. That tells us he's the pattern for us. Well, then we see this and then we see trials in the end, how we go north wind and come now South.
Blow thou upon the blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out at my beloved. Come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits. Yes, sometimes the north wind does blow. Everything seems to be going well up to this point. It does seem in the main things were going on quite well. Been a little slip here when she went to sleep without the bridegroom. Nothing very wrong that she had done. But here it says, Awake thou north wind.
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Sometimes the Lord does allow a wave of trouble to come into our lives. Everything seems to be going along fairly well. All of a sudden, disparaging wave of trouble comes. You know what happens? Well, supposing there's a garbage dump and the wind blows, what are you going to smell? Going to smell the garbage down, aren't you? But supposing there's something, a perfume factory, and the wind blows, what are you going to smell of? Perfume and Janelle Brevin were tested when trial comes.
What this trial produce in your life and mine, if we're really in the enjoyment of the Lord. Some dear Christians, when you see a trial coming to their life, you see the spices flowing out, spices flowing out. My father used to sometimes say you'll never know whether I'm walking with God until trouble comes. And then you'll find out how I react when that trouble comes. And so troubles come in our lives. Troubles come in the assembly.
What do they produce in us? Bitterness, upset and everything. Or do they produce We're in us just a blowing out. You say, oh, there was a trial, but that brother or that sister, all you could see was the fragrance of Christ. Isn't that beautiful? Well, that's what it means. At the end of this chapter, he invites the wind to blow and says it'll just blow out the spices. And so when? That's when the trials come.
That's what has happened here. Well, then you come into this next chapter, you find another one. The time is flying into heaven. Got time to read it all, but perhaps I could.
Read the second verse well, I'll read two or three verses. Here I sleep, but my heart waketh. It is the voice of my beloved that knock us, saying open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled, for my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night. And now she answers, This is a sort of a conversation I have put off my coat. How shall I put it on? I have washed my feet. How shall I defile them?
She had again sought a raise.
I think I've learned my lesson. But she did it again, didn't she? And don't we do that too? And we say, I think I learned my lesson, but the situation arises. We do the same thing again. She does it again, but he's out there knocking. He's concerned, he wants her company and he knocks. And it seems rather sad this time because this was the second time she's got a little farther away. I sleep.
The third verse I I put off my coat. How shall I put it on?
Wash my feet? How shall I defile them?
She really loved him, I'm sure, but there was too much bother. Do we sometimes say that? I haven't got time to read my Bible? I haven't got time to pray. I haven't got time for my brethren. I'm just too busy. And that's what she had done. She'd laid down. He was knocking and she said no. I put off my coat and the latch was on the outside.
It says here.
In the fourth verse, my beloved put in his hand by the whole of the door. My bowels were moved by him.
Yeah, He put in his hand. Doesn't that make you think of the time the Lord appeared in the midst of his own?
Those ones who had wandered away from Jerusalem were on the road to Emmaus and and the Lord came along and talked to them. And it says here my beloved put in his hand and it says that he showed them his hands, says when he I believe when he took his hands to break the bread for it, says he broke the bread on that occasion that they recognized it says he was known of them in the breaking of bread. Those hands, those Pierce the hands and so.
Doesn't touch your heart to think he puts in his hands. Supposing the Lord were to come right now in the midst of this company, and show us his hands and his side would not touch our hearts. Wouldn't we be ashamed of ourselves that we said, oh, I was just seeking an easy path in my life. I just want to have everything easy and good, and I want all things to work out well in the Lord. The rejected one, the one who went to Calvary, put his hand and He showed us His hands. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord?
00:50:03
And we find here, she goes out now to seek him and we find the watchman again. And they, they have to deal with her a little more harshly this time because you know, she's become she had been warned, but now she's becoming careless. And sometimes the president, let's not resent it. If some brother or sister says something to us, maybe it hurts at the time. Maybe they didn't say, well, you say they didn't say it in the spirit of Christ. Well, the Lord will deal with them.
I have nothing to do with that. Did I need it? Was it true what they said? Sometimes we just resent the Spirit in which they did well. We don't always do things in a nice spirit. We should do them in the Spirit of Christ. But we find here that the Watchmen, the Keepers, the Wall took off my away, my veil from me. In other words, she couldn't say I belong wholly to my beloved if I'm not, if I'm not really seeking his company, seeking what pleases him.
We can say we're a separated people, we're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. But if we don't walk consistent like that, it's just like taking away our veil. Maybe we walk as those who are gathered to a rejected Christ following him.
Then it goes on to tell us.
She starts. Now there's another company that are brought in here and that's the eighth verse. The daughters of Jerusalem, I think in this book they represent to us.
The world who looks on and sees us. And they ask the question, what is thy beloved more than another beloved?
Does the world see that the Christ is precious to us? Or do they say, Well, you talk a lot, but I don't see that the Lord means very much to you. They ought to. They ought to see that the Lord means. But what is their answer? Well, I believe that she's been restored here. I believe the Watchmen have been used. I believe she's been brought back in her soul. And now she starts to describe her bridegroom. And I'd just like to notice the last verse.
Of this 5th chapter.
His mouth is most sweet. Yay, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend, oh, daughters of Jerusalem. Now she's been restored. And she begins to describe him. I didn't read all the, but as it were, she looks at him from head to foot and says, oh, he's just altogether lovely, brethren, that's our Savior. That's the one who's the head of the body, the church.
That's the one who loved the church and gave himself for it. Has he changed? No, he's still altogether lovely. What a friend. We have friends in this world, but there's no friends like the Lord Jesus. And what is more wonderful to me? I can say he's my friend, but what thrills my heart? He says you're my friend. I haven't called you servants. I've called you friends. We sing to him what a friend we have in Jesus. That's wonderful that we have such a friend when he looks at a poor failing thing like me and says.
You're my friend. I'm going to tell you a few things. I'm concerned because I love you. Isn't it wonderful? That's the kind of a friend says this is my friend. Wasn't the result in the next chapter? Notice the first verse of the 6th chapter.
Whither is thy beloved gone? O thou fairest among women. Whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee? That is now these daughters of Jerusalem. They begin to talk and they say, well, we'd like to know a friend like that. We never, we never heard of a friend that would be like that. The matter that we've acted pretty badly. But he's still the same. He's just exactly the same. Our friends aren't like that. But I like we'd like to know, your friend.
Mr. Darby once said our testimony to the world.
Is our joy in the Lord? Did the world see us as happy Christians? Do we talk about the Lord Jesus as the one who is so dear to us? Or do they find us seeking after things just the same as they are, as if we were trying to find our happiness here? Or can we say, oh, I know the Lord Jesus. He's altogether lovely if you only knew him. One brother stood up to speak and he took for his verse in the Psalms.
They that know thy name shall put their trust in thee.
And then he said you couldn't help but love him if you knew him. You couldn't help but love him if you knew him. And dear friends, that's the one. Our brother last night was bringing before us the wonderful Savior, the Lord Jesus, what he would do for us and cleanse us and fit us for the glory. But he's more than that. He's a friend. And I believe there's no greater testimony to the world than to say that we have such a friend. Was it because she'd always done what she should? No, she wasn't perfect.
00:55:25
But she's restored now, and she starts to talk about him after. There. Perhaps you've got away from the Lord and he's brought you back. Start talking about him. Tell your friends what a wonderful savior he is. Not only saved you, but you got away from him and he loves you still. He didn't stop loving you, and he brought you back.
That's what is the greatest testimony, I believe. And when we speak of him, then it touches. I think this is sweet. Let me read it again. Whither is thy beloved gone, although fairest among women? Whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee?
Well, that's lovely. Well, I just like to turn before we close to the last chapter.
5th verse Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness? Leaning upon her beloved, I raised the I raised the up under the apple tree. There thy mother brought thee forth. There she she that brought the 4th there she brought the 4th That bear thee, set me as a seal of online heart, as a seal upon thine arm. For love is strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave.
Coals are over coals of fire which have the most vehement flame.
Many waters cannot quench love. Neither can the love. The floods drone it. If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be condemned. Well, this is the last thing. And what is she doing? She's come now to the end, we might say, of the wilderness journey. She's coming up out of the wilderness. Some of us are getting a bit older.
Isn't this nice or attitude? What is she doing? She's leaning upon her beloved brethren. We're soon going to. Whether we're young or old, we're going to soon leave this wilderness.
Are we leaving on our beloved? It's a troubled world we live in. There's a lot of confusion everywhere.
There's upset everywhere. Business world, family life. Sad to say. Even in the assembly there are upsets and trials are relating on the everlasting arms. Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness? I think it's beautiful to see this last view of the bride after all these experiences. And perhaps as I've spoken of them, you can look back in your own life and say, I think I've had a few of these experiences myself too. And I I know what you're saying. Well, I think we all have to say.
Amen. It's so true that we go through these. What are we doing now? Maybe we're getting near the end of the journey in life. Are we leaning upon our beloved? We're soon going to come out of the wilderness, brethren. Whether we're young or old, may the Lord grant that we will be leaning upon him out of fellowship. What a joy to find leaning on the everlasting arms. So we pray.
Giving
Address—H. Short
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Sing together hymn #30 in the back of the book #30 Rest of the Saints and glory the laborers. Bright reward. How constant sounds before me.
Forever with the Lord.
Wrist through the toil of Jesus.
For Saints there doth remain.
And endless rest and precious.
Arrest from sin and pain.
With someone start #30 in the back please.
My soaring.
Thou shalt be where in heaven?
God bless the grass and trails today.
Yes, face and rain and glory.
When you rest your day when I don't see.
Here's what will cause.
Story.
To the Church while I do it all the way to you.
I want to start Jake's eyes.
Where God in chapter in Hebrews we had in concluding.
Hebrews.
Chapter 13.
And we just are.
Going to.
Seek to benefit from the first chapter and the rest of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
And have that benefit manifested in our lives, the changes, whatever they need to be in our lives.
But in this I just want to read in Hebrews.
Chapter 13.
Here we have.
Here have we no continuing city.
By him therefore.
Verse 16.
And by him, therefore, let us communicate. That's what's on my heart this afternoon.
00:05:04
The thought of communicating or giving.
Here, and the passages that we will be considering as to their doctrine. It would involve a giving of our money that isn't at all on my heart this afternoon. I don't even want you to think about it.
Unless the Spirit of God would be working with your conscience about it. But that's not what's on my heart. What is on my heart is that let us communicate, and I assume most all of us understand. It's the thought of giving. It isn't the thought of talking with one another, although that might be involved in communicating.
But it's the thought of giving of ourselves, and I have a special.
People in mind.
That I want us to be exercised in our life, to be sure.
That we give to these people.
Let's go to Jeremiah 39 and you will see.
Who are on my heart.
In Jeremiah 39, we know the captivity has taken place in God's people.
Lost the land and it says in verse 10 but the guard captain of the guard.
Left of the poor, of the people which had nothing.
I'd like to turn to Revelation Chapter 2.
These are just.
Verses to establish in our thought the Saints of God.
Revelation Chapter 2.
And in verse 9.
I know.
Thy poverty and then in chapter 3.
And in down in verse.
17.
Thou art.
Poor.
Now I'd like to turn back to Romans.
Chapter 15.
And this will begin our exercise as to what's on my heart.
Before we read from Romans chapter 15, I just want to establish in a heart that we have read about two assemblies and we've read about the Old Testament sayings who were disguised by God for various reasons, some by unfaithfulness, some because of faithfulness, but for whatever the reason was, they were all.
Described.
As.
Poor. And that's sad, isn't it? I mean, when you think that.
In our thoughts here on Earth.
If there was some dignitary.
You wouldn't expect some king, some president?
You wouldn't expect his children to be described as poor.
But here are the children of God, and they're described as poor.
I don't. I'm not so interested in determining why they are described that way, just simply that they are described as poor.
00:10:09
And then in Romans chapter 15.
He says, the apostle says.
In verse 26 in the middle of the verse.
Make a certain contribution for the poor Saints. Now that's what's on my heart this afternoon. We have the rest of our life to live.
And I would hope that we would go away from these meetings with a determination that as much as life in me, as much as lies in you, that the rest of our lives are going to be devoted to making a certain contribution to the poor Saints. You know, that's long been a burden on my heart.
Because.
You know, I someone, I don't know who it was. They sent me a a poem. I don't know if Mr. Darby wrote it. It's said to have been found in his Bible after his death.
And it called the servants pathway, and in it the burden in this poem is that a servant of God.
Would be found much amongst the poor, and one of the thoughts in this poem is that if you aren't found there.
If you choose to.
Cast your lot with the wealthy.
Your master, the Lord Jesus.
Might pass you by on his way to the dwellings of the poor.
And I am not talking beloved.
Some of you have.
Gone through every other lands, and you have described to me their poverty.
But I'm talking about the poverty of the Saints of God.
Right here in this room.
For whatever reason that poverty might exist, we are.
A poor company that has nothing at all. Or we have Christ.
With all my heart is that as you view.
Your brethren.
Someone said our conference or conference I that recently, in regards to the gathered scenes, they said something like this. There's nothing for the eye to see.
That isn't right.
You know what there is for the eye to see. And what the eye does see. The Lord isn't in the midst if there aren't two or three gathered together into his name, and so those two or three of us who are gathered together unto his name.
By the Spirit of God.
And Christ, honoring that work of the Spirit, takes up His place in their midst, honoring the work of the spirit, honoring His name.
And but there needs to be the two or three and that's what people can see and so when you look at these two or three.
You might say, well, I'm not sure if this is what I want to make my life's contribution to.
I'm just not sure if I want to spend the rest of my life contributing to the poor Saints and I want to encourage you to do it.
I want to encourage you today, not try to figure out the cause of the poverty.
Poverty doesn't usually come. Spiritual poverty doesn't come.
By being occupied with Christ.
We don't exist today in our reduced numbers because of our faithfulness to the Lord.
But whatever the reason for our poverty, the desire of my heart.
00:15:03
Is that each of us will make be willing to make this contribution for the poor Saints.
You know the Lord Jesus. When Judas had the bag, we had a little bit about that in our readings. The other disciples saw them go out, and one of the conclusions they drew was that the Lord had sent him out to give something to the poor. Now they wouldn't have concluded that if that hadn't been the habit of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He gave, we'll see it. He gave his life and he gave his substance.
For the poor.
And the disciples who were close to him concluded that that's why Judas went out.
It would be nice, wouldn't it?
If others could look at our lives.
And think of US.
Us as living lives, contributing to the four Saints. Well, there was a reason, you know, This has come upon my heart and those of my brethren with, with.
Bear mind, I get frustrated sometimes because.
I can't remember where anything is in the scriptures, but I am.
I have the impression in my heart and in my mind and I know it's a fact. We will look at it, some of it.
At how much of the New Testament scriptures, how much time Paul spends occupying our thoughts with this contribution for the poor Saints at Jerusalem, he gives us chapters on this thing and you know.
Hear them talking about.
There's something deeper in Paul's thinking.
The monetary assistance to the poor in Jerusalem, that of course is it. But what he had before him, the value he placed on that contribution to the poor sayings, was going to be its eternal consequences it was going to produce.
Reward for the beloved Saints who contributed to the poor things it was going to cause, the Jewish Saints.
Poor Jewish Saints, it's going to cause their hearts to be cemented to those Gentiles who had been grafted in into their place.
The apostle views it through God's eyes and so that's why I believe he gives so much time and occupies our thoughts. So much with this ministry of giving and again.
I'm not talking about money. In our circumstance, it may be.
The Lord will speak to your heart about.
What our brother Bob spoke about or somebody next door. But I'm talking about you in your life making a contribution to the poor St. Let's go down.
In Romans 15 and toward the end he says in verse 30. Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ sake, and for the love of the Spirit.
That you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem, may be accepted of the Saints. Well, there was more purposes than one for the apostle going to Jerusalem. I'm not saying that. But he had this ministry, and he he asked the Saints to pray that the unbelieving ones who were there.
Would not stop this ministry from being accomplished. My brother Don spoke after the meeting when we were talking a little bit about we have no continuing city. And the king went out and he built a city, and he named it after the name of his son, You know his his. He built Nineveh in Babel too, and Babylon two and those cities as far as men were concerned.
00:20:05
We're continuing cities. They were cities that these men who were unbelieving were building and they had in their mind, as the scriptures say, that we are going to be here forever.
And both of them opposed Jerusalem, God's center, God's city.
And today, that's what I see. We are faced with a city that unbelief has built and it's going to try to get you and me.
To forget our contribution to the poor things, take it away from us and give cause us to live for this city that it tells us is worth living for. In our instances, it's Babylon. That's where the church ends up.
But it's not worth living for. It's not worth living for. Well.
Let's go now to.
First Corinthians.
Chapter 15.
I.
No, I want Second Corinthians.
And let's go.
To chapter 8.
Here he takes up.
Some more about this contribution for the Poor Saints.
And he says in chapter 8. Moreover, brethren, we do you to with of the grace of God, bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, when you think about the grace of God.
As a Saint of God, I'd like you to think about that provision by God that will enable you to be what you are.
And here were some Macedonians, Saints, and grace had been bestowed upon them, and it hadn't been.
Bestowed upon them in vain at every moment of our life that we live.
That is a contradiction to what the grace of God has made us as His sons and children.
The grace of God for that moment has been been bestowed upon us in vain. God expects us to come to the throne of grace, to obtain that help that it would enable us to be, as Mr. Brown used to tell us what we are. Well, here were some in Macedonia, and the grace of God had been bestowed upon them on the churches of Macedonia, and here was its effect.
How then, a great how, that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty?
Oh.
That's contrary to our hearts, isn't it?
All over our city they introduced gambling into Iowa and 1St went up the signs of people rejoicing because they've been very made rich, you know, That's our heart.
I go to a Barber shop in our little town and for some reason that Barbara, he's a nail too. He likes to watch those.
The giveaway programs on television.
What you call them?
Anyway, it's where you win stuff. And I watch them. I watch these people and whatever they answer a question when something they jump up and down, they're so happy because they've won something that they think has made them rich. But I've never heard Beloved of anyone having great joy and deep poverty that didn't know the Lord Jesus Christ.
As their savior. That's what the grace of God can do for us, beloved. It can lift us above our circumstances. It can cause us in our deep poverty to have great joy in thinking of us as poor Saints, beloved.
00:25:17
We can be happy. We can be happy for Saints if we're willing to contribute And so it says here.
How that in a great trial of affliction and abundance of their joy and their deep poverty. Now notice this abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
Here was the last people if you were going to conduct a.
What they call it when they want you to collect money for some clause, they would have passed by Macedonia. They wouldn't have gone through those dwellings of those poor people because they said maybe we'll make a collection somewhere else and drop some money off for them. But out of their deep poverty, they made a contribution.
We read of it in the end of Philippians. Perhaps we'll look at it a little later, but they, when other assemblies had more money, had more resources to give to the Apostle, the Philippians saying we're giving out of their depoverty. This has been a very, very great encouragement to me.
Even as late as right now.
What do we have to give our brethren?
I say hello if I got a few small fishes.
That's all I've got, and if anybody's going to get fed, you'll have to multiply them.
The Lord says to us, brethren, I know you have the poverty.
I know you're not a company that is blessed with great gift.
I know you have.
Many who are far more gifted than you are gone.
But what I want from you is to give from your deep poverty.
And you won't have a lack. Sometimes we say I can't do anything. Oh yes you can. The Lord Jesus doesn't have one member in his body that's dead or doesn't have a function. But sometimes we don't exercise ourselves as to why am I here, I don't think.
Understand.
Well, I went by the, I think the ping pong table. There's something walking. A little bit ago I heard those kind of shouts and whatever they were playing, the voices of those young folk. And I said, oh Lord Jesus, such energies they have.
Tap them for the poor Saints. Don't let the the world get those energies. Don't let them be carried off into Babylon, where they become eunuchs in the Kingdom of Babylon, fruitless for God. And so young friends, when you look at the assembly home or you look at the Saints of God.
They may be poor, but they're worthy of your life's contribution.
And you say I don't have anything to give. Yes, you do. Might be.
Wiping the tables off after dinner or sweeping the floor.
I don't know what it might be, but you have something to contribute to the poor things. Well, these folks, they, they insisted on Paul taking money from them and he didn't want to take it from them.
But they said in verse 3 poured to their power. I bear record, yeah, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves, they said. Paul said no, no, don't tell us no, Paul, don't tell us no, he said. But you can't. Would that be too big a burden? We'll decide that, Paul. We'll decide that. But a willing spirit that was here to take up the 'cause they said we're poor.
00:30:04
But our beloved brethren in Jerusalem are poor yet, and we're going to give to them. And not only did they give to them, but they gave to the apostle himself. And so they had to force him, praying us in verse four with much entreaty, that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the Saints. And this they did not as we had hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord.
And unto the will of God. It isn't that the Lord said we didn't know, hoped that they would give themselves to the will of God. They didn't. He didn't hope that they honey. But they had committed themselves, their own selves, to the Lord and unto the will of God. And it changed their lives, beloved. It changed their lives, naturally speaking. They weren't driving down the street of their city, looking at the Billboard and wishing that they could win the Lotto. No, they said, we don't have anything but what we do have.
We're going to give to the poor St. We're going to live our lives for the will of God. If that were true in my life, if that were true in your life, would our lives be quite different? Young ones, as you contemplate the future and what you're going to do with your life, it isn't wrong to make plans. We have to make plans. You know, I came from a family that we never made plans.
It's been a lifelong.
Affliction.
That I've had to discipline myself about something like the Cretians, but we didn't make plans until we decided to do it. And then we didn't make any plans, we just tried to do it. And of course everything is kind of confusing that way. So it isn't that God would discourage you from making a a life plan.
Young sisters.
I think about you a lot.
They go around, I know that.
Naturally speaking.
If your life's plan and desire were to be a wife and a mother.
It could look pretty difficult.
Some of the reason, beloved, is because some of the young men.
Have looked at the poor Saints and made the decision.
They are not worth.
Making my life contribution for.
And there lured away.
To cities that don't have foundations. But supposing you have that desire, I just would encourage you.
To define your.
Activities of life.
To that which would contribute.
To your life as a wife and a mother.
Should the Lord grant you that desire?
I hope you kind of understand what I'm saying, young man.
We use a lot. We use now. This is why this is how I was raised.
I doubt.
If I got paid on Fridays to Friday.
I doubt in my unconverted days and I can't say I've done a lot better.
Since but the Lord is helping me.
One little word could.
When I got my paycheck, there was only one purpose for it, and that was for fun. Now I don't mean as a believer.
I that isn't in my mind anymore. But I I mean, I don't.
Well, it's just all I want to go back to. This thought is.
How many times have you said we had a lot of fun?
00:35:04
I have a lot of fun too. I think that would be an alright word for me to you.
But it's not a pursuit of my life.
And that's don't make having a lot of fun the pursuit of your life. I I try to encourage younger ones and families enjoy the things in nature as they cross your path, but don't make them the pursuit of your life.
Don't make them the pursuit of your life. Make your life's pursuit a contribution to the poor Saints. Well, so let's go on.
Here.
The apostle tells them that the Saints in Macedonia had given themselves, and when they did that, they insisted on making their life's contribution to the poor Saints, and they did it out of their poverty. And that that increases me because I I live with the sense that.
Well, we're just poor. We don't have much to give, but let's give it anyway and don't. Yeah, I used to think when I worked in the laboratory and.
I used to try to invade ideas and thoughts, I guess, to justify my getting out of the laboratory because I didn't like my job. And so I try to think, well, you know, if I went somewhere else, maybe I could make more money and I'd have more money to give to the Lord.
He wouldn't let me get by with that.
And these Philippian Saints show us that. Do you think there has been? Do you think the Corinthian Saints who were wealthier?
Ever gave more than the Philippian Saints did? I love it.
That poor widow, she cast in more than they all and it's a funny.
Funny, it's a it's just weights and just balances up there, beloved, and the Lord has got it all interest in all. It's all weighed out perfectly and let him determine the value of your contribution to the poor thing.
Well, we don't need money to make contributions to the poor things. We need hearts that have given themselves up to the will of God. I enjoy that in Hebrews.
We've had it pointed out to us sometimes. On other occasion, characteristic word to characteristic words in Hebrews is let us. What's that mean?
It means that if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you've got a life and a nature in this rib cage. That's just saying, let me out. Let me live, Christ, Let me take control of the members of this body. And it's just wanting to get out. And the only way you can keep it from getting out is to damn it up and hinder it from flowing out. That's Christianity, beloved, It isn't. Do I have to? It's just let me do it. Let us.
Contribute, Let us communicate, Let us go forth. Well, let's go on, he says. Let's go down to. We shouldn't forget verse 9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. Think of that, beloved. I often think of it.
He is so enriched us.
He so enriched us.
It doesn't matter who you are either.
You know, I I kind of feel the other day we had.
Moved to one of my sons and they had some of the Saints there. And then I looked at my son and daughter-in-law and their family and.
In the Saints that were there, I don't even remember who they were.
00:40:03
It's a contrast.
To my home.
Before the Lord Jesus came into my life.
He's enriched me in this life.
I've worked in homestead.
To the homes of wealthy people.
They were just this poor.
If I was.
We used to think I knew there was a West side of Des Moines. I had never ventured over there until I wanted to clean their carpets, but.
I was kind of surprised.
That's high town, but it wasn't long working with those dear people, and I came to love them too.
Then I discovered there's as poor as we were. Their hearts were empty without Christ, and they were worse shaped because I used. I used to at least think that if I could get a new motorcycle or another car, I could at least be happy. But they didn't even have that.
And they had their new stuff and they still weren't happy. They are really miserable people. But beloved, the Lord Jesus has become poor to enrich us.
Any and you know he's done so much for you and me and gathering us to his precious name.
There are so many believers that so exceed us in so many, many things.
Fervency of spirit effects and love, devotedness the energies in the gospel. They so much exceed us in so many things.
Do you think it was because of our diligence?
Our faithfulness to the Lord that he said. I'm going to gather you to my name.
He's enriched this beloved.
And it cost him everything to do it. Shouldn't we appreciate that? Shouldn't it 'cause this is the cause, Shouldn't it cause an effect in our lives to want to enrich our brethren to?
So he is the example, the supreme example given to our hearts. Then he says to the Corinthians, think of this.
Verse 13 I I mean not that other men be eased and you'll be burdened.
It was such a difficult letter for the apostle to write to the Corinthians.
He loves them so much, and I don't know if he wrote and maybe the Galatians epistle, but I don't know if he wrote an epistle that's so rinsed his heart at first epistle. He loved it so much that he was so afraid in his earnest desire to help them out of this condition they'd gotten into, that he was going to stumble them. And you know he's talking to them about giving.
And here they were so wealthy and there were the Philippian Saints, so poor. And he says to them, you know.
I don't want to put a big burden on you if I could speak in our language, he said.
I don't want you to cash and I don't even know what I'm talking about, but I've heard these words and I think you some of you know what I'm talking about, he said. I don't want you to cash in too many bonds or.
Withdraw some of those investments.
That it be a burden on you, but I would like it to be exercised about contributing. It was beautiful because they had been exercised about doing this. Let's go on to Chapter 9, for it's touching the ministry to the Saints. It is superfluous for me to write to you, for I know for the forwardness of your mind for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia.
That IKEA was ready a year ago and your zeal has provoked very many.
Here a year ago, he had been up there in Macedonia and he had boasted of the Corinthians willingness and readiness to give. And they dragged. They dragged their feet. We've had those experiences in our lives, haven't we? Let's go over and visit Bloomington next next week.
00:45:20
And next week comes and we didn't get it done.
And then another week.
And another week, many years passed by and we still haven't gotten to that little assembly that we have a desire to go and encourage them. But one thing after another, we just didn't get it accomplished. And the apostle, he had told the other Saints about the Corinthians, he said They really have a desire to help out the poor thing.
They want to make a certain contribution to the poor things, and he had boasted about that to them in that Wonderful Beloved.
That we might boast.
To others about our brethren.
Sometimes I think we're almost afraid to say something good about something. Some brother. I discovered that he had someone else had been meaning to pray for the Saints of God, and I thanked him for it and he got upset.
How did you find out about it? I said. Don't get upset if you had committed adultery. I had heard it long ago.
Beloved, let's not be backward in.
Saying something to our brethren about our brethren who have been an encouragement to us. Paul and Mote made this boast, but now he had gotten himself out on the limb. And then he says.
If they hadn't, they hadn't done this. They hadn't fulfilled it yet. And maybe something in your life, you've had that in your mind, you know, it is this kind of a serious thing.
To have unfulfilled desires in our life for the Saints of God. I have seen some rather serious.
Things happen to.
Brethren who maybe they were going to come to prayer meeting when they didn't have such workloads.
But as they approached the day when the workload wouldn't be there.
Something came in to their life and they were never able to fulfill that desire.
Well, I'm just saying this is that the desire is good, but let's not leave it unfulfilled.
You know what, any of you rather than coming up after this meeting and saying then when are you going to come to?
I want to come, but sometimes you can only be one place at a time anyway, that he says to them. If I come, if they have Macedonia, come with me and find you unprepared. We that we say not ye should be ashamed. In this same confident boasting he made this wonderful boast of the Corinthians. And he's saying.
I'll be embarrassed.
If there isn't this collection ready to send to Jerusalem.
Then he thought it was necessary in verse 5 to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you and make up beforehand your bounty. Now here were some that the apostle said that as you go ahead and go to court, we're going to come, but we want you to go ahead and and and stir them up and provoke them. In the first epistle it said they were to lay by in store. In new translation it says at home.
On the first day of the week.
Who is tending to look at that? But it's a nice thought, Beloved. If you intend to make a contribution for the poor Saints, the place to begin is at home. That's where they lay by and store on the first day of the week. At home? Mr. Darby's translation bears that out.
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I want to talk to you who are younger.
Especially it's a good thing.
To lay by your contribution at home.
There's where you might say this contribution is going to be generated. It's where it's going to eventually come from your home. So you say, I like to do something for the Lord.
But I I don't have any particular gift.
Let me suggest something to you young friends.
Young boys, young girls.
I'll say it this way. Young daughters, young sons.
After supper, when you look over at mom and you see her tired.
Say mom, why don't you just go and relax? I'm going to do the dishes for you tonight.
I just enjoy our God, Brother Bob said. The Lord Jesus took up little children.
Our God. I enjoy getting this from cases, Father.
Someone gave him a meal. He noted that the calf was tender and good.
That's how the Lord is looking at your life.
Make your bed this morning.
We're going to be so surprised when we get home the Lord.
His eyes are in every place beholding the good.
Isn't all the verse, but that's what's on my heart. He's beholding the good.
Maybe nobody sees at all that.
You did something.
He has.
It can be so simple and so every day. That's what I enjoy.
And love about Christianity.
Began at home, laying by its store at home. But then he said, But this I say, He which sow aspiringly shall also shall reap also sparingly in verse 6. And he which soweth bountifully shall also shall reap also bountifully.
In this life, you know.
People.
So it's Haggai, isn't it? I think.
Where they labored and they put it in their bags and ran out faster than they could put it in because it was bags with holes in it. And they had sought their own portion in this life and they never got it.
And you won't either.
If you sow in the Lord's things.
One seed.
Either one seed.
But if you saw.
To the world bushels.
You're not going to read anything.
Save your life.
And you'll lose it.
Save your life and you'll lose it.
Then in verse 7 every man according as he purposeth in his heart, that's what we had, it begins. And I and I love that about Christianity.
It begins in the heart, but it can't be confined there.
If the Spirit of God is working in our hearts, it's going to have to come out in our lives.
00:55:10
It's just the fact.
If the Spirit of God is working in our hearts, it's going to come out in our lives. And you know.
It will come out in our attitude. One way it will come out is in our attitude to the Saints, the poor Saints. You know, the proverbs. It speaks about a lot about the poor, and they're not.
They can't hardly get friends.
Because this world has been formed under its God and under its Prince.
On the principle.
You're going to have to give something if you get something.
Beloved, how wonderful to have our lives set free, to be set free from the ******* of this world that will use everything you have, all of your energies, all of your talents to advance itself and then leave you to die in the ditch.
And then a David comes along and gives that young man life.
Well, that's what's happened to us, beloved. The Lord has given us life. Now let's not waste it. Let's give it on behalf of the poor Saints.
As much as you've done it to one of the least of these, you've done it unto me.
So when we talk about contributing to the poor things, we're talking about giving our lives up to the Lord.
You touch them, you're touching him. And beloved as we close this meeting.
Let's not have only renewed desires.
But couple it with virtue and power.
And fulfill the doing of it.
Give our lives.
The contribution to the poor?
Saints.
Our father.
Gospel
Gospel—J. Hyland
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Let's ask God.
It's hymn #31 on the hymn sheet.
This hymn has been preserved to us in a remarkable way and sung by, I have no doubt, countless thousands over the last 122 years.
It was written in the year 1876 by a well known writer of particularly children's gospel hymns. His name was Philip P Bliss. Philip P Bliss wrote many hymns that we sing and appreciate even today. And I have been struck. I have had the occasion to drive through Rome PA and Rome PA is just a small rural town with no significance other than the fact that in that.
Town there is a large graveyard and in that graveyard there is a large monument erected to the memory of Philip P Bliss. It's a four sided pillar style monument. Some of his hymns are parts of his hymns are engraved in that monument and I have had opportunity on a couple of occasions to stop in at that graveyard and to see that monument and it reminds me of this hymn because.
Philip Bliss and his wife, whose home was in Rome, Pennsylvania. They had been home over the holidays just about this time of year, a little later in the year perhaps, and they were returning to Chicago, where they were doing some evangelical work and they were on a train.
And it was winter, and there were Potbelly stoves on that train to heat the wooden railway cars. And just the other day I drove through Ashdabula, Ohio.
And as the train that was carrying Philip Bliss and his wife back to Chicago from their holiday in Rome was coming through Ashtabula, it had to pass over a very deep ravine where had been erected a railway trestle. And as that train was crossing the ravine, the trestle broke and that train plunged into that ravine and you can imagine wood stoves burning.
Turned over and emptied of their contents into wooden railway cars, the train went up like a tinderbox.
And Philip P Bliss himself initially escaped from the burning inferno, but he couldn't find his wife. And so he returned to the railway car, and despite the flames and the smoke, he went to that car to search for his loved one, and neither he or his wife were ever found. But the Lord, in a very remarkable way, preserved this hymn, because in his briefcase, which was unhurt from the blaze.
00:05:16
When it was opened, this hymn was found scribbled on a piece of paper, evidently having just been written by Philip P Bliss in 1876. And the Lord, I believe, has preserved this hymn. And I believe there has been much blessing through the singing of these hymns over this last 122 years. And as we sing this hymn, I want us to really consider the words that Philip Bliss penned, perhaps on that very train where he lost his life.
That day I will sing of my Redeemer. I wonder if you can sing that from your heart this evening. Are you going to be able to join heartily in the singing of this hymn in reality, or are these going to be words that perhaps you just sing once again? Because everybody is singing it, and it is the thing to do. I will sing of my Redeemer. Is he your Redeemer tonight? And his wondrous love to me? Have you tasted of that wondrous love of which we were singing in the last hymn?
On the cruel cross he suffered from the curse to set me free. Does that mean something to your heart tonight? Are you going to sing this with feeling? Are you going to be able to sing it from the heart? If the blood of Jesus has cleansed you from every stain of sin, He is indeed your Redeemer, and you can and will no doubt with joy be able to join in the singing of this hymn. But I want to bring before you very solemnly and earnestly at the beginning of this meeting.
That if he is not your Redeemer tonight, consider these words as we sing and I'll come tonight. He wants to save you. The very fact that he's drawn you into this hall this evening to hear again the story of his love and grace is just a proof of what is in his heart, his desire for your blessing. And it doesn't matter tonight if you're a boy or a girl, a young person, a middle-aged person.
Someone a little farther along in life. It doesn't matter what your age, It doesn't matter what your status in life. Those things don't matter tonight. What matters is that you come as a guilty Sinner and you receive God's remedy for sin, God's cure for sin, God's provision of salvation through this Blessed Redeemer that we are going to sing about in hymn #31.
If someone will please start it for us.
I will see.
Her.
On the curtain.
To send me crazy.
I will tell.
One restore.
My love.
To pray.
Bless his mind.
00:10:22
I will pray.
My favorite.
And that is my heart.
Now.
I don't know.
Oh, Christian.
And he's called screaming my heart. I had a great day. You're my friend. Whereas this was gonna be right. It's just me.
I'd like to begin the meeting this evening by connecting 4 portions of.
The first one is in the book of Proverbs, chapter 27.
Proverbs chapter 27 and verse one.
Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. And then I want to read a verse that was read to us earlier in Hebrews chapter 3.
Hebrews Chapter 3.
And verse 7. Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. The Book of James, Chapter 4.
James chapter 4 and verse 13 go to now ye that say today or tomorrow, we will go into such a city and continue there a year, and buy and sell and get gain, whereas ye know not what shall be on the Morrow for what is your life. It is even as a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanishes away. And then the verse that is particularly on my heart in John's Gospel chapter 3.
John's Gospel chapter 3 and verse 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Well, as I say, I particularly have on my heart to speak from this verse this well known gospel verse in John's Gospel chapter 3A Gospel verse that has, I believe, been used in the blessing of countless souls.
Since it was penned by inspiration penned by the Apostle John under the direction of the spirit of God. But I read the three portions before this because I have been solemnized to think that there is perhaps someone here tonight who is toying with life and who thinks there's plenty of time to be saved. And I want to impress upon the hearts of each one of us, whether we're a boy or a girl or a young person.
Or an older person, perhaps, who is still lost and in their sins. I want to impress on each of our hearts the brevity of time, and as we begin a gospel meeting, there is always an urgency. A man was preaching the gospel in a certain city, and someone had come in to hear the Word who did not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. And at the end of the gospel meeting, as they were going out the door, they were asked what they thought of the gospel service that night.
00:15:15
And their only comment was, well, he's pretty passionate about what he believes. And we are tonight. We're in earnest tonight. And young people, I look into your faces and I'm in earnest tonight. And God is in earnest tonight for your never dying soul because every one of us are on our way to eternity tonight. And what about you? I want to face this question at the beginning of the gospel meeting. Where are you going to be?
When you leave this world.
Where are you going to be?
You are going to be somewhere. You are not going to die like a dog. You are not going to be laid in a grave and have it over. It is appointed unto man wants to die. And after this the judgment. And every one of us must face the reality that eternity is before us. And you know, sometimes we use the expression spend eternity. I have no problem with that expression. I use it myself. But you know I want us to consider it this way tonight.
You really can't spend eternity. You can't spend up something that has no ending.
You can go down and spend a large bank account and we have heard stories and no doubt read stories of those who have inherited large sums of money and they have through their own.
Ways they have been squandered, that money they have spent it. Every time they go down and draw on it, the money becomes a little less. And you can spend a bank account, you can spend an inheritance, you can spend time, but you cannot spend eternity. It has no ending.
And I want to bring before you the reality of the finality of passing out of this world without Christ, and if there's someone here tonight and you've never tasted of the sweet, sweet love of.
Tonight, my prayer is that you just get one taste of that sweetness. Because if you could just get one taste of that sweetness tonight, I know you would come. It says, oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.
How often have we experienced the fact that something was placed on the dinner table and we thought at first we wouldn't like it, But after being urged to try a little portion of it, we found that it was indeed palatable. We enjoyed it and we took more and more and more.
And that's the way it is with the love of God. Tonight God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But I say we have read some solemn, solemn scriptures as to the brevity of life. I read this verse first of all in the 27th chapter of the Book of Proverbs. You know, this is the 27th day of November 1998, when I was growing up in a Christian home.
I was often told and reminded that there are 31 proverbs, one for each day of the month.
And I thought perhaps it would be good to read the beginning of this proverb.
For the 27th day of November 1998, how relevant it is to the day?
That we find ourselves in Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Most of the hours of the 27th day of November have ticked by and we are coming to the end of that day in a few more hours.
Or are we?
Suppose suppose you draw that final breath before midnight.
Suppose the Lord Jesus were to come before midnight.
November 27th, 1998.
Where will you be?
With the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
Rising in a moment to meet him in the air, and to be ever with the Lord, as it tells us in First Thessalonians Chapter 4. Or perhaps left in a seat like this, the speaker gone, mother gone.
Father.
Friends gone, the other young people gone.
All these are things we want to consider tonight. God promises us now, and He does not in His word in any way promise us tomorrow. He does not promise that there will be an opportunity to be saved tomorrow. And He does not promise you that you are going to walk into this building tomorrow morning or tomorrow evening and sit and hear the word of God read.
00:20:19
He does not promise you that the door of mercy will be opened tomorrow, because that door is soon going to be closed. It tells us when once the master of the house has risen up and shut through the door, then they come and knock, and they're somewhat in earnest. But they knock. And they say, Lord, Lord, open unto us. And he says, depart from me. I never knew you. You know, that's a contrast between the message tonight and what?
The lost will hear in a coming day, because the message tonight is come unto me. And for rejecters there will be a day when the message is sent depart from me. Isn't that searching to think about. 3 short words come unto me. There are boys and girls here this evening. Is that hard to understand? 3 short words come unto me. But there are three short words that will be uttered. I say to Christ rejecters, in the coming day, when the door of mercy is forever shut.
And those words will ring in their ears forever.
Depart from me. I never knew you boast not thyself of tomorrow. I remember three or four young men came to some Gospel meetings that we were holding and curling Newfoundland some years ago, and I watched those young men as they came to the meeting. They sat near the back, and it became quickly evident that they were there for no other reason than to disrupt the meeting. However, the Lord brought them in, and they heard the gospel.
But I'll never forget as they were standing around the tent door at the end of the Gospel meeting.
And I went out to those three or four young men and I said, fellas, I said, is it worth taking the chance of considering that there will be another opportunity tomorrow and putting off getting saved tonight?
You know what those young men told me? I tremble to tell you what those young men said. They said we'll take that chance.
We'll take that chance. Oh, I hope there's nobody here who's going to say I'll take that chance. Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. And we have read another solemn entreaty and warning in the book of Hebrews today, if you will hear his voice.
Harden not your heart. Are you going to harden your heart tonight? And I was impressed. There was a prayer meeting a few minutes before this gospel began.
And I was impressed as one and another of the brothers poured out their heart in prayer on behalf of this gospel hour and on behalf of the salvation of souls. I was impressed, I say, with how many of those brothers poured out their heart on behalf of young people and children who sit in meetings like this from week to week and year to year.
I wonder if there's someone tonight and you have come to the Gospel meetings over and over and over again and from week to week.
And yet you go out of the door night after night, and you harden your heart against God.
Is that what you're doing? Are you hardening your heart against a God who loves you? A God who has provided at so great a cost salvation for you, A God whose arms are open wide tonight to receive you to himself? Are you going out of the doors of gospel halls like this and saying not tonight, not tonight? What does the word of God say today, not tomorrow, today, if you will hear His voice? Are you hearing these scriptures that we have read and that we are quoting?
Are you hearing them as the very voice of God to you? You know, boys and girls, It must have been wonderful when the Lord Jesus was here in this world. It must have been wonderful to go out on the hillside or down by the sea and to listen to the voice of the Lord Jesus as he spoke here in this world. It must have been wonderful on that occasion when he took those boys and girls up in his arms and blessed them.
But all tonight, he's speaking just the same. It's true the Lord Jesus is not here in this world. Tonight he is in heaven.
00:25:01
He has returned to the right hand of God, but he is speaking nonetheless.
And God is speaking tonight through his word. Sometimes we ask the boys and girls what is this book called that we hold in our hands.
We get a variety of answers, but I believe the best answer that can be given is.
If the word of God, that's what it is tonight. Yes, it's the Bible. Yes, it's many things we speak of it, But it is above all tonight the word of God today, if you will hear his voice harden not your heart. And then I read those verses in James, and you know, I have been impressed recently to read and meditate on these verses.
And to realize that this is a very accurate description of people today. You know, people are in a hurry today and they're buying and selling and getting games. And everything is geared to get a good education, get a good job so you can compete on the marketplace, keep your computers up, all these kinds of things so that you can make progress and you can go into such and such a city and buy and sell and get gain and just go down to the airport in Saint Louis.
At 6:00 in some morning or any other busy airport on this continent, and you will see men and women going into such and such a city. They're shuffling around from Saint Louis to New York and from Ottawa to LA and from Toronto to Montreal and from Washington DC to Miami, FL. People are going into cities and buying and selling and getting gain every day, and that's fine, but what are they doing as they rush about, as their minds are full of business as they are living for the moment, and I believe people are living for the moment like never before.
Just living for today with no thought of tomorrow.
And this verse is a solemn warning to those who say we'll go into such and such a city and continue there and buy and sell and get gain. You know not what shall be on the Morrow for what is your life. It's even as a vapor. You ever watch the tea kettle as it begins to boil and the steam comes up? That vapor comes up and it rises. God says your life is like that. It says a vapor that appears for a little time. That steam comes up from the kettle. It appears for a little time, and then it vanishes away.
God says that's what your life is like. Young people I know that's hard to think about.
I don't know how old you are tonight. 12:13 14/18/21 I don't know.
You have your life before you, naturally speaking, and I know you're thinking about things, and I know there's burdens and I know there's cares. And I pity the young people today as they face the realities of life and the darkening day in which we live. But all I want to tell you if there's something more than preparing for this life, there's something more than a good college education. There's something more than having the latest computer equipment. There's something more than having the latest technology at your fingertips.
What about eternity? He ought to say. Notice this, he ought to say if the Lord will.
We shall live, comma. Isn't that interesting? Sometimes I read this verse like this. We ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall do it this or that. That's not what it says we ought to say. If the Lord will, we shall live. You know what was brought out in the reading meaning this afternoon? That by him all things subsist, and God gives you the breath that you breathe as you sit there in your chair. He gives you the strength to hold that Bible on your knee.
Do you realize that man goes on, he makes his plans, he has his schemes, but he forgets to say, if the Lord will, we shall live. You know, when Daniel was brought in before King Belshazzar, the greatest king of the day, I suppose he said these words.
The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways hast thou not glorified? It tells us in the New Testament He giveth to all life and breath, and all things. It tells us He's the preserver of all men.
And the very fact that God is giving you breath this evening is a proof of His mercy to you and His desire.
That you would listen tonight to the gospel message and to his fond entreaties to come to the Savior.
And that you would be saved, we ought to say, if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that. Well This brings us to the well known verse we read here in John's Gospel, chapter three. Let me just read it again, verse 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
00:30:27
Now, as I read this verse, I think of an incident that took place many, many years ago in the Nelson River District of British Columbia.
Because there was a missionary, a young missionary. His name was Egerton Young.
And Edgerton Young had a burning desire to take the gospel to the native Indians in the Nelson River District. They had never heard, they had never known the light of the glorious gospel. And Edgerton Young took the gospel to them, and when he arrived amongst them there was a date set when he would present to the company, gathered the message that was on his heart from God's word.
And they say there were almost 300 Native Indians there.
And there were those there who were leaders amongst the people.
Those who were there with great pomp and ceremony and Edgerton Young, I'm sure with much trepidation, took his Bible and stood up before that congregation.
And he turned to this precious verse. He read it with much feeling.
He read it again and again, and for four hours. For four hours from this verse.
He told those natives of the love of God. He told them of the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself on Calvary's cross. And with his heart full and tears streaming down his face, he brought before those Indians that God loved them and that he desired their salvation.
At the end of four hours, with his voice almost gone.
He sat down.
And all eyes seemed to turn to one of the principal chiefs of the people.
They were waiting for his reaction and they say with a great deal of pomp and ceremony, he arose to address the crowd.
He turned to Egerton Young and he said for a long time my heart has been empty.
For a long time I haven't believed in the concoctions of the Witch Doctor and the beat of the TomTom Drum and the things that go.
With our religion, he said. They have not brought me peace. They have not filled my heart.
He said, Mr. Young, you have brought a message today that has filled my heart with peace and joy for the first time in my life, he said, Stay as long as you want and tell us of the wonderful love of God. And tonight I can only hope to read this verse and to quote it a few times and in some feeble measure, tell you of the love of God.
In the few minutes that remain in this meeting. But all I want to tell you that God loves you with a love that passes telling. It passes knowledge. It passes finding out because He commended His love toward us. When? When we were good, when there was some response in US. Oh no, when we were sinners. There's someone here tonight. It was a Sinner and willing to admit it.
And yet not just admitting you're a Sinner, but admitting you're a helpless Sinner, not able to do one thing to get rid of one stain of sin. You know, I say that because I think if we were to go out on the busy streets of Saint Louis tonight.
And ask passers by on some busy street corner if they're sinners. I may be wrong, but I dare say most people, if they're honest, will admit that they're sinners, that they've done wrong things.
But to admit that they're helpless sinners is quite another matter. To admit that there's nothing they can do to rid themselves of one sin, I say, is quite another thing. You know, I might realize I'm sick, but as long as I think there's some home remedy that I can administer, something I can do to better my illness.
I'm not going to seek the advice of a physician, but as soon as I realize that this sickness is beyond anything that I can do for myself, then I seek the advice and the treatment of a doctor. The Lord Jesus said I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance because they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. So God so loved the world.
Think of this verse God. Think of this word God. The God that we were speaking about in the reading meeting this afternoon. Did you sit in the meeting this afternoon and have Hebrews chapter one read?
00:35:12
And have those thoughts precious thoughts brought out concerning this person, and your heart went unstirred.
Oh, if your heart went unstirred this afternoon, I wonder what goes on within your heart. Think of this person, God, the creator of the ends of the earth, the one it says He measures the heavens with a span. We were hearing this afternoon, something of the greatness of the heavens. And they're getting telescopes and probes that control further and further out into the universe. And men are finding out just how big the heavens and the universe are.
He measures them with a span. That's the God we're Speaking of. Those heavens aren't bigger than the hand of God. It says in Isaiah 40, the nations are as a drop in the bucket. The islands are as dust before him. This globe is just a speck in God's great creation. And yet, God, I want you to notice this. He so loved the world. You know, if it said God loved the world, that would be wonderful. But I believe the word so gives intensity to what follows.
And all he brings before us His love in such a way that we can see how intensely God loves God, so loved the world.
What did he do to prove that love? You know, sometimes people say they love us and then we really wonder. We say, well, they don't really show that they love us by their actions and their speech, But oh, God hasn't just told us that he so loves the world, but he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
I know that the hearts of those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior tonight.
As we speak of God giving his Son our hearts rejoice and we say thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Think of the Father sending the Son. You know it doesn't say God sent Jesus. That's true. God did send Jesus, but the Father sent the Son. Isn't that more it brings before us the relationship, the Father sending the Son. I've often said I don't have any sons, but I have two daughters.
And I love those daughters very much and I don't believe I would send them out some morning.
If I knew that they were going to be taken and cruelly treated and put to death.
I would keep those daughters safe home at 63 Merrick St. Smith Falls, Ontario.
But you know when the Father sent the son?
God so loved the world that He gave. He knew what would happen. He knew that when his Son came into this world, this world would be an enmity against him. He knew that they would try to get rid of Him. He knew that they would reject him from the very beginning. And he knew, too, that the end of the course would be the cross.
He knew the cost, but he sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it tells us in first John in this was manifested the love of God toward us.
In that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might be saved.
Through him.
Several years ago, when we had the privilege of being in Maine for the children's gospel work, we had that verse I have just quoted in First John Chapter 4 as one of the memory verses for the children as they came from day-to-day.
And we like to be able to explain simply what these verses are saying, what the message is.
And I wondered how we were going to explain the word manifested. I'm sure that's not a word that boys and girls use much, especially today.
And so there was a dictionary at hand, and I looked up the word manifested, and I've enjoyed it ever since.
The dictionary tells us that the word manifest means to clearly show and God tonight has clearly shown his love in the giving of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary's cross. When we look to the cross tonight, can we doubt for one moment the words that we have read here in John Three? God so loved the world. I know some of you have heard me tell this little story before.
I enjoyed history when I was going to school and we learned being Canadian.
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A great deal of British history and one of the interesting characters that we learned about was a man by the name of David Livingstone.
But you know when we learned about David Livingstone in high school?
They stressed the point that he was an explorer for the British government and that was true. He did map out much of that continent as an explorer for the British government.
But you know, later on in reading the life of David Livingstone, I realized that he had a far, far greater motive in going to Africa than just an explorer for the British government. His first and foremost motive was to go as a missionary and to bring the light of the glorious gospel to those who had never heard it before. And the story is documented that David Livingstone was staying in a certain village and preaching the gospel.
And there had been much blessing in that village, and many souls had been brought from darkness to light.
Many souls had been washed in the blood of Jesus and were rejoicing. But David knew that down the river there was another village, another settlement, where they had never heard the gospel.
But the natives that he was staying with had warned him not to go any further down the river. They said, David, if you go any further down this river, you'll never come out alive.
But all David's heart burned with a desire to take the gospel further down that river. And one day.
One day he and his wife and their baby.
Got into their boat and began that journey.
As they approached the area where these natives lived.
They were startled by war, whoops and cries, and to see figures running through the jungle brandishing all sorts of Spears and weapons.
And as they approached the shore, David tried to make those natives.
Understand that he had come in peace, and not for their harm, but he couldn't seem to convey the message to them. They stood there on the shore, waiting to take the life of he and his wife and their child.
After some time, David said to his wife with a great deal of feeling.
Give me the baby.
You can just picture the scene and the emotions that must have passed between a mother and a father.
As they see those natives ready to do them harm, and David says to his wife, give me the baby.
She hesitated for a few moments, and then she handed David their child.
And he stepped out of that boat toward the shore, and in his outstretched arms he held the child toward those natives.
And they said the effect was amazing, that immediately the message was conveyed that David had come for their good.
The child in his outstretched arms clearly showed what was in David's heart.
And he was able to bring the gospel to those natives, and there was much blessing and rejoicing as a result.
But all tonight God has held forth his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's not withheld his only Son. He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. And the Lord Jesus has come and he came into the world to save sinners.
God, I say, has manifested. He has clearly showed his heart of love.
In giving his Son the Lord Jesus does not touch your heart tonight.
Is your heart stirred as we speak of the love of God? Is your heart stirred as we speak of that wonderful gift, His Son?
Is your heart stirred as we consider the love of the Lord Jesus? Who could say, Here am I, Send me.
Who could say I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me?
Who could say I have a baptism wherewith to be baptized? And how am I straightened until it be accomplished?
Who could go to Calvary's cross and offer himself there as that supreme sacrifice? That sacrifice of which all those animal sacrifices in the Old Testament were just pale reflections and feeble foreshadows of what was really in the heart of God? They all pointed ahead. There is a hymn we sometimes sing. Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away its stain. But Christ the Heavenly Lamb took all our guilt away.
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A sacrifice of nobler name, and richer blood than they God so loved the world.
That he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever.
Believeth on him.
All the messages for you tonight. Not wonderful. Now, when we were growing up, we would sometimes go down in the backfield and in the woods behind my parents home and we would get some old boards and pieces of tin and different things together and we would often build a tree house or what we called a Fort.
And then when the Fort was finished, there was usually a door on that Fort. And on that door there was usually a sign place that read something like this, no girls allowed or it read something like this, members only. And there had to be a certain password. And if you didn't know the password when you came and knocked on the door, you were refused entrance into that Fort. We had built something for a select group.
And we know that this goes on in every circle of society today. There are groups and clubs and all kinds of organizations formed for certain kinds of people and people with certain interests. But all tonight the gospels for all whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely. It doesn't exclude you tonight, young people, It's for you tonight.
Maybe you send in an application to a college or university and to your disappointment, you've got a refusal in the mail.
But all tonight there's a Savior whose arms are open in love, who desires you to come, And he's calling you tonight. Jesus stood on that last day, that great day of the feast, and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink whosoever will may come, and take of the water of life freely.
It satisfied that Indians hired in the Nelson River District so many years ago.
It can satisfy your heart tonight. It's that same water of life that's being offered.
It's that same precious savior. It's that same blood that cleanses from every stain of sin. Are you going to come tonight or are you going to refuse it?
Maybe you're watching the clock as the second hand ticks by the minute slip away.
And this meeting is going to conclude in 10 minutes or so. And you're saying, well, I'll be glad. I'm glad it's almost over. I'll be glad when I'm able to go outside and get some air. And it'll be a relief when these Bibles are closed and that man steps down from the platform. But I want to tell you tonight.
If that's your attitude, you're on your way to hell. But it doesn't have to be. Oh, I plead with you.
Don't go out these doors unsaved. Don't go out lost and in your sins. Don't allow another 8 minutes to pass by.
Because we may never leave this room in the way that we came in. Many of us may hear a shout. And with changed bodies. We're going to rise right through this ceiling. We're going to go right through this roof, because we're going to hear our blessed Savior come forth on the cloud. We're going to hear a shout and the trump of God.
And the dead in Christ are going to rise 1St, and we which are alive and remain, that's us in this building, who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior.
We're going to rise, and we're going to with them, meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be.
With the Lord that throws my heart, but it solemnizes my soul too, to think.
That there will be those who look around.
And they know what's happened. You remember in the Old Testament, when he lied, you was caught away in a whirlwind in a chariot of fire.
I've been struck with who missed him.
No, it wasn't the general populace in Israel. It was the sons of the prophets.
I wonder when the Lord comes, perhaps on an occasion like this.
Who will miss the believer?
Perhaps it will be the sons and daughters of praying parents, the young people of parents who brought them to gospel meetings, the young people of parents who at the dinner table opened the word of God and read a portion to them before they were excused, and told them the importance of coming to know the Lord Jesus as their Savior whosoever will.
Whosoever believeth in him all, it's a person that we're presenting tonight.
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It's the Lord Jesus Christ that we're presenting tonight. It's God's beloved Son because.
There's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
Oh, it's the Lord Jesus Christ. Does he mean something to your heart? There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Do you know this person? It's a person tonight. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
Should not perish again. I wondered one time what the dictionary had to say about the word perish.
And I was staying in a home where the only dictionary available at the time was a Random House dictionary.
And I looked in the Random House dictionary to see what the word perish meant and I was disappointed with the definition.
It said this, the word perish means to pass out of existence.
Not according to the word of God. When I got home, I have a large Webster's dictionary.
On my shelf. And so I pulled it, and I looked up to see what Noah Webster had to say about the word perish. Because I believe Noah Webster was a Christian. This is what he says. The word perish means to die spiritually, you know, so awful is it to pass into a lost eternity, to pass into the lake of fire that the word of God refers to it as the second death, eternal separation.
From God.
Should not perish but have everlasting life. What a contrast between perishing forever to die spiritually, to pass into a lost eternity, and to be completely separated from a God of love forever.
Or to receive eternal life. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Are you going to perish in hell If you're not saved? You will.
If your sins have never been washed in the blood of Jesus and you pass out of this world, or the Lord comes tonight.
You will perish in hell for eternity.
But my friend, it doesn't have to be that way tonight. God loves you. He wants to save you. He's given you one more opportunity tonight to be saved. I'd like to tell just in closing.
Little incident that shook Eastern Canada.
Almost two months ago.
In fact, it's almost three months ago.
An incident that took place.
Off the coast of Nova Scotia and I have often had the opportunity.
To be in what is called Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. It's a very famous place, very picturesque, beautiful, rugged coastline.
A very unique little fishing village. You often see it on the pages of calendars and other articles.
But something very disastrous happened there on September 2nd this year.
On that evening, Flight 111, Swiss Air Flight 111 took off.
From John F Kennedy Airport.
Was about an hour into its flight and it was coming up and making a turn to go on to Geneva.
To cross the Atlantic and go on to Geneva.
And as they were coming approaching Nova Scotia, a distressed signal went out from the pilot.
His name was Errs Zimmerman, 50 years of age. His Co pilots Stefan Lowe 39 years, 38 years of age.
A distressed signal went out and 16 minutes later, that plane with 229 souls on board plunged into the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean just off Peggy's Cove, and every sole on that plane went into eternity in a moment of time.
I was impressed to read the passenger list of that plane.
There was a Saudi Arabia print Arabian Prince on that plane. There was a couple on their 25th wedding anniversary. A couple on their wedding trip.
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UN officials.
The only Canadian was a man who had was revered to be.
I believe he was an AIDS pioneer in the research of AIDS. There were other famous people on that plane.
There were no doubt, just ordinary people, we might say, people going home.
People going to travel, It didn't matter. It didn't matter if you were a Prince from Saudi Arabia with perhaps a fortune in the bank. It didn't matter if you just scraped enough to get the ticket fare to go home. Those souls in a moment of time, 16 minutes between the distress signal.
And the plunge that took their lives.
There was one man who should have been on that plane and wasn't.
His name was Mark Rose.
It was a Swiss, and he was in the United States.
For the US Open, he was a tennis player.
And he was scheduled to be on that plane that night, and at the last moment, he decided that he didn't have enough time to get from his hotel room.
To the airport and get checked in that it would be too rushed and he might as well stay over.
Till the next day.
I read that account in the paper and the reporter interviewed he and his manager.
And what impressed me in reading that account was the indifference of those two men.
As to what had happened, Oh well, it's just locked. It's the kind of thing that happens to everybody. And we're thankful he wasn't on that plane. But it was. He changed his mind and it was just that kind of thing, Complete indifference, nothing about God sparing his life.
Nothing about a voice to him from God.
Complete indifference.
You know God has spared your life to come to one more Gospel meeting tonight, and we have read and quoted some Gospel verses from this precious book that lives and abides forever. And my prayer at the end of this gospel meeting is that the Spirit of God would take.
These scriptures that have been read and quoted and that they would burn into your soul.
And that there would be imparted to you eternal life, divine life.
That gift that God is offering, and he is offering you a gift tonight. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. I plead with you, do not go out of this room. Do not rise from your seat if you are lost and in your sins. Receive God's gift tonight.
Be washed in the blood of Jesus. Receive eternal life so that you know with certainty that you are on your way to heaven. Should you leave this world tonight in one way or another? I can't impress upon you the importance of coming and the importance of coming immediately. Don't put it off tonight. Come decide for Christ today and God's salvation. See.
Yields soul and body, heart and mind to him who died for thee. Let's pray our God and.
Gospel
Gospel—R. Thonney
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Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
And thou shalt be saved in thy house.
Be late.
Like to start with #30 on our hem sheets.
Weeping will not save me.
Working will not save me.
Waiting will not save me.
Faith in Christ will save me, and we stand and sing with him #30.
Weeping will not save me.
Lord, my favorite.
Way my fears could not wash us in the sins of years.
Will not save me.
Jesus let him die for me. Jesus suffered on the street. Jesus.
Waits to make me.
Free he alone can say.
Me working will not save me.
The things that I can do.
Oh yes, thoughts and feelings.
Cannot form my soul.
Working will not say.
Jesus.
Let and die for me, Jesus.
Suffered on the dream, Jesus waits to make me free. He all can save me.
Waking will not save me.
Helpless. Guilty.
Lost I like.
In my ear is mercy's Christ.
If I wait I can but I.
18 will not save me.
Give us blood and die for me, Jesus.
Suffered on the dream.
Give us a way to make me free.
He alone can save me.
Faith in Christ.
Will save me.
Trust in him.
The reason one trust the work that he has done.
To his arms I now may run.
Faith in Christ will save me.
Jesus let and die for me.
Jesus suffered on the tree.
Jesus.
Waits to make me free.
You all can save me.
Let's pray, Blessed God, are there hymn #34?
Precious, precious blood of Jesus.
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Shed on Calvary, shed for rebels, shed for sinners, Shed for me precious blood, precious, precious blood of Jesus ever offered free.
Oh, believe it.
Oh, receive it, tis for thee.
Precious, precious blood of Jesus.
Shed on Calvary.
Shadow rebels and horses.
Chat for me.
Precious blood that God breathed in the.
All the prices.
Paid perfect.
Now.
It's offered.
Jesus made.
Slow thy sin, thy red light Crimson.
Deep in scarlet.
Jesus Christ.
Precious.
Blood and with them.
Quiet.
Precious, precious.
Blood of Jesus.
Every Robert Creek.
Oh, believe it.
All receive it.
It is for the.
Let's read a verse to begin with in Acts chapter 17.
Actually 2 verses.
Verse 30 and 31.
Acts chapter 17, verse 30 and the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now.
Commander, All men everywhere.
To repent, because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge.
The world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.
Whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Another verse in First Epistle of John, chapter 3.
First John, chapter 3.
And verse.
23 Just want to read the first part of this verse.
This is his commandment that we.
Should believe on the name of his son.
Jesus Christ.
Here we have in these two verses we've read something that God commands. I know we live in a democratic society and it is hard for people to get the idea of what a command really entails.
It was interesting for me living in South America with my family for a time. Under military regimes, you find that commands are something to be taken in all seriousness. You do not flaunt a command of a military commander.
Here we find it is not a military commander we're talking about. It is the God of the universe who commands. What is it that he commands?
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Commands repentance.
And he commands to believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ.
I want to speak this evening on that word believe.
There's other words in the Bible that relate to it. Faith is another word that is.
Same thought. Another word is trust, and the word of God uses it in many parts and would like to refer to a number of them tonight. But it simply means to believe means to simply trust.
To have faith in what is said.
You and I are in this society we live in, surrounded by a barrage of information where people say today that there's everything is relative, there's no such thing as absolutes. And so people are.
They question every single thing that they hear and I would like to say at the beginning of this meeting.
You are at liberty to question what I say. I have been mistaken many times in my life, and I probably will continue to make a number of mistakes if the Lord leaves us here in this world. But I want to tell you that there is a God with whom it is impossible to lie. You can believe Him.
You care.
In the Old Testament it says trust in him at all times. Ye people trust him, trust him.
Says God is a refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. You had trouble, you can trust him, you can trust Him. Says in Proverbs chapter 3 and verse five, a verse that we want know quite well many of us.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. We're trained to try to understand things and so we tend to lean on our own understanding of things. But oftentimes, I know you've had the experience and I've had it many times that our understanding is not very adequate. But I wanted to come back to that first part.
Trust.
In the Lord, with all thine heart, you can believe Him, you can trust Him. He is to be trusted.
I'd like to say too that faith is something that comes not naturally to the human being. The scripture says that faith is the gift of God, for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
I didn't have faith. Naturally God gave it to me. How did he give it to me?
Another verse tells us faith comes by hearing.
And hearing by the word of God, we're reading from God's book here. This is God's word. It not can only contains God's word. It is the word of the living God. You can trust it. There's a lot of things I don't understand in this book, even though I read it for a number of years, but I believe it. I believe it.
You know, people in this world are so geared to questioning everything.
That they don't know that there's places where you cannot question. And that is one of those places that you cannot question is the Word of God. Remember when I worked in the city of Chicago at a hospital downtown Chicago?
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One day I was in the cafeteria eating lunch, and across the table from me sat down a doctor. He was a Jewish doctor, very intelligent, at a very good reputation at that hospital.
And I had a gospel tract in my pocket and he looked over at me and read the title of the gospel tract, which was sticking up above the edge of my pocket. So I pulled it out and gave it to him and he glanced over it a bit and then he shoved it back to me. He says the trouble with you people is that you're blind you under, you believe what you don't understand.
I said, excuse me, doctor, I'd like to ask you a question, supposing you have the reputation in this hospital of never making a mistake.
In both the diagnosis you make of disease.
And the prescription that you give for the cure, you never make a mistake. That's the reputation you have. I come to you. I'm sick.
And I say, Doctor, what's wrong? And you give me a string of.
Names of the disease I have and the particular way it's affecting me, I don't really understand a whole lot what you're talking about.
I don't understand much about the medicines you're giving me. I only understand one thing, that you don't make a mistake. Am I blind to believe you when I don't understand you?
Well, he said no, I said, well, I'm not blind either to believe a God that cannot lie.
Kind of shuffled his feet under the table a bit and said, well, we'll talk about it another time. And he got up and went off.
But that's the way we are geared to think as Americans in our society.
To question things, you can question me. You're at liberty too. But don't question God. You can hang a question mark about me, but don't hang any question marks on God and His Word. God is to be trusted. You can believe Him. You can have complete faith in what He says. God cannot lie what He says.
You can believe with all confidence for as much as you may not.
Understand it.
I'd like to I'd like to say that I read that first verse about the command of God for repentance because I believe it is an important thing that in some measure, I suppose, precedes faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are two things that are necessary for salvation. One is repentance toward God. The 2nd is faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Those are two things that the apostle Paul preached.
You can find it in Acts chapter 20 if there is no repentance.
You can profess faith, but you're still going the wrong direction.
You need to repent. Repentance cannot save in itself, but repentance is necessary so that we might be saved. What saves is faith in Christ.
And so I just want to say, especially to so many here who I know have been raised in Christian homes, have been brought up in meetings where we get together and hear the gospel. We've been hearing about in these meetings about being hardened to the gospel. And I'm afraid that takes place. You know why? I just have to speak from my own experience. I had parents who really cared about me.
Who set some limits in their home as to what I was allowed to do and what I wasn't allowed to do. I was protected largely from the messy stuff of this world. Thank God, I say now. Thank God.
But you know what happens subtly in the human heart? We get to thinking we're all right. I never have been that bad as those people out there.
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I am not on that level.
And you know, we have to repent of that kind of thinking. We have to repent. Repent simply means a change of mind comes from the word panta. The root word is to think.
Repent means to rethink. God says there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that seeketh after God. You and I might say, hey wait a minute, I know a few people that are seeking after God. Yeah, you might say that.
And it might be according to your idea, but the God of the universe?
Who penned this book tells us there is none and if you think.
You because you were brought up in a Christian home or a notch above the other people out in the.
Filth and the perdition of this world. You've got another thing to come in. You need to repent. You need to to rethink the matter. I think it's important. God doesn't say if you would like.
You can repent.
He didn't say if you would like.
You can believe that's the way we like to present it as Americans because we live in a free society. We see not realizing that behind the human will is a subtle enemy that is taking man towards destruction through the exercise of his own will.
God doesn't say that.
God commands to repent. God commands to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What have you done with God's command? I think it is extremely serious.
To flaunt God's command.
And so it's important to repent.
I'd like to focus more, though, on believing. What are we to believe? If you go over to the Gospel of Mark just to begin with, I'd like to point out a few things that Scripture speaks about believing.
Believing here we find in chapter one of Mark's Gospel.
And verse 15, it tells us something to believe.
And saying this is.
Jesus, when he's beginning his earthly ministry, he's going out preaching the end of verse 14, the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent.
Ye and believe the Gospel, Believe the gospel.
The gospel, the good news as to the Lord Jesus Christ, believe it, believe it. The gospel isn't a complicated message. No, the gospel is about a God who so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting light. Oh, there's a God who made this world, who loves with a love you and I will never be able to comprehend.
And he sent his son into this world.
With the purpose.
Of redeeming.
Lost men and women.
We were lost in sin, and He loved us so that He himself.
Came in the person of the Lord Jesus to go to Calvary's cross, to be hung up there, to suffer terrible injustice from the hand of men. And as he was nailed there on that cross, God Himself laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all, and God's holy, righteous judgment against sin fell on Jesus in all its fury.
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Jesus paid the price in full at Calvary.
Jesus died. Christ died for our sins.
According to the scripture, he was buried and rose again the third day according to the scripture.
Believe it, it's the gospel.
God raised him from the dead because God was satisfied.
With the payment that Jesus had made for us in the question of our sins.
Believe it, believe it. Believe the gospel. There's something in the way of your believing the gospel. I say to you tonight, repent.
Don't let anything get in the midst in the way of you simply.
Believing the Gospel.
Like to turn to another verse that it tells us about believing in John chapter 5.
John chapter 5 and verse 24.
Very well known verse.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word.
And believeth on him that sent me.
Hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is past from death and to light.
Here it is believing what?
Believing God that sent Jesus. Believe God he sent Jesus the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Believe God.
If you hear his word, if you believe on him that sent Jesus.
Scripture itself says you will have everlasting life, You will not come into condemnation, but you are passed from death and to light. Here again it comes that word about hearing, because faith comes by hearing.
You know, people sometimes talk about faith, sometimes they say I have a lot of faith, but I don't think they realize that the faith they're talking about is not the faith that God is talking about. The faith that God is talking about in Scripture. The faith that can save is the faith that is based on the Word of God.
It's so important to realize, and I want to ask you tonight, you are sitting there, are you hearing? Notice it doesn't say in that verse I quoted in Romans chapter 10, Faith comes by reading the word of God says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God because it's necessary to have an ear opened to what God has to say. I've often seen in gospel means I like to look out and watch.
People who are listening.
And sometimes you can tell if the word's getting in.
Are you listening? Are you hearing?
What God is saying?
Do you hear it?
You know, you can be hearing with these ears in your head. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about are you letting the Word of God penetrate into your heart and into your soul. That's what we're talking about. That's where it produces faith.
That important matter of believing God? Remember some time ago when Bible Truth Publishers used to be located in Oak Park, IL?
And then lady, nice, respectable lady in the neighborhood who used to come in to the gospel meeting there quite often, she came in.
And she was a very nice person, outwardly speaking, very respectable, and she would sit there and listen, but it was evident in the way she was sitting there.
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That even though she was listening in a respectable way, the ears of her heart were fast shut.
Somebody told me later on, before I had come to Oak Park, that she had come to a gospel meeting and come under tremendous conviction of the Spirit of God one night.
And.
She resisted the conviction of the Spirit of God and from that time.
It didn't seem like there was any progress at all in her soul. She didn't hear. Oh yes, she was sitting there, but she wasn't hearing. And I fear that there are people sitting in meetings like this.
Listen and you're hearing somebody talk over there, but you're not hearing. Listen to me.
When God speaks if.
You want blessing, Open those ears of your heart. Listen to God, Let it penetrate.
Let it penetrate. Believe him.
So we have believed the gospel, and here we have believe on God.
That sin Jesus. But as we look through the New Testament, we're going to find.
That the vast majority of times we're told to believe.
Believing on the Sun. It's going back to chapter 3.
Last night we had one of those verses I want to read again tonight.
Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son.
But let's go back a few verses in chapter 3 to verse 14.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Notice the word, believe it.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him.
Should not perish, but have eternal.
Life for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned.
But he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Verse 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son of shall not see light.
But the wrath of God? A bit of onion. It's a question of believing.
Believe on the Son of God. Believe he on the Lord Jesus Christ, believing in Him, Believe Him.
You can trust and oh, the simplicity of it. It's not a matter of understanding a whole lot.
It's a matter of trusting him, of believing him, of having your faith in him. That's the matter. You know, somebody has given the illustration of faith or believing or trusting that. It is like the.
Train as it goes down the tracks. Up ahead are the locomotives.
The engines behind comes the cars.
Those cars don't have any engines in themselves to propel them down the railway track.
But there is between the engine and the cars something that's called a coupling.
And because those couplings are in place, those cars go at the same pace as those engines that have all the power. There is no power in man to save himself. Absolutely none.
Faith is the hand that reaches out and connects us to the power. Believe him. That's simply it, my friend.
How important to simply trust him. I just find that in our society, trust.
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Is being undermined and almost all human relationships.
And so people don't understand the idea of trust any longer.
There is a God you can trust, holy trust, and we have been brought to know Him in the person of the Lord Jesus. Believe on Him.
How important.
I'd like to turn over to the 6th chapter 2 and verse 47.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he.
That believeth on me hath everlasting life. It's the Lord Jesus speaking, He that believeth on me.
Some of you have probably heard the story of the conversion of Brother Giovanni Granidi.
In Italy.
Dear brother, he's been over this country a few times. He was over in Lawrenceville this last year, and he told us again the story of his conversion.
He was a young man, probably 19 years old, and he, with his friends were in a pool room.
Playing pool and smoking.
And I don't know what it was. They evidently were doing it, doing something that wasn't in agreement with the authorities.
But they had the door locked and all of a sudden.
They hear the knock at the door.
And they send somebody up to the second story to lookout and see who's at the door.
They thought it might be the police. Anyhow, the person that went to look comes back and he says just a man in a black suit let him in.
And so they let him in. Happened to be a man called Leonardo Piero Pato.
And he came in, and he looked around, and he simply quoted this verse. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life, according to my brother, Giovanni explains. He doesn't really offer too much explanation of the verse, he just simply quoted it twice.
That was all he had to say. Goes out the door shut.
Giovanni went home that night and he could not get that verse out of his mind. Try as hard as he could, he tried to go to sleep.
The Spirit of God had used that verse to impart life to that man, and Giovanni to this day shows the fruits of simply believing the message that God has sent concerning His Son.
Oh, isn't it wonderful, the simplicity of it? It's not a complicated matter. Sometimes we make it a complicated matter, but it is a simple thing to simply believe God.
Like to.
Turn now to.
Romans chapter three, another thing that it talks about having faith in.
Romans, chapter 3.
Let's begin with verse.
23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
Here it speaks of faith in his blood. You know, faith grows the more we get to know.
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A person, the more our faith grows.
So the more you get to know the God of the Bible, the more you get to know about the Lord Jesus Christ, the more your faith will grow.
God is a God that can be trusted, we've mentioned before.
And the more you get to know the various attributes of God.
We've been speaking about quite a bit of that and speaking about the Lord Jesus, because the Lord Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
If you want to get to know God, look at Jesus. You'll find out what God's like.
By looking at Jesus.
And God is.
Loving, oh how he loves, but God is light.
And there is nothing that can be hidden from his eyes. He knows every single detail of your life. There may be things in your life that you think nobody knows about. God knows you. He knows every single detail of your life. He knows those things that you've already forgotten about.
I've been astounded at people who remind me of things that I've done and I completely forgotten about it. But God knows every single detail of your life.
And God is holy and God is just. God cannot.
Passover sin lightly impossible it would be to deny his own character. Absolutely impossible.
And when it speaks here of faith in the blood of Jesus, what does it mean?
It means this, my friend, that when the Lord Jesus paid the price of our redemption on the cross, when he was hanging there in those three hours of darkness, pain, the price for sin in full. At the end of those three hours of darkness, he cries. It is finished. Every single sin that I had ever committed.
Was paid for in full by my Savior. God on the cross of Calvary praises me.
Jesus died.
And up that hill of Calvary came a soldier, and with his spear and he saw that Jesus was dead already. He plunged it into his side, and out came blood and water, the testimony that life had been given up in full payment of the price of sin, because without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.
God cannot Passover the question of sin lately, and He will not and He cannot on those sins of people that even won't accept Him as Savior. Their sins must be paid for too. If you accept Jesus as your Savior, you can take advantage of what He did on the cross of Calvary. His blood paid the price for my sin in full at the cross of Calvary.
But if you will not have him, God is still holy and justice, and He cannot Passover lightly your sin. You yourself will pay the penalty for your sins in the lake of fire forever.
You can count on God. He's faithful, He is true, He is holy. You can trust Him to be that. God cannot be anything else.
And so it is faith in his blood.
Speaks of the remission of sins, which means the forgiveness of sins. It speaks also in verse 26.
Of justice being justified freely.
God is just and the justifier of him that believes in Jesus.
How can that be if I try to justify a person who had flagrantly sinned?
I would be unjust in justifying a person like that. How can God being just justifier the Sinner that believes in Jesus? How can he be that way? Because of the price that was paid in full at Calvary by the blood of Jesus, and so it speaks of faith in his blood.
Another thing that we can believe tells us Romans chapter 10.
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And verse 9.
A three from verse 8.
But what saith it?
That is the righteousness which is of faith. What does that righteousness which is of faith say?
The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the Word of Faith which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. What is it that's to be believed here?
Believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead.
You know why that's so important?
Because if God had not been fully satisfied with the payment that Jesus made on the cross of Calvary.
He would never have raised Jesus from the dead. The fact that Jesus is risen and sitting at God's right hand is testimony to the fact that God.
In all the holiness of his being and all the holiness of his character.
Accepted the payment made and raised Jesus from the dead and didn't quit raising him until Jesus occupied the highest place in the universe, the right hand of the throne of God.
Have you believed it? Believe it, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth.
Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead.
Thou shalt be saved, but I want to touch.
A little practical note. It's easy to say, I believe.
It doesn't really cost a whole lot.
To put out those two words, I believe.
And there's a lot of people in this country today, maybe a lot of people in this room, I don't know.
I'm not here as a judge to be able to discern, but.
When you truly believe it's going to be evident in your life.
And I say this because there's a lot of people who say they believe, but their life is the same as any ungodly unbeliever in the world.
Like to turn to the book of James chapter 2.
To see what James has to say about faith.
Verse 17.
Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. Yeah, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
Thou believe us that there is one God, and thou doest well.
The Devils also believe in tremble.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? I want to be very clear here. Salvation comes through faith alone.
But the true faith which is of God is of faith that works.
And it shows itself in very clear forms.
And if you are one who says you believe but there is no practical evidence of your faith.
The Lord Jesus himself said, By their fruit ye shall know them.
You know why I say this? I was talking some time ago to.
A young man.
Whose life gives no evidence of faith in Christ.
And when I spoke to him, he was quite upset at me.
Because I called in question whether he really believed.
But the life he lived of debauchery.
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Drunkenness. Women.
Was evident he was not following Jesus.
He was going another Rd.
And he was quite adamant when I called in question the matter of his salvation.
That he had believed.
And he said that's all that's necessary to be saved.
I said that's all that's necessary to be saved is to believe. But when you truly believe.
God, there is going to be evidence of it in your life.
And I say that because sometimes there are those who are with us.
There is no evidence in their life.
Of a change.
You say you believe there were people in biblical times who took that position.
As well, we heard today about Judas Iscariot, one of the very.
Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ accompanied with him for 3 1/2 years.
In this life, nobody questioned if Judas was false or not. When the Lord Jesus said, one of you is going to be train me. The disciples looked at each other. Who is he talking about? They didn't know. And maybe you're sitting there and everybody's convinced you're a Christian and you know in your heart that you do not have the faith that it comes.
From simply believing God's precious word, you know it.
I want to awaken you tonight. You need to get serious with God. Judas had interests in following Jesus, which was mentioned today. He was the treasurer for the Lord and his disciples as they were going around, and when he needed a little extra cash of his own, he put his hand into that bag and he took it out for himself. He was a thief. He was interested because of money.
I've noticed in South America, lots of times there's young men that come along and they get interested.
Making a profession of faith because they see a young girl, they like to get married to her, and they say young girls that are believers are far more faithful than young girls that are not believers. And that's the kind of girl I like to get married to.
But that's not the faith of God. That's not the faith of God and Judas.
Iscariot had an awful end. He hung himself.
And he fell down when he hung himself, and he burst in half.
Where is Judas Iscariot tonight?
He's in hell. He's in hell. Didn't he take the place of a believer? Yeah, he took that place. You taking that place tonight without being real with God. There's another person in the book of the Acts that it actually says in Scripture. He believed it was Simon the sorcerer. Simon the sorcerer was a great man. They said this is the great power of God because he did many things as a sorcerer.
But a greater power came to Samaria, the power of God and the gospel.
And.
Simon the sorcerer was kind of displaced. He probably thought, well, I better join up with this new power that's come to town. And so he believes it says Scripture actually uses that word. He believed. And he was baptized, too.
And then Peter and John come down to Samaria, and he sees them laying hands on the disciples and giving the Holy Spirit. And he comes up and he says, here's some cash. I'd like to have that power too. Peter turns around and reproves it. Simon the sorcerer only had interest to being a great one.
First of all, he was a great one as a sorcerer. Now he wanted to be a great one in the Church of God.
You never repented, never had repented.
Oh, how important it is that faith was not valid faith.
Oh, how important it is to be sincere with God, to not put conditions to God. Sometimes people say, how much faith do you have to have? You don't have to have more than a grain of mustard seed of faith. It's not important the quantity of faith it is. It's important the one you have faith in. You may trust me for some matter in life, and I may let you down because I don't have the power to fulfill what I promised you.
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But I can guarantee you when you trust God on the grounds of what His Word tells us here, you can have assurance that He will keep His word. God is to be trusted. You can trust. Before we close, I want to.
Give one further scripture. Before I go to this scripture, I'd just like to say in connection with that matter of faith.
Because I know there may be people here who have doubts.
There was in the life of the Lord Jesus a man who brought his Son to the Lord Jesus.
To cure him, he had a demon. He was possessed by a demon.
And it was awful because that demon would take that young boy and throw him into the fire.
Try to burn him, basically, and then he would pick him up and he would throw him into the water to try to drown him. The devil only has his purposes to destroy you. That's his only desire. And you know that Father brought that boy to the Lord's disciples. I guess he didn't see Jesus right away, so he brought him to the Lord's disciples. And the Lord's disciples should have had faith to be able to heal him, because the Lord had given that to them. But they didn't seem to be able to do anything.
And maybe you have a person in your life that you wonder why I brought him to the brethren and they don't seem to be able to help him.
And they brought him to Jesus, and it says as he brought him to Jesus.
The demon threw him down and tore him. Isn't that awful?
And he comes to Jesus, and he says.
If thou couldst do anything, help us, be moved with pity and help us.
And the Lord Jesus says all things are possible to him that believes.
And you know what the young what the man said, Lord, I believe.
Help thou mine unbelief, in other words, he confessed. And Lord, there's a lot of doubt in this heart of mine, but I really do believe underneath it all.
And God honors that faith. It doesn't take much. It only takes a grain of mustard seed of that faith, which is of God. Believe him, believe him.
One more verse before we close Revelation 21.
And this is a warning.
Of the consequences of being unbelieving.
He's talking about the eternal day.
After this world that we now know.
Is gone forever, passed away.
And it says here in Revelation 21 and verse 8, but.
The fearful.
And unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers and ************ and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars.
Have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
There's some pretty bad serious types sins mentioned here. Murderers. Maybe? You think you're all right. You cannot set yourself with people that are murderers, ************ sorcerers, idolaters.
But who else is in that group that will spend their eternity in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone? Are the fearful and unbelieving.
I want to ask you to please listen when I quote one more verse and then read one more verse to end this meeting.
In fact, I'll read the one first in Romans chapter 15.
One verse I want to read and then quote one.
Please listen.
Romans 15 and verse 13.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.
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Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved in thy house. Let's pray, Father, bless thy precious.
Haggai 2
David's Mighty Men